Though most digital cameras produced today have sufficient resolution to make the spec itself almost a non-issue, the same can't be said about camcorders. That goes double for camcorders which record directly to hard disk or DVD, since they need sufficient pixels to compress into a decent image.
The resolution of the hard-disk-based Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 -- 680,000 pixels -- falls into the insufficient range, especially since its effective video and still resolution is a mere 340,000 pixels. In fact, it seems as if the only reason for the SR42 to exist is so that retailers can upsell you to the DCR-SR62; trading a higher-resolution 1-megapixel sensor for a more modest zoom lens -- 25x versus the SR42's 40x -- makes sense to us even after factoring in the AU$200 price difference between the two models.
Like all the SR models, the SR42 bundles the Handycam Station, which charges the battery and connects to a TV or PC. It also supports one-touch DVD burning via software or when connected to the Sony DVDirect.
On one hand, the SR42 feels compact and light, weighing in at only 377 grams, whereas your average hard disk camcorder is pushing half-a-kilo. But the plastic body also feels a little cheap, more like what you'd expect for half the price. It's almost too small, as well. Our fingers overshot the top of the squat body, making it awkward to shoot one-handed; we had to pull our wrists and fingers back to manipulate the zooming and recording controls with our right hand.
s with the rest of the Sony consumer camcorder family, the SR42 uses a touch screen-based menu system. On this camcorder's 2.5-inch, 4:3 aspect LCD, navigation requires tiny fingers, preferably ones without fingertips, as the screen can easily be obscured by fingerprints. You don't need to use the menu much, since the SR42 has only the most basic of feature sets. It includes 10 scene program modes, a few digital effects and transitions, spot metering and focus, and NightShot infrared shooting mode.
Video records to the hard disk in MPEG-2 format, and thankfully, you needn't rely on the bundled version of Pixela's Motion Browser to edit, since there are plenty of alternatives available. Still, if for some reason you wanted to use that odd piece of software on the Mac, you'll have to fork over more mullah to Sony for the privelege. Stick with iMovie.
Like all but the SR300, the SR42 uses the electronic image stabilizer version of Sony's SteadyShot. Unfortunately the video tends to be so mushy and artifact-ridden that it's hard to tell whether the stabilizer is working, even zoomed out from its 40x maximum. Despite its range, it's fairly easy to control the zoom switch for a fast or consistent crawl, though the autofocus takes a little longer to catch up. The stereo audio, though surprisingly decent, suffers from the lack of a wind filter. Even a modest breeze whips across the audio track with tornado-like rumbles. The camcorder lacks a microphone input as well as an accessory shoe -- typical omissions in budget models.
The Handycam DCR-SR42 exemplifies, for the moment, that there are still no bargains to be had in hard-disk-based camcorders -- unless you really don't care about the video quality. If you want a decent hard-disk model, you've got to pay a little more. Despite their inconveniences, in this price range, tape-based models like the Panasonic NV-GS230 or quality DVD-based models like the Canon DC40 are still the way to go.
