Sony HDR-CX100

alaTest has collected and analyzed 296 reviews from magazines and websites. Views about the value for money and connectivity are on the whole positive. The portability and usability are also appreciated. The viewfinder and features get critical views. There are some mixed opinions about the battery.

memory, usability, portability, connectivity, value for money

features, viewfinder

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Sony HDR-CX100 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 83/100 = Very good quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 296 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (39% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (34% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (16% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (8% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

Battery
  Show positive (17%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)
Memory
  Show positive (11%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)
Features
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
Usability
  Show positive (73%)Show negative (2%)(Show all)
Portability
  Show positive (51%)Show negative (7%)(Show all)
Connectivity
  Show positive (12%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)
Build quality
  Show positive (43%)None yet(Show all)
Viewfinder
  None yetShow negative (43%)(Show all)
Value for money
  Show positive (40%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)
Zoom
  Show positive (33%)Show negative (4%)(Show all)
More features

Showing 295 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 295 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (6)

RECOMMENDED PRODUCT

Expert review by:

Sony HDR-CX100

 

Digital Trends readers know full well that when it comes to true high-def video, we believe nothing beats a “real” camcorder, not one of those funky small models (that means you Sanyo and Flip Video – or should we say Cisco). Although DSLRs like the...

Cheapest "real" AVCHD camcorder yet; easy to use; quality LCD touch screen

No optical image stabilization ; heavy noise in low light

Sony's CX100 remains the best option for full HD on a budget.

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Expert review by:

Sony Handycam HDR-CX100 (red)

 

Sony's first attempt to produce an HD camcorder for less than $600 is a bit of a mixed bag. Like all its competitors, the company has driven its flash and hard-disk HD development in two directions: one road leads to compact and less powerful models,...

Compact and attractive; above-average low-light video

Not terribly great lens; occasionally awkward design

You can tell where Sony cut corners on this compact, flash-based HD camcorder. While it's decent, there are better options for the money than the Sony Handycam HDR-CX100.

Read the full review

Expert review by:

Sony HDR-CX100 Camcorder Review

 

Looking at the high competition levels that exist in the market Sony has moved into manufacturing budgetal camcorders which cost less than $600.  The camcorders are generally divided into two categories: one which is compact but less powerful and the...

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Expert review by:

The Sony HDR-CX100

 

AVCHD has exploded on the consumer and pro-sumer scene like a new star at the Oscars, and the CX100 is the newest "actor" in the AVCHD lineup from Sony.

Big Bang, Small Buck

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Consumer review by:

Good for the price, lacks manual functions, etc.

 

Although the price is okay, this camcorder lacks manual features and doesn't have a external mic port. You will also need to buy another memory card because 8gb fills up pretty fast. This is a great camcorder if you are on a budget and want something...

The camcorder is very small and easy to operate ; HDMI Output ; Easy import to Final Cut Express and iMovie

Battery only lasts an hour ; No external mic input or hot shoe ; Bad HD video quality indoor (grainy) ; Unresponsive touch screen ; Stereo sound quality not sharp and clear ; Small internal storage (You need to buy more) ; Bad wide-angle lens (You need...

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Consumer review by:

"Good for the price, lacks manual functions, etc."

 

Although the price is okay, this camcorder lacks manual features and doesn't have a external mic port. You will also need to buy another memory card because 8gb fills up pretty fast. This is a great camcorder if you are on a budget and want something...

The camcorder is very small and easy to operate

Battery only lasts an hour

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Consumer review by:

"Good camera, good price, but not great"

 

I have really no issues with this camera, Its not a super high end camera and the price shows it. We use it for family holidays and birthdays and it serves its purpose. The real only downfall to this camera is that it doesn't work very good in low light.

Camera is nice and small, battery life is descent and you can put a 16GB memory card in it. Software is descent.

Doesn't come with a bag, doesn't do good in low light. Still images aren't that great.

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Consumer review by:

Good camera, good price, but not great

 

I have really no issues with this camera, Its not a super high end camera and the price shows it. We use it for family holidays and birthdays and it serves its purpose. The real only downfall to this camera is that it doesn't work very good in low light.

