Sony DCR-SR62 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included)

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Product Details

• Item Weight: 8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000M3JQIW
• Item model number: SR62
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,047 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)

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  Camera & Photo > Camcorders > Hard Disk Drive

• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 18, 2005

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

With a 30 GB built-in Hard Disk Drive, the DCR-SR62 lets you capture up to 20 hours of stunning video (in LP mode) with the 1-megapixel CCD. A 2.7-inch LCD widescreen touch-panel Hybrid LCD monitor offers total control over every detail, while the one-touch disc burn feature makes it simple to share it all with the touch of a button.

DCR-SR62 Highlights

1-megapixel Advanced HAD CCD imager The 1/6-inch Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 690K effective video pixels provides stunning detail and clarity, for exceptional video (up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution) and still image performance. Realize great-looking digital still images with 1,000k effective pixels.

25x optical/2000x digital zoom The optical zoom helps to bring the action close up from far away. In addition, the Digital Zoom interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms.

Professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario- Tessar lens Carl Zeiss lenses have an advanced optical multi-layer coating for increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation and perfect renditions of subtle tones.

Handycam Station included Simply placing the camcorder on the supplied Handycam Station cradle provides quick connections to a compatible TV for viewing or a PC for editing and sharing, all while charging the battery so your camcorder is always ready to go.

2.7-inch widescreen touch-panel LCD The 2.7-inch 16:9 LCD screen provides excellent viewing clarity. The high-resolution 123K pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles and provides sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback. Widescreen format makes shooting in 16:9 mode and composing shots even easier.

Memory Stick Duo media slot Capture still images up to 1152 x 864 resolution directly onto Memory Stick Duo media for easy transfer to PCs and emailing, printing, or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick media devices.

One-touch wide-angle shooting Easily switch between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios for shooting, with just the touch of a button.

Progressive shutter system A mechanical shutter system that provides progressive-scan performance while utilizing an interlaced scanning system. Digital still images will be sharp and clear with excellent definition.

Super SteadyShot picture stabilization system An advanced version of Sony's SteadyShot system that controls an even higher range of shake and vibration frequencies, to achieve an even higher level of smoothness without degradation of video like some other image stabilization systems.

USB 2.0 interface USB 2.0 interface provides an easy way to connect your Hard Disk Handycam Camcorder to the computer and fast transfer of video and still images for editing. The camcorder can also be used as an external storage device, convenient for archiving, storing and trasporting your videos and still images.

DVDirect compatibility The DVDirect system allows for easy transfer to a stand-alone DVD burner via USB 2.0. The VRD-VC30 allows for easy transfer of video for DVD Burning. While the VRD-MC3 allows for seamless transfer of both video and still images for archiving on a DVD.

Easy PC backup Easily back up your footage to your PC using the supplied software. The footage will be stored on your PC's hard drive for archiving purposes and viewing at a later time; the footage is stored by date, allowing for quick access. In addition, only new footage is transferred to your PC each time you backup your footage.

One-touch disc burn Easily burn a DVD copy of your footage using the supplied software. Simply connect you DCR-SR62 to your PC via the Handycam Station and supplied USB cable and press the One-Touch Disc Burn button.

HDD Smart Protection A unique Shock Absorber protects the Hard Disk Drive from physical damage if the unit is dropped. When the 3G Sensor detects a drop (loss of gravity), the power to the Hard Disk Drive is turned off in order to prevent damage, during this time the DCR-SR62 remains powered on and recording video to the built-in buffer. Once the unit has recovered from the drop the buffer is then recorded to the Hard Disk Drive.

Active interface shoe Provides a location directly on the camcorder to which one may add optional accessories while providing power and two-way communication with those accessories.

Super NightShot Plus infrared system With Sony's Super NightShot infrared system, you can capture natural-looking video, even when shooting in low light. Record subjects up to 20 feet away using the built-in infrared system, but without the overall monochrome color common with earlier low-light recording systems.

