Hello.

Just joined the forum to try and find out detailed information about the "Clear Image x54 zoom" on my newly purchased Sony HDR-CX240E.

I've searched the net and have not found detailed info, read the poor documentation and online help manual  (they don't even tell you what all the camera's onscreen icons mean), nothing of relevance.

In brief (all tests done while recording movies):

Test 1. Digital zoom - OFF, Steadyshot - ACTIVE (screen says clear image is off) zoom to max, looks fine.

Test 2. Digital zoom - OFF, Steadyshot - STANDARD (screen says clear image is on) zoom to max, exact same as above.

Test 3. Digital zoom - ON, Steadyshot - STANDARD, Now the digital zoom works you get the display top right with the white line in the middle. When zoomed up to centre line, looks the same as tests 1 & 2. Then beyond the digital zoom obviously kicks in. (Thats one example of no mention in the documents the fact that the lcd zoom onscreen bar changes)

So, where is the Clear Image x54 zoom, if tests 1 & 2 look exactly the same and in test 2  the screen says it is on (in the steadyshot menu)?

Does it only work when digital zoom is on and it is used up to the first x54 part of the digital zoom out of the x320 digital zoom?

I was under the impression that it would, (with the digital x320 zoom turned off) allow the x27 optical zoom to be digitally enhanced up to x54 times, clearly thats not the case. Essentially like a more advance digital zoom.

Any detailed information about this would be appreciated. Expecially when you see demonstrations of other Sony camcorders that have Clear Image zoom and it does indeed look as though you get three zooms, optical, clear image then the digital zoom.