The Sony DCR-SR200, released March, 2007, is an upgrade of the Sony DCR-SR100 that gave Sony great reviews from its customers.  The DCR-SR200 has a 1/3 inch ClearVid CMOS sensor that replaces the 1/3 inch CCD sensor used by the older DCR-SR100.

The DCR-SR200 measures about 76mm x 78mm x 149mm, above average compared to the sizes of other camcorders in its category.  It weighs about 535g (battery included) making it heavier that the other earlier Sony models, such as the DCR-SR42, DCR-SR62 and the DCR-SR82, but it is lighter than the DCR-SR300.  The DCR-SR300 is also an upgrade from the DCR-SR100 approximately released the same year as the DCR-SR200 and features a more powerful 1/2.9 inch, 3 megapixel ClearVid CMOS imaging sensor.

The DCR-SR200 is a standard definition camcorder that records in MPEG-2 format (2.1 megapixels) to its large 40 GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD).  The large storage capacity of the DCR-SR200 holds its own over MiniDV, flash recording or the memory card recording capability of some camcorders.  As an option, you can also record thru its built-in memory card slot that caters to Sony’s Memory Stick Duo media.  Its huge storage space can hold up to 9 hours of High Quality setting videos, up to 14 hours of medium quality and as much as 28 hours of low quality videos.

Its imaging sensor performs excellently when recording videos, capturing vibrant and bright colors without any problems.  Clear, sharp and crisp images are effortless in bright to medium light conditions.  Shooting in low light conditions, however, can cause poor video quality with much noise.  The Night Mode function of the DCR-SR200 can offer a remedy in filming in environments with low light.  In this feature, you can produce good quality videos even in almost complete darkness.

One of its strongest features is its improved Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens that gives the DCR-SR200 a powerful 10x optical zoom and up to 80x of digital zoom capability.  Sony’s trademark Super SteadyShot Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) enables the camcorder to record videos with less image-shake problems.  Although, its upgraded sister, the DCR-SR300, features a more desirable Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) system, the DCR-SR200 still performs well in eliminating hand-shake and blurriness caused by shakes that are evident when shooting close-ups.  The DCR-SR200 is also equipped with a hot accessory shoe.

Like most camcorders, the DCR-SR200 also features still image capabilities.  In addition, like most camcorders, the still image quality is below par, compared to output of digital cameras.  The still features can be impressive at about 4 megapixels and will suffice for a few snaps for souvenirs and capturing still frames in Memory stick media.  This camcorder can also capture still images while simultaneously recording videos to its hard drive.  The disadvantage; the camcorder only allows a maximum of three still shots during a video recording unlike most Panasonic camcorders, like the Panasonic SDR-H18, that enables you to snap an unlimited number of still videos while recording.

The DCR-SR200 also has a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel audio recording for a surround sound experience.  This camcorder shares the same disadvantage with its sisters like the DCR-SR300.  They lack mini plug mic inputs; that limits audio versatility for the device.  Both camcorders also lack analog inputs or 2-way USB data flow.

The DCR-SR200 batteries are impressive, lasting for about 8hrs of extensive recording capabilities.  This feature bests the better (in terms of features) DCR-SR300 that has a battery capable of lasting only 5 hours.  The battery compartment design is less than impressive, though, with part of the battery protruding from the back of the camcorder.  Although it doesn’t affect the camcorder’s performance, this design definitely affects the camcorder’s aesthetic negatively.

The DCR-SR200 has a 2.7 inch LCD screen and has about 211K pixels that shows good performance and display capabilities.  Its touch screen panel proves to be a plus when navigating and selecting modes and settings for this camcorder.

Another primary advantage of the DCR-SR200 is its ease of use – where Sony excels in most of its camcorders.  Menus are easy to navigate and appear accordingly.

Other features include Special Effects when taking videos (Sepia, Pastel, Monotone and Old Movie), Digital Scene Transition (Black Fader, White Fader) and White Balance (Presets – Indoor and Outdoor – and Automatic).  The DCR-SR200’s Shooting Programs, available in its menu, which include the following settings: Snow, Beach, Candle, Sunset, Sunrise, Fireworks, Landscapes, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports lesson, Twilight mode.  That’s all for manual versatility and control for the DCR-SR200.  Although this camcorder has good video quality in auto mode, it offers little manual control and versatility that can accommodate the needs of video enthusiasts.  It has no separate adjustments to control shutter speed or aperture settings.  The lack of a hands-on option may disappoint users who are fond of making manual adjustments in the videos they take.

Its casing features the cool Smart Protection System that helps protect the camcorders internal moving and steady parts safe and away from harm from occasional rough treatment – very practical considering the camcorder has a 30GB internal hard drive as its main recording media.

One of its closest competitors in its category is the Canon Vixia HF200.  Although a little more expensive than the DCR-SR200 selling at about $550-$799, it offers a more extensive manual selection that can cater to most video enthusiasts.  It also boasts of a more vivid, clear and high quality videos at 3.9 megapixels.  This is a better choice for those users who wants a more hands-on touch on their camcorder video experience, while retaining excellent quality.

The auto modes of the DCR-SR200 prove to be its strongest asset.  They are intelligent, fast and effective modes to use with this camera.  This makes the DCR-SR200 ideal for home videos, backyard party coverage and other simple fast video taking applications.  This camcorder can easily cater to the needs of most users except the video enthusiast types.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Light/Flash : N/A / Yes
• Docking Station : Yes (Handycam Station®)