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| Sony HDR-CX12 High Definition Memory Stick PRO Duo Handycam Camcorder With 12x Optical Zoom | 
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| Brand: Sony
Category: Photography
List Price: $899.99
Buy New: $755.45
You Save: $144.54 (16%)
Buy New
Avg. Customer Rating:  (4 reviews)
Media: Electronics
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Optical Zoom: 12
Display Size: 2.7
Maximum Focal Length: 58.8
Minimum Focal Length: 5.9
Shipping Weight (lbs): 8
Dimensions (in): 3.4 x 3 x 5.5
MPN: HDR-CX12
Model: CX12
UPC: 027242732438
EAN: 0027242732438
ASIN: B001BET2YY
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 1920 x 1080 Full High Definition video resolution; 10.2 megapixel still image capture | | • | Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization; Professional Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens | | • | Smile Shutter technology for still and dual capture; Face Detection technology for video and photo | | • | ClearVid CMOS sensor with Exmor-derived technology; BIONZ Image Processor | | • | 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus display; Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording; Built-in zoom microphone |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The ultra-sleek, palm-sized HDR-CX12 Handycam camcorder is the world's first camcorder with face detection and Smile Shutter technology. Face detection automatically adjusts focus, exposure and color for the most natural results. With Smile Shutter, the HDR-CX12 can detect smiles and automatically capture still images, even while recording 1920 x 1080 full HD video. You will also enjoy 10.2 megapixel still image recording to ensure your memories are preserved in stunning detail. Additionally, the CX12's small size and light weight make it an ideal travel companion, perfect for recording that special moment, wherever you are. Video and still images are stored directly to Memory Stick PRO Duo media for easy transfer to your computer or other compatible devices.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Strong upgrade from HDR-CX7 September 3, 2008
Five months ago, I took the leap and bought a Sony HDR-CX7. I had been using the Sony HDR-HC1 HDV camcorder, but as my boxes of DV tapes grew, I thought going tapeless would solve two problems: 1) tapes degrade and take space, while a flash memory card could be backed up easy to DVD-Rs. 2) it would take much less time to copy data from a flash card to the computer, instead of importing real-time. The downsides will be mentioned in a moment.
As it turns out, #1 was correct, but #2 was not. After getting an 8GB memory stick, I realized I could not back that up to a 4.7GB DVD-R (single layer) so I now use a series of 4GB parts, so each backs up to a cheap DVD-R when I am done (I just use the Apple Mac OS X disk utility and tell it to make a Disk Image from Folder, and point it to the memory stick. When I mount that image later, it will be recognized in iMovie or Fnial Cut as a camera/memory stick and let me import.) So now I have a stack of DVD-Rs of backup images -- much nicer than DV tapes (and I can make clones/copies much easier).
#2, though, surprised me. The computer has to import the AVCHD and then transcode it to some editable format, and this takes longer than real-time. On my Core Duo 2 iMac, it was fast enough to import and transcode HDV video from tape (one hour of footage took one hour) most of the time, but importing AVCHD from memory stick or CD or disk image takes about double time. So note that this format is slower -- until we all get computers fast enough. Maybe one day I will be able to import an hour of video from a memory card as fast as the USB reader will handle it, and instantly be able to use it.
The downside would be that AVCHD compression would not be as good as HDV. (13GB of data on a DV tape versus 8GB of flash memory for about an hour of video). And, after watching some footage, I could see much more artifacting and blockiness in dark/shadow areas. There are four quality settings in the CX12, and I have not tested the highest (I record on the second setting), so it may be better.
Still, for general video, it's completely acceptable. Motion did not seem to be an issue (taping out the side of a moving car, recording the joust or sword fighters at a renaissance festival, etc.)
The size and convienience won me over, totally. The CX12 also takes very nice still pictures -- good enough that I generally don't bring my Fuji F10 camera with me. But, if you side-by-side compare the lower-resolution Fuji 6.3 megapixel images to the CX12 "10 megapixels" (not true resolution), the Fuji clearly wins -- brighter colors, better in low light, and sharper image. The CX12 is "good enough" for casual photos, but still doesn't replace even a cheap $170 digital camera.
