Sony HDR-UX20 AVCHD DVD Camcorder

The Sony HDR-UX20 is a high definition camcorder with three different recording medium options: DVD, 8 GB internal memory, or a MemoryStick Duo card.

Intro:
Sony’s HDR-UX20 has a 2.7’’ LCD screen, quite good battery life, and decent still features. The camcorder is equipped with one 1/5-inch ClearVID CMOS sensor which seems too little to assure good performance, but thanks to the Sony’s Exmor sensor and Bionz processor the image quality is at least satisfactory. Despite its small size the Sony camcorder offers good optical zoom which is extendable to 15x.

The design:
The Sony HDR-UX20 weighs 560g (1 lb. 3 oz.) and measures 58mm x 93mm x 134mm (2 3/8 in. x 3 ¾ in. x 5 3/8 in.) so it is a really small and portable device that will not tear your pockets (although the Sony HDR-CX12 is even smaller). At the front of the camera you will find the Carl Zeiss lens with 15x optical zoom and a built-in flash to its left. Because of its off-center placement you can get uneven lighting when taking still photos. On the right side of the camcorder you will find mainly the DVD hatch which unfortunately takes some time to open. So unless you have had some practice with this kind of devices don’t count on quick DVD change. At the back is the battery pack and below it a small door hiding the DC and AV/Component jacks.

Performance:
When compared to other Sony camcorders the UX20’s 1/5-inch sensor might seem a bit small and indeed it is too small for professionals, but ought to be enough for amateurs. The Sony Exmor sensor and Bionz processor take care of noise reduction in order to compensate the small sensor and they do a great job. The gross pixel count on the Sony UX20 is 2,360,000 which is quite not bad, although a small down from the previous year. All in all, this camcorder performs really well in most circumstances, but it has some troubles in low light, where the comparable models by Panasonic, or Canon perform better. But what Sony does a lot better than its

competitors is for sure its Face Detection feature which can detect up to 8 faces, whereas for example Panasonic can detect only up to 6. Moreover, Sony’s Super Steady Shot OIS (optical image stabilization) works wonders. Other important features, such as Wide Angle and Compensation are also of decent quality, so do not worry about those.
When it comes to still features, this camcorder does a great job when compared to the camcorders by other manufacturers. Although you can capture images only in up to 4 MP, they look pretty. When you add to that features such as Red Eye Reduction, or the Face detection tools which of course work here as well the only drawback of the still features in this camcorder is the built-in flash which might give you uneven lighting.
One more important thins is the battery life, which in this case varies on the medium you use to record data. Obviously when you use a DVD not only do you have to switch DVDs every 11 minutes when you record in the highest quality (due to its limited capacity), but it also takes more juice from the battery. Generally, the Sony HDR-UX20’s battery suffices for about 100 minutes of recording.

Menus and manual control:
The menus are like in every other Sony product clear, put in a logical way an easy to operate. Moreover, thanks to its Easy Mode the camcorder turns into an ideal device for novices with limited options and auto-everything. And what is important this mode works really well in most circumstances. But if you want to plunge into the menu what you need to know is the fact that the menu is divided into two separate areas: Camera Menu where you can adjust the image quality and similar settings, and Home menu with settings such as date, time, guidelines and so on.
To sum up, if it wasn’t for the quite high price (and its only manufacturer’s suggested retail price - if you look carefully you can find it somewhere for less than $999) the camcorder would deserve a good mark. Its three different recording media allow flexibility, various options assure good image quality, easy mode can do everything for you, and thanks to the small size the Sony HDR-UX20 is really portable.. The selected specifications are as follows:
• LENS / ZOOM
Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* Lens
Zoom Key (Lever/Button on LCD Frame)
Zoom / Zoom Speed (Optical)
With Lever (During Standby): 15x, variable (1.1-30sec)
With Lever (During Recording): 15x, variable (1.1-30sec)
Filter Diameter: 30mm
Lens Cover (Auto)

NightShot (SW)
Super NightShot (“MOVIE” position)
• CAMERA
Focus System: Full Range Auto / Manual
Auto Focus (Linear Mach AF)
ClearVid CMOS Sensor: 1/5” (3.6mm) 2304H
Dynamic Range Optimizer
Number of Pixels:
Pixels for Still Image Recording: MAX. 4.0M (2304 x 1728) (4:3)
Gross Pixels: Approx. 2360K
Effective Pixels of Moving Pictures in 16:9: Approx. 1490K
Effective Pixels of Moving Pictures in 4:3: Approx. 1120K
Effective Pixels of Still Images in 16:9: Approx. 1490K
Effective Pixels of Still Images in 4:3: Approx. 1990K
Minimum Illumination: SP 5lux (Auto Slow Shutter ON, 1/30 Shutter Speed)
White Balance: Auto / Outdoor / Indoor / One-Push (Touch Panel)
One-Push Auto (Touch Panel)
Shutter Speed:
Auto (Auto Slow Shutter ON): 1/30 – 1/250
Auto (Auto Slow Shutter OFF): 1/60 – 1/250

Scene Selection: 1/2 – 1/500
Super NightShot: 1/4 – 1/100
Colour Slow Shutter: 1/2 – 1/250, Off (Menu)
Smooth Slow Rec: 1/240 – 1/960
Auto Slow Shutter (“MOVIE” position only)
Colour Slow Shutter
Face Detection: Auto control, Bit Allocation on Face (”MOVIE(AVC HD)” position)
Scene Selection (Menu): Auto, Spotlight, Portrait, Landscape, Twilight, Twilight Portrait (Still Images Only), Candle, Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks, Beach, Snow
Auto Non-Flicker
Exposure Control (Touch Panel)
Backlight Compensation (Button)
Iris Control (Auto Only) / Gain Control (Auto Only)
Compatibility with Guide Frame on Tripod
Self Timer (Touch Panel, Still Images Only)

Fader4 (Touch Panel): Black, White
Camera Noise Reduction
16:9 WIDE (High-Quality)
16:9 Default (CAMERA-Movie)

• INPUTS / OUTPUTS
A/V Remote Connector (Video / S Video / Audio / Component Out / Remote): Output only
USB Terminal (mini-B/Hi-Speed)
HDMI Terminal
DC IN
• LCD SCREEN
Size: 2.7” WIDE (16:9 ratio)
Number of Pixels: 211,200 (960 x 220)
Clear Photo LCD Plus
Hybrid LCD Monitor
Touch Panel
LCD On/Off7 (LCD Open/Close related)
Backlight On/Off (Display Button Press & Hold)
Backlight Brightness Select7: Normal/Bright (Menu)
Brightness Control (+/-,Touch Panel)
Colour Control (Touch Panel)
Opening Angle: 90º
Turning Angle: 270º
Counter Clockwise: 180º
Clockwise: 90º
Anti-Glare Treatment
Anti-Fingerprint Treatment
EVF ON with reversed LCD (Mirror Mode)

Source: Sony.