Sony DCR-SR42 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Nov 15, 2007 10:13 AM 
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Ease of Use (7.0)
There’s nothing quite easier to use than an entry-level Sony. However, this Sony is the cat’s meow when it comes to hassle-free shooting. Point-and-shooters far and wide will swoon over the DCR-SR42 (Review, Specs, $0.00)’s Easy mode, which provides excellent automatic adjustment. All the shooter has to do is hit the record button and it’s family barbeque time! The best part is that the DCR-SR42 does not require tapes, discs, or SD/SDHC cards to capture video. All footage is stored to the camcorder’s 30GB internal HDD, which offers more than 440 minutes in the highest quality setting.
On the downside, making manual adjustments is vexing due to the tiny 2.5-inch LCD screen coupled with a touch screen interface. The buttons are just too small for such a miniscule screen. A stylus would almost help here—in fact, Sony equipped some of its past models with styluses. The DCR-SR42 is almost bare — it is one of the most minimalist camcorders on the market, featuring limited connectivity and external buttons and controls. It would take a lot for a beginner to feel bogged down while shooting with the DCR-SR42.
Handling (5.0)
The DCR-SR42 is Sony’s smallest camcorder, and it has to be. JVC’s standard definition Everio line is well renowned for its stellar portability factor. The JVC GZ-MG155 (Review, Specs, $0.00) is almost the size of a balled fist, and can fit in a large pocket. Sony, ever the fierce contender, answers with a camcorder that is just 10 percent larger in size, and five grams heavier. The Panasonic SDR-H20 is slightly larger than the DCR-SR42, and weighs more. This is not to say that the SDR-H20 is a monster—at this price range you’re paying for large hard drives stuffed in tiny, portable frames. The DCR-SR42 just happens to fall between the unmistakably petite GZ-MG155 and slightly plumper SDR-H20.
So how does this little bugger handle? Well, the DCR-SR42 is one of the most comfortable compact camcorders on the market. The entire right side is ergonomically sloped to fit the natural concave shape of the hand. Anyone with hands larger than a first grader’s will have to adjust the DCR-SR42 to fit the natural placement of their fingers, but for the most part, the onboard layout is well orchestrated to accommodate a broad spectrum of anatomy. A two-inch trench is embedded along the top of the DCR-SR42 to provide grip for the middle and ring fingers. The zoom toggle lays smack dab in the middle up top and is easily accessible via the index finger. The thumb has a tendency to stray across the battery pack, but the record start/stop button is within close reach.
You’ll want to shift your hand down a bit within the hand strap for your fingers to line up with their designated controls. The good news is that the DCR-SR42 is outfitted with a thick, durable hand strap. Although the hand strap does not provide adequate padding, it is miles ahead of the GZ-MG155’s unpadded nylon strap. The DCR-SR42’s hand strap is also mounted higher than most camcorders, which means your hand will stay glued to the right side, rather than the camcorder flopping to at an awkward 45-degree angle.
While the DCR-SR42 is a solid camcorder in terms of feel, operation is another story — the DCR-SR42 is saddled with a 2.5-inch LCD screen. While this might not be an issue on other camcorders, we all know Sonys tout touch screen displays. Without a stylus, making manual adjustments and navigating through the menu is truly discouraging. The buttons are tiny and sometimes must be pressed several times before kicking in. The GZ-MG155 utilizes an LCD-mounted joystick, which is far superior in terms of manual adjustment and overall navigation.
Menu (6.5)
Sony’s implementation of the touch screen “Home” menu has been met with great success as consumers gravitate toward the intuitive, organized structure and soothing selection sounds. For the most part, options are categorized and placed in appropriate locations — all manual controls and effects can be found within the Camera menu. All administrative functions are located within the Home menu, and Video and Photo settings are divided into “Movie Settings” and “Photo Settings.” One gripe we have about the Camera menu is that when you manually adjust the camcorder’s Exposure, Focus, etc., you are booted back to the standby screen instead of returning to the Camera menu to make further adjustments. This one-by-one method of manual control adjustment is a time eater and ramps up the annoyance factor of your shooting experience.
The Home menu offers the following options:
| Home Menu | |
| Camera | Movie, Photo |
| View Images | Visual Index, Playlist |
| Others | Delete, Edit, Playlist Edit, Print, Computer |
| Manage HDD/Memory | Format HDD, Format Memory Stick, Info |
| Settings | Movie Settings, Photo Settings, View Images Settings, Sound/ Display Settings, Output Settings, Clock/Language, General Settings |
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Home menu in action |
Movie Settings submenu in the Home menu |
The Camera menu is composed of the following options:
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Camera Menu |
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| Camera 1 | Focus, Spot Focus, Tele Macro |
| Camera 2 | Exposure, Spot Meter, Scene Selection |
| Camera 3 | White Balance, Color Slow Shutter, Super NightShot Plus Light |
| Camera 4 | Fader, Digital Effect, Picture Effect |
| Camera 5 | Record Mode, Microphone Level |
Camera Menu in action
Portability (7.0)
Lower-end HDD camcorders like the Sony DCR-SR42 are a tourist’s dream. They can fit inside a fanny pack, require no tapes or DVDs, and are extremely lightweight to alleviate potential arm strain from filming an entire day at Six Flags. The DCR-SR42 measures a petite 73 x 72 x 109mm (2 7/8 x 2/ 7/8 x 4 3/8 inches) and gingerly tips the scale at 380 grams (11 ounces). The DCR-SR42 is also compact with minimal extruding parts — this thing will endure a significant beating as long as you don’t inadvertently let it slip out of your hand while riding the Great American Scream Machine. The DCR-SR42 will fit in some large pockets — we managed to fit it inside a small sports sock — but a small camera bag will provide optimal protection. Please don’t tote your camcorders around in socks. The DCR-SR42 is equipped with a manual lens cover, so be sure to close it before transport — there are few things in the camcorder world that are worse than a scratched lens. We recommend at least one larger NP-FH60 backup battery pack or two NP-FH40s.
LCD and Viewfinder (4.0)
Monitoring options are slim on most HDD camcorders. The DCR-SR42 is the only horizontal-grip camcorder this year to feature a 2.5-inch LCD screen. The LCD screen extends 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. There is no viewfinder to be found on any of Sony’s HDD camcorders, so you’re stuck with the DCR-SR42’s 123,200-pixel display. The screen itself exhibits a decent picture, but colors are washed out and sharpness is lacking. There is a vertical panel of controls along the left side of the LCD panel: Home, Zoom Out, Zoom In, and Record Start/Stop.
You can control the brightness of the LCD screen via a horizontal slider found in the Sound/Display settings, in addition to a one-touch LCD Bright option. Color saturation can also be adjusted using a horizontal slider. Those who plan on using manual controls will want to steer clear of these display options. There is always the possibility of discrepancy between what you see on the screen and what it actually being recorded. Sony gains points for convenience, but the DCR-SR42’s only viewing pane leaves much to be desired.
Battery Life (12.0)
We tested the life of the DCR-SR42’s NP-FH40 battery pack by filming continuously in Manual mode with the LCD flipped open and EIS disengaged until the battery ran out of juice. The DCR-SR42 lasted 119 minutes and 46 seconds (1 hour, 59 minutes, and 46 seconds) — an admirable performance for such a small pack. We recommend a couple backup battery packs to last a full day’s worth of shooting. Sony offers the NP-FH60, which lasts approximately 35 percent longer than the supplied NP-FH40.