Sony HDR-SR11 10.2-MP 60GB High Definition Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I bought the SR-11 here from Amazon. Got it in time 2 head straight 2 my son's basketball game literally right out of the box (I had bought an extra battery that was fully charged).

Programed the date/time, no prob. Then just started shooting the game (My son scored 31 pts..and we won!) I recorded in the HD just so I could see what it was like (plus it was by default set on that). Got home found the cables & plugged into the HD TV & it looked fantastic. Played back fine.

Then 4 the next test- iMovie & Final Cut Express... It mounted 4 iMovie & I was able 2 bring in the footage. I made a 25 minute highlights show. Went fine. At one point, had a little glitch when in the editing area the filmstrips weren't visiable, but you could tell they were still there because the pointer would show the dates/time of the shots. I know this may not be clear, but I think it happened due 2 me taking 80% of the footage & dragging it into the project window at one time. iMovie suggested I not, but I did. It was OK.

iMovie changes the file type so that it is not HD. I don't know much about the technical side of all that.

So I thought I would try 2 see the HD footage by importing & saving it with Final Cut Express (I don't own Pro.) I am not familiar with Final Cut Express only bought it so I could do slow mo because iMovie can't, but haven't used it once. I read a bunch around the forums, etc. & learned FCE will recognize the camera as "unknown" & it clips with the "Log & Transfer" (which I had no clue what it was). I really just wanted 2 get the HD footage on one of my backup drives 2 save (it was my son's career high pts).

FCE did see it with the Loop & Transfer. I really didn't know what I was doing, but started "saving" the clips in its original format, except I understand, it is "converted" 2 Apple Intermediate Codex...so something like that..read around you'll see info on this. The point is supposedly the file sizes increase. Bottomline line....it worked, BUT the file sizes are huge! I mean something like a 17 second clip is like 200 MG file.

I am thinking about getting Sony's DVDirect/Recorded/Blu-ray Disc Player & not using the computer 2 "save' the files at all. Also, I understand, if I shoot in "standard" mode & have HD files on the camera's harddrive , there are some problems...don't know the details...had something 2 do with either retrieving the files or the quality.

I am going 2 shoot footage in "standard" mode. The file sizes are smaller & I can use it easliy with iMovie.

Anyway, sorry 4 the typos & poor sentences....but that is where I am after 36 hours of owning this camera. Oh yeah, the software won't load on a Mac, fyi.

One a 1-5. I'd say a 4. The quality is excellent (of the footage). It is just I am not a "video" guru...the different file types, etc. & it is a little bit of a hassle not being able 2 work in it & save it as a native file (which isn't practical anyway due 2 the huge files, unless you are a professional, but 4 the average Joe- we have 2 figure out how 2 save the HD files, which is why I am looking at the Sony DV Direct. Burn them in HD 2 DVD & them take the footage 2 the Mac & then save it as a standard non-HD file type 2 play with in iMovie.

Hope this helps. I like the camera. The little face boxes are pretty cool when you are shooting footage at a basketball game. So, far I am pleased.

Bought both cameras 2 compare. Everybody seems 2 think that these two are the top consumer cameras 2 look at. I'll probably agree. Between the two cameras, I ended up choosing the hf10. Simply put, I was expecting the sr11 2 perform better at 60i in low light(30-60 lux) based on online reviews. It was definity brighter with auto. However, If you turn up the exposure on the hf10 (in 60i) you could match the brightness of the sr11. Turning up the exposure on the hf10 also made the color saturation increase in low light 2 where the hf10 was slightly better than the sr11.

Another expectation based on reviews was 4 the sr11 2 have less noise in the same low light range. This is partly true. What they don't tell you is the type of noise. Sure there is less noise, but it is large
chroma noise. It is easily seen on any tv or monitor from normal viewing distance. Medium 2 dark objects in a 17 x 17 2 story room lit with 4 100w bulbs off a ceiling fan all had very noticable color blotches. The hf10 in the same room produced more noise but it was much finer & it was more of the lumanence type. The noise was definitely more pleasant on the hf10 & you would not really notice it at normal viewing distance on a tv.

The last expectation I had was 4 the sr11 2 produce better skin tones than the hf10. I have a sony vx2000 which I think produces very pleasant skin tones in the low light. Manual white balanceing both the sr11 & hf10 shows that the skin tones look about the same with neither looking better than the other at all in low light (same room conditions as discribed above.) The "peachy" skin tones of the vx2000 was more pleasant than either of these cameras but it is not an HD camera.

Outside, hf10 had a sharper image that is slightly more colorful on most colors except green. The sr11 does make greens look more saturated. The hf10 simply looks more clear however. Its raw performance is better in bright conditons.

