If you are looking for a camcorder that is capable of recording high quality HD video and audio, the $1099.99, Sony HDR-SR11 is a perfect option for you. The camcorder comes with a built-in 60GB hard drive, and offers some attractive features such as touch-screen LCD, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound recording, HDMI Consumer Electronic Control and face detection. But the camcorder lacks some features which could have made it a complete package. Unlike its competitors, the Sony HDR-SR11 lacks video-editing and Blu-ray–burning software.
The HDr-S11 camcorder is a solid and sturdy device which is 3.4 inches high, 3 inches wide and 5.5 inches deep and weighs 1.4 pounds. The camcorder boasts of 3.2-inch touch-screen LCD which can be accessed by flipping it out of the body. Most of the settings can be manipulated from the LCD but the camcorder also has some physical buttons which are used for recording and framing. Same controls are provided on the left as well as the right side of the body, which means that you can use the camera with whichever hand feels more comfortable.
Sony HDR-SR11 has an excellent user interface which is pretty easy to use. The large screen also feels pretty roomy as compared to the smaller screens featured on its competitors. The camcorder also offers optical viewfinder, probably you won’t need it due to the high resolution of large 3.2-inch LCD.
The HDR-SR11 is capable of recording 1920×1080 pixels videos at 60 frames per second. The camera boasts of a lens which is capable of 12X optical zoom and the Nightshot mode allows you to capture videos in low light conditions. The built-in 60GB hard drive is capable of storing 7 hours of HD video with highest setting whereas the 10.2-megapixel still images are stored on Memory Stick PRO card. If you are a Windows user then you will face problems with the camera as videos are recorded in the AVCHD format. The Windows Movie Maker software comes with Windows Vista and it is incompatible with AVCHD format. You can also connect the camcorder to your computer using the USB 2.0 and it will transfers video to your computer in real time.
The Sony HDR-SR11 also includes the latest technology, named HDMI Consumer Electronic Control. The CEC allows you to operate the camera with HDTV remote when you connect it to HDTV via HDMI.
