Video Cameras

We Unbox the Sony Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3 (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 26, 2011 | 22 comments

Although it’s only been two years since Avatar changed the movie industry and tech industry and only one year since 3D has began to make its way into our everyday lives, 3D has already made big strides in both the professional industry as well as the consumer realm. While in late 2009, Avatar was the only movie on the screens which was shot in native 3D, this summer has proven to be a spectacular movie-going experience with films like Thor, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Captain America being shot in native 3D. During this time, top filmmakers have all come to embrace the technology, like Steven Spielberg and his upcoming Tin Tin movie, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, which are all being made in native 3D.

As we’ve discussed before, a format can only become mainstream if consumers are given adequate access to it. During the last year, we’ve seen 3D prices drop to a point where most consumers can access it; a prime example being the Sony PlayStation 3D LCD, which starts at $499. However, viewing 3D is only half of what’s needed for this format to survive. The other half consists of everyday consumers and pro-consumers being able to create material in 3D, without the need to change their habits. That is, 3D must fit into their already-established workflow with minor adjustments; otherwise, the adoption will be slow.

With the Sony Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3, Sony set out to do just that. If you’ve ever used a previous Bloggie or Flip camera, then you should feel right at home with the Bloggie 3D. It’s just as easy to use as the aforementioned models with one simple difference: the capability to film in 3D. During our trip to Comic-Con 2011, we wanted to put the Bloggie 3D to the test and see just how the camera would function and hold up in our normal event workflow. Though we are still logging our weekend adventure in San Diego and testing the Bloggie 3D further, the following video is an unboxing of the Sony Bloggie 3D, which should give you a good feel of what the camera looks like and what you will find inside the box. Be warned: This video was filmed late at night as we prepared to head to San Diego so don’t be frightened by the zombie-esque look.

Sony Brings Two New Entry Level Handycams to Europe (DCR-SX21E and DCR-SR21E). We Have Specs and Pictures

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 12, 2011 | 8 comments

With tons of options to record a video with these days, ranging from your cell phone, to a pocket-sized device like the Bloggie, to more-higher-end camcorders, the market is pretty well-covered with all sorts of devices to meet your needs. In order to further penetrate the market and not solely target higher-end consumers as Sony traditionally does, the company is releasing two new entry level Handycams for the European market. The DCR-SX21E and the DCR-SR21E are being targeted as those who simply want HD without a lot of bells and whistles. Both camcorders have dropped all SD functionality, instead providing only HD video capture. Other noteworth specs for both Handycams include:

57x Optical Zoom and 67x Extended Zoom
Intelligent AUTO Mode with 18 different scene combinations
Steady Shot
Face Detection
2.7” Clear Photo LCD Monitor
Built-in LED Video Light
Direct Copy compatibility (allowing you to export your footage to an external hard drive or DVD burner)

It’s also really worth noting that the 57x is indeed optical zoom and not digital zoom, which allows for nearly distort free zooming. The only differentiating feature between these two models is the capability of the SX21E to to record on Memory Stick while the SR21E is capable of recording on both Memory Stick and an internal 80GB hard drive. No price point has been announced yet but expect that to change shortly, seeing how the pair are to be released during summer.

Hit the jump for the official press release and gallery.

Sony Bloggie Software Update 1.3 Available for Mac OS X

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 7, 2011 | 16 comments

Though the Mac is able to virtually play nice with any camera and camcorder, simply by plugging it in, it didn’t stop Sony from releasing a software especially designed for Mac users. The software, which allows users to plug in their Bloggie, import photos and videos to Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube to name a few, is now getting some more attention from Sony with a new update. The Sony Bloggie Software Update 1.3 brings the following changes for Mac OS X users:

Full keyboard controls
Multiple select with mouse dragging
Improved sharing queue pages
Guided tour overview
Bug fixes

If you already own the free software, simply fire it up and you will be prompted for an automatic download. If you don’t, you can go ahead and visit Sony’s support website which still indicates the availability of version 1.2. After you’ve downloaded that, you will be notified of the new update. For those looking for some more information, we’d previously put together a video review of the Sony Bloggie Software for Mac OS X.

