Introduction
If you want even more internal memory, Sony sells an HDR-CX520V that contains 64GB of internal memory for $1299. Other than memory, it has the same internal specs as the HDR-CX500V.
Update: The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
Design
Front
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Back
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Left
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Right
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Top
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Bottom
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Size & Weight Comparison
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In the Box
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Performance
Color
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The Sony HDR-CX500V's bright light image looked good, but its colors weren't that accurate in our testing. The camcorder registered a color error of 4.83 and a saturation level of 92.47%. These numbers are slightly worse than what most high-end models earn in this test. The Sony HDR-XR520V, however, had a very similar color accuracy score to the HDR-CX500V. More on how we test color.
In the Color Error Map above you can see the HDR-CX500V produced most blue colors with tremendous accuracy. On the other hand, the camcorder had trouble with certain yellows, greens, and browns. The CX500V doesn't have any controls that allow you to adjust color depth, but you can alter the White Balance Shift to give your image a cooler or hotter tone. Examples of the WB Shift option in action are shown below:
Despite the fact that the CX500V had slightly less accurate colors than the competition, the camcorder still managed to produce a very pleasant bright light image. The CX500V looks very good in the comparison images below, offering vivid colors and a bright, crisp image.
When looking at these color comparisons, keep in mind that color accuracy is only one aspect of a camcorder's color quality. The quality of a camcorder's color rendering is strongly based on personal preference. Many people prefer over-saturated colors so the skies in their videos look bluer and the grass looks greener. Looking at all these high-end models from various manufacturers we must say that not one of them really stands out as 'the best' when it comes to color. All of them look very good and it is up to your personal preference to determine which model produces the most appealing color.
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Low Light Color
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The HDR-CX500V showed a significant drop in color accuracy when we did our low light tests, but its image still retained a good amount of saturation. We measured a color error of 5.6 and a saturation level of 77.92% for the camcorder in our low light testing. This saturation level is quite a bit higher than any of the competition was capable of, and the color error score is average for a camcorder of its class. More on how we test low light color.
In the comparisons below you can see how much richer the colors captured by the Sony HDR-CX500V were compared to the competition. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 shows colors that are a bit more washed out, while the JVC GZ-HM400 offers a slight yellow-green discoloration on its image. The Canon HF S11 also captured very deep colors, but its overall image was also darker than the Sony HDR-CX500V.
Noise
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The Sony HDR-CX500V showed very low noise levels in our bright light testing, which is what we expect to see from a high-end camcorder. The CX500V was more impressive than usual, however, as it had even lower noise levels than the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400 (the Panasonic HDC-TM300 had roughly the same amount of noise as the Sony). More on how we test noise.
Since you can't really see any noise in the crops above, the images instead do a very good job showing off each camcorder's sharpness ability. All of these models are capable of capturing crisp, detailed images, but it is the JVC GZ-HM400 that does the best in bright light. Notice how sharp its numbers are going down the side of the vertical trumpet. The Rest of the camcorders show a slight amount of blur at the bottom of each vertical trumpet (the lines blur together), while the JVC GZ-HM400 retains a strong definition throughout.
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Low Light Sensitivity
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The Sony HDR-CX500V did better than most high-end camcorders in our low light sensitivity test, but that doesn't mean it performed exceptionally well. The camcorder needed 15 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This is less light than the Canon HF S11 (17 lux) required, and it is far less than the JVC GZ-HM400 (31 lux) needed. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was one of the best camcorders we tested all year with sensitivity—it needed only 9 lux to reach the same levels.
The Sony CX500V doesn't have a 24p or 30p frame rate like you'd find on the Canon HF S11 or the Panasonic HDC-TM300. These alternate frame rates can improve low light performance on a camcorder—a fact that is hard to miss when you look at the Canon HF S11's sensitivity in its 30p and 24p modes. To improve low light sensitivity, the HDR-CX500V does have a low light mode that turns on the camcorder's auto slow shutter. This allows the shutter speed to drop to as low as 1/30 of a second in low light situations, thus enabling the camcorder to produce a brighter image. Unfortunately the slow shutter produces choppy motion and image trails, which may not look desirable to some people. More on how we test low light sensitivity.
In all, the Sony HDR-CX500V is one of the better high-end camcorders when it comes to low light sensitivity. The camcorder also has Sony's infrared NightShot system that can record video in total darkness, but does so by giving everything a strong, green coloration (like night-vision goggles).
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Low Light Noise
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The Sony HDR-CX500V measured very low noise levels in our low light testing. The camcorder had an average noise level of 1.29%, which is roughly the same amount of noise we measured on the Canon HF S11. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 did a bit better in this test, while the JVC GZ-HM400 was the worst of the set. More on how we test low light noise.
In the above crops you can see the presence of noise and discoloration on the JVC GZ-HM400's image. The odd discoloration shown was present in all of our low light testing with the GZ-HM400 and it was actually worse on the JVC GZ-X900. The rest of the camcorders in this set look much better in low light. The Sony HDR-CX500V arguably has the best overall low light image—its colors are vivid, its image is crisp, and it has a minimal presence of noise. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 also managed a very good low light image (with a better sensitivity than the Sony), but its low light image was not quite as sharp as the CX500V. The Canon HF S11 produced a darker-than-average image here, but using its 24p or 30p record mode makes for a much brighter low light image.
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Low Light Color
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The HDR-CX500V showed a significant drop in color accuracy when we did our low light tests, but its image still retained a good amount of saturation. We measured a color error of 5.6 and a saturation level of 77.92% for the camcorder in our low light testing. This saturation level is quite a bit higher than any of the competition was capable of, and the color error score is average for a camcorder of its class. More on how we test low light color.
