Sony DCR-SR300 First Impressions Reviewby Matt CullerPublished on Jan 16, 2007 12:00 PM
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Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
The DCR-SR300 (Review, Specs, $761.95) offers automatic control option over each of its manual controls. They include: focus, exposure, and white balance. Sony camcorders are well-known for their strong and accurate automatic controls, and the DCR-SR300 is no exception. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to fully assess all of the automatic controls as thoroughly as our full review will later this year. However, we can say that focus and exposure adjusted accurately and quickly. Our full review will assess how these features adjust in more extreme lighting and compositional conditions than the convention floor, so stay tuned for a more rigorous approach to their capabilities.The camcorder does include a number of Program AE (auto exposure), here called “Scene Select,” modes: Beach, Candle, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Snow, Spotlight, Sunrise & Sunset, Twilight, and Twilight Portrait.
Overall Manual Control Overall, the manual control on the DCR-SR300 is not up to par with other Sonys that include similar imagers, like the HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56) and the HDR-UX7. The DCR-SR300 lacks some of the amenities of those other Sonys with the 1/2.9" ClearVID and especially the multifunction dial that controls AE shift, WB Shift, Spot Metering, and Spot Focus. Granted those are HD camcorders, but with the improved video quality of the imager updates on SD camcorders, it's disappointing that the DCR-SR300 doesn't include more control. Sony camcorders are relatively notorious for lacking certain features of the manual control variety, and this camcorder is no exception. There is no aperture control, no shutter speed control, and no manual gain. Also, the manual focus and manual exposure controls lack fine control, and I wouldn’t use them over their auto options unless the auto controls were really foundering.
The SR300, like all Sonys, requires manual control adjustments through the touch screen menu. We've had mixed experiences with touch screens. While they are undeniably fast, the constant screen touching creates smudges that distort the very image you're trying to correct. This is particularly annoying with focus adjustments. Off-screen controls, such as the multifunction ring found on the HDR-HC7 and HDR-UX7 or the ring control found on the HDR-SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99), are much preferrable.
Zoom
The DCR-SR300 includes 10x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom options. We’re all familiar with the decrease in zoom power as camcorders upgrade lens and imager specs in a product line, and the DCR-SR300 is no exception to this rule. The DCR-SR42, DCR-SR62, and DCR-SR82 all include respective zooms of 40x, 25x, and 25x. The good news is that 10x should be all you need - big zooms are little more than a numbers game after a certain point . Shoddy video work is generally zoom-heavy, and this camcorder will force you to walk for close-ups. More good new is that this camcorder has optical image stabilization that should cut down on shakes at high zoom levels as well.
The camcorder’s zoom toggle feels good on the hand. It is easy to control with enough grip to allow precise variable speed zooms. The only thing I don’t like about the zoom toggle is that its placement requires operation with the middle finger rather than the index.
Focus
Manual focus options are available on the DCR-SR300 though only with the camcorder’s touch screen menu system. This means that on-the-fly focal adjustments are made by tapping a cursor along a meter on the camcorder’s LCD screen that is obviously going to make for shaky video. You’ll want to adjust focus before recording. There is also an option for TeleMacro recording that will present a tightly focused foreground and a blurry background for your simulations of the National Geographic bug documentaries. There is no Spot Focusing on the DCR-SR300.
Exposure & Aperture
The manual exposure control on the DCR-SR300 is the same as many of Sony’s camcorders of the past, and it works like the focal adjustment. Users can access it via the camcorder’s touch screen menu system and adjust it by tapping either a plus or minus sign to increase and decrease exposure. Exposure is adjusted without reference to F-stop or shutter speeds or any numerical system, though we can tell you that these are EV steps (of an undisclosed increment). It would be really handy for Sony to includetheir AE shift option here to help fill some of the area between these incremental jumps.
Shutter Speed
There are no manual shutter speed options on the DCR-SR300. You’ll have opt for the more expensive HDR-HC7 for this option.
White Balance
Standard Sony white balance options are available on the DCR-SR300. These include: Manual, Auto, Indoor, and Outdoor. Indoor and Outdoor are similar to the Scene Select (Program AE) presets available for custom environments. It would have been good for Sony to include the WB Shift option, available on the company’s HDV and AVCHD camcorders this year.
Gain
There are no manual gain control on the DCR-SR300.
Other Manual Controls
There are no other manual controls on the DCR-SR300.
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