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  • Introduction

  • Front

  • Back

  • Left

  • Right

  • Top

  • Bottom

  • In the Box

  • Color

  • Color Accuracy Performance

  • Color Modes

  • Low Light Color

  • Low Light Color Accuracy Performance

  • Noise

  • Low Light Sensitivity

  • Low Light Noise

  • Low Light Color

  • Low Light Color Accuracy Performance

  • Motion

  • Video Sharpness

  • Ease of Use

  • Auto Mode

  • Auto Controls

  • Handling

  • Portability

  • Battery Life

  • LCD

  • Stabilization

  • Miscellaneous Controls

  • Auto Controls

  • Audio Controls

  • Editing

  • Compression

  • Media

  • Still Features

  • Lens & Imaging System

  • LCD

  • Connectivity

  • Battery

  • Media

  • Still Features

  • Other Features

  • Panasonic HDC-TM90 Comparison

  • Sony Handycam HDR-CX150 Comparison

  • COMP 3

  • Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Introduction
  • Front
  • Back
  • Left
  • Right
  • Top
  • Bottom
  • In the Box
  • Color
  • Color Accuracy Performance
  • Color Modes
  • Low Light Color
  • Low Light Color Accuracy Performance
  • Noise
  • Low Light Sensitivity
  • Low Light Noise
  • Low Light Color
  • Low Light Color Accuracy Performance
  • Motion
  • Video Sharpness
  • Ease of Use
  • Auto Mode
  • Auto Controls
  • Handling
  • Portability
  • Battery Life
  • LCD
  • Stabilization
  • Miscellaneous Controls
  • Auto Controls
  • Audio Controls
  • Editing
  • Compression
  • Media
  • Still Features
  • Lens & Imaging System
  • LCD
  • Connectivity
  • Battery
  • Media
  • Still Features
  • Other Features
  • Panasonic HDC-TM90 Comparison
  • Sony Handycam HDR-CX150 Comparison
  • COMP 3
  • Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery

Introduction

Front

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Back

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Left

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Top

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Bottom

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In the Box

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The Sony HDR-CX160 comes with the following accessories:

  • NP-FV50 rechargeable battery pack
  • AC adapter with power cord
  • Component cable
  • AV cable
  • USB extender cable
  • Picture Motion Browser software disc
  • operating guide

Color

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The Sony HDR-CX160 wasn't able to capture colors with great accuracy, but the camcorder did produce deep, vivid colors that are pleasing to the eye (this, of course, is a matter of personal preference, though). In our test, the camcorder managed a color error of 4.93 and a saturation level of 92%. Like we said, this saturation level is great, but the color error could have been better (we like the number to be around three or so)—it's also a bit worse than last year's Sony HDR-CX150. More on how we test color.

Color Accuracy Performance

Color Error Map The map on the above is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video.

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 produced a color error of 4.93 and a saturation level of 92.00% in our bright light color testing.

Color Modes

Like most entry-level camcorders, the CX160 has no color modes or color adjustment settings. Even high-end Sony Handycams are lacking in this field, although the flagship models from the manufacturer do have white balance shift features that let you play with the color temperature of your image. Luckily, we liked the way the colors looked on the CX160's videos, so the lack of color modes isn't that big of a deal.

Auto

100% Crop

Looking at the comparison charts below, you can get a better idea how the Sony CX160 stacked up to the competition. The Canon HF R21 had more accurate colors, but its colors looked a bit more faded than what the Sony showed us. The Panasonic HDC-TM90, on the other hand, had a very good mix of vivid colors with good accuracy. The Sony CX150 captured colors in a very similar manner to the HDR-CX160, which isn't that surprising, considering the two camcorders are very similar.

{{comparison_bars title="Color Score Comparison", attribute="Color Score", xLabel="Color Score"}}

Low Light Color

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Color accuracy was not the HDR-CX160's strong suit in low light. The camcorder measured a color error of 5.92, which is statistically identical to the 5.91 color error we got in our test with the Sony HDR-CX150 last year. The CX160 had decent saturation levels in low light, measuring around 81.7%, but, again this doesn't represent much improvement over last year's CX150. More on how we test low light color.

Low Light Color Accuracy Performance

Color Error Map The map above is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video.

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 produced a color error of and a saturation level of in our bright light color testing.

Worried that the CX160's wide angle lens was negatively impacting our low light color test, we decided to perform our test using a minimal amount of zoom (enough so we could still frame our test chart properly). Performing the test in this manner did not improve the CX160's color accuracy results (in fact, they were a little worse), but the saturation level did improve to around 90%.

{{comparison_bars title="Low Light Color Score Comparison", attribute="Low Light Color Score", xLabel="Low Light Color Score"}}

Noise

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Noise results for the CX160 were similar to the camcorder's bright light color performance, by which we mean the results were decent, but not great for a camcorder of its class. The CX160 averaged 0.8% noise in this test, which is on par with what we got from the Canon HF R21, a bit better than the Panasonic TM90, but, surprisingly, a tad worse than the Sony HDR-CX150 showed us last year. More on how we test noise.

Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 100% Crop

The crops above show an interesting tale about the HDR-CX160's ability to capture a sharp video image. If you compare the cropped image to the crops from the competition, you'll see the CX160 recorded a sharper image than its predecessor (the CX150), but the Canon HF R21 and Panasonic HDC-TM90 beat out both Sony models. Don't get us wrong, the CX160's image is quite sharp for an entry-level model, but there is some significant discoloration noticeable in the vertical trumpet in our test image, and its overall sharpness wasn't at the same level as the best camcorders in the $500 price range.

{{comparison_bars title="Noise Score Comparison", attribute="Noise Score", xLabel="Noise Score"}}

Low Light Sensitivity

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Low light sensitivity was one area where the CX160 outperformed its predecessor. In our testing, the new Sony camcorder required 22 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor when we used optical zoom to frame our test chart. Without using any zoom, which allows the camcorder to use its widest aperture setting, the CX160 needed 13 lux to reach the same light levels. These scores are passable for an entry-level HD camcorder, and, like we said, they are better than last year's HDR-CX150. However, both the Canon HF R21 and the Panasonic HDC-TM90 put up superior numbers in this test compared to the CX160. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

We should also note that our low light sensitivity tests are performed with auto slow shutter features or any low light modes disengaged. The Sony HDR-CX160 has a few options for boosting low light performance, but, in general, these features inhibit performance in other areas (slow shutters will blur motion, other low light modes may increase noise, etc.). To keep an even playing field, our low light tests are performed without these enhancements—to give you an idea of the camcorder's pure low light capabilities.

{{comparison_bars title="Low Light Sensitivity Comparison", attribute="Low Light Sensitivity Score", xLabel="Low Light Sensitivity Score"}}

Low Light Noise

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The CX160 did a better job in low light noise than the camcorder did in our low light color test. In low light, the camcorder averaged 1.28% noise, which isn't bad for an entry-level model. This is less noise than we saw on the Canon R21, roughly the same amount of noise as the TM90, and a bit less noise than the CX150. Like we did for the color test, we also ran the CX160's noise test both with and without zoom—but we saw no difference in noise levels with the two tests. More on how we test low light noise.

Looking at the crops above, it is our opinion that the Sony CX160 was a notch below the Canon HF R21 and Panasonic TM90 in low light performance. None of these camcorders were amazing in low light, but all of them were good for their price range. In the CX160's crops, you'll notice some discoloration in parts of the test image. The cropped image is decently sharp, but not quite as sharp as the Panasonic TM90's image. The good news is you can see a slight improvement from the Sony CX160 compared to last year's CX150.

{{comparison_bars title="Low Light Noise Score Comparison", attribute="Low Light Noise Score", xLabel="Low Light Noise Score"}}

Low Light Color

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Color accuracy was not the HDR-CX160's strong suit in low light. The camcorder measured a color error of 5.92, which is statistically identical to the 5.91 color error we got in our test with the Sony HDR-CX150 last year. The CX160 had decent saturation levels in low light, measuring around 81.7%, but, again this doesn't represent much improvement over last year's CX150. More on how we test low light color.

Low Light Color Accuracy Performance

Color Error Map The map on the left is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video.

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 produced a color error of and a saturation level of in our bright light color testing.

Worried that the CX160's wide angle lens was negatively impacting our low light color test, we decided to perform our test using a minimal amount of zoom (enough so we could still frame our test chart properly). Performing the test in this manner did not improve the CX160's color accuracy results (in fact, they were a little worse), but the saturation level did improve to around 90%.

{{comparison_bars title="Low Light Color Score Comparison", attribute="Low Light Color Score", xLabel="Low Light Color Score"}}

Motion

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Thanks to its 60p record mode, the Sony CX160 came out ahead of last year's CX150 in our motion test. The new mode was able to lower the amount of artifacting and produce less interference than the regular 60i mode, which was the only recording frame rate option on the CX150. The other models we compared the CX160 to also have extra frame rate options in addition to 60i recording. The Canon HF R21 has its PF24 and PF30 frame rates (neither of which are native, like the 60p mode on the CX160), and the Panasonic TM90 has its 1080/60p mode that appears to be very similar, if not identical, to the mode on the Sony CX160.

Our point is this—1080/60p modes are very popular amongst video enthusiasts right now, and rightly so. They produce smoother, sharper video, and allow camcorders to record at a higher bitrate (usually lowering the presence of artifacting in the process). The HDR-CX160's 60p mode wasn't as fantastic as the one on the Panasonic TM90, and we're not exactly sure why this is, but it still gave the camcorder a bit of a boost in our motion test compared to its results when we used the 60i mode. More on how we test motion.

