Introduction
Product Tour
The HDR-CX550V has a much larger lens than its predecessor, the HDR-CX500V. The new lens is capable of capturing videos at the extremely wide angle of 66.5°, which is almost 20° more than the CX500V was capable of. It's also a much wider angle than you'll get from the Panasonic HDC-TM700—which also features a new wide angle lens (the TM700 measured a wide angle of 59°, which isn't too shabby). The lens on the HDR-CX550V also features an automatic cover that opens and closes when the camcorder is turned on and off.
Color & Noise Performance
The HDR-CX550V did as well as Sony camcorders usually do in our color test: decent, but not fantastic. The camcorder managed a color error of 4.53 and a saturation level of 88.25%. These numbers aren't that much different than what we saw from the Canon HF S21, but both the Panasonic HDC-TM700 and JVC GZ-HM1 put up stronger numbers in this test. (More on how we test color.)
The color error map shown above tells us that the Sony HDR-CX550V rendered blue tones with impeccable accuracy. Yellows and certain greens, however, gave the camcorder more trouble. The CX550V doesn't have any preset color modes, but it does have a white balance shift option that can be used to alter the color tones. Setting WB shift to positive values gives the image a redder tone, while negative values create a cooler, bluer image (see samples below).
Despite the fact that the Sony HDR-CX550V didn't produce the most accurate colors in our testing, the camcorder still produced a very pleasing image. Sure, it's colors weren't as vivid as what you get from the Panasonic HDC-TM700 (as you can see below), but it still produced some very deep blue tones—which should translate into very colorful skyline images when you shoot outdoors.
The Sony HDR-CX550V averaged 0.4475% noise in our bright light testing. This is a strong score and it matches quite closely to the amount of noise we measured on the Panasonic HDC-TM700 and JVC GZ-HM1. The Canon HF S21, however, couldn't keep its noise levels as low as the other camcorders in this set. (More on how we test noise.)
The crops above do a good job showing each camcorder's ability when it comes to sharpness. The Panasonic HDC-TM700 produced the crispest image, although the other camcorders in this set were not far behind by any means. All of these flagship models are capable of capturing a very sharp and detailed image in bright light.
Motion & Sharpness Performance
The Sony HDR-CX550V produced very pleasing video in our motion test. The camcorder's new 24Mbps record mode must have done some good, as we found the CX550V's motion video to have a bit less artifacting than last year's CX500V from Sony. The video captured by the HDR-CX550V also looked very smooth, although we did notice a few instances of choppy glitches during playback on our HDTV. (More on how we test motion.)
All of these high-end models did very well in our motion test, with the Panasonic HDC-TM700 and its 60p mode probably doing the best overall. Still, the differences between these four models when it comes to motion are very minor. The main thing to note is that the Sony HDR-CX550V only has one frame rate option for recording HD video (60i), while the Canon and Panasonic models offer alternate frame rates. Sony's Smooth Slow Record feature is a slow motion mode that records at a very high frame rate (around 240fps), but it captures video at an extremely low-quality (just like JVC's high-speed recording options).
The HDR-CX550V measured a horizontal sharpness of 800 lw/ph in our video testing. The camcorder produced a vertical sharpness of 650 lw/ph, which is usually where most consumer camcorders top-out (the exception being the Panasonic HDC-TM700 and its 60p record mode). These numbers from the Sony are very god, but the flagship models from other manufacturers were able to squeeze a bit more sharpness and detail into their images. (More on how we test video sharpness.)
Low Light Performance
**Low Light Sensitivity***(2.83)*
The Sony HDR-CX550V did a very poor job in our low light sensitivity test. The camcorder required 41 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on the waveform monitor during our test. This is far more light than the Sony HDR-CX500V required last year, and it is more than nearly all high-end HD camcorders we've tested. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)
Part of the reason the Sony did so poorly on our sensitivity test is due to its new wide angle lens. The lens has such a wide angle that when we framed our test chart the camcorder's aperture closed to an f-stop of around f/2.8. Usually when we test camcorders they are able to keep their aperture around f/2 or wider during our testing, which allows more light to enter the lens and hit the camcorder's sensor. So, if we tested the HDR-CX550V with its aperture fully opened its sensitivity would likely be much better than 41 lux (Sony claims the camcorder's low light sensitivity is around 11 lux). We had to test the Sony HDR-CX550V the same way we test all our camcorders, however, which is why the model registered such a poor score on this test.
