Sony HDR-SR1 Camcorder Reviewby John NeelyPublished on Oct 25, 2006 12:00 PM 
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The Front (9.0)
Overall, the HDR-SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) looks much like the Sony DCR-SR100 (Review, Specs, $999) HDD camcorder and is nearly identical to its DVD-based AVCHD cousin, the HDR-UX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $729.95). The most notable feature of the front-end SR1 is the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 10x optical zoom lens with its 30 mm filter diameter. The lens specs are identical to those of the HDR-UX1, with a focal distance of 5.1 to 51 mm, and a 35mm equivalency of 41.3 to 485mm in 16:9 mode and 50.5 to 594mm in 4:3 mode. Like other higher-end Sonys, the lens has an automatic cover, which automatically opens when it’s powered on. The HDR-SR1 and HDR-UX1 also have a nicely designed multipurpose ring control framing the lens – a feature that made a brief appearance on the HDR-HC1 (Specs, $2295) only to be replaced by a small dial on the HDR-HC3 (Review, Specs, $969.99). We’re happy to see the return of this control on Sony’s AVCHD models.
Directly above the center of the lens is a small horizontal flash, for use in still photo mode. Due to this placement, the flash may be covered if a lens attachment, such as a wide-angle adaptor, is attached. An optional Sony flash unit compatible with the Active Interface shoe may be necessary in order to use a flash in tandem with a lens adaptor. Two sensors are located below the lens, one for the remote control unit, and one for NightShot/Super NightShot recording mode. Directly below these sensors is a tiny LED tally lamp, which indicates when the camcorder is recording. A metal eyelet for the wrist strap is at the extreme lower-left corner of the front of the camcorder. All in all, the camcorder looks nearly identical to the HDR-UX1 from the front.
The Right Side (7.5)
On most consumer camcorders, the right side does double duty as the grip area and media bay. In the case of the Sony HDR-SR1, the right side still houses the media recording mechanism in the form of an onboard 30GB HDD, but the absence of a hatch means this part of the body is simpler than on camcorders that rely on removable media. In that sense, the right side of the HDR-SR1 looks like the HDR-UX1 with the HDD enclosure replacing the DVD drive bay. The wrist strap follows Sony’s standard design, and it is well-padded and very comfortable, angling downward towards the front of the camcorder’s body for a proper shooting position. At back of the body is a small rubber port cover that conceals the headphone jack and a LANC jack. The placement of these jacks could be problematic as they are flush with the inside edge of a shooter’s hand when gripping the camcorder. This placement could put pressure on the jack during hand-held shooting and is something to watch out for. At the opposite end of the camcorder, along the bottom edge of the lens barrel is a microphone jack, protected by a rubber port cover.
The Back (6.5)The battery slot, aligned vertically, takes up most of the back end of the Sony HDR-SR1. The battery pack is attached by clicking it into place from below, and the battery release is on the base of the camcorder, adjacent to the slot. Depending on the size of your tripod plate, this placement may make it difficult or impossible to swap batteries when the HDR-SR1 is mounted on a tripod. Above the battery pack is the EVF (electronic color viewfinder), which sports a relatively large and comfortable eyepiece. The EVF does not extend, but can be tilted upwards to accommodate different viewing angles. When the EVF is tilted up, a dioptric adjustment lever is revealed. Four small LED lamps are located to the right of the EVF, and indicate whether the camcorder is in video, still photo or playback mode, and whether the battery is charging.
The Start/Stop record button is at the right-center of the SR1’s back and it’s comfortably situated for use when hand-held shooting. At the top-right corner, inset from the back surface is the power/mode dial. It’s a standard Sony dial, with positions for Off, On, and mode toggle. Pressing the switch when the camcorder is on cycles through the camcorder’s video, still photo and playback modes. The controls are well-placed, and we're glad Sony has moved the MemoryStick Duo slot from the back of the camcorder, as on the DVD505 (Review, Specs, $664), to the LCD cavity where it’s out of the way.
The Left Side (9.55)
The left side of the Sony HDR-SR1 features the 3.5-inch 16:9 LCD screen that we’re seeing on many of Sony’s high-end consumer camcorders. It’s a generously-sized and bright screen with a resolution of 211,000 pixels. The LCD display is opened by from a tab where the back edge of the LCD frame meets the SR1’s body. When open, five buttons are visible along the bottom edge of the LCD frame below the screen: record Start/Stop, zoom in/out, menu home, and one-touch disc burn.
The LCD cavity – the part of the camcorder body that’s revealed when the screen is open – is home to several features, including the MemoryStick slot on the right side of the cavity. Above the card slot is a small sliding hatch that conceals the USB port, a tidy and space-saving port cover design. To the left is a small playback speaker behind a square mesh, and next, further left is a vertical jack cover release slider. The slider opens and closes a retractable port cover below the LCD cavity, and like the USB cover, it’s a great space-saver. To the left of the slider is the Disp/Batt Info button, used to toggle display of information on the screen on or off in recording mode, or to power the display illumination on and off. When the camcorder is in standby mode or powered off, holding the button down displays battery life and HDD data.The main point of interest below the LCD cavity is the camcorder’s main port cluster. At the left side is a quick HDD access button that engages playback mode, followed by the recessed port cavity opened with the slider located above. From left are ports for AV out, Component out, and HDMI out. The DC-in power port is to the right of the main port cavity, protected by a separate rubber port cover. The sliding port cover is a great design that prevents it from being torn off accidentally and lost – a misfortune that happens all too often with “dangling port covers” that cover this camcorder’s other ports and jacks.
Towards the front of the left side, along the lens barrel are three more controls. On top is a button labeled Back Light, used to enter BLC (backlight compensation) mode, and beneath that is a manual/auto mode toggle button that we found very convenient. The bottom-most control is a NightShot on/off switch. The manual control ring at the front of the camcorder is distinguished by its rough surface, providing plenty of purchase.
The Top (7.75)
The main control region on top of the HDR-SR1 is near the camcorder’s back right-side. At the back edge is the mode dial, followed by a small photo button. Ahead of the photo button is the zoom toggle, which features a nicely tuned, rocking-lever design. The zoom lever is finely responsive, and Sony’s zoom controls are better than those made by most other manufacturers. At the camcorder’s front on top of the lens barrel is an onboard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound microphone, and directly behind it is a proprietary Active Interface accessory shoe compatible with Sony products such as microphones, video lights and flashes. A hard plastic cover that snaps snugly to the camcorder body when not in use covers the Active Interface Shoe.