Video Sharpness

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We measured the sharpness on the CX160 as being 650 lw/ph horizontally and 600 lw/ph vertically. This works out to being the same overall sharpness score as last year's HDR-CX150, which is disappointing because we always like the newer generation to be better than the last. The Panasonic HDC-TM90 and its 1080/60p record mode did an incredible job in this test—and it blew the other camcorders in this comparison group out of the water. The CX160 has a 1080/60p record mode as well, but we found it didn't improve sharpness all that much. In fact, the sharpness numbers we listed previously for the CX160 were taken using the camcorder's 60p mode. Shooting with the 60i frame rate resulted in a slightly less sharp image (650 lw/ph horizontal, 500 lw/ph vertical). More on how we test video sharpness.

{{comparison_bars title="Video Sharpness Score Comparison", attribute="Video Sharpness Score", xLabel="Video Sharpness Score"}}

Ease of Use

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We'd like to say the Sony HDR-CX160 is a simple camcorder, but we're bothered by the fact that Sony didn't do a better job putting the camcorder's dedicated auto mode front and center. Other than this frustrating issue, the camcorder has a very intuitive setup and the touchscreen interface isn't that bad to use with the 3-inch LCD. Pressing the menu button first brings you to a screen with six icons, each of which represent a separate menu. Most of these icons bring you to submenus with few options, but he Camaera/Mic submenu and the Setup submenu are both loaded with settings. These submenus themselves are then divided by "chapters" that you can jump between by pressing on the small icons located to the left of the menu options.

Auto Mode is confusingly called Dual Shot mode

Navigating the menu system isn't too difficult, and Sony decided not to include the swiping system of menu navigation that it had on some previous Handycams. This leaves the method of navigation in the hands of two small arrow buttons (up and down), which should be simple for anyone to figure out (you can also jump between chapters, like we described previously). The menus are easy to read and the features on the Sony CX160 are all user-friendly for the most part. The spot focus and spot exposure options, for example, are far less complicated than most manual control systems. Of course, the CX160 does lack extensive manual controls, so it is not a good camcorder for anyone who likes to manipulate their footage as much as possible. This keeps the camcorder simple and makes it more suited for beginners or intermediate camcorder users than pros or enthusiasts.

The first menu screen shows various submenus divided into groups.

The manual controls are all found in the Camera/Mic settings menu.

Auto Mode

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Remember the good old days when Sony had a big, simple-to-find auto mode button called the "Easy" button. Sony eliminated the Easy button a few years ago, and the HDR-CX160 has the microscopic, blink-and-you'll-miss-it, iAuto touchscreen button in its stead. Honestly, it was the difficulty in finding the iAuto button that we're most upset about, as the mode itself functions reasonably well. This wouldn't be as big of an issue on a higher-end model where the dedicated auto mode is less of a definitive feature, but for an entry-level camcorder like the CX160, the auto mode should be front-and-center.

The actual location of the iAuto mode button is the lower right corner of the LCD, but the camcorder's default setting has this button disappear after a couple of seconds. The button does reappear when you tap the LCD screen, but, after a few seconds of inactivity, it vanishes once more. You can change this display option in the camcorder's menu, but it is unlikely that a beginner will be able to figure that out with ease.

The iAuto mode button is difficult to find, but when you do find it the option for turning on the mode looks like this.

Auto Controls

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Strangely, the iAuto mode on the HDR-CX160 does not lock you out from adjusting menu options like many dedicated auto modes do on other camcorders. Instead, if you choose certain settings a dialog box pops up onscreen saying "turn off intelligent auto", which the camcorder then does automatically. The iAuto mode will automatically select a scene mode for the camcorder to use, but if you wan to select your own scene mode you have the following options: Twilight, Sunrise/Sunset, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, and Snow. If you're recording people, you'll notice the CX160 has a built-in face detection feature (with face priority options that you can customize).

You can, of course, use the camcorder's auto controls outside of the iAuto mode as well (the iAuto mode is simply a fully-automated mode). If you turn iAuto off, you are free to change certain controls to manual, while leaving others automated (you could just use manual focus, for example). The auto exposure system on the CX160 was very good, and it worked quickly and smoothly even when we switched from very light to very dark scenes. Autofocus didn't work quite as well as we've seen on other Sony camcorders, and that may have something to do with the CX160's very long zoom lens. For example, we found the focus worked quickly when we used very little zoom, but constant zooming, particularly in the long end of the spectrum, proved difficult for the CX160's autofocus system.