[Via Sony eSupport]

Sony 3D Bloggie Taken Apart by iFixit

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 17, 2011 | 14 comments

If you have about 6 spare minutes, like a cute co-host, have a habit of taking things apart, and are interested in the 3D Bloggie, then you will like the following video. Sony’s internal video division, SGNL, along with iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, decided to take the 3D Bloggie apart in order to show you just what goes into making a 3D pocket-sized camera while also sneaking in some specs about the 3D Bloggie. So although you might not find any new pieces of information, it’s still an interesting video to look at for your inner Tony Stark. Hit the jump for the video.

Sony Bloggie 3D Now Available, We Have Specs

by Sohrab Osati | May 4, 2011 | 1 comment

For those of you who are ready to jump on the 3D bandwagon early, you will be pleased to know that Sony’s Bloggie 3D camera is now available and ready for your film making career. Capable of recording in 2D and 3D, this 1080p, 5 megapixel camera is capable of recording 4 hours of 2D footage on 8GB of memory and 80min of 3D footage. Of course, the real story here is the ability to record in 3D for just $249. 3D fans will be pleased to know that you can playback your 3D recorded content via the Bloggie’s 2.4-inch LCD without the need of any 3D glasses and if you are looking for a little larger screen, you can output the 3D footage to any 3D television via the onboard HDMI though glasses will be needed at that point. The Bloggie 3D specs include:

Sony Delays 3D Handycam (HDR-TD10)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 21, 2011 | 23 comments

Another technology victim of the tragic events that unfolded over a month ago in Japan and that continue to ail the country. Sony Ericsson recently announced that their Xperia Neo would be delayed till Q3 of this year and that the roll out of the Xperia Play and Arc would be slower then the company wanted, due to supply constraints from Japan. Now, the camcorder division of Sony will be taking a hit as well and will have to delay their up coming 3D Handycam, which was originally planned to be released this month.

The HDR-TD10 with its almost owl like design features two lenses and two CMOS sensors which enable the device to produce the 3D images in 1920×1080 Full HD 60p/24p recording with 10x optical zoom, even when filmed in 3D. This $1,500 beast which is set to to be the first consumer 3D camcorder also features a glasses free 3D playback on the camcorders 3.5-inch LCD screen. It should be pointed out like other 3D equipment offered by Sony, you can also film in 2D as well. This 3D Handycam is now looking at a May 13th release window for Japan and shortly after for the United States.

[Via TMCnet]

We Put the Sony Bloggie Touch to the Test, All Day At Disneyland

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 11, 2011 | 1 comment

Though product reviews can be informative and a good place to start when you are looking to purchase your next (insert product), I believe that they can only take you so far. As Apple has pointed out time and time again and has focused their iPad 2 marketing based on this concept, product specs can only take you so far. A higher processor speed or megapixel count does not always indicate a better product experience or offering. This was the route that I took with our original Sony Bloggie Touch video review. Though I offered product specs and comparison, my main goal was to take the product out and shoot with it during the day and let you, the readers decide if you liked what you saw. Still, this was a controlled experience and when I saw that I would be heading to Disneyland for the day with our site editor Allegra, I quickly came up with a new scenario to test the Bloggie Touch with. In this video, I wanted to see how the Bloggie Touch would hold up as my only device to document my day at Disneyland by capturing the days videos and photos. Video, after the jump.

Sony Bloggie Duo HD Camera Now Shipping, Costs $169

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 6, 2011 | 61 comments

Sony’s new generation of MP4 camera were shown off during CES 2011 and now the series are starting to trickle out and into the public. Previously, Sony only had the Bloggie Touch which we have covered here. Now, the company is looking to ship three different series and expand their reach in the growing MP4 crowd. The Bloggie Duo HD is Sony’s starting entry model, giving users:

1080p recording
5 Megapixel still camera
2 hours of recording time on a 4GB hard drive
Image Stabilization
Face detection
2.7-inch LCD screen
2-inch front facing screen (design for when you want to take pictures or record a video of yourself)

The Bloggie Duo HD is now shipping for $169 and comes in violet, white, green, and pink. The series then follows with the Bloggie Touch that we mentioned previously, though I believe that it’s also due for a change though I could be wrong about that. Finally, the series ends with the 3D Bloggie which will be shipping in the next month.

