Sony "Webbie" HD camcorders hands-on
Obsessable takes a first look at the Sony's MHS-PM1 and MHS-CM1 mini HD camcorders.
The MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1 "Webbie" HD cameras were announced yesterday at CES and we were able to get up close and personal with both of them right after the press conference.
At first glance you can tell the cameras are going to be easy to use. Missing all the bells and whistles of high-end models, they instead focus on one thing: making uploading your video to the web easy.
When you pick them up you'll also quickly notice- they're pretty light. The PM1 weighs in an under 4 ounces making it light enough so that you could easily put it in a pocket or purse and forget about it, and the CM1 isn't much heavier.
The Sony PM1 has a vertical design comparable to similar cameras like the popular Flip MinoHD. The back of the camera sports one-button recording and picture taking with buttons labeled simply as "photo" and "movie" making the device something even grandma could pick up and more than likely operate right out of the box.
One feature that makes the camera stand out is the swivel lens that is fully rotatable (so you could watch yourself filming you). The camera could be an excellent option for video bloggers who want a no frills way to upload video to the web quickly.
The MHS-CM1 has a horizontal design with a flip out LCD similar to your typical camcorder and adds a video light and a 5X optical zoom. The MHS-CM1 is bulky; while it's not quite as bulky as a traditional camcorder, it's not something you're exactly going to put in your pocket either. While the zoom is a definite advantage, the video light leaves a little to be desired (as do most built-in video lights) and tends to look a bit more like a flashlight beam on your subject rather than something that is actually supposed to improve your video quality.
The CM1 is available now for $200 (in fact it was available seconds after the press conference ended) from Sony Style stores in eggplant, silver, and orange. The PM1 is priced at $170 and is expected to be released in March.
This story around the web:
- Trusted sources:
Daily Tech: Sony Introduces the Sony Webbie… [geeksugar]
-
Sony bloats Memory Stick capacity to 16GB [TechRadar: All Latest Feeds]
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Sony to unveil its two new stylish Webbie HD… [AVING WORLD]
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Sony Webbie HD cameras [LetsGoMobile - News Feed]
Get more information on topics relating to this story:
- Related company news:
- Sony
- Related devices and services:
- Sony MHS-CM1 Webbie HD, Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD
- Related event news:
- CES 2009
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Comments (7)
Add a comment Inappropriate or promotional comments may be removed.
Anonymous (2:16 PM on Fri Jan 9, 2009)
pm1 is available in march/april....not now.
Anonymous (12:13 PM on Wed Jan 14, 2009)
oh that (comment above) was for CM1. And btw, CM1 is avaiable...not the pm1
Anonymous (12:12 PM on Wed Jan 14, 2009)
bought it, used it, and returned it. Abysmal low light performance.... Grr..hate the 15% restocking fee, but it sucks that much.
Paul Bucca (10:46 PM on Wed Jan 21, 2009)
Initial impressions of the Webbie camcorder model MHS-CM1/CM3
Attractive attributes:
1.A primary attribute of this camcorder is its light weight and small size. It is ideal for my lightweight backpacking outdoor activities.
2.The low cost is of this unit is also very attractive even with my having to purchase the memory stick which is not included with the initial package.
3.Navigating through the menus is no more arduous than with the average camcorder
4.Both the video and pictures are of very acceptable quality under normal lighting conditions. There are three resolution settings: non HD, HD for computer use and HD for TV use. .
5.This camcorder is very simple to upload to web sites.
Detractive attributes:
1.The camera comes without a flash-light enhancement must be accomplished by setting the camera to its low light setting and post processing the image to further lighten it up. In low light conditions, the camera will not focus, however the camera focuses with a modicum of background lighting.
2.The light that is used to take videos in low light situations is woefully inadequate.
3.I am unable to transfer from the camera a video more than once using the same downloading method, however this task can be accomplished using an alternate disk drive that appears in the downloading process.
4.I found other video processing programs more acceptable to my requirements than that supplied, however many are offered free on the web
Overall, this device is nearly ideal for my outdoor lightweight backpacking activities.
Steve McDonald (3:03 AM on Sun Feb 15, 2009)
The previous poster mentioned 3 resolution settings, "non HD, HD for computer and HD for TV". I don't know exactly what he means, as the 3 settings are for SD video and 720p-HD and 1080p-HD.
Is he equating 720p as the computer setting and 1080p at the setting for TV? Or is there a setting regarding progressive/interlaced scan or some other option of which I'm not aware?
smartvergin
(6:19 AM on Tue Feb 24, 2009)
Say hello to the Webbie HD camera. When fun happens, Webbie is there. The pocket-sized Webbie HD camera is your perfect companion, ready to record antics at a moment's notice. Not only does it record HD MP4 video that plays nicely with sites like YouTube, it also snaps off sharp, 5-megapixel still shots with ease.
sonymhspm1
(2:29 AM on Fri May 15, 2009)
I can record your favorite moments in High Definition MP4. MP4 is a popular multimedia format that compresses the size of your audio and video, making your media files small enough to easily transfer to your compatible PC or Mac.