Handling

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The HDR-CX160 is a well-equipped, durable, and stylish entry-level camcorder, but it also has a number of issues in terms of how well it handles. One of our biggest complaints is the rigidity of the CX160's hand strap, which is not nearly as plush or comfortable as the straps on Sony's higher-end Handycams. Of course, last year's HDR-CX150 didn't have the best strap either, but at least its strap didn't feel hard to the touch. The CX160 has this problem due to the hard-plastic enclosure inside the hand strap that is used to store the tip of the built-in USB cable. The Sony HDR-CX700V had a similar problem.

In addition to the uncomfortable strap, the shape and thickness of the CX160 don't allow you to get a very good grip on the camcorder. It wasn't awful, but we found our fingers slipping after prolonged shooting with the camcorder and we were looking for a groove or contour where we could rest our fingertips. On a positive note, the weight and balance of the CX160 felt rather good, so it wasn't too difficult to keep the camcorder steady (despite the poor grip and strap).

Using the touchscreen on the HDR-CX160 wasn't all that bad, especially considering the increase in screen size over last year's CX150. This extra space garnered from the 3-inch screen makes menus easier to navigate, controls easier to adjust—heck, it helps with just about everything. The speed of the CX160's processor was also decent. You won't find this camcorder slogging away with terribly slow controls or response time like we've seen on cheaper entry-level models (we're thinking specifically of the JVC GZ-HM450 and the Samsung HMX-H300).

These dedicated buttons give you quick access to aperture and shutter speed controls.

Portability

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The Sony HDR-CX160 weighs almost exactly 300g (10.6 oz.) with its supplied battery attached. This is a bit heavier than last year's HDR-CX150—by 40g (or 1.5 oz.)—and the CX160 is also around 10mm longer than its predecessor. Here's the HDR-CX160's overall dimensions for comparison's sake: 52.5 x 57 x 123.5mm (2.1 x 2.25 x 4.9 inches). We assume the CX160's extra weight and size stems from the camcorder's large lens, large LCD, and the addition of the built-in USB cable.

Compared to other 2011 models, the CX160 has an average size and weight for an entry-level camcorder. The Canon HF R21 has a nearly identical weight (310g), but is a bit taller and thicker than the CX160. The Panasonic TM90 is the heaviest model in this set, weighing 435g (nearly a pound), but having similar size proportions to the Canon and Sony.

Battery Life

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Sony has been doing an astounding job in our battery life tests this year, and the HDR-CX160 continued with that trend wholeheartedly. The camcorder managed to continuously record for 165 minutes (2 hours, 45 minutes) in our battery life test with its provided battery. This is an amazing performance for two reasons—it is roughly twice the amount of time the battery lasted on the Canon HF R21, and it is 40 minutes longer than the (still good) battery life we got from last year's Sony HDR-CX150. More on how we test battery life.

The Sony CX160 ships with an NP-FV50 battery pack, which fits into the battery compartment at the back of the camcorder. If you want to upgrade to a larger battery pack (for even longer performance), Sony has two options: the NP-FV70 and the NP-FV110. The downside to having a larger battery is that they make the camcorder significantly heavier.

{{comparison_bars title="Battery Life Comparison", attribute="Battery Life Score", xLabel="minutes"}}

LCD

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We're happy to see Sony increased the LCD size to 3 inches on the HDR-CX160. This may sound like a tiny increase compared to last year's 2.7-inch screen on the CX150, but this extra space is very helpful. The increased size makes the touchscreen easier to use and the menus easier to read, not to mention it also helps during recording by providing a larger preview while you shoot. The screen has a decent 230,000-pixel resolution, which is better than some entry-level camcorders, but is not nearly on the same level as most high-end models (some of which have resolutions exceeding 1,000,000 pixels).

The CX160, like most camcorders in its price range, has no viewfinder. This means all your framing and recording must be done using the flip-out, rotatable LCD. There are a number of settings for adjusting brightness on the LCD, which is definitely a necessity if you're using the camcorder in very bright environments. While we do miss not having a viewfinder, we understand why they have begun to fade from consumer camcorders, and the LCD on the CX160 is quite good for a camcorder of its class.

Stabilization

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For a camcorder in the sub-$500 price range, the Sony CX160 did a very good job in our stabilization test. For starters, the camcorder is equipped with an optical image stabilization system (called Optical SteadyShot), which is better than a digital or electronic system because it doesn't result in any image degradation. The CX160 also has an Active stabilization mode that may use some combination of optical and electronic stabilization. We ran both stabilization systems during our test and both worked well. More on how we test stabilization.

The regular image stabilization mode on the CX160 was able to reduce the shake by 23% in our low shake test. In our high shake test, this stabilization mode reduced up to 40% of the shake. Strangely, the Active stabilization mode produced the opposite results, reducing 41% of the shake in our low shake test and just 16% in the high shake test. We don't know why this discrepancy occurred, but it seems as if the Active mode on the CX160 really isn't much better than the regular mode if you're in a high-shake shooting situation.

