Sony Handycam HDR-XR520V Camcorder Review

Sony HDR-XR520V versus Canon HF S100
• The Canon has superior color and sharpness; the Sony wins in noise and stabilization • Neither is a good choice for low light performance, but the Canon's 30p and 24p frame rate options give it added versatility • Both have less than intuitive menu structures, but the Sony's size and jumble of LCD cavity buttons make it more intimidated for novices • Both offer a slew of manual controls: the Sony has a viewfinder and a superior control dial; the Canon has shutter and aperture control, plus auto gain limit • The $400 price difference is mostly a result of the Sony's 240GB internal hard drive (the Canon is card-only)
	Audio & Other Features	(Page 12 of 17)	Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison

The Canon has the slight edge in performance, outmatching the XR520 in motion, sharpness, and color. They are about equal in low light performance, but the Canon also offers 30p and 24p recording, which can really help in dim light. The one performance area where the Sony beat out the Canon was in noise; the new sensor on the XR520 produces beautifully clear images. Other than that, the Canon is probably a better choice for beginners, as it's a bit simpler to use and is a decent entry for less experienced consumers that might want to dabble in manual controls. The Sony, on the other hand, is probably the camcorder of choice for manual control enthusiasts: the dial is more versatile and more convenient, there's a viewfinder for more precise image adjustment, and there's still a healthy selection of manual controls.

	Comparison Specs
	Sony HDR-XR520V	Canon HF S100
Price	$1499.99	$1099.99
Primary Recording Media	240GB internal hard drive	SD/SDHC Card
Secondary Recording Media	Memory Stick Pro Duo card	None
Image Sensor	1/2.88-inch CMOS	1/2.6-inch CMOS
Effective Pixel Count	4.15-megapixels (video) 6-megapixels (stills)	6.01-megapixels (video) 8.02-megapixels (stills)
Mic Input	Yes, 3.5mm	Yes, 3.5mm
LCD	3.2-inch with 921,000-pixel resolution	2.7-inch LCD with 211,000-pixel resolution
Viewfinder	Yes	No
Weight	590g (including battery)	500g (including battery)
Dimensions	71 x 75 x 137	70 x 69 x 136
HD	Yes	Yes
Frame Rates	1080/60i	1080/60i, 24p, 30p
Compression	AVCHD	AVCHD
Maximum Bitrate	16Mbps	24Mbps
Optical Zoom	12x	10x
Stabilization	Optical (with two settings: standard and active)	Optical

Noise at 60 lux Auto
Sony HDR-XR520V 100% Crop	Canon HF S100 100% Crop

Color Performance Scores