Sony HDR-UX1 AVCHD 4MP High-Definition DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

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Product Details

• Item Weight: 8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000GX43E0
• Item model number: HDR-UX1
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,612 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #42 in	Camera & Photo > Camcorders > Digital DVD
  #89 in	Camera & Photo > Camcorders > High Definition

• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 25, 2006

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

Record in high-definition and standard definition video directly to a DVD with the HDR-UX1 camcorder. Supporting a variety of DVD formats (-R/-RW/+RW and +R DL), you can easily and quickly record and share your videos and still images.

2.1-megapixel (gross) ClearVid CMOS sensor 1/3-inch ClearVID CMOS sensor with 1990K (effective) pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video (up to 1080 lines of horizontal resolution for HD; 530 lines of horizontal resolution for SD) and still-image performance. The Megapixel technology enhances your digital videos and digital still (3980K) photography performance.

DVD format video recording The DVD recording format, in both MPEG2 (SD) and AVCHD, delivers digital picture and sound quality comparable to that of MiniDV and high definition, but on DVD. Playback of these DVDs couldn't be simpler (depending upon the playback device used). After finalizing the disc in the camcorder, the disc can play back in most DVD Players (SD), computers, Blu- Ray Disc players and even PlayStation 3 video game consoles.

DVD-R/-RW /+RW compatible The HDR-UX1 is compatible with a variety of DVD formats allowing the ease of use and simplicity found in DVD media. With DVD+RW media there is not a need to finalize the disc (minimum recording required). Simply remove the disc and insert the media into a compatible DVD player.

10x optical/80x 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- Sonnar T* 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. The additional T coating on the lens further reduces unwanted glare and flare.

3.5-inch wide (16:9) touch-panel hybrid Clear Photo LCD Plus Display (211K pixels) The 3.5-inch wide (16:9) LCD screen provides excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution. The high resolution 211K pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles providing sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback, and the widescreen format makes shooting in 16:9 mode and composing shots even easier.

Enjoy 5.1-channel surround sound through the built-in microphone

Dolby Digital 5.1-channel recording The HDR-UX1 will record in Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound with a built-in microphone. By recording in 5.1-channel surround sound you can now experience your home movies with active sounds coming from all directions. Enjoy your personal home movies the way you experienced them while recording.

Smooth slow recording By increasing the record rate from 60 fields per second (fps) to 240 fps for 3 seconds allowing you to capture 3 seconds of fast motion and play the video back in 12 seconds. This is great for analyzing a golf swing or a viewing a bird in flight.

Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick Duo media Capture still images up to 2304x1728 resolution, directly onto Memory Stick Duo Media for easy transfer to PCs for emailing, printing or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick devices.

Convenient controls make it easy to switch to NightShot mode

Super NightShot Infrared System With Sony's 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.

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.

On-screen zoom and record buttons For additional control of the camcorder, the HDR-UX1 features zoom and record buttons on the frame of the LCD screen. This allows the user more flexibility when holding the camcorder, especially in overhead or low angle shots.

USB 2.0 interface USB 2.0 interface provides an easy way to connect your DVD Handycam Camcorder to the computer for fast transfer of video and still images to your computer for editing. The camcorder can also be used as an external DVD burner, convenient for making copies of your DVDs or burning edited movies.

One-touch wide-angle shooting Easily switch between 4:3 and 16:9 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.

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

Additional Features

• InfoLithium battery with AccuPower
• Meter system
• Manual focus
• Program AE (Auto Exposure) modes
• Picture effects
• Fader effects
• Battery information
• Easy Handycam button
• Multi-language menu

Note: Additional software may be required for use with Apple computers.

Product Description

Create high-definition DVDs directly from your camcorder with the HDR-UX1 Handycam . Supporting a variety of media formats, you'll call all the shots as you record every moment.Record every detail of every moment with the HDR-UX1 Handycam . Make high-definition DVDs directly from your camcorder with supported DVD-R/-RW/+RW and +R DL media formats. In addition, the HDR-UX1 features a 10x Optical/80x Digital Zoom and Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T Lens. Capture more than just video with the 4.0 Megapixel Still image feature and Dolby Digital 5.1ch Audio Recording. Once you've recorded your footage, you can easily transfer and share with complete composite, component, and USB 2.0 and HDMI connectivity. Capture, create, connect, and share in high-definition with the HDR-UX1.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best DVD camcorder out there., December 16, 2006

By	Film Reviewer (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

I have been researching the Sony HDR-UX1 camcorder and have found some information about it that will help those looking for a DVD camcorder. This camcorder is very similar to the highly rated Sony DVD-505 camcorder, except that it records in high definition. There is some confusion about how to play back the disks. I will attempt to explain.

[1] This camcorder records in high definition to mini-dvd disks using the AVCHD compression format. It will only playback in AVCHD capable DVD players (which will become common in the next couple of years), Blueray players have this capability, but from what I read you should not neccessarily need to get a blueray player, just one that can support the AVCHD compression codec. HD-DVD players may also be able to play these disks. These disks will also play on computer DVD drives with the bundled AVCHD software as well.

