Sony Handycam HDR-UX1

Summary: I won't rehash the technical details of the camera. What I will do is caution you on over analyzing this product with what you read on the internet. Keep in mind that this is a camera for the average consumer and/or small production company.

I am also just your average consumer looking to take advantage of affordable HD technology with the purchase of my first camcorder. I have had my camera for a week and have put it through every conceivable test. The bottom line is that it is one of the best cameras I have ever used.

Most online reviews seem to focus on things like "noise" and "compression" issues. I saw none of that when playing back on my 42" Plasma HDTV. The HDMI port on the camera made playback a breeze. Just plug and play literally. The 5.1 channel built-in microphone was really cool too. While recording my dog in the yard, I whistled for him to come and recorded him running towards me. When I played it back on my TV, you could clearly hear my whistle on the back channel speakers of my home theater and hear the dog galloping towards me on the front speakers for a truly surround sound experience.

As for the picture, forget the negatives you hear about AVCHD. The compression worked just fine. It was clear, sharp and definitely in high definition. The video just popped off the screen beautifully and the colors where almost perfectly represented. I didn’t see any "noise" that I had read about from other reviews on other websites. Even if you are a professional production company looking for a portable camera to use in the field, this one does the job.

Other features I really like that are not usually talked about are the night shot mode and the still camera ability. Night shot gives it that Desert Storm night vision look. Maybe it is just a novelty with no real practical use, but a really cool feature nonetheless. As for the built-in 4 mega pixel ability as a still camera...one word – impressive. Most people don’t buy camcorders for their snapshot abilities, but for someone like me who hikes and mountain climbs regularly, I needed an all-in-one unit with good results. Again, using my dog as a subject I snapped off about 10 still images in different lighting conditions and zoom levels. I then downloaded them to my computer and printed them to my Epson Photo Printer at 8" x 12" on photo paper. I got perfect results. So not only do I have a top-notch camcorder, I have a very good digital still camera as well.

Finally, I agree that there are very few options for editing video at the moment. But that should be temporary. The software industry just has to play catch-up to the AVCHD technology. For now, you can do some basic clipping of video with the supplied software. But the ability to burn to standard DVD from the camera is simple and effective. I shot a quick 2-minute movie in high definition; connected my camera to the computer; uploaded the movie to my desktop; then simply right-clicked the file and clicked "Burn to DVD." The Sony software took care of converting it to a standard DVD and burned it all within about 5 minutes. The playback quality going from HD to standard DVD was the same as any DVD movie you rent at the local Blockbuster. In other words, it looked great and even carried over the Dolby 5.1 onto the DVD. Sure it wasn't a true 1080i recording like the original but even down-converting from the high def of the camera to a standard DVD that can be shared with friends and family was a simple process with great recording quality.

The only real negative I can see at this point is recording time and weight. Other reviewers have mentioned the short record time. I agree. Just 15 minutes for HD+ mode is too short, but keep in mind you can now buy dual layered mini DVDs that double that time. Also, just knock the record mode down to the HD-Standard or HD-LP mode (instead of HD+) and you get a few more minutes. I for one sort of expected short record times so I can live with it. I'll just make sure I always have a half-dozen or so blank DVDs in my camera case. The Sony HDR-SR1 might be a better option for you because it records 4 hours of HD video to a hard drive, but you still have upload to your computer and burn it to DVD if you plan on sharing it. The weight of the camera is pretty hefty by today's standards. My parents have a Canon DC40 and it is a feather compared to the HDR-UX1. I could hold the Canon up chest high and take video all day long, but with the Sony, you definitely know you’re holding nearly 2 lbs. It's not a big deal, but for long hikes in the mountains when you're trying to record while walking and carrying a backpack, it can tire the shoulders out pretty quickly.

The last paragraph is probably the only reason I didn't give this camera 5 stars. Also, it's tough to give a perfect score to any first generation product. No doubt the technology for HD camcorder will improve quickly, but for now, I couldn't be happier with the purchase. A very nice product for the average consumer. Don't over-analyze the technical side of other reviews you might read on the internet.