Sony HDR-XR520V Handycam First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on Jan 11, 2009 1:20 PM
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Auto ModeSony traditionally does well with auto controls and the HDR-XR520V is no exception. Auto focus did it's job quickly and accurately—it was able to focus in on most subjects in less than a second. Auto exposure and white balance were more difficult to check out with the display models at CES. The lighting in Sony's booth wasn't very good, but exposure appeared to adjust naturally and no major problems were noticeable. Auto White balance, although also difficult to judge under the awkward lighting conditions, also seemed to perform well.
The HDR-XR520V uses an optical image stabilization system (SteadyShot) just like last year's models, but the XR520V adds a new feature—Active Mode. According to Sony, Active Mode improves the image stabilization system by allowing the camcorder's lens to move over a greater distance. This, in turn, reduces the camcorder's shakiness more than normal OIS. Sony wouldn't say if Active Mode reduces image quality, but the feature can be turned on and off in the camcorder's menu independently from the optical image stabilization.
The XR520V has Face Detection features, which was also found on last year's models from Sony. The feature detects faces within the frame and then automatically adjusts exposure and focus to keep them looking sharp. Face Detection can detect up to 8 individual faces within a frame, although our testing usually isn't able to produce those kind of numbers.
Low Light Modes
Sony got rid of the Color Slow Shutter features on the HDR-XR520V, which is probably a good move. Color Slow Shutter, a feature that was embedded in the menu system last year, allowed the camcorder to drop the shutter to speeds as low as 1/2 or 1/4 of a second. Shutter speeds that slow, while definitely improving image brightness, also create a ton of motion blur and ghosting whenever a subject moves in front of the camcorder (or if the camcorder moves as well).
On the HDR-XR520V all low light modes are controlled by a switch inside the LCD cavity. STD sets the camcorder in standard mode (the shutter won't drop below 1/60). Low Lux mode drops the shutter to speeds as low as 1/30 of a second (like Auto Slow Shutter on previous Sony camcorders) and likely boosts the gain on the camcorder as well. NightShot is the third setting on the switch and utilizes the camcorder's infrared sensor to illuminate images in complete darkness (accompanied by a bright green glow). Sony organizes low light modes very well on the HDR-XR520V and it is a significant improvement over last year.
According to Sony, the HDR-XR520V requires a minimum illumination of 11 lux in standard mode and 3 lux in Low Lux mode.
Scene Modes
The following Scene Modes are provided on the HDR-XR520V: Auto, Twilight, Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, Snow.
ZoomThe HDR-XR520V has a traditional zoom toggle on the top of the camcorder. It doesn't appear to work any differently than it did on previous Sony models. There are also two buttons on the left side of the LCD screen that can be used for zooming.
Zoom Ratio
The camcorder has a 12x optical zoom—again, same as on last year's HDR-SR12. There is also the option of a 150x digital zoom.
The HDR-XR520V does not offer Advanced Zoom, which is a new feature that Canon and JVC have announced this year. Advanced Zoom provides an extra bit of magnification with no loss of quality by using extra pixels to increase the zoom level.
Focus
There are a number of ways to manually focus on the HDR-XR520. First, there is the triumphant return of the assignable dial on the front of the camcorder (previously called the Cam Control dial). The dial works wonderfully and is second only to a full lens ring when it comes to making manual adjustments. The dial can be set to control four different functions: focus, exposure, AE shift, and WB shift. Sony's control dial is such a good idea that Canon has implemented a nearly identical dial on the new HF S-series of camcorders.
You can still adjust focus using the touchscreen interface on the HDR-XR520, but it's still an annoying procedure. There are a few touchscreen advantages on the HDR-XR520, however. First off, buttons are easier to press because of the large, 3.2-inch LCD screen. Also, the screen is less cluttered with information than it was on previous models.
There is also a spot focus option, which has been part of Sony's feature list for a while. Spot focus puts a box around the screen and you touch the portion of the frame that you want to be in focus. The spot focus feature makes good use of the touchscreen technology and works rather well.
Exposure
Sony offers a bunch of exposure adjustment methods on the HDR-XR520V. First, there's traditional manual exposure control, which can be performed using the assignable dial or the touchscreen (just like focus). Second there is AE shift, which only has nine increments of control (-4 to +4). AE shift can also be controlled using the dial as well as the touchscreen. We like the AE shift control because it allows for subtle control over the camcorder's exposure.
Just like spot focus, there's a spot meter setting on the HDR-XR520V and it works the same way. All these exposure features are essentially identical to ones on last year's Sony HDR-SR12.
Aperture
The HDR-XR520V doesn't offer manual aperture control.
Shutter Speed
The camcorder has no manual shutter speed controls, although the option is provided by most other manufacturers.
White Balance
White balance is the last control that can be adjusted using the dial on the front of the camcorder. The dial can perform a WB shift, which, like AE shift, has nine increments of control. Setting the dial to higher numbers (up to +4) will warm the image slightly, while going to negative numbers (down to -4) cools the image. WB shift can also be performed using the camcorder's touchscreen.
The HDR-XR520V has an auto white balance setting as well as two presets: outdoor and indoor. Then there's Sony's standard One Push manual white balance, which works great as usual.
Gain
Sony doesn't offer gain control on the HDR-XR520V. Panasonic and Canon (on the new HF S-series) are the only manufacturers to offer gain control in the consumer market.
Color & Image Control
The HDR-XR520V has an x.v. Color option that enables the camcorder to capture color in the xvYCC expanded color gamut. With this feature enabled the camcorder can capture 1.8x as many colors than the standard RGB color space. The only problem is you need an xvYCC-capable display in order to view the expanded colors. Many new HDTVs do have this feature (it is found on some of Sony's own HDTVs), so it is something you can take advantage of if you have all the right products.
Sony doesn't offer any other color or image controls on the HDR-XR520V—although the WB shift does cool and warm the image, which changes the tones of the colors in the frame.
Other Manual Controls
Sony puts up a few extra manual controls on the HDR-XR520V, but they're nothing we haven't seen before. Dual Record is probably the most exciting item here and the fact that the camcorder can capture 8.3 Megapixel stills while recording video is quite impressive.
| Control | Description |
| Dual Record | Enables the camcorder to take still photos while recording is taking place. 8.3 Megapixel still images can be captured during video recording. Dual record will even work with the Smile Shutter feature (see Still Features section for more info) |
| Guideframes | Lines appear on the screen to assist with shot setup. The lines only appear on the screen and don't end up in the final footage. |
| Conversion Lens | Used when connecting a wide-angle or telephoto conversion lens to the camcorder. |
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