[Via Sony]

Sony Announces Another Pro-Consumer Camera, the HXR-NX70J

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 25, 2011 | 4 comments

Hot on the heels of the NEX-FS100, Sony has announced another pro-consumer camcorder, the HXR-NX70J. Currently set to arrive in Japan in Q2 of 2011, the HXR-NX70 builds on Sony’s planned expansion into the pro-consumer market. Some features of this compact professional camera include:

6.65Mpix Exmor R CMOS Sensor
Fixed G Series Lens with a 10x optical Zoom
AVCHD 1080/60p at 28Mbps
SD videos in MPEG-2 PS
96GB of internal memory
Memory Stick and SDXC Cards

Priced at 330,750 Yen ($4,000), this camera offers many pro features though it’s not as versatile as the NEX-FS100 which of course is almost $2,000 more. There is currently no US date announced but can’t imagine that will hold true for long.

Sony Announces NEX-FS100 with Super 35mm Sensor

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 24, 2011 | 2 comments

Before the analogue to digital transition took place, there were generally two classes of camera and camcorders. The consumer product segment which generally carried a top price of $1,500 and the professional grade which started in the low $20k range and really skyrocketed from there. For those who wanted more out of their shooting experience, whether it be for fun or had their own small business or movie idea, the avenue more often then not either lead them towards rentals which is still expensive or a second mortgage. That was 10 years ago, but today, with the advent of digital camera’s and camcorders, consumers have access to a wide range of both camera and camcorders which enable to shoot without compromise and only have their own skills and creativity be their limitation.

Sony has long catered to the general consumer and though they are a top brand in that field, their equipments are really defined in Hollywoods backlots and sound stages where their professional grade equipments capture the footage that comes to the silver screen. Being a manufacture that caters to both crowds, Sony also been actively expanding its proconsumer lineup which starts off at $2,000 with the NEX-VG10 which offers Interchangeable Lenses. Now, Sony is adding another contendtor to the family, the NEX-FS100 which starts of $5,850. So what does this extra bump in price get you?

Super 35mm sensor that shoots 1080p 60fps content at up to 28Mbps to SD, Memory Stick (or an optional 128GB SSD)
Output uncompressed 4:2:2 footage over HDMI
Swiveling 3.5-inch LCD display
1920x1080P Slow and Quick Motion (Over & Under Cranking)
Detachable grip, handle, and viewfinder tube

Hit the jump to see a gallery and video overview of the NEX-FS100

[Via SonyStyle]

Sony Bloggie Touch (MHS-TS20) Review, and Bloggie Touch vs. Flip UltraHD (video)

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 18, 2011 | 41 comments

Over the last several weeks, we’ve had the chance to test out the Sony Bloggie Touch. From our initial unboxing video to see what lay inside of this slick new packaging; to our Sony Bloggie Touch Mac OSX Software review and installation guide video. Everything we had seen from the hardware and software we liked, but anything by itself can shine. So we set out to find out, if the Bloggie Touch would shine, next to the popular Flip UltraHD.

Flip camera’s were really the first into the MP4 camera market and created a phenomenon. Being easy to use and easy on the wallet, these little guys were also known to grab some great footage. I know this because I’ve had one for over a year. The simplicity of this device has made creating videos and uploading them to sites like YouTube and Facebook a breeze. With a hot new market segment, Sony was quick to follow in with the original Bloggie, offering a dizzying array of functionality, specs, while being marred with poor video quality. Sony soon missed what made the Flip so popular, simplicity. Still, this did not detour the electronic giants, sending its engineers back into the lab with a simple motto, simplicity in the outside, state of the art in the inside.

The fact is, when a company like Apple makes a product, they pack cutting edge technology under the hood, but they do it ever so elegantly where anybody can pickup their device and use it. The end user doesn’t care and shouldn’t care about the level of technology under their product. Instead, they should be able to use the product with ease and while getting the best quality out available.