In the comparisons below you can see how much richer the colors captured by the Sony HDR-CX500V were compared to the competition. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 shows colors that are a bit more washed out, while the JVC GZ-HM400 offers a slight yellow-green discoloration on its image. The Canon HF S11 also captured very deep colors, but its overall image was also darker than the Sony HDR-CX500V.
Motion
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We liked the way the Sony HDR-CX500V captured motion, but we found models from Canon and JVC did a better job in this test. Another downside of the Sony camcorders is the fact that they only record HD video at 1080/60i, while other manufacturers offer alternate frame rates (Canon has a 24p and 30p mode and Panasonic has a 24p Digital Cinema setting).
The CX500V rendered motion essentially identical to the Sony HDR-XR520V (this makes sense, as they are essentially the same camcorder under the hood). We noticed a bit more artifacting on the Sony than we saw on high-end models from Canon and JVC, and there was more trailing and blur present on the CX500V's image.
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 also didn't do as well as the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400 in our motion test. It had roughly the same amount of artifacting as the Sony HDR-CX500V, although we felt the Sony had a bit less. The TM300 does have the benefit of a 24p recording option, however, which is something not found on any consumer camcorder from Sony.
The Canon HF S11 did very well in our motion test. Its image looked crisp, had very little artifacting, and was fairly smooth. The camcorder also offers two alternate frame rates, 24p and 30p, which is a strong benefit for people who are looking for a different aesthetic than what is produced by regular 60i video.
Based on pure motion rendering quality, we have to say the JVC GZ-HM400 is at the top of the pack. The camcorder's sharp, artifact-free image was a pleasure to see, and the motion looked incredibly smooth. The only problem with the JVC is that it doesn't have a 24p or 30p recording option, although the camcorder does have three low-quality slow motion modes that shoot at 120fps, 300fps, and 300fps. More on how we test motion.
Video Sharpness
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The Sony HDR-CX500V captured a sharp image in our testing, but we found the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400 to be a bit sharper in bright light. The Sony managed a horizontal sharpness of 700 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 600 lw/ph, which are both very good scores. In comparison, we measured the horizontal sharpness of the JVC GZ-HM400 at 1000 lw/ph, and the Canon HF S11 hit 800 lw/ph horizontal. These numbers may sound like a huge difference, but visually it can be very difficult to notice the difference in sharpness for all these high-end camcorders (see the 100% crops for a good sharpness comparison). They can all capture very detailed images and none of them did poorly in our sharpness test, but the JVC and Canon were the best of the bunch in this test. More on how we test video sharpness.
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Testing Samples
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Usability
Ease of Use
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Sony got rid of its prized 'Easy' button on its new crop of camcorders this year. While most experienced users won't bat an eye at this omission, many novice users may feel a bit overwhelmed without an 'Easy' mode to hold their hand. The thing is, the HDR-CX500V is still a fairly simple camcorder to use. The touchscreen system is intuitive and there are only a smattering of buttons on the camcorder itself (most of which are located inside the LCD cavity). Still, it seems rather surprising that Sony would cut such a praised feature like its 'Easy' mode.
The only major difficulty we found with the HDR-CX500V was its confusing menu navigation system. The menu is quite simple overall, but the navigation tools can be difficult for a first-time user to grasp. We also found the camcorder's on-screen touch buttons to be a bit confusing—especially if you use the default display setting that makes the buttons 'disappear' after a few seconds (they reappear if you tap the screen). Lastly, we were not impressed with Sony's provided instruction manual for the HDR-CX500V. The manual is easy to read, but it doesn't cover all of the camcorder's options or controls—not a good sign for a camcorder that is loaded with some unique features. In its defense, the camcorder does include a small info box in its menu system that is helpful for figuring out controls.
Auto Mode is confusingly called Dual Shot mode
Sony rolled out a new menu system on the HDR-CX500V that is entirely different than the menus found on the HDR-XR520V or XR500V. In a way, we like the new menu setup. It is stylish, easy to read, and all the camcorder's features are listed under one, long menu. The problem is, this main menu is extremely long (15 screens in length) and the navigation system takes a bit of getting used to. The menu is similar, but actually quite a bit better than the one found on the Sony HDR-TG5V. Sony reduced the number of menu screens and sections on the HDR-CX500V.
Navigating the menus is done by using a set of touchscreen buttons on the left side of the LCD. You can press the single-arrowed buttons to scroll through the menus screen by screen, or you can press the double arrows to switch from section to section. Switching by section is faster and the section dividers are helpful, but the camcorder does have 7 sections, so even when you scroll by section you're still going to be pushing lots of buttons. Sony does have a few helpful icons on the side of the LCD that let you know what section you are in (there is also a section header at the top). As we said before, all the camcorder's options are listed under this menu, which means the playback and still image controls have their own section instead of having their own menu.
If those two navigation options aren't enough for you, Sony has included a third, more unusual system. If you hold and drag your finger along the side of the LCD (in the space where the horizontal lines are) you can scroll through the menu as if you are rotating an imaginary wheel. The farther you drag your finger, the faster the menus will scroll. This system can be useful, particularly if you know exactly where you want to go in the menu, but it is very unusual and is unlike any touchscreen option Sony has included before. We don't think this menu navigation system is easy for beginners to figure out.
