Performance

The DCR-SR300 comes equipped with the best imaging feature set that Sony offers this year: a 1/2.9 ClearVID CMOS sensor, which has a gross pixel count of 3,200,000 (effective pixel count 2,280,000 in 16:9; and 1,710,000 pixels in 4:3). The ClearVID CMOS has been Sony’s chip design of choice for the last few years on their top camcorders. This particular chip is the largest yet, and we hope it produces the best image.

At 3000 lux, the image looks surprisingly similar to its predecessor, the DCR-SR100, which had a 1/3" CCD. At a broad glance, most picture elements are identical: color, sharpness, exposure, and tonality. The new DCR-SR300 has stronger greens – more saturated and better differentiated from the yellows. A closer inspection shows that the DCR-SR300 has more dynamic range, with whiter whites and blacker blacks, without any obvious failings of being too bright or too dark.

Upper-end Sonys generally produce good video. As expected, the colors are oversaturated, but they still look healthy. Last year, we praised the DCR-SR100 (retailing for $1100) for having great performance in bright light. Each year brings new stresses to the market, however. The SR300, retailing for practically the same price ($1000 MSRP), is now flanked by HD camcorders, offering far better image quality – namely the Sony HDR-HC5 and Canon HV20. And just recently, Sony seemed to almost willfully knock the SR300 out of the running by releasing the HDR-SR5 – another HDD camcorder that records in AVCHD. Though AVCHD certainly has editing prohibitions – even with software now emerging – why on earth would anyone buy standard definition when they could have HD? We’re sure someone, somewhere has a reason (feel free to comment below), but we can’t find one. Sorry, Sony, you’re pushing out camcorders so quickly you’re burying your own product.

Low Light Performance* (7.19)*

The Sony DCR-SR300 has a very large imager, so we’re expecting great low light performance. Considering what else is available in this price range, the DCR-SR300 has no excuse to do poorly.

At 60 lux, the DCR-SR300 maintained a good deal of color information as well as an overall exposure. It would have been great, save for one big problem – noise. The picture was rife with noise, a fuzzy, white and blue noise. Last year’s DCR-SR100, with the CCD, had far less noise. For the longest time, CMOS chips had the stigma of producing more noise than traditional CCDs, but it seemed as though that era was behind us – apparently not. Something has gone awry here, either in the chip or the processor, and we’re quite disappointed. Also, Sony consumer camcorders do not offer manual gain, which might have given the opportunity to lower the noise.

At 15 lux, the image is pretty much shot. Noise has increased a great deal and most of the color has been lost. This is not too much of a surprise, as most camcorders conk out at such a low light. However, we were hoping for a slightly better showing from such a large imager.

The DCR-SR300 managed to produce 50IRE at 9 lux. The light was then raised to 60 lux to measure color accuracy, noise, and saturation. At best, the camcorder produced a mean color error of 6.3, with 1.7475% noise and a saturation of 105.0%.

Stabilization* (7.78)*

The Sony DCR-SR300 utilizes Super Steady Shot, an optical image stabilization (OIS) system, to reduce the effects of camcorder shake on the image. OIS systems achieve this through an optical process that does not impact video resolution, often in the form of a gyroscopes built around the lens element. This contrasts with EIS (electronic image stabilization) systems that reduce shake through digital processing. The digital processing found in EIS systems does result in a slight loss of image resolution, and are inferior to OIS.

We found the OIS system on the SR300 to be very effective. With our shake emulator device set to speed 1, roughly equivalent to the motion produced while hand-holding a camcorder and standing still, the SR300 reduced movement by about 75%. At speed 2, the more aggressive and high-speed setting, the SR300 actually reduced motion by a greater degree – over 86%. The SR300 is the first camcorder we’ve tested that reduced motion more at speed 2 than speed 1.

Wide Angle* (10.0)*

We tested the Sony DCR-SR300 in16:9 recording mode to determine its maximum field of view. To run this test, pulled the zoom all the way back, disabled OIS, and manually focused the camcorder to ensure a stable shot. This SR300 produced a maximum field of view of 50 degrees putting it right in the average range for comparable consumer camcorders.

Format

Compression* (4.0)*

The SR300 follows in the footsteps of Sony’s first HDD-based camcorder, the SD100 and records MPEG-2 video at three quality settings: HQ, SP, and LP. These quality settings (found under the heading REC MODE in both the Home and Option menus) correspond to the degree to which the footage is compressed, with less compression resulting in higher bit rates and better video than more compression. HQ records at a maximum rate of 9Mbps, with the lowest level of compression; SP increases compression and records at a max rate of 6Mbps; and LP has the highest compression level at 3Mbps, but produces files 1/3 the size of HQ and ½ the size of SP.

Like most camcorders that use MPEG-2 compression, the DCR-SR300 employs variable bit rate (VBR) processing. VBR encoding allows the camcorder to ratchet down the bit rate when the recorded image is less complex (as in a static seated interview), and up when it is more complex (a soccer game shot from the sidelines hand-held). In theory, this allows the camcorder to use lower levels of compression that require more disk space only when necessary, and saves disk space when the scene is less demanding.

