Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1 Camcorder Review

Handling & Use Summary
• Design looks approachable and unintimidating • Inconsistencies with the control interface take away from the seamless experience • Terrible software installation process is painful and laborious • Lack of a hand strap makes the CM1 less comfortable to hold and more difficult to grip • Nonremovable, internal battery charges up like an iPod
	Still Features	(Page 9 of 17)	Playback & Connectivity

Ease of Use (6.0)

In most respects, the Sony MHS-CM1 is easy to use. It has very few manual controls or buttons to trip you up. There's no separate video record mode and still photo record mode. It's small and colorful, which helps convey the message "Pick me up! I'm cute and easy to use!" Believe it or not, that goes a long way toward decreasing the tension inherent between camcorders and technophobes. On the other hand, the design isn't as elegant as the Pure Digital Flip Mino, which is a more attractive fashion accessory for first-time users.

There is also the problem that the CM1 is not nearly as easy to use as the Pure Digital Flip Mino and Flip Mino HD, which have reduced complexity down to only a couple of buttons. While the Sony has a handful of Scene modes and a few one-touch manual controls, the Flip has none. The Sony has a traditional horizontal design with a swing-out LCD panel (albeit in miniature form); the Flip is cell-phone shaped and easily pocketable. In short, the Sony is easy to use, but the Flip is downright idiot-proof.

We did run into some strange idiosyncrasies while handling the Sony MHS-CM1. For instance, the button in the center of the D-pad (the "OK" button used to confirm selections) only needs to be used about half the time. The other half of the time, you can simply scroll down to your selection in the menu, then exit the menu. Just highlighting it is enough to confirm your choice. On any piece of technology—whether it's designed for beginners or more advanced users—we think feedback is essential. If the user doesn't immediately know how to use the device properly, that's a flaw in the interface. It's inconsistencies like this that make the Sony experience less than perfect.

There's also that pesky editing software, which we found to be a complete nightmare. With the Flip Mino and many other competitors, you really can just push one button and have your videos uploading to YouTube in no time. The installation process of the Sony was one of the most cumbersome experiences we've had with a camcorder.

Handling (5.0)

The Sony MHS-CM1 is part of a growing trend of small camcorders that don't include a hand strap on the right side of the body. Most strapless camcorders you see are of the upright variety, meaning they are held like a pistol. The MHS-CM1, however, is horizontally-shaped and its design is somewhat clumsy as a result.

No hand strap definitely makes the Webbie sleeker and more portable, but it also makes it more difficult to grip and, most importantly, far more prone to dropping. Even though the camcorder is very light, it has a strange feel because there's nothing there to support the back of your hand. The small size may also feel undesirable to people with large hands, as fingertips easily extend behind the top of the camcorder and into the LCD cavity.

The CM1 feels awkward to grip without a hand strap.

The most important buttons on the MHS-CM1 (record button, shutter button, and zoom toggle) are all positioned well and offer easy access during shooting. The buttons located on the directional pad, however, are just a bit out of your thumb's reach when you grip the camcorder. There aren't too many controls located there, but it would still be nice if they were easy to access.

The camcorder is, however, small and portable.

The MHS-CM1 offers a completely different handling experience than the upright-designed Flip Mino, Flip Mino HD, and Kodak Zi6. If you're used to a horizontally-shaped camcorder, you may prefer the full-handed feel the MHS-CM1's design provides. We simply don't think it's ergonomic enough, or comfortable enough to deserve great marks from us. We suggest you try out the camcorder at a store before you make your purchase.

Portability (10.47)

The Sony MHS-CM1 is exceptionally portable for a camcorder. It's one of the primary draws. However, this is a compact camcorder. Ironically, there are plenty of point-and-shoot digital still cameras that take equally good video, which pits the Webbie camcorders in battle even within the Sony-brand family of products. It's also difficult to take on the genre-leading Pure Digital Flip Mino HD, which is significantly more compact and easier to use (or, if you prefer, more "dumbed down").

The MHS-CM1 sorely lacks a built-in lens cap. There is a small rubber lens cap that you can tether to the front of the camcorder, but be sure you remember to cover the lens before tossing it in a cluttered bag. And if you lose that cap, expect to find plenty of scratches. The Flip and its clones have skirted this issue by taking a similar route to cell phones: lenses are screened by scratch-resistant plastic, trading off potential image quality issues for simplicity. 

Battery Life (6.2)

The Sony MHS-CM1 comes equipped with a non-removable, internal battery. Like an iPod, this means that once the battery dies, so does your camcorder, unless you want Sony or a third-party agency to service your product. On the plus side, it's one less thing to carry around or lose. On the downside, if you get stuck with a dud battery, you're short a camcorder until you can get it repaired or replaced. And more seriously, if you're in the middle of an important shooting event and the battery dies, there's no way make a quick replacement. Fortunately, the CM1 will operate with the DC power plugged in if you can get to an outlet.

We tested the battery for its lifespan while continuously shooting. In total, it lasted 124 minutes. See the chart below for how it stacked up to the competition. (More on how we test battery life.)

Battery Life Comparisons

LCD & Viewfinder (6.99)

The Sony MHS-CM1 features a 2.5-inch LCD with a decent resolution of 153,000 pixels. This is both larger and of a higher resolution than any of the Flip camcorders or the Kodak Zi6, so far as we know (Kodak did not offer some of these specs). Like any full-featured camcorder, the MC1 has an LCD panel that flips out from left side. This adds a traditional feel, but also adds bulk. The Flips and the Kodak took the other route, building their LCDs into the back to save space. Before you leap to the "smaller is better" rationale, consider what its like shooting on sunny day when the LCD screen is awash in glare. At least you can adjust the Sony screen.

There is no viewfinder on the Sony MHS-CM1, or any other camcorder in the ultra-compact category. 

The 2.5-inch LCD isn't enormous, but it flips out and rotates, which is more than we can say for the Flip.

Menus (4.5)

The menu systems on the Sony MHS-CM1 are very limited, a conscious attempt to simplify operation. Pure Digital took a similar route with the Flip camcorders, as did Kodak, Creative, and others. However, Sony has been making camcorders for a long time, and evidently had a hard time shaking old habits. The menus are much more extensive than the Flips', and the operation is a little jumbled and uneven.

Sony expects the main function of its menu to be the selection of Scene Modes.

In its defense, the menus are longer for a reason. The MHS-CM1 has more manual controls than those other camcorders. It has Scene modes and multiple quality settings. Those are all good things and don't confuse operation too much. There's also a full administrative menu, and that does feel overwrought for a camcorder striving to compete with the Flip.

You can use the menus to select a recording quality.

An issue we've talked about in other sections is worth rehashing here. There are some inconsistencies in the menu operation. When you're working inside the administrative menu, you use the D-pad to scroll through options, then you push the OK button in the center to confirm your selection. But when you're scrolling through Scene modes in a different part of the menu, the OK button yields no response. Apparently, the Scene modes are automatically activated simply by scrolling over them, but there's no way of knowing that. It's a relatively small complaint, but indicates that Sony failed to take to heart what a truly simple camcorder is supposed to feel like.

The display can be set to not display, basic information,or basic information plus a histogram.