Despite these odd results, the fact that the CX160's overall stabilization performance was very good should not be forgotten. The HDR-CX160 did better in our stabilization test than the Canon HF R21 (which has a digital stabilization system) and last year's HDR-CX150. Only the Panasonic TM90 did better out of the camcorders in this comparison group.

Miscellaneous Controls

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x.v. Color

This mode enables the camcorder to record video using an expanded color gamut (the xvYCC color gamut, to be exact). Unfortunately, you need a compatible television to notice a difference when viewing your clips, and only new, high-end HDTVs feature xvYCC compatibility.

Tele Macro

This setting allows the camcorder to focus properly on extreme closeups. When you turn tele macro on, the camcorder automatically zooms in (using the full advanced zoom) so you can get your closeup. If you zoom out at all, the tele macro setting automatically turns off.

Conversion Lens

Use this setting to optimize the CX160 when shooting with a wide angle or tele conversion lens. The conversion lens setting will optimize the focus and stabilization systems on the CX160 so they work well with the attached conversion lens.

Guide Frame

This feature adds a 9-sector grid to the LCD to assist you with framing your recording. The lines don't end up in the final footage since they are just for framing purposes.

Low Lux Mode

Sony eliminated its auto slow shutter option on its Handycams, but replaced it with the Low Lux feature. The difference, however, is that Low Lux offers both a boost in gain, and the ability to use a 1/30 of a second shutter speed in low light conditions. The slow shutter automatically kicks in when the light levels are sufficiently low, but we wish this feature was separate from the gain boost.

Auto Controls

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Strangely, the iAuto mode on the HDR-CX160 does not lock you out from adjusting menu options like many dedicated auto modes do on other camcorders. Instead, if you choose certain settings a dialog box pops up onscreen saying "turn off intelligent auto", which the camcorder then does automatically. The iAuto mode will automatically select a scene mode for the camcorder to use, but if you wan to select your own scene mode you have the following options: Twilight, Sunrise/Sunset, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, and Snow. If you're recording people, you'll notice the CX160 has a built-in face detection feature (with face priority options that you can customize).

You can, of course, use the camcorder's auto controls outside of the iAuto mode as well (the iAuto mode is simply a fully-automated mode). If you turn iAuto off, you are free to change certain controls to manual, while leaving others automated (you could just use manual focus, for example). The auto exposure system on the CX160 was very good, and it worked quickly and smoothly even when we switched from very light to very dark scenes. Autofocus didn't work quite as well as we've seen on other Sony camcorders, and that may have something to do with the CX160's very long zoom lens. For example, we found the focus worked quickly when we used very little zoom, but constant zooming, particularly in the long end of the spectrum, proved difficult for the CX160's autofocus system.

Audio Controls

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We were surprised and delighted to see a 3.5mm external mic jack on the Sony HDR-CX160. It is rare to find mic jacks on consumer camcorders these days, especially entry-level models, but it appears Sony took a line out of Canon's playbook and decided having a mic jack is important (the Panasonic TM90 also has a mic jack). The CX160 doesn't have a headphone jack, though, which is a bit disappointing, but the presence of the mic jack is still special.

Other audio features include the built-in stereo microphone on the front of the camcorder, just below the lens. This mic is equipped with a zoom mic setting that focuses the audio recording on subjects the lens is "zoomed" in on. You can also switch the built-in microphone's recording level from normal to low, or turn on a wind noise reduction feature if you're shooting in a windy environment.

Editing

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The camcorder ships with Picture Motion Browser (PMB) version 5.5, which is a Windows-only software. Sony has been including a version of PMB with its Handycam camcorders for a long time, and this is the same version of the software that comes with the rest of Sony's 2011 Handycam lineup (including the HDR-CX700V, which we reviewed earlier this year). The software's most helpful feature is its ability to import AVCHD clips from the camcorder to your computer (including 60p clips). For an overview of the software that ships with this and other camcorders, see our article: Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder{{product.brand.name}}-Included-Software.htm.

If using software to work with your video clips is too much, then you can always use the basic editing tools right on the CX160 itself. In the Edit/Copy menu you'll find options for copying, deleting, or protecting your clips. During playback of a specific video you can also divide the clip or capture a still image from the video. These editing features aren't extensive, but they can be useful if you're in a pinch.

Compression

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Just like most consumer camcorders, the HDR-CX160 uses the AVCHD compression system to record HD video. Because the CX160 has a 1080/60p record mode, Sony makes it clear that this mode is compliant with the new AVCHD 2.0 specifications. This means both the 1080/60i and 1080/60p modes use the same compression system. The problem, however, is that most editing programs aren't designed to handle the new AVCHD specifications. We found many editing programs simply refused to work when we tried to import any 60p clips from the CX160 (we saw this on all Sony Handycams with 60p record modes). Not only did programs refuse to import these clips, but some software would immediately crash whenever we connected a camcorder or memory card that had 60p clips shot with the CX160 on them. This is a terrible annoyance that should be remedied once editing software manufacturers release proper updates compatible with the new AVCHD specifications.

