Sony DCR-SR300 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on May 16, 2007 3:28 PM 
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Comparison
Sony DCR-SR100 (Review, Specs, $999)
Last year’s Sony DCR-SR100 ($1100 MSRP) is a more comfortable version of the SR300 (Review, Specs, $761.95). It's got an extendable viewfinder, top-mounted flash, and onboard USB terminal. The SR300 does have an extra 10GB of storage capacity, but aside from that, the only significant difference between these two is in the imagers. The SR100 has a 1/3" HAD CCD with reasonable bright light performance and decent low light. The SR300 is in a similar boat with its 1/2.9" CMOS chip. Chips aside, they're basically the same picture. Sony has manufactured way too many mediocre HDD models, and for the prices these dust gatherers are going for, you could get a Canon HV20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903) with dough to spare.
Sony DCR-SR5
The HDR-SR5 ($1100 MSRP) is Sony's latest addition to its HDD line, in addition to the more advanced HDR-SR7 (Specs, Recent News, $1399). As Sony HDD camcorders continue to multiply like rabbits, we question whether this one will be any different from the rest. In terms of video quality, expect 4 times the resolution. Although the SR5 just looks like a jazzed up SR300 with less buttons and a boxier design, it's shoots in HD. We're pretty bored with Sony's mediocre line of FamilyCams, but the SR5 shows potential. No mic or headphone jacks, limited automatic and manual controls, and no viewfinder will separate the SR5 owners from the SR7 owners. In this price range, it wouldn't make a drop of sense to go for the standard definition SR300 when the HD SR5 is right around the corner.
JVC GZ-MG555 (Review, Specs, $626)
The JVC GZ-MG555 ($899.95 MSRP) is a cheaply made pocket-size brick of suburban temptation. Again, no viewfinder, 2.7 inch LCD screen, and digital image stabilization. The hand strap is keychain quality. The mode dial is located on top of the camcorder. Everything about this camcorder screams budget--except the image quality. With a 1/2.5" 5.37MP CCD, you might expect more from the MG555. The SR300 does display a decent image, though, and those who are not keen on the fine particularities of noise and oversaturation will not be able to tell. We're talking about moms and dads here, because they're the only one that would buy either of these HDD models. It's a toss up. Loyal Sonyites will likely opt for an SR300. Those who like tiny electronic devices will go for the MG555. JVC’s hard drive camcorders have tended to disappoint in the past, though MG555’s predecessor, the GZ-MG500, looked great. We’ll have that review as soon as we can.
Panasonic SDR-H200
The Panasonic SDR-H200 ($799 MSRP) was announced earlier this year and is equipped with three 1/6" CCDs, an SD/SDHC card slot, and an S-Video cable. In the looks department, the H200 is boxier and is devoid of a viewfinder (are you noticing a pattern here?). Though we haven't tested the H200 yet, it would be difficult to pin its 3 1/6" CCDs against the SR300's 1/2.9" CMOS chip. In our experience, the smaller the chip, the less light gathering capabilities. But Panasonic 3-chips tend to produce great color. We'd place our bet on the Sony, but trying before buying could save you $200.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters
Point and shooters, all the way. With limited inputs and outputs, no viewfinder, and a dying crop of manual controls, the SR300 still proudly flaunts the coveted Holy Grail for all entry-level shooters: The Easy Button. (Cue Hallelujah).
Budget Consumers
No mic jack, no headphone jack, limited battery time, and a $1000 price tag. End of story.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
9999 digital stills on the wall. Take one down, pass it around, and you’ll probably be pleased with its 6.1 MP resolution. You can also record to a MemoryStick PRO Duo, and the SR300 includes a flash as well. 9998 digital stills on the wall…
Gadget Freaks
Do you hear that snoring? It’s a gadget freak passed out on the floor after spending more than 5 minutes with the Sony DCR-SR300 (Review, Specs, $761.95). They’ve already moved onto AVCHD or maybe the Red One camera.
Manual Control Freaks
Slim pickins. The limited library of manual controls coupled with Sony’s bumbling touch screen adjustments will turn off almost any manual control freak.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists
Pros will agree that the SR300 is cheap, easy cash for Sony.
Conclusion
The Sony DCR-SR300 is a great standard definition camcorder to be sure, and at the beginning of 2006, when its predecessor was released, it would have made us swoon. The 1/2.9” ClearVID CMOS sensor produces an image very similar in quality to the SR100 (though a bit noisier in low light), and the addition of OIS rather than EIS is a terrific upgrade. Add on a bigger 40GB HDD, a more compact design, and a $100 price cut over the SR100’s initial MSRP ($1000 versus $1100), the SR300 seems like a winning replacement.
What a difference a year makes. With the explosion of consumer HD options starting at around $1000, any SD (standard definition) camcorder priced at that level had better impress. Well, the SR300 does not impress us enough. The majority of viewers watching footage shot with the HDR-SR5 will find it vastly superior to footage shot with the SR300. The HDR-SR5 records AVCHD HD video, and unless you are either a pro or a compression connoisseur, chances are good that you too will prefer the SR5’s picture based on resolution alone.
There are still good reasons to opt for an SD camcorder like the SR300. The video in bright light looks great. Few camcorders this easy to use can produce that kind of image. The MPEG-2 format flavor Sony employs on their camcorders allows for simple drag-and-drop files. Most HDD and DVD camcorders from other manufacturer split the video and audio, requiring a 3rd party software to piece it back together. All in all, though, we’re not ready to part with our money on this one unless the price drops considerably. HD is the future, and if you are willing to spend this much, we’d recommend investing in forward-facing technology.