MPEG-2 is readily compatible with most home DVD players, and has become one of the most common compression methods on today’s consumer camcorders. The DV compression used on standard definition camcorders that record to MiniDV tape can produce better quality video than MPEG-2, and DV is widely supported by higher-end NLEs (non-linear editors) like Final Cut Pro and Premiere. The quality of MPEG-2 footage has made great strides in recent years, however. By 2006, the best Sony and Panasonic MPEG-2 camcorders, including the DCR-SR100, boasted performance that approached the best DV camcorders on the market.

Media* (6.0)*

Hard disk drive (HDD) media is becoming increasingly popular with consumers and prosumers alike – and for good reason. When it comes to field media management, nothing is simpler than HDD recording because it literally negates the need to swap out discs, tapes, or flash cards when they fill up. The DCR-SR300 sports a 40GB non-removable (HDD) protected by a few standard safety features, including Drop Sensor which automatically freezes the drive mechanism in the event of a drop, or as the manual euphemistically says, a "non-gravity condition." In addition, the HDD is protected by physical shock absorbers to reduce jarring during normal use. More than any other media, HDDs require safety features like these because they rely on moving parts that cannot be easily replaced.

The capacity of the 40GB HDD is dependent on the recording mode. In the lowest compression HQ mode, the HDD can hold 570 minutes (9.5 hours); in SP mode, 870 minutes (14.5 hours); and in LP mode, 1680 minutes (28 hours).

The user’s guide notes that this camcorder should not be powered up at altitudes above 3000 meters (about 9,800 feet). This is a warning we have seen on Sony’s other HDD camcorders. If you want to record footage of your next boarding trip to the Rockies (or you happen to live in Leadville, CO) this is definitely not the camcorder for you. Another factor to take note of is that formatting the disc may not delete all footage from the HDD. Sony recommends using the Empty option to ensure that nothing can be recovered, for example if you elect to eBay your SR300 after a few months of use.

Editing* (6.0)*

The DCR-SR300 ships Picture Motion Browser Ver.2.0.06, a basic suite of editing software designed to work with Sony’s HDD camcorders. If you only plan on doing rudimentary editing – i.e. putting together a selection of clips without complex effects or transitions – the bundled software will satisfy your needs. If you are an experienced editor, and already have an NLE (non-linear editor) of choice, you may need to convert the SR300’s MPEG-2 footage into a format compatible with your program.

So-called consumer NLEs are more likely to support standard definition MPEG-2 video because it is considered a consumer format. Ironically, camcorders like the SR300 produce very nice looking video that is better than what some DV camcorders can muster – even though DV is considered a superior professional format. The bottom line is DV has been around for a long time, and is very well-supported by full-featured NLEs like Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid DV Xpress, and Adobe Premiere while

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (7.0)

Sony makes camcorders that are hard not to like – they look good, handle well, and in auto mode, they make smooth adjustments that instill confidence. The SR300 is a good example of the state of Sony camcorder design, beginning with the ubiquitous Easy Mode button above the LCD cavity along the lens barrel. Easy Mode is Sony’s branded idiot-proof version of auto mode that literally locks you out of making any changes to settings that could get you into trouble. Everything shifts into full auto, including exposure, white balance, and shutter speed. The menu list is also shortened, leaving only language, camcorder sounds, clock settings, and HDD formatting operations active. In other words, only those options that have nothing to do with control over the quality of your image. For novices, Easy Mode is a nice feature that guarantees that no errant setting is engaged while shooting.

The most notable characteristic about the DCR-SR300’s automatic adjustments is that they work quickly, smoothly, and with adequate accuracy. Exposure works well, though in very bright conditions, it tended towards slight over-exposure. Focal adjustments also work well in bright light, but in lower contrast and darker settings, it struggled, often requiring several seconds to lock in a crisp focus. This was especially apparent at the telephoto end of the zoom range. Another control that was notably spotty in terms of accuracy was white balance, with the image tending to appear more washed out than with manual white balancing. This is an effect we noticed recently on the HDR-HC7, the only other Sony we’ve yet reviewed this year.

The weaknesses noted above are shared by any camcorder in auto mode. Any situation with high- or low-contrast, varied lighting sources, or complex information is difficult for a camcorder’s processor to gauge. To assist with situations like these, the DCR-SR300 includes a number of automatic assists including a generous sampling of Program AE modes. Program AE (the AE stands for auto exposure) tailor the camcorder’s automatic adjustments for specific shooting situations that are known to create problems for Easy Mode. They include Spotlight (for any scene where the subject appears against a much darker background), Portrait (optimized for a single nearby subject in the center of the frame), Sports (for fast motion), Beach & Ski (for darker subjects appearing against a much brighter background), Sunset & Moon (for dark environments), and Landscape (for shooting distant subjects).

Spot Meter and Spot Focus offer a way of defining what part of the screen the SR300 uses to meter exposure and set focus respectively. The spot controls are set by touching the part of the screen you want to meter or focus on, but they must be set one at a time. While they can yield much better results than auto exposure and auto focus in many situations, they still may not produce optimal results – in which case you are better off adjusting the image manually.