Camera is nice and small, battery life is descent and you can put a 16GB memory card in it. Software is descent

Doesn't come with a bag, doesn't do good in low light. Still images aren't that great

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Consumer review by:

disagree with the reviews so far

 

great tiny camcorder , probably the best on the market . I totally disagree with reviews. Maybe people need to take this home and try it

really good video for such a small thing. I wish the reviewer gave any other camcorder of this size a comparison rating and you know what , there isn't any. This thing is surprisingly good, better then most digital camcorders and tiny

Maybe the lens could be better? I don't know

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Consumer review by:

Good quality camera. Well worth it for the right price

 

This is a quality High definition 1080 video camera that does the job.. As other users have stated I also disagree with this Cnet review on several aspects as I have owned this camera since Jan. 2010. I picked up this baby for $249 at my local...

Overall Size, Quality recordings, Zoom..Good still shots.. Overall Good quality HD 1080 video camera

8gig flash drive gives you exactly 54 minutes with the highest quality setting

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Product Specifications

Shoot HD quality video with the HDR-CX100/B handycam camcorder. This compact and lightweight Memory Stick Duo media camcorder offers 1920 x 1080 full HD video recording and 4.0-megapixel still image capture. Packed with a healthy feature set including a 1/5-inch Exmor CMOS sensor, BIONZ image processor, face detection, Smile Shutter technology and 8GB of embedded flash memory, its most differentiating characteristic is its ultra-compact design.

Audio Input

Microphone Operation Mode:Stereo/Surround
Microphone Technology:Electret condenser
Type:Microphone

Battery

Battery Form Factor:Manufacturer specific
Manufacturer Battery Name:Sony NP-FH50

Camcorder Features

High Definition Video Support:1080i
Low Lux / Night Mode: Yes
Widescreen Video Capture: Yes

Digital Camera

Supported Flash Memory:Memory Stick Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo

Dimensions & Weight

Depth:4.5in
Height:2.4in
Weight:9.9oz
Width:2.2in

Display (Projector)

Diagonal Size:2.7in
Diagonal Size (metric):6.9cm
Display Form Factor:Rotating
Technology:TFT active matrix
Type:LCD display

Exposure Parameters

Shooting Programs:Beach / Candle / Fireworks / Landscape / Portrait mode / Snow / Spotlight / Sunrise / Sunset / Twilight mode/Beach / Candle / Fireworks / Landscape / Portrait mode / Spotlight / Sunrise / Sunset / Twilight mode

Flash Memory

Form Factor:Integrated
Storage Capacity:8GB

Header

Manufacturer:Sony
Model:HDR-CX100/HDR-CX100/B/HDR-CX100/R
Packaged Quantity:1
Product Line:Sony Handycam

Lens System

Lens Aperture:F/1.8-2.2
Max Focal Length:32mm
Min Focal Length:3.2mm
Optical Zoom:10
Type:Zoom lens

Miscellaneous

Color:Black/Red

Optical Sensor

Camcorder Effective Still Resolution:1.99Megapixel/2Megapixel
Camcorder Effective Video Resolution:1430Kpix
Camcorder Sensor Resolution:2.36Mpix
Optical Sensor Size:1/5"
Optical Sensor Size (metric):5.1 mm ( 1/5 ) / 5.1 mm ( 1/5" )
Optical Sensor Type:ClearVid CMOS/Exmor CMOS
Sensor Qty:1CMOS

Optical System

Built-in Optical Image Stabilizer: Yes
Image Stabilizer:Optical (Steady Shot)

Storage Floppy Drive

Type: None

Video Input

Digital Scene Transition:Black fader / White fader
Digital Video Format:AVCHD / MPEG-2
Digital Zoom:120
Face Detection: Yes
Media Type:Flash card
Shooting Modes:Digital photo mode
Still Image Format:JPEG
Type:Camcorder

Viewfinder

Viewfinder Type: None
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