16.12.2010

When I first received the camera I was delighted, and immediately set to shooting all sorts of stuff. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens is superb with a very smooth zoom, and the `standard' setting for the digital Steadyshot is almost as good as an Optical Steady. And having at least a couple of hours recording time from a fully charged battery without having to change media was fantastic.But, having been spoilt by decades of using professional cameras, and even owning some semi-pro Hi-8 and DV-Cam I soon ran into its limitations. And while the functions I wanted to use were there, they were buried in the menus and only accessible via the LCD screen I must use as the sole viewfinder.Initial impressions:.Low light performance is quite good, better than several more expensive cameras I have used in the past.. Highlight handling is acceptable, with no streaking or obvious impact on picture quality, but clouds tend to wash out.. Normal exposure range is good, as is the spot exposure.. Colour correction for ambient light is surprisingly good, it even copes with fluorescent light, but see more below.. Auto focus and spot focus both work well.. HDMI output via an HDMI-C to HDMI-A lead works nicely into a suitable monitor.. Sound is poor. See more below. Ergonomics are abysmal. See more below.One should remember that the HDR-CX115 is a basic single-chip (1/4") HD Camcorder, or a very, very good SD Camcorder. If you search hard enough through the extensive menus system on the touch screen you can find how to record good pictures in reasonable HD quality, but this requires turning off a lot of the usual `features,' each of which reduced the absolute quality.It is not as good as a 3-chip camera, and it does not have a native 1080p sensor, in fact it is much closer to a 720p sensor with clever up-scaling to make the 1080i and 1080p, and excellent filtering to make the 576i standard definition. But it is also tiny, very small and with an amazingly good lens. You cannot expect to get professional results from something this small, but it is very good considering its major limitations.Three prime manual functions I normally expect to find each on their own dedicated external button are:. spot White Balance (the auto drifts slowly all the time depending on what is in the picture, it is never right, aarrgghhh!!). spot Focus (I need to hold focus only on my subject). spot Exposure (I need to expose only for my subject)The control functions are all available, but only if one dives deep into the menus and then touches the screen in the relevant place - finger and menu obscuring the subject you are trying to follow. However, once selected they do work very well. touch White Balance on any spot in the picture. touch Focus on a specific item in the picture. touch Exposure on a specific item, eg a face in a bright or dark background.But then you need to go back out of the menus to see what you are doing. Uhhh, sorry, it is just too slow to operate for best pictures after having become used to doing it properly with professional and semi-pro cameras. Another annoyance is that if you do not use the camera for 12 hours all the useful settings you put into it revert to the Sony defaults, ie Auto!The other big lacks are:. No Eye-piece Viewfinder (especially for out-door work in sunshine) and so I don't need to change the focus of my eyes to see what the camera is seeing. Normally if handheld I have one eye on the viewfinder and one on the subject, same point of eye focus, and I match the two pictures or blink one eye.. No Microphone Socket. Normally I would also expect to be able to plug in my own microphones, or a radio mic, or even a mini-mixer, to be more selective of sources, and to improve the sound quality, as well as to simply eliminate handling noise and the intrusive zoom motor noise. As it is, the stereo sound from the two microphones on the front under the lens is very poor, unpredictable in where it picks-up from, and often muffled or thin. Alas, this Lo-Fi is a major flaw in this recorder, with no remedy possible, and definitely loses it a star.. No Headphone Socket. It is not possible to monitor the sound quality either, so one has no idea if it has recorded anything useful until playback into the computer later.I'm unhappy it uses electronic image stabilisation instead of optical, but that does give it the advantage of a faster lens. The sensor is effectively bigger than the 720p HD format, so the standard electronic stabilisation has the surplus area to play with, but this is not much. The optional stronger stabilisation reduces the image size to allow a bigger floating zone, and so loses sensor resolution. Such a big zoom ratio (25:1) is impossible to hold steady on the Telephoto setting, especially with such a tiny and light weight camera, and therefore requires use of a tripod for maximum resolution. But what then happens if touching the screen to change a setting? Difficult.It is the least equipped of the range sharing the same chassis, all of which can take a memory card, I used a couple of 16G SDHC Class 4 Cards. Most of the others also have internal recording media such as 8GB (HDR-CX116) or 16GB (HDR-CX150, HDR-CX155) of RAM or 120GB (HDR-XR150, HDR-XR155) of hard disk. And a few (HDR-CX110, HDR-CX150, HDR-XR150) have a limited ability to use the USB as an input as well as for output, which with a struggle might be useful for recording decent sound and/or mixed video - the CD handbook (common to all models) is distinctly unhelpful on this specific point. I've been recording the sound separately; both the audio and video are digital systems so they stay close enough in sync sufficiently long for my simple needs, and it is easily adjusted later.A 16GB memory card gives the following recording times, which will vary slightly depending on content:. 