Now the down side. My biggest gripe on the hf10 is the auto mode. It tends 2 underexpose-especially in low light but also applies outside in the shade. You constantly have 2 increase the exposure 2 make it look right in low light-many times adding 3 steps of additional exposure. On the lcd screen, some times it has 2 look a little over exposed 2 get the recorded video too look right. Fortunely, the recorded video has more detail in the over blown highlights than the built in lcd screen shows. The sr11 has the advantage where you can shift the auto mode 2 your liking. As an example, you can add 1 exposure level & it will keep that 4 all its auto exposure calculations. You can not do that with the hf10. You have 2 manually control it all. The controls are about the same 4 me except that the sr11 can use a LANC tripod. Handheld, the cam dial of the sr11 is smooth but it firm enough 2 where the camera will move when you use it. The joystick of the hf10 really isn't any better.

All in all, the hf10 has a greater potential 2 create better quality video in all lighting (including shooting at 60i) but requires more effort. You do have 2 turn up the exposure manually & manually white balance 2 achieve all this however. I actually wanted 2 like the sr11 because of LANC capability but once I manually set the exposure & white balance of both cameras in low light, my choice was easy. I could not accept the larger blotches of color noise & imagine it would not be very pleasant 2 record an evening wedding in a church. If you just want 2 point & shoot, then the sr11 is 4 you. If you are willing 2 adjust the camera, I think it is clear that the hf 10 is better. I don't want it 2 sound like a one sided review but I invite everyone 2 compare the cameras yourselves as I have done. There are too many times when the reviews are misleading. The sr11 is clearly better than consumer cameras
from the past, but if you don't mind setting a couple of parameters manually, the hf10 is clearly better when it comes 2 video quality. And 2 me, thats what matters.

This is the best camcorder I have ever owned (camcorders I have owned: one Hi8 mm Sony, one Hi8mm Canon, Two miniDV JVCs, one hard drive HD Sony--SR5). I believe the best way 2 evaluate a product is by comparison --- of course one cannot compare "apple 2 orange". Before I bought the SR11 two weeks ago, I bought a Canon HG10. The canon is also a hard drive HD. I was very disappointed by the Canon. The Canon HG10 video quality (resolution & color) was just slightly better than my JVCs (miniDV digital standard definition) & much worse than my almost two-year-old Sony SR5 (also hard drive HD, the SR5 also produces excellent HD videos). Although the Canon has many more other features (e.g. a wide range of shuttle speed, 24p, etc), I returned the Canon because 2 me, video resolution, color saturation & low light performance (to be fair, Canon HG10's low light performance was excellent) are the most important elements of a camcorder. I did not think the manual shuttle speeds are important 4 a video camera although I do believe they are important 4 a still camera. In terms of 24p, although many reviewers stated they like it, I don't think it makes much difference after trying it on the Canon HG10.

I bought the SR11 after returning the Canon HG10 & I am totally satisfied with the SR11. The SR11's video quality is amazingly good---extremely high resolution & vivid color. It has everything you need 4 excellent quality HD family videos in every event of daily living including low light situation.

I did not expect a camcorder can produce good still pictures but the SR11 surprised me. The still pictures taken by this camcorder are also very good although they cannot compare 2 my Nikion D80 DSLR. I would not use the SR11 as the primary device 4 still picture but I will definitely have no problem with using it 4 still pictures when my Nikon is not around.

The SR11 has exceeded my expectation. I highly recommend this camcorder 2 anyone.

The software came with SR11 can do only limited editing but this is in line with the industry standard (i.e. feature of software came with other brands). I use Pinnacle 12 Plus 4 editing. However, the AVCHD disc burn by Pinnacle was not recognized by the AVCHD player software came with the SR11. This same disc can be recognized/played by the other AVCHD player I installed in my computer. I am contacting Pinnacle trying 2 figure out what the problem is. If you buy the SR11 & don't have an editing software & want 2 invest in one, perhaps Sony Vegas is the way 2 go.

I love love love my new camcorder. I can take pictures & video at the same time. It does so much better at night than my old camcorder. It is easy 2 use & I just love it.

I like sony camcorder product, this one is very good but very expensive. It's small enough 2 carry around, but somehow the image stablizer doesn't work very well. I haven't check out all the features & monkey with any set up yet, so maybe after I look over the manual & actually set up the camera right, then I wouldn't have the shaking problem. Over all, you can't go wrong with this one.

Shoot video & still photographs like a pro. Sony's HDR-SR11 Handycam camcorder has everything you need 4 a superior video & photo experience. Its Face Detection technology, made possible by the ClearVid CMOS sensor (with Exmor technology) & BIONZ image processor, helps make sure people look their best in videos & photos. Capture extremely detailed video in Full 1920 x 1080 High Definition resolution, as well as stunning 10.2 megapixel still photos. The camcorder records directly 2 a built-in 60GB hard drive or your choice of removable Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO Duo media.