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Sony HDR-CX12

Sony HDR-CX12
Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12Sony HDR-CX12
alaScore 86

212 reviews

Apr, 2024

alaTest has collected and analyzed 212 reviews of Sony HDR-CX12. The average rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders for all reviews. Comments about the size and design are on the whole positive. The image quality and portability are also appreciated. Many are negative about the connectivity and viewfinder.

usability, portability, image quality, design, size

price, viewfinder, connectivity

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Sony HDR-CX12 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 86/100 = Very good quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 212 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (60% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (32% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (7% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (no reviews)
    (1% of reviews)
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Features

usability
  Show positive (84%)Show negative (16%)(Show all)
portability
  Show positive (90%)Show negative (10%)(Show all)
image quality
  Show positive (97%)Show negative (3%)(Show all)
design
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price
  Show positive (39%)Show negative (61%)(Show all)
size
  Show positive (84%)Show negative (16%)(Show all)
memory
  Show positive (59%)Show negative (41%)(Show all)
reliability
  Show positive (82%)Show negative (18%)(Show all)
durability
  Show positive (85%)Show negative (15%)(Show all)
battery
  Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)
zoom
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
viewfinder
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
color
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connectivity
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Showing 207 review(s)

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Showing 1 - 117 of 207 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (5)

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Sony HDR-CX12

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 107 user reviews of Sony HDR-CX12 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.6/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.com. Views about the size and design are generally positive. The image quality and portability are also mentioned favorably, whereas many are critical about the price.

usability, portability, image quality, design, size

price

100% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Expert review by : Ashley Raines (techadvisor.co.uk)

Sony HDR-CX12 HD - In Brief

 

Sony's HDR-CX12 HD camcorder is in the top tier of the company's consumer camcorders lineup.

Mar, 2009
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Expert review by : Alex Lindsay (techadvisor.co.uk)

Sony HDR-CX12 HD review

 

Recording to a SDHC memory card, the Sony HDR-CX12 HD sports a 1/3-inch imaging sensor - a rather large size for a consumer HD camcorder - and HDMI output. It records AVCHD video at a data rate of 16Mbit per second, which is good, but not at the top of...

The Sony HDR-CX12 is a classic Greek tragedy. It has so much potential - great image quality, manual control, and great extras - that are marred by serious shortfalls - camera dock requirement, lack of external audio in, and no progressive modes. If...

Mar, 2009
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Expert review by : Alex Lindsay (techworld.com)

Sony HDR-CX12 HD camcorder

 

Sony's HDR-CX12 HD camcorder is in the top tier of the company's consumer camcorders lineup.

The Sony HDR-CX12 is a classic Greek tragedy. It has so much potential - great image quality, manual control, and great extras - that are marred by serious shortfalls - camera dock requirement, lack of external audio in, and no progressive modes. If...

Mar, 2009
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Expert review by : Chris Jager (goodgearguide.com.au)

Sony HDR-CX12

 

Great HD handycam with Smile Shutter technology

Excellent AVCHD video quality, good performance in dim lighting, 10.1Mp stills mode, Smile Shutter technology, camera control dial for 'hands on' adjustments

No inbuilt memory, not as compact as other flash memory–based models, inclusion of superfluous buttons

The HDR-CX12 is a brilliant high-def handycam that is almost impossible to find fault with. It improves on its CX7K predecessor in nearly every area and is easily a match for Sony's high-end HDR-SR12 model. If you don't mind the lack of an inbuilt hard...

Sep, 2008
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Expert review by : Alex Lindsay (pcworld.com)

Sony HDR-CX12

 

Good photo stills ; Comfortable and easy to use ; Works with iMovie '09 without a hitch ; Cool Night Shot and super slow motion shooting modes ; Excellent image quality

No progressive video mode ; External mike input available only through Active Interface Shoe ; Requires cumbersome docking base to connect to Mac ; No headphone jack

Mar, 2009
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Expert review by : Lori Grunin (cnet.com)

Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 review: Sony Handycam HDR-CX12

 

Sony Handycam HDR-CX12

Excellent video performance; impressive still photos for a camcorder; decent manual controls.

No wind filter; USB on dock only, not on camcorder; no viewfinder; smallish LCD.

As the flash-memory-based equivalent of the HDR-SR11, the Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 serves up the same pleasing performance and quality as its hard-drive cousin.

Feb, 2009
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Expert review by : Lori Grunin (cnet.com.au)

Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 review: Sony Handycam HDR-CX12

 

Sony Handycam HDR-CX12

Excellent video performance; impressive still photos for a camcorder; decent manual controls.

No wind filter; USB on dock only, not on camcorder; no viewfinder; smallish LCD.

As the flash-memory-based equivalent of the HDR-SR11, the Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 serves up the same pleasing performance and quality as its hard-drive cousin.

Feb, 2009
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Expert review by : David Kender (camcorderinfo.com)

Sony Handycam HDR-CX12 Camcorder Review

 

The Sony HDR-CX12 is the company's second-generation high definition camcorder that records solely to MemoryStick cards, replacing last year's HDR-CX7. The handling has improved immensely with the addition of a "Cam Control dial" that frees you from...

Sep, 2008
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Expert review by : Alex Lindsay (macworld.com)

Review: Sony HDR-CX12 HD camcorder

 

The Sony HDR-CX12 has so much potential—great image quality, manual control, and great extras—that are marred by serious shortfalls—camera dock requirement, lack of external audio in, and no progressive modes. If you can get over these, you'll enjoy...

Overall, the shooting experience with the HDR-CX12 is quite comfortable. For manual adjustments as you shoot, Sony thoughtfully included a great control wheel. Generally speaking, it’s much faster and more natural to use an analog wheel than it is to...

Mar, 2009
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Expert review by : Jeremy Stamas (washingtonpost.com)

Sony HDR-CX12

 

The Sony HDR-CX12 replaces last year's HDR-CX7, another AVCHD camcorder that records exclusively to removable memory cards. While the two models look similar on the surface, Sony's improvements under the hood, as well as the addition of a "Cam Control"...

the 2.7-inch screen is less than ideal for power users. With a simple push and twist, the Cam Control dial allows you to make smooth, fine-tuned adjustments to focus, exposure, AE shift, and white balance. Most importantly, it offers an alternative to...

Oct, 2008
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Price comparison for Sony HDR-CX12