Join me, if you will, along the slow march toward the obsolescence of tape in video. We've definitely got a long road ahead of us, but it's fun to notice how much camcorders have changed already.
Though it's been on the market in various camcorders for a while now, the AVCHD format has been slow on the uptake in software for editing and playback. Ultimately, the easiest way to watch your HD video is still a direct connection to your HDTV, but there is a modest, and slowly growing, list of software out there if you like to watch on your computer or edit your footage.
For an AVCHD camcorder, this Sony Handycam HDR-CX6EK does produce very nice video, and will likely blow your socks off if you're used to a standard-definition camcorder. Be ready to pay for it, though, as the HDR-CX6EK retails for around £800.
Design
Sony's designers definitely made the most of the fact that the
HDR-CX6EK records its video to MemoryStick Pro Duo cards. The camcorder
is little more than a lens and LCD screen in terms of size, though
that's both a positive and negative thing.
Sure, you can fit the CX6EK into almost any bag, and even a large jacket pocket, but the ergonomics of the grip are a little off. It's certainly more comfortable to hold than Panasonic's SD-based HDC-SD1, but since there's no eye-level viewfinder, we held it higher than we would some camcorders, and at a slightly odd angle.
Also, since your hand basically covers the right side and top of the CX6EK, Sony was forced to put a handful of buttons on the left side, behind the LCD screen. That's never a very good move, since you can't readily see that spot when you're shooting, and if you do need to use one of those buttons while capturing video, you'll likely shake the camera horizontally while pressing it.
Of the buttons placed there, the backlight compensation button is probably the most worrisome, since it's highly likely you'll use it on the fly, while most of the others would be used before or after shooting.
As usual, the HDR-CX6EK's main interface is its LCD touchscreen. Even though the LCD is 69mm (2.7 inches) in size, it still felt a bit small as a touchscreen interface.
The main virtual buttons are big enough, but ancillary buttons, such as the OK button in the upper-left, or the X (cancel) button in the upper-right of some screens are rather tiny.
On more than one occasion, we accidentally hit one of the bigger buttons when trying to hit the tiny ones. Combine that with the fact that the touchscreen requires such an extensive tree of submenus, and the thrill of a touchscreen interface starts to wane pretty quickly. Still, some people say they like this kind of interface, so make sure you try it out in a store first to see if you like it before you buy.
Features
Following
a recent trend in camcorders, the CX6EK doesn't include a minijack
microphone input. If you want to add an accessory mic, you have to use
one of Sony's in the CX6EK's Active Interface Shoe -- aka proprietary
hot shoe -- which provides an interface and power for accessories.
You have two options to send video to your TV directly from the camcorder. You can either use a mini-to-full-size HDMI cable, or use the composite AV breakout cable included with the CX6EK. Given that they are rather rare right now, it would've been nice for Sony to include the special HDMI cable, as Canon does with the HG10.
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User reviews2
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bazookame 21 December 2007
Good: gobsmackingly clear, highly defined and true colour HD quality images, especially displayed on 1080i lcd
Bad: approx 1hrs worth of HD 1080 quality recording on an 8GB memory stick.... suits me ok but only because i record many short 3-5min movies at a time whilst on holiday. not much good for those who likes to document longer footage. memory cards still aren't cheap enough yet.
Comment: we haven't had any bad experience with the uncovered speakers - no unwanted wind noise considering i was using it on Eurodisney's rides. SUPER STEADYSHOT works really well, much better than the older models but obviously not as good as their professional range.
its amazingly to see the quality on a 1080 full HD lcd, what a jump forward from the days of using mini DV tapes!! if you are thinking of upgrading from mini DV's, then i would highly recommend it, not only for the quality of movies, but also for the ease of backup!!
Sony's AVCHD format works like a dream on Mac's IMOVIES software that comes standard. the beauty about Macs is that you DON'T need to install any unreliable third party software in order to download movies onto your Mac - plug in your SONY CX6 on the latest IMAC intel dual core machines and it zips your movies like any professional setup!! amazing how Macs Imac can allow you to edit and render full HD 1080 quality movies at real time and without any movie judder throughout!! outperforms any PCs with the most expensive software and setup.
BUT memory cards still not cheap, around £68 for 8Gb Sony Duo Pro genuine ones. i've not had much luck buying on ebay, looks real but when it comes to formatting the memory stick, the camcorder will say 'could not format, some images will not store properly'. wouldnt chance it again, would rather pay that few quid more from a reputable online stores like amazon etc.
in my humble opinion, if and when memory cards becomes cheap to buy, then i would say this camcorder is futurproof in terms of its technology.
jvanrijn 25 October 2007
Good: Build, easy of use
Bad: Sony aftercare
Comment: Nice camera but make sure you don't buy it from Sony-Style (www.sonystyle.co.uk). They are overpriced compared to sites like pix mania or amazon and their customer service is incredibly shoddy, infact it is non-existent, it is staffed by salesmen that will tell you what ever you want to hear in the hope that you will just leave them alone.
Sony-Style
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