Sony HDR-XR500

An unreliable built-in GPS

The XR500 has an unusual gadget: a built-in GPS. This isn’t to guide you on foot or by car but to pinpoint your position and record where your videos were taken on a map, otherwise known as geotagging. It’s an original idea and will interest travellers who want to keep a trace – or even proof – of where they’ve been. The maps are from NAVTEQ and you can turn the mode on with a switch. Unfortunately however, I wasn’t able to benefit. Sure, Sony did warn me that some zones weren’t well covered, but the streets of Paris can't really be considered a no man’s land… Watch this space.

The XR500 is the new Rolls from Sony for filming in high definition. Its sensor has Exmor R CMOS technology that is supposed to improve sensitivity and the new G lens to give a better defined image. A marketing ploy or real technological advance?

The XR500 is a FullHD camcorder that records onto a hard disk in AVCHD format. With a capacity of 120 GB, you can store up to 14 hours and 30 minutes of video. If this isn’t enough, the HDR-XR520 gives double this (240 GB). These dizzying figures are relative however when put alongside the fact that the battery supplied only gives autonomy of 45 minutes and must be recharged on the camera (like with the Canon).

Handling

The XR500 is relatively heavy for its size. Part of the reason for this is the weight of the hard disk (the Canon HF S10 uses  light & flash memory) and the casing is quite wide (6.5 centimetres). You’ll need to carry it in a little bag.

All the same, the XR500 is very nice to use indeed. Firstly thanks to its large, high-quality LCD screen. At 8 centimetres and with a resolution of 921,000 pixels, it's a real pleasure to film with! Also, the screen is a touch screen and everything is controlled through it: settings, image controls, video playback. Opening and closing the screen turns the camcorder on and off. Remember that Sony has been supplying touch screen camcorders for a while and this has also been copied by Panasonic. Old school purists will note the increasingly rare viewfinder; of average quality however.

Image quality

This is where we look at the new technologies Sony has been boasting about. The Japanese manufacturer has come up with a new type of sensor called the Exmor R CMOS that is supposed to give higher sensitivity. The engineers have put the photosites on top of the sensor’s metallic plate so that they can get more light. Obvious really!

I checked it and it works. Filming in a dark corridor or in a badly-lit flat, the image stays sharp and visible and there isn’t too much noise. In 18 years of filming I have to say I have yet to experience such high sensitivity, exept on pro Sony models such as the PD150 or HVR-Z1, landmark machines in this domain. A success then! Given that most videos are filmed in churches and flats, or anywhere that's badly lit, this augurs well.

Sony also explains that it has included a new DAC (digital to analogue converter) directly on the sensor so as to minimise loss of information and reduce noise. Sony has also installed a new G lens and a new BIONZ imaging processor derived from the Alpha SLRs. According to the manufacturer, all these changes contribute to a better image. No doubt true but difficult to verify. One thing’s sure, the image is excellent although there is a cyan tinge to the colours. The stereo microphone picks up sound around the camera perfectly. There is also a mini-jack socket for plugging in an external microphone.

The XR500 also has a 12x optical zoom covering from 43 – 516 mm in 24x36. Here there's a bit of a mystery because the Sony has a wider field of vision than the Canon HF S10 though they both have the same 43 mm zoom in theory. Strange! When it comes to image stabilization, the XR500 is remarkable. It reacts to movement with veritable shock absorption thanks to the active mode that improves performance for fast movements. The image seems to float, smoothening any jerks of the wrist. Fantastic for filming on the move.

Menu and functions

Faced with the extent of the touch menu, beginners are likely to be intimidated at first. But you quickly get used to it. The icons are intuitive and the display quite sobre. It would take too long to run through all the menu parameters, but note that nothing is left to chance.

Like the Canon HF S10, the XR500 has a scroll for setting the focus or exposure manually. You’ll also find a 12 Megapixel photo mode, an automatic flash and Memory Stick reader (card not supplied). Connectivity measures up to what you’d expect on a 1500 euro camcorder. Audo/video outs, HDMI and USB as well as a microphone socket (very useful) and headphones. Remember that AVCHD is a highly compressible format and that your computer will need to be recent (1 year) to read and edit your videos without too much difficulty. We recommend Sony’s Vegas Pro 9 for editing.