Sony Handycam HDR-TG1 Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on Oct 3, 2008 4:45 PM
|
Advertisement
|
||||||||||||
Ease of Use (7.5)
Being a compact camcorder, the Sony HDR-TG1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, ) wants to define itself with words like, easy-to-use, automatic, and point and shoot. The feature most helpful in illustrating this is Sony's Easy button. Pushing the Easy button takes all the guesswork out of recording video; it immediately puts all the camcorder settings on auto and it even hides the camera options menu that permits you to play with these settings. Pushing the Easy button also increases the size of the text and icons displayed on the LCD screen making them easier to read and select, but also shrinking the amount of space available on the LCD to actually view your image. Working in the Easy setting and relying on the HDR-TG1's auto controls will usually provide you with a quality picture and you can avoid the clutter and mess of the touch screen menu. This is by far the most comfortable way to use the camcorder.
The Sony HDR-TG1 in hand
Handling (3.5)
The pistol grip, upright design of the HDR-TG1 may alienate users who are accustomed to the traditional hand-strapped camcorders that dominate the market. Others, however, may feel liberated by the unique, strapless construction the camcorder brings to the table.
The lack of a hand strap does make the HDR-TG1 more prone to drops and slips. The camcorder ships with a wrist strap that can be attached to the base of the camcorder, although the strap doesn't really provide any safety or support. Hoisting the HDR-TG1 around by the wrist strap is an accident waiting to happen; it forces the product to dangle like a worm at the end of a fishing line.
The rectangular frame of the HDR-TG1, while allowing for pocket-sized portability, can be a real nuisance when gripping the camcorder. The smooth and sleek design, with no presence of ridges, curves, or grips makes it difficult to get a firm hold on the body. Also, the fact that the lens just barely extends out from the base of the camcorder (making it almost a perfectly smooth rectangle) leaves the user with nothing to rest their hand on while shooting. The rectangular shape and 90 degree angled design seems like an ideal way for Sony to make a sturdy, balanced camcorder that can stand upright on its own with ease (like the Canon HV10 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $34.43) (Review, Specs, Recent News, $814) and TX1 (Specs, Recent News, $365.54) and the Sony DCR-PC1000 (Review, Specs, $1499.99) (Review, Specs, $699.97)). For reasons unknown, Sony added an oh-so-slight curve to the bottom edge of the HDR-TG1. This curvature, in addition to the camcorder's extremely narrow base, makes it very difficult to stand upright on its own. The only way we could get it to work was by rotating the LCD screen 180 degrees and tucking it back into the body. Even with this option, the camcorder was extremely wobbly.
The HDR-TG1 just doesn't want to stand up on its own
A positive aspect with the handling of the HDR-TG1 is the camcorder's balanced weight. At first impression, the HDR-TG1 feels a bit heavy in comparison to its size, but this extra weight actually makes it easier to control the camcorder steadily by hand. Sony makes a big deal about the HDR-TG1 being crafted from "high-quality pure titanium" in an effort to reduce the scratchiness of the surface. The body does feel solid and the coating is definitely more scratch-resistant than the hard plastic most camcorders are covered in. These are all signs that Sony put a good deal of effort into making the HDR-TG1 truly a durable, pocket camcorder. The lack of shiny surfaces also limits the amount of fingerprints present on the camcorder (with the notable exception of the LCD touch screen). However, even with all these features and additions to the camcorder's body, it is definitely not 100% scratch or fingerprint resistant. If you carry the HDR-TG1 around in your pocket all day, with keys and coins jostling up next to it, it will get nicked and worn eventually. Fingerprints, while they are more difficult to notice, do appear on some of the shinier parts of the camcorder as well as the darker portions of the body.
Menu (6.0)
Apart from the Record, Zoom, Power, Easy, and Shutter buttons the HDR-TG1 squeezes the rest of the controls into its LCD touch screen menus. Accessing all the manual video and photo controls through the touch screen is definitely a time consuming annoyance, but at least the camcorder allows the possibility of control and adjustment. Controls are often embedded and difficult to find making navigation through the menu system very difficult for unfamiliar users. The first menu is the Camera Menu which houses all the manual controls that determine image quality, produce effects, and manipulate audio.
