The Sony HDR-PJ200?($439.99, 3 stars) is an entry-level consumer camcorder that distinguishes itself with a fun and easy-to-use built-in projector. Aside from that set-it-apart feature, the PJ200 lags behind competitors like the Canon Vixia HF R300 ($349.99, 4 stars) when it comes to video performance. The Sony HDR-CX210 ($369.99 direct) features the same lens, processor, and image sensor as the HDR-PJ200, but it nixes the built-in projector in favor of 8GB of built-in storage. The CX210 delivers the same mediocre video performance, but at a reduced price. Even with the lower price, it's hard to recommend, especially when you consider that you can get an 8GB SD card for as little as $5 online. ?
Design and Features
The CX210 is slightly more compact and lighter than the PJ200, as the built-in projector adds a little weight. The CX210 measures 2.25 by 2.1 by 4.9 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.7 ounces, compared with the 2.25 by 2.4 by 4.5-inch and 8.9-ounce PJ200. All of the main controls lie in familiar spots along the HDR-CX210's body: The Record button rests comfortably under your thumb, while the zoom rocker is within reach of your index finger. Behind the zoom rocker are Photo and Mode buttons; the former is for capturing still images on the fly, while the latter switches between still image and video modes. There is no Power button; open the LCD and the camcorder powers on automatically. There's a built-in USB cable in the hand strap, and a small cover along the right side reveals the power port, A/V out port, and a single slot that accepts SD, SDHC, SDXC, and Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. As mentioned before, the CX210 comes with 8GB of built-in?storage. Inside the LCD recess is a Playback button, as well as mini HDMI and mini USB ports.
The 2.7-inch touch-screen LCD is functional. The touch controls are on par with the Canon Vixia camcorders, which is to say good, but not ideal for finer adjustments to exposure, focus, or white balance. The 230k-dot resolution is the same as found on the 3-inch Canon screens. The HDR-CX210's screen gets slightly brighter than that of the Vixias, but is still a bit too dim for bright outdoor lighting. I found colors on the screen tended towards a reddish hue, though that was not reflected in the actual video.
The HDR-CX210 uses a relatively small 1/5.8-inch Exmor R CMOS Sensor?the R300 uses a larger 1/4.85-inch CMOS sensor. Sony markets a 30x zoom factor, but in reality the CX210 features a 25x optical zoom and uses a combination of optical and digital to achieve the 30x. The 36-1,080mm (35mm equivalent) focal range and f/1.9-3.2 aperture are comparable to the R300's 38.5-1,232mm focal length (35mm equivalent) with an f/1.8-4.5 aperture. The CX210 has a very slight advantage on the wider end, while the R300 has a longer telephoto reach. The higher-end Canon Vixia HF M50 ($649.99, 3.5 stars) has the biggest sensor of the bunch, a 1/3-inch CMOS chip, but its 10x optical zoom lens with a 43.4-436mm focal length is less versatile.
Performance
As with most consumer-level camcorders, full HD here means 1,920-by-1,080-pixel resolution at 60 interlaced frames per second. It's not true 1080p, but you won't find that in camcorders in this price range. The CX210 can record at multiple quality settings, but uses only AVCHD format, as opposed to other models, like the Canon?Vixias, which can also save lower quality videos as MP4s.
For my tests, I used the highest video quality setting and stuck to full Auto mode. Performance was disappointing, with footage exhibiting noticeable compression that made it appear grainy even in good light. Everything just looked soft. This was particularly noticeable with movements, like brisk pans, where video details appeared smeared. Generally, in good light, video looked okay, and the CX210?was able to capture fine details with accurate color. But in some outdoor footage, with a bright sky and dark shadows, the camera exhibited signs of subpar dynamic range, with some overexposed hotspots or underexposed shadowy areas.?
Low-light performance was not as good as with the Vixia M50 or R300, but the camera still produced usable footage. Image noise was relatively low in my tests, but I found the ever-present grain bothersome. When the camera is held completely still, the grain is less noticeable, but with even slight movements you start to see jagged edges around objects. The video quality is not a huge issue on, say, a small LCD, but if you plan on large-screen HDTV video playback, the flaws will be readily apparent.?
Image stabilization was also less effective on the CX210?than on the Vixia R300, which has a similar telephoto reach. The CX210?uses Sony's Active SteadyShot technology, which works fine at its widest end, but when fully zoomed in, footage shot without a tripod is very shaky. Audio quality is okay, but the CX210?lacks a 3.5mm mic input or headphone jack for monitoring. Voices come through clear, but the CX210?also picks up a lot of ambient noise, including the sound of the lens zooming when all else is quiet.
Sony advertises 5.3-megapixel still image capture, but the camcorder simply upconverts from a lower resolution. Photo details are soft and have an unpleasant waxy quality to them, and in low light, noisy images are all but guaranteed. Also, you can't take still shots when recording at the highest video quality, which is the only setting I'd recommend.
Conclusions
With these two very similar Sony camcorders, at least the PJ200's built-in projector adds a fun way to share your images that masks many of the camera's video-quality flaws. With the CX210?you lose the projector, but gain 8GB of integrated storage for $70 less. But in the end, both cameras produce mediocre video quality. If you need the projector, the PJ200 is worth checking out, but it's tough to recommend the CX210 over the $350?Canon Vixia HF R300.
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