Sony Handycam HDR-XR150

Sony Handycam HDR-XR150

A follow-up to the CX100, the Sony Handycam HDR-CX110, CX150 and XR150 represent Sony's budget-priced HD triumvirate. They differ only by color and storage media--the CX110 has no built-in memory, the CX150 has 16GB built in, and the XR150 incorporates a 120GB hard disk (and is therefore necessarily larger than the other two)--and are part of the first generation of Sony camcorders to almost universally support SD cards. (Reviews of all three products are based on our testing of the CX150.) While the XR150 only comes in black, the CX150 comes in red as well, and the CX110 throws in a blue choice. Like the CX100, the CX150 and CX110 each fit quite comfortably in a jacket pocket. Though more expensive and larger than a minicamcorder, these models have a lot of things those lack, including a 25x zoom lens and the ability to capture 3-megapixel stills. The two flash models are far more attractive than the XR150 with its odd upward projection on the right side, though if you have big hands, that extra bit should make it easier to grip than its smaller, rather slippery siblings. Like many ultracompact models, they really do seem optimized for shooting below eye level, or at least holding the camcorder as if you are; the traditional grip simply isn't comfortable.