Sony HDR-XR550V 240GB High Definition HDD Handycam Camcorder

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 6 x 4.5 inches ; 2.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0031RGL1Q
• Item model number: HDR-XR550V
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,750 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 6, 2010

Product Description

Capture stunning 1920 x 1080 high-definition video and 12 Megapixel still images with the HDR-XR550V, which employs an "Exmor R" CMOS sensor for superior low-light performance and a 240GB internal hard disk drive. Optical SteadyShot image stabilization with Active Mode and 3-way Shake Canceling enables you to capture remarkably smooth video from wide angle to full telephoto shooting.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Significant Upgrades over the XR500V, March 23, 2010

By 

Mark Stran "Marked and Stranded" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony HDR-XR550V 240GB High Definition HDD Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

The HDR-XR550V takes absolutely stunning HD video and stills. I owned the HDR-XR500V which I absolutely loved. In addition to all the great features on the HDR-XR500V, the HDR-XR550V includes an electronic viewfinder and also provides manual shutter speed control. It also offers a non-native 60p output option and in-camera standard definition downconversion. The latter is an especially welcome addition, giving users the ability to record and archive their footage in the highest quality, then export and edit with the smaller, more manageable MPEG-2 files.

Perhaps the most exciting new feature on the HDR-XR550V is the new memory card slot: a single slot that is compatible with both Memory Stick PRO Duo cards and traditional SD/SDHC cards. This new slot will be featured on Sony's entire Handycam lineup this year, giving users unprecedented flexibility in sticking with Sony's proprietary memory format or opting for the more univeral SD/SDHC cards.

I personally love the GPS tagging feature, although I wish it would offer more detailed maps.

The HDR-XR550V has increased hard drive capacity to 240GB, which gives me plenty of recording time.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great camera for the price, hard drive is awesome, June 7, 2010

By 

W. Savoy "W. Savoy" (Lafayette, Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony HDR-XR550V 240GB High Definition HDD Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

I bought this camera to accompany my other Sony Z1U which shoots HD on HDV tapes using the HDV compression. This camera records the newer AVCHD compression onto a 240 GB hard drive, which is absolutely awesome. Even at the highest quality setting, I could record over 1900 minutes before having to delete anything. And when you're ready to capture, simply hook it up with USB, and your computer recognizes it as a disc. To edit the footage, you will need to convert the footage into Apple ProRes or Apple Intermediate Codec (if using a Mac, of course). Macintosh can not, at the time of writing this, edit the AVCHD footage NATIVELY (i.e. without converting it). I hear the new Final Cut 8 which is coming out soon should be able to do it. For the Windows users, I have a friend who edits ACVHD using a Pinnacle System and he doesn't need to convert.

The quality is GREAT- actually is sharper and looks better than my Sony Z1U, which cost $5000 when I bought it 4 years ago. Go figure. I definitely recommend this camera. I bought it to experiment with the new codec and planned to return it, now I think I'm going to keep it as a second cam. I love not having to record to tape all the time. It's so easy to capture! Get one!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful camera, August 24, 2010

By 

Claudius - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony HDR-XR550V 240GB High Definition HDD Handycam Camcorder (Electronics)

I've had this camera for three months now and highly recommend it. The HD video quality (I only use the FX 24 Mbps mode) is stunning. I sometimes think the video is even more realistic looking than the actual scene being shot. I have added a Rode Stereo Video Mic and Vortex Warm Cards to good effect.

I would like to have more independent manual control over focusing, exposure, white balance, etc. It is possible to manually adjust these settings but there is only a small multipurpose rotary knob for this purpose. Also, you can't simultaneously adjust both aperture and shutter speed. A larger lens would be nice, native progressive mode framing, and XLR microphone inputs. In order to get these features, you would have to spend a few thousand dollars more.

I do have a quibble about the "12 Megapixel" still photos this camera is supposed to be able to shoot. Something is missing in them. The stills even lack the depth and vibrancy of the HD video the same camera produces. My wife's 3.3 megapixel camera (a Sony) produces much better stills. It wouldn't bother me a bit if Sony had simply not included a still photo option.