720x576i Standard Definition DV-Cam - 200 to 220mins. 1440x1080i HD LP mode AVC HD 5M - 300 to 380mins. 1440x1080i HD HQ mode AVC HD 9M - 160 to 220mins. 1920x1080i HD FH mode AVC HD 17M - 100mins. 1920x1080i HD FX mode AVC HD 24M - 80minsThe external mains adaptor can EITHER power the camera OR charge the battery, not both at the same time. But there is no separate adaptor lead in the supplied kit of bits to allow an extra spare battery to be charged while that on the camera is in use. Fortunately the battery life is good, provided one remembers to charge it before use.The 4:3 image sensor has 2048 sensor cells arranged in 1536 rows. But bear in mind this is a single chip sensor using a Bayer mask to achieve both colour and resolution. So half the cells will be for Green/Luma, and a quarter each will be for Blue and Red, which are then re-combined as Chroma. The quoted `effective' movie resolution is only 1.35Mpixels with stabiliser Off or Standard. For a full 1920 by 1080 lines we need 2.1Mpixels. The numbers actually work nicely for a genuine image pixel map for 720p with a little bit of float for the Steady-shot. However, one can only shoot and record in 576i (SD) or 1080i (HD). The options of 720p or 1080p are converted on HDMI playback from the 1080i AVCHD recording. I shall borrow some test charts to check quality, more on this later in a couple of months time.Good news! The over-sampled 576i DV-Cam pictures are some of the best I have ever seen from a single chip camera, and the 25:1 zoom makes it a fantastic SD camera. Editing the DV-Cam pictures is a dream using standard tools, especially when compared with having to lose a generation every time to unpack the H.264 AVCHD. Having some very nice standard definition video tools I'm reluctant to try the supplied Sony software until I can find a sacrificial PC to put it on, also the implication is that my fat XP Dell is not man enough to edit the full HD. More on this later in a couple of months time.I cannot recommend taking still photos with this camera for anything other than as a simple continuity record, the colours seem wrong in spite of playing with white balance etc, and the 4:3 aspect 1.5MPixel effective photo resolution is poor compared with the cheapest of still cameras or even a modern mobile phone.My final gripe is an odd one! The camera is too small for my hand, I need to clench my fingers too much to reach the buttons if I hold the camera in my palm with the strap around the back of the hand, as usual. The best Handycam I ever used was a Sony TR3000 Hi-8 that fit like a glove with all the essential buttons resting just under my finger tips. This CX115 is about 2cm too small for my index finger on the `photo' button, and 3cm too small for my middle finger to push-pull on the `zoom'! Only my thumb is on the start/stop button. If the buttons are under finger tips, then any finger movement shakes the camera. And there is no remote control, so I still need to touch it on a tripod.So how to use it?A. Proper pics.Put it on a tripod. Leave it in Standard Steadyshot.First set the White Balance manually on a reference white card for the shot with the touch screen.Then set the Focus manually on the key subject, and compose and frame the picture.Then set the Exposure manually on the key subject.Press the Start button, and start the action.When the action is over, mark it End-Board and then press the Stop button.B. Snappy pics.First set the White Balance manually on a reference white card for the shot with the touch screen.Then set the Focus manually on the key subject.Then, hosepipe away to your heart's content, refocusing if the subject changes distance from the camera too much, and zooming only if absolutely necessary to keep the framing correct.C. Don't care.First set the white balance manually on a reference white card for the shot with the touch screen.Then shoot with everything else on full auto.Conclusion. Revised 26/12/2010After playing with it for a few weeks now, and getting much, much better sound by using my own microphones and a separate sound recorder, I think if I were looking again for my prime video camera I'd opt for something bigger with a few more of the relevant buttons, and with audio inputs. Where the HDR-CX115 really scores highly is that could be very, very useful as an unobtrusive and discreet second camera for supporting shots. And it is reasonable for quick and hurried holiday snaps if you don't mind missing some of the sound. It is another useful tool that deserves its place in the box.Addendum. 17/12/2010I've just had a play with the hard-disk model HDR-XR155E in a well known retail chain, and the extra bulk and weight of the hard drive makes all the difference to the way it fits in the hand. That model is only just too small for me by about half a centimetre on each finger, and would be fine for a smaller man or an average woman's hand.So if one wanted to stick with this family, I'd recommend choosing the significantly more expensive HDR-XR150E for the much better fit in the hand, and the limited ability to accept some input for recording. Or possibly one should also consider the similar Sony HDR-XR200VE Camcorder.