Note: Due to the problems raised in our low light sensitivity testing with the HDR-CX550V and its wide angle lens, we have adjusted the low light sensitivity score for the camcorder. We tested the camcorder using numerous methods (including doing a test without using any optical zoom) and came to the conclusion that the camcorder should receive a higher score than it originally earned. This score has been updated and the camcorder's new overall score has also been changed on our ratings page.
The HDR-CX550V produced some disappointing results in our low light color test, but its numbers weren't much different than what we saw from the competition. The camcorder earned a color error of 6.08 and a saturation level of 60.49% in this test. (More on how we test low light color.)
You can see the HDR-CX550V's image looks rather washed out when it is compared side-by-side with the Panasonic HDC-TM700. However, the other two camcorders in this set, the Canon HF S21 and the JVC GZ-HM1, managed similar saturation levels and color error scores to the Sony HDR-CX550V.
The CX550V put on a solid noise performance in our low light test with the camcorder averaging 1.175% noise. Yes, this is a good deal more noise than the Panasonic HDC-TM700 registered, but it is still a good score (the JVC GZ-HM1 had nearly the same amount of noise as the Sony). (More on how we test low light noise.)
You can see from the crop above that the Sony also maintained a rather sharp image when the lights went dim. You can see some fine specks of noise on the Canon HF S21's image above and the JVC GZ-HM1 shows a bit of pixelation and artifacting in its low light crop. The Panasonic HDC-TM700 was the clear-cut champ when it came to overall low light performance among the camcorders in this testing set.
Compression & Media
The HDR-CX550V uses AVCHD compression for recording HD video. This model marks the first instance of Sony offering a 24Mbps bitrate for recording AVCHD video on a consumer camcorder—something that JVC and Canon have had for a couple of years now. We didn't notice a tremendous difference with this new 24Mbps record mode, but it should help keep artifacting lower on your videos.Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of AVCHD.
Sony is one of the few manufacturers to include a standard definition record mode along with its HD recording options on its consumer camcorders. The CX550V only has one SD record mode (called STD) and it captures video at a 720 x 480 resolution using the MPEG-2 codec.
The Sony HDR-CX550V is loaded with 64GB of internal flash memory, which is a lot for a consumer camcorder. The bigger news, however, is that the camcorder can record to either Memory Stick PRO Duo or SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Previously, Sony camcorders could not work with SD/SDHC memory cards—which was a somewhat limiting factor. The inclusion of SDXC card compatibility is also a pleasant surprise, as Sony was originally non-committal about whether its new camcorders would work with these memory cards. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of flash memory.
We do take issue with the design of the memory card slot on the HDR-CX550V. The slot works with both types of memory cards, but it is somewhat difficult to insert a Memory Stick PRO Duo card into the slot. SD/SDHC cards are a bit larger than Memory Sticks, which means when you insert a Memory Stick PRO Duo card into the slot you have to feel around a bit before you can actually slide the card in correctly.
The Sony HDR-CX550V ships with Picture Motion Browser (PMB) version 5.0. This is the same software that Sony has been including with its Handycam camcorders for many years, but version 5.0 has a few updates and a slightly different design than its previous incarnations.
For an overview of the software that ships with the Sony HDR-CX550V and other Sony camcorders, see our article: 'Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder'
Manual Controls
Sony does a good job with automatic controls on most of its camcorders and the HDR-CX550V appeared to follow this trend. The camcorder even includes a dedicated auto mode button (labeled iAuto), which is essentially a reincarnation of Sony's 'Easy Mode' button that was a staple on previous models (but was mysteriously absent on last year's products). We like this dedicated auto mode button and it is a very useful feature for beginners.
Automatic exposure adjustments with the CX550V are smooth and the transitions take just the right amount of time. We didn't notice any choppy alterations in light levels as we moved from bright to dark scenes—the camcorder handled each transition with ease. Autofocus adjustment was similarly smooth and quick. The camcorder sometimes had difficulty with its automatic white balance, but usually colors would look okay after a few moments. If you don't want to deal with odd color tones at times, we recommend using a manual white balance or trying one of the two white balance preset options.
The HDR-CX550V is outfitted with a special Low Lux mode that is meant to improve video performance in low light situations. The Low Lux mode does two things: it boosts gain levels (thereby making the image brighter) and it allows the shutter speed to drop down to 1/30 of a second (similar to what auto slow shutter options usually do). The thing that is different about the Low Lux mode on the CX550V as compared to last year's Sonys is that you can manually set the shutter speed on the camcorder in conjunction with the Low Lux mode. This means you can utilize the gain-boosting effect of Low Lux mode without having to deal with the choppy motion produced by a 1/30 of a second shutter speed.
