Sony Handycam HDR-PJ10E

Sony's HDR-PJ10E launched in 2011 as the world's first consumer camcorder with a built-in projector — shoot your footage, flip the LCD, and throw a 60-inch image onto any flat surface without packing a separate device. The concept has proper historical pedigree: the Lumière Brothers' original 1895 Cinématographe was both camera and projector in one body, and Sony revived that idea for the flash memory era.

THE LOOKS

The PJ10E follows Sony's classic Handycam silhouette in gloss black, but the LCD panel is noticeably thicker than any ordinary camcorder — that's where the projector lives. A small lens aperture and manual focus slider sit flush on the back of the screen housing, only revealing their purpose once the panel swings out. The built-in USB cable tucks neatly into the hand strap for clean carry, a detail borrowed from Sony's pocket camcorder line. Understated from the front; completely unexpected from behind.

THE SPECS

1/4-inch back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor, 4.2 effective megapixels for video. Records Full HD 1920×1080 at 50p (28Mbps), 50i, or 25p in AVCHD format; standard definition via MPEG-2 PS also available. Sony G lens at 29.8mm wide angle, 30× optical zoom extending to 42× in Extended Zoom mode, 350× digital. Built-in LED pico projector: 640×360 resolution, 10 lumens, 10–60 inch projection at 0.5–3m throw distance. 16GB internal flash memory, plus SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick PRO Duo slots. 3-inch Clear Photo LCD touchscreen (230k dots), Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround recording. Weighs 310g.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

• Projector hidden inside the LCD panel: The thickened screen housing conceals a fully functional LED pico projector — a detail you'd never clock until someone flips the panel around and throws an image on the wall.
• Built-in USB cable stowed in the hand strap: No bag-digging for cables — the USB connector pulls directly out of the strap housing for instant charging or file transfer.
• Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound recording: Spatial audio capture on a consumer camcorder this compact was a legitimately unusual spec for 2011, pairing properly with the on-board projection mode.

THE VERDICT

The HDR-PJ10E is the rare gadget that fully commits to its party trick. The projector is properly usable — not a gimmick buried in a menu — and the Exmor R sensor holds up well in low light, which is exactly when you'd want to use it. As a camcorder it's solidly mid-range; as a cultural object it's a snapshot of that brief, optimistic moment when consumer electronics manufacturers were trying absolutely everything. The Lumière Brothers would approve.