Sony Handycam HDR-PJ275 Review - HD Video Camera with Built in Projector

Buy it on Amazon - (affiliate link) VIDEO INDEX:
0:13 - Hardware Overview
3:34 - Video samples and demonstration
5:14 - Low light sample and demonstration
5:53 - Steadyshot video sample and demonstration
6:09 - Projector demonstration
6:30 - Xbox One demonstration
7:42 - Conclusion and recommendation
Sony has put projectors in some of its camcorders for the last couple of years. They were a unique feature, but those earlier models would only play video stored on the camera itself.
Now the feature is much more functional thanks to an HDMI input that will allow other devices to be projected onto a screen through the camera. I was able to run both my Macbook Pro and an Xbox One through the camera's projector. Both worked great with no latency at 720P. In a dark room the image quality is surprisingly good considering the entire projector is sandwiched onto the camera's built in screen. It won't do as well in a better lit room (it's only 13 lumens). This is a very useful feature, especially given that the projector really doesn't add much bulk to the rest of the device.
So what about its main use as a video camera? Not bad. Image quality is as good as cameras in the same price range from Canon. Low light on this Sony camera is actually a little better than the Canon HF R50 I tested in the right conditions.
The zoom has integrated digital mode that kicks in automatically when the optical length runs out. I could not find any way to disable that feature nor is there a good indication of when the digital mode begins and the optical mode ends. Sony says that there's some active processing to improve the quality of the image, but it's far from perfect.
The stabilization is very, very good. Walking shots are smooth and stationary hand held shots tend to rival the kind of stable video you'd get from a tripod. Very impressive.
The charging cable / USB sync cable is integrated into the handstrap. The camera will charge through the USB while plugged into a computer. It also supports SDHC/XC cards as well as Sony's proprietary M2 format. The camera can record an AVCHD video and as well as an MP4 file simultaneously in all but the highest quality shooting mode. The camera supports up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second.
It does NOT have an integrated microphone port even though Amazon's description says it does.
The bottom line? It's an excellent low to mid-range camcorder. The projector is very useful thanks to the external input and essentially makes this two products in one.
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DISCLOSURE: I received this product through the Amazon Vine program to review on Amazon's site.