Zooming is primarily done by using the top-mounted zoom toggle on the HDR-CX550V. This toggle is similar to what you'll see on most consumer camcorders and it works reasonably well. The camcorder doesn't have any constant zoom speed settings, but you can control zoom speed variably by pushing the toggle harder or softer.
There is also a secondary set of zoom buttons that can be displayed on the LCD (the left side of the screen). These buttons aren't great—they're small, they don't allow for variable zoom speed control, and it is easy to accidentally miss them and press another part of the screen (which makes the buttons go away). Canon has similar touch-buttons on its LCD, but they are designed much better (and they allow for variable zoom speed control). We suggest sticking with the zoom toggle on the CX550V whenever possible; it's definitely your best option for controlling zoom.
The HDR-CX550V's lens is equipped with a measly 10x optical zoom. There are a lot of camcorders out there with much larger zoom ratios than this, although most flagship models have optical zooms in the 10x to 15x range. If you want a longer zoom, you're best bet is to check out a mid-range HD model—many of which have optical zooms of 30x or more. The CX550V also has a 120x digital zoom option, but using it will degrade image quality (so we don't recommend it).
You can adjust focus manually on the HDR-CX550V by using the front-mounted control dial, or by tapping touch-buttons on the LCD. The control dial is obviously the preferable method here as it offers more precise control. The touch interface does have its advantages, however, mainly in the form of spot focus. This feature allows you to tap a portion of the screen that you want to bring into focus and the camcorder will do so automatically.
Like focus, exposure can be set using the touchscreen interface or by rotating the control dial. The camcorder has a lot of incremental exposure adjustment, but it doesn't include a numerical display when setting exposure values. You can also tweak the camcorder's auto exposure system by using AE Shift. Setting AE Shift to negative values will enable the camcorder's auto exposure system to underexpose your image, while setting AE Shift to positive values will boost the auto exposure system.
Aperture adjustment is called iris on the Sony HDR-CX550V, but the feature may not be easy for first-time users to discover on the camcorder. You can only set iris using the control dial, which means you won't find the option anywhere in the menu (except under dial control settings). We're not too bothered by this because the dial is great for setting the aperture, but we're unsure why Sony would include focus and exposure adjustment in the menu while leaving out aperture and shutter speed.
For years Sony has held out on offering manual shutter speed and aperture control even on its flagship camcorders. With the HDR-CX550V, however, the company has finally decided to include these lovely manual controls. Like aperture, shutter speed can only be controlled using the manual dial on the CX550V (you won't find it in the regular camcorder menu). The camcorder has quite a few shutter speed options, including three slow shutters below 1/60 of a second and a few very fast shutters—topping out at an ultra-high 1/10000 shutter speed (yes, that's four zeros).
Sony doesn't include too many white balance preset options on the CX550V, but it does have a good manual white balance feature and it has WB Shift option. The manual white balance works quickly and all you need to do to activate it is point the camcorder at a white object and press the 'one push' white balance button. The WB Shift setting can be used to alter the color tones and give your image a warmer or cooler look. Since the camcorder has this WB Shift option, we're not all that upset by the fact that it only includes two white balance presets (Outdoor and Indoor).
Sony may have added shutter speed and aperture control on its 2010 flagship camcorders, but manual gain control is still not an option on the HDR-CX550V. All of the other flagship camcorders in this set offer some kind of manual gain settings, although JVC only lets you turn auto gain control on and off.
**Color & Image Controls***(2.0)*
**Other Manual Controls***(3.5)*
Still Features
The HDR-CX550V has all the still features you expect to see from a flagship camcorder. Unfortunately, the photos produced by the camcorder aren't nearly as good as what you could get from a dedicated still camera—but that's the case with nearly every camcorder we've tested. The CX550V has a built-in flash above its large lens, and the flash offers three intensity settings (high, normal, or low) as well as a red-eye reduction option.
The camcorder has a lot of still image size options, but the highest native resolution available is a 2880 x 2160 setting (around 6.2 megapixels). The two larger photo options (4000 x 3000 and 4000 x 2250) are interpolated, which means the photos produced are essentially 'blown-up' versions of a 6.2-megapixel still image. There are also some smaller photo size options, including a 640 x 480 VGA option.
