Among the handful of so-called high- definition (HD) camcorders on the market today, Sony's new Handycam HDR-SR12 is the one that catches our eye. While it's not the only one that offers true HD, as in widescreen (1920 x 1080 resolution), the SR12 blows the competition out of the water.
First, it comes with a gigantic 120GB hard drive that can store up to 10 hours of high- quality video - the most robust on the market today.
Its bigger 3.2-inch touch-screen LCD lets you navigate the menu while the surrounding buttons for recording and playback allow you to control the SR-12 even when you are holding it above your head, or near the ground.
Powered by Sony's latest chip, a 0.33-inch ClearVID CMOS sensor, the SR-12 delivers not only 10 megapixel still images, but is also the first camcorder to incorporate face recognition software. Images are clear and crisp and can stand up to most basic digicams.
Like most of its peers, the SR-12's lens offers a big optical zoom (12x), which is still a bit less than the 20x optical of some of its competitors. However, it offers a very wide maximum aperture of 'f1.8', which allows it to perform very well in low-light environments.
You will not find the SR-12 wanting in standard features or audio, input and connectivity support, except perhaps the inclusion of only one shooting effect: Old Movie. The SR-12 sells for HK$12,480.