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Sony DCR-SR47

Complete Sony DCR-SR47 and SR67 Photo Gallery

January 7, 2009 – Today, Sony announced three new standard definition hard disc drive (HDD) camcorders: the DCR-SR47, the DCR-SR67, and the DCR-SR87. All three come as replacements for their 2008 predecessors, the SR45, SR65, and SR85. As consumer demand moves away from DVD and tape-based camcorders, Sony is bolstering the hard drive series with a total of six brand new models for 2009. These three standard definition products are joined by three new high definition hard disc drive camcorders.

While Sony is focusing on improving performance in the high definition lineup, the emphasis for standard definition camcorders is on improving user experience. The SCR-SR47, DCR-SR67, and DCR-SR87 will all ship with the ability to connect the camcorder to Sony's DVDirect Express burner, a separate product that Sony is marketing for easy memory archival and playback.

The three models will feature a slimmed down version of the architecture of last year's HDD models, as well as similar internal processing and optics. They will all support hybrid movie recording on Sony's proprietary MemoryStick media as well as the internal 40GB or 80GB hard drive. All three come with Sony's Super SteadyShot image stabilization.

The entry level model, the Sony DCR-SR47, has a built-in 40GB hard drive, which can hold up to 41 hours of video. It has a 60x optical zoom Carl Zeiss lens and—like all of Sony's entry-level camcorders this year—will be available in three different colors: red, blue, and silver. According to Sony, the SR47 is 25 percent smaller than last year's SR45.

The DCR-SR67 is the SR47's sister model, primarily featuring a capacity upgrade from the 40GB hard drive to an 80GB hard drive. The SR67 has the same 60x optical zoom lens and records in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, with a built-in zoom microphone.

The top-of-the-line in Sony's standard definition hard drive camcorders is the DCR-SR87. This camcorder will also have a built-in 80GB hard drive, but will be powered by an upgrade in optics and processing. The large 25x optical zoom lens is accompanied by a 1-megapixel CCD sensor. Like the SR67, the DCR-SR87 records in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and has a built-in zoom microphone.

Sony DCR-SR87

Complete Sony DCR-SR87 Photo Gallery

The DCR-SR47, DCR-SR67, and DCR-SR87 are all scheduled for release in February. Expected retail prices are $399, $449, and $499, respectively.