One of the most talked about still features on the HDR-CX550V is its smile shutter setting. This feature enables the camcorder to automatically capture a still image whenever a subject in the frame smiles. The feature sounds like it wouldn't be that precise, but it actually works quite well—and you can set the smile detection sensitivity to low, medium, or high. On the high setting, the camcorder interprets most smirks or lip curls as smiles, while the low setting requires a rather exaggerated grin to initiate an automatic response from the camcorder's shutter. Smile shutter can be set so that it is always on, or it can be set to work during video recording only (it can also be turned off completely).
The HDR-CX550V rendered still images with excellent color accuracy, but all the other camcorders in this testing set also did very well on this test. The CX550V measured a color error of 3.13 and an ideal saturation level of 100.6%. These are significantly better numbers than what we saw with in our bight light video test. (More on how we test still color.)
The CX550V appeared to capture photos with a warmer, redder tone than the competition (although the Canon HF S21 also had a bit of a warm tone on its still images). You can see what we're talking about in the color comparison images below. All of these camcorders managed to capture bright, colorful images in our still photo testing.
The Sony HDR-CX550V averaged 1.2% noise in its still photos, which is too high. We'd like to see this number at least below 1%, and we're surprised that the CX550V had more than double the amount of noise in its still photos as it did in our bright light video testing (0.4475% noise). Still, 1.2% noise isn't terrible, and you probably won't run into any major noise problems unless you're taking photos in low light situations. (More on how we test still noise.)
With a 6-megapixel effective pixel count for still photos, the Sony HDR-CX550V was able to capture decently-sharp still images in our testing. The camcorder managed a horizontal sharpness of 1669 lw/ph with 4.5% undersharpening, and a 1780 lw/ph vertical sharpness with 15.2% undersharpening. Like we said before, these are good numbers for a camcorder with a 6-megapixel native resolution on its still photos. The Canon HF S21 and JVC GZ-HM1—both of which have higher native pixel counts than the CX550V—were able to do quite a bit better on this test. (More on how we test still sharpness.)
Handling & Use
Last year we bemoaned the fact that Sony got rid of its beloved 'Easy' button that put the camcorder into a dedicated auto mode. On the HDR-CX550V we're happy to see this button has returned, albeit in a very different form. The dedicated auto mode on the camcorder is now called iAuto, which has an eerily similar title as Panasonic's iA mode (in fact, both modes stand for Intelligent Auto). The thing is, the iAuto mode on the CX550V has one key difference to most dedicated auto modes—it doesn't lock you out of the camcorder's menu system. You can still go into the menus and make manual changes, but if you do so iAuto mode is automatically shut off.
Sony doesn't provide the best instruction manuals with its camcorders, but the manuals are easy to read and they give you the basic information. Just don't expect to get all your questions answered by the manuals as Sony glosses over many of the camcorder's special features. The camcorder itself has a small info box in the menu system that tells you a little bit about each setting you are selecting, which is a helpful tool for beginners.
We've mentioned how the menu system on the HDR-CX550V can be awkward at times, but the menus sure do look slick and stylish. We found settings easy to read, particularly because of the big 3.5-inch screen that you view them on. The touchscreen system is a bit frustrating at first and the options for scrolling through menus can feel strange. You can press touch-buttons on the LCD, or you can hold and drag your finger along the left side of the screen to scroll through the menus. It isn't a terrible system, but it takes some getting used to.
One of the best features on the HDR-CX550V is its customizable 'My Menu' screen. This screen is a simplified menu that only shows six menu options, and you can pick what six options are displayed here. This is great for users who want to keep things simple and have no need to sift through the vast main menu on the CX550V. It can also be useful for more experienced users who want a way to quickly access certain features that are buried in the regular menu.
Overall, the HDR-CX550V handles fairly well for a consumer camcorder. The camcorder is a bit bulky, and its grip is a bit uncomfortable, but we found its shape and design more ergonomic than either the JVC GZ-HM1 or the Canon HF S21. The Panasonic HDC-TM700, however, felt the best in the comfort category. The Sony HDR-CX550V also has a very good hand strap, which is something we have come to expect from Sony camcorders.
Another major handling aspect of the CX550V is the front-mounted control dial. This dial is nearly identical to what Sony implemented on last year's HDR-XR520V, but it is a lot better than the thin, rear-mounted dial on the HDR-CX500V. We like this dial a lot, and it is very good for making manual adjustments. Not so surprisingly, Canon and JVC have similar dials on their flagship models, while Panasonic continues to use a full-sized lens ring—all of which work very well for setting manual controls.
While the control dial on the HDR-CX550V is great, it does have a few quirks. You can set what function the dial controls by pushing in and holding the button on the front of the dial for a few seconds. Once you do this, a small menu appears on the LCD and you can choose the dial to adjust the following: focus, exposure, iris, shutter speed, AE shift, or WB shift. You must rotate the dial and press the button again to pick what you want to adjust, and we found this system to be a bit awkward (you can also program the dial in the camcorder's main menu). It's as if the dial is too sensitive when you use it to make a selection here, while it is just sensitive enough when you use it to actually adjust a setting (like when you use it to set focus). We're also somewhat surprised that shutter speed and aperture control (iris) can *only *be set using the control dial—these options aren't found anywhere in the camcorder's menu system.
The fact that the HDR-CX550V has a control dial doesn't mean you can't completely avoid using the touchscreen interface on the camcorder's LCD. The touchscreen system is necessary for navigating menus and setting options other than the six features you can control with the dial. The menu system on the CX550V can actually be very difficult to navigate with the touchscreen as Sony has implemented a very strange scrolling and touch-button combination for controlling the menus. It's the same thing that Sony had on the HDR-CX500V, however, so if you've ever used that then you should know what you are in for. Another good thing is that the menu is customizable—partially, at least—which helps a lot if there's only a few settings that you ever really need to have access to.
Sony has impressed us in the past with its optical image stabilization systems (OIS), which is what the HDR-CX550V is equipped with. The camcorder managed to do an excellent job in our testing, the results of which you can see in the two graphs below. (More on how we test stabilization.)
Along with its regular OIS, the CX550V also has an active stabilization mode. We're not entirely sure, but we believe this active mode uses digital stabilization along with the OIS system in an attempt to further reduce the shakiness of the video image. In our testing, however, we found the camcorder's regular OIS worked better at reducing the shake than active mode. In active stabilization mode, the camcorder reduced 46% of the shake in our low shake test and 72% of the shake in our high shake test (both numbers being worse than the regular OIS mode).
The Sony HDR-CX550V and the Panasonic HDC-TM700 were the top performers in our stabilization tests, with the JVC GZ-HM1 not too far behind. The Canon HF S21 did the worst on this test, but it still put forth a respectable effort (and it has three stabilization options).
The HDR-CX550V is quite a bit larger than last year's HDR-CX500V (the camcorder it replaced). Most of this increase in size stems from the new, wide angle lens that takes up a lot more space on the camcorder. The LCD is also half an inch larger, which is a likely source of some extra bulk. Despite this increase in camcorder size, the Sony HDR-CX550V is still roughly the same size as most high-end consumer HD models—and it's quite a bit smaller and lighter than the Canon HF S21.
So, the CX550V isn't incredibly compact, but it is around the size you expect a flagship camcorder to be. It won't tire your arm out with a long day of shooting, and it should fit comfortably in a bag, pack, or large purse. The only smaller option for a high-end model is the Panasonic HDC-TM700, but it has a smaller LCD (3 inches) and it only includes 32GB of internal flash memory (as opposed to 64GB on the Sony and JVC).
The HDR-CX550V lasted for 107 minutes in our battery life test, which is a decent performance. If you tweak the settings on the LCD or if you use the viewfinder, you can probably get a bit more life out of the camcorder's provided battery. You could also always purchase a larger battery pack from Sony for longer-lasting performance. (More on how we test battery life.)
The HDR-CX550V has a nice, large LCD that uses a touchscreen interface. The 3.5-inch screen has a lot of space, so using the touchscreen system isn't nearly as much of a pain as it is on smaller LCDs (like the 2.7-inch screens you'll find on most mid-range models). The LCD also utilizes an impressive 921,000 pixels, which means the image is displayed on the screen at a fairly high resolution. In the camcorder's display settings submenu you can make adjustments to the LCD brightness, color, and black level.
Sony also includes a small electronic viewfinder (EVF) on the CX550V, which is something that was not included on last year's HDR-CX500V. The EVF isn't very comfortable to use, but that's usually the case with viewfinders featured on consumer camcorders. The viewfinder can extend out from the camcorder, but only does so by about 1/4-inch at the most. There's also a tiny diopter adjustment dial on the right side of the viewfinder.
