Sony Handycam HDR-XR350V Camcorder Review
- Sections:
- COMP 3
COMP 3
The Sony HDR-CX550V is the higher-end cousin to the HDR-XR350V, and it is a better camcorder in every way except for portability. The HDR-CX550V retails for $200 more than the XR350V, but it has a larger sensor, records sharper video, and includes a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD. It also has a fancy control dial for adjusting manual controls, which is a great feature for semi-pro videophiles. You should have good reason to make use of the control dial on the HDR-CX550V as well, considering the camcorder has a number of manual features (like aperture and shutter speed) that are not found on the HDR-XR350V.
As you can probably tell, we definitely feel the HDR-CX550V is a much better option than the HDR-XR350V. We probably wouldn't be so adamant about this if Sony would drop the price of the HDR-XR350V by a few hundred dollars. But, as it stands now, the $200 price difference between the two models isn't enough to make the HDR-XR350V a better value. The enhanced performance and features of the CX550V are definitely worth the extra cash. Besides, if price is a primary concern of yours, you should check out some of the cheaper mid-range models on the market instead of the XR350V (like the Panasonic HDC-HS60, for example).
