Sony HDR-UX1 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by John Neely
Published on Jul 26, 2006 4:30 PM

Intro
 Performance
Format Tour
Auto / Manual Controls Still Features
Handling and Use Audio / Playback / Connectivity
Other Features Comparisons / Conclusion


We recently got a first look at Sony's new HDR-UX1 high definition DVD camcorder in New York, and were impressed with what we saw.  The HDR-UX1 embodies a major new direction for consumer video, and is an indication of where Sony -- and other manufacturers -- may be heading.  In the past, DVD camcorders have been devices aimed squarely at the broad consumer market, based on several factors that have limited their appeal to video professionals.  Chief among these factors has been the poor quality of standard definition DVD video compared to the new AVCHD standard, which utilizes the more efficient H.264 codec.  DVD camcorders have never appealed to professional producers, and with the exception of Panasonic, manufacturers have not bothered to include higher-end manual control features.  On the HDR-UX1, Sony has broken with DVD's point-and-shoot past by adding a manual focus ring that can also be used to adjust exposure, as well as an external mic jack and headphone jack.  These features mean that Sony’s HDR-UX1 – the first ever high definition  DVD camcorder  – may also be the first DVD camcorder to really pique the interest of prosumers and serious video hobbyists.

Sony’s HDR-UX1 is the most expensive DVD camcorder on the market, with an expected retail price of around $1400, but it’s also the most advanced and the first to record high definition video. Its design shares the best features of at least three Sony models: the top of the line standard definition DVD camcorder, the DVD-DCR505, the discontinued HDV camcorder, the HDR-HC1,and its successor, the HDR-HC3. Compression aside, the HDR-UX1’s core imaging specs are closer to those of the HDR-HC1 and HDR-HC3. With microphone and headphone jacks, and a multifunction ring last seen on the HDR-HC1, the HDR-UX1 is a fundamentally more serious tool than any DVD camcorder to date.



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