Sound is good. Features are good -- having a manual knob to focus, for instance (upgrade from the CX7). Smile detection is addictive -- I set it to automatic, and it captures images while I video tape. I get home to find pictures I didn't take. Posing people can be diffuclt in this mode -- you have to say "wait, don't smile until I tell you" else it starts snapping away if it gets a face (even if you have yet to frame the photo in the viewfinder). Still nice.
It can record more than three photos while video taping -- three was the limit of the CX7. It is also faster between still shots (about a second, or 3-4 with flash, and slower if it has to refocus). Acceptable, and much faster than CX7.
The camera loses the flash button (you now do it through a menu system on screen) but gains a sleep mode, so you can suspend the camera, then power it up and start recording in about a second (instead of 5 or so from a cold start). It uses about half battery to sleep, but still may be useful.
Overall, I'm very pleased, though I still wish the stills could be good enough to not need a still camera, too.
Low-light sucks compared to my old 1999 vintage Digital8 Sony, and focusing is slow in low light (just like with the $2000 Sony HDR-HC1). I guess that's just an issue of the HD imaging sensors being so small (?).
But I do like it, and I like it better than the CX7 (which I also liked).
 Excellent all-around video, audio, feature and build quality August 20, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have a Sony standard definition miniDV camcorder, and also bought the HF100 and the Sony CX12, both flash camcorders.
I found the Canon to be the better value: good to great video and audio quality in good lighting conditions, better user interface, and standard SD cards will save you money and hassle vs. the Sony CX12.
However, the Sony is the superior product IMHO based on the following features: much better low-light performance (by low-light I mean indoor night-time videos of kids with under ordinary incandescent lighting (without lots of halogens)). Sony DVD HD DVD burner is more flexible than Canon's, for example, you can shoot video in HD, and burn a standard DVD for people w/o HDTVs and Blu-ray. I understand to do this on the Canon burner, you need to record in standard definition to begin with. Build quality is a little higher (LCD joints stiffer, battery/inputs door covers more firmly attached). Slightly better audio (I noticed you could sometimes hear "clicks" from the Canon's zoom button).
The first 2 items (low-light & recorder characteristics) seal the deal for me. Generally, the camera is comfortable to hold, image stabilization is excellent (better than the Canon). Flash performance for still pictures is poor.
Comments based on previous CX11 August 18, 2008
5 out of 17 found this review helpful
This HDR-CX12 is an update on the CX11 model which also took beautiful pictures but had several operational deficiencies.
The CX12 remedies one of the big ones -- it has a sleep mode so you can protect the lens between shots. (With the CX11 you had to power-off, and then it took about 10 seconds to power-on again.)
On the CX11 the 'optical image stabilization' (OIS) doesn't appear to work, at all. I haven't seen any reviews on the CX12 yet but unless someone says it's dramatically improved I would assume there's effectively no stabilization. On the CX11 it's very difficult to avoid noticeable shaking...
The other deficiencies remain:
- the position of the zoom switch is 'convenient' in that it's right under your index finger, but in practice this means that you accidentally zoom the camcorder. Countless times I've been watching the scene (rather than the camera screen) and then checked the camera only to realize I was zoomed-in on someones foot (or crotch, ha!)
- there are separate buttons for photos vs videos, so it's easy to confuse which button to push especially when you switch between video and photo mode
- you can buy 3rd-party batteries but they won't have the on-screen status; for that you have to pay the Sony premium for one of their own batteries.
FANTASTIC!! DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS!! July 29, 2008
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
If you are deciding between the Sony CX12 and any other camcorder I recommend the Sony CX12... HANDS DOWN!! I just got it today and it is AMAZING!! The still photos are beautiful, super high quality. And the smile shutter technology alone is worth the $$$. I have three little girls and it hasn't missed a smile yet, they smile for even a second and it is captured. How could we have ever done without it????? And it burns to disc at the touch of a button... Yes, it has an "easy" button, really! I bought mine with the Sony 16 gb memory card, I think the 4 gb card that comes with it is going to be too small. I have never been so happy with a purchase, I would have paid two or three times as much! How does it know we are smiling? AMAZING!! Sony has two other models that came out last month, the hdr-sr11 and hdr-sr12. This is the same camcorder as the hdr-sr12 PLUS smile shutter and it uses memory cards... in my opinion WAY BETTER FOR LESS! Thanks Amazon.com!
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