Lastly, Sony has included a customizable menu with this new design. The custom menu (called My Menu) allows you to pick six options that will be available for quick-access when you open My Menu. There are also three My Menus available—one in record mode, one in photo mode, and one in playback mode (each can have their own six options). We're happy to see Sony include this kind of feature, particularly when you consider how extensive the camcorder's main menu is. Strangely, you can include any options in My Menu—even things that don't apply to specific mode. For example, you can put white balance adjustment in the Playback My Menu screen or audio settings in the Photo My Menu screen.
We did find it a bit awkward when switching between My Menu and the main menu. When you press the menu button on the CX500V, you immediately go to My Menu. To access the main menu, you have to press the small menu button that is flanked by two arrows in the lower left of corner of the LCD. With this setup, we're afraid some first-time users may think the only options available on the camcorder are those seen in My Menu—when in reality, the camcorder's list of features is far greater.
Auto Mode
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Even though the Sony HDR-CX500V does not have an 'Easy' mode, it does have very good automatic controls. Its auto exposure and auto white balance work very well, both producing accurate results in a short amount of time. The camcorder's auto exposure also adjusted very well when we shifted between different light sources. Another benefit of the CX500V is its AE and WB Shift features that allow you to adjust how the camcorder determines its auto exposure and auto white balance. The camcorder also has an auto backlight feature that helps correctly expose subjects who are illuminated by a strong light behind them.
Sony camcorders often do quite well with auto focus and the HDR-CX500V was no different. It did sometimes take a few seconds to shift between extreme focal lengths, but we were impressed with the camcorder's quick ability to produce crisp, well-focused close-up images without having to switch to a tele-macro setting. The Spot Focus and Spot Meter features on the CX500V are also quite useful, as they are basically manual controls that any novice or beginner can enjoy using.
The HDR-CX500V is also loaded with face detection features, which includes something called Smile Shutter that has the camcorder automatically snap a photo when your subject smiles. Smile Shutter works well, although it is very gimmicky. You can set the smile sensitivity on the camcorder to low, medium, or high—with low only detecting big smiles and high detecting everything down to little smirks. The Face Detection function itself also works well and it enables the camcorder to automatically adjust focus and exposure based on faces it detects within the frame. You can set a face priority to child or adult on the HDR-CX500V, and the Face Detection feature must be turned on in order for the Smile Shutter system to be engaged.
Low Light Modes - The HDR-CX500V includes Sony's popular NightShot illumination system. NightShot uses an Infrared light to enable you to shoot in complete darkness, although it coats your image in a bright, green glow (like night vision goggles). It can be a very useful feature if you're shooting outside at night, or trying to recreate a cheesy horror-film aesthetic.
In addition to NightShot, Sony also has a Low Lux mode, but all it does is allow the camcorder to use a slow shutter in low light situations—just like auto slow shutter on other camcorders. Using the Low Lux mode won't change the look of your footage in bright light, but when you shooting low light situations the camcorder will use a 1/30 of a second shutter speed. This will make motion look choppy and it can be very unappealing, particularly if you're shifting between light and dark scenes.
Scene Modes - There are number of scene modes on the HDR-CX500V: Twilight, Twilight Portrait (photo mode only), Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, and Snow. Some of these scene modes change the shutter speed, while others alter the white balance and color tones. All these scene modes are available in photo mode as well, but some of them work a bit differently. Fireworks, for example, enables the camcorder to use shutter speeds as low as 1/8 of a second in photo mode, while it doesn't appear to go below 1/60 in video mode.
The iAuto mode button is difficult to find, but when you do find it the option for turning on the mode looks like this.
Other Auto Features
Handling
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Despite being smaller than most high-end models, the HDR-CX500V isn't the most comfortable camcorder to hold. Its right-side design is a bit bumpy and could definitely provide a more ergonomic fit to the face of your palm. Still, the camcorder does feel more comfortable than the bulky Sony HDR-XR520V. In its defense, the CX500V does have a hearty construction, well-placed buttons, and excellent port-covers. The camcorder also features a comfortable hand strap that provides good support and a larger-than-average LCD.
Our biggest disappointment with the HDR-CX500V is its control dial, which is much worse than the front-mounted dials featured on last year's Sonys as well as on the HDR-XR520V and XR500V. First of all, the dial is located near the back of the camcorder, which makes it awkward to adjust while you shoot. With a front-mounted dial or lens ring your second hand can be used to balance the camcorder while you make adjustments. On the CX500V, your left hand is either blocking the LCD or awkwardly holding the left side of the camcorder when you rotate the control dial.
The control dial is also much thinner than any of the dials featured on other camcorders (it is about 1/4 as thick as the dial found on the Canon HF S11, JVC GZ-HM400, or Sony HDR-XR520V). This means your fingertips have less surface area to latch onto while making adjustments. We understand that the HDR-CX500V is meant to be as compact as possible, but why couldn't Sony have made the dial just a bit thicker? There's also definitely space for the dial up front, which begs the question as to why Sony even moved and altered the dial in the first place?
One benefit of Sony's control dial is that you don't have to go into the main menu system to set what the dial can control (you have choices for controlling focus, exposure, AE Shift, and WB Shift). If you hold down the manual adjustment button (next to the dial) for a few seconds a menu pops up that allows you to select what function you want the dial to control. This type of quick-access system is not available with Canon's control dial. Other than this, however, we're not crazy about Sony's manual dial and we hope this thinner, rear-mounted design is a one-time thing.
All in all, we weren't very impressed with the HDR-CX500V's handling. Yes, Sony made a very small high-end camcorder, but it faltered when it comes to the control dial and menu navigation system. The new menus do look stylish, and we do like how they are all located under one heading, but the navigation controls are tricky to use until you get the hang of them. We do applaud Sony for including its customizable menu, however.
