Sony Handycam HDR-SR12 user reviews

4.0 stars

"Awesome video - complicated software" on July 3, 2008 by ksmith51

Pros: Terrific HD and SD video; HDD media; Plentiful accessories

Cons: Complicated software; manuals not intuitive

Summary: I have finally become my father. I'm geezing. This is just a fabulous camcorder, but I'm way over my head trying to get my videos onto my PC and then burning the correct format DVDs to share with friends/family. Reading the "quick start" guide plus the PDF-format owner's manual on the included CD... almost made my head explode. And I've had a camcorder of various media and many types of film and digital cam in my hands since they were so big you needed a friend to help carry the components. I feel like I've traded my soul to the devil to get the latest/greatest technology. Of course, now I'm getting the, "I told you so!!" from my wife. I guess I should've accepted the simplicity (although less perfect video compression) of the last-most-current media, recording directly to mini-DVDs in the camcorder. Yikes!

4.5 stars

"My little friend" on May 8, 2008 by Yrtti

Pros: Quite handy, lots of hard disk space, good looking, face regonizing is good when recording people

Cons: Would prefer wider lens, shuts down in loud noises, focusing issues when filming animals etc

Summary: I really like my camera, its neat, tiny and still makes this huge detailed video. It´s quite amazing, i think.

face regonizion is good feature when filming people. With animals (i have two cats) it sometimes finds animals eyes and can focus, sometimes it gets confused

lens is not wide enough, though it may be that i´m used to a wider lens with my Panasonic DMC-LX2K. Anyway i bought a wider lens for this. For a lens it´s too big and heavy and it´s still not that wide, only "normal-wide"...

I´m a drummer and this camera shuts down in loud noises...it´s not a good feature either Would be nice to record our gigs and rehersals without tweaking the microphone with duct tape.

120 gigs is a bit too much actually, you dont really need that much of a space with avchd. For example i have recorded 193 clips in three weeks and it still has half of it´s capacity left.

But in a nutshell, it´s very good point and shoot type of camera with full automation etc. you don´t have to trouble yourself to get a decent picture out of it, it takes care it for you almost in any case. With it´s massive hard drive there´s no way you run out of storage space, buy the NP-FH100 and you can record forever

4.0 stars

"Very Nice, this is my first camcorder so sort of a novice" on March 8, 2008 by Flightlevel470

Pros: Having HD and all around quality, 120 gig hard drive

Cons: For the price I beleive Sony should incude the FH70 battery instead for the standard

Summary: This is my first camcorder and I am really enjoying it. I found it very easy to operate without having to go to the instructions. The inteface is simple with a computer. I do wish that as I stated in the Cons that a longer life battery should be included in a high end piece of equipment such as this camcorder

5.0 stars

"Excellent HD camcorder with plenty of storage (120GB)" on May 14, 2011 by user0007

Pros: excellent video quality, excellent macro mode from a tripod;
remote control offers professional work from a light tripod;
120GB hard disk, never have had any storage problem on vacation;
excellent lens with no barrel distortion at all;
good white balan

Cons: The lens is starting from 40/37 mm and a wide lens is necessary to attach for achieving wide angle,
however the tele range is excellent - movie mode 40mm - 480mm, still Image mode 37mm - 444mm (35mm equiv)
Some of the white balance presets are having min