Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Sep 3, 2008 8:32 PM
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Still Features (9.0)
Like most camcorders, the Sony HDR-CX12 takes still photos. Our standard line is that camcorders can never substitute for a dedicated still camera, but the CX12 does a pretty decent job (see details in the Still Performance section below). Stills are recorded in the JPEG format in five sizes: 640 x 480, 1600 x 1200, 2848 x 2136, 3680 x 2070, and 3680 x 2760.
It's important to note that the largest size, that 10.2-megapixel behemoth, is not a native resolution. One look at the pixel count of the CMOS chip—approximately 5.6-megapixels—tells you that anything larger than this is an interpolation.
The MemoryStick slot in the LCD cavity
The HDR-CX12 has a flash that's well-placed at the left side of the lens barrel. You can set the flash to auto, forced on, or forced off. You can also turn a red-eye reduction on and off. There is a self-timer that defaults to 10-seconds. Many camcorders offer you the ability set set this for a few different durations.
The manual controls are virtually identical to those that you find in video mode. Exposure, white balance, focus, Spot Focus, Spot Meter, Spot Meter/Focus, and all the others are the same. You can also use the Cam Control dial located on the front of the camcorder for exposure, AE Shift, White Balance Shift, and focus. Refer to the Auto/Manual control section of the review (just click at the table of contents at the top of this page) for all the details.
There's one important feature you'll want to hear about on the HDR-CX12. The Smile Shutter feature, imported from Sony's still camera line, automatically detects when your subject is smiling, then snaps the picture. There are several settings to tweak this feature. You can set sensitivity, adult/child priority, whether you want a frame to appear around the subject on your LCD, or if you want the Smile Shutter feature always on or not.
Now let's go through the menus. The Photo Settings menu is accessed from the Home menu:
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Photo Settings |
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| Page 1 | Image Size, File Number, AE Shift, WB Shift, NightShot Light, SteadyShot |
| Page 2 | Guideframe, Zebra, Flash Mode, Flash Level, Red Eye Reduction, Dial Setting |
| Page 3 | Conversion Lens |
To get to the Photo Playback mode, press the small blue button in the corner of the touch screen. In Photo Playback mode, the Camera menu contains:
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Photo Playback Index Function |
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| Page 1 | Print, Slideshow |
| Page 2 | Delete, Delete All |
Still Performance (11.93)
The still performance of the Sony HDR-CX12 was tested by shooting an X-Rite Color Checker chart at an even, bright light. The stills were then run through Imatest imaging software to determine color accuracy, noise, and saturation. We shot under a variety of exposures. At best, the CX12 produced a color error of 5.03. This was a very good score—better than the previous generation HDR-CX7, and better than the Canon HF11, Samsung SC-HMX20, and Panasonic HDC-HS100 (and, presumably, the HDC-SD100).
The noise from the Sony HDR-CX12 measured approximately 1.54%, which again was also better than the previous generation HDR-CX7. This score was on par with the Canon HF11. The Samsung SC-HMX20 and Panasonic HDC-HS100 performed with far less noise. Finally, the CX12 produced a saturation of 97.15%.
Out of the lab, the Sony CX12 produced decent looking photos for a camcorder. The resolution is good, but the noise seems higher than you'd see on an average point-and-shoot camera. In a pinch, this could stand in for still camera, but if you really care about the quality of your photos, a dedicated still camera is always better.
Still Resolution (32.12)
The still resolution of the Sony HDR-CX12 was tested by shooting an ISO 12233 resolution chart at an even, bright light. At best, the camcorder produced a horizontal resolution of 1552 line widths per picture height (lw/ph)—with an undersharpening of 6.6%. The vertical resolution measured 1118 lw/ph—with a 32.7% undersharpening.
These scores were virtually identical with last year's Sony HDR-CX7. The best of the bunch in this class was the Samsung SC-HMX20. The Canon HF11 was on par with the Sony CX12, and the Panasonic HDC-HS100 produced the lowest resolution.
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