These dedicated buttons give you quick access to aperture and shutter speed controls.
Portability
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The HDR-CX500V is pretty small for a high-end model. It is a lot smaller than the Canon HF S11, JVC GZ-HM400, and Panasonic HDC-TM300, although it isn't much lighter than those three camcorders. The CX500V is also significantly lighter and more compact than its hard-drive-based cousin-model, the Sony HDR-XR520V. Despite this, the CX500V is still too large to carry around in your pocket—unless you have really loose pockets and don't mind slipping a one-pound camcorder inside.
The 32GB of internal flash memory located inside the camcorder help make it a more portable product. You don't have to worry about bringing along memory cards (unless the internal memory is full), and it is also good to have as a backup if you fill up the memory cards you do have. Sony also made improvements over last year's models by not including a docking station with the HDR-CX500V. All of the camcorder's ports are located right on its body, which means you don't have to bring along an extra adapter or dock just so you can connect the camcorder to a computer or television. The fact that Sony uses a proprietary connection for its AV-out port is a little annoying, as it means you need to bring that cable with you whenever you want to connect the camcorder to a regular television—which does limit the CX500V's portability a tad.
Battery Life
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The Sony HDR-CX500V managed a surprisingly good battery life in our test. The camcorder, with its supplied battery pack, lasted for 2 hours and 10 minutes (130 minutes) in our battery life test. This is a good 25 minutes longer than the Panasonic HDC-TM300 lasted and roughly 30 minutes longer than the Canon HF S11. The JVC GZ-HM400, however, takes the prize with this test—it went for 2 hours and 43 minutes (163 minutes). More on how we test battery life.
The CX500V does have an open-ended battery compartment, which means you can load larger battery packs into the camcorder for longer-lasting performance. Most high-end camcorders have this option, while numerous compact or mid-range models offer an enclosed battery compartment that cannot accommodate larger packs.
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LCD
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At 3-inches in size, the HDR-CX500V has a larger than average LCD. The screen has a 230,400-pixel resolution, which also slightly higher than average. Most camcorders have a standard 2.7-inch screen, so the extra size on the HDR-CX500V is quite a blessing. The extra screen space really helps out, especially since you have to use the touchscreen system to do so many things on the camcorder. We applaud Sony for including a larger LCD screen on the CX500V, while most manufacturers seem afraid to crack the 2.7-inch barrier. Still, the HDR-CX500V's screen is smaller than the 3.2-inch, 921,000-pixel LCD featured on Sony's HDR-XR520V and HDR-XR500V.
The CX500V does not include an electronic viewfinder, which is something that is becoming less common to find—even on high-end consumer camcorders. So, the LCD screen is your only choice for framing your image. The LCD has manual brightness settings (with 32 increments), manual color controls (with 16 increments), and the backlight level can be set to either normal or bright. These settings can be useful for trying to combat glare or averse lighting conditions, but fiddling with them can reduce the battery life for the camcorder.
Stabilization
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Sony has done very well in our stabilization tests this year, and the HDR-CX500V is one of the very best when it comes to stabilization. The camcorder managed to reduce 80% of the unwanted motion in our low shake test and 84% of the shake in our high shake test. These are impeccable numbers, particularly for a fairly compact camcorder like the CX500V. The camcorder is equipped with optical image stabilization and it offers two settings: Standard and Active. In our testing, we got nearly identical results when using the two modes. More on how we test stabilization.
The graphs above show how well the camcorder's stabilization system works. The blue lines represent the HDR-CX500V's motion with stabilization off, while the orange lines show the camcorder's motion with stabilization engaged. You can see the camcorder produced slightly more vertical (y-axis) motion with stabilization turned on, but the horizontal (x-axis) movement was greatly decreased. In the video below you can see the CX500V's stabilization in action. The camcorder did appear to have some trouble keeping focus during our stabilization test, which you should be able to see in the video below.
According to Sony, the Active stabilization mode on the CX500V should help correct rolling or tilting movement of the camcorder. We also noticed the camcorder's wide angle changes slightly when Active mode is engaged (the image zooms in just a bit). This suggests Active mode uses a digital stabilization system to enhance the optical stabilization, although we're not sure about this. What we do know is that Active mode did nothing to improve the HDR-CX500V's stabilization results in our test.
Manual Focus
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The adjustment dial makes accurate focus adjustments easy.
Manual Exposure
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The manual exposure controls are only found on the Contour app, not on the camcorder itself.
Miscellaneous Controls
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x.v. Color
Lets the camcorder shoot in the xvYCC expanded color gamut. You'll only notice a difference if the footage is viewed on a xvYCC compatible television.
Guideframe
Splits the screen into nine equal sectors to assist with framing. The lines don't end up on your recorded video.
Tele Macro
Allows you to focus clearly on close-up subjects when using a full optical zoom. The camcorder automatically sets the zoom to tele when Tele Macro is engaged and changing the zoom will turn off the Tele macro setting.
Conversion Lens
To be used when attaching a wide angle or tele conversion lens to the HDR-CX500V. This setting optimizes the auto focus and image stabilization system to work correctly with these conversion lenses.
Audio Controls
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Most strikingly, the Sony HDR-CX500V does not have an external microphone input or a headphone jack. These ports are usually commonplace on high-end camcorders, but with the trend of camcorders going more compact some manufacturers have decided to cut things like audio ports in order to save space. Still, we are disappointed to see the HDR-CX500V does not contain an external mic input or headphone jack. The larger Sony HDR-XR520V and XR500V do contain these ports, as do the high-end models from Canon and Panasonic (as well as the JVC GZ-HM400).
