Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 Review
Lift bow and arrow. Load arrow into bow. Take aim. Twang! And Sony hits another bulls-eye!
As with the exceptional Sony DSC-HX5V movie/pano/burst rate camera, I was completely blown away with the Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5!
Even if you already own a DSLR or two, perhaps a compact digicam and maybe an HD camcorder, this one will fire up your acquisitive hormones.
I want one!
Looking more like a mobile phone or iPod, the Bloggie is a digital camera reduced to the absolute minimum, then topped up with a pile of fascinating features.
Colour-styled in pink, blue, violet and white the Bloggie can be turned on by simply rotating the lens turret, as the 6.1cm LCD screen fires up. In reality, the screen is only 4.2cm in size, with data occupying the rest of the LCD’s area. However, in replay mode, the entire screen is full of picture.
With it you can shoot 2592×1944 JPEGs that print out to 22x16cm prints. Movies? How about Full HD 1920×1080 pixel MPEG4 clips?
When it comes time to download your handiwork or recharge, pull out the built-in USB arm and plug into your lap- or desktop. Couldn’t be simpler and so very Web-friendly. And if you like shooting a lot of people, Face Detection is built in.
And that’s not all: the camera rotates through 270 degrees, so shooting yourself, the sky, the front view or down near your feet is a simple act. The rotating lens even has a 4x digital zoom.
Want a fisheye view? Simply clip on a special lens attachment that gives you a crazy 360 degree view set into a circular frame. This fisheye lens ‘bounces’ the view down to the normal taking lens built into the camera and can shoot stills or movies, the latter complete with what audio captured in what sounds to me very much like a 360 degree audio pattern.
Helpfully, Sony has included a 4GB PRO Duo Memory Stick with the camera so you can get shooting straight away, and this will let you capture up to 40 minutes of top res HD footage. The card slot can also take SD and SDHC cards.
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Quality: the camera is very subject to lens flare, so expect do some Photoshopping, post-shoot, to improve the contrast rendition in stills images.
In movies? Flare is part of the fun, especially when you can get the sun itself in frame … to be truthful, it’s very hard to avoid the sun in outdoor shots!
One trap I fell into: when shooting stills or movies and pointing the fisheye straight ahead … the floor will be at the top of the frame. The fisheye is a plastic lens, so you’ll have to live with the lower quality.
Why you would buy a Bloggie: you want a very Web-friendly camera.
Why you wouldn’t: you want more control over the camera, better sharpness and anti-flare performance.
However… this is one of those cameras that will put the fun back in to photography.
Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 Specifications
Image Sensor: 5.04 million effective pixels.
Metering: Auto.
Sensor Size: 7.3mm CMOS.
Lens: f3.6/7.0mm (42mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
Memory: Memory Stick PRO Duo, SD, SDHC cards plus 26MB internal memory.
Image Sizes (pixels): 2592×1944, 2592×1728, 2048×1536, 1920×1080, 640×480.
Movies: 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×480.
LCD Screen: 6.1cm LCD (230,400 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, MPEG4.
Interface: USB 2.0, AV.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
Dimensions: 19x108x54 WHDmm.
Weight: 130 g (inc battery and card).
Price: The Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 comes in a variety of colors. Get a price on Amazon for them at Violet – White – Blue – Pink.
11 Responses to “Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 Review” - Add Yours
July 19th, 2010 at 4:48 am
Pardon? How can a lens possibly have a digital zoom?
July 19th, 2010 at 5:06 am
Did you have a chance to test it in low light/dark?
July 19th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Sorry, but we have a rather affectionate name for them where I work: “Those P-O-S SONY things”
July 19th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
I like the Bloggie for the swivel head and slim profile. In terms of performance, I’ve seen some sample videos on the web, and they look pretty average. I’d say on par with the Flip. I think price is the deciding factor for most of these pocket camcorders.
December 30th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Bought a Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 at Office Depot for my wife as a Christmas present. This camera did NOT include any memory stick or SD card, and the 25MB of built-in memory is just enough for a number of still shots – NOT MOVIES! What the hell? I thought I was buying a CAMCORDER! The single-page “Manual” (4-172-852-12 (1)) is silent on this issue.
The “Manual” continues in “Checking the Accessories supplied” list: – Memory Card (“Memory Stick PRO Duo” Media 4GB/ Only for MHS-PM5K). AHA! If I’d had X-Ray vision, I could have chosen the “K” version of this camera and received a 4GB memory card as well. Only after using a magnifying glass on the box did I discover the line ” NO MEMORY ENCLOSED” in tiny gray print on the black background, but I’m 73 and no longer have microscopic vision.
This “Manual” also covers a second, better-endowed Bloggie, the model MHS-PM5K, which includes a 4GB external memory and a fish-eye lens attachment. One final issue: There’s no information given to indicate the MAXIMUM MEMORY usable with this camera.
Sony, OH, SONY! After all is said and done, you’ve covered all the legal issues, but forgotten some ethical issues. To Wit: You’re victimizing older people with poor vision!
January 19th, 2011 at 4:26 am
Have you heard that Sony just launched the new Sony Bloggie 3D which is the same size as the this Bloggie but shoots video in 3D and it can be played back on the LCD display without glasses its not out till April but definately looks like it going to a great little camera and 3D no less I cant wait to get one and have been reading all the reviews the price is going to be $249.00
March 5th, 2011 at 1:42 am
I just bought mine at Target a few days ago. I actually like it so far, but as another review stated it does not come with a memory card. Without one you can only have a couple very short 30 second long videos. That is how I ended up here. I am surfing around pricing memory cards. Besides that I find the video camera to be pretty dad gum cool. I hooked it up to the TV last night to see what the short clip of my dog looked like on a bigger scale and it was actually very good except for a little grainy. Even so that wasn’t because of the camera, it was because I didnt have enough lighting.
May 4th, 2011 at 12:32 am
I bought a bloggie after reading up on the camera. So far I have been very pleased with the results. But I would point out that like any camera, holding it still is vert important. The bloggie is very good, because you can lay it flat, then aim the lens at your subject! You can also holt it against a lampost or fence post, to hold it steady. So far the results I have are very good, and given a little thought, you will get some amazing results.
August 6th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
I got my camera today and I was excited to take it for a test drive. My initial impression while unboxing it was how sleek & well packaged it was (the heavy thick internal box was very much like iphone and ipod). You get the camera, a usb extender cable, a camera tether/strap and the documents.
October 3rd, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Hello, Hi, Hey, great article, post, blog, I, we love, like, loved, liked it !!!
October 26th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Good for outside snap shots and movies
Amazing that sony is oblivious to the action cam market, as this would have made a excellent helmet cam with just a few firmware changes, like orientation, length of movie( untill full or battery dies ,30 min is retarded) wider lens, a remote , just a few that comes to mind.
None of the others have a rotating lens and are bulky compared to the Bloggie
Everything that followed this are like IPODS ? Sony hello !!!!
All and all easy to use I like it ,but I pray for some one to hack the firmware.
Sony, so close but no cigar
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