[2] You can playback the disk through the camcorder itself and hook it up to your high definition TV directly. So in effect the camcorder itself replaces the need for a blueray player to playback MiniDVD disks.

[3] If you want, you can also record in standard definition (just like the DVD 505) and play back the DVD on almost any DVD player, since the compression used is MPEG 2 for this and all DVD players are made for this.

So basically you have two camcorders in one. Standard definition or high definition. You can shoot in high definition, use the camera or your computer to view without the need to a blueray player. Or shoot in standard definition and view on a standard DVD player. The choice is yours.

[4] Some improved features of this camcorder are manual focus/zoom ring option for more control, Guideframes to compose your shots, 4 megapixel still image capability. You can hookup to your HDTV with component or HDMI connectors. Headphone Jack. Microphone Jack. Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Large high resolution 3.5 inch screen (same as DVD505 model).

[5] How much video can you fit on a disk? It took a while to find out this information, but here it is. In high definition, a dual layer DVD+R disk will hold 27 minutes in highest HD resolution, or in LP mode 60 minutes.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bargain at $799 !!!, December 16, 2006

By	LA Gadget Guy (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

I don't know how Amazon is able to sell unit this for $799. Not only is their price hundreds less than other retailers, they are throwing in a free ECMHW1 Bluetooth microphone. This represents an absolute bargain. I have purchased over $2k in cameras/camcorders and lenses from Amazon in the past 3 months and have been very satisfied at how quickly they ship. They are also trustworthy in that they ship factory sealed items. I am really impressed at how much the Amazon site has improved over the years.

Preface:

High definition quality is very detailed. It requires good camcorder technique. You have to have a very smooth panning technique or else your video will be choppy and stutter. Don't blame the camcorder as many others have on the internet. See my comments regarding IS below.

On to the review:


1. AVCHD- The HDR-UX1 is one of the first camcorders to be able to record in High Definition using the AVCHD format. You have only two options at this time in playing back video recorded in high defiiniton: 1. Playback by hooking up the camcorder directly to a tv 2. Install Sony's software to playback on a computer. WARNING !!!: The AVCHD software requires a very fast computer. My computer has 2 gigs of RAM, a 256 mb dedicated ATI video card, and a AMD Athlon 64 3500+ processor. I tried playing back AVCHD on my brother's computer (Sempron 2.2 ghz w/ 512 mb RAM) and the video was choppy and after 4 min of playback his computer froze. Video playback is quite smooth on my computer, but I can't wait till they release DVD players that are compatible with AVCHD files. Also, at this time there are no viable AVCHD editing options. This means you will have to leave the video that you shoot in tact. Not a problem for me since the last thing I want to do after a vacation is spend hours on the computer editing video.

2. Mini DVD+R DL support- This is the first Sony DVD camcorder that supports dual layer mini dvd. Only DVD+R or RW is supported. Using a DL mini dvd, recording time ranges from 27 to 60 mins in high definition and 35 to 110 mins in standard definition. If this is not enough recording time, consider the HDR-SR1 (hard drive based)or HC3 (mini dvd based). The DVD works fine for me. Here is how I use the camcorder: I shoot all video in high def. I then use the Sony software to convert my high def video to standard def. dvd. This way, I have a master high def dvd and another one to show friends and family.

3. Picture Quality- Imagine if you could shoot video that was as clear as the pictures taken by a SLR digital camera. That's what high definition video looks like. Absolutely breath taking!!! The pictures are so detailed and the colors so vivid. There has been a lot of talk on the net that the AVCHD format results in a lot of noise due to compression. I could no detect any noise or artifacts in the video that I shot outdoors (even cloudy conditions). However, there is some noise when shooting in low light conditions, but the quality is still very nice.

4. Battery life- This camera supports the included NP-FM50 battery (1.5 hours), optional NP-QM71D (4 hrs recording time,) and optional NP-QM91D (6 hours recording time)( extended batteries. These figures are very respectable and I like the fact that Sony used existing battery models.

5. LCD Screen- The screen is a 3.5" widescreen and is beautiful. My only complaint is that all controls are touch screen and I am always nervous that I will end up scratching the screen. Sony should have really included a plastic screen protector.

6. Jacks- This unit is full of jacks: Component video, hdmi, headphone, microphone, usb, etc. A component video cable is included, but no hdmi cable

7. Image stabilization- Sony dropped the ball here. The image stabilization is electronic and not optical. The HD pic quality is so detailed that it really requires optical IS. I feel that the IS system on this unit is a tad slow and could be more fluid. IIf you have good camcorder technique (e.g you don't wiggle the camcorder all over the place) then turn on IS. Otherwise, turn it off. Many people on the net have unfairly criticized AVCHD saying that video playback is choppy on their computers. I would bet you that in some cases the cause of the choppiness is the IS system trying to compensate for their poor video technique.