The Camera Menu on the HDR-TG1
| Camera Menu |
|
| Camera 1 |
Focus, Spot Focus, Tele Macro |
| Camera 2 | Exposure, Spot Meter, Scene Selection |
| Camera 3 |
White Balance, Color Slow Shutter |
| Camera 4 |
Fader, Digital Effect, Picture Effect |
| Camera 5 |
Record Mode, Built-in Zoom Mic, Microphone Level, Flash Mode |
The Home Menu, which is accessed by pressing the small button in the upper left corner with an image of a house on it, controls more of the camcorder's settings and internal workings. There is an abundance of settings compiled in these menus so navigation can be extremely difficult.
The Home Menu on the HDR-TG1
The Home Menu contains the following options:
| Home Menu |
|
| Camera |
Movie, Photo, Smooth Slow Record |
| View Images |
Visual Index, Movie Index, Stills Index, Playlist |
| Others |
Delete, Photo Capture, Edit, Playlist Edit, Print, USB Connect, TV Connect Guide |
| Manage Media |
HD/SD set, Media Info, Media Format, Repair Image Database File |
| Settings |
Movie Settings, Photo Settings, View Images Set, Sound/Display Set, Output Settings, Clock/Language, General Set |
Portability (7.25)
It's a tough decision as to whether you can consider the HDR-TG1 "pocket-sized." It is definitely a very compact camcorder and it fits into loose pockets with ease (although snug jeans would tell a different story). The HDR-TG1 is not something you can just slip into your pocket and forget about; it's heavy and bulky enough to constantly remind you where it is. The camcorder's dimensions are 32x119x63mm (1 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 2 1/2 inches) and it weighs in at 300g (10 oz.) with the battery pack installed—making it slightly thinner, lighter, and narrower than the comparable Sanyo VPC-HD1010. The HDR-TG1 is very similar in size and shape (although twice the weight) to the Pure Digital Flip Ultra (Specs, Recent News, $119.95). However, these two camcorders shouldn't even be in the same conversation; the HDR-TG1 is capable of producing video and images that Pure Digital couldn't even dream of.
An interesting addition to the HDR-TG1 is the small USB Terminal Adapter that ships with the camcorder. This adapter allows you to forget about the docking station when it comes to connecting the camcorder to a computer. The adapter fits on any mini USB cable and plugs into the docking port at the base of the HDR-TG1. Now you don't need to bring the docking station with you on your vacation or trip. The adapter, while still not as good as having an actual USB port on the body of the camcorder, is a good move by Sony. It enhances the portability of the HDR-TG1, which is one of the main selling points of the camcorder.
The 4GB MemoryStick Pro Duo card that comes with the camcorder holds about 25 minutes of footage. If portability is a key issue for you, you'll probably want to invest in some more or higher capacity MemorySticks—otherwise you'll need to bring something with you to dump your video files onto (e.g. a laptop).
Sony offers a semi-soft carrying case for an extra $50 that enhances the elegant look look of the HDR-TG1 more than actually improving portability. The carrying case, which is not to be confused with a "camera bag," looks more like it would hold a pair of sunglasses than it would a camcorder. It also further pushes the HDR-TG1 as a hip lifestyle device (like an iPod or a Rolex) rather than a technological tool.
LCD and Viewfinder (7.0)
In order to keep things compact but still have good viewing ability, the HDR-TG1 is set with a 2.7 inch LCD screen with a resolution of 211,200 pixels. While the small screen helps the camcorder with its sleek portability, it can become a bothersome issue with the onscreen menu selection. The screen often feels too tiny when trying to navigate between various buttons and thumbnails. The LCD has excellent brightness adjustment under the display settings menu as well as a back light boost that gives the image an intensifying upgrade. Boosting the LCD backlight, however, will significantly limit the camcorder's battery life.
There is no viewfinder on the HDR-TG1.
Battery Life (9.3)
The HDR-TG1 comes shipped with an NP-FH50 rechargeable battery pack. We tested the battery life by running the camera continuously with the LCD open. No special features, manual controls, menus or zooms were engaged during the duration of our test. In our testing, the battery lasted 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes).
Because the HDR-TG1 has an enclosed battery slot, larger or over-sized batteries will not fit into the battery compartment.
|
Advertisement
|