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Launched simultaneously, the CX500 and CX520 are two of Sony’s newer high definition cameras.
The Sony CX500 and CX520 are both flash memory camcorders which offer 32 gigs (CX500) and 64 gigs (CX520) of internal memory.

Both of these camcorders feature a 1/2.8 inch CMOS sensor with a total count of 6 megapixels.
Sony has included Exmor R Technology which basically makes use of a back illumination for better capture of light. This feature is very handy in low light filming and the results are evident when the cameras are compared to their predecessors.

Other improvements include a better lens, menu interface changes for better navigation, stabilization as well as an upgraded output to 1080P (1080 horizontal scan lines).

Image Stabilization on both of these cameras is a rather significant upgrade from previous models. There were general corrections done along the X and Y axes from OIS (optical image stabilization) and in conjunction with this Sony has also added an EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) to counter general wrist ‘rolling’ movements that happen when you are recording handheld, without a tripod. EIS will only turn itself on if your camcorder is set to Active Mode.

There have been some comments that EIS is a bit of a fall in terms of image stabilization options because it reduces the total number of effective pixels, however, when questioning Sony’s choice to use EIS and whether or not it would have a negative effect on the quality outcome, they simply reassured that despite some loss in quality, it is minimal and there is plenty to convert an image to a 1920 by 1080 resolution.

In build, both the CX500 and the CX520 are the same. Compared to the previous model, the control dial has been moved, but much of the body remains.

The lens upgrade, for both models, that I mentioned earlier signifies the upgrade from a 2 bladed aperture lens to a 6 blade aperture lens. This change aims to assist in creating a clearer, more focused image. Sony’s G Lens has a 12X optical zoom and a 150X digital zoom.

The menu upgrade on the CX500 and CX520 is not so much an upgrade but rather a complete revamp. The old ‘home’ menu has been giving a facelift and Sony declares that the new menu is much more user friendly and includes a touch screen interface (the LCD has a protective layer against dirt and unwanted fingerprints). I was really grateful to find that when they say ‘touch screen’ they don’t mean ‘oops I brushed my finger over it and changed three random settings without meaning to’. You have to apply a certain amount of pressure to press the option you want.

Both models have a rather nifty little feature called the Highlight Playback function which uses the footage you have taken and creates a highlight reel, adding some background music and making use of automated transition. I thought it was quite a clever idea. This feature has no impact on your original footage and won’t trim or change it in any way.

Clever little machines: Both of these camcorders have their very own built in GPS!  With the use of Navteq software all of your video clips will be geo-tagged and the time and date stamps are automatically updated to match the current time zone.

Giving Face Detections a whole new comment:  while recording or in standby you can touch a face on the LCD screen and the camera will store it in memory. Even if the person walks off screen and returns later, they will still have priority for exposure, colour correction, focus and of course Smile Shutter.

Smile Shutter is a great feature that can be set to detect anything from a cheeky little grin to an all out cheek popping Cheshire Cat smile. Once the camera detects that the face your have prioritised is smiling – it will pop itself from standby mode to record.

The 3 inch Clear Photo LCD rotates 270 degrees with a variety of viewing angles. The LCDs high contrast provides easy viewing even in outdoor / bright light. The images are displayed in crisp, sharp detail with brilliant colour reproduction.

Both of these models have D-Range Optimiser which helps to take away snow or beach glare which can ruin a shot, making it overexposed in the background while your subject in the foreground is a black silhouette. D-Range Optimiser automatically adjusts your exposure settings to avoid these unwanted results.

The Sony CX520 and CX500 are often up against the Sony XR500 and XR520, so below is a comparison between the XR and CX cameras to help you understand the similarities and differences:

Deciding which model you would prefer to purchase all depends on what you are going to be using it for. Let’s look at the pros and cons of the CX series first: The camera is smaller and lighter. There is no view finder, and to be honest, if you are just playing around with family and fun footage, you don’t use a viewfinder, but the lack of a view finder would be a personal choice pro or con. The controls are mostly operated via the touch screen panel, this definitely makes for easy operation, but if you are hard on your equipment, this could mean that the camera would run the risk of a shorter life span (i.e. if you damage the LCD you will struggle to operate the camera with no controls!) The footage is stored via flash memory instead of hard drive. Taking away that light vibration during operation while the hard drive spins. There is less internal memory (64gigs vs. 240 gigs OR 32gigs VS 120gigs) …it is up to you to ask yourself…will I ever USE 120 gigs of recording space?
Now let’s look at the XR: an incredible amount of storage space and if you are the kind of person who can make use of it, it is a very big plus. Buttons rather than touch screen control, takes away the glam factor, but perhaps durable in the long run. A view finder; If you are going to be making use of the memory then you will need extended battery life and the view finder will definitely help you achieve that.
Both of the series discussed, Sony CX500 and CX520 as well as Sony XR500 and XR520 have equally good low light video recording capability.
Both series record in Dolby Digital 5.1 allowing you the same experience during playback at home that you would have while recording.

Both series use the same battery (InfoLITHIUM® with AccuPower™ Meter System (NP-FH60)) but the XR has higher power consumption than the CX. The XR520 for example, uses 4.4 watts per measure while the CX520 uses 3.6 watts.