Sony DCR-SR100 Camcorder Review

The Front (8.0)
The most obvious feature on the front of the Sony DCR-SR100 is the prominent Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 10x optical zoom lens with a 30 mm filter diameter. This lens has a focal length of 5.1 to 51 mm when converted to 35 mm still camera equivalency. When shooting video in 16:9 format the focal length alters to 42.8 to 495 mm, while in 4:3 format, the focal length will measure 45 mm to 450 mm. Still images being recorded with the Sony DCR-SR100 will have a focal length of 40.6 mm to 406 mm in 16:9 and 37 mm to 270 mm in 4:3 format. The lens has an automatic cover which opens when the camera is powered on.

Directly above the center of this 10x optical zoom lens is a small horizontal in-camera flash for use with still images. This in-camera flash will be covered whenever an accessory lens attachment is used. Users will also have to resort to a Sony brand external flash unit that connects to the Active Interface shoe on the top of the camcorder if additional lighting is needed for photographs. To the left of the lens are two sensors which allow for IR interaction with remote control and NightShot / Super NightShot recording modes. A red LED is positioned directly beneath these two sensors and is positioned so that subjects in front of the camera lens can be aware of when recording is occurring. A wrist strap eyelet composed of plastic can be found jutting out from the camcorder body directly beneath these two sensors and the recording lamp. All in all, a good looking front.

The Right Side (6.0)
The right side of the Sony DCR-SR100 is composed of matte black plastic with a matte silver highlight cutting through the center of this plane. The hard disk drive for this camcorder is positioned in the same location where users are accustomed to find DVD or MiniDV media on other camcorders. The right side has the standard wrist strap that spans the camcorder body from front to back and users will find that the strap slants downwards on a slight diagonal from back to front. The pad for the wrist strap is well sized for comfort and the top of the right edge is well designed for a confident grip. Near the back of the camcorder is a small port cover that opens via a tab located along its top edge. This oddly shaped cover will resist being moved away from the remote port located beneath and while well-constructed, its belligerent nature is irksome and limits fast access. The JVC G-series camcorders are smaller, overall, but does not have more gripping surface than the SR100.

The Back (6.0)
The back of the Sony DCR-SR100 has a battery pack in a horizontal position along the bottom half of the camcorder body. The battery pack is released from the camcorder body via a tab located on the bottom face of the camcorder body in a position that is easily blocked when the camcorder is attached to a tripod head. Above the battery pack in the left corner is the electronic color viewfinder that has a cut-away eyepiece that allows the user to adopt a better viewing position in comparison to similar hard plastic versions. On the right side of the viewfinder is the dioptric adjustment feature and the viewfinder does extend out from the camcorder body for user comfort and access. This feature would be even better if it rotated upwards in addition to extending outwards. Three LEDs are positioned to the right of the electronic color viewfinder which indicate whether the camcorder is entered into video, still or playback mode. Beneath these three lights are two more LEDs, one indicating accessibility while the other indicates current flash state.

To the right of the LEDs is a small black button that is nearly invisible because it is the same color as the body of the camcorder.  This easily overlooked control will engage flash settings for the camera when shooting in still mode. However, with its placement, size, and color, it seems likely to be forgotten during most shooting. The start/stop record button is located directly to the right of the flash charge LED and the battery pack of the Sony DCR-SR100 and is comfortably placed for activation with the thumb of the right hand. Above the start/stop button is the power/mode switch that can be engaged by pressing a small green tab on the top side of the control while simultaneously moving the control to either the right or left. Rotating the switch to the right will allow users to turn the camera on and scan between video, still, and review modes while moving it to the left will set the camera to off/charge.

The Left Side (8.25)
The left side of the Sony DCR-SR100 features a widescreen 2.7 inch LCD with 123,200 pixels and is not as large or as functional as the LCD on the Sony DCR-DVD505 which made using the touch-screen interface at least tolerable. The LCD screen can be opened by pulling on the top, back or bottom edges of the LCD frame. This LCD does not lock into the camera at all and can be snapped open and closed with a quick flick of the wrist, so caution should be taken during transport and fast shooting. On the outer edge of the LCD frame are three secondary controls that engage telephoto and wide-angle zoom in addition to record start/stop. In the area masked by the LCD when closed are four buttons for the camcorder. These buttons are well labeled with full text descriptions and users won’t find them confusing or cramped.

The front buttons allow for access to Easy mode with the wide select button beneath. Behind the wide select button is the disp/batt. info button with the DVD direct burn button located above. In the upper back corner of this space is an in-camcorder speaker for monitoring audio in playback mode. In the lower front corner is a small in-set button that can be only accessed with a small pointed object such as a bent paper-clip or similarly petite item. This button will reset the camcorder controls and recording parameters to a default setting.

Beneath the LCD on the exterior of the camcorder body are two controls near the front of the DCR-SR100 which allow the user to turn the Back Light compensation feature on/off and engage the NightShot control as well. Behind this button and switch is a port cover that is opened by pulling on a tab located on the bottom of the camcorder body. This port cover won’t open when attached to a tripod head and users should consider this if shooting in a static position for an extended period wherein the DC IN port may need to be used. In addition to the DC IN port, this port cover also masks the A/V in/out port and the USB in/out port for the camcorder. This cover had a tendency to catch when opening, although, once fully extended on its lengthy hinge the cover did not impede access to these three essential features. Again, the JVC Everios are smaller, and more evenly weighted.

The Top (7.75)
Controls on the top of the Sony DCR-SR100 are located on the right side near the back of the camcorder so that users can comfortably access them with the index finger of the right hand. The zoom toggle on the top of the camcorder is positioned in front of the photo button and was sensitive to user manipulation to provide for a variety of zoom speeds. Positioned on the top of the lens barrel is a four-channel microphone design that is equipped with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator feature for surround sound formatting. This in-camcorder microphone setup is positioned too closely to the fingers of the right hand and users will find that handling and control noise is at times captured with these microphones. Directly behind the four-channel microphones is a proprietary hot shoe that accepts Sony brand products that include accessory microphones, video lights and flashes for still image capture. The hot shoe is masked by a cover that is opened via a tab on its back edge. This cover snaps quite efficiently into the body of the camcorder, and when firmly in place, it is great during transport. However, it could cause some consternation by those with short fingernails when attempting to open. The cover is hinged along its left edge and would benefit from slightly longer hinges since it tended to cramp the style of accessory features.