As for the audio features that are included on the HDR-CX500V, the camcorder contains a built-in Dolby Digital microphone. The mic can be set to record 5.1 or 2 channels of audio, and the microphone level can be switched between normal or low. You can also use a zoom mic option on the HDR-CX500V, which allows the built-in mic to focus the audio recording on the subject that is currently being zoomed into. Additionally, the CX500V can work with any Sony-proprietary accessory that fits into the camcorder's accessory shoe.
The table below lists the HDR-CX500V's audio features as well as those found on its comparison models. Notice how the three comparison models each include external microphone inputs, headphone jacks, and manual audio level controls—three things not included on the Sony HDR-CX500V.
Editing
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The HDR-CX500V comes with the same software as previous Sony models, but the program has been slightly updated. According to Sony's website, however there is no functional difference between Picture Motion Browser (PMB) version 4.2.14 (what the CX500V comes with) and version 4.2.00 (what the HDR-TG5V and HDR-XR520V come with). So, for all intents and purposes, the PMB software on the CX500V is the same as what's on the XR520V, except for a few compatibility updates. The software is not compatible with Macs, but it will work on Windows XP or Windows Vista.
We like Sony's PMB software for its versatility, but it isn't the easiest program to use—particularly when dealing with its more advanced features. The good thing is, PMB works rather seamlessly for copying footage from your camcorder to a computer, which is the most important component of any provided software. There are also some simple DVD creation options that are fairly easy to use, and the clip organization and YouTube upload options work well. Venturing beyond these tasks, however, the PMB software can get quite challenging.
Each time you start a new task with the PMB software, a new window opens up. This can make the program seem more complicated than it really is because you have multiple windows open at once. What we found most difficult was doing any kind of editing with the software. The layout didn't feel natural and it was difficult to understand. If you plan on doing lots of editing, we recommend using an editing program you already feel comfortable with or purchasing something more advanced than PMB. For an overview of the software that ships with this and other camcorders, see our article: Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder{{product.brand.name}}-Included-Software.htm.
Features
Compression
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Like most consumer HD camcorders, the Sony HDR-CX500V uses AVCHD compression, which is built on the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec. The unique thing about Sony is that it offers standard definition MPEG-2 recording options as well as high definition settings. Many manufacturers—including Canon, Panasonic, and JVC—lack standard definition recording options on their products. The standard definition recording option can be very useful for people who aren't quite ready to do all their shooting in HD. When shooting standard definition video you can set the camcorder to use a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio.
The HDR-CX500V has lots of quality options for recording HD and SD video. Many have noted the fact that Sony tops out with a 16Mbps bitrate for HD video, which is quite a bit lower than the 24Mbps offered by Canon and JVC (24Mbps is the maximum bitrate allowed with AVCHD). Does the lower bitrate on the Sonys make a difference? Probably, but we don't think it is as significant as lens quality, sensor size, and processing. Last year, when we compared the Canon HF11 (24Mbps) with the Canon HF10 (16Mbps) and we were hard struck to notice a difference in video quality between the two. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.
Media
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The Sony HDR-CX500V is loaded with 32GB of internal flash memory as well as a Memory Stick PRO Duo card slot. You can store quite a bit of video on the internal memory (3 hours and 45 minutes at the highest quality setting), but the memory card slot is good to have if you fill up the internal 32GB. If you want to switch between recording to memory card or internal memory you have to do so in the camcorder's menu system—the CX500V won't switch over automatically if one of them fills up.
32GB is a decent amount of internal memory for a camcorder, although there are some models out there that contain 64GB of internal memory (like the CX500V's sister model, the Sony HDR-CX520V). We don't like the fact that Sony uses a proprietary memory card format—the Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. These memory cards only work with Sony products and the CX500V is not compatible with regular SD/SDHC cards. So, if you don't have any Memory Stick PRO Duo cards lying around, you should probably invest in a few before you purchase a Sony camcorder. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.
Slow Motion Modes
Still Features
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The Sony HDR-CX500V doesn't have a huge set of still features, but it does have some basic ones. The camcorder touts a 12-megapixel still image capability, but its top native resolution is around 6.2 megapixels. This means the two highest image size options (4000 x 3000 and 4000 x 2250) are interpolated from a 2880 x 2160 image. A 6.2-megapixel capability is still quite good, although it is not as large as the native resolution you'd get even from a cheap digital camera. There are also numerous HD camcorders out there at offer native 8-megapixel and 9-megapixel still image resolution options (like the Canon HF S11, JVC GZ-HM400, and Sanyo VPC-HD2000).
The CX500V does have a built-in flash located just above the lens. The flash has a variety of settings including redeye-reduction and three brightness intensity options. The camcorder also has a 10-second self timer and 5 different photo size options in still image mode. You can capture still photos in video mode, but the images are limited to a 3840 x 2160 (8.2 megapixels) resolution when you're shooting HD video.
One of the more unique features on the HDR-CX500V is its Smile Shutter technology. The Smile Shutter will automatically snap a photo—even while video is recording—when a smile is detected within the frame. The feature actually works quite well at detecting smiles and you can even set the detection sensitivity to low, medium, or high. All of these 'Smile' features are only available if Face Detection is also activated on the camcorder.
