Sony DCRSR68/R 80GB HDD red Handycam digital camcorder

Your eye on the world

It's easy enough to imagine a great scene unfolding with your mind's eye. Sometimes, you even see something great happening with your eyes. However, when you sit down to actually film your own scenes, shorts, or whatever, you're constantly disappointed by the results offered by most digital camcorders. While what you imagine or see is important, what is of the greatest importance is what the camcorder sees. In other words, filming success is dependent on level of performance offered by your camcorder's optics. The folks at Sony recognize this fact, and accordingly, offer the Handycam DCR-SR68 digital camcorder, sporting advanced optical performance. First, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens features precision-ground optics that maintain sharpness and contrast for professional-quality results. Second, an incredible 60x optical zoom gives you the ability to get close to distant action without sacrificing clarity or detail. Third, ensuring blur-free footage, SteadyShot image stabilization technology compensates for the shakiness that naturally occurs when shooting free hand. Finally, delivering a clear view of everything that the DCR-SR68's optics system sees is a wide, clear 2.7" LCD viewscreen, ideal for composing as well as for reviewing and sharing footage.

Capturing the moment

While you want a camcorder to see exactly what you envision, you also want it to capture that image with exceptional fidelity. And on top of that, you want a camcorder that can record everything you imagine, without running short on recording space. Again, thanks to Sony engineering, the Handycam DCR-SR68 delivers. First, using a 1/8" Advanced HAD CCD image sensor, the DCR-SR68 is capable of recording standard definition video characterized by stunning clarity and detail. Second, an 80GB built-in hard-disk drive offers plenty of recording room — up to 61 hours in LP mode, in fact. Further, for endlessly expandable storage options, the DCR-SR68 also sports a built-in memory-card slot, supporting Memory Stick PRO Duo, SD, and SDHC formats. Finally, you're guaranteed a great audio soundtrack thanks to the DCR-SR68's built-in microphone and Dolby Digital 2-channel audio recording.

Bonus material

If advanced optics and image-capture systems aren't enough to pique your interest, fret not, the DCR-SR68 has its fair share of high-performance shooting features, too. Take for example Face Detection technology. Sony's DCR-SR68 is able to recognize up to eight faces anywhere in the frame, automatically adjusting exposure settings to optimize brightness and clarity. Further, a Face Index allows you to search video footage for specific faces selected from a camcorder-generated index. Finally, a Film Roll Index makes it possible to create scene indices for your footage, automatically inserting scene markers at pre-specified intervals — either 3, 6, or 12 seconds.

The connection

In many ways, in today's A/V world, connectivity is king. The greater the versatility offered by a component's connectivity options, the more readily that device can be integrated into your media-based lifestyle. Accordingly, the folks at Sony have equipped the DCR-SR68 with a few advanced connectivity options. At the heart of the matter is this digital camcorder's USB port, offering near-universal connectivity options to a host of devices, including computers, laptops, TVs, and more. Speaking of more . . . using the included Picture Motion Browser software, you can connect the DCR-SR68 to your PC via USB and record footage to DVD at the touch of a single button. Or, if you're not interested in messing around with a computer, you can burn directly to DVD using the Sony VRD-P1 DVD burner (sold separately). Sony's DCR-SR68 has the connections.

One last word

Whether you take it to your kid's hockey game, out on a camping trim, or over to the neighbor's for a picnic, the DCR-SR68 is great for capturing those great, impromptu moments that'll keep you laughing for years. However, we understand that you might enjoy preserving an event in a multi-media fashion. Well, you could lug your digital camera around with you, too, for the snapping of still photos, or you could just use the DCR-SR68, instead. That's right, this Sony digital camcorder lets you take still photos in addition to standard definition video. And, offering added functionality, the DCR-SR68 even lets you pull still photos from your video footage.

Included with purchase

The following items are included with the purchase of the Sony Handycam DCR-SR68/R: AC adapter (AC-L200), Rechargeable battery pack (NP-FV30), AV connecting cable, Application software, USB driver, CD-ROM, USB cable, and DCR-SR68 camcorder body