Sony Handycam DCR-SR290E review

Performance
The DCR-SR290E uses a 3.2-megapixel CMOS sensor to capture its images, though like the vast majority of camcorders, it doesn't use the whole sensor at any given time. For video, it uses 2.28 megapixels in 16:9 mode or 1.71 megapixels in 4:3 mode. When capturing stills, it uses 3.04 megapixels in 4:3 mode or 2.28 megapixels in 16:9 mode.

To get to the 6.1-megapixel still images advertised on the backside of the LCD panel, the DCR-SR290E must interpolate the pixels actually captured by the sensor. You end up with still images with the requisite number of pixels, but you can't expect the sharpness you'd get from a real 6-megapixel image, such as one captured by a dedicated still camera.

However, images from the SR290E are a big step up from those that you'd get from its fewer-megapixel siblings. They're definitely usable for the Web or for email, and they can make decent small prints in a pinch.

Image quality
Image quality was good in some ways, but showed more compression artefacts than we'd like in video such as this. Overall, it wasn't quite what you'd get from an equivalent MiniDV camcorder.

Our footage was still plenty sharp when motion artefacts weren't obscuring details, and it had pleasing colour rendition, though occasionally the camera's automatic white balance ended up either slightly cool or warm. Focus isn't lightning-fast, but it's fast enough for most situations, especially in ample light.

In low light, focus slows down noticeably and becomes very sluggish in very dim lighting. However, given a few seconds, the SR290E does eventually focus, even in extremely low light. As usual, Sony's Super NightShot does an excellent job of capturing video in extremely low-light situations. While the resulting footage is still mostly monochrome, we prefer it to the almost unusable footage you get from some other manufacturers' night modes.

Conclusion
Given its modest array of controls, and its touchscreen design, the Sony Handycam DCR-SR290E seems best for casual shooters, who will mostly stick with the camcorder's Easy mode. If this describes you, and you think you'd prefer a hard-drive-based camcorder instead of a tape or mini-DVD-based one, then this model could be for you.

Of course, if you don't mind tape, then you could step up to a high-definition camcorder, such as Sony's Handycam HDR-HC7 or Canon's HV20 for nearly the same price as the DCR-SR290E.

Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday