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  • Introduction

  • Product Tour

  • Color & Noise Performance

  • Motion & Sharpness Performance

  • Low Light Performance

  • Compression & Media

  • Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling & Use

  • Playback & Connectivity

  • Audio & Other Features

  • Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison

  • Canon HF S11 Comparison

  • JVC GZ-HM400 Comparison

  • Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Specs and Ratings

  • Introduction
  • Product Tour
  • Color & Noise Performance
  • Motion & Sharpness Performance
  • Low Light Performance
  • Compression & Media
  • Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling & Use
  • Playback & Connectivity
  • Audio & Other Features
  • Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison
  • Canon HF S11 Comparison
  • JVC GZ-HM400 Comparison
  • Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery
  • Specs and Ratings

Introduction

If you want even more internal memory, Sony sells an HDR-CX520V that contains 64GB of internal memory for $1299. Other than memory, it has the same internal specs as the HDR-CX500V.

Update: The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.

Product Tour

 

**Lens & Imaging System**


 

The Sony HDR-CX500V has a rather large, 1/2.88-inch CMOS sensor. This is the same sensor found on the Sony HDR-XR520V, HDR-XR500V, and HDR-CX520V—and all these camcorders utilize Sony's new back-illuminated Exmor-R sensor system. According to Sony this new sensor system offers a cleaner low light image with less noise because the placement of the sensor has been changed. The HDR-CX500V is also equipped with a 12x optical zoom lens that has an automatic cover.

 

**Front**


 

**Right**


 

 

**Back**


 

 

 

 

 

 

**Left**


 

 

 

**Top**


 

 

 

**Bottom**


 

 

 

**In the Box**


 

 

Color & Noise Performance

 

**Color***(7.25)*


The Sony HDR-CX500V's bright light image looked good, but its colors weren't that accurate in our testing. The camcorder registered a color error of 4.83 and a saturation level of 92.47%. These numbers are slightly worse than what most high-end models earn in this test. The Sony HDR-XR520V, however, had a very similar color accuracy score to the HDR-CX500V. (More on how we test color.)

In the Color Error Map above you can see the HDR-CX500V produced most blue colors with tremendous accuracy. On the other hand, the camcorder had trouble with certain yellows, greens, and browns. The CX500V doesn't have any controls that allow you to adjust color depth, but you can alter the White Balance Shift to give your image a cooler or hotter tone. Examples of the WB Shift option in action are shown below:

Despite the fact that the CX500V had slightly less accurate colors than the competition, the camcorder still managed to produce a very pleasant bright light image. The CX500V looks very good in the comparison images below, offering vivid colors and a bright, crisp image.

When looking at these color comparisons, keep in mind that color accuracy is only one aspect of a camcorder's color quality. The quality of a camcorder's color rendering is strongly based on personal preference. Many people prefer over-saturated colors so the skies in their videos look bluer and the grass looks greener. Looking at all these high-end models from various manufacturers we must say that not one of them really stands out as 'the best' when it comes to color. All of them look very good and it is up to your personal preference to determine which model produces the most appealing color.

 

 

**

Noise***(10.57)*


The Sony HDR-CX500V showed very low noise levels in our bright light testing, which is what we expect to see from a high-end camcorder. The CX500V was more impressive than usual, however, as it had even lower noise levels than the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400 (the Panasonic HDC-TM300 had roughly the same amount of noise as the Sony). (More on how we test noise.)

Since you can't really see any noise in the crops above, the images instead do a very good job showing off each camcorder's sharpness ability. All of these models are capable of capturing crisp, detailed images, but it is the JVC GZ-HM400 that does the best in bright light. Notice how sharp its numbers are going down the side of the vertical trumpet. The Rest of the camcorders show a slight amount of blur at the bottom of each vertical trumpet (the lines blur together), while the JVC GZ-HM400 retains a strong definition throughout.

 

Motion & Sharpness Performance

Low Light Performance

 

**Low Light Sensitivity***(3.77)*


The Sony HDR-CX500V did better than most high-end camcorders in our low light sensitivity test, but that doesn't mean it performed exceptionally well. The camcorder needed 15 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This is less light than the Canon HF S11 (17 lux) required, and it is far less than the JVC GZ-HM400 (31 lux) needed. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was one of the best camcorders we tested all year with sensitivity—it needed only 9 lux to reach the same levels. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

The Sony CX500V doesn't have a 24p or 30p frame rate like you'd find on the Canon HF S11 or the Panasonic HDC-TM300. These alternate frame rates can improve low light performance on a camcorder—a fact that is hard to miss when you look at the Canon HF S11's sensitivity in its 30p and 24p modes. To improve low light sensitivity, the HDR-CX500V does have a low light mode that turns on the camcorder's auto slow shutter. This allows the shutter speed to drop to as low as 1/30 of a second in low light situations, thus enabling the camcorder to produce a brighter image. Unfortunately the slow shutter produces choppy motion and image trails, which may not look desirable to some people.

In all, the Sony HDR-CX500V is one of the better high-end camcorders when it comes to low light sensitivity. The camcorder also has Sony's infrared NightShot system that can record video in total darkness, but does so by giving everything a strong, green coloration (like night-vision goggles).

**Low Light Color***(6.53)*


The HDR-CX500V showed a significant drop in color accuracy when we did our low light tests, but its image still retained a good amount of saturation. We measured a color error of 5.6 and a saturation level of 77.92% for the camcorder in our low light testing. This saturation level is quite a bit higher than any of the competition was capable of, and the color error score is average for a camcorder of its class. (More on how we test low light color.)

In the comparisons below you can see how much richer the colors captured by the Sony HDR-CX500V were compared to the competition. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 shows colors that are a bit more washed out, while the JVC GZ-HM400 offers a slight yellow-green discoloration on its image. The Canon HF S11 also captured very deep colors, but its overall image was also darker than the Sony HDR-CX500V.

 

 

**Low Light Noise***(9.2)*


The Sony HDR-CX500V measured very low noise levels in our low light testing. The camcorder had an average noise level of 1.29%, which is roughly the same amount of noise we measured on the Canon HF S11. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 did a bit better in this test, while the JVC GZ-HM400 was the worst of the set. (More on how we test low light noise.)

In the above crops you can see the presence of noise and discoloration on the JVC GZ-HM400's image. The odd discoloration shown was present in all of our low light testing with the GZ-HM400 and it was actually worse on the JVC GZ-X900. The rest of the camcorders in this set look much better in low light. The Sony HDR-CX500V arguably has the best overall low light image—its colors are vivid, its image is crisp, and it has a minimal presence of noise. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 also managed a very good low light image (with a better sensitivity than the Sony), but its low light image was not quite as sharp as the CX500V. The Canon HF S11 produced a darker-than-average image here, but using its 24p or 30p record mode makes for a much brighter low light image.

 

Compression & Media

 

**Compression***(8.75)*


Like most consumer HD camcorders, the Sony HDR-CX500V uses AVCHD compression, which is built on the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec. The unique thing about Sony is that it offers standard definition MPEG-2 recording options as well as high definition settings. Many manufacturers—including Canon, Panasonic, and JVC—lack standard definition recording options on their products. The standard definition recording option can be very useful for people who aren't quite ready to do all their shooting in HD. When shooting standard definition video you can set the camcorder to use a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio.

The HDR-CX500V has lots of quality options for recording HD and SD video. Many have noted the fact that Sony tops out with a 16Mbps bitrate for HD video, which is quite a bit lower than the 24Mbps offered by Canon and JVC (24Mbps is the maximum bitrate allowed with AVCHD). Does the lower bitrate on the Sonys make a difference? Probably, but we don't think it is as significant as lens quality, sensor size, and processing. Last year, when we compared the Canon HF11 (24Mbps) with the Canon HF10 (16Mbps) and we were hard struck to notice a difference in video quality between the two.

**Media***(8.52)*


The Sony HDR-CX500V is loaded with 32GB of internal flash memory as well as a Memory Stick PRO Duo card slot. You can store quite a bit of video on the internal memory (3 hours and 45 minutes at the highest quality setting), but the memory card slot is good to have if you fill up the internal 32GB. If you want to switch between recording to memory card or internal memory you have to do so in the camcorder's menu system—the CX500V won't switch over automatically if one of them fills up.

32GB is a decent amount of internal memory for a camcorder, although there are some models out there that contain 64GB of internal memory (like the CX500V's sister model, the Sony HDR-CX520V). We don't like the fact that Sony uses a proprietary memory card format—the Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. These memory cards only work with Sony products and the CX500V is not compatible with regular SD/SDHC cards. So, if you don't have any Memory Stick PRO Duo cards lying around, you should probably invest in a few before you purchase a Sony camcorder.

 

The table below lists the record times on the HDR-CX500V using its internal flash memory or a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card:

 

**Editing***(7.0)*


The HDR-CX500V comes with the same software as previous Sony models, but the program has been slightly updated. According to Sony's website, however there is no functional difference between Picture Motion Browser (PMB) version 4.2.14 (what the CX500V comes with) and version 4.2.00 (what the HDR-TG5V and HDR-XR520V come with). So, for all intents and purposes, the PMB software on the CX500V is the same as what's on the XR520V, except for a few compatibility updates. The software is not compatible with Macs, but it will work on Windows XP or Windows Vista.

 

We like Sony's PMB software for its versatility, but it isn't the easiest program to use—particularly when dealing with its more advanced features. The good thing is, PMB works rather seamlessly for copying footage from your camcorder to a computer, which is the most important component of any provided software. There are also some simple DVD creation options that are fairly easy to use, and the clip organization and YouTube upload options work well. Venturing beyond these tasks, however, the PMB software can get quite challenging.

Each time you start a new task with the PMB software, a new window opens up. This can make the program seem more complicated than it really is because you have multiple windows open at once. What we found most difficult was doing any kind of editing with the software. The layout didn't feel natural and it was difficult to understand. If you plan on doing lots of editing, we recommend using an editing program you already feel comfortable with or purchasing something more advanced than PMB.

 

Manual Controls

 

**Auto Mode***(10.22)*


Even though the Sony HDR-CX500V does not have an 'Easy' mode, it does have very good automatic controls. Its auto exposure and auto white balance work very well, both producing accurate results in a short amount of time. The camcorder's auto exposure also adjusted very well when we shifted between different light sources. Another benefit of the CX500V is its AE and WB Shift features that allow you to adjust how the camcorder determines its auto exposure and auto white balance. The camcorder also has an auto backlight feature that helps correctly expose subjects who are illuminated by a strong light behind them.

Sony camcorders often do quite well with auto focus and the HDR-CX500V was no different. It did sometimes take a few seconds to shift between extreme focal lengths, but we were impressed with the camcorder's quick ability to produce crisp, well-focused close-up images without having to switch to a tele-macro setting. The Spot Focus and Spot Meter features on the CX500V are also quite useful, as they are basically manual controls that any novice or beginner can enjoy using.

The HDR-CX500V is also loaded with face detection features, which includes something called Smile Shutter that has the camcorder automatically snap a photo when your subject smiles. Smile Shutter works well, although it is very gimmicky. You can set the smile sensitivity on the camcorder to low, medium, or high—with low only detecting big smiles and high detecting everything down to little smirks. The Face Detection function itself also works well and it enables the camcorder to automatically adjust focus and exposure based on faces it detects within the frame. You can set a face priority to child or adult on the HDR-CX500V, and the Face Detection feature must be turned on in order for the Smile Shutter system to be engaged.

Low Light Modes

The HDR-CX500V includes Sony's popular NightShot illumination system. NightShot uses an Infrared light to enable you to shoot in complete darkness, although it coats your image in a bright, green glow (like night vision goggles). It can be a very useful feature if you're shooting outside at night, or trying to recreate a cheesy horror-film aesthetic.

In addition to NightShot, Sony also has a Low Lux mode, but all it does is allow the camcorder to use a slow shutter in low light situations—just like auto slow shutter on other camcorders. Using the Low Lux mode won't change the look of your footage in bright light, but when you shooting low light situations the camcorder will use a 1/30 of a second shutter speed. This will make motion look choppy and it can be very unappealing, particularly if you're shifting between light and dark scenes.

Scene Modes

There are number of scene modes on the HDR-CX500V: Twilight, Twilight Portrait (photo mode only), Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, and Snow. Some of these scene modes change the shutter speed, while others alter the white balance and color tones. All these scene modes are available in photo mode as well, but some of them work a bit differently. Fireworks, for example, enables the camcorder to use shutter speeds as low as 1/8 of a second in photo mode, while it doesn't appear to go below 1/60 in video mode.

 

**Zoom***(5.5)*


The HDR-CX500V is equipped with a standard zoom toggle on the top of the camcorder. The toggle lines up nicely with your index finger and it is easy to control zoom speed variably using the toggle. The toggle has a pretty wide range of speed control, so if you apply a minute amount of pressure you can get a very slow zoom, while a lot of pressure lets you zoom faster.

 

You can also control zoom on the CX500V using the touchscreen zoom buttons. These buttons are a complete pain, however, as they aren't always present on the screen. When you tap the center of the LCD the buttons disappear and are replaced with the Menu, Playback, and GPS icons for a second or two. If you don't press anything, the zoom icons will return—but there is no way to get them to reappear other than patiently waiting. These touchscreen zoom buttons are also difficult to press, not very responsive, and only zoom at a single, medium-paced speed. We recommend sticking with the regular zoom toggle for most of your shooting.

 

**Zoom Ratio***(4.34)*


The camcorder's lens offers a 12x optical zoom, which is slightly better than average for a high-end HD camcorder (most have 10x zooms). There are a few mid-range HD camcorders out there with longer optical zooms—JVC has a couple of 20x zoom models (GZ-HM200, GZ-HD300, GZ-HD320), Panasonic offers a 16x optical zoom on all its mid-range HD camcorders, and the Canon HF20 and HF200 have 15x optical zooms.

The CX500V also has a digital zoom option that can be set to 24x or 150x. These digital zooms should be used sparingly, however, as they do degrade the quality of your video image.

 

**Focus***(6.5)*


There are a number of ways to set focus manually on the HDR-CX500V, the most prominent of which is done by using the manual control dial. The new dial featured on the CX500V is different than the custom control dials found on previous Sonys (and the Sony HDR-XR500V or XR520V). It is located near the back of the camcorder and isn't as easy to adjust as the larger, front-mounted dials found on previous models.

That being said, using the control dial to adjust focus on the CX500V isn't that bad, and it is certainly better than using a joystick, JVC's Laser Touch strip, or touchscreen buttons. The dial is good for making fine adjustments, but it takes a while if you're making major adjustments to focus (you have to rotate the dial numerous times to make wide changes in focal length). When adjusting focus, a small icon appears on the LCD with a numeric listing of the focal length (in meters). This numeric display isn't great—it doesn't have enough intervals—but it is better than nothing.

If you don't like using the control dial, you can also adjust focus on the CX500V using the LCD touchscreen. You can set focus manually by tapping (or holding down) on two different buttons. One button brings the focus closer, while the other allows the camcorder to focus on subjects that are farther away. We really don't like this method of focus adjustment because the touchscreen icons aren't very responsive and it is difficult to see whether your subject is in focus when your fingers and icons are covering half the screen.

There's another touchscreen focus setting that works very well, however. It's called Spot Focus and it allows you to tap the portion of the screen you want to bring into focus and the camcorder does so automatically. This system works seamlessly with Sony's touchscreen technology and it can also be used in conjunction with exposure in an option called Spot Meter/Focus.

**Exposure***(8.4)*


Like focus, exposure can be set manually on the HDR-CX500V using numerous methods—Spot Meter, using the control dial, and by pressing touchscreen buttons. Again, we feel the best method for adjustment is the control dial, as it allows you to quickly shift the exposure by simply rotating the dial (the dial is more apt for controlling exposure than focus). Unfortunately, you do have to go into the camcorder's menu to switch the dial to exposure control.

Setting the exposure using the LCD touchscreen is very similar to setting focus on the CX500V. You simply tap the two touchscreen buttons to make the image darker or brighter. We found this system a bit easier to use than the camcorder's manual focus, mainly because the screen produces a graphical display that shows you how much you've adjusted exposure. The camcorder offers 29 increments of adjustment with manual exposure (there are no numeric displays for these increments).

Spot Meter is exactly like Spot Focus except it adjusts exposure instead of focus. The Spot Meter/Focus option will make adjustments to both focus and exposure when you tap the LCD. The CX500V also has an AE Shift setting that allows you to control how the camcorder performs an auto exposure. You can shift the auto exposure from -4 to +4, with the lower values resulting in an under-exposed images and the higher values producing some over exposure.

**Aperture***(0.0)*


There is no manual aperture control on the HDR-CX500V. This doesn't mean the camcorder has a fixed aperture, it just means you cannot set the aperture value manually. When you adjust exposure on the camcorder it is likely the CX500V is altering its aperture, but you don't know how much or to what f-stop it is changing. Many manufacturers, including Canon, Panasonic, and JVC (on the GZ-HM400 only), offer some kind of manual aperture control on their high-end camcorders. It is a shame Sony hasn't joined the ranks by including this feature.

**Shutter Speed***(0.0)*


As with aperture, the HDR-CX500V does not have shutter speed control either. In fact, no consumer camcorders from Sony offer manual aperture or shutter speed control. You can turn on the camcorder's auto slow shutter (by engaging Low Lux mode), and a few of the CX500V's scene modes offer alternate shutter speeds—but none of these settings allow for manual shutter speed control. The camcorder has a shutter speed range of 1/8 to 1/725 of a second, but 1/8 is only possible in photo mode when using the Fireworks scene mode. For video recording, 1/30 of a second is the lowest shutter speed available (1/60 without Low Lux mode turned on).

Sony is really the lone duck amongst major camcorder manufacturers when it comes to not offering shutter speed. Some sort of manual shutter speed control is found on all high-end or mid-range models from Canon, Panasonic, JVC, Samsung, and Sanyo.

**White Balance***(7.5)*


Sony does include manual white balance controls on the HDR-CX500V. The camcorder has two white balance presets—Indoor and Outdoor—along with a One Push manual option. The manual option works well and is a pleasure to use. You simply point the camcorder at a white or neutral-colored object and press the manual button. Many camcorders have a similar 'one-push' style of manual white balance.

There's also a White Balance Shift setting on the CX500V that works exactly like the Auto Exposure Shift option. You can set the WB Shift from -4 (cooler, bluer tones) to +4 (hotter, redder tones). This can be a good feature to have, particularly if you can't perform a manual white balance and the auto white balance isn't working correctly under a specific type of light.

**Gain***(0.0)*


With no manual aperture or shutter speed control it should come as no surprise that the CX500V doesn't offer any manual gain options. Gain is probably the least common manual control found on consumer camcorders, but there are some high-end models that include the feature. Canon has an AGC limiter function on the HF S11, HF S10, and HF S100, and Panasonic offers full gain control on its models (but only once the aperture has been opened all the way).

**Color & Image Controls***(2.0)*


 

 

**Other Manual Controls***(3.5)*


 

 

Still Features

 

**Still Features***(10.38)*


The Sony HDR-CX500V doesn't have a huge set of still features, but it does have some basic ones. The camcorder touts a 12-megapixel still image capability, but its top native resolution is around 6.2 megapixels. This means the two highest image size options (4000 x 3000 and 4000 x 2250) are interpolated from a 2880 x 2160 image. A 6.2-megapixel capability is still quite good, although it is not as large as the native resolution you'd get even from a cheap digital camera. There are also numerous HD camcorders out there at offer native 8-megapixel and 9-megapixel still image resolution options (like the Canon HF S11, JVC GZ-HM400, and Sanyo VPC-HD2000).

The CX500V does have a built-in flash located just above the lens. The flash has a variety of settings including redeye-reduction and three brightness intensity options. The camcorder also has a 10-second self timer and 5 different photo size options in still image mode. You can capture still photos in video mode, but the images are limited to a 3840 x 2160 (8.2 megapixels) resolution when you're shooting HD video.

One of the more unique features on the HDR-CX500V is its Smile Shutter technology. The Smile Shutter will automatically snap a photo—even while video is recording—when a smile is detected within the frame. The feature actually works quite well at detecting smiles and you can even set the detection sensitivity to low, medium, or high. All of these 'Smile' features are only available if Face Detection is also activated on the camcorder.

There's nothing incredibly special about the photo playback setup on the HDR-CX500V. Still photos are arranged as small thumbnails and can be viewed in full-screen or output to a television via any of the camcorder's video-out terminals. You can also run slideshows on the CX500V and display photo data (like aperture and shutter speed) for a selected still image. The camcorder's GPS system can tag the locations of photos as well as videos.

 

**Still Color***(12.5)*


The HDR-CX500V did quite well on our still color accuracy test. In fact, it did better with color accuracy here than it did in our video color testing. The CX500V managed a color error of 2.8 with a saturation level of 101.9%. These are both excellent scores, and it bodes well for the CX500V's overall still image performance. (More on how we test still color.)

All of the camcorders in this set had very good color accuracy in their still images. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 (2.65 color error) produced the most accurate colors, although its numbers weren't that much better than the Sony. The JVC GZ-HM400 came in third (3.08 color error), followed by the Canon HF S11 (3.87 color error). As you can see below, each of these camcorders captures a detailed still image with solid colors. The Canon did appear to overexpose the image a bit, while the JVC did the opposite and underexposed its still image.

 

**Still Noise***(4.06)*


The noise levels on the Sony HDR-CX500V's still photos were okay, but they weren't anything spectacular. The camcorder averaged 0.87% noise in our still noise testing, which is less noise than the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400 measured in the same test. Still, this is more noise than the CX500V measured in our bright light video recording, so we expected better from the camcorder. (More on how we test still noise.)

 

**Still Sharpness***(6.9)*


Still sharpness is probably the most important of our still image testing because it gives you an idea of how much fine detail its photos are able to capture. In our testing, the Sony HDR-CX500V managed a horizontal sharpness of 1914 with 7.8% undersharpening and a vertical sharpness of 1676 with 10.6% undersharpening. These scores aren't bad, but they are a far cry from the 12-megapixel resolution (4000 x 3000 image size) Sony touts the camcorder as having. In reality, the camcorder has an effective pixel count of around 6 megapixels for still photos, which we talked about earlier in the Still Features section of this review. For a 6-megapixel camcorder, the CX500V's sharpness scores aren't bad. They are better than the Panasonic HDC-TM300 was capable of, although the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400—both of which have higher pixel counts—did better in this test.  (More on how we test still sharpness.)

 

Handling & Use

Playback & Connectivity

 

**Playback***(5.5)*


The HDR-CX500V has an interesting playback feature called Highlight Playback, which is also found on other 2009 camcorders from Sony. The feature automatically creates a short video—with transitions and music included—from the footage on the camcorder's internal memory or memory card. You can set what music you want the camcorder to play during Highlight Playback, as well as choose a date range of footage for the camcorder to pull from. Ah, but the best part is a new feature on the CX500V called Scenarios that allows you to save Highlight Playback clips so they can be played at a later date. The Sony HDR-XR520V and XR500V did not include this option. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any way to copy these Highlight Playback clips onto a computer, so the saved Scenarios will only last as long as the footage remains on the camcorder's internal memory or memory card.

Other playback features on the Sony HDR-CX500V are mostly standard. You can capture still images during video playback, create and add music to playlists, divide clips, and organize footage using a variety of criteria (including by location on a map if you shot your videos with GPS turned on). Video clips are arranged on the CX500V's playback screen as a series of thumbnails and you can select them to play at full screen. All VCR controls are located as touchscreen buttons, which isn't the best design. This means the VCR buttons take up a good portion of the screen when you are trying to watch your video. You can, however, change the display settings so videos play without any buttons or information displayed on the screen.

 

**Connectivity***(4.5)*


The right side of the camcorder has one port—the combo AV-out and Component-out port. This terminal can also connect with Sony-proprietary LANC and S-video cables. The port is well protected by a thick, hard-plastic door that flips down from the camcorder. Unfortunately the port is located exactly where you place your palm when holding the camcorder, so you can't really connect a cable to this terminal and strap the camcorder to your hand at the same time.

The rest of the camcorder's ports are located inside the LCD cavity, all tucked behind a large, pivoting door. This collection of ports include the HDMI terminal, USB port, and Memory Stick PRO Duo card slot. Since the door covering these ports doesn't open very far, there isn't a lot of room to connect cables here. Still, these ports are well protected by the thick, plastic door.

 

On the top of the camcorder is a hot accessory shoe that only fits Sony-proprietary accessories. The sliding cover that protects the shoe is the weakest door on the camcorder, and its sliding mechanism doesn't feel very sturdy. There's also the DC-input on the back side of the camcorder that is so well camouflaged it almost appears hidden. The port is covered by a rounded, sturdy door that takes the shape of the camcorder's base in order to make the port less obtrusive.

 

Lastly, the HDR-CX500V contains a GPS feature, which is found on all Sony 'V' models this year. The GPS tool can be used to keep track of where you shot your videos or photos and so you can organize them by location later. We discuss this feature more in the Other Features section of this review. Below is a listing of all the connectivity features found on the CX500V and its comparison models. Notice the lack of audio connection ports on the Sony compared to what is offered on the competition.

 

Audio & Other Features

 

**Audio Features***(3.0)*


Most strikingly, the Sony HDR-CX500V does not have an external microphone input or a headphone jack. These ports are usually commonplace on high-end camcorders, but with the trend of camcorders going more compact some manufacturers have decided to cut things like audio ports in order to save space. Still, we are disappointed to see the HDR-CX500V does not contain an external mic input or headphone jack. The larger Sony HDR-XR520V and XR500V do contain these ports, as do the high-end models from Canon and Panasonic (as well as the JVC GZ-HM400).

As for the audio features that are included on the HDR-CX500V, the camcorder contains a built-in Dolby Digital microphone. The mic can be set to record 5.1 or 2 channels of audio, and the microphone level can be switched between normal or low. You can also use a zoom mic option on the HDR-CX500V, which allows the built-in mic to focus the audio recording on the subject that is currently being zoomed into. Additionally, the CX500V can work with any Sony-proprietary accessory that fits into the camcorder's accessory shoe.

The table below lists the HDR-CX500V's audio features as well as those found on its comparison models. Notice how the three comparison models each include external microphone inputs, headphone jacks, and manual audio level controls—three things not included on the Sony HDR-CX500V.

 

**Other Features***(4.5)*


GPS (Global Positioning System)

You can tag your videos and photos using the HDR-CX500V's built-in GPS. This allows you to organize your clips by location or view your media on a map pinpointing where each clip was shot. Many Sony camcorders now include GPS (any camcorder with a 'V' at the end of the model number), although we haven't been overly impressed by the feature. Turning GPS on uses up battery life quicker, and it can take the camcorder quite a while to determine your location. Still, it can be useful if you're doing lots of traveling and want the camcorder to keep track of where you were when you shot your videos.

Disc Burn

On the inside of the LCD cavity is a DVD disc burn button that allows you to burn video directly to disc if you have a compatible DVD burner. Sony sells portable burners that work with the HDR-CX500V and connect via the camcorder's USB terminal.

Smooth Slow Record

A limited high-speed recording feature that allows you to shoot 3 seconds of video and turn it into 12 seconds of slow motion video. Smooth Slow Record shoots at 240fps (4x faster than regular 60i), but you can only shoot 3 seconds of video with the feature. The setting appears to be designed for shooting golf swings (it is represented by a golf swing icon), and you can set to record the three seconds before you hit the record button or the three seconds after. The feature produces better quality video than the slow-motion settings found on JVC's GZ-HM400 and GZ-X900, but it doesn't have as many options as those camcorders (the JVCs can record 120fps, 300fps, or 600fps).

Fader

You can put a white or black fader at the beginning or end of your clip.

 

Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison

The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is a good amount more expensive than the HDR-CX500V, but it is also one of the best performing camcorders of the year. In addition, the TM300 includes a lot more manual controls than the Sony, an electronic viewfinder, and a lens ring for making adjustments. Both camcorders have 32GB of internal memory and use touchscreen LCD systems.

While the Sony is the smaller camcorder here, it actually didn't feel as comfortable in our hand as the HDC-TM300. The Panasonic offered a smooth, rounded edge that fit in our palms with ease. As performance goes, the two camcorders were similar in many of our tests—like sharpness, motion, and bright light performance—but the Panasonic had an edge in low light. The TM300 also offers a 24p frame rate option called Digital Cinema mode.

The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is the better product here, and it is one of the best camcorders of 2009. We feel it is worth the extra $200 bucks, but the fact that the Sony does stand up to it quite well in our performance testing is impressive. Still, the extra features, smoother handling, and superior low light performance make the Panasonic HDC-TM300 the stronger choice.

Update: **The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.**

 

 

 

 

Canon HF S11 Comparison

The Canon HF S11 costs roughly $300 more than the Sony HDR-CX500V, but part of that extra cost is due to the 64GB of internal memory inside the Canon. A better comparison, based on price, would be with the Canon HF S10, which is identical to the HF S11 except that it includes 32GB of internal memory—just like the Sony HDR-CX500V. The HF S10 is only $100 more than the Sony, so the two camcorders are essentially in the same price range. You could also compare the Sony HDR-CX520V (64GB internal memory, $1299 price tag) with the Canon HF S11 instead. Either way, the Sony is $100 cheaper than the equivalent model from Canon.

Canon doesn't pack as many manual controls into the HF S11 as Panasonic puts in its high-end models, but it still has more offerings than the Sony HDR-CX500V. There's options for shutter speed and aperture control, as well as ports for connecting an external mic or headphones. We also like the way the HF S11 feels in our hand more than the Sony, although it is a good larger. Lastly, the Canon has a much better control dial than the CX500V—in fact, all these high-end models have better control dials than the CX500V.

Based on performance, we found the Canon HF S11 to be superior to the Sony in bright light, roughly equivalent to it in low light, and significantly worse when it came to stabilization. We feel that the Canon is the winner in this battle, despite the fact that it is a bit more expensive than the CX500V. These two camcorders are fairly close competitors, however, but the only strong benefit we see from the Sony is that it is easier to use and more compact (and it costs less).

Update: **The Canon HF S11 was ultimately selected as our 2009 runner-up for Camcorder of the Year (behind the TM300). To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.**

 

 

 

 

 

JVC GZ-HM400 Comparison

Even though they're both high-end camcorders with 32GB of internal memory, the JVC GZ-HM400 and Sony HDR-CX500V are actually quite different. While the CX500V is one of the most compact high-end models out there, the JVC GZ-HM400 is one of the largest. The JVC had impeccable results in our bright light testing, while the Sony did much better in low light. Despite the GZ-HM400's size, it did have a few handling features we liked—the large zoom rocker and front-mounted control dial, for example.

It is tough to pick a winner between these two camcorders, but we like the JVC because it is slightly cheaper and it had such good motion and sharpness performances. The Sony is the better camcorder, however, if you plan on doing lots of low light shooting or want a more compact model.

Update: **The JVC Everio GZ-HM400 was ultimately selected as our 2009 runner-up for Best Value of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.**

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Specs and Ratings

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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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