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models compared on this page: Sony HDR-XR550V and Sony HDR-HC3

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Model

Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
Picture ?
Manufacturer Sony Information on Sony

Sony Information on Sony

Name HDR-XR550VHDR-HC3
European name ?HDR-XR550VEHDR-HC3E
US name ?HDR-XR550VHDRHC3
lowest US price 960 $911 $
On the market since March 2010 March 2006
Manufacturers URL link to Sonylink to Sony
Test preview

[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
slashCAM rating ?Good
Sufficient
test picture 1200 Lux
Test image 12 lux auto-mode
Video

[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
Video formats ? AVCHD
SD MPEG2
 MiniDV
HDV
Recording Medium Built-in hard disk
SDHC card
Memory Stick PRO Duo
MiniDV/HDV-Cassette
video resolutions EU ?AVCHD 1440 x 1080/50i
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i
SD MPEG2 720 x 576
HDV 1440 x 1080/50i
MiniDV 720 x 576/50i
video resolutions US ?AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i
AVCHD 1440 x 1080/60i
SD MPEG2 720 x 480
HDV 1440 x 1080/60i
MiniDV 720 x 480/60i
Max Bitrate ?24 Mbit/s25 Mbit/s
Compression format ? MPEG2
MPEG4
DV
MPEG2
on-board memory ?240 GB 
Optics
Optics Manufacturer ?Sony
Carl Zeiss
Optical Zoom ?10 x10 x
Wide Angle 16:9 ?29,8 mm41,3 mm
Filter diameter ?37 mm30 mm
Image Stabilization ?optically and electronically
electronical
ND Filter ?No
No
Exchangable optics ?No
No
Image Sensor
Number of sensors ?11
Size of image sensor ?1/2,9 inch1/3 inch
image sensor effective pixel count 16:9 ?4150000 Pixel 1434000 Pixel
Image Sensor Type ? CMOS
CMOS
Controls
White Balance ?auto
manual
presets
auto
manual
presets
WB-Shift
Focus ?auto
manual
auto
manual
Minimum shutter time ?1/10.0001/auto
Maximum shutter time ?1/6auto
Apperture control ?auto
manual
auto
AE-Shift
Infrared recording ? Yes
Expanded Focus ?  
Peaking ?  
Signal Processing
Zebra ?No
 Off
70%
100%
Histogram ?No
Yes
adjustable sharpness ? Yes
Adjustable color ? Yes
Cinegamma ? No
Black Strech ?No
No
Knee ?No
No
Colorbars ?No
Yes
Misc.
Shot Transition ?No
No
Custom Presets ? No
Set Time Code ?No
No
Configuration

Connections
[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
FBAS ?
synonymous: RCA, composite		 Out
Out
YC ?
synonymous: S-Video		About Special Equipment
No
YUV ?
synonymous: Component Signal		 Out
Out
HDMI ? Out
Out
DV / HDV (FireWire) ?
synonymous: ILink / IEEE-1394		- In
Out
USB ?USB 2.0
USB 2.0
Microphone / Audio input ?Mini-jack
No
Headphones ?3.5 mm mini-jack
No
Lanc ?No
Yes
Time-code interface ?No
No
Genlock ?No
No
Accessory shoe ? AI
AI
HD-SDI ?No
No
Misc.
Weight (without battery) 510 g500 g
Weight (with battery) 590 g600 g
Battery type Sony NP-FV50
Sony NP-FP60
Battery capacity  1000 mAh
Charger ?internal
internal
Remote control Yes
Yes
Size
Height 70 mm82 mm
Width 74 mm78 mm
Depth 143 mm139 mm
Relative Size ?78
Viewfinder
Viewfinder available ?Yes
Yes
Color Viewfinder ?Color
Color
Viewfinder format ?16:916:9
Viewfinder pixels ?201600 Pixel 123200 Pixel
Display
Display available ?Yes
Yes
Color display ?Color
Color
Display size 3,5 Inch2,7 Inch
Display format ?16:916:9
Display pixels ?921000 Pixel 211200 Pixel
Touch Screen ?Yes
Yes
External controls
Manual Zoom ?Rocker
Zoom ring multi-assigned
Rocker
Manual Focus ?Wheel
bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
Manual Aperture ?Wheel
bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
Focus switcher ?No
Yes
ND Filter ?No
No
Exp Lock ?No
No
Gain ?No
No
White balance ?No
No
Push AF ?No
No
Audio Levels ?No
No
Custom Keys ?
synonymous: User buttons		No
 