8. Handling-Definitely bigger and heavier than a mini dv camcorder, but is very nicely weighted.

9. Digital Stills- I haven't even tried shooting pics since I have a digital slr.

10. Misc- No shoulder strap is included and no starter dvd is included. What the heck is Sony thinking? No shoulder strap on a unit that retails at $1,399.99? Also, why not throw in one blank dvd so people can shoot video right out of the box.

Overall: Highly recommended at Amazon's price of $799 + free bluetooth microphone. Don't be scared off by the video compression rants on the internet. Unless, you are planning on using thing to shoot a Hollywood movie, you will be fine. If you are still hesitating in buying this unit, think of it as a standard definition camcorder with high definition capabilities throw in for free. Heck, this camcorder is only $70 more than the DCR-DVD505 camcorder (Sony's top of the line standard def dvd unit).

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great camera, negatives aren't so bad..., December 28, 2006

By	Kernman (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

There have already been a few well articulated reviews for this camcorder so I won't rehash the technical details of the camera. What I will do is caution you on over analyzing this product with what you read on the internet. Two sites, camcorderinfo.com and cnet.com do a pretty good job in their reviews of the HDR-UX1. But keep in mind that they are writing from the perspective of the tech junkie and/or semi-professional videographer.

I, on the other hand, am just your average consumer looking to take advantage of affordable HD technology with the purchase of my first camcorder. I have had my camera for a week and have put it through every conceivable test. The bottom line is that it is one of the best cameras I have ever used.

Most online reviews seem to focus on things like "noise" and "compression" issues. I saw none of that when playing back on my 42" Plasma HDTV. The HDMI port on the camera made playback a breeze. Just plug and play literally. The 5.1 channel built-in microphone was really cool too. While recording my dog in the yard, I whistled for him to come and recorded him running towards me. When I played it back on my TV, you could clearly hear my whistle on the back channel speakers of my home theater and hear the dog galloping towards me on the front speakers for a truly surround sound experience.

As for the picture, forget the negatives you hear about AVCHD. The compression worked just fine. It was clear, sharp and definitely in high definition. The video just popped off the screen beautifully and the colors where almost perfectly represented. I didn't see any "noise" that I had read about from other reviews on other websites. Even if you are a professional production company looking for a portable camera to use in the field, this one does the job.

Other features I really like that are not usually talked about are the night shot mode and the still camera ability. Night shot gives it that Desert Storm night vision look. Maybe it is just a novelty with no real practical use, but a really cool feature nonetheless. As for the built-in 4 mega pixel ability as a still camera...one word - impressive. Most people don't buy camcorders for their snapshot abilities, but for someone like me who hikes and mountain climbs regularly, I needed an all-in-one unit with good results. Again, using my dog as a subject I snapped off about 10 still images in different lighting conditions and zoom levels. I then downloaded them to my computer and printed them to my Epson Photo Printer at 8" x 12" on photo paper. I got perfect results. So not only do I have a top-notch camcorder, I have a very good digital still camera as well.

Finally, I agree that there are very few options for editing video at the moment. But that should be temporary. The software industry just has to play catch-up to the AVCHD technology. For now, you can do some basic clipping of video with the supplied software. But the ability to burn to standard DVD from the camera is simple and effective. I shot a quick 2-minute movie in high definition; connected my camera to the computer; uploaded the movie to my desktop; then simply right-clicked the file and clicked "Burn to DVD." The Sony software took care of converting it to a standard DVD and burned it all within about 5 minutes. The playback quality going from HD to standard DVD was the same as any DVD movie you rent at the local Blockbuster. In other words, it looked great and even carried over the Dolby 5.1 onto the DVD. Sure it wasn't a true 1080i recording like the original but even down-converting from the high def of the camera to a standard DVD that can be shared with friends and family was a simple process with great recording quality.

The only real negative I can see at this point is recording time and weight. Other reviewers have mentioned the short record time. I agree. Just 15 minutes for HD+ mode is too short, but keep in mind you can now buy dual layered mini DVDs that double that time. Also, just knock the record mode down to the HD-Standard or HD-LP mode (instead of HD+) and you get a few more minutes. I for one sort of expected short record times so I can live with it. I'll just make sure I always have a half-dozen or so blank DVDs in my camera case. The Sony HDR-SR1 might be a better option for you because it records 4 hours of HD video to a hard drive, but you still have upload to your computer and burn it to DVD if you plan on sharing it. The weight of the camera is pretty hefty by today's standards. My parents have a Canon DC40 and it is a feather compared to the HDR-UX1. I could hold the Canon up chest high and take video all day long, but with the Sony, you definitely know you're holding nearly 2 lbs. It's not a big deal, but for long hikes in the mountains when you're trying to record while walking and carrying a backpack, it can tire the shoulders out pretty quickly.

The last paragraph is probably the only reason I didn't give this camera 5 stars. Also, it's tough to give a perfect score to any first generation product. No doubt the technology for HD camcorder will improve quickly, but for now, I couldn't be happier with the purchase. A very nice product for the average consumer. Don't over-analyze the technical side of other reviews you might read on the internet.