Sony DCR-SR300 First Impressions Reviewby Matt CullerPublished on Jan 16, 2007 12:00 PM
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Conclusion
In the end, the DCR-SR300 takes the top rank of standard definition HDD camcorders for Sony this year. It includes a better imager than any of them whose video performance might be worth the price increase over the DCR-SR200. The only drawback the DCR-SR300 has compared to cheaper HDD Sonys this year is disc space which is substantially lower than that of the DCR-SR82 (60GB capacity with a lower image quality might be a worthy trade-off for a select audience). However, a smaller hard drive won’t be a big problem if you’re close to a computer to dump footage. The main question with the DCR-SR300 camcorder is its value versus the HDR-HC5. If you don’t really care too much about hard disc media convenience over tape, the HDR-HC5 is available for only a hundred dollars more than the DCR-SR300 with the added bonus of high definition video and increased manual controls, though a slightly smaller imager.
Clearly Sony believes that there isn't much cross-over between these markets, or they would't have them at such similar price points. We think they're right. People will shop by the convenience of the format first. While we'll aways argue on the side of more controls and better quality, if the salesperson tells a customer that HDD is easier, they are more likely to buy HDD. We can't argue that - it is simpler. And we're thankful that image quality is finally catching up in the HDD format. But for only $100 more, do yourself a favor and take a hard look at your HDV options.
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