Additional Features

• Manual focus
• On-screen zoom and record buttons
• Scene selection modes
• Picture effects
• Fader effects
• InfoLithium battery with AccuPower meter system
• Battery information
• Easy Handycam button
• Tele Macro function
• Multi-language menu

Product Description

The DCR-SR62 Handycam camcorder takes you into the next generation of video cameras. The industry-leading Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens reduces glare and flare while capturing incomparable detail. Easily transfer and share your videos by simply connecting the DCR-SR62 to the included Handycam Station and burn a DVD with a single click. Now, it's easier than ever to capture and enjoy your memories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

102 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great "Handycam" - but my experience is relative, May 10, 2007

By	P. D. Bigio (Summit, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great video camera, it feels light, compact, neatly put together, and there should be no doubt about it, its a Sony product - they are all like this! However, I couldn't tell why this camera was better than DCR-SR40, or DCR-SR42 - which are at most $200 cheaper. So I had to call Sony Sales to have them explain to me that this camera DCR-SR62 has a VIDEO resolution which is 3 times better than DCR-SR42. If you go to the Sony website you find that DCR-SR62 offers 670K Pixels, while DCR-SR42 offers only 260K Pixels. This pixel increase made the decision clear for me since I didnt care about the decreased Zoom for DCR-SR62 (25X and not 40X as DCR-SR42).

A few other things to consider:
This camera is so easy to use - it doesnt need the EASY Button feature that it offers (except for the fact that the Easy Button is the only way that I was able to get the Image Stabilization Feature).

The camera doesn't bring its own case, or light - you would need to buy those, and cost around $40 for each.

Finally, there probably is another camera (JVC, Panasonic)out there that offers the same basic features as this camera, 30gb, stabilization, battery time etc. Since you are buying the camera on Amazon and don't get to try the camera features, you should make your decision upon the video resolution they offer. Look for Actual Video resolution information in the company's websites or call the company's sales department. The range of resolution for this price should be somewhere between 300-700K, 700 being the best resolution.

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good starter camcorder, June 13, 2007

By	Gary W. Mccullough "drjhawk" (Andrews, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first Sony product I remember was a reel-to-reel tape recorder my mother purchased nearly 50 years ago. It may be biasing my review, but I've always trusted Sony products since then. So when I was looking for a start up camcorder, I naturally started my search with...JVC??? Yeah, I saw the entry level JVC hard drive camcorder at Best Buy. I liked the way it felt in my hand, and the price was about $100 less than the comparible Sony. (Thoughts started percolating in my mind that Sony must be better to be able to charge more for roughly the same camera.) So for the next couple of weeks I was doing my homework. Checking out online reviews (nearly useless), comparing specs and prices. First off, online reviews by people that have bought the product (like me?) are biased by the fact they bought it. I don't want to admit I spent $600 for a piece of junk (I didn't). So reviews like the one you are reading right now, need to be taken with a "grain of salt." So what can I add to the conversation that hasn't already been said?

First, Macintosh users CAN download and manipulate clips from this camera, despite what others have said. Get MPEG Streamclip, a free download from the Apple website, and QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback ($20 from the Apple Store online). When you attach the camera to your Mac, the camera appears as a hard drive. Click and drag the clips from the camera to your computer. Open Streamclip and convert the clips to DV (under the File menu). You can then use iMovie to put the clips together with typical Mac ease-of-use and a few special effects, transition effects and even import music from iTunes. If you want to get a little more advanced, buy Quicktime Pro ($40 from the Apple store).

Second, the Sony SR-62 is point-and-shoot. My wife has a high-end Canon 35mm digital SLR and is spending money, hand over fist, for accessories. I have a Kodak Easy Share I picked up at a big box retailer. I want to record what is happening to me right now. Last year on a road trip to Alaska, a grizzly bear ran across the road ahead of our vehicle. I was the only one to get a picture of it. So when I was looking for a camcorder, I wanted a model that would catch the action. Maybe someday, down the line, I'll turn into a video geek and need a better camera. But this summer I'm riding my Goldwing through the Rockies to Canada and back. I want to capture the depleted glaciers at Glacier National Park, the wildlife in the Colorado mountains, and the interesting people I always meet on my motorcycle tours.