Sony Bloggie Touch (MHS-TS20) Software Comes to Mac OS X, We Provide Install Video and Review (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 4, 2011 | 1 comment

Those who are regular to the site will know that I’m an avid Mac user and own just about everything Mac when it comes to my computing and portable device usage. Still, sometimes being a Mac user can be tough when companies don’t support the Mac platform. This used to be more true than it is now, but still, you run into the situation. The good part about being a Mac user is that more often than not, you don’t need company’s bloated and crappy software as your Mac will make the particular device work anyways.

Up until now, Sony has been among the last holdouts of companies who didn’t offer Mac support. Sure when it comes to digital cameras and camcorders, you don’t need any 3rd party software as Apple’s own iLife suite with iPhoto and iMovie or higher series like Aperture and Final Cut will get the job done. Still, it’s always nice to have that native support and sometimes, just sometimes, the companies come up with some great functionalities. That sometime is now and the company providing it is Sony, who has finally decided to release a native Mac OS X software for the Bloggie Touch (the MHS-TS10, MHS-TS20 and MHS-TS20K) and promises that their upcoming Bloggie Entry, Bloggie Duo and Bloggie 3D (aka MHS-FS1, MHS-FS2 and MHS-FS3) will have native OS X support out of the box. To further add to it, Sony has wisely made the software both OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) compatible (though not 64bit). Though Apple’s own iLife series isn’t 64bit so you can’t blame Sony on that one. Hit the jump for some more information about the Mac Bloggie software, as well as how to install the latest Bloggie firmware, from your Mac via a video we created just for Mac users, though we hope PC users will find it useful as well.

Sony Makes $887 Million Net Profit in Q3, Sees Rise in Sales in Most Divisions

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 3, 2011 | 0 comments

Sony has just announced their Q3 Holiday results with ¥137.5 billion (approximately US $1.68b) operating income and a total of $887 million in net profit. Compared to 2009, this is actually down by nearly 6% though this is mostly due to a 5% stronger yen and not an actual reflection of the companies performance. Sony’s Consumer, Professional and Devices division dropped 47 percent to ¥26.8b ($327.3m) as margins have shrunk, thanks to the global recession, factored with already fierce competition between rivals like Samsung and LG. On the other hand, Sony’s Networked Products and Services (which includes the PlayStation brand) saw a dramatic 134% jump to ¥45.7b ($559.78), helping offset the decline of the consumer products.

The good news for Sony is that in midsts of all the woes mentioned above, the electronic giant was able to raise unit sales in almost all divisions compared to 2009. Bravia sales were up 2.5 million, totaling 7.9 million. Video cameras was able to sell only .1 million more, an expected decline with most portable devices now having some form of video capturing method built in while Compact Digital Cameras saw a 1 million unit sales increase. The now profitable PlayStation division saw the PS3 lose .2 million units compared to the 2009 Q3 but is ahead of 2009 sales. The PlayStation 3 saw a total of 13 million unit sales in 2009 while the company now sits at a healthy 15 million units sold and still has another quarter to go. The same cannot be said for the PlayStation Portable which saw sales slip .6 million units, down to 3.6 million units. Now in its 11th year, the PlayStation 2 still managed to sell 2.1 million units, on par with the year prior.

Software sales on the other hand were a completely different story with sales raising both on the PS3 and the PSP. PlayStation 3 software sales were up an amazing 10 million units, with 57.6 million pieces of software sold. The PSP, though down in hardware sales also saw an increase in software consumption with a 1.5 million unit increase to sit at 16.5 million units of software sold. The PS2 on the other hand took a big hit, seeing a 5.9 million unit drop, down to 5.3 million.

[Via Sony]

