Sony HDR-CX560V - Camcorder

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

We use this for our company to do social media marketing. They say that pictures "speak" - well HD Video "Screams".

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

I just loved my new camera HDR-CX560v , It is more than I wanted .
Im really happy to chouse this camera , and BH was fast to shipp my product .
5 stars for you guys .

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Great upgrade from HDR-CX550V unit.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Haven't used this camera a ton yet, but I'm mostly pleased with it. Video quality seems to be good. Fits well in the hand, and the controls are easy to use.

The only real annoyance I've had with it is that the zoom is jumpy. It's hard to get it to zoom in small increments, and I often end up zooming farther than I intend and then having to back off, sometimes more than once.

I also find it curious that for frame rate settings it offers 60 and 24 only, not 30. Numerous other consumer cameras I've used seem to have used 30 by default. No big deal, really, but it changes the settings I'm used to using in Premiere Pro, etc.

Love the 64 GB internal memory. You seldom would need external memory as long as you transfer your videos to a hard drive periodically.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

I bought the HDR-CX560 with the intension of replacing my current HDR-CX550 (seeing that it's the replacement model). Out of the box the camera was very nice and a bit smaller than the HDR-CX550 but the following is what I'm not happy with and I will be returning it:

1. The touch screen is very un-responsive. I'd say 50%-75% of the time I have to press it twice for a response.

2. Going from a 3.5" to a 3" screen isnt nice. I didn't think it would make such a difference - trust me that extra 0.5" makes a difference.

3. The menu layout is nice and colourful but not as user friendly and easy to navigate through as the HDR-CX550.

4. When I switched to 24p mode the footage became VERY jerky. Not sure if it's the camera or another setting somewhere else perhaps.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

At first the picture is stunning. Then you see how the color drifts and shifts regularly. The zoom regularly lags and is very hard to control. The body is light weight and feels fragile. I work with Sony camcorders everyday for more than 5 years. I have use models from the HDR-SR1, SR7, SR11, v350, v550, v560, v160, as well as older TR models. I wouldn't have such a problem because the prices have dropped drastically, but they are not producing higher quality models to fill the gap. I feel they represent the newer models as being better all around. They do implement newer technology. But the life span is horrible. Maybe it is close to half price but is only lasts 20% as long.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

The 560V replaced a Sony DSC-H50 I had been using for years to shoot infrared video. I had long thought that the quality of the video any camcorder might provide given my unique shooting needs might not be worth the great expense of the 560V, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I shoot with two powerful IR illuminators and they didn't amount to much more than two hot spots on my H50, while the 560V is able to resolve the entire frame's worth of light with just one of the illuminators. The 560V quickly acquires and stays in focus, and I get fantastic depth of field, which the H50 was pretty much hopeless at. The H50 limited files to 10 minutes, while the 560V will go indefinitely. I can't think of a better example of a before/after result than going from shooting video on the H50 to the 560V. I do wish the LCD panel were larger, and had better controls for dimming. As it stands, it has two settings, normal and bright. For the money, I think Sony should also include a wall charger for the battery. Also, the battery that comes with the 560V is so small that it's a forgone conclusion that you'll have to buy another larger one to have any real freedom with it. B&H was offering what I can only describe as a spectacular deal on the NP-FV100 that I was only too happy to take advantage of.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Super easy and great picture quality.

I am a casual enthusiast - but I appreciate quality and this camcorder is stunning. I upgraded over a 4 year old panasonic and the image quality and low light video ability is light years ahead in comparison to my old unit.

I have a 2 year old daughter and want to capture the magic of her formulative years on the best quality recordings I can - and this Sony camcorder is simply awesome.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

First purchased the Panasonic TM900 and returned it and bought the Sony CX560. The Sony was much better at low light, wanted a camera for our family, Christmas, birthdays and dim basement play areas. The Sony was the answer, its got a super wide 26mm lens and smooth stabilization, almost like having a built in Steadicam. The menu structure is not as user friendly as the Panasonic, but we are looking for quality videos without grainy low light noise. For now the Sony 560/700 is the way to go. Also the Sony doesn't have a noisy fan like the Panasonic TM900. Wish the Sony's USB connection was 3.0 instead of 2.0.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Easy to use

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

This camcorder is bieing used for interviewing and publishing to cardiotube. The end product is fantastic.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Coming from Mini tape camcorder. Hugh upgrade. Excellent picture. Easy to use. Not as easy as thought it would be to get video from camera to iMAC to DVD- time consuming. Free battery(100) nice for battery life but too bulky and gets in way of switch for photo/video. If going to get extra battery I would likely go with 70 or even another 50. Very happy thus far- 2 months.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

It is a real easy camera to use. Lightweight,compact, another fine Sony product. I like the lcd touch screen, the storage capabilities on the internal memory, and the time on the batteries............with additional accessories, I am sure I can record an epic adventure...........Thank you Sony

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Perfect for home and personal use. Looks fantastic and easy to use.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

I use this camcorder mainly for hiking and nature filming. Its light weight, compact size, lack of moving parts, silent operation all make it a natural for backpacking.