Playback & Connectivity
The playback system on the HDR-CX550V works the same way as it did on last year's HDR-CX500V. Clips are arranged as thumbnails on the LCD and you can select a video for playback by touching the corresponding thumbnail on the screen. You can also organize your clips by date, film roll, face (using face detection), or location (using the GPS feature). Once you select a clip for playback, you can control the video using VCR buttons on the LCD (part of the touchscreen interface). We don't like this setup too much because the VCR controls really clutter the screen when you are trying to view the video (you can make the VCR controls disappear, however, by not touching the screen for a few seconds).
Highlight Playback, a feature Sony introduced a few years ago, returns on the HDR-CX550V. This feature will automatically edit your video clips into a short movie—complete with music—for instant playback on the camcorder. You can even adjust settings like choosing music or choosing a certain group of clips that Highlight Playback will pull from. The CX550V also has a Scenario feature that lets you save Highlight Playback scenes on the camcorder (so you can play them again later). There still isn't any method for getting Highlight Playback clips off the camcorder itself, however, so the saved scenes will only last for as long as the recorded footage is stored on a memory card or on the camcorder's internal memory.
The HDR-CX550V's ports and terminals are scattered all over the body of the camcorder. Inside the LCD cavity you'll find a sliding door that opens to reveal the USB and HDMI ports. The sliding door provides very good protection to these two valuable ports, so we're happy to see this is something Sony included. Also on this side of the camcorder is the switch for turning on the CX550V's GPS feature, which can also be considered a connectivity feature (read more about the GPS option here).
Swinging around to the back of the camcorder you'll find two more ports: the AV-output and the DC-input. Both ports are protected by small, hard-plastic covers that flip open. The covers don't open very far, so things may get a bit crowded back here if you have cables connected while you are trying use the camcorder at the same time. The AV-out port has a proprietary design, which means it also can be used to connect the provided Component video cable. The port even works with other cables like Sony-proprietary LANC cables and S-video cables, but these must be purchased separately. The problem with this proprietary connection, however, is that if you lose your AV cable you have to buy another one from Sony—an AV cable with a regular connector won't work with the camcorder.
Near the front of the camcorder, on the right side, are two audio ports—the external mic and headphone jack. The placement of these ports is a bit awkward as they come right up to the edge of the hand strap. If you have cables connected and you are doing hand held shooting with the camcorder, you'll probably end up bumping the cables inserted into these ports. These ports do feature a sliding cover, however, which does an excellent job of keeping these valuable terminals protected.
On the top of the CX550V is the powered (hot) accessory shoe that features a Sony-proprietary design. What we mean by this is that the shoe will only work with Sony accessories—unless you purchase a third-party adapter, that is. The shoe is well-protected by a spring-loaded door that slides open and closed. Flip the camcorder over and you'll discover a memory card slot located on the bottom of the HDR-CX550V. We don't particularly like card slots located on the bottom of camcorders, but we are impressed that Sony finally offered SD/SDHC memory card compatibility on the HDR-CX550V. The card slot also works with Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.
Audio & Other Features
A 5.1-channel surround sound microphone rests on the top of the HDR-CX550V just above the camcorder's lens. This mic is in good position to pick up audio, but we did find our pinky finger to rub up against it a bit when we held the camcorder in our hand (this may not be an issue if your hands and fingers are on the smaller side). The built-in mic can also be set to record 2-channel audio if you prefer (this will also allow you to record a bit more video onto your memory card or internal flash memory). Unfortunately, you cannot adjust audio levels manually on the HDR-CX550V. All you can do is set the built-in mic to normal or low recording levels.
Along with this built-in mic, the HDR-CX550V also has an external mic input and a headphone jack. The ports are protected on the right side by a sliding cover that is a bit difficult to close since the hand strap juts right up next to it (still, it is great to see a port cover here). You could also attach an external mic to the accessory shoe on the top of the camcorder, but the shoe only accepts Sony-proprietary accessories.
Golf Shot
This feature, which is meant to analyze a golf swing, takes two quick seconds of video and divides it into frames that are recorded as a movie and photos.
Smooth Slow Record
A slow motion setting that records 3 seconds of footage and turns it into 12 seconds of very slow video. This setting shoots at 240fps in order to create the slow motion effect. Unfortunately video captured with Smooth Slow Record doesn't look very good (the quality is very poor).
