HDD Camcorders-Top 5 Compared
 
HDD Camcorder-Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical ZoomCamcorder-Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom
Price/Value 4/5

Video Quality

5/5
Video Shooting 4/5
Features 4/5
Reliability 5/5
Easy-To-Use 4/5
Battery Life 4/5
Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder-Ranking
HDD Camcorder Value Awarded Product Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder
HDD Camcorder Price Range - Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder

Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder -is our # 3 pick. The Sony DCR-SR42 is a 30GB hard drive camcorder. Hard Drive Smart Protection is part of this camcorder. The high resolution 2.5-inch LCD widescreen display is also a touch-panel swivel screen. Complimented by the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens increased contrast and more is possible. This camcorder has a 1/6-inch Advanced Hole Accumulation Diode CCD. This means 340k effective video pixels and is one reason detail and clarity is intense. Also, a special picture stabilization system is built-in. One-Touch-Disc burning. Night shot infrared system. In addition, DVDirect compatibility also makes this an important 2008 pick. All of this and this HDD camcorder meets NTSC color and EIA standards.

Video Quality:
This HDD camcorder has a good CCD. To be exact this technology has an Advanced HAD CCD Imager. Because there is a full 1/6-inch Advanced Hole Accumulation diode, in effect you get delivered video pixels of 340k and up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution. So, it means that good detail and clarity would be the end result video. However, without the proper lens delivery none of this would matter. Therefore, complementing these other video quality built-ins is the Professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. The lens has a multi-layer coating that provides increased contrast and thus delivers image brilliance and true-to-life color saturation. Part of the results is subtle tone rendering near perfect. Therefore, with the combination of advanced optics and Advanced HAD CCD Imager, near professional quality can be achieved.

Videoing Experience:
Super SteadyShot technology stabilizes video and stills. This picture stabilizing system provides a higher range for shake and vibration frequencies. This means a higher level of smoothness without image degradations. Swivel screen LCD rotates 270 degrees allowing multiple viewing angles. Zooming is accomplished by 2 approaches: Optical and Digital. Optical zooms 40x (times) while digital increases this to 2000x. What this means are far-away scenes can be brought in very close without distortion. This is done by the combination of optical lens and digital interpolations.

HDD Camcorder Safety Features:
The “3G Sensor” and HDD Smart Protection combine to ensure the HDD camcorder’s safety. HDD camcorders are fundamentally hard drive based just like computers. Hard drives accomplish saving and outputting data via high speed spinning discs. Any shock to these hard drives can damage or destroy them. The Sony DCR-SR42 overcomes this by shock absorbers as a first line of defense. This protects the camcorder from physical damage if dropped. Secondly, the “3G Sensor” technology detects a drop or “loss of gravity” and immediately power to the hard drive is turned off which thus removes disc writers off the disc so they cannot be damaged. What is interesting is that while the drop takes place power remains on to the camcorder and recording video continues and is placed in a RAM buffer. Then once the camcorder recovers from the drop the buffer flushes what was recorded during the fall to the hard drive. 

Ease-of-Use
Contributing to ease-of-use is the swivel LCD screen that rotates 270 degrees which makes shooting from different angles possible. Up to 20 hours of continuous video shooting is possible with this HDD camcorder. So there are fewer interruptions than if you had to keep replacing other media like recordable DVDs. This camcorder’s 2.5-inch bright display makes reading the settings, controls and status very easy. And the touch-control panel makes functionality easy and intuitive. The “Handycam Docking Station” makes re-charging, connection to TVs for viewing or to PC computers for editing and sharing. The software included makes editing, composing and mixing video footage easy to wrap into a customized viewing experience that can be simply burned onto DVDs that can be used on any DVD player.

Accessories
Along with the versatile software package are many other important accessories and enhancements. These are the USB 2.0 interface as a way to connect to a PC computer and make fast transfers for external storage, archiving and backups. This HDD camcorder can also double as a storage device. Because of the 30GB internal hard drive you can upload any kind of data from one PC and transport it to another PC computer. “Easy PC Backup” is software that provides a convenient, fast way to back-up all your video footage. Slot for Memory-Stick Duo® memory stick media devices for saving and transferring. Included is the Handycam Docking Station. AC Adapter for charging. Also, this camcorder has DVDirect compatibility. The DVDirect system allows for easy transfer to a stand-alone DVD burner via USB 2.0. The VRD-VC30 allows for easy transfer of video for DVD Burning. Additionally, the optional VRD-MC3 allows for seamless transfer of both video and still images for archiving on a DVD.

Conclusion
True, the Sony DCR-SR42 HDD Camcorder is our #3 pick and is a feature packed camcorder. The 30GB hard drive delivers 20 hours of (LP) recording time, 7 hours of (HQ) and 10 hours of (SP) recording time. SteadyShot Image Stabilization delivers smooth video at higher vibration and shake frequencies. A 2.5-inch LCD widescreen touch-panel display presents intuitive and easy command and viewing. HDD Smart Protection and 3G Sensor technologies keep the hard drive safe in any normal shooting even when camcorder is dropped. The Handycam Docking Station and easy to use free software are significant. Super NightShot Plus infrared; on-screen zoom and record buttons; InfoLithium battery and AccuPower Meter and multi-language functions. These and many other meaningful video shooting enhancements encouraged us to include this HDD camcorder among the Top 5 HDD Camcorders as our #3 pick for 2008.
Buy Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder at Current Best Price Now!

Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder Main Features
1/6-Inch Hole Accumulation Diode
Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens
2.5-Inch LCD Widescreen Display
3G Sensor Safety
20-Hrs (LP) Video
7-Hrs (HQ) Video
10-Hrs (SP) Video
True-To-Life Color Saturation
NTSC color & EIA Standards

Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder Key Features!
SteadyShot Image Stabilization
Swivel 270 Degree LCD
30GB Internal Hard Drive
Optical Zooms 40x
Digital Zoom 2000x
One-Touch-Disc Burning
AccuPower Meter

Bonus Features of the Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder
Handycam Docking Station
Slot For Memory-Stick Duo® Media
USB 2.0 Interface Cable

Buy Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder at Current Best Price Now!
Sony DCR-SR42 HDD Camcorder- is our # 3 on the Top 5 list = Very Good Video + Strong Features

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