Description

Capture stunning 1920 x 1080 high-definition video and 7 Megapixel still images with the HDR-CX350V, which employs an "Exmor R" CMOS sensor for superior low-light performance and 32GB1 of embedded flash memory. Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization with Active Mode and 3-way Shake Canceling enables you to capture remarkably smooth video from wide angle to full telephoto shooting.

Customer Reviews

 HandyCam - Aug 20, 2010

The picture quality, size and function of the camcorder/camera is fantastic. The battery life could be better but as far as I am concern the product overall is EXCELLENT!!!

 Spectacular daylight videos but VERY POOR low light focussing - Jul 31, 2010

Pros:
Small size
Flash available for photo snaps
Good lens
Sharp video in daylight
32Gb internal memory means you don't have to purchase additional SD memory
Image stabilization is VERY good

Gps tagging


Cons:

VERY POOR focussing in low light conditions. Takes very long to regain focus (sometimes upto 10 seconds). I will post an actual video on this soon.

Flash is not balanced. Overexposed snaps when taking snaps (that is why I am calling it snaps rather than photographs)

Mini hdmi connector can only be attached with the display in open position only

Videos are not in mp4 format. Seems to be a new HD format (avchd) that I am having trouble with converting to h264 for the iPad

Software: When connecting the unit to the pc, the photos and videos automatically download onto the pc but only the photos are deleted automatically from the video cam , the videos you have to delete manually and that too directly on the unit. Deleting videos using usb2 on the pc will mess up the video numbering sequence. This is a very poorly thought out system.

Summary:
I will still give it 4 stars despite it's shortcomings because the daytime videos are nothing short of spectacular even at full zoom.

 Amazing camcorder. So far feel it's easier to handle than miniDV. - Jul 24, 2010

Freaking impressive quality in low/inside, absolutely splendid outside. Quiet, incredibly small -- could fit in your pocket if you wanted. Fast turn on. Pluses over miniDV: no more buying tape. You can skip to different segments fast, low machine noise so less interference with the shot you're getting. Yes, on vacation it might get difficult.....but lots of people bring their computers along and this one has SD or Memory Stick media to help too (although please make sure it can capture video). Would give it perfect 5.0 stars if cheaper, but not sure. Not sure why or how much GPS helps. But, amazon has such low prices, GPS model was only $20 more than the version without GPS so got the GPS one. Had a Canon Vixia HV30 before....amazing too and outside about equal but Canon is about 80% as good inside/low light as this Sony.

 Great small Camcorder - Jun 07, 2010

This is an upgrade from my HDR-HC3. It is small and easy to carry around. I have had it for a week. It takes very sharp/clear video. It is an excellent upgrade from HDR-HC3. No more MiniDV tapes. I will need more HD for backup. Photo is very good. But I won't give up my digital camera. Too bad it does not come with mini HDMI cable. Included battery will give 1 day of use. There are 4 different settings for HD shooting, manual was not too clear to explain the difference among them.

 Just wanted to confirm that this DOES work on a Mac - Jun 02, 2010

This camera has received a lot of really good reviews, but I almost didn't buy it because of the guy here who said it won't work with a Mac or iMovie. I just received mine today, so I haven't played around with it too much yet. But the first thing I did was record a short clip and then plugged it into my Mac to see if it works. It works perfectly fine, with nothing to install or anything. I have an iMac that was bought in 2009, running Snow Leopard, and iMovie 09. With iMovie opened when I plugged the camera into the usb, it automatically recognized it without me doing anything. I simply selected the clips I wanted to import and clicked the button. Works perfectly

 Doesn't work on a Mac - May 17, 2010

The picture quality is great but it's useless because the camera doesn't connect to iMovie on a Mac OS X 10.5. It doesn't connect to Movie Maker on a Windows XP computer either. The only way to get video off is through the proprietary Sony software, which only comes for Windows; there is no version for Macs. Once you've exported the video from the camera into the Sony application, you have to export it out as mpg or wmv file before you can use it in iMovie/Movie Maker. A real flaw.

 Nice camera - easy to use too! - May 05, 2010

I played with this camera in a local store along with the Canon Vixia lines. I decided to go with this one for the following reasons:
- Does SD video, the Canon only can do HD, may not be used alot but if you are not ready to start with HD because you do not have a fast PC it creates a path to get to HD.
- Steady shot and fast focus work very well, you will want to stick to the optical zoom, I found the 177x digital zoom adds a lot of noise to the video.
- It includes software to burn your videos to disc, the Canon cameras do not.
-Small size, I just drop it into my camera bag, It is smaller than a can of soda. I have DSLR lenses that are smaller size than this camera.
-Many options, such as video format, exposure, wide-tele lens, zoom mic., but is also easy to use on the basic settings and takes very good video on the basic settings.
- Very good low light video and many manual settings.
-32gb built-in memory, can store 4hrs of the best video for blue-ray! or use to 13 hrs of dvd quality!