Fader
You can add a black or white fade while you shoot your video clips using this setting.
Night Shot
Night Shot uses infrared technology (like night vision goggles) to allow you record an image in total darkness. You just have to be willing to accept the fact that all your videos shot in this mode will come out looking bright green.
GPS (Global Positioning System)
As with many of Sony's new camcorders, the HDR-CX550V has built-in GPS. This allows you to keep track of your videos by the location in which they were shot—and you can even view/organize clips by location on a map. You turn GPS on and off via a small switch inside the camcorder's LCD cavity. Having GPS activated will drain your battery a bit faster than normal, so keep that in mind.
Disc Burn
The small disc burn button is located on the inside of the LCD cavity on the HDR-CX550V. This button lets you burn video footage directly to a disc if you use a compatible DVD burner. Sony sells a few portable burners that work with the camcorder and connect via the USB terminal. Video shot using the highest quality setting (the 24Mbps FX mode) may not be able to be burned onto a regular DVD.
Panasonic HDC-TM700 Comparison
The HDC-TM700 is the best camcorder we've reviewed so far in 2010, but since Sony dropped the price of the HDR-CX550V down to $1049 it actually compares quite well with the TM700 as far as value goes. With the CX550V you're getting twice the internal memory of the TM700 (64GB vs. 32GB), which goes a long way in determining a camcorder's value. Still, the HDC-TM700 is the superior performer thanks to its 1080/60p record mode that delivered stunning results in all of our tests.
Feature-wise, the two camcorders are very similar, but the Panasonic again has a slight edge. The TM700 has more manual controls, more features, and a 24p Digital Cinema mode along with its 60i and 60p recording options. The Sony does have a bigger, better LCD, a slicker menu design, and a significantly wider lens.
We say go with the HDC-TM700 over the Sony HDR-CX550V—unless you're concerned about editing compatibility with Panasonic's 1080/60p clips (most editing programs can't handle the 60p clips right now). If this scares you then the Sony HDR-CX550V is worth a look. Plus, Sony is one of the only manufacturers to include SD recording options on its consumer camcorders as well as its default HD modes—something that can be very helpful for people who are on the fence as to whether they are ready to shoot in HD or not.
Canon HF S21 Comparison
The Canon HF S21 is a good camcorder and it edged out the HDR-CX550V in some of our performance tests, but it is difficult to justify the camcorder's very high price tag. The HF S21 costs $350 more than the HDR-CX550V even though both camcorders have the same amount of internal flash memory. The two camcorders also have similar feature sets and both have 3.5-inch LCDs with touchscreen interfaces (as well as excellent control dials for making manual adjustments).
The HF S21 does have one standout feature, however, as the camcorder offers three alternate frame rates for recording HD video. In addition to its 60i setting, the HF S21 can record using a 24p or 30p frame rate—as well as a new native 24p setting. These alternate frame rates are ideal for professional videography or if you want to create a more film-like aesthetic. Sony doesn't offer anything of this nature on the HDR-CX550V, so the need for alternate frame rates is a strong reason to go with the Canon here. If you have no use for a 24p or 30p mode, however, then you should save some cash by going with the cheaper HDR-CX550V (or the Panasonic HDC-TM700).
JVC GZ-HM1 Comparison
Last year, JVC positioned itself as the bargain manufacturer for high-end camcorders with the very cheap GZ-HM400. With the new GZ-HM1, however, JVC has upped the price so that its top-of-the-line model is now more expensive than the Sony HDR-CX550V (by around $150). JVC did improve the low light performance on the camcorder, which was one of the biggest weaknesses of last year's GZ-HM400, but we would have still liked to see JVC keep the costs down.
The GZ-HM1 did very well on many of our tests—including motion and sharpness—but the camcorder handled somewhat poorly. Its adjustment dial isn't as good as Sony's or Canon's (or Panasonic's lens ring) and it has a much smaller LCD than the 3.5-inch screen on the HDR-CX550V. The GZ-HM1 also lacks a viewfinder, has a cheap body construction, and uses JVC's finicky Laser Touch system for menu navigation.
If JVC had been able to position the GZ-HM1 in the same price range as last year's GZ-HM400 ($999 MSRP) then we'd surely recommend it as a good value option. With an $1199 price tag, however, we feel there isn't any reason to go with the GZ-HM1 over the cheaper HDR-CX550V or Panasonic HDC-TM700.
Conclusion
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Specs and Ratings
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Meet the tester
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.
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