Sony Aims to Make 3D Personal in 2011

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 24, 2011 | 2 comments

It was just a little over a year ago when a little movie, one which audiences and critics alike were unsure if it was going to flop or not due to its reported $300-$500 million budget, came into theaters in 3D. Now, with nearly $3 billion in the bank from just the tickets, Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time and will probably be for a decade to come. But Avatar’s effect was not just limited to the film industry where we can just write it off as a Hollywood blockbuster. Instead, Avatar has affected the way we watch movies, the kind of televisions we buy, and the technology that will be in your next camera, camcorder and handheld portable. Just a little over a year after the film’s release, manufacturers like LG, Toshiba, Samsung, and Sony are out in full arsenal with their 3D televisions, so you can watch a movie like Avatar or Despicable Me in 3D at home. In 2011, 16 out of Sony’s 27 Bravia televisions will feature built-in 3D with no 3D transmitter bar needed. In two months’ time, Nintendo is releasing the 3DS, their next handheld portable gaming machine that will display games in 3D. Just in case you get pulled into a 3D event, you can now look good and not need to borrow a pair of glasses as Oakley and other high end companies will be releasing their own stylish 3D glasses. Sure 2010 might have had some sour points with films like Clash of the Titan (though I enjoyed the movie myself) and The Last Airbender with their horrible last minute rush job of up converting a movie that was not made in 3D to be in 3D. Still look how far we have come already. Tron was a smash hit with it’s 3D and Alice in Wonderland, another post converted movie hit the $1 billion mark as well and animated films like Pixars Toy Story 3 and How to Train a Dragon which were all also released in 3D. Now we are seeing more and more movies being filmed in 3D from the beginning like the up coming Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the Sony Pictures Spider-man reboot and we are seeing some of Hollywoods top directors like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg plan their upcoming projects with 3D in mind.

Of course as I pointed out, 3D is not going to be limited to just the movie experience. Nintendo will indeed be pushing out their Nintendo 3DS in two months and that will introduce 3D to a large audience, who will grow up with 3D as just the standard just like how kids in the last 7-10 years might view HD as nothing new. Remember how much flack HD got when it was first introduced and many wrote it and Blu-ray off as just a gimmick and a fad. Fast forward a few years and both are the industry and consumer accepted standard. Lets also not forget Sony when it comes to gaming and 3D, Sony is making sure that their AAA games like Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3 and Uncharted 3, along with their new gaming attachment, the PlayStation Move are offered to consumers in 3D. If you haven’t had a chance to view these games in 3D, I highly recommend you visit your nearest Sony Style store as they will blow you away with how crisp, deep and beautiful they are. Still, when all is said and done, gaming is just another avenue of 3D that is being catered to the audiences by those who have the power to create them; big companies and it was apparent during CES that Sony understood, that in order for 3D to succeed, they needed to bring the technology down to the consumer level and give the public the capability to create 3D for themselves for cheap. After watching and playing with their 2011 arsenal of products, I now believe.

You see, for any real product to catch on, it cannot be something that is just controlled by the elite. Sure all products come to market higher priced than what consumers might want, but like all technologies, it will eventually get cheaper as consumers adapt and newer and better versions of them are released. Years ago, you couldn’t get a 3D TV for under $5,000, and now you cannot find a TV that is not HD. Even the $500 television you find at Wal-mart is in fact HD (now this isn’t insinuating that all HD is the same, but rather the fact that anybody can have access to it). But that’s really only one avenue to view HD in; how about recording? Every single camera on the market now has some form of HD recording in it. From the thinnest smart phone on the market, the iPhone 4, which can record 720p video, to pocket camcorders, like the Flip HD, which can be bought for $150 with 8GB of memory, consumers can record HD in all sorts of ways without really thinking about them. If you own a Mac, you can open iMovie and start editing your HD video in minutes and soon after that be posting it to sites like YouTube and Facebook. Through the consumer, HD has become the norm and the standard, due to its ease of handling and low entry price point. I’m here to tell you that 3D will be the same and Sony is leading the way.

New Cybershots and Bloggie from Sony During CES?

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 3, 2011 | 2 comments

As we get closer to CES 2011, the rumor mills tend to work in overdrive, sometimes delivering very credible insider information and other times, nothing more then a fanboys dream. The good news is with CES less then a week away, we won’t have to wait long to find out how much weight these rumors have. So without further wait, I give you Sony CES rumors.

First off, Sony is expected to renew its Cybershot fleet with all new models and 3D is rumored to play a part in the higher end versions. However, Sony is not expected to make any changes to the current NEX and Alpha lineup, though there might be some software update announcement. Outside of that, the current and well received Bloggies are to get a update and expect to see plenty of new 2D and 3D camcorders from Sony. The one hot rumor is that there might be some kind of showing, all be it prototype of the NEX-7 and Alpha77 but I personally won’t put too much though into that.