Sony HDR-CX190 High Definition Handycam 5.3 MP Camcorder(2012 Model)

My previous camcorder: Sony DCR-SR42 Handycam purchased approximately 4 years ago Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom

Accessories purchased with CX190:
32GB Transcend Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card Transcend 32 GB Class SDHC 10 Flash Memory Card TS32GSDHC10E
Gold Plated HDMI to HDMI Mini cable Gold Plated HDMI to HDMI Mini cable, 2 M / 6.56 FT

What you need to know:
- CX190 does not have a touch screen (CX200 & CX210 do)
- does not have internal memory
- requires class 4 or higher memory card
- doesn't take pictures while recording in highest quality
- 32GB card holds a little more than 3 hours in highest quality
- camcorder has built in USB cable for transfer or charging
- lens cover is manual
- camcorder automatically turns on when screen is opened
- buttons/controls are in the same place as my previous handycam
- camcorder is surprisingly slim and light
- video is extremely clear (outside is better than inside but both are so clear you feel like you are in the video)
- no wind noise can be heard in the play back of the video
- camcorder has a threaded receiver for tripod
- USB cable (about 3" long) is built in and slides into the strap when not being used

I have to say, "I love Sony." Having owned a handycam before, I immediately felt comfortable operating the CX190. My previous handycam was not an HD camcorder so the video shot with this camcorder is unbelievable especially compared to my SD camcorder. The indoor and low light video is not as clear as video shot outside in the sunlight but the video is still very clear.

I am very impressed with this camcorder. It is smaller than my previous handycam, takes much clearer video, and was less expensive. I don't have any complaints. I didn't want a touch screen and the memory card was cheaper than internal storage.

You won't regret purchasing Sony HDR-CX190
I opted for CX-190 when my DCR-DVD405 went out of focus due to fungus after 4 glorious years. I miss the touch screen and flash in my previous camera so much! I would recommend others to go for CX-200 for the touch-screen. There is no internal memory with the CX-190 and CX-200, so buy some SD memory along with the camera. Internal memory is available in CX-210, but I think its not so cost-effective. I was able to record HD video onto an old class 4 SD card. It will be a wise option to purchase the connector for external HDD too, as I found out that common cables won't work, the hard way. You really need the one from Sony(through Amazon - search for VMCUAM1) to make it work. Photos taken at night are too grainy like in a low resolution webcam! But the photos in daylight are fine. Though viewing the photos in original size makes you wonder if the compression mechanism in the camcorder is good enough.

Enough about the cons! The HD video from this small, cute machine is astounding! Check out my video by searching for - chicago cx-190 on youtube. I had recorded it in the default HD mode and not the highest quality FX mode. The zoom is excellent and auto picture grabber feature is also cool. It fits into my pocket, and even though its not as sleek as a cellphone, I am satisfied with not taking a bag along on a holiday! The affordability of this camcorder is a boon. Thank you Sony for launching this cutie pie :) 

Sony generally makes good products, and the HDR-CX190 is no exception. It is durable and works as advertised.

Pros
- Compact, portable, and easily fits in the palm of your hand.
- Zoom works well.
- Image stabilization works well.
- Shoots full HD (not as good as a movie studio HD, but still very good).
- Audio records loud and clear.
- Fits on standard tri-pods.
- You can transfer the videos to your computer without the Sony software. Simply plug in the camera via USB and drag and drop the files (at least in Windows 7).
- The lens cap is manual and built into the camera so you can't possibly lose it.
- It has a USB cable attached to the camera at all times, so you always have one (but it isn't very long so I normally have to use the extension cable that it came with).
- Great price!

Cons
- Definitely buy additional batteries. The battery this camera comes with lasts up to an hour (maybe) when recording full HD.
- The zoom is kind of noisy and can be heard during playback.
- There's no light on the camera, so make sure there's plenty of light when recording or else the video quality degrades and becomes grainy.
- You can get hand cramps when recording for extended periods of time due to the camera's small size, so get a tri-pod.
- You can't take a still-image while recording full HD.
- The default recording setting isn't full HD, so make sure to change it before you start recording.