12.12.2010

First thing I noticed about this camcorder was its size. It's very small, and fits in the hand comfortably with well placed controls that are easy to operate. A strap holds your hand in. The second thing I noticed was that Sony have at last made their products compatible with other memory formats. The camera takes SD cards alongside Memory Stick Duo, which is a huge plus for people like me who have a huge collection of SD cards for other devices! This means not having to buy Sony Memory Sticks.This model has no internal memory or hard drive, but doesn't come with any memory of its own. So you'll need to get some. It also doesn't come with a HDMI cable. You get analogue cables instead.If you need to get a HDMI cable to dconnect direcly to a digital TV, make sure you get one with a "C" connector for the camera.The camera records in AVCHD format, and you can select different resolutions and quality levels from the settings. The settings menu itself is pretty extensive, with plenty of manual options you can override. You can arrange your favourite options in a shortcut menu, which is good, as I found navigating the menu a bit fiddly. The camera automatically powers down when you close the screen and powers up when you open it. As with most cameras, you can swing the viewfinder to virtually any position.One feature I've never had before in a camcorder is automatic face detection, and I was surprised how well this worked, even with filming children running around.The recording format is AVCHD (Mpeg 4 based), which I suspect is why the camera offers a direct burn feature - you can copy video files straight to DVD by using a button on the camera. The supplied software is sony's picture motion browser suite, which I find fairly useful as it arranges all your videos and photographs in a calendar that makes it easy to access and browse your material. It also performs face detection and allows to view based on faces. I rarely use the software that comes with consumer devices, but this is quite different.Picture quality is impressive in strong light, with sharp images and bright colours. In low light it's a bit grainy and dull looking, but still acceptible. Despite the 3 megapixel "still camera" built in, still photographs are very poor and there's no light on the camera to help illuminate the scene.Pros:Small, fits nicely in the hand and quick start up times.Takes SD cards (Get a fast one)Long zoom.Good image quality.Cons:Still facility is very poor.No built in memory at all, and none provided.No HDMI cable provided.Touch screen icons are a bit small and fiddly sometimes.No extra illumination for low light scenarios.Overall, the cons are all fairly inconsequential - memory is is cheap, and I rarely use camcorders for still photographs. Recommended.

24.11.2010

I bought this for the car - after a couple of years of using a pair of Oregon Scientific's ActionCams - it was time to change.The full resolution recording at 1920x1080 works as advertised with no dropped frames 4Gb Class 6 SDHC and 64Gb SDXC Class 16, the Class 2 SDHC cards from the ActionCams were useless, the video was breaking up all the time, eventually the camera just gave up.The optics are very good at this price point and there is precious little aberration on macro closeups and wide angle distance shots.The touch screen interface works remarkably well considering the size of the screen,

8.1.2011

I purchased the Sony CX115E video Camera to replace 3 year old Sony Mini DV Tape Camera. Before I purchased I read most of the reviews and was considering the Panasonic SD60 but decided on the Sony as some of the reviews for the Panasonic suggested that there may be an issue with the sound. Several reviewers reported that they had wind noise. This along with the Sony being cheaper, I decided to go with the Sony.Once I received the Sony and started to play with it I was not happy. The play back was very slightly grainy on my 46 inch TV when viewing close up. The White balance was very bad. I was ready to send the camera back but decided not to and to give it a chance by fully reading the manual and testing.

17.7.2010

The Sony HDR-CX115L is a good looking compact device, it fits snuggly into the palm of your hand and is very light. Operation is really quite simple, with most features being accessed from the crystal clear LCD screen, however there is the usual record and zoom buttons on the camera body. Picture quality is very good in normal light conditions, but grain appears in low light, as would be expected with the basic and inexpensive camera. The battery life is not that impressive and I did order a bigger battery (the standard gets you around two hours of filming time), which has made the camera much much more usable when out and about. Depending on the camera mode,

22.2.2012

Firstly, I managed to get this camera at a bargain price, due to the fact it was a return through Amazon Warehouse and, frankly, their loss is my gain.I feel I have to address a few of the points I read through and consequently made me worry about my purchase.1. Lines on playback is simply due to the limitations of what you are playing it back on. My test images worked perfectly on my HD TV and wonderfully when I put it through Pinnacle Studio. The only time I had lines and stuttering was when I attempted to play back through VLC player via the memory card, for a base entry HD camcorder, it's not unreasonable to review your footage prior to transferring it across to your PC. Even in Pinnacle,

28.11.2010

This is one of the best HD camcorders i have used recently. Have had it for a few months and thought it would be a good time to review this product after a few months of use.I have used this camcorder in all sorts of light condition including of course Low-Light and it produces some brilliant images. The ease of use is amazing...you don't have to bother changing any settings in the auto mode, just point and shoot. I love the Image stabiliser on this camcorder combined with the powerful zoom it has, you can get some really steady shots without a tripod. The icing on the cake is the fact that you can use either pro-duo or SDHC card which makes it great as you can pick up SDHC cards for a bargain.Sometimes i still cant believe how small this camcorder is!

