Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder: Review

Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder has been launched, the first camcorder to feature video geotagging. This means the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS handycam can shoot videos and log the location of shooting, with built-in GPS receiver and GPS maps. The GPS camcorder comes for a price of $1,000, which, we think, is a tad expensive.

Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder

The body of the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder is entirely titanium. The handycam can shoot high-definition HD video, with 1920X1080 resolution. The maximum shooting time with the highest quality and resolution is 100 minutes (nearly two hours) while with the lowest quality setting, you can record continuously for over five hours. The Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder is fitted with 16 GB of embedded flash memory, which can be expanded with a Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo card. Gone are the days of memory storage with tapes, cassettes, DVDs and clumsy hard disks.

The most interesting of the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder is definitely its geotagging option, which is part of the GPS system. The handycam has an embedded GPS receiver, which receives satellite signals as and when you shoot. There is also Navteq maps preloaded, which means that while you shoot, the location of shooting is automatically recorded. Later, the recorded videos can be played back on the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder’s LCD display. Here, you can watch the pinned locations of video shooting overlaid on a map. Alternatively, you can download the videos to your computer, and with the help of the Sony Picture Motion Browser software, watch the videos with location tagging. The same GPS option is available for still photos as well.

Still, we are not too sure how the GPS option will work in many closed places, like the inside of an apartment or an office. Even GPS phones with the same functionality find it difficult to receive the satellite signals within closed spaces. However, this wont be a problem when you’re travelling. And the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder is built with the traveller in mind.
Another problem with GPS for videos was mentioned by CNET: That unlike photos, there is no metastandard for videos. So, to watch the location map of the video shoot, you will need to use the supplies Sony Picture Motion Browser software, or be content with watching it on the LCD screen of the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS handycam.

Made in the pistol-grip style, the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder has a good-looking design. The LCD screen (size: 2.7 inches, diagonally) swivels 270 degrees for convenience in shooting and watching videos. The camera powers on when the LCD screen is opened and there is an automatic lens cover too.

The Sony HDR-TG5V GPS video camera is equipped with Carl Zeiss-Vario Tessar optics, which is standard in all Sony handycams. The videocam has a 1/5 inch  Exmor CMOS sensor with ClearVid array as its imaging device.  The handycam has a BIONZ image processor , with 2360000 gross pixels. The camera shoots still photos with a good 4 megapixel resolution. There is a also a flash to assist in low-light still photography with the TG5V.

The Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder comes with many of the fun features common to many other Sony handycams. For eg; the Face Detection feature automatically recognises up to 8 faces in a frame, and automatically adjust light and exposure to the skin tone, while keeping the rest of the frame intact, thereby enhancing and giving a natural look to faces.

The Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder also comes with Smile Shutter technology, which also made its debut in Sony camcorders earlier. In this, the Sony handycam recognises a smile even when the video shooting is on, and clicks pictures while the video recording is on. Even in the middle of shooting movies, you can capture still photos with 2.3 megapixel resolution on the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder. After the video is recorded, the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder can also play back an “ instant movie” with the video highlight option. The handycam selects the appropriate clips and puts the movie together, adding background music. Frills basically, but for the amateur videographer, these are good frills to have.

The Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar lens on the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder has image stabilisation technology, which counterbalances camera shakes, so that even videos shot without a tripod come out cleaner. The 2.7” inch wide 16:9 touch panel Clear Photo LCD Plus display offers beautiful viewing clarity with high resolution — 211000 pixels.

The Sony HDR-TG5V GPS handycam has a zoom capability of 10X, which can extended to 120 X with a digital zoom. However, as we all know, digital zoom ruins resolution, though the company claims that this version of digital zoom in the HDR-TG5V camcorder is better than that in the previous camcorders.

Sound recording is good; actually, very good. The videocam’s Dolby Digital 2 channel stereo recording captures sounds from both left and right, while the Built-In Zoom Mic focuses audio recording on your subjects in sync with the camera’s zoom lens.

You can also shoot in slow motion. This feature on the Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder allows you to shoot a 3 second clip  which will stretch to 12 seconds while playing back. The slow motion recording is enabled by increasing the frames per second to click a large number of frames in the same time duration. Slow-motion shooting is helpful while watching a cricket ball bouncing off the bat, a bird in flight, or a horse mid-prance.

Supplied accessories for Sony HDR-TG5V GPS camcorder

AC-L200, AC Adaptor
NP-FH50, Rechargeable Battery Pack
DCRA-C250, Handycam Station® cradle
Component A/V Cable
Composit A/V Cable
USB Cable (long)
USB Cable (short – travel)
USB Adaptor Cap
PMB Application Software / USB Driver / (CD-ROM )
Wrist Strap