The Sony HDR-CX360V is a few ounces lighter but seems to lack some of the video dynamic range of this model. With a larger sensor and more picture-quality controls, this camcorder is better suited to getting the most from a 1080/60p display.

The sound quality of the built-in 5.1 mic is very good, with surprisingly rich channel separation. Listen to your footage on a 5.1 home theater and an HDMI cable, and you will never go back to stereo home movies! A 5.1 mic input would be nice, but no prosumer cams have that yet.

Some note the Sony 360 & 560 have that Sony "pop" aka overly saturated colors, and a tendency to "hunt" for auto-focus. To be fair, the Panasonic HDC-TM900K does seem to have a more subdued/accurate color balance and slightly better auto-focus. But, with an onboard fan due to high sensor heat, there is no way to render the TM900 silent without a separate, off-camera recording array. The Sony's truly silent operation makes this an easy choice for me.

Still photos on this camera are much better than the Sony CX360 can do. They also tend to be better than the Panasonic TM900K. They're not as sharp as you'd get on a DSLR, but they are good enough you won't mind just taking the one device out on a trip with you.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

For hard-mounting cameras, I have used a LOT of Sony A1u and gopro. Past experiences with Canon HDV/ tapeless cams - not good! The image breaks up with moderate vibration. Sorta like a gopro with crazy vibration - image turns to mush. So A1u used to be the norm - long firewire cable between cam and an HDV deck, running 4.5hr tapes. Complicated, large, annoying but it worked. NOW, this little guy can do the same thing - record for a long time in a compact form-factor, except the stock lens is wider, sharper, contrastier...and the codec is WAY better, but more than that - the stabilization is jaw-dropping. It must be >15 degrees! Hard-mounted to a car windshield looking out, we were offroading and the footage looked like it was from a cam mounted on a stab-c or other active-gyro system - ROCK solid.

The image is pretty spectacular and pretty clean AND for about 1" square larger than a gopro in its housing, you get 24p, cine gamma curve and manual options as well as the most amazing thing (besides stabilization) - the face-tracking exposure and focus WORKS! For in-car mounted cameras, I'd take this thing ANY day over an iconix - sharper, cleaner, and with face-tracking the subject can lean in and out, go in and out of light, and you can set the AE performance to gently adjust on-shot. Brilliant performance, I wouldn't recommend any other small camera over this thing.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Hi,
Fantastic natural looking movies and easy to use.
That's what it's all about for me. Even when the lighting isn't perfect this Sony camcorder creates wonderful clean video.

This unit is smaller than I thought which really is an added bonus when traveling. Lots of available accessories including super long lasting batteries.

I use a Dell XPS 8300 and Pinnacle Studio HD for easy movie editing. Really simple setup for creating fantastic looking movies.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

I have had the Sony HDR-CX560 for about 2 weeks now. I really like the wide angle lens, low power consumption/ long battery life, wonderful HD video and 5.1 sound. Very easy to use, but you can manally adjust some features if you like. The auto settings work pretty good so I don't adjust manually very often.
The picture quality is awesome! Sony's image stabilization is the best by far. I took some shot at dusk and turned out great even though it was getting dark. Low light performance seems very good. Simple editing is very easy with the supplied PMB software on my PC. I recommend ordering optional cable for direct copy if you are going to use this feature. As far as I can tell, the Sony cable is the only one that will work for this feature, and it does work very well. It copies all your images and video to any USB powered ext. hard drive very fast and will not duplicate files when you connect it again. I use a 320 gb Seagate and it works great.
The camera is sturdily built, yet light weight. Highly recommend 8 hour battery for spare. Overall a great camera. Worth the extra money for the quality IMHO.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

What can I say. This video camera is wow!! It takes great pictures. Quality is great. Everthing about it great.

Comments about Sony HDR-CX560V Camcorder:

Great camcorder overall. Good low light capability compared to my old DCR-HC42, which I have upgraded from. I think Canons have a better low lux rating though. Infrared nightvision works if you are within the same room in a typical-sized living room. External mic input is available, but you cannot manually adjust the gain. Camcorder tends to lean away from your hand when holding it from where Sony put the straps. Image Stabilizer is good. No custom menu option like they had on the DCR-HC42 nor a timelapse mode. At this price range, those should be available. Nice highlight feature where you can have the camcorder play a small portion of all your videos with music on the fly.