Digital Video Camera & Camcorder Review

Capture powerful sound and sharp images direct to the 30GB hard disk drive with the DCR-SR100 Handycam® camcorder.

1/3″ Advanced HADâ„¢ CCD
Professional Quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* lens
2.7″ wide touch panel SwivelScreenâ„¢ hybrid LCD display3
Dolby Digital 5.1ch Recording

Expected to ship on or before May 12, 2006.
(MSRP: $1,099.99)

CamcorderHQ has a review on the Sony DCR-SR100 Camcorder and says: “The SR100 from Sony is a good looking camera with one killer feature: an internal 30GB hard drive that replaces discs or tapes for storing your video. With this hard drive based camcorder, you can skip the middle man and upload your video directly to your computer to be burned on regular-sized, high-capacity DVDs or turned into web-ready clips for emailing to loved ones. The SR100 also makes editing video easy, not leaving you with cumbersome tapes or unchangeable discs as a final product. It’s expensive (and not unlike Sony’s high-end DVD505 model in many respects), but the comfort and quality are worth it. The hard drive can hold between 400 and 1200 minutes of video, depending on the quality.”

CamcorderInfo has first impressions on the Sony DCR-SR100 Camcorder and writes - “It is interesting indeed that one of the highest camcorders both in price and in imager quality this year for Sony is the DCR-SR100, a hard disc camcorder. Are they trying to usher in a newer technology, more state-of-the-art than MiniDV tape, and yet more practical and professional than mini DVD disc? Will it catch on? Are they testing the waters with this one? Perhaps we can make some more conclusive predictions once the video performance of this bad boy is tested. After all, video performance is the deal breaker. Still performance, handling, manual control, and gimmicky audio aside, video is the main priority of any camcorder, and ultimate judgment will be ultimately dependent on it.

The DCR-SR100 is the first competitor to JVC’s Everio hard drive camcorders which have been available for almost a year. Those new hard drive camcorders are where JVC sees the future of the industry, much like the audio industry has gone the way of hard drives with the iPod. Sony seems to be testing the waters of this new market with their DCR-SR100. Sony’s entrance into the format will certainly boost it up, much like they did with their entrance to the DVD camcorder market. The quality specs point to the Sony possibly beating the JVC high end Everios in performance, however we’ll have to see how the test results look. Lastly, the biggest problem with hard drive camcorders is where you put your video once you’ve filled up the hard drive. JVCs has solved this problem with a direct to DVD burner, and it might be the critical piece in the hard drive camcorder puzzle that will shuttle the format forward. Sony doesn’t have that same support, but, as a big DVD company it doesn’t seem that far away.”

ZDNet has an editor’s initial take on the Sony DCR-SR100 Camcorder and writes - “The debut model in Sony’s new Handycam SR series, the SR100, bears a striking resemblance to a thermos, but you’d best not try to pour coffee down the tubelike throat of Sony’s entry into the hard-drive-based camcorder market. Sony may have come a little later to the market than JVC, but it looks like the company learned a few things from users’ experiences with that company’s MG series.

For instance, the 3-megapixel SR100 integrates some data buffering and shock-absorption technology to prevent video loss if the camera gets jolted (though we don’t recommend taking it on your next extreme vacation). It also incorporates the Dolby 5.1 recording found in the higher-end DVD camcorder models (center-channel mic optional) and a 30GB hard drive.

Plus, it’s a lot cooler-looking than JVC’s.

You should be able to get your hands on one of these in May, after plunking down $1,100.”

Further Sony specs here

Sony, DCR, SR100, DCR-SR100, camcorders, camcorder, review, reviews