1. Great size : Very comforable to shoot with and carry around. Slung around the shoulder it feels handy without being a burden. Remove the XLR and you have a non pro look in case you need to shoot in only non pro situations. Also light enough to shoot freehand and with a light tripod.
2. Good auto control settings : The auto controls are good in most areas though I did have a bit of trouble with auto focus in lower light conditions.
3. The lens hood is a great feature in this camera as the closed position protects the lens as well
4. Results outdoos in good lighting conditions are as good as the Z1
5. Good quality microphone.
6. The remote is a great device as it helps getting a steady zoom for a light tripod ! It also helps for PTC in solo situations

1. The low light performance is really bad. At least 2 stops below the Z1. It says 7 lux in the manual but I think even that is optimistic. It is good for planned shoots with a light kit at close range. Even the twin lamp video light that comes as an accessory and requires the large 71 or 91 battery to power up both lamps - with the standard battery you get just one lamp on - you need good ambient light to shoot anything half decent. Shooting a byte means getting up very close (to baking range) to get rid of pixels.
2. The setting are all via the touch screen menu. A maze at first but once you know what is where it is less daunting but still time consuming. Manual sttings are time consuming and thus one tends to shoot on auto if time is a constraint. But don't even think of auto focus in low light.
3. The battery life is sufficient for a 4 to 6 hours shoot with the largest optional battery. But the viewfinder is way ahead of the big battery and one has to tilt it up and peer down it.
4. The tape loads from the bottom so one has to remove the camera from the tripod to change the tape.
5. Even though there is a sticker that says that it is normal for the camera to heat up at certain points when used for long, I found the heating to be quite a bit especially in India. I guess when the ambient temp is 40 C then the heating is more. Hope Sony has factored that in.
6. Warranty : I fail to understand how can Sony avoid giving global support to this product. Products bought in the UK get 2 years prime support in Europe but no support in any other part of the world. Most professionals would need to travel overseas on work and this camera is really ideal for that. Yet there is no support for products outside the region that they are bought. Recently on a trip to Belgium I visited Sony for some accessories and asked how long they would take to service my camera in case I needed service. The answer - 14 working days !

Picked up the HVR A1-E on a recent trip to the UK and have used it for 2 months. I have already used the camera a great deal in a variety of condition beacuse it is handy. In fact, I take it along 'just in case' and end up using it nearly every time. Having used Sony equipment I was comforable with the camera from the very start and it met my expectations in many ways. It is a great 2nd camera to have for a documentary maker. Really handy for that 'aim and shoot' moment. Great for outdoor event coverage. Not useful in low light conditions thus not suitable for professionals with majority of low light vast coverage; coverage of functions such as a wedding etc. I will briefly put down the positives and the negatives :

Customer Service

No 'real experience' as yet. Products bought in UK get 2 years of Europe prime support. No service beyond the region of purchase.

Similar Products Used:

Sony : PD 170 and Z1