The Sony DCR-SR42 is Sony’s entry level Hard Disk Drive (HDD) camcorder released last March of 2007.  A 1/6 inch Advanced HAD CCD imaging sensor capable of recording videos in MPEG2 format powers this standard definition camcorder.  Like many Sony camcorders, the DCR-SR42 has three video quality settings with its high quality setting (recording at 9Mbps), medium quality (recording at 6Mbps) and low quality (recording at 3Mbps).

The camcorder’s main recording media is its 30GB hard disk drive.  Although this is smaller than the largest in the market, it can still accommodate a decent amount of videos.  The non-removable hard disk drive can store about 7 hours of high quality videos or about 11 hours of medium quality videos or almost 21 hours of low quality videos – although recording videos in less than the highest of quality is not advisable.  Its useful Variable Bit Rate feature enables the camcorder to record this huge amount of videos.  This capability enables the camcorder to adjust the bit rate in recording less complex footages therefore using lesser hard disk space.

Generally, hard disk based camcorders carry the advantage of bigger capacity in video recording than any other media.  One of the main disadvantages of this setup includes a bigger body (73mm x 72mm x 109mm) and a heavier overall weight (380 grams).  Take care of these camcorders, as you can’t easily place them in bags or pockets.  Small bumps might damage the internal hard disk drive, which will render the camcorder useless.

The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens mostly occupies the front of the camcorder with its 40x optical zoom capability.  The lens has an effective aperture range of f/1.8-f/4.1.  It also has a focal length of 1.9-76mm.  Also at the front of the camcorder, at the left side of the lens are the NightShot and the infrared remote sensor.  The built in microphone also sits at the front of the device, at the lower part of the façade.  The mic placement is ideal compared to the regular design of a top mounted mic that is susceptible in picking up noise, and fingers can easily obstruct the mic while shooting videos.  However, this internal mic is the only audio option for this camcorder.  There are no headphone jacks or accessory shoes for external mics.  The internal mic has only two settings in Low and Normal mode.

The camcorder features a 2.5-inch touch screen LCD display as its main record viewing and playback tool.  It doesn’t have a viewfinder as an alternative monitoring tool.  This may prove to be a challenge for users who are filming under direct sunlight or bright light as the LCD screen can be subject to glaring and ghosting under bright lights.  The LCD screen can extend up to 90 degrees from its body and can rotate up to 279 degrees.

The DCR-SR42 also has an Electronic Super Steady Shot image stabilizer with Digital Zoom of 2000x.  The Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is common to many entry-level camcorders but unfortunately doesn’t perform as well as Optical Image stabilization systems.  The DCR-SR42 can only reduce camera shake by 45%, compared to 80%+ featured by high-end camcorders.  The camcorder performs as expected from an entry-level camcorder.

Shutter speed range from 1/60sec – 1/4000sec.  Shooting Programs include Snow, Beach, Candle, Sunset, Sunrise, Fireworks, Landscape, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports Lesson and Twilight mode.  White Balance includes Presets (Indoor and Outdoor) and Automatic.

The Zoom toggle located at the top of the camcorder is smooth to operate and accurate.  The built-in memory slot is located at the left side of the camcorder and can cater to Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick Duo / PRO Duo.

Still picture capability for the DCR-SR42 is limited to capturing VGA-sized (640×480) images in either Fine or Normal mode only.  Many camcorders that can offer up to 3 megapixels resolution easily dwarf its 0.3 megapixel still photo resolution in still photos.

With a small imaging sensor, the camcorder’s overall video quality is below average, compared to other camcorders like the Canon DC 220.  It performs great in bright light conditions but drops to almost indistinct video quality in low light conditions.  Much noise and grain show in the video with poor sharpness performance.  The JVC GZ-MG155 also easily outperforms this camcorder in video clarity and brightness in images.

The DCR-SR42’s battery pack sits at the rear end of the camcorder, and it protrudes a little – like most of Sony’s camcorder design.  Because it doesn’t have a viewfinder, you can upgrade your camcorder’s battery pack to extend its recording capability without the worry of obstructing any function.  The packaged NP-FH40 battery pack can last up to 2 hours of extensive use.  This capability may fall short for an all day recording event with the 30GB hard disk drive.  You will need an upgrade or an extra battery pack to optimize your recording capability.

The DCR-SR42 is also equipped with Sony’s Drop Protection setting that protects your camcorder’s data in an event that the camcorder falls.  The Drop Protection capability of this camcorder automatically shuts down the camcorder’s power with any sudden jerky movement or sudden changes in G-force experienced when the camcorder falls.  This will help keep your data intact after such a tragic event.

For a comparison on the same camcorder category, you may want to check out JVC’s GZ-MG155, selling at about the same price range as the DCR-SR42 at $500-$650.  The GZ-MG155 boasts of enhanced video qualities, manual controls and connectivity options that are not present in the DCR-SR42.  The GZ-MG155 is the only HDD camcorder in this price range that offers a 1.07 megapixel imaging sensor with the DCR-SR42 only at about 0.68 megapixels.

Retailing at about $539-$579 the DCR-SR42 may prove to be a little expensive for what it brings to your camcorder experience.  You will be better off checking entry-level high definition camcorders from JVC and Canon, which sell at about the same price.  This camcorder doesn’t offer much of manual control for the video enthusiasts but its Auto mode is one of the best and smoothest among entry-level camcorders in the market.

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Technical Specifications

General

• Imaging Device : 1/6″ Advanced HAD™ CCD
• Pixel Gross : 680K
• Video Actual : 260K Pixels
• Still Actual : 340K Pixels
• Recording Media : 30GB⁵ Hard Disk Drive, Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media (sold separately)
• Recording and Playback Times : HQ: up to 7 hours, SP: up to 10 hours, LP: up to 20 hours