Welcome to a Sony Digital Camera Battery specialist of the Sony Camcorder Battery
The Sony HXR-MC50E is a Full HD AVCHD camcorder with 64GB of embedded flash memory. Boasting an external stereo microphone, a proprietary lens attachment and a 12-megapixel CMOS R sensor, it can be viewed as an attempt to the bridge the gap between the consumer and prosumer markets. In fact, Sony is marketing the HXR-MC50E as a 'professional camcorder' — but with no dedicated focus ring or XLR audio inputs, we think this is a bit of a stretch.
With that caveat in mind, the Sony HXR-MC50E remains one of the best video cameras on the market. It strikes a great balance between ease of use and advanced features; everything from image quality to manual focus is pretty top-notch. Whether you require a simple point-and-shoot camcorder or something with plenty of hands-on features, the Sony HXR-MC50E will deliver the goods.
In terms of design, the Sony HXR-MC50E is virtually indistinguishable from Sony's consumer-level handycams such as the Sony HDR-XR550 and Sony HDR-CX550. In fact, its specifications are also surprisingly similar. All three camcorder models sport the same 1/2.9in CMOS R sensor, 12-megapixel stills image mode, 37mm wide-angle G lens and 10x optical zoom. Even the HDR-XR550's manual control dial remains unchanged (we would have loved to see a proper focus and zoom ring, but it wasn't to be).
What sets the Sony HXR-MC50E apart from its cheaper stablemates are the bundled accessories it comes with — namely, an external stereo microphone, a long-life battery pack like sony DSC-FX88 battery, sony NP-FT1 battery, sony DSC-T9 battery, Sony NP-FP50 Battery, Sony DCR-30 Battery, sony NP-FP90 battery, sony NP-FP70 Battery, sony NP-FA70 battery, Sony NP-FA50 Battery, Sony NP-FM500H Battery, sony DSLR-A850 battery, sony DSLR-A900 Battery and a proprietary lens attachment. The camera body has also received a subtle redesign, but the differences are pretty minor.
That said, the Sony HXR-MC50E is still suitably professional-looking for a high-end camcorder. With dimensions of 85x74x176mm and weighing 470g, it has a reassuring, chunky feel. Mind you, it's still tiny compared to other camcorders in Sony's prosumer range, such as the bazooka-sized HDR-FX1000. When it comes to size, we think it strikes a fairly good balance.
In addition to taking great video, the Sony HXR-MC50E comes with an impressive 12-megapixel stills mode (via interpolation software). Our test shots remained crisp and vibrant in all but the dimmest environments, while the inclusion of manual controls gives you plenty of photographic freedom. If you'd like to use your photos for more than the obligatory Facebook updates, the Sony HXR-MC50E is a rock-solid option.
For a camcorder that touts itself as professional, the Sony HXR-MC50E is surprisingly lacking on the audio front (bundled microphone withstanding). As mentioned, there are no XLR connections; which is perhaps understandable given the camcorder's size. Less forgivable, however, is the lack of manual options. Audio level control is limited to just two options; 'normal' and 'low', with no dials to manually adjust. Thankfully, the inbuilt 5.1ch microphone and bundled microphone accessory do a decent job of altering audio levels on the fly.
In conclusion, the Sony HXR-MC50E can be viewed as the perfect introduction to serious videography. Both user-friendly and feature-packed, it offers the best aspects of both the consumer and professional markets. On the downside, its price is rather restricting.