Overall Manual Control (4.0)

The DCR-SR300 offers a respectable suite of manual controls and assists, all of which are accessed via the touch screen. Overall, however, Sony camcorders almost always lack the finer manual controls that power-users want, like shutter speed and gain. The touch screen interface has a few advantages but many disadvantages as well. On the plus side, touch screens require virtually no ramp-up time for novice users as they are entirely text-based. If you can read the screen and touch the corresponding buttons, you can find your way to every option and manual control offered by this camcorder. As an interface for making manual control adjustments, touch screens are generally inferior to other physical controllers, like joysticks or rings.

The interface buttons for making white balance, focus, and exposure adjustments, for example, are overlaid on top of the image. As you can imagine, buttons and indicators in front of the picture hinders your ability to assess the live view while making adjustments. In addition, touch screens are less precise than physical controls, and pick up finger grease that reduces the clarity of the screen. In other words, while touch screens are extremely user-friendly and accessible, they are poor interfaces for making precision adjustments.

Most manual controls are found in the Option Menu, accessed via a button at the lower right corner of the LCD. The option menu is divided into five pages accessed by tabs along base of the LCD, the first three of which are identified by camcorder icons. These tabs contain basic manual image controls, including Focus, Exposure (in EV steps), and White Balance. The fourth tab contains fader and effects, and the fifth tab includes recording setup options such as video quality (labeled Rec Mode). The Option Menu keeps most shooting options very close at hand, which at least gives you ready access to the key manual controls.

This camcorder does include zebras, a feature that makes manual exposure much more practical on the SR300 than on touch screen Sonys without zebras. Zebras are in the Home Menu under Movie Settings, and allow you to monitor a fixed IRE level onscreen. With zebras enabled, the liability of an interface that blocks much of the image is reduced, because they allow you to monitor brightness against an absolute measure. This addition helps the SR300’s lot considerably for making exposure adjustments – but manual focus in particular remains frustratingly tough.

Zoom (5.0)

Sony zoom controllers generally feel pretty good. The one on the SR300 has the same smooth responsive feel found on other Sonys, though in this case the placement is slightly awkward. We found that the most comfortable grip left the zoom toggle right between the index and middle fingers. It took only a slight modification to operate the zoom control with either finger. The raised toggle design is the best one commonly found on consumer camcorders because they respond well to even subtle pressure. Like most other camcorder zooms, this one is pressure-sensitive, and zoom speed changes with finger pressure.

The W and T buttons on the outside edge of the LCD frame offer a second fixed-speed zoom option. A few camcorders, notably from Canon, allow you to set a fixed zoom speed.

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)

The Sony DCR-SR300 has a 10x optical zoom lens, and a digital zoom that maxes out at 20x. The optical zoom power of this Sony is much lower than many available on lower-priced consumer camcorders because optical zoom power is a function of the length of the lens element relative to the size of the imager. With a very large 1/2.9" CMOS sensor, the SR300’s compact body can only accommodate a modest optical zoom. A camcorder with a smaller 1/6" inch sensor in a similarly sized body can support much higher optical zoom power – but record a lower quality image.

In addition to the 10x optical zoom, the SR300 has a digital zoom that can be turned on or disabled. We think it is generally a good policy to eschew digital zooms because of the dramatic drop in image quality that results when they are used. However, this digital zoom maxes out at only twice the optical zoom max and the camcorder has a very high effective pixel count. At 20x, the pixels recorded by this camcorder are only twice the size of those available at the optical max of 10x (digital zooms magnify pixels to give the illusion of greater magnification). Furthermore, there is no hyper zoom option on the SR300, so you won’t run the risk of zooming all the way to an absurd 500 or 1000x digital zoom level. Check out the image quality recorded by this camcorder when the digital zoom is engaged and you may find that it’s acceptable to you.

Focus (3.5)

Touch screen interfaces have their strengths (simple interface and no ramp-up time) and weaknesses (pretty much everything else). For some manual control adjustments, touch screens are a fine control, but they are poor focus controllers. Unlike some of Sony’s higher-end HD camcorders, which have a multifunction Cam Control dial, the SR300 does not include any physical controllers. Focus and other image adjustments are all made via the touch screen, accessed via the Option Menu where there are Auto and Manual focus buttons.

Upon selecting Manual focus, a horizontal bar appears on the screen above the Auto and Manual buttons. On the left side of the bar is a person icon, and at the right side is a mountain icon. Pressing the person icon moves the focal plane closer, and pressing the mountain icon moves it further away. During manual focus, a numerical display at the center of the screen shows the approximate distance of the focal plane from the lens. While this display is a great addition to the camcorder, allowing for accurate rack focus moves, the interface itself is wanting.

The most obvious issue with touch screen manual control interfaces like this one is that the buttons and focus bar obscure much of the image you are recording. This makes it unnecessarily difficult to assess focus accurately. The other issue is that you cannot speed up or slow down the rate at which the camcorder moves through the focal plane, as you can with a physical controller like a dial (found on the Sony HDR-HC7 and Canon HV20) or ring (JVC GZ-HD7). This makes it difficult to make fine adjustments. Add in the fact that the LCD screen is bound to pick up finger prints, and you’ve got one frustrating zoom control.

Also available is Spot Focus, found on page 2 of the Option Menu, and works in the same way as Spot Meter. After selecting the Spot Focus option, a frame appears around the image, and touching a point within the frame will force the camcorder to adjust focus automatically to bring that point into focus. As with Spot Meter, this is a time-saving but inexact tool.

