Sony Handycam HDR-FX1000 Camcorder Review

Still Features Summary
• Still features are very limited • Images are captured to Memory Stick Pro Duo cards • Images have good color accuracy, but high noise levels
	Manual Controls	(Page 9 of 17)	Handling & Use

Still Features (7.24)

As with audio controls, the Sony HDR-FX1000 has very limited still features. The camcorder has no dedicated still image mode, which means it has no special set of menus or options available for adjusting photo settings. All photos are captured to Memory Stick Pro Duo media, which slide into a card slot just above the hand strap on the camcorder's right side. The HDR-FX1000 does not come with any Memory Stick cards, so if you want to take still photos with the camcorder you'll have to purchase a card separately.

The FX1000 is limited to capturing still images at a resolution of 1440 x 810, or 1080 x 810 if the camcorder is set to record in 4:3 DV mode. This gives the camcorder a still picture resolution of just under 1.2 megapixels. The HDR-FX1000 is capable of performing a dual record, which means you can snap a still image while you're recording. This is good for creating reference images to help organize footage or assist with editing.

Still images are saved to Memory Stick Pro Duo cards

Still Playback
The still playback controls on the HDR-FX1000 are located in the same panel beneath the LCD screen as the VCR controls. Photos can be sifted through using the volume/memory button and data about each shot is displayed on the screen when the Data Code button is selected. The information displayed isn't very useful as it is limited to date, time, shutter speed, and aperture setting. Overall the still features on the HDR-FX1000 are surprisingly limited, although that shouldn't concern most users who are simply looking for a camcorder with top-notch video performance.

The still image review screen...	... and in thumbnail view

Still Color (11.71)

Even though the still image features on the HDR-FX1000 are limited, the camcorder is still capable of taking very color-accurate pictures. At best, the camcorder scored a color error of 2.99, which is very good—and also significantly better than its video color score. This discrepancy is likely due to the fact that we test still color by taking photographs at a range of exposure settings. The FX1000 had the best color accuracy when we boosted the AE shift to a positive setting, thereby increasing the brightness of the image. The saturation of this image was measured at 96.83%. (More on how we test still color.)

The color error map from the still color test

Above we have the color error map from the still image taken by the HDR-FX1000. Having accurate colors in still images is helpful on a camcorder like the HDR-FX1000, as this means still photos can be used for reference when trying to create Picture Profiles or calibrate color settings.

Sony HDR-FX1000 Still Color Comparisons
Sony HDR-FX1000	Canon XL H1A

The Canon XL H1A had a slightly less accurate colors in its still image, although the difference wasn't all that significant. Again, in our side-by-side comparison it is easy to see how dark the image on the Sony HDR-FX1000 is when the camcorder is set to auto mode. The Canon, on the other hand, looks too bright in auto mode.

Still Noise (0.31)

Still noise was a completely different story on the HDR-FX1000. The results we measured weren't very good, with the lowest noise percentage measuring at 1.59% (also from the brightened image). Now, this would be a rather detrimental score if the HDR-FX1000 was being marketed as a hybrid photo/video device—but it's not. Most users aren't going to be wandering around snapping photos with the FX1000, so the high noise percentage on the still images shouldn't be much of a worry here.  (More on how we test still noise.)

Still Resolution (1.14)

The HDR-FX1000 only takes still images at two sizes: 1440 x 810 (in HD mode) and 1080 x 810 (in 4:3 standard definition). This means the still resolution of its photographs isn't destined for great things. According to Imatest, the camcorder measured a horizontal resolution of 788 lw/ph and a vertical resolution of 505 lw/ph. These aren't terrible scores, but they aren't great either. Again, however, they are rather meaningless because most users will only be taking photographs with the FX1000 to use as reference or to help organize a shoot. (More on how we test still resolution.)