Sony HDR-CX110 High-Definition Handycam Camcorder

 

I was looking to replace my JVC Everio, that had a 60GB hard drive in it. I loved the convenience of the hard drive, since that replaced an older unit I had that used the small tape cartridges. But the prices for the HD capable units are more than I was willing to pay for a camcorder, so looked at the units that just used memory sticks.

I have the Sony DSC-TX1 digital camera and was blown away by its optical quality, and it even took 720p movies which were just insanely clearer than my 1 year old JVC camcorder. That was when I realized I needed to lose the JVC. Almost all the movies I do are of my son, now 6 years old, so the better the quality the happier I would be. Too many artifacts with the low definition JVC, panning was just ugly ugly ugly, and while it had a great response in low light, the picture quality was just not what I wanted considering how good everything else with my TV and still camera.

I was initially going to get the 100 version of this, since it was so insanely cheap for a 1080 capable camcorder, but the bad low light capability put me off, since most of what I record is in my house. And the very low numbers for optical zoom also concerned me. But amazon conveniently puts little links under the initial product listing if there's a new version, so I saw the 110 and the price was good. I did some digging on Sony's site, somewhat confused that the cheap little 100 had 16GB built in but the higher end had none, but when I saw the rest of the specs in comparison, I felt it was a very good unit to give a test run with. My local brick and mortars didn't have it in stock, so I ordered it from Amazon and got the Saturday delivery early on Saturday, plenty of time to charge it up and try it out.

I left all settings at default except for the quality setting. That was easy to find, and the touchscreen on this unit makes it very easy to operate. As with my sony still camera, it has a "user" screen too where you can pin the six most used functions to save you from having to navigate into submenus. I love this feature, as it made my touchscreen still camera so simple and quick to use.

So I did four test movies, all of the same thing (my 6 year old playing with a huge Geotrax set), at all four of the options for 1080p resolution. The camera is smaller than I had expected, very light and fits well in the hand. The only real buttons to deal with in normal operation are the zoom and the start/stop recording, which are placed well despite the small size of the unit. If you want to grab a still as well, which you can do while recording, that button is on top right behind the zoom, so it's easy to get at. So use is great, no problems.

As I said, touch screen menu is great, so changing settings as I went was a piece of cake.

Started with the highest 24Mbps, then the next down (I think it was 17Mbps), then the "default" one they start you out at, 9Mbps, then the lowest. When I was done, I pulled the card out (nice, quick access on the bottom with a great, sturdy, hinged door). Went into my macbook pro just fine, and i started playback.

I have a 13" macbook pro, the aluminum unibody, that I got about four months ago. So new core2 duo processor, nvidia 9400 graphics... And it could not play the highest or second highest quality movies raw... Which told me that they were going to be great on my windows 7 media center. The third and fourth files played, but since the laptop is not a 1080 screen, it didn't look that good. So I went ahead and pulled the memory card out of the laptop, put it in my Dell Zino that runs my beautiful 46" Samsung HDTV, and played them all.

One thing I hadn't realized is that when it creates the files, it creates them in a native bluray playback format, the folder structure and all. So that should make it easy for people who will want to burn to Bluray.

Anyway, on the media center, i played the highest quality one first. And my jaw dropped, and I nearly had to go buy some adult diapers. WOW. That was all I could say or think. WOW. It was just outstanding, WAY better than I had expected. And it's not like I'm so unfamiliar with HD that even bad HD was impressive to me - my first HDTV was purchased back in 1999, a huge 60" Mitsubishi diamond line TV. So I've been using HD for over 10 years now. And this just knocked my socks off.

I had nearly no artifacting or blurring or anything with the movement of the camera as I've come to expect from camcorders. Even the blurring was minimal. And the shots of things were just crystal clear. I had a 1080p version of the movie BOLT running on the TV as he played with his geotrax, so I zoomed in so that filled the viewfinder, and recorded some of the movie. During playback at that scene, I couldn't even tell it wasn't the original playing back, that it was a recording of the TV from earlier, it was that clear.

I was indoors, in Wisconsin on a winter day with snow falling, so there was no direct sunlight, just all clouds. Only one window's curtains open, and no lights turned on inside. And the clarity and lighting was excellent. Every bit I could hope for.