Exposure & Aperture (5.5)

On the one hand, manual exposure on the DCR-SR300 suffers from the usual issues that plague touch screen interfaces. On the other hand, unlike manual focus, this control benefits from the addition of an extremely useful assist that makes up for some of the touch screen’s drawbacks. Like Sony’s HD camcorders, the SR300 includes a Zebra option, located in the Home > Movie Settings submenu. With Zebras enabled, it is much easier to assess your subject’s exposure despite the fact the exposure interface obscures a good portion of the screen. This is a critical difference when focusing manually, because zebras offer a way to check key areas of the frame against a fixed brightness setting, represented by zebras at 70 or 100 IRE.

Without zebras enabled, exposure is just as difficult to get right as focus, and the manual interface is identical to the manual focus interface. After entering the Option menu and selecting the Exposure option, Auto and Manual buttons appear. Pressing the Manual focus button brings up a horizontal focus bar, this time with a minus icon on the left, and a plus icon on the right. Pressing the minus icon lowers the exposure, and pressing the plus icon raises the exposure. After you are happy with your exposure setting, pressing the exit arrow at the top left corner of the screen returns to Record Pause mode.

Also available is Spot Meter, found on page 2 of the Option Menu. When the Spot Meter option is selected, a wire frame is superimposed on the image. By touching the "spot" on the image you want the camcorder to expose properly, you are able to lock in a custom automatic exposure level. Spot metering can speed up the process of adjusting your image, but we found it to produce mixed results – and that touching a millimeter in any direction would drastically change the brightness of the image.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

The Sony DCR-SR300 does not include a manual shutter speed control option, and only the high-end HD camcorders in Sony’s 2007 lineup do. There is an Auto Slow Shutter option that can be enabled or disabled, in the Home > Movie Settings submenu. When Auto Slow Shutter is enabled, the floor of the camcorder’s auto shutter speed range (set by default at 1/60) drops out, allowing the shutter speed to go as low as ¼ second based on available light.

White Balance (5.5)

The DCR-SR300 features the standard Sony white balance presets, for Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and One Push – or manual. The white balance presets are located on Option Menu page 3. The manual control is very easy to use. After selecting the One Push option, the button immediately below, marked with a white balance icon, becomes active. Pressing the highlighted button sets the white balance, and it works faster than most camcorders, often within a fraction of a second. To assess whether your manual white balance setting was successful, however, you will need to exit the Option Menu and return to Record Pause mode. The reason is that the five white balance preset buttons obscure most of the screen, making it impossible to assess color. This can be time-consuming, and is another case where the touch screen interface impacts an otherwise good control negatively.

Gain (0.0)

The SR300 offers no manual control over image gain, but that is not surprising given that Panasonic is the only consumer camcorder maker to offer independent gain control as a standard feature.

Other Manual Controls (2.0)
**Zebra Pattern – The Zebra option appears in the Home > Movie Settings submenu. Like other Sonys with this feature, the SR300 includes Off (the default setting), 70 IRE, and 100 IRE. On a camcorder that relies on a touch screen interface for making exposure adjustments, zebras are a welcome addition, making it easy to accurately assess exposure based on an absolute IRE - even when the interface clutters the screen.

Guide Frame – Guide Frame is found in the Movie Settings submenu of the Home Menu. When this option is selected, a nine-box grid is overlaid on the screen. Guide frame serves as a useful assist for shot framing or maintaining a horizontal shot.

Still Features

Still Features* (8.75)*

The DCR-SR300 features a decent still photo feature set. The best thing about the stills stems from the imager, a 1/2.9" CMOS sensor that supports still image capture up to 6.1MP, or 2848 x 2136 pixels. The camcorder can also capture stills at 3.1MP (2048 x 1536 pixels) and 0.3MP (VGA, or 640 x 480 pixels). As with most camcorders, you can also choose a compression or "quality" setting for your still images, with Fine producing larger and less compressed images than Standard. Image Size and Quality are located under the Settings tab of the Option Menu in Still Mode. A flash is built-in, located to the left of the lens. Flash levels can be adjusted in the Home menu. There is no burst or bracketing mode.

Most image controls available in Movie Mode remain available to you in Still Mode, and they are found in the Option Menu under either the three Camera tabs or the Settings tab. Focus, Spot Focus, and Tele Macro are on Camera tab 1, Exposure, Spot Meter, and Scene Selection are on Camera tab 2, and White Balance and Color Slow Shutter are on Camera tab 3. In addition to Image Size and Quality, the Self Timer and Still Media options are found under the Settings tab of the Still Mode Option Menu.

Additional options are found in the Home Menu, under Home > Settings > Photo Settings, and the first two options overlap with the Option Menu – Image Size and Quality. Additional options in the Photo Settings submenu include File Number (Sequential or Reset), Nightshot, SteadyShot, Guideframe, Zebra, Flash Level, Redeye Reduction, and Still Media (HDD or MemoryStick.

