Sony DCR-SR300 6.1MP, Great Camcorder
| Overall Rating | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Great Camcorder
Pros: Excellent picture quality! Ease of use, convenient 4 mega pixel still while in video mode, easy connect base, and mpg video format right from the camera!
Cons: Easy connect base (good and bad news), flash disabled with filters or lens, and a little slow to connect to the PC.
I wanted ease of use, high quality picture, and good still performance - I got it all.
I did the tech research on picture quality and the SR300 seemed to be rated the best by most of the experts. The CMOS capture device is what is used in very high end cameras, so I was expecting a decent picture.
Here is the non-tech evaluation of the picture: on my Hi Def TV the picture quality from this camcorder is much better than normal TV picture and not quite as good as a high quality progressive scan DVD. It is better than I expected and I am VERY happy with the picture quality.
The SR300 is easy to use and that is what I wanted. Point it and shoot. In video mode, it does 4 mega pixel pictures. While recording, you can capture 3 stills only. If you are in video mode and not recording, you can capture as many as you like up to the limit of the hard drive and/or memory stick. In straight still mode, it is a 6 mega pixel camera. If you are looking for super high quality still camera, this is not it. I went from a 2 mega pixel camera to this, so I am pleased with the quality and I don’t have to always carry two cameras around. I am using this to capture kids and this is just what I need.
The camera will record stills to the hard drive, so you do not need to have a memory stick. I purchased a 2 gig ultra II, kind of a waste since the camcorder can’t write to the stick as fast as the stick operates, I could have saved some $$ with a less expensive stick, or no stick at all. A 2 gig stick gives you 600 pictures at 4 mega pixel.
I like the base, it makes it easy to have the camera ready to use. The thing I don’t like is that you must use it to transfer video and stills to your computer from the hard drive (cable included). This can be a pain. You can connect the camera directly to the TV to watch video (cable included).
When you attach a filter or an auxiliary lens, I bought a wide angle lens, the flash is disabled. This I do not like.
Video from this camera is in mpg format, the same used for DVDs, so your DVD software does not have to convert the files. Also, this camera will write directly to a DVD recorder. I created a DVD with my , directly from the camera using the Disc Burn button and it included both video and pictures.
I am able to quickly make DVDs using Nero without converting the files. This cam also connects directly to a printer using Pict Bridge feature.
This is an expensive camera that had everything I wanted: easy to use; good quality video; compact size; and good still pictures. Sometimes you need to spend the extra to get what you want.
I also bought the Sony ACC-FH60 accessory kit that includes a camera case and a second battery, check it out.
Update (5/17/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen.
The featured review for this product, Sony DCR-SR300 6.1MP 40GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Electronics, was written by Gregory R. Daro.
The average rating for this item is out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.
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Tags: camcorder, camcorders, dcr-sr300, dcr-sr300 camcorder, dcr-sr300p, dcrsr 300, dcrsr300 hdd, handy, hard drive, harddisk camcorder, hd camcorder, hdd, high definition, sony, sony camcorder dcr sr300 hdd usb mpeg video, sr-300, sr300, video camera, wireless microphone
Posted on: April 12, 2010
Filed under: Reviews



Reviews (3)
Mohamed I. Talaat
February 26th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Excellent first impressions
I’ve been using it for a couple of days, and I love it. The harddisk is a gift, once you get used to it, you’ll never want to use tape again. The USB 2.0 transfer to your computer works like a charm and it’s pretty quick even for very large files, also because the video file types are mpeg, dvd authoring software doesn’t take forever to compile a dvd, it’s very quick.
There are a couple of simple, yet powerful editing features using the camcorder itself. The interface is pretty intuitive, and the touch screen is very accessible even for my thick thumbs. The video picture quality is excellent in medium light, but weak in low light still ‘far better than my previous Canon ZR70 though’. The stand still camera is not that good, compared to my current Sony P8.
I love the slow motion feature, unfortunately it can only capture 6 seconds, also taking photos while you’re video taping is an excellent feature, but you can only take 3 photos during shooting videos. All in all, I’m very happy with all it’s features, also the surround sound works pretty well.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because the camera doesn’t come with a USB port, or video output options on the camera itself, I have to dock it in the docking station and then connect it to my PC, which leaves me with a choice to either put the docking station beside my PC to move the files, or beside my HD TV to watch the movies on the Camera, not sure why Sony at least didn’t put a USB port on the camera directly, pretty annoying! Also, there is no way to capture video using this camera, although that was kind of a standard feature in any cheap mini DV cameras, now I have to think of getting a video capture card for my computer if I need to copy any of my recorder programs from my DVRs or previous tapes to DVD!
Gregory R. Daro
March 27th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Great Camcorder
Rated 5 stars.
Adoom
April 4th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Worth every penny
I’m not a professional, so this camcorder is the best thing since sliced bread.
I’d rather write a review that someone can actually read and get some value from, so if you’re one of those people that insists on comparing everything to an extremely expensive pro camcorder, just stop reading now and go away.
If you want something that will shoot crisp clear video footage of your family and life experiences, this is the camcorder for you. No, it’s not HD but I honestly don’t feel that it’s worth paying 2x as much for the marginal (if even noticeable since this camcorder shoots video at 3.1 megapixels) difference in video quality. 6.1 megapixel stills are the icing on the cake, and I have yet to deplete the battery (if you’re planning on shooting hours and hours of video, just get an adapter or the optional battery that will give you up to 6 hours of life).
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