Sony DCR-SR300 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on May 16, 2007 3:28 PM
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Audio (5.0)
The SR300 features a 5.1 channel surround sound built-in stereo microphone located on the top to the camcorder, near the front. Those with larger hands will have to be mindful of the microphone’s unfortunate position, resting right beneath the pinky and ring finger for a muffled, cloudy audio experience. The SR300 is just too small for this microphone placement.
It’s slim pickins with the recording options as well. The only control you have over the built-in stereo microphone is a normal and low setting. According to Sony, normal records surrounding audio within a fixed level while low records surrounding audio sounds at their actual level. Our ears couldn’t tell the difference. In addition, without a mic or headphone jack, the SR300 is merely capable of consumer-grade audio. Of course the SR300's hot shoe is compatible with an external microphone, but only a Sony microphone or accessory. No windscreen, no adjustable levels, just a record button, and a prayer.
Playback (6.25)
To playback your media on the SR300, open the LCD screen and press the playback button located in the top right corner of the LCD cavity. This cues a comprehensive menu screen with a row of tabs running horizontally along the base: video mode, video clips, digital stills, digital stills recorded to a MemoryStick PRO Duo, and the function menu button (acts an options button for archiving videos and stills. To the left, a set of up and down arrows scrolls through up to six icons per page representing recorded media. When a video clip is pressed, it automatically begins playing in the full LCD screen with a gamut of touch screen options: stop, rewind, play/pause, fast forward, options, previous clip, and next clip. The options button cues a menu screen that allows you to adjust the volume of a clip, fiddle with the data code, or add it to a playlist. You can also delete and divide (split) clips.
Playing back still images is virtually the same menu structure, just with different options: thumbnail view, previous image, slide show start/pause, next image, and options. Digital still options allow you to print (when connected to a PictBridge compatible printer), set slide show settings, turn the data code on or off, and delete images.
Playback is reasonably idiot-proof, and the touch screen menu is simple to navigate with.
The playback menu
Connectivity (5.0)
Ports, ports, who’s got the ports? Not the DCR-SR300. You’ll only find an A/V terminal, remote jack, DC in connection, and MemoryStick PRO Duo slot. There’s also a hot shoe, or "Active Interface Shoe," which is compliant with only Sony add-ons. The sharp plastic door housing the hot shoe popped off within minutes of the camcorder’s removal from its box. The plastic oval-shaped A/V/remote jack port cover flew off the SR300 with a medium-sized tug. Cheap, cheap, cheap. The SR300 doesn’t even include a USB terminal, forcing the user to rely on the supplied docking station.
On the supplied docking station, you'll find a USB, DC in and A/V out terminal, and that's about it. There's a Disc Burn button on the front for exporting straight to a DVD. If you forget your docking station on the road, you are up a creek without the ability to transfer your footage until you get home.
The Sony DCR-SR300 in the docking station.