Still Performance* (9.52)*

The Sony DCR-SR300’s stills were tested by shooting a Gretag McBeth Color Checker chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software to determine color accuracy, noise, and saturation. At best, the camcorder produced a color error of 6.3, with 1.7475% noise and 105% saturation. In order to get this best score, we had to take the camcorder out of Easy mode and adjust the exposure to -1 step, which adjusted the aperture to f/4.0 and the shutter to 1/60th. The camcorder won’t provide this information onscreen, but it can be found in the EXIF data.

Still Resolution* (27.88)
*The still resolution of the Sony DCR-SR300 was tested by shooting an Applied Images ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder produced a horizontal resolution of 1446 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) – with a clipping of 1.78% and an undersharpening of 4.09% – and a vertical resolution of 1240 lw/ph – with a clipping of 0.91% and an undersharpening of 9.33%. This is a very good score, compared to other camcorders in its price range.

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use*(7.5)*

Sonys are the easiest to use, generally, thanks in large part to the Easy button, located on the inside of the LCD cavity. Big and blue, the Easy button could be spotted by your dog, and shifts the whole camcorder into an idiot-proof mode. The onscreen buttons double in size and manual controls take a hike. This is full auto pilot we’re talking about here, and that’s why Sony camcorders are a hit amongst families and novices.

When you first power on the SR300 and begin wading through the menu, you will be treated to an amalgamation of aural magic—we’re talking about Sony’s soothing camera beeps. While most manufacturers have a tendency to opt for grating, piercing menu sounds, Sony took into account the concept of sound therapy, and your shooting experience will be laced with mysticism and wonder.

In addition, the SR300 is simple. There are minimal ports, buttons, dials, and switches, as the SR300 is extending an arm, or lens, to vacation-prone families across the tourist-ridden US of A. Even the docking station offers only an additional USB port, and that’s about it. The SR300 eliminates the need for an external lens cap with its automatic retractable lens cover and sports a veritable line of function buttons in the LCD cavity (Backlight, Easy, etc.). In this case, the SR300 is hard to screw up, even for Dad. On the other hand, the lack of intermediate features will deter the avid low-budget filmmaker or event documenter. No mic or headphone jack reduces any audio monitoring or recording to the built-in microphone only, which is not the best means for capturing optimal sound.

Now let’s talk menu. Yes, it’s a touch screen. The power lies at your fingertips. The buttons are evenly spread out, and everything is labeled, keeping you out of the dark. If you don’t feel like pressing the onscreen home button, there is one right next to it on the LCD panel. This sounds great, but too bad the buttons are the size of a pen cap’s diameter. Those who don’t have leprechaun hands may experience some difficulty pressing the buttons. The HDR-UX1 has a 3.5" LCD screen (versus 2.7" on the DCR-SR300), which made a huge difference in LCD screen buttons.

Handling* (5.5)*

In the land of consumer camcorders, the size of your hand greatly affects your shooting experience. Vertical models like the Canon HV10 and Panasonic SDR-S150 require the shooter to conform to a condensed layout of controls, while beasts like the JVC GZ-HD7 allow plenty of breathing room. Nevertheless, the Sony DCR-SR300 falls between the extremes and ranks in size amongst the Canon HV20 and Sony HDR-HC7.

The most notable difference, though, is the SR300’s rounded right side and top finger groove. This design will most likely suit those with smaller hands—the thumb will rest above the record start/stop button, the index finger will lay on top of the zoom lever, the middle and ring fingers will fit in the groove, and the pinky will just fall short of the built-in microphone. However, anyone with a glove size larger than a medium will probably find their fingertips flush with the edge of the left side. In this case, the hand must be shifted down on the SR300, offsetting the leveling of the lens. Of course, a great deal of point-and-shooters will not even use the hand strap at all and cup the bottom of the SR300 in their right hand while manning the LCD panel with their left.

The problem with the SR300’s finger grooves is that they’re ineffective. The Panasonic HDC-SD1 has a rubberized strip on the top, catching the fingers comfortably. The SR300’s groove is bare plastic, and that doesn’t mix well with sweaty fingers on a balmy day. In addition, the SR300’s hand strap is not the best. The one found on the HDR-HC7 is far superior, and the JVC GZ-HD7’s is untouchable—fully padded, mesh interior, think, and just plain comfortable. The SR300’s feels like cheap, fake plastic against the back of your hand, but then again it’s not as bad as most Canon hand straps. Once you look beyond the SR300’s flaws and slip it over your hand, you’ll notice that it’s not a bowling ball, yet not a feather. It’s an average weight for a camcorder (1 lb. 3 oz.), and it won’t impede the shooting itinerary.

What will throw a stick in the spokes is navigating through the touch screen menu. Again, those with larger hands will be shafted here. The buttons on the menu are so small that numerous presses are required to select a desired function. In addition, once a manual or automatic control is selected in the function menu, the menu disappears, forcing you to revisit the menu every time an adjustment needs to be made. Using the spot focus is exceedingly frustrating because the 2.7" LCD screen can only show so much. Attempting to focus tiny rectangles on a noisy screen is not our idea of fun. If you’re going to equip a camcorder with a touch screen interface, at least make the LCD a big one, like the Sony HDR-SR1’s 3.5" inch monster. Time and patience suffer here, unless you slip the SR300 into Easy mode where the buttons mutate to double their size and the shooter’s only responsibility is to hit record.

