Sony HDR-SR8E HD Camcorder

To capture that fantastic moment that only happens once in a while or once in a lifetime you will need something special - Sony’s HDR-SR8E HD Camcorder is just the thing you need with 100GB you will hardly run out of space to record or capture your favorite moments.

The ultra-compact, stylishly-designed AVCHD HDD Handycam with ClearVid CMOS Sensor, x.v.Colour and Carl Zeiss? Vario-Sonnar?T* lens. Featuring 100GB HDD, it records 1080i HD movie for up to 38 hours.

The HDR-SR8E is one of the best in Sony’s Handycam range. Its huge hard disk means it can store up to 38 hours’ worth of 1080i AVCHD Hi-Def video, accompanied by Dolby Digital surround sound. For playback, you can connect straight to your HD ready TV via the supplied HDMI cable to allow you to enjoy true HD quality.

Like its SR7E sibling, the SR8E uses Sony’s latest 1/2.9in CMOS, rather than the 1/3in unit of the original SR1E, the HDR-HC3E and the more recent SR5E. This increases raw pixel count from 2.1 Mpixels to 3.2 Mpixels, which might seem like a good thing in a high definition camcorder. But 2.1 Mpixels is already adequate to capture the full resolution of 1,440 x 1,080 video, at least in theory. So the main recipient of the extra pixels is the still image ability, with the maximum size for digital photos increasing to 2,848 x 1,602 from 2,304 x 1,296 in 16:9 mode, and to 2,848 x 2,136 from 2,304 x 1,728 in 4:3 mode. The latter is how Sony manages to claim 6.1 Mpixel stills for the SR8E. This may not quite compete with the latest 7 Mpixel digital cameras, but it’s close enough that you may well use the SR8E for photos as well as video on a regular basis.

With a price tag of roughly ?850 ($1700) it is a bit pricy but you can look else for other competitiors and i’m sure you will see that the price for the Sony HDR-SR8E is reasonable.

Specifications:

* 1080i High Definition recording (AVCHD Format)
* Up to 38 hour High Definition recording on 100GB internal HDD
* Carl Zeiss? Vario-Sonnar? T*
* ClearVid CMOS Sensor for optimum picture quality
* x.v.Colour mode for more vivid, lively and true colour
* Quick browsing with new intelligent search functions: Film Roll Index, Face Index, Highlight Index
* 6.1 Megapixel still image recording and 4.3 Megapixel Dual Rec while recording movies
* Super SteadyShot (Optical)
* 10x optical zoom / 20x digital zoom
* Assignable dial for manual functions
* STAMINA up to 5 hours 55 minutes (with optional battery using view finder)
* 2.7″ Wide, “Clear photo LCD plus” screen with touch panel
* Dolby Digital 5.1ch Creator for Surround sound recording with built in microphone
* Smooth Slow Rec mode for advanced slow motion footage
* 2nd Start / Stop REC and zoom button on LCD frame
* Easy-to-use Home menu and Guide function
* HDMI output for HD ready TV
* Hi-speed USB 2.0 (input / output)
* Battery Info
* Auto Lens Cover

Please be aware that the features/specifications can differ from country to country.