| Brand: | Sony | ||
| Average Rating |
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The DCR-SR45 Handycam(R) camcorder is ready when you are, with a built-in 30GB Hard Disk Drive for storage and up to 20 hours of recording time (LP). A 2.7 Touch Panel LCD Monitor keeps all the controls at your fingertips, while a 40x Optical, 2000x Digital Zoom keeps all the action up close and personal. The DCR-SR45 brings simplicity back to video sharing. 1/8 Advanced HAD(TM) (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 680K effective pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video, up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution and still image performance. The optical zoom helps to bring the action close up from far away. In addition the Digital Zoom Interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms. The 2.7 LCD display rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles, as well as provides sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback. Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lenses are designed specifically for compact camcorders, and utilize precision ground optics to maintain the sharpness and contrast found with larger lenses. Aperture – F1.8 – 4.1 Filter Diameter – 30mm Focal Distance – 1.9 – 76mm Shutter Speed – Auto, 1/30 – 1/250 (Scene Selection Mode) Minimum Illumination – 6 lux (Auto Slow Shutter ON, 1/30 Shutter Speed) Video Signal System – NTSC color, EIA standards Format Supported – SD (MPEG2) White Balance – Auto, Outdoor, Indoor, and One-push (touch panel) Scene Modes – Auto, Twilight, Candle (movie only), Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks (movie only), Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Sports (movie only), Beach, and Snow Recording Media – 30GB Non-Removable Hard Disk Drive, Memory Stick(R) Duo Media, and Memory Stick(R) PRO Duo Media Dimensions – 3 x 3 1/8 x 4 1/2 (76.3×76.6×112.8mm) Weight – 14 ounces (400 gram) with Battery more info
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Order the extra battery
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Overall it is a good product. The battery life is not the greatest so you will want to purchase a bigger battery. The stabilization feature is wonderful. Takes pretty good pictures. Takes some getting used to if you are used to using the older, clunkier recorders.
Sony Handycarm DCR-SR45
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The good:
- 30GB HDD.
- Comapct.
- Can use Memory Stick flash cards alternatively.
- Image stabilization.
- Long zoom.
- Takes single photo shots.
- Touch screen viewfinder LCD.
The bad:
- Can’t use the more popular, cheaper, widely available SD flash cards.
- Single photo shots are TERRIBLE quality. Not even worth taking.
- Battery life with supplied battery is TERRIBLE.
- No recording flash/light.
- Cannot edit videos in Windows Movie Maker (you can probably find the video codec somewhere on the net, but after 10 minutes of searching I lost patience (if it’s even possible). Sony website offers no support for that. No one should have to waste hours of their time converting videos to some other format or finding some third or millionth party plug-ins to make this work. Incompetence on Sony’s part.
- Barely standard definition.
- DISCONTINUED MODEL as of early 2009 (maybe earlier).
Bottom line:
Don’t waste your money unless you need only basic video capabilities, with very basic quality format and decently compact package. This is a discontinued model, so beware. I wouldn’t pay more than $200 for a brand new, discontinued item like this either. I made a mistake buying this even at $300 with a discount, but I’m returning it after two months (thank you 90-day return policy, Target).
Beyond our expectations
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We are very pleased with the performance. I had used the earlier generation and am very pleased with the improvements made i.e. no more docking base, easier access for connections, and improved operations. Pictures are very clear, zoom works great, and optics work great even with limited light and fast motion conditions. We are very pleased!
Wonderful camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love the Sony DCR-SR45 30GB H.D. Handycam Camcorder that I purchased through Amazon.com
The picture is great and I love the ease of use. I reccomend this product highly. I have ordered many products through Amazon.com and have been extremely pleased with their service. I have found that they provide the lowest price around, even beating out stores like Wal-mart, K-mart and Target. Thank you Amazon.com!!
Great camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Really like this camcorder. Very easy to use. Too bad it has been discontinued. Great feature is the Nightshot Plus. Newer camcorders do not has this feature, bad move on Sony’s part.
Only down side is it takes an extreamly long time to download the video to a computer.
DCR-SR45 camcorded
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great camcorder. Easy to use with touch screen. the clearity of picture is fantastic, even at full zoom. A tripod should be used for this purpose. By using a svga adapter I am able to transfer execellent digital picture dirrectly to dvd via dvd recorder. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend and want quality video this is the camcorder for you. Would suggest you purchase an additional battery.
It’s a Sony
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is my first camcorder and I am very happy with the ease to use, compact size and quality.
Glad we got it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had been trying to figure out for awhile which, if any, HDD camcorders to get for my husband this past Christmas. This was perfect. It is a really nice size and weight. Will be easy for him to travel with – without taking up tons of space in the carry on – plus it can take still shots as well so he can skip the regular camera. Excellent image quality, easy to upload to computer or web, easy to use with clear directions, and the price was really reasonable compared to many others. Definite good choice.
night mode is not good
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This Cam is not good at night mode. I have taken this cam from Amezon.com and it was looking good, small and handy. but the resolution was not good as I expected and the night mode is worst and the people look like ghosts in this mode. first I thought it is the problem the piece and then I exchanged with another, but the problem remains the same.