There's nothing incredibly special about the photo playback setup on the HDR-CX500V. Still photos are arranged as small thumbnails and can be viewed in full-screen or output to a television via any of the camcorder's video-out terminals. You can also run slideshows on the CX500V and display photo data (like aperture and shutter speed) for a selected still image. The camcorder's GPS system can tag the locations of photos as well as videos.
The HDR-CX500V did quite well on our still color accuracy test. In fact, it did better with color accuracy here than it did in our video color testing. The CX500V managed a color error of 2.8 with a saturation level of 101.9%. These are both excellent scores, and it bodes well for the CX500V's overall still image performance.
All of the camcorders in this set had very good color accuracy in their still images. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 (2.65 color error) produced the most accurate colors, although its numbers weren't that much better than the Sony. The JVC GZ-HM400 came in third (3.08 color error), followed by the Canon HF S11 (3.87 color error). Each of these camcorders captures a detailed still image with solid colors. The Canon did appear to overexpose the image a bit, while the JVC did the opposite and underexposed its still image.
The noise levels on the Sony HDR-CX500V's still photos were okay, but they weren't anything spectacular. The camcorder averaged 0.87% noise in our still noise testing, which is less noise than the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400 measured in the same test. Still, this is more noise than the CX500V measured in our bright light video recording, so we expected better from the camcorder.
Still sharpness is probably the most important of our still image testing because it gives you an idea of how much fine detail its photos are able to capture. In our testing, the Sony HDR-CX500V managed a horizontal sharpness of 1914 with 7.8% undersharpening and a vertical sharpness of 1676 with 10.6% undersharpening. These scores aren't bad, but they are a far cry from the 12-megapixel resolution (4000 x 3000 image size) Sony touts the camcorder as having. In reality, the camcorder has an effective pixel count of around 6 megapixels for still photos, which we talked about earlier in the Still Features section of this review. For a 6-megapixel camcorder, the CX500V's sharpness scores aren't bad. They are better than the Panasonic HDC-TM300 was capable of, although the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400—both of which have higher pixel counts—did better in this test.
Lens & Imaging System
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The Sony HDR-CX500V has a rather large, 1/2.88-inch CMOS sensor. This is the same sensor found on the Sony HDR-XR520V, HDR-XR500V, and HDR-CX520V—and all these camcorders utilize Sony's new back-illuminated Exmor-R sensor system. According to Sony this new sensor system offers a cleaner low light image with less noise because the placement of the sensor has been changed. The HDR-CX500V is also equipped with a 12x optical zoom lens that has an automatic cover.
LCD
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At 3-inches in size, the HDR-CX500V has a larger than average LCD. The screen has a 230,400-pixel resolution, which also slightly higher than average. Most camcorders have a standard 2.7-inch screen, so the extra size on the HDR-CX500V is quite a blessing. The extra screen space really helps out, especially since you have to use the touchscreen system to do so many things on the camcorder. We applaud Sony for including a larger LCD screen on the CX500V, while most manufacturers seem afraid to crack the 2.7-inch barrier. Still, the HDR-CX500V's screen is smaller than the 3.2-inch, 921,000-pixel LCD featured on Sony's HDR-XR520V and HDR-XR500V.
The CX500V does not include an electronic viewfinder, which is something that is becoming less common to find—even on high-end consumer camcorders. So, the LCD screen is your only choice for framing your image. The LCD has manual brightness settings (with 32 increments), manual color controls (with 16 increments), and the backlight level can be set to either normal or bright. These settings can be useful for trying to combat glare or averse lighting conditions, but fiddling with them can reduce the battery life for the camcorder.
Connectivity
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The right side of the camcorder has one port—the combo AV-out and Component-out port. This terminal can also connect with Sony-proprietary LANC and S-video cables. The port is well protected by a thick, hard-plastic door that flips down from the camcorder. Unfortunately the port is located exactly where you place your palm when holding the camcorder, so you can't really connect a cable to this terminal and strap the camcorder to your hand at the same time.
The rest of the camcorder's ports are located inside the LCD cavity, all tucked behind a large, pivoting door. This collection of ports include the HDMI terminal, USB port, and Memory Stick PRO Duo card slot. Since the door covering these ports doesn't open very far, there isn't a lot of room to connect cables here. Still, these ports are well protected by the thick, plastic door.
On the top of the camcorder is a hot accessory shoe that only fits Sony-proprietary accessories. The sliding cover that protects the shoe is the weakest door on the camcorder, and its sliding mechanism doesn't feel very sturdy. There's also the DC-input on the back side of the camcorder that is so well camouflaged it almost appears hidden. The port is covered by a rounded, sturdy door that takes the shape of the camcorder's base in order to make the port less obtrusive.
Lastly, the HDR-CX500V contains a GPS feature, which is found on all Sony 'V' models this year. The GPS tool can be used to keep track of where you shot your videos or photos and so you can organize them by location later. We discuss this feature more in the Other Features section of this review. Below is a listing of all the connectivity features found on the CX500V and its comparison models. Notice the lack of audio connection ports on the Sony compared to what is offered on the competition.
Battery
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The CX500V does have an open-ended battery compartment, which means you can load larger battery packs into the camcorder for longer-lasting performance. Most high-end camcorders have this option, while numerous compact or mid-range models offer an enclosed battery compartment that cannot accommodate larger packs.
Media
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The Sony HDR-CX500V is loaded with 32GB of internal flash memory as well as a Memory Stick PRO Duo card slot. You can store quite a bit of video on the internal memory (3 hours and 45 minutes at the highest quality setting), but the memory card slot is good to have if you fill up the internal 32GB. If you want to switch between recording to memory card or internal memory you have to do so in the camcorder's menu system—the CX500V won't switch over automatically if one of them fills up.