Audio

[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
Audio Formats ?AC-3 Dolby Digital 5.1 640 kbit max.
MiniDV: 2x48kHz 16bit PCM
MiniDV: 4x32kHz 12bit PCM
HDV: 2x48kHz 16bit MPEG 1
Microphone ?Stereo internal
Mini-jack external
Stereo internal
Audio Control ?auto
auto
Audio levels ? No
Still

[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
Recording Medium ?Memory Stick Duo
hard drive
SDHC card
Memory Stick Duo
Medium included ?No
No
Effective pixels ? 1991000 Pixel
Resolutions ?4000 x 3000 - Max
2304x1728
2304x1296
Standard ?JPEG Exif 2.2
JPEG Exif 2.2
Flash ?Yes
Yes
Misc.

[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
Specials GPS with geo-tagging functionality&"Smooth Slow Record" slow motion mode: 3 seconds are recorded with 200 half frames/sec., resulting in a 4-fold slow motion.However, the recording is without sound and in poorer image quality.
Product Shots

[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
View 1
View 2
Test results

Test pictures
[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
luminance resolution
 
chrominance resolution
 
lens distortion
 
test small ISO image
 
noise / internal microphone
 
test picture 1200 Lux
 
Test image 12 lux auto-mode ?
 
Test image 12 lux optimized ?
 
slashCAM rating
Lowlight ?Very goodSatisfactory
Resolution ?Very goodSufficient
Color performance ?GoodSufficient
subj.Picture impression ?Very goodSatisfactory
Optical Zoom ?SufficientSufficient
Wide Angle ? Excellent Sufficient
Configuration / image ?SatisfactorySatisfactory
Configuration / sound ?PoorPoor
Handling ?GoodSufficient
Portability ?Very goodVery good
Photo function ?SatisfactorySufficient
Optics ?GoodGood
Dynamics ?GoodGood
Conclusion slashCAM
slashCAM rating ?Good
Sufficient
Total score ?
(maximal 570)		390264
Pros + multi functional ring
+ focus and exposure control via touchscreen works well
+ good lowlight sensibility
+ wide angle
+ Display with high resoultion
HDMI out
+ Cheap price
Cons - image characteristics cannot be modified
- no focus or exposure assist
- bad color resolution
- DV-quality only average
- poorly equipped
Conclusion The wide angle (which shrinks a little with active image stabilization) as well as the low light performance is better than on all competing modells.But in terms of sharpness, manual control options and color reproduction the Sony is not quite on par with the class winners.The automatics work solidly in a Sony-typical way.Remarkably good is the high-resolving display, but a focus assist option is nevertheless missed when setting the focus manually.The Sony HDR-HC3 offers only average brightness resolution in HDV, the color resolution is beneath SD-level.Occasionally significant (colored) moirees can be seen on fine details.The subjective picture impression is barely good, in part thanks to the good dynamics behavior with little noise and few smear-effects.Color-wise the HC3 is pleasantly warm.The wide angle is very limited for indoors, but on the other hand there are only few lens errors.In low light situations the HC3 performs satisfactory.
More information

Reviews and Forums
[ top ]Sony HDR-XR550VSony HDR-HC3
slashCAM Review
HDR-HC3 Review
external reviews/tests  www.camcorder-test.com
Forum posts HDR-XR550VE and saving on external media
SonyHDR-XR550VE or Panasonic HDC-HS700?
SonyHDR-XR550VE or at Panasonic HDC-HS700
Off of the PC to the HDR-HC3E
Copy of HC3 on Hi8
Recording falters when SonyHDR-HC3E
Final Cut Express HD cut of SonyHDR-HC3E Mini DV material
Playsation3 and the HC3 ...
Buying NV-GS500 or SonyHDR HC3 and HC7?
How can I get my HC3 film intersect with my PC?
How can I get my HC3 film intersect with my PC?
SonyHDR-HC3E OR Panasonic NV-GS 300 EC?
SonyHDR-HC1 or SonyHDR-HC3e?
sony HC32E problem: overexposed recordings
SonyHDR-HC3E Viewfinder
Large Battery NP-FP90 is not akzpetiert of camcorder HDR-HC3E


Please consider that these data have been entered into this database by human beings.Also, the technical information provided by the manufacturers are at times contradictory, incomplete and sometimes even incorrect.Although we take great care checking all information, we can not gurantee for its correctness.Should you find this data to have some omission or error, please let us know! Mail:



update am 24.Mai 2012 - 06:23
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