Menu* (6.5)*

The DCR-SR300’s menu uses the blueprints from last year’s HDR-UX1’s. Rather than the single long, scrolling list of option (as in the HDR-HC7), the menu works on a series of tabs. To put it more simply, the HD7-style menu is narrow and deep, the SR300 menu is shallow and wide. The latter approach is a bit better, all told. Sony clearly did their research on this one. The major failing point is the speed at which menus appear. It’s 2007 and you just dropped a grand on a camcorder – there should be no delays from one menu screen to the next.

The menus are broken down into a home screen button, options button, and the accompaniment of magical sounds. The HDR-UX1 from last year had bigger, 3.5 inch LCD screen, which makes it easier to navigate through its menu. The good news about the SR300’s menu is that it’s fairly idiot-proof. Almost every selection or icon is labeled with a brief description of its purpose. The button response time is quick—once you successfully fit your finger within its tiny rectangular frame. Although touch screens tend to smudge up the LCD, consumers adore them for their ease of use and instant power right at their fingertips. While Panasonics and most Canons take the throne with their rear-mounted menu navigation, Sony’s touch screen can be overlooked when compared to Hitachi’s free-for-all menu button cluster.

When you fire up the SR300, you’ll notice three distinct rectangular buttons. The home button sits in the top left corner, playback is located in the bottom left corner, and the options, or function menu lives in the bottom right corner. Sony must have kept these buttons smaller to avoid cluttering the LCD screen like Sony’s VPC-HD2 icon explosion, in addition to maintaining proportion. Now let’s begin our menu quest by going home first.

Pressing the home button brings up a screen with a horizontal row of icons spread out in tabs along the bottom: camera, view images, others, manage HDD/memory, and settings. Camera lets you switch between movie and photo mode and also offers the smooth slow record feature. The view images tab lets you view your recorded stills in an index (playback menu) or playlist. In others, you can delete and edit HDD content and playlists, print, and access the computer connection. Others is a bit of a grab bag, and the fact that it’s placed in the middle is odd. You’ll begin to see that Sony’s menu scheme sometimes makes less sense than the way a Canon or Panasonic operates. In the memory tab, you can format the HDD or a MemoryStick PRO Duo, and check up on the HDD’s stats by pressing the info button. Settings is a little more helpful. Here you have your movie, photo, view images, sound/display, output, clock/language, and general settings. You’ll be using movie settings the most while in home, and here you have access to the record mode, NightShot light, digital zoom, SteadyShot, auto slow shutter, guideframe, zebra stripes, remaining time setting, flash level, and red eye reduction.

Now on to the options, or function menu. When you press the minute icon in the bottom right corner, a similar menu screen pops up, but here are all your automatic and manual controls within a series of five tabs: focus, spot focus, tele macro, exposure, spot meter, scene selection (program AEs), white balance, color slow shutter, and Super NightShot. The fourth tab contains the fader, digital effect, and picture effects, and the last tab lets you choose the record quality, still media allocation, and microphone level. A couple grievances we had with Sony’s touch screen menu pertained to adjusting manual controls. Although the accuracy is decent, it is a royal pain to fiddle with tiny buttons, especially on the go. Panasonics will treat you well, and even Sony’s HC7 has a cam control dial. It was not fun bumbling through the exposure and focus. In addition, once a manual control is selected, you go right back to the startup screen, forcing you to revisit the function menu each time you’d like to add another manual control. This menu was designed for Easy mode users, all the way.

Portability* (5.5)*

The DCR-SR300 is a solid brick of vacation-capturing technology, measuring a modest 76mm x 78mm x 149mm (3 in. x 3 1/8 in. x 5 7/8 in.) including all projecting parts, like the SR300’s junk in the trunk battery. Weighing in at 560g (1 lb. 3 oz.), the SR300 is no feathery Sanyo Xacti, yet it won’t conquer the interior of your camera bag to a preposterous extent like the Panasonic HDC-DX1 will. This camcorder is rugged and will withstand a hearty beating—just nothing too abusive. The SR300 sports a 40GB HDD that offers 570 minutes of recording time in the highest quality (HQ) setting, yet it’s coupled with a battery that has a maximum continuous recording time of 95 minutes in HQ. Of course, Sony is stretching that number like taffy, while the typical recording time is a mere 45 minutes with stopping, starting, using the menu, etc. The diagnosis: an additional battery…or three.

*The 2.7' (221K) LCD. There is no viewfinder. *

LCD and Viewfinder* (7.0)*

The SR300 has a 2.7" wide LCD screen with a 200K pixel resolution. The LCD screen flips out 90 degrees and can be rotated a full 270 degrees. The image displays a balanced color palette, yet is rife with noise. This is too bad, because the SR300 does not have a viewfinder for an alternate view and prolonged battery life. The LCD panel features a vertical row of controls on the left, consisting of the home, zoom in/out, and record start/stop buttons. The LCD hinge is not unlike any other consumer camcorder: flexible, thin, and easily breakable.