Third, the camcorder will record 30GB on the harddrive. You can drag along your laptop (ugh) to download the clips. OR, I found this handy little device called the Hitch. It's a USB transfer device that acts like a little computer and will transfer files from one USB device to another. I plug the camcorder into the left (input) side, and a DOS formated harddrive into the output (right) side. It only works with DOS (FAT-32) formated memory. I have a Maxtor 60GB One-Touch. Despite that fact it is formated for a Wintel machine, Macintosh computers can read and write to that format. (It isn't that Mac's aren't compatible with Wintel, it's just the oppposite.) So now I have 21 hours of high quality digital video (according to Sony) that I can record while on vacation. If that doesn't prove to be adequate, I can stop by a Staples, Best Buy, Office Depot, etc., and pick up another Maxtor One-Touch.

Fourth, it is a Sony, and that goes back to my childhood memories of a product that was reliable until it was lost in a house fire. You can't take this part of the review any more seriously than the rivalry between Ford and Chevy types. But I like it. It feels good in my hand. The screen has many of the controls for the camera on it, so I can make adjustments while still keeping my eye on the scene. Some people have criticized this feature because you get finger smudges on the screen. But I've found that using the tip of my fingernail is more accurate and doesn't leave a smudge.

So, is this the perfect camcorder. No, it doesn't exist. But it works well for me. I'm having fun making videos of my wife, my students, my life.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for the portability, but you can get better picture from other Camcorders, July 31, 2007

By	Juan F. Sanchez (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First of all I really need to say that this is a really nice camcorder depending on what you like.

Pros: This is highly portable. You cannot beat the size, it is like carrying a picture camera. If you buy one of the larger batteries you can record non stop for about 12hrs in low def. mode. You can actually store about 20hrs of video. The larger battery charges in about 1hr and it is ready to go again. The video quality is not the best, but it is not bad either. Once you have the software set up in your computer, the upload to the computer takes about a couple of minutes depending on how much video you have. It is a lot faster than the capturing of Hi-8 and DVD camcorders. The software is really easy to use and to the point. The nightshot plus function is awesome in low light situations. This little camera is one of the best in low light settings for a hardrive camera. The only way that you can get a better video quality in low light setups in a harddrive camcorder is to buy the high definition camcorder that cost over a thousand dollars. For the price it is really nice. Also, you will never need to buy extra media for your camcorder, you don't have to worry if you are going to be able to find the media on vacation.Even when other media will go out of stile, such as HI-8 and eventually DVD, your memories are in digital format. In the future you will have no trouble tranferring all of your videos from digital format in your computer to blu-ray or HP's high definition disks. If you plan to be gone on vacation for a several weeks you could easily fit 20 hrs of video into your camcorder, forget about taking 5-10 extra accessories. Did I mention that it is next to weightless?

Cons: The video quality is lower than even Hi-8 digital camcorders. The cheapest, best picture comes from camcorder that record to DVD. I will use this camcorder for small outings, camping and where I'm not too interested in incredibly sharp images. Like I mentioned above, the video quality is good, just not as good as other currently available camcorders. I plan to keep using my Hi-8 camcorder every time I'm interested in higher video quality. Another bad thing is that the battery included with the camcorder only gives you about 1 hr. 40 min. of recording time and then you have to recharge it. (I highly recomend the purchase of the bigger battery). Here is another thing that is a little bit annoying: every time that you pause recording, the camcorder "chops" the video. Let me explain what I mean, when using a HI-8 or a DVD camcorder and you pause, then the media pauses and it does not "chop" the image. Those will only "chop" the image when you shut down the camcorder (instead of pausing) and then begin recording again later. This will be significant when you tranfer your video to DVD from your computer. When you transfer all you capture videos to DVD, every time you paused recording you will have a pause in the DVD. This is not so on HI-8 or DVD, where the video usually flows flawlessly unless you have shut down recording and started new. Here is another thing that I believe Sony could have done better, the video quality is not as good as others, but certain video editing software can increment the video quality, at least as the DVD burning goes (such as NERO 2007), sadly the Sony software does not. In other words the Sony software will give you a nice video burning, but NERO 2007 will give you a better one. (Here I again bring back the comment that the video quality is not as good as HI-8 and DVD camcorders).

I give the camcorder a 3 stars out of 5 because I really like it, but it was well below my expectations. I decided to keep it since I don't have to buy any more media for it. The video quality is good enough for my every day use, special occassions I will use my HI-8. If you don't mind having a little bit lower video quality, this is the one for you.