Laying your hands on a Full HD camcorder no longer means weeping as you hand over your entire monthly disposable income in your local gadget den. But the Sony HDR-CX520 harks back to a pricier age, when cammies cost hundreds. So is it worth stumping for this super-specced shooter? Or should you nab yourself a bog standard Flip MinoHD instead? Read our Sony HDR-CX520 review now and we’ll tell all.
Let’s be abundantly clear. The Sony HDR-CX520 is not for those who want to shoot clips and shovel them onto YouTube for the planet’s web obsessives to snigger over. Clocking in at £999, its one for those who want top end features in a tiny package.
And there’s no doubting that the Sony HDR-CX520 has skills to die for. We’re talking, of course, Full HD support, alongside a whacking 64GB of storage on board, Memory Stick expansion, a 3-inch touchscreen, 12x optical zoom and even GPS so you can geotag your vids and show the world where you’ve been.
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Crank it up though and you’ll notice a few nasty niggles that’ll make you think twice about paying such a handsome sum. For starters, it’s rather average in low light conditions, in spite of Sony shouting from the rooftops about its performance in the dark. Not a deal breaker, but we certainly expected better from such a costly piece of kit.
That said, the Sony HDR-CX520 does have plenty to recommend it. The pics we took in daylight were gorgeous and the G lens and Exmor R CMOS sensor make your work look truly professional. Sling in 5.1 audio support and you’re looking at a great all rounder for making quality holiday vids.
Perhaps our favourite feature, though, is the 120fps slow motion mode. It’s astounding and makes even the silliest of shots look moody and as if they belong on a highlights package.
While the Sony HDR-CX520 is undoubtedly a good camcorder, at a time when Full HD efforts cost a fraction of this, it’s hard to recommend. If you want to spend this much on a camcorder, we’d recommend getting something more professional.