Cons:
-Expensive, considering there are cameras in the $300-400 range that have similar features, this one performs much better.
-GPS - while neat, could be left off as I do not see a lot of benefit, and also uses battery faster, still kinda of neat.
-Expensive batteries - you can expect to pay about $70 US to get another battery, but they last about 2 hrs of continuous use.
-No optical viewfinder, this would be a nice addition especially in very bright sunlight, but the built-in screen is still very bright.

I would recommend this camera from the quality video and easy to use features, it should last many years providing both excellent video and also great still photos. You should also be aware this either requires a fast PC with DVD or blue-ray burner, or Sony makes a burner station that this camera plugs into that will burn discs directly, no pc needed. I don't think many people would be unsatisfied with this camera.

 wide angle G lens sets it apart - Apr 12, 2010

After trying to decide between mid-priced Canon Vixia and Sony HD models, I settled on this one first and foremost because it has a wide angle (27mm for stills and 29mm for video)lens. I have tried low-quality screw-on attachment lenses on camcorders in the past and they always distort the image. This is a fantastic lens and gives you all the benefits of wide shooting without accessories (cheap or otherwise). What's more, when I do want to use the wide angle attachment, I get a very wide fisheye!

So far, I have been very satisfied with the image quality, features, and performance of the camera, but I have only used it for about 24 hours so I will have to update soon.

But if you are torn between camcorders, consider the lens on this one if (like me) wide angle is important to your shooting.

 Video is terrific; menus, not so much - Apr 09, 2010

i hate giving this camera a 5-star review, but at the end of the day the quality of the video deserves 5 stars. i bought this to use a handcam camcorder and that's why it is getting 5 stars. i am upgrading from a very, very good 3CCD Panasonic PV-GS400 miniDV camera that i've loved (bought in 2005ish). i was ready to move away from MiniDV and to HD, but i've been waiting for the right price/features and figured this CX350V would fit my needs. i was hesitant to go with a product that had no reviews at the time, but the previous cameras that this is built upon had good reviews and this upgrade was not cutting back.

i just spent the past week in San Diego and i did not take a still camera and decided to use the CX350V for everything. my review is based on this one trip.

PROS:
*my videos easily import into iMovie on my Mac. i didn't have to do anything other than plug the camera in.
*camera powers up and is ready ultra fast
*steady shot works very well
*size -- this camera is even smaller than i imagined. if you look at the user supplied photos you'll see 1 that i took with an iPhone with the camera next to a pop can. this photo doesn't do the size of the video camera justice. it's a really nice size, but still fits in my hand just right.
*when you open up the LCD the camera turns on in video mode and is ready. when you close the LCD the camera automatically turns off. you don't have an on and off button otherwise. so far this has been really good; however, i wanted to check a cable to a port that was inside the LCD wall and to do this i had to turn the camera on. no biggie.
*video quality is beautiful. i shot all sorts of shots in the morning and at night inside and outside, near water and in parks . . . all gorgeous. even coming from the Panasonic PV-GS400 left me impressed. it's hard to believe a camera this small can do video so well.
*audio quality with the built-in mic is terrific.
*GPS on shots (geotagging) is easy to use. i think the battery drains more quickly if you leave GPS on, but i have a backup battery and have yet to have this be an issue (i have yet to need the second battery in a single day either).
*the Sony Carrying Pouch for Sony Handycam® Camcorder (Blue) bag fits the camera well. it's actually bigger than it needs to be so i could easily fit a second battery in the bag . . . but it was awkward. i may look for a better fitting bag down the road, but that's only because this camera is small enough to go with a smaller bag and that's a bonus.
*price . . . the price really fluctuates on this camera. i bought it here for about $870 and then found it for $799 with free shipping here from Portable Guy. i returned it to Amazon to get my $70 back (sans shipping) and bought it for $799. now i see the price is up across the board. odd. but the price i bought it for seems like a good deal for a just released product of this quality. i was ready to buy it at $870 so you can still get a good deal, i think.