In addition to the various HD record modes on the camcorder, the CX160 is also equipped with a standard definition record setting. Shooting in SD allows you to choose between using a 16:9 aspect and a 4:3 aspect ratio, while all HD record modes on the camcorder use 16:9 aspect ratios. The table below has more information about all of the record modes found on the CX160. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

Media

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The HDR-CX160 has 16GB of internal flash memory and a hybrid memory card slot on the bottom of the camcorder. By "hybrid" card slot we mean a slot that works with both Sony's Memory Stick PRO Duo cards and any type of SD memory card (including SDHC and SDXC).

Sony didn't always allow the use of SD cards on its camcorders, but the company changed its ways over the past couple of years—and we're very happy about it. SD cards are much easier to find in stores and can be used in conjunction with far more products than the Sony-proprietary Memory Sticks. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Still Features

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Sony boasts the CX160 offers a 3.3-megapixel still image capability, which isn't nearly as high a pixel count as you'd get on even a cheap digital camera, but it's not bad for an entry-level camcorder. We're also impressed that Sony didn't try to go crazy with still image interpolation by offering a megapixel option that greatly exceeds the sensor's effective pixel count (Sony does this a lot on its high-end camcorders). No, the CX160's 3.3-megapixel still image option actually makes use of 3.3 megapixels when it takes photos, so it is what we call a native resolution. Other resolutions on the camcorder are all smaller (which makes them all native as well): 2.5 megapixels (a 16:9 image), 1.9 megapixels, and 0.3 megapixels (VGA).

In addition to those four image modes, you can also capture a 3-megapixel image while you are recording video. To make capturing still images during recording even easier, Sony has equipped the CX160 with a smile shutter system that will automatically take a snapshot whenever a smiling face is detected within the frame. You can even set the sensitivity for which the camcorder will "detect" smiles—everything from a small smirk to a gigantic grin, but written out as low, medium, and high sensitivity. You can also turn this feature off, of course, which is probably how you'll want to keep it most of the time.

Lens & Imaging System

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The HDR-CX160 has a 1/4-inch CMOS sensor, which is typical for a camcorder in this price range. It is a bit larger than the 1/4.85-inch sensor on the Canon HF R21, while the even cheaper JVC GZ-HM450 camcorder features a smaller 1/5.8-inch CMOS sensor. But sensor size and technology is just one component of a digital camcorder, and the Sony CX160's bit zoom lens is one of the camcorder's other strong selling points. The lens has a 30x optical zoom capability, but the zoom is always used in conjunction with the camcorder's 42x extended zoom setting. So, for all intents and purposes, the CX160 has a 42x zoom. The lens has an automatic cover that retracts when the camcorder is powered on, and the wide recording angle of the lens was an impressive 64 degrees. This is quite a bit wider than the angle last year's Sony CX150 recorded at, as well as being a great deal wider than the Canon HF R21's lens.

LCD

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We're happy to see Sony increased the LCD size to 3 inches on the HDR-CX160. This may sound like a tiny increase compared to last year's 2.7-inch screen on the CX150, but this extra space is very helpful. The increased size makes the touchscreen easier to use and the menus easier to read, not to mention it also helps during recording by providing a larger preview while you shoot. The screen has a decent 230,000-pixel resolution, which is better than some entry-level camcorders, but is not nearly on the same level as most high-end models (some of which have resolutions exceeding 1,000,000 pixels).

The CX160, like most camcorders in its price range, has no viewfinder. This means all your framing and recording must be done using the flip-out, rotatable LCD. There are a number of settings for adjusting brightness on the LCD, which is definitely a necessity if you're using the camcorder in very bright environments. While we do miss not having a viewfinder, we understand why they have begun to fade from consumer camcorders, and the LCD on the CX160 is quite good for a camcorder of its class.

Connectivity

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The most unique connectivity feature on the CX160 is the built-in USB cable on the right side of the camcorder. Sony has been incorporating this feature on a few Handycams this year, and, while we like the convenience of having a built-in cable, we did find it made the hand strap on the CX160 a bit uncomfortable. The tip of the USB cable can tuck into the side of the strap for storage purposes, and it is that exact feature that makes the strap less flexible and comfortable. Since this built-in cable is very short, Sony does ship an extender cable that increases the length of the USB cord so you can easily connect it to a computer. The camcorder does not, however, come with a regular, double-ended USB cable meant to fit in the camcorders USB port (inside the LCD cavity). One more thing we should note—this built-in USB cable does carry a power charge, so it can be used to charge the CX160 in lieu of using the DC-input (you just need to connect it to a powered USB port).