32GB is a decent amount of internal memory for a camcorder, although there are some models out there that contain 64GB of internal memory (like the CX500V's sister model, the Sony HDR-CX520V). We don't like the fact that Sony uses a proprietary memory card format—the Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. These memory cards only work with Sony products and the CX500V is not compatible with regular SD/SDHC cards. So, if you don't have any Memory Stick PRO Duo cards lying around, you should probably invest in a few before you purchase a Sony camcorder. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.
Still Features
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The Sony HDR-CX500V doesn't have a huge set of still features, but it does have some basic ones. The camcorder touts a 12-megapixel still image capability, but its top native resolution is around 6.2 megapixels. This means the two highest image size options (4000 x 3000 and 4000 x 2250) are interpolated from a 2880 x 2160 image. A 6.2-megapixel capability is still quite good, although it is not as large as the native resolution you'd get even from a cheap digital camera. There are also numerous HD camcorders out there at offer native 8-megapixel and 9-megapixel still image resolution options (like the Canon HF S11, JVC GZ-HM400, and Sanyo VPC-HD2000).
The CX500V does have a built-in flash located just above the lens. The flash has a variety of settings including redeye-reduction and three brightness intensity options. The camcorder also has a 10-second self timer and 5 different photo size options in still image mode. You can capture still photos in video mode, but the images are limited to a 3840 x 2160 (8.2 megapixels) resolution when you're shooting HD video.
One of the more unique features on the HDR-CX500V is its Smile Shutter technology. The Smile Shutter will automatically snap a photo—even while video is recording—when a smile is detected within the frame. The feature actually works quite well at detecting smiles and you can even set the detection sensitivity to low, medium, or high. All of these 'Smile' features are only available if Face Detection is also activated on the camcorder.
There's nothing incredibly special about the photo playback setup on the HDR-CX500V. Still photos are arranged as small thumbnails and can be viewed in full-screen or output to a television via any of the camcorder's video-out terminals. You can also run slideshows on the CX500V and display photo data (like aperture and shutter speed) for a selected still image. The camcorder's GPS system can tag the locations of photos as well as videos.
The HDR-CX500V did quite well on our still color accuracy test. In fact, it did better with color accuracy here than it did in our video color testing. The CX500V managed a color error of 2.8 with a saturation level of 101.9%. These are both excellent scores, and it bodes well for the CX500V's overall still image performance.
All of the camcorders in this set had very good color accuracy in their still images. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 (2.65 color error) produced the most accurate colors, although its numbers weren't that much better than the Sony. The JVC GZ-HM400 came in third (3.08 color error), followed by the Canon HF S11 (3.87 color error). Each of these camcorders captures a detailed still image with solid colors. The Canon did appear to overexpose the image a bit, while the JVC did the opposite and underexposed its still image.
The noise levels on the Sony HDR-CX500V's still photos were okay, but they weren't anything spectacular. The camcorder averaged 0.87% noise in our still noise testing, which is less noise than the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400 measured in the same test. Still, this is more noise than the CX500V measured in our bright light video recording, so we expected better from the camcorder.
Still sharpness is probably the most important of our still image testing because it gives you an idea of how much fine detail its photos are able to capture. In our testing, the Sony HDR-CX500V managed a horizontal sharpness of 1914 with 7.8% undersharpening and a vertical sharpness of 1676 with 10.6% undersharpening. These scores aren't bad, but they are a far cry from the 12-megapixel resolution (4000 x 3000 image size) Sony touts the camcorder as having. In reality, the camcorder has an effective pixel count of around 6 megapixels for still photos, which we talked about earlier in the Still Features section of this review. For a 6-megapixel camcorder, the CX500V's sharpness scores aren't bad. They are better than the Panasonic HDC-TM300 was capable of, although the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-HM400—both of which have higher pixel counts—did better in this test.
Other Features
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The Sony HDR-CX500VGPS (Global Positioning System)
You can tag your videos and photos using the HDR-CX500V's built-in GPS. This allows you to organize your clips by location or view your media on a map pinpointing where each clip was shot. Many Sony camcorders now include GPS (any camcorder with a 'V' at the end of the model number), although we haven't been overly impressed by the feature. Turning GPS on uses up battery life quicker, and it can take the camcorder quite a while to determine your location. Still, it can be useful if you're doing lots of traveling and want the camcorder to keep track of where you were when you shot your videos.
Disc Burn
On the inside of the LCD cavity is a DVD disc burn button that allows you to burn video directly to disc if you have a compatible DVD burner. Sony sells portable burners that work with the HDR-CX500V and connect via the camcorder's USB terminal.
Smooth Slow Record
A limited high-speed recording feature that allows you to shoot 3 seconds of video and turn it into 12 seconds of slow motion video. Smooth Slow Record shoots at 240fps (4x faster than regular 60i), but you can only shoot 3 seconds of video with the feature. The setting appears to be designed for shooting golf swings (it is represented by a golf swing icon), and you can set to record the three seconds before you hit the record button or the three seconds after. The feature produces better quality video than the slow-motion settings found on JVC's GZ-HM400 and GZ-X900, but it doesn't have as many options as those camcorders (the JVCs can record 120fps, 300fps, or 600fps).
Fader
You can put a white or black fader at the beginning or end of your clip.