So I tried the next down quality, and it blew me away. As did the third and then the lowest quality. All looked stunning. When I got down to the lowest, I could see some difference between it and the highest, but for what I was, and will be, shooting (my son), I think I'll end up using the default third lowest setting because it was still jaw droppingly good on my HDTV.

I got the 16GB card since the 32GB card was still in the three digit price range, and i have a habit of transferring the files to my computer as soon as I'm done shooting anyway. And at the third quality setting, the default 9Mbps one, a 25 minute clip used just 1.9GB, so I should get about 3 1/2 hours on this card at this rate, so I'll not have to worry about running out of media for my normal use.

The display is crisp and clear, widescreen format, and not cluttered when recording. Response to touch was very good, only once when selecting something from a bottom of a menu did I have to touch it twice, since the first didn't register. Didn't take any pressure to get it to see my pressing.

The still picture while shooting video worked easily enough, but they're not great quality, so it won't replace your digital camera if you have a good one. But it may give you a decent still shot of something you would have missed otherwise...

All in all, this is waaaayyyyy better than I had expected, and more than I had even hoped for. 100% satisfied with the unit.

I can't attest to battery usage yet, since I have only had it for five hours, and only ran about 40 or 45 minutes of recording through it so far. In a few days I'll pop back in here and edit this with the results I've seen with regards to the battery life, since this is evidently the first review of this model.

 

This is the cheapest high-def camera from sony, has exactly the same quality and specs than the other more expensive HD handycams but it doesnt come with any memory at all (that's the catch!). I also purchased the sony pro duo 16GB mark2 memory, that provides enough space to save up to 90min on full hd (1920x1080) quality for less than $70! When I first opened the box I couldnt believe how small this camera is and I thought it would be a problem since I have big hands, but I was mistaken, I have full access to all the buttons (rec - zoom - mode) with only one hand. Once connected to an HDTV the recording/play back quality is amazing. Steady-shot technology makes it really easy to take great and stable shots even when zooming in and no tripod. Highly recommended!

Pros: excellent video recording quality even on low-light shots, stereo microphone array, 25x optical zoom, touch screen has good response (even for big fingers like mine!), user-friendly menus to configure settings, Carl Zeiss - Vario Tessar lens, stock battery (NP-FV50) has good charge above 100mins, steady-shot works great (image stabilizer).

Cons: no memory, no case, no view-finder, no batt-only AC charger (will have to charge the battery while mounted on the camera), lcd has to be open or the camera will turn off (but you can turn the lcd 180deg, close it and that works!), no mini-HDMI to full-HDMI adapter cable.

Important/recommended accesories:
- Sony PRO Duo 8/16/32 GB Mark2 memory stick
- HDMI Cable, mini-to-full (Part No. VMC-15MHD)
- Travel AC charger (Part No. BC-TRV)
- Carrying case with extra-battery (Part No. ACC-FV50A)
- Shooting grip with mini-tripod (Part No. GP-AVTI)

Hope this review will be helpful!

• 

  Sony DCR-SR68 80GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder

  3.0 out of 5 stars (59)

  $435.19

Sonys HDR-CX190

• 5.3 megapixel still image
• 25X Optical, 30X Extended zoom
• 2.7 inch Clear Photo LCD display
• 1920x1080 Full HD Recording
• Back-illuminated Exmor CMOS sensor for superb low-light video

• Brand Name: Sony
• Model: HDR-CX190/B
• Media Type: SD
• Optical zoom: 25 x
• Display Size: 2.7 inches

The Sony HDRCX190/B Full HD Digital Camcorder delivers super sharp image quality even in low-light with its Exmor® R CMOS sensor. It lets you shoot full HD videos with ease and is also ready to capture images in 5.3MP resolution. What’s more to this camcorder is its 30x digital zoom along with 25x optical zoom for you to shoot far subjects with amazing results. Its 2.7" Clear Photo LCD™ touch screen allows you review or control your settings as you shoot.

