Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1 Camcorder Review

Still Features Summary
• Something is better than nothing: the CM1 doesn't offer much in the way of still photography, but a lot of the competition has no still capabilities at all • Angle of your final photo ends up being much wider than what you view on the LCD • Good color accuracy, but mediocre noise • Excellent resolution
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Still Features (7.61)

There isn't much offered in the way of still features. Only one size and quality is offered: 2592 x 1944 (5-megapixels). Stills can be recorded to either the MemoryStick or, we suppose, to the 12MB of internal memory. (Though, 12MB will only hold a small handful of stills.) Just as there are no manual controls available for recording video, there are no possible adjustments for still photography. The only small bonus Sony gives you is a self-timer, for propping your Webbie on a table and running to join your friends in the picture. On the other hand, a lot of these ultra-budget YouTube camcorders don't include any still functionality, so perhaps something is better than nothing.

There is one small oddity about the still photography on the CM1: the angle in your photo ends up being much wider than what you're viewing on the LCD. If you think you're zoomed in on someone's face, it turns out that you'll probably capture most of their torso and the people on either side too.

Still Color (5.4)

The still color performance of the MHS-CM1 is nothing to write home about, but we've certainly seen worse. According the Imatest, the CM1 had a color error of 6.48, with 118% saturation. (More on how we test still color.)

The still color error map on the MHS-CM1

This is a much better score than the abominal 18.9 scored by the Kodak Zi6, which likely suffered from white balance problems in addition to poor processing. The only other ultra-compact camcorder we've reviewed with still capabilities is the RCA EZ210 Small Wonder, which also turned in poor color performance with a 13.7 color error. In the Sony, the Kodak, and the RCA, saturation was about the same.

The rest of the competition—including the Pure Digital Flip Mino, the Pure Digital Flip Mino HD, and the Creative Vado—are not able to record still photos.

Still Noise (2.26)

The Sony MHS-CM1 had a poor noise score in still performance, with 1.0575% noise. This isn't a great score, especially in bright lighting conditions, where the camcorder performed so well during video recording. (More on how we test still noise.)

The Kodak's noise percentage was 0.7975%, while the RCA EZ210 Traveler had a noise score of just 0.5725%. These noise scores may best the high noise levels of the CM1, but the Sony also boasts the highest quality for still images. Its 5-megapixel stills will be superior to the 3-megapixel and 1-megapixel stills recorded by the Zi6 and Traveler, respectively.

Still Resolution (3.62)

The still resolution is further evidence that Sony likely dropped a DSLR sensor into the body of the MHS-CM1. Most camcorders have a relatively low still resolution, especially the ultra-budget YouTube camcorders like the Flip and Small Wonder series. The MHS-CM1, however, produced a decent horizontal resolution of 1189 lw/ph, with 7.1% oversharpening and a better vertical resolution of 1397 lw/ph, with 0.8 oversharpening. (More on how we test still resolution.)