CONS:
*menu system is very tedious (you can create a custom menu, i've read, but i have yet to figure it out). little things that i would use often are buried (e.g., i want to use a little SDHC card instead of the built-in memory from time to time and i wasted about 2 minutes trying to find it in the menu system. i actually found it and then realized later that i had only switched it for photos and not for video when i meant to do both -- you have to do it twice for that to work.
*still photos are good quality when your settings are correct. unfortunately, the the changes i needed to make while taking pictures one night were too difficult to figure out (e.g., turning auto flash on or off) in the time i was allotted so i missed some shots and others were just complete dark. using the menus more quickly could have fixed this, but i didn't have time to play in menus and just wanted the shots. i have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) and i was thinking i'd sell it, but now i realize it will still need to go with me unless i can figure out how to more quickly change settings on the CX350V when i need to do so for still shots.
*i took a photo of my son with 2 parrots on his shoulder in Seaport Village (San Diego). if i zoom in to the original size of the photo i can notice that the image clarity is lacking for what i have come to expect. for a 7 Megapixel still image this is not very mind blowing especially considering how much better HD video looks on this camera.
*taking photos doesn't feel nearly as natural as shooting video. i much rather prefer a dedicated still camera where both hands can more easily hold the camera steady while shooting the shot. i suspect this is probably the case with almost any camcorder and perhaps you'll have a different experience.

i have a screen protector for my Lumix DMC-TZ5 camera LCD screen and i had extra film strips. so i cut one to fit this CX350V perfectly. the menus still work and all that jazz, but i no longer have to worry about finger prints and smudges on the actual LCD screen. i'd recommend doing this until a properly fitting screen protector is released.

 Worth the Money - Apr 04, 2010

I'm going to be short and to the point here. I need a camcorder for the type of business I run so image quality is very important to me. When watching the videos back on an HDTV, the quality is absolutely amazing to me. The Handycam has come a long way! I did a test video outside at night with only the street lamps to light the environment. I was totally floored when I imported it on to my computer to realize that there was very minimal grain. When shooting outdoors during the day, the sensor does an amazing job of automatically adjusting the exposure depending on your orientation with the sun.

I cannot complain about the camera itself, but be warned that finding a program to edit and convert and compress your avchd files (the format the camera outputs to) can be challenging. Since this is a review on the camera and not the software, I will not let this factor into my five star rating. But you do need to consider this if video editing is as important to you as it is in my case. I've tried Window 7 Movie Maker and Pinnacle Studio HD and they both have their flaws. W7MM is a terribly unfriendly program to try and edit with using any creativity whatsoever, and Pinnacle has a little problem with dropping the frame rate when converting into WMV format.

In short, camera = excellent, avchd = maddening.

EDIT - If you desire to edit the AVCHD files much like you could with the old Windows Movie Maker for XP, the Pinnacle Studio HD is what you need. By far the best program I've found, but you need a pretty powerful system to handle it. If you have this program, editing is no longer an issue.

 The best camcorder I ever had - Apr 02, 2010

This camera is an important upgrade in image quality and features. I replaced a Sony HDR-CX100 by this camcorder and the upgrade is noticeable. First, the LCD screen is much more detailed and brighter, and that was something I missed when I compared the CX100 with the Canon VIXIA's, specially when I film in the sunlight. Second, the light sensitivity is simple AMAZING. With very low light this camcorder is capable to obtain beautiful and grain less HD movies. I guess this is because the new backlight XMOR sensor and of course the Sony G lens. Third, the stabilizer effect is something that I have never seen in any other camcorders: you can walk filming without any undesirable shake or vibration in the filming movie. Also if you film in a car or in a sportboat the steady shot feature in this camera is simple incredible. This helps you a lot not just for filming but also to take photos using the zoom in low light conditions. Fourth, the wide angle lens is a very nice feature that allows you to capture more wide scenes and is very useful when you don't have to much space to film. Fifth, this camcorder power up in a very short time and open and close the lens protector automatically, so you can't miss any good shots opportunities. This is what I can tell you about the most important features for me. I guess I will use this camcorder for a long time not just for filming but also to take photographs.

 This is not the newer version of the CX500V, that's the 550V - Mar 22, 2010

Just a quick note that the newer 2010 equivalent of the CX500V is the CX550V, not the CX350V. The sensor size alone tells us that, as do a number of forum conversations about the 2010 lineup. That's not a knock on the 350, it's just a clarification.

My rating is coincidental, I can't post this note without it. I have a CX500V and expect this camcorder would perform well in its class.