Sony LCD screens are a hit amongst the consumer crowd for their easy touch screen navigation, yet to us they remain a bittersweet phenomenon. It’s great to have the power of adjustment beneath your fingertips, but when the buttons are so small in size, using the manual focus slider becomes a foreboding task. In Easy mode the buttons double in size, but manual control fanatics will be out of luck. The Sony HDR-UX1 comes equipped

with an LCD screen that measures a whopping 3.5 inches—in this case, the interface is a bit more manageable. The SR300’s LCD screen has the potential to vex and fluster those with hands bigger than a woodland sprite. On another note, the LCD screen has a tendency to smudge up due natural oils produced by skin. Using the spot focus becomes virtually useless when the screen is a cloudy fiasco. We prefer Panasonic’s rear mounted joystick design.

Battery Life* (11.4)*

We tested the Sony DCR-SR300's NP-FH60 rechargeable battery pack by setting it to full manual mode and recording continuously until the battery was cashed. The SR300 had a battery life of 113 minutes and 51 seconds, which is pretty decent. Sony claims the SR300 gets a good 45 minutes of life during typical recording time, so expect a number in between when you take it for long hikes.

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (5.0)*

The SR300 features a 5.1 channel surround sound built-in stereo microphone located on the top to the camcorder, near the front. Those with larger hands will have to be mindful of the microphone’s unfortunate position, resting right beneath the pinky and ring finger for a muffled, cloudy audio experience. The SR300 is just too small for this microphone placement.

It’s slim pickins with the recording options as well. The only control you have over the built-in stereo microphone is a normal and low setting. According to Sony, normal records surrounding audio within a fixed level while low records surrounding audio sounds at their actual level. Our ears couldn’t tell the difference. In addition, without a mic or headphone jack, the SR300 is merely capable of consumer-grade audio. Of course the SR300's hot shoe is compatible with an external microphone, but only a Sony microphone or accessory. No windscreen, no adjustable levels, just a record button, and a prayer.

Playback* (6.25)*

To playback your media on the SR300, open the LCD screen and press the playback button located in the top right corner of the LCD cavity. This cues a comprehensive menu screen with a row of tabs running horizontally along the base: video mode, video clips, digital stills, digital stills recorded to a MemoryStick PRO Duo, and the function menu button (acts an options button for archiving videos and stills. To the left, a set of up and down arrows scrolls through up to six icons per page representing recorded media. When a video clip is pressed, it automatically begins playing in the full LCD screen with a gamut of touch screen options: stop, rewind, play/pause, fast forward, options, previous clip, and next clip. The options button cues a menu screen that allows you to adjust the volume of a clip, fiddle with the data code, or add it to a playlist. You can also delete and divide (split) clips.

Playing back still images is virtually the same menu structure, just with different options: thumbnail view, previous image, slide show start/pause, next image, and options. Digital still options allow you to print (when connected to a PictBridge compatible printer), set slide show settings, turn the data code on or off, and delete images.

Playback is reasonably idiot-proof, and the touch screen menu is simple to navigate with.

The playback menu

Connectivity* (5.0)*
Ports, ports, who’s got the ports? Not the DCR-SR300. You’ll only find an A/V terminal, remote jack, DC in connection, and MemoryStick PRO Duo slot. There’s also a hot shoe, or 'Active Interface Shoe,' which is compliant with only Sony add-ons. The sharp plastic door housing the hot shoe popped off within minutes of the camcorder’s removal from its box. The plastic oval-shaped A/V/remote jack port cover flew off the SR300 with a medium-sized tug. Cheap, cheap, cheap. The SR300 doesn’t even include a USB terminal, forcing the user to rely on the supplied docking station.

On the supplied docking station, you'll find a USB, DC in and A/V out terminal, and that's about it. There's a Disc Burn button on the front for exporting straight to a DVD. If you forget your docking station on the road, you are up a creek without the ability to transfer your footage until you get home.

The Sony DCR-SR300 in the docking station.

Other Features

**What’s in the Box?
**The Sony DCR-SR300 ships with the following items:

-AC adapter

-Power cord

-Handycam Station

-A/V connecting cable

-USB cable

-Wireless remote commander

-NP-FH60 rechargeable battery pack

-CD-ROM "Handycam Application Software"

-Operating Guide (Manual)  

These are pretty standard offerings here. One note on the manual: we could’ve written a more comprehensive guide on a small leaflet of Post-it notes. Really, this was one of the most scant manuals we’ve seen so far. Anyone with real problems would have to go searching user forums for answers.

Other Features* (2.0)*

*Smooth Slow Record -*Smooth Slow Record allows dads to analyze their golf swings by increasing the frame rate of the SR300 to 240 fps, as opposed to 60fps. In last year's DCR-SR100, the image during Smooth SLow Record got darker (due to shutter speed increase). This year, Sony appears to have compensated for that problem by boosting the auto gain. The graininess increases a good deal compared to the same shot in standard 60i.

*NightShot - *For creepy dark places, Sony’s NightShot filter allows the SR300 to pick up on objects that hide when the sun goes down.

*Fader- *When record start/stop is pressed, the picture will fade in and out. You have the choice between black and white fades.

*Digital Effect - *The only choice Sony gives you is "old movie." It should just be called the Old Movie effect.

*Picture Effects - *Sepia, black and white, and pastel are the offered digital effects on the DCR-SR300.

