240 gigabytes of internal memory
Excellent motion and sharpness
A great lens ring for fine control
Menus and buttons a jumbled mess
Introduction
The Sony HDR-XR520V (MSRP $1499.99) packs a lot of punch—and a lot of hard drive capacity—into a relatively small consumer camcorder. The retractable viewfinder and the return of last year’s excellent manual control dial are just a couple of the features that will intrigue proficient camcorder users. Also intriguing? The incredibly low noise levels, clear and smooth motion, built-in GPS, and 240GB internal hard drive.
There are some downsides that consumers of every ilk will have to weigh for themselves: no manual aperture/shutter control, mediocre low light performance, the lack of 24p or 30p frame rates, and an intimidating array of buttons, switches, and layered menus. It’s not the ideal camcorder for a first-time user, nor does it offer every bell and whistle that the experienced videographer could want. It does have some intuitive features and excellent video performance: a combination that might be just what some consumers are looking for.
Update: The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
| This review is organized into 13 pages | ||
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Page 1
Product Tour
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Page 2
Design
Read More...
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Page 3
Performance
Read More...
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Page 4
Usability
Read More...
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Page 5
Features
Read More...
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Page 6
Sample Videos
A gallery of photos taken with the Sony HDR-XR520V Read More... |
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Page 7
Canon HF S100 Comparison
 We compare the HDR-XR520V to the HF S100. Read More... |
Page 8
Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison
 We compare the HDR-XR520V to the HDC-TM300. Read More... |
Page 9
Sanyo VPC-HD2000 Comparison
 We compare the HDR-XR520V to the VPC-HD2000. Read More... |
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Page 10
Conclusion
Read our final conclusion of the Sony HDR-XR520V. Read More... |
Page 11
Photo Gallery
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Page 12
Specs & Ratings
See all the scores for the Sony HDR-XR520V. Read More... |
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Part 13
Comments
Read what people are saying about the Sony HDR-XR520V. Add your comments... |
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Shop for the Sony HDR-XR520V
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