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You should seriously take a look at the cropped images below, though, as they tell a much better story than these noise percentage numbers. More on how we test low light noise. Judging by the images above, the Sony HDR-CX produced one of the best combinations of a sharp and noise-free image of the mid-range camcorders we've reviewed.
The Canon HF R11 offers better sharpness, but its image shows a fine sheen of noise and a much higher noise percentage in our testing. The JVC, which had the lowest noise levels, produced an extremely blurred image without much detail.
It's tough to pick a winner between the Canon and the Sony based on the images above, but we think there's something to like about both models in terms of low light performance. AVCHD is so popular right now, it is used by nearly all camcorder manufacturers Samsung, Sanyo, and many of the ultracompact camcorders being the notable exceptions.
What sets the CX apart, however, is the fact that the camcorder has a standard definition record mode that uses MPEG-2 compression. Sony is one of the few manufacturers to offer SD record modes on its HD camcorders, and that makes them great for people who want to have both options. The fact that the camcorder works with new SDXC cards is an added bonus. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of flash memory.
Recording times for the CX vary widely depending on what record mode you use and what you record to. See the table below for record time estimates as provided by Sony. The camcorder ships with Picture Motion Browser version 5.
You can either run the HDR-CX in its normal record mode, which allows you to control a few features or keep things mostly automated, or you can turn on the camcorder's iAuto setting for a fully-automated recording experience.
Unlike many dedicated auto modes, Sony's iAuto setting does not lock you out from accessing menus or controls. Instead, if you change a setting in the camcorders menu, a message will pop up explaining that iAuto mode has been disengaged. We found the iAuto mode had some significant bugs, but it also did some things well.
Focus on the CX was impressive, as the camcorder has a larger focal range. You can hold an item right up to the surface of the lens and the HDR-CX will adjust focus accordingly, although it does take a few seconds to figure out that the automatic tele macro setting needs to be activated.
We did find the camcorder had some trouble adjusting between varied focal distances, however, and there was often a few seconds of delay with the autofocus system. On the other hand, exposure adjustments were very quick on the camcorder, even when moving from very different lighting situations.
Auto white balance was hit or miss on the CX, as we noticed problems under mixed lighting indoors outdoors, under natural light, the camcorder was always fine. The camcorder does not have an autofocus tracking feature like you see on many higher-end camcorders, but it does have face detecting, a variety of scene modes, and a low light setting called Low Lux mode.
We don't really like these touch-sensitive onscreen buttons, though, and using them to zoom is something of an annoyance. The zoom toggle is really your best bet, and it allows you to adjust zoom speed variably by pressing harder or softer on the toggle with your fingertip. Being an entry-level camcorder, the Sony HDR-CX has a larger optical zoom than most of the high-end camcorders on the market. The 25x optical zoom isn't the largest you'll find on a consumer camcorder, but it is definitely a good amount of zoom.
Since high-end camcorders have larger sensors they usually can't fit larger zoom lenses, which is why the lower-end HD camcorders and standard definition models tend to have the longest zooms on the market.
There's no focus ring or dial on the HDR-CX, so you must use the touchscreen interface to make manual focus adjustments on the camcorder. This setup clearly is not ideal, as the system is imprecise and the screen is cluttered with icons and numbers while you are trying to adjust focus. The better idea, if you want some control over focus, is to use the CX's spot focus option that allows you to touch the portion of the frame that you want to bring into focus.
The camcorder also has a "touch" system in place for making exposure adjustments that works the same way as spot focus. Sony allows you to adjust exposure manually on the CX, but the setup isn't very good. No numbers appear on the screen to let you know how many increments you've altered the exposure. Instead, a large bar appears in the middle of the screen and you simply press up or down on the bar to raise or lower the exposure levels. There's 33 increments in this bar, but, like we said, there are no numbers to let you know how much you've adjusted things you can only base your judgment by the bar.
This system is terrible for making large, sweeping adjustments in exposure, but it works alright for bumping the exposure just a tiny bit in one direction.