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
Sony DCR-SR100
Last year’s Sony DCR-SR100 ($1100 MSRP) is a more comfortable version of the SR300. It's got an extendable viewfinder, top-mounted flash, and onboard USB terminal. The SR300 does have an extra 10GB of storage capacity, but aside from that, the only significant difference between these two is in the imagers. The SR100 has a 1/3' HAD CCD with reasonable bright light performance and decent low light. The SR300 is in a similar boat with its 1/2.9' CMOS chip. Chips aside, they're basically the same picture. Sony has manufactured way too many mediocre HDD models, and for the prices these dust gatherers are going for, you could get a Canon HV20 with dough to spare.

*Sony DCR-SR5
*The HDR-SR5 ($1100 MSRP) is Sony's latest addition to its HDD line, in addition to the more advanced HDR-SR7. As Sony HDD camcorders continue to multiply like rabbits, we question whether this one will be any different from the rest. In terms of video quality, expect 4 times the resolution. Although the SR5 just looks like a jazzed up SR300 with less buttons and a boxier design, it's shoots in HD. We're pretty bored with Sony's mediocre line of FamilyCams, but the SR5 shows potential. No mic or headphone jacks, limited automatic and manual controls, and no viewfinder will separate the SR5 owners from the SR7 owners. In this price range, it wouldn't make a drop of sense to go for the standard definition SR300 when the HD SR5 is right around the corner.

JVC GZ-MG555
The JVC GZ-MG555 ($899.95 MSRP) is a cheaply made pocket-size brick of suburban temptation. Again, no viewfinder, 2.7 inch LCD screen, and digital image stabilization. The hand strap is keychain quality. The mode dial is located on top of the camcorder. Everything about this camcorder screams budget--except the image quality. With a 1/2.5' 5.37MP CCD, you might expect more from the MG555. The SR300 does display a decent image, though, and those who are not keen on the fine particularities of noise and oversaturation will not be able to tell. We're talking about moms and dads here, because they're the only one that would buy either of these HDD models. It's a toss up. Loyal Sonyites will likely opt for an SR300. Those who like tiny electronic devices will go for the MG555. JVC’s hard drive camcorders have tended to disappoint in the past, though MG555’s predecessor, the GZ-MG500, looked great. We’ll have that review as soon as we can.

Panasonic SDR-H200
The Panasonic SDR-H200 ($799 MSRP) was announced earlier this year and is equipped with three 1/6' CCDs, an SD/SDHC card slot, and an S-Video cable. In the looks department, the H200 is boxier and is devoid of a viewfinder (are you noticing a pattern here?). Though we haven't tested the H200 yet, it would be difficult to pin its 3 1/6' CCDs against the SR300's 1/2.9' CMOS chip. In our experience, the smaller the chip, the less light gathering capabilities. But Panasonic 3-chips tend to produce great color. We'd place our bet on the Sony, but trying before buying could save you $200.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters**

Point and shooters, all the way. With limited inputs and outputs, no viewfinder, and a dying crop of manual controls, the SR300 still proudly flaunts the coveted Holy Grail for all entry-level shooters: The Easy Button. (Cue Hallelujah).

*Budget Consumers
*No mic jack, no headphone jack, limited battery time, and a $1000 price tag. End of story.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid**

9999 digital stills on the wall. Take one down, pass it around, and you’ll probably be pleased with its 6.1 MP resolution. You can also record to a MemoryStick PRO Duo, and the SR300 includes a flash as well. 9998 digital stills on the wall…

Gadget Freaks

Do you hear that snoring? It’s a gadget freak passed out on the floor after spending more than 5 minutes with the Sony DCR-SR300. They’ve already moved onto AVCHD or maybe the Red One camera.

Manual Control Freaks

Slim pickins. The limited library of manual controls coupled with Sony’s bumbling touch screen adjustments will turn off almost any manual control freak.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists**

Pros will agree that the SR300 is cheap, easy cash for Sony.

Conclusion**

The Sony DCR-SR300 is a great standard definition camcorder to be sure, and at the beginning of 2006, when its predecessor was released, it would have made us swoon. The 1/2.9" ClearVID CMOS sensor produces an image very similar in quality to the SR100 (though a bit noisier in low light), and the addition of OIS rather than EIS is a terrific upgrade. Add on a bigger 40GB HDD, a more compact design, and a $100 price cut over the SR100’s initial MSRP ($1000 versus $1100), the SR300 seems like a winning replacement.

What a difference a year makes. With the explosion of consumer HD options starting at around $1000, any SD (standard definition) camcorder priced at that level had better impress. Well, the SR300 does not impress us enough. The majority of viewers watching footage shot with the HDR-SR5 will find it vastly superior to footage shot with the SR300. The HDR-SR5 records AVCHD HD video, and unless you are either a pro or a compression connoisseur, chances are good that you too will prefer the SR5’s picture based on resolution alone.

There are still good reasons to opt for an SD camcorder like the SR300. The video in bright light looks great. Few camcorders this easy to use can produce that kind of image. The MPEG-2 format flavor Sony employs on their camcorders allows for simple drag-and-drop files. Most HDD and DVD camcorders from other manufacturer split the video and audio, requiring a 3rd party software to piece it back together. All in all, though, we’re not ready to part with our money on this one unless the price drops considerably. HD is the future, and if you are willing to spend this much, we’d recommend investing in forward-facing technology.

Specs and Ratings

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