Canon Vixia HF S11 Comparison
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is a good amount more expensive than the HDR-CX500V, but it is also one of the best performing camcorders of the year. In addition, the TM300 includes a lot more manual controls than the Sony, an electronic viewfinder, and a lens ring for making adjustments. Both camcorders have 32GB of internal memory and use touchscreen LCD systems.
While the Sony is the smaller camcorder here, it actually didn't feel as comfortable in our hand as the HDC-TM300. The Panasonic offered a smooth, rounded edge that fit in our palms with ease. As performance goes, the two camcorders were similar in many of our tests—like sharpness, motion, and bright light performance—but the Panasonic had an edge in low light. The TM300 also offers a 24p frame rate option called Digital Cinema mode.
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is the better product here, and it is one of the best camcorders of 2009. We feel it is worth the extra $200 bucks, but the fact that the Sony does stand up to it quite well in our performance testing is impressive. Still, the extra features, smoother handling, and superior low light performance make the Panasonic HDC-TM300 the stronger choice.
Update: The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
JVC GZ-HM400 Comparison
The Canon HF S11 costs roughly $300 more than the Sony HDR-CX500V, but part of that extra cost is due to the 64GB of internal memory inside the Canon. A better comparison, based on price, would be with the Canon HF S10, which is identical to the HF S11 except that it includes 32GB of internal memory—just like the Sony HDR-CX500V. The HF S10 is only $100 more than the Sony, so the two camcorders are essentially in the same price range. You could also compare the Sony HDR-CX520V (64GB internal memory, $1299 price tag) with the Canon HF S11 instead. Either way, the Sony is $100 cheaper than the equivalent model from Canon.
Canon doesn't pack as many manual controls into the HF S11 as Panasonic puts in its high-end models, but it still has more offerings than the Sony HDR-CX500V. There's options for shutter speed and aperture control, as well as ports for connecting an external mic or headphones. We also like the way the HF S11 feels in our hand more than the Sony, although it is a good larger. Lastly, the Canon has a much better control dial than the CX500V—in fact, all these high-end models have better control dials than the CX500V.
Based on performance, we found the Canon HF S11 to be superior to the Sony in bright light, roughly equivalent to it in low light, and significantly worse when it came to stabilization. We feel that the Canon is the winner in this battle, despite the fact that it is a bit more expensive than the CX500V. These two camcorders are fairly close competitors, however, but the only strong benefit we see from the Sony is that it is easier to use and more compact (and it costs less).
Update: The Canon HF S11 was ultimately selected as our 2009 runner-up for Camcorder of the Year (behind the TM300). To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
COMP 3
Even though they're both high-end camcorders with 32GB of internal memory, the JVC GZ-HM400 and Sony HDR-CX500V are actually quite different. While the CX500V is one of the most compact high-end models out there, the JVC GZ-HM400 is one of the largest. The JVC had impeccable results in our bright light testing, while the Sony did much better in low light. Despite the GZ-HM400's size, it did have a few handling features we liked—the large zoom rocker and front-mounted control dial, for example.
It is tough to pick a winner between these two camcorders, but we like the JVC because it is slightly cheaper and it had such good motion and sharpness performances. The Sony is the better camcorder, however, if you plan on doing lots of low light shooting or want a more compact model.
Update: The JVC Everio GZ-HM400 was ultimately selected as our 2009 runner-up for Best Value of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
Conclusion
Judging solely on performance, the Sony HDR-CX500V (MSRP $1099) is a very good camcorder. It didn't do poorly in any of our tests, although there were times when it performed slightly below average. Still, it is a strong overall camcorder in both bright and low light.
The faults of the HDR-CX500V come in its limited features and weak design. Yes, the camcorder is well-built and sturdy, but its LCD touchscreen isn't a pleasure to work with and its new, rear-mounted control dial is a step backward for Sony. We much prefer the thicker, front-mounted dials found on other high-end models (including those found on the CX500V's cousin models, the Sony HDR-XR500V and XR520V).
Despite being smaller than the high-end competition, the HDR-CX500V didn't feel all that comfortable in our hand, although its strap was comfortable and tight. Button placement on the camcorder was good and we love that Sony offers a 3-inch LCD on the HDR-CX500V instead of settling for the 2.7-inch standard found almost everywhere else. Nevertheless, these benefits don't outweigh the fact that the CX500V lacks numerous manual controls—like aperture and shutter speed—that are commonplace on most high-end camcorders.
If you're looking for a simple camcorder that can take high-quality video, the HDR-CX500V is not a bad choice. If you're a semi-pro, however, or have a strong affinity for making manual adjustments, you should definitely check out the high-end models from other manufacturers. If you like the HDR-CX500V but have more cash to spend, Sony does make an HDR-CX520V that has double the internal memory (64GB instead of 32GB) for an extra $200.
Photo Gallery
{{photo_gallery "Front Photo", "Left Photo", "Left Open Photo", "Back Photo", "Right Photo", "Top Photo", "Bottom Photo", "Lens Photo", "Lens Photo 2", "3D Lens Photo", "Media Photo", "Easy Mode Photo", "Manual Controls Photo", "Zoom Photo", "Zoom Photo 2", "Ease of Use Photo", "Battery Photo", "LCD Photo 1", "LCD Photo 2", "EVF Photo 1", "EVF Photo 2", "Mic Photo", "Mic Photo 2", "Ports Photo 1", "Ports Photo 2", "Ports Photo 3", "Ports Photo 4", "Ports Photo 5", "Ports Photo 6", "Handling Photo 1", "Handling Photo 2", "Handling Photo 3", "Handling Photo 4", "Box Photo"}}
Meet the tester
Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.
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