Just above the built-in USB cable is a small door that flips open to reveal two ports: the DC-input and the multi-AV port. The multii-AV port is a Sony-proprietary port that can fit a variety of different cables ranging from S-Video to wired remote cables (all of which are available through Sony's website). The camcorder comes with two cables that work here: the regular AV cable (with the red, white, and yellow connectors) and the Component cable (with red, blue, green, white, and a second red connector).

Inside the LCD cavity you'll find three more ports behind a thin door that opens to the left. Located here, in a column, are the mic jack, HDMI terminal, and USB port. The presence of this USB port means the CX160 has two USB connections (the built-in USB cable being the other). The HDMI terminal is the ideal port for outputting video to an HDTV, but the camcorder does not come with an HDMI cable (if you purchase one separately, make sure it is a mini-HDMI to regular HDMI cable). We spoke fondly of the 3.5mm mic jack in the audio section higher up on this page, and our only disappointment is that the camcorder lacks a headphone jack as well.

In addition to all these ports, the CX160 also features a memory card slot that will fit Memory Stick PRO Duo or SD-type memory cards. This card slot is located on the bottom of the camcorder.

Battery

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The Sony CX160 ships with an NP-FV50 battery pack, which fits into the battery compartment at the back of the camcorder. If you want to upgrade to a larger battery pack (for even longer performance), Sony has two options: the NP-FV70 and the NP-FV110. The downside to having a larger battery is that they make the camcorder significantly heavier. Find out how the product:model/product:model performed in our battery life test.

Media

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The HDR-CX160 has 16GB of internal flash memory and a hybrid memory card slot on the bottom of the camcorder. By "hybrid" card slot we mean a slot that works with both Sony's Memory Stick PRO Duo cards and any type of SD memory card (including SDHC and SDXC).

Sony didn't always allow the use of SD cards on its camcorders, but the company changed its ways over the past couple of years—and we're very happy about it. SD cards are much easier to find in stores and can be used in conjunction with far more products than the Sony-proprietary Memory Sticks. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Still Features

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Sony boasts the CX160 offers a 3.3-megapixel still image capability, which isn't nearly as high a pixel count as you'd get on even a cheap digital camera, but it's not bad for an entry-level camcorder. We're also impressed that Sony didn't try to go crazy with still image interpolation by offering a megapixel option that greatly exceeds the sensor's effective pixel count (Sony does this a lot on its high-end camcorders). No, the CX160's 3.3-megapixel still image option actually makes use of 3.3 megapixels when it takes photos, so it is what we call a native resolution. Other resolutions on the camcorder are all smaller (which makes them all native as well): 2.5 megapixels (a 16:9 image), 1.9 megapixels, and 0.3 megapixels (VGA).

In addition to those four image modes, you can also capture a 3-megapixel image while you are recording video. To make capturing still images during recording even easier, Sony has equipped the CX160 with a smile shutter system that will automatically take a snapshot whenever a smiling face is detected within the frame. You can even set the sensitivity for which the camcorder will "detect" smiles—everything from a small smirk to a gigantic grin, but written out as low, medium, and high sensitivity. You can also turn this feature off, of course, which is probably how you'll want to keep it most of the time.

Other Features

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Smooth Slow Record

Smooth Slow Record is a basic slow motion mode that records video at a 240fps frame rate. This allows you to record 3 seconds of footage and have it stretched into 12 seconds of slow motion content. The video quality isn't fantastic, but it's not bad for a slow motion mode, and it's great if you're using it to analyze something and image quality isn't your first concern. In the options menu for Smooth Slow Record (you access this via the small icon in the lower right corner), you can set the recording to begin three seconds before or three seconds after you press the record button. This makes it easier to capture the unexpected motion or images you're looking for.

Golf Shot

Golf Shot is, you guessed it, a feature specifically designed to record your golf swing for personal analysis. The thing is, Sony also says the Smooth Slow Record feature is good for analyzing golf swings (if you need further proof, just look at the control icon in Smooth Slow Record mode—it's an image of a golfer). Anyway, the difference with Golf Shot is that it captures individual still images and stitches them together side-by-side into one video clip. This allows you to see the image of your golf swing as frame-by-frame images rather than a slow-motion video clip.

Fader

Most camcorders let you add fades to the beginning or end of your video clips. Sony kicks things up a notch on the CX160 by offering two differently colored fades—black or white.

Panasonic HDC-TM90 Comparison

The Canon HF R21 offers some stiff competition for the Sony HDR-CX160, and the fact that both camcorders have the same $499 price tag makes them even better comparison models. In our scoring, we feel the Canon HF R21 had the edge in nearly every category, but many of the contests were close. The R21 performed better in low light, had better color accuracy in bright light, and comes with double the internal memory of the Sony CX160 (32GB vs. 16GB). We also liked the way the R21 felt in our hand better, thanks to its more flexible hand strap.