30.12.2010

I ordered this HD sony handycam from AMAZON after returning the original that my wife bought me for Christmas at a much higher price from a high street store. With Amazons low price, promotion code and the Sony VAT back promotion will have saved £105. With that saving, I've been able to buy a good Sony case and a HDMI cable, all from AMAZON of course, and still have enough left to buy a spare memory stick.The camara is a little gem. Very easy to use and just the right size to handle ergonomically even with my big fingers. The picture quality is excellent in HD mode and the sound is really good. The menu's on the screen with the touch screen facility is a bonus for me.

10.2.2012

I Bought this HD Handycam based on an offer price and the fact it was Sony ( I like Sony Stuff), knew little about it but read the reviews of others. In the end I took a gamble and how glad I did. It's perfect for my general videoing needs, its very small and compact, and does what it says on the tin. If you,ve got really large hands then you may find it difficult to use but most people will find it easy and a dream. I have also bought Sony Vegas video editing software for the PC and the two together are perfect.The low light function is brilliant, really good. The still camera is also good at 3.1 megapixals sufficient for most needs. The HD quality looks good on my Sony Bravia HD Tv but you do need a HDMI lead that Amazon sells.

6.10.2011

Found out that this camera supports the LANC remote function. This means that with a LANC remote control, you can focus and Zoom (with variable speed if the remote supports it) without touching the camers. This allows you to get shots on extreme Zoom on a tripod and then Zoom back without the kick as you touch the onboard Zoom control. I was surprised this function was inluded and even Sony Support said it was only a two speed Zoom control, but it works perfectly. It also allows for remote focus, where you can change the focus point from one subject to another, which is pretty impossible by tapping the touchscreen. You have to get a LANC controller with AV connector plug,

24.1.2011

Lovely device.....touch screen enabled. Good battery life dependent on use. Talking about use, the battery was fully charged on the 29th of December and used to record to record and snap pictures for 2hours...and used roughly 30 minutes each day until when i was eventually recharged on the 3rd of January 2011. Personally, i think that is good in terms of battery life.Video images are splendid and so are still images but the downside to still images is when zoomed, the images become blur.....well what would you expect from a 3.1 megapexils device?Other than that, the video is great (in HD), great battery life and it comes with a software (The Sony PMB)

31.10.2010

Great little camcorder for both SD & HD video. My 2ghz computer with 1gb RAM is not fast enough to edit HD so I am very happy to stick to SD quality which I have used for many years. I use Pinnancle Studio 14 which imports SD 16:9 mpeg-2 files from the camera quickly without any bother and write to DVD which can be played on any DVD player. I also have a Bluray DVD player and 37" LCD TV and find the quality of SD video is excellent. I am therefore in no hurry to record in HD requiring a PC upgrade and also to create DVDs which can only be played on a Bluray player! The camera has a 1/4" sensor which produces very good video indoors and outdoors and is much better than the Canon FS200 with its smaller sensor which I have tried.

20.11.2010

I bought this camcorder as I wanted a small compact camcorder with high quality high def output. After using it for a while, I am very happy. The image quality is excellent (I use it with eveything set to the highest quality). The downside to this is that even using a 16GB Transcend Class 10 SD card, you get a maximum 90 minutes recording time. The camera really is small and fits in the palm of your hand, there are few controls on the camera itself, with the majority being accessible through the touchscreen display. I would recommend getting a small tripod like a Gorillapod which really helps keep the camera stable when using the zoom. I have only used the optical zoom up to 25x,

10.11.2011

A very compact camcorder, it's output in HD mode on my 47" HD TV is simply stunning, I am amazed at the quality from a machine that cost me £240.It is simple and easy to use, you can play about with lots of the settings if you wish, but I have found that it performs very well if you just leave it in auto mode and let the camcorder get on with it! Perfect for me as I'm not really into all that technical stuff, I have not used it in photo mode as I have a good digital camera for that, I know some users say it is not particularly good at taking photos, but hey, my expensive digital camera is not very good at taking videos! Horses for courses!!If using indoors,

26.8.2011

I have bought this camcorder and to me this is the best camcorder i have bought , i read reviews on this and did not believe this until i bought, and how i was wrong, this is light, easy to use and once on Auto just leave and shoot great movies i have put this on my HD TV and what a difference the only thing that i do not like may be its me but the lens cover you have to manully close and if you forget and put this in your pocket then may be it can damage the lens and yes you should be supplied a card with this that is the only - to me and the +s way out the - anyway , i have bought a new battery 2200 and that gives me about 5 hours + which is plenty i would recommend this camcorder,

Sony HDR-CX115E (HDRCX115E) - Reviews

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