As much as we like Sony’s cameras and cellphones, it’s time to say something about its new handycam, too. Manufacturers at the popular company released the HDR-CX360V last year. People, who have already bought it, including many experts among them, generally agree that the device is one of the best ones today. Should we believe them or look at other camcorders markets have to offer? Find out the answer from the following review. 2.65-megapixel Exmor R sensor
When seeing the Sony Handycam HDR- CX360V for the first time before testing it, we were drawn to the sleek body made of matte plastic which felt really comfortable in our hands. Measuring 2.4 x 2.6 x 5.1, the device is a thin one; the 13.1g also make it a very light one, as opposed to many other products found today.The lens used by the CX360V Handycam is a 12x f1.8-3.4 29.8-357.6mm and its sensor is a 2.65-megapixel Exmor R. when we looked under the lens we noticed a large mic with support for 5.1-channel recording, but it failed to impress us. To make up for that, the device features an accessory show for which users can get an add-on microphone. The camcorder also ships with LED video light in the center. The back sports a small 3” LCD touchscreen display; the latter has a resolution of 230.000 pixels and, since it is a touchscreen one, this means that it provides access to touch spot meter along with touch focus which can be found in the very easy to use menu.
32GB internal memory
The internal memory offered by the latest Sony CX360V is 32GB and there’s one SDXC. In the connectivity department, we have as follows: USB, composite video output, HDMI and AC jack.
As for general quality, the HDR- CX360V handycam was able to shoot great-looking videos when taken outdoors: sharpness, color accuracy, exposure and the like were well represented. Strangely enough, scenes at midrange distances gave clipping in the highlights and soft-looking content; what was more, the edges of very saturated colors had plenty of blooming and reds weren’t very accurate. Things got better when we shot in 60 or 24p. When recording in a room where the light was dim, the device was able to deliver videos that had both exposure and good color saturation.
Steady Shot stabilization
We encountered only small problems with the sound, which was great for a camcorder, and distortion wasn’t bad. The optical Steady Shot stabilization and autofocus gave good results when we used them during our tests for this review.The Sony Handycam HDR- CX360V takes fairly decent photos; they were appropriate for printing at small sizes. When we looked at them at a zoom of 100%, they appeared compressed.
Let’s not forget the GPS feature. It had some problems resulting in lockdown, but overall its performance was ok. It came without geotagging metadata standards for video, so that use on Mac was rendered useless.
Test and review conclusions
The latest Sony HDR- CX360V is, after the test performed for our review, a pretty good device for its price. But there are certainly better ones out there for you to discover and possibly buy.Technical specifications and features
| * 32GB embedded Flash Memory for up to 13 hours of recording |
| * 1920×1080 Full HD 60p/24p Recording w/7MP still image |
| * Back-illuminated “Exmor R” CMOS sensor for superb low-light video |
| * Wide Angle G lens to capture everything you want |
| * Optical SteadyShot image stabilization w/ Active Mode |
| * Lens Type: Zoom lens |
| * Maximum Aperature Range: F/1.8-3.4 |
| * Optical zoom: 12 x |
| * Shooting Modes: Digital photo mode |
| * Media Type: Flash card |
| * Display Size: 3 inches |
| * Video Input: Camcorder |
| * Optical Sensor Technology: Exmor R CMOS |
| * Optical Sensor Size: 1/4″ |
| * Optical Sensor Resolution: 4.2 MP |
| * Audio Input: Microphone |
| * Microphone Operation Mode: Surround |
| * Viewfinder Type: None |
| * Weight: 11.3 Ounces |
| * Height: 2.6 inches |
| * Width: 2.2 inches |
| * Depth: 5 inches |