OK, not much else
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This camcorder is a good camcorder in respect to size, but what it gains in smallness, it lacks in quality. Sony makes great camcorders, but the SR45 just doesn’t cut it. It’s highest quality video recording capability is 720×576 pixels, which is only 0.4 of a megapixel. The still photographs are even smaller – only VGA size. The 30GB hard drive is a plus, the “nightshot” infrared function is fun, and the Carl Zeiss lens and the 40x optical zoom are great, but the resolution cuts the product down to size. The recordings look good on the 2.7″ screen, but as soon as they get on something much bigger, they plummet in quality. Sony messed up on this camcorder. I recommend to only buy this camcorder if you really do not care about video quality. I recomment buying a slightly more expensive version, say the SR220 (which I believe is being discontinued, unfortunately). Remember, be careful when buying camcorders! Only buy one that you have done proper research on and you’re sure that it is perfect for your needs. I made the mistake of not doing that, and I found out quickly what a mistake it was. I’m returning the camcorder tomorrow.
Blurry video, no image stabilization, no focus.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera in a hurry without doing much research. What lured me into the purchase is that one can transfer mpeg video files straight from camera to PC via USB and not mess with firewire and minidv tapes. Also I was trusting “Sony” brand and thought that if it is Sony then the camera would perform reasonably well. Boy, was I disappointed!
After shooting few videos it became apparent that camera has no image stabilization and therefore has trouble focusing. Lack of image stabilization makes 40x zoom useless. All my indoor videos appeared blurry, washed-out and with dull greyish colors. I thought that may be I have low light problems, but when I took the camera outdoors the image did not improve, still blurry and out of focus. The only time I managed to get the image into focus is when I placed the camera on a steady surface and filmed the movie this way. I tried to turn off autofocus in the settings and play with manual focus, but you cannot set easily the distance – it starts from 0.1m goes to 1.2m ant then quickly jumps to infinity. I was not able to set 3-4m distance.
To be on the fair side, copying the files from camera to PC was very easy – I just plugged the camcorder into my PC via USB and copied the files. I did not need to install any supplied camera software to do that (which is a big plus since supplied camera software is usually not the best one). I gave this product two stars instead one star because of that.
Based on my experience I would not recommend this product since you can get many minidv camcorders much cheaper with much better video quality. Despite the loss of restocking fee I returned mine back to the store.
Good for the money, but went back anyway!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Like everyone else, I researched this to death. Read all the reviews, compared prices, compared models, compared brands, etc. I ended up purchasing the Sony DCR-SR46 (same as DCR-SR45 only with 60GB harddrive instead of 30GB). The camera itself is really nice. It fits well in my hand, controls are easy to use. I particularly like the touch screen. It was easy to figure out – I don’t like to read the instructions, and didn’t have to. This is a really nice camera for the money. Unfortunately, it did go back, and I ended up purchasing an HD camcorder. So here’s my two cents worth:
I have three kids who are into sports and music. I was recording their games and concerts with my Canon Powershot S3-IS. It takes nice video, but it’s not a video camera. So I decided to purchase a new one. (My JVC Mini-DV camcorder died on me, so I’m left with all those little tapes and nothing to play them on – come on JVC! talk about lost memories!) Anyway, I bought the Sony camcorder and took it to my daughter’s basketball game. It was very easy to use, figured it out right away – not a big learning curve. I took some still shots and a bunch of video. The zoom was really great, the battery seemed OK for my use. It gave me 115ish minutes at full charge. The display was clear. I really liked the camera and how it felt in my hands. The problem came when I got it home and plugged it into my TV. I have a Sony 46″ HDTV. The picture quality was very grainy. Video was shot on the highest quality setting (per previous reviews). I will say that it seems to perform better on close up video; the larger the image,the better the quality. But when I zoomed out to get the whole game, the girls were too small on the court and the quality went way down. Had it not been for her number, I would not have been able to point her out. I transferred the video and photos onto my computer thinking the quality would be better being a smaller screen. It was a little better, but not much. The photos were terrible, but that’s not a deal breaker for me. I have a good camera, so if I really want a good picture, I’ll use my camera (it would only be an added bonus to do dual duty). As far as the software, I can’t comment too much on that. I’m not that big into video editing. I did burn a DVD and it was no problem at all. And the DVD plays on my DVD player without any problems.
Bottom line: I can’t say it’s the worst camcorder I’ve ever seen (the reason for 3 stars instead of 1 or 2). Sony makes a lot of fine products, and I really wanted to like this one. We have a house full of Sony products and love them all, but the video quality just wasn’t great for me. I may have higher than normal expectations. I was going to wait for Sony to release the HDR-CX100/B, but by that time, basketball and wrestling season will be over and I’ll have missed out. So back it went and I purchased the Canon HG20.
Excellent Product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I gave this camera as a gift for Christmas. The person that received it has enjoyed it very much.
Great device (except for editing purposes)
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love everything about the camera except for one aspect. I cannot use my previous video editing software since the Sony MPEG output file does not include sound (Sony must have a unique format that encodes sound differently). As a result, I have only been able to use the software it has come with to edit the video. The Sony Software is easy to use but somewhat limited in features. Oh well, it forces me to spend less time editing which is probably better anyway. My next camera (when funds aren’t as tight) will likely have better lighting capability and software capability.
Really nice…. great picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Really great picture quality no hassle of changing disk or miniDV. Though there’s no remote but for the price it’s okay.