The HDR-CX has no manual shutter speed options, but you can enable the camcorder to use different shutter speeds by selecting specific scene modes or by using the Low Lux setting. The CX has the traditional "one push" manual white balance feature. This setup is simple to use, but you do need access to a white or neutral card that you can point the camcorder to when you set the white balance manually.
We doubt many people who buy the CX carry around white balance cards with them, but you can use a sheet of white paper if you're in a pinch. Thankfully, the camcorder's auto white balance feature also works quite well—so if you have no desire to manually set white balance you should be fine anyway.
There's also two white balance presets outdoor and indoor that calibrate the color temperature on the camcorder for their specific setting. Using the Low Lux setting does appear to boost the gain, however, although there's no way of telling by how much. Sony boasts the HDR-CX as having 3-megapixel still image capability, but that's a bit of an overstatement. Yes, the camcorder can take photos at a resolution of x , but the actual amount of pixels in those photos is more like 1.
The camcorder also has a 2. Other than the size options, the HDR-CX also features Sony's exciting smile detection feature that automatically snaps a photo when it detects a smiling subject. You can set the "smile sensitivity" on the camcorder so that the CX only takes photos when a big smile is detected, or you can set it to photograph any thing from the slightest smirk to the largest grin.
The camcorder has no built-in flash, photo quality settings, ISO controls, or continual shooting features. You can capture still photos during recording, however, and there's a self-timer option. The camcorder had a color error of 2. It is surprising to see the camcorder do so well on this test when its results in our video color test were so lackluster. More on how we test still color. The Sony did, however, have the best color accuracy of the bunch. You can see examples of each camcorder's still image performance in the table below.
It's slightly more noise than the camcorder averaged in our bright light testing, but that's a normal occurrence. These three four models each did reasonably well in this test, with the Samsung HMX-H being the only real stand-out.
More on how we test still noise. For a camcorder that somewhat falsely advertises itself as having 3-megapixel still image capabilities, these results aren't very impressive. More on how we test still sharpness. All of Sony's camcorders are relatively easy to use, but the HDR-CX is made simpler by its lack of advanced features and controls. The camcorder still has plenty of options, but the fact that it doesn't have a lens ring or control dial makes it appear less daunting than a high-end model.
The touchscreen system employed by the CX is simple to figure out, and it should be fine for beginners, but it is frustrating for making precise adjustments. The instruction manual for the HDR-CX is limited, but it should answer most questions about how to use your camcorder. What it won't do, however, is satisfy more experienced users who want a detailed list of specs and features the manual glosses over a lot of things like this.
The menu system has a limited tool tip feature that gives info about selected menu options, but it isn't very descriptive. The system has two components: a "My Menu" page that lists six popular menu items, and a full menu that lists every feature and setting on the camcorder. If you want, you can adjust the "My Menu" page to your liking, and there's a different My Menu for each mode on the camcorder—playback, photo, and video record mode. The two flash models are far more attractive than the XR with its odd upward projection on the right side, though if you have big hands, that extra bit should make it easier to grip than its smaller, rather slippery siblings.
Like many ultracompact models, they really do seem optimized for shooting below eye level, or at least holding the camcorder as if you are; the traditional grip simply isn't comfortable. It is improved over the CX, though, with a more rounded top. I think they use the same screen as the CX, though; small, which is understandable given the unit's size, but it's hard to view in direct sunlight and through all those fingerprints the touch screen accumulates.
Instead of physical buttons from the bezel, they use virtual zoom and record buttons on the touch screen. I don't mind that for record, which is a touch-and-release operation, but I don't like using the touch screen for zooming, where you have to hold it down. There are also the usual touch-screen-enabled niceties, such as spot metering and spot focus.
To the right side of the lens is a switch for the built-in lens cover. The zoom control feels very well-balanced, neither too loose nor too tight, and it's very easy to maintain a slow, steady rate. As usual, a stereo mic sits in the front of the camcorder under the lens. In the menu system, you can put six menu choices on a custom menu that pops up before you enter the full menu listing, with different custom menus appearing for video, still, and playback modes. I still find the straightforward but endless scrolling list confusing and tedious to navigate.
This year's models have the same basic feature set as last year's CX With the exception of the face detection, Smile Shutter, and scene modes, the camcorder has no bells or whistles to speak of.
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