The Sony CX160 did pull out victories in two key categories, however: image stabilization and battery life. We were supremely disappointed with the Canon HF R21's poor battery life score, and the fact that the Sony's provided battery lasted for twice as long in our test is proof of the CX160's superior performance in this category. Image stabilization on the Canon also wasn't all that impressive, and the camcorder uses a digital stabilization system in comparison to the optical system found on the CX160.

Neither of these camcorders offer many advanced manual controls, and both have sets of interesting features and auto controls that are likely to please consumers. The Sony CX160's Golf Shot and Smooth Slow Record mode are fun to play around with, and they may intrigue beginners, but they aren't as high-quality as Canon's PF24 and PF30 alternate frame rate options. These features are likely to attract a different crowd, however, which is why we think the Canon is the better model for more serious videographers, and the Sony is the stronger camcorder for novice users who are looking for their first HD camcorder.

Sony Handycam HDR-CX150 Comparison

The Panasonic HDC-TM90 did shockingly well in our tests, and we included it here as a comparison model to the Sony CX160 despite the fact that the TM90 isn't really an entry-level HD camcorder. The TM90 is more of a mid-range HD camcorder, but Panasonic has priced the camcorder quite low with a $599 MSRP (but it can be found online for under $500). With prices like that, the TM90 falls into the same range as the Sony HDR-CX160 and the Canon HF R21, so it becomes a camcorder we should mention if you're looking for a very good entry-level model.

If you look at the score comparison charts below, you'll see the TM90 performed in an entirely different league than the Sony CX160. It did better on every single test we ran, other than bright light noise and battery life. The Panasonic, which also has a 1080/60p record mode, did an amazing job in our sharpness test, a very good job in our stabilization test, and had a solid showing in our low light tests (although the Canon HF R21 was nearly as good there).

Our point is, if you can afford the extra cost, the HDC-TM90 is a better camcorder than the Sony HDR-CX160. It's also better than the rest of the entry-level models we've tested—the Canon HF R21, JVC GZ-HM450, and Samsung HMX-H300 included. The only downsides of the TM90 were that it didn't handle all that well and its menu system wasn't as slick as the CX160's, which may make it less attractive for beginners.

COMP 3

Sony spent a good amount of time and energy in making the HDR-CX160 a true successor to last year's HDR-CX150. We've seen too many times this year when a manufacturer has provided a few disappointing "updates" to a camcorder and released it with a brand new model name. The CX160 has plenty of excellent improvements over its predecessor, although we do wish Sony had been able to improve the performance of the camcorder a bit more in addition to adding a bundle of new features.

Let's get the new features out of the way right now. The CX160 has a larger LCD, a longer zoom lens, more connectivity features, and better battery life than the CX150. Also, the new 1080/60p record mode on the CX160 is an equally-impressive addition to the camcorder. In our tests, the CX160 showed a bit of an improvement in low light and motion, but the results weren't the dramatic increase we'd hoped for.

If you liked the CX150, there's no reason you shouldn't like the CX1160 even more. The two camcorders are very similar in performance and appearance, but the CX160 has more fun features and more updates that, well, make it a better camcorder. It's just that simple. However, if you were hoping for a big improvement in performance over last year's model, you're likely to be disappointed.

Conclusion

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 is a worthy successor to last year's HDR-CX150, but Sony left us a bit disappointed in the end. We would have been supremely impressed with the CX160 if only Sony had been able to improve the performance on the little entry-level Handycam in addition to incorporating a boatload of new features. Don't get us wrong—we love the updates Sony made to the camcorder—we just wish those updates included more performance enhancements.

Taking a look through our performance tests will give you an illustration for what we're talking about. The HDR-CX160 consistently performed as well as its predecessor, but rarely did it do any better. One area we were specifically hoping for strong improvement was in sharpness, where we expected Sony's new 1080/60p record mode would dramatically increase the results in our test. The mode did not improve sharpness much, although it did help the CX160 capture smoother motion in our testing.

The new hardware featured on the HDR-CX160 are the camcorder's most impressive additions. We love the larger LCD, the longer zoom lens, the extra connectivity features (an external mic jack and built-in USB!), and the slicker menu system. We like the 1080/60p mode in theory, but we realize that most beginners will be afraid to fiddle with the camcorder's recording settings like that, not to mention the difficulty working with 60p clips on a computer.

While we do like the improvements Sony made to the CX160, the camcorder is not the best model in its class. The Canon HF R21 held a slight edge in terms of performance, although there were areas where the CX160 was the better model (battery life and image stabilization, for example). Since the CX160 ($499 MSRP) is on the upper end of the price range for an entry-level model, we also recommend looking at cheap mid-range HD camcorders like the Panasonic HDC-TM90 instead. The slight extra cost of a camcorder like the TM90 goes a long way, and it delivered much better performance in our video tests as result.

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Meet the tester

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews

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