Ever since I was a kid I’ve had a penchant for photography.  I started with an old Brownie box camera and through the decades have worked myself up to a mid-range DSLR.  Or… it was mid-range when I got it 13 years ago, now it’s pretty much an antique.  But, it has served me well.

I always figured that my next step would be a new(er) high end DSLR.

Video has been a curiosity for me, but I’ve not done a lot with it.  I enjoy the videos I see on the internet of people and pets doing silly things, but never really considered joining in.  Quite recently, Marie suggested that I reconsider.

I did some homework and decided on a Sony Handycam HDR-CX220.  There are fancier models out there, but for what I will be doing I’d be paying more for features I wouldn’t use.  There are cheaper brands and models out there, too… but reviews from several places on the web proved discouraging about reliability and/or picture quality.  This one seems to do what I want to do, and do it well, for a reasonable cost. That’s called “value”.  (Especially since when we bought it there was a $50 manufacturer’s instant rebate in effect… BONUS!)

What I Like About the Sony Handycam

The thing that amazed me the most is the camera’s size: it’s so small!  It literally fits in the palm of my hand.  When I’m not using it I can slip it into a pocket of my pants (the baggy casual pants I wear around home: not so much with dress slacks or tight jeans) and have it at hand all the time.  Which means it’s much more likely that I’ll use it.  Having to run to another building, dig out a camera, pop in a battery and set it up pretty much shuts down taking spontaneous videos.  If I planned to do professional video shoots it would be another matter.

I have used video equipment before.  I have a Sony camcorder that a relative gave us when he upgraded.  When we got it I was amazed at its compact size and light weight compared to my last video recorder: a VHS model with a periscope sticking out the side.  That monster must have weighed 10 pounds.  I felt like someone from a TV news crew walking around with that thing on my shoulder.

What really prevented me from using either of these very much was that they were both tape based, therefore editing raw footage into something polished required extra equipment or having the tapes digitized so I could edit them on my computer.  More time, trouble and expense than it was worth for the silly little home videos I dabbled with.  So, Steven Speilberg… your job was safe, trust me.

I’ve only had this Sony Handycam a few days so I can’t say much about longevity but I am impressed with the picture quality and ease of use. It offers two resolution settings: 60 FPS (frames per second) interlaced or 60 FPS progressive. The 60i setting produces video recommended for use on the web.  But the pictures are still crisp and full colored with no pixilation (that blocky distortion that really low res videos get).  The 60p setting is for watching at home on an HD TV or burning to blue-ray disk.

All the set-up and selections are done using a small joystick type button on the LCD viewer panel.  The controls that are used while filming are all right here: The Record/Pause button is on the back under my thumb, the zoom control on top under my middle finger and there’s a still shot button behind that for snapping stills even while shooting video.

My first thought when I discovered that was, “Yeah, uh-huh: those are gonna be some *great* photographs…” but I’m fairly impressed with them.  Not what you get from a good DSLR, but at least as good as we get from any of our “pocket” cameras.  There is no flash, but there is a low-lux setting for shooting or snapping in dim environments.

It has a USB cable built into the hand strap that lets me very quickly connect to my computer to transfer pictures and videos – and recharge the battery off the computer.  Or I can use a USB adaptor to plug it into a wall socket.  This adaptor is sold separately, but I just borrow the one from my Kindle or one of the pocket cameras we have, they all work fine.

This model does not have built-in memory, so I needed to buy an SD memory card.  I got a 32 gig card that will provide me with more space than I normally need.  I can also transfer video and photos to my computer by simply removing the SD card and sliding it into the reader in my laptop.  Sony cautions against this as it could mess up the cameras media database.  They prefer you use their free Play Memories Home software to manage your media.

It does have a tripod socket and the LCD panel will pivot over to face the front so if I had any desire at all to video myself I could.  It also has a DC in port (a DC adapter is sold separately) and a mini-HDMI port (cable included) for connecting directly to an HDTV.

My only negative observations so far are the lens cover and the battery.

The lens cover is a hatch that snaps open or closed, via a slidy thing on the side of the camera body, to protect the Carl Zeiss lens.  And it works well.  If I forget to open it, a notice shows up on the LCD screen.  If I forget to close it, well… too bad.  Finding a way to activate the lens cover when I open and close the LCD panel would be far more convenient and secure for the lenses.  I’m forgetful.

The camcorder came with an FV30 battery.  It’s a lithium ion battery and provides about an hour of shooting time.  Quite sufficient for piddling around home.  It takes about 3 hours to charge it again when fully depleted.  Were I ever to go on a trip and want to record parts of it I’d buy an aftermarket kit with two much larger batteries (FV50 at least, probably FV70) and a charger base that works in the car or a hotel room.  I’d also get at least one extra SD Card, just in case I filled up the first one.

So far I am quite pleased with my new little toy and have shot a bunch of really useless sequences of dogs playing and Marie vacuuming oh, and this one I put up on [Facebook].

This was done using Windows Movie Maker software.  There is no way to turn the sound OFF in the camcorder and I didn’t know how to remove it with software so inserting a consistent backtrack of music was not possible this as it would compete with the native sound track.

UPDATE

I have since learned more about the software and have done some with musical backgrounds.  I just have to be careful about copyrights: most video sharing platforms yell at me if I use commercial music.

To see the videos I have produced with this camera visit my  Vimeo Channel.

Updated update

When my first Handycam died, I was impressed enough with it to buy another.  This time I got the HDR-CX405.  This model has solved the bulky battery issue and uses a micro-film card, which is about the size of my thumbnail.  With an adapter, it can still be read just like an SD memory card: just slip the micro and into the SD-like adapter and slip the adapter into your film card reader.  Performance specs are better too.  Bottom line: I’m still happy with my Sony Handycam.