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 (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0031RGL1Q
• Item model number: HDR-XR550V
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #408 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)

  #73 in

  Camera & Photo > Camcorders

• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 6, 2010

Product Description

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

33 of 33 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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice camera, great wide angle lens, excellent value, March 23, 2010

By	The Digital Guy "Mitch" (NY, USA) - See all my reviews

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

After waiting for nearly 2 months for the prices to come down, we finally took the plunge. We decided to replace our HDR-XR520v which we had purchased last year, because although and excellent camera, the lens was just not wide enough. We tried using wide angle converters, however no matter which one we used, the image quality was noticeably affected. So far we just love the XR-550v, the lens is soooo much better.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but could use improvement, May 19, 2010

By	Rick - See all my reviews

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

Pros:
* High quality video
* High quality still photos
* Internal hard disk drive, means no switching tapes
* Can use MemoryStick Pro Duo or SD memory cards
* Manual focus knob
* Small size

Cons:
* LCD touch screen still could use improvement
* I don't like that it turns on the moment you open the LCD panel
* No Firewire port, USB is much slower than Firewire for data transfer
* The GPS geotagging is limited to working only with the Sony software, which does NOT work with Macintosh. Geotagged photos are NOT recognized by iPhoto's "places" feature. Sony should have used real geotagging technology, instead of their proprietary geotagging which requires their proprietary software!
* The stupid thing is Sony took the time to include a Mac version of the Product Registration but NOT the software on the disk included with this camera.
* Doesn't include an HTMI cable, these things are cheap enough to supply one of Sony wanted to. I can buy an HTMI cable online for around $2-$3.

Overall, the video quality is good, but it leaves room for improvement.