This has been a great HD camcorder so far. It is very small and lightweight, to say the least. I think the 70 series battery I bought for this unit weighs almost as much as the camera. The controls are good with the little screen joystick and menus. The color is very good on the screen, and the video is sharp. I like the 30x for videoing my stepsons' wrestling matches. I can sit on the top row of the bleachers at the matches and still get all the action on video, no problem. I like the playback, too. I just hook the cable to the big TV and press play on the camera, and it goes thru each video one at a time. I haven't moved the video files over from the camera to my computer yet. I will report back on that. I'm thinking on the highest HD setting, the camera uses about 10GB per hour, so I may appropriate an external drive for just for my HD videos. The 70 series battery I bought is supposed to be good for about 3 hours of continuous video, so I thot that would be a good match-up with my 32GB HCSD card. I bought a 32GB Class 10 card from Amazon, and it seems to be working pretty well so far. I sat down at the wrestling match a couple weeks ago, and 3 people within the vicinity were all using Sony cameras similar to mine. One person had the new Sony with the built-in projector, and I have to say the picture he projected on the wall of gymnasium really looked good. I think that option is $100 more than the $300 I paid for this camera, so if you are interested, I think it's worth checking out. I don't think my camera can do it, but wouldn't it be cool if a person could jack HD video and/or video games, dvd players, etc, into the camera and then project it onto a wall, screen, or sheet? I'm going to check that out to see if there is a video-IN option on the Sony Projector video cameras. I also think $300 is a good price for this type of camera. I was torn between this camera and the Canon camera of similar price. I have owned both Sony and Canon cameras in the past, and I think they are both really good. I ended up buying the Sony because of the price of aftermarket accessories and the Prime shipping because the race between the Sony and Canon brands was so close. I truly feel that anyone who buys this camera for a simple point and shoot HD camcorder without a lot of frills will not be disappointed

What you need to know:
- CX190 does not have a touch screen (CX200 & CX210 do)
- does not have internal memory
- requires class 4 or higher memory card
- doesn't take pictures while recording in highest quality
- 32GB card holds a little more than 3 hours in highest quality
- camcorder has built in USB cable for transfer or charging
- lens cover is manual
- camcorder automatically turns on when screen is opened
- buttons/controls are in the same place as my previous handycam
- camcorder is surprisingly slim and light
- video is extremely clear (outside is better than inside but both are so clear you feel like you are in the video)
- no wind noise can be heard in the play back of the video
- camcorder has a threaded receiver for tripod
- USB cable (about 3" long) is built in and slides into the strap when not being used

I have to say, "I love Sony." Having owned a handycam before, I immediately felt comfortable operating the CX190. My previous handycam was not an HD camcorder so the video shot with this camcorder is unbelievable especially compared to my SD camcorder. The indoor and low light video is not as clear as video shot outside in the sunlight but the video is still very clear.

I am very impressed with this camcorder. It is smaller than my previous handycam, takes much clearer video, and was less expensive. I don't have any complaints. I didn't want a touch screen and the memory card was cheaper than internal storage.

You won't regret purchasing Sony HDR-CX190

I opted for CX-190 when my DCR-DVD405 went out of focus due to fungus after 4 glorious years. I miss the touch screen and flash in my previous camera so much! I would recommend others to go for CX-200 for the touch-screen. There is no internal memory with the CX-190 and CX-200, so buy some SD memory along with the camera. Internal memory is available in CX-210, but I think its not so cost-effective. I was able to record HD video onto an old class 4 SD card. It will be a wise option to purchase the connector for external HDD too, as I found out that common cables won't work, the hard way. You really need the one from Sony(through Amazon - search for VMCUAM1) to make it work. Photos taken at night are too grainy like in a low resolution webcam! But the photos in daylight are fine. Though viewing the photos in original size makes you wonder if the compression mechanism in the camcorder is good enough.

Enough about the cons! The HD video from this small, cute machine is astounding! Check out my video by searching for - chicago cx-190 on youtube. I had recorded it in the default HD mode and not the highest quality FX mode. The zoom is excellent and auto picture grabber feature is also cool. It fits into my pocket, and even though its not as sleek as a cellphone, I am satisfied with not taking a bag along on a holiday! The affordability of this camcorder is a boon. Thank you Sony for launching this cutie pie