Sony Handycam DCR-SR85 Camcorder Review

by Jeremy Stamas
Published on Nov 12, 2008 4:30 PM

 
Intro Performance
Format Auto / Manual Controls
Still Features Handling and Use
Audio / Playback / Connectivity
 Other Features
Conclusion & Comparisons Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings


Audio (5.00)
The Sony DCR-SR85 doesn't have all the bells and whistles of audio control, but it's suited just fine for a compact camcorder. An internal microphone is housed atop the lens, right in front of the hot accessory shoe. External microphones can be purchased that will mount to the accessory shoe, but they must be Sony brand products. There is no external microphone or headphone jack on the camcorder.

In the Camera menu, the microphone recording volume can be set to normal or low. Also, there is a Zoom Mic feature that attempts to center in on the sound coming from subjects you have focused in on with the zoom lens.

Playback (3.00)
Playback is simple on the Sony DCR-SR85, but there are a bunch of confusing menu options and the screen is cluttered with tabs, thumbnails, and information in playback mode.

By pressing the play button on the lower right of the LCD touchscreen, or the same button on the base of the camcorder, you enter playback mode. Once in this mode, just click on the thumbnail of the video you want and it will begin playing instantly. VCR controls will appear at the bottom of the screen once the video starts playing (stop, rewind/slow-back, play/pause, fast forward/slow-forward). You can switch over to view still images by pressing the camera tab at the bottom of the LCD.

Volume control isn't located conveniently for playback. You must enter the Playback menu (the same button that accesses the Camera menu when in record mode) and select volume to raise and lower the playback audio. Sony should have made the zoom toggle or buttons double as volume control to make the adjustment handier. Pressing the Disp/Batt info button clears the screen, providing an unobstructed view of your footage.

Sony has a few advanced playback features on the DCR-SR85, but their functionality is questionable. Movie dub, which is found in the home menu, copies videos from the internal hard drive to a loaded MemoryStick memory card (photo copy can do the same thing for images). Face Index and Film Roll Index are both options for organizing video clips. Face Index uses face detection technology and indexes videos according to faces detected in each scene. Film Roll Index places chapter markers within video clips so you can jump to specific scenes within your footage. These features may sound interesting, but it is hard to imagine anyone spending that much time organizing their footage using a touchscreen interface on a 2.7-inch screen. All of this organization and indexing can easily be done on a computer—likely producing better results as well.

The Playback menu contains the following options:

Playback Menu
Tab 1 Add, Add by Date
Tab 2 Delete, Delete by Date, Delete All
Tab 3 Divide


Playback mode on the DCR-SR85

Connectivity (6.00)
There are only three ports on the body of the Sony DCR-SR85: DC input, AV-Out, and USB. On the top of the camcorder are also a MemoryStick card slot and a hot accessory shoe. The Sony DCR-SR85 (and DCR-SR65) is one of the few ultra-compact standard definition camcorders to offer an accessory shoe—the JVC GZ-MG360, Panasonic SDR-H60, and Canon FS11 are all shoe-less. Be forewarned, however, the DCR-SR85's accessory shoe fits only Sony-brand products, which means your vast collection of external microphones or lights will probably be incompatible with the camcorder. Adapters are available, but only through third-party vendors. In contrast, Canon does offer a 3.5mm stereo microphone input on the FS11.
Going clockwise starting at the upper left: AV-Out and USB, DC input,
MemoryStick slot, hot accessory shoe


Sony ships the DCR-SR85 with a docking station, which the camcorder connects to via a small port on its base. What's strange about this docking station is it provides no extra connectivity, but instead replicates the three ports already located on the camcorder—DC input, AV-Out, and USB. It's good Sony provided all the necessary connection options right on the body of the camcorder, but it's a wonder why they didn't slip some extras onto the docking station (or why they even bothered to provide the dock at all).



The docking station isn't a necessity for the DCR-SR85.









The ports on the docking station are all found elsewhere on the camcorder:
DC input, AV-Out, USB


It should also be noted that Sony uses a proprietary AV-Out cable. This means if you break or lose the one that comes with the camcorder, you'll have to purchase a replacement from Sony.



<< Handling and Use | Other Features >>