Sony HDR-TG5V

Lens & Imaging System

Due to its compact design, the HDR-TG5V features a much smaller sensor (1/5-inch) than most camcorders in its price range. The sensor is almost half the size as the chip featured on Sony’s high-end HDR-XR520V camcorder. Sony was able, however, to pack in a 10x optical zoom on the TG5V, and the camcorder also features an automatic lens cover. There is no filter thread on the Vario-Tessar Carl Zeiss lens, but Sony does sell a 0.7x wide angle conversion lens that is compatible with the camcorder for $100 (model name: VCL-HGE07TB).

Lens
Filter Diameter	0.0mm
Focal Range	3.2–32.0mm
Focal Range (35mm equivalent)	53.0–621.0mm
Maximum Aperture	f/0.0–1.8
Optical Zoom	10x
Lab-Tested Wide Angle	48.0°	How we test wide angle

Sensor
Type	CMOS x 1
Size	1/5 inches
Pixel Count (Gross)	2.36 megapixels
Pixel Count (Effective)	1.43 megapixels (video) 1.99 megapixels (photo)

Zoom Ratio Examples
Wide Angle	Mid Zoom	10x Zoom

LCD (7.88)

The LCD screen on the HDR-TG5V is the same size as on last year’s HDR-TG1, but it has undergone Sony’s new panel redesign. The screen now sits in a perfectly flat bezel so there is no indentation between the panel and the LCD (much like on Canon’s high-end models). This definitely makes the LCD look much sleeker, but it may also attract more glare to the screen. The entire LCD is coated in a glossy finish, which also adds to the amount of glare it collects.

The LCD is 2.7-inches in size, has a resolution of 211,200 pixels, and uses touchscreen technology. Another problem with the new panel’s glossy coating is that it actually picks up more fingerprints than previous Sony touchscreens. The TG5V’s LCD also pales in comparison to the 3.2-inch, 921,000-pixel screen featured on the Sony HDR-XR520V. As for the updates made to the camcorder’s touchscreen system and menu organization—they aren’t very good. We go into more detail about this in the Handling, Ease of Use, and Menu section (all above) of this review.

The LCD on the HDR-TG5V features 32 increments of brightness adjustment control, and its backlight level can be set to Normal or Bright. You can also set the color intensity of the screen with 16 different increments. The camcorder does not have a viewfinder.

Feature	Sony HDR-TG5V	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	JVC Everio GZ-X900	Sony HDR-XR520V
Display Size	2.7 in.	2.7 in.	2.8 in.	3.2 in.
Display Resolution	211200 pixels	230000 pixels	207000 pixels	921000 pixels
Touch Screen	✓	✗	✗	✓
Viewfinder	✗	✗	✗	✓

Connectivity (2.38)

Connection	Sony HDR-TG5V	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	JVC Everio GZ-X900	Sony HDR-XR520V
A/V output	✓	✓	✓	✓
Component output	✓	✓	✓	✓
HDMI	✓	✓	✓	✓
USB	✓	✓	✓	✓
FireWire	✗	✗	✗	✗
Headphone jack	✗	✓	✗	✓
External microphone	✗	✓	✗	✓
LANC	✓	✗	✗	✗
Wireless Remote	✗	✓	✓	✓
DC Power	✓	✓	✓	✓
WiFi	✗	✗	✗	✓
GPS	✓	✗	✗	✓

The HDR-TG5V doesn’t have too many ports on the camcorder itself—only a DC-input and Sony’s proprietary AV/Component-output located on the right side. These two ports are protected by a flip-out door that pops open when you slide it. Ah, but wait… there’s more. The camcorder has a strange slot on its bottom that connects to a provided docking station. On this dock you’ll find the rest of the necessary ports: USB, HDMI, an extra DC-input, and an extra AV/Component-output.

The DC-input and AV/Component-output.	The docking station has more ports (from left to right): AV/Component-out, HDMI, DC-input, USB.

The problem with relegating ports to the dock should seem obvious. If you want to output video via HDMI, you need to remember to bring along the docking station. Also, if you lose the dock, then you have to purchase a new one from Sony if you want to use these valuable ports. Sony does have one more trick up its sleeve, however, when it comes to the USB connection. The TG5V comes with a small adapter that connects to the dock slot on the bottom of the camcorder and allows you to plug in a USB cable directly. The adapter even comes with a plastic carrying case that can be tethered to the provided USB cable (the camcorder comes with two USB cables; one is short, one is long).

This slot connects the TG5V to its docking station...	...but it also can be used with the provided USB adapter.

We love the idea of bypassing the dock for USB connection, but the small adapter is easy to lose and is just as easy to forget to pack as the dock itself. We wish Sony had just put a dedicated USB port on the camcorder itself. Same goes with HDMI, which was conveniently featured on last year’s HDR-TG1.

Due to its compact size, the HDR-TG5V doesn’t have a lot of the connectivity options that are commonly found on larger camcorders.

Battery (4.75)

The TG5V’s battery compartment is located on the back side of the camcorder, behind a thick, sliding panel. The panel does an excellent job protecting the battery compartment and it is designed seamlessly to appear like there isn’t a panel at all (like a hidden door). Find out how the HDR-TG5V performed in our battery life test.

Media (7.61)

The HDR-TG5V includes 16GB of internal flash memory, which is its main upgrade over last year’s HDR-TG1. The 16GB of internal memory is very useful, especially for a compact camcorder like the TG5V. It allows you to simply grab the camcorder and head out the door without having to worry if you’ve packed a memory card or not. Yes, the camcorder does have a Memory Stick PRO Duo card slot, so you can always record to a memory card if you fill up the 16GB of internal memory. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.