‘Optical SteadyShot’ is a fairly self explaining term that Sony uses on their fleet of Handycam camcorders, starting with their entry level HDR-CX220/B which is priced at $249. The technology as one would expect is designed to reduce shaky video and offer a smoother and less headache prone end result. Once turned on, you simply need to continue recording your video as you normally would, knowing that the camera is taking into consideration your hand movement, an especially great feature with those with a bit of shake in their hand. Even better for parents attending long recitals and soccer games.

Like any technology, Optical SteadShot does have its limitations which can quickly be seen say if you’re walking around as you’re video recording. This can equally be seen at either a soccer game though it tends to pop up more in home videos during a party where the camera is walked from person to person to capture their time. For this very same reason, Sony at developed a more advanced system dubbed ‘Balanced Optical Steadyshot’ which can be found in their higher end series of Handycam camcorders, starting with the HDR-PJ710V for $1,299. Much like the previous system, Balanced Optical Steady Shot is designed to reduce the shaky video though this version goes above and beyond. Sony was able to achieve this by having the cameras lens and sensor nearly float inside of the camera housing, causing only the body to pivot during movement, thus keeping your footage clean.

After the jump, our vide demo of the Sony Balanced Optical SteadyShot from CES 2013 shows you the difference between having the feature on and off on a camcorder.