Product Description
Chic design meets impressive performance in the ultra-compact DCR-SX40 Handycam camcorder. Conveniently flexible, it can record video to 4 GB of embedded memory or removable Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO Duo media. A professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens captures crisp, high-resolution images and its 60x optical zoom brings the action up close and personal. Ideal for sporting events, wildlife, or distance shooting you can capture extremely tight shots, even from far away. The 2.7-inch wide touch-panel LCD provides exceptional viewing clarity with 123K pixels resolution, and rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles, as well as provides sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback. Its compact design is ideal for travel or everyday use.
Customer Reviews
sony handicam
My first impressions of this small camcorder are very good. The size is perfect as it fits in your purse so it is available at all times. How many times have you thought I wish I had my camera. The battery last about one and a half hours,it is a infolithium battery, which means that you can see how much time you have left on it. Plus it will hold and retain its charge over time. The record time on sp is about 85 minutes. This camcorder will accept up to a 16 gig memory card. And, you can purchase additional batteries with longer record time. The number of the batteries range between np-fh50 to np-fh100. The touch screen is simple and easy to use. It is powered up when the lcd screen is opened. The controls all have a good placement.The zoom is great works quietly and quickly. The sound is also very good(I could hear every bite the cat ate,the screech of the rocking chair and even the tv which was turned low.)No it is not hd but the picture is very good. This camcorder has a quality build and a Carl Zeiss lens. Because of the features, you would expect this small beauty to be more expensive. So in the end you get quite a lot of bang for your buck.I wanted to add that with a 8 gig card you get an additionl 174 minutes(nearly 3 hrs. additional record time.The npfh50 battery gives you 3 hrs of additional charge. When this two items are added you have nearly 4 and a half hours of record time. Also, the camcorder allows you to choose to record on the internal memory or the memory stick. Plus Amazon has the best prices on the battery and memory card.
Easy, portable, but some knotty movie file issues
I was torn between the Sony SX40 (or SX41) and the Canon FS200. They were similar in price, and the reviews here and elsewhere offered comparable raves and rants. I went with the Sony SX 40 because it comes with internal flash memory: even if you lose or corrupt your data stick, you can still film right to your camera. For the Canon you can only film to a data stick; this adds about $50 to the price because you must purchase it separately. Also, the Sony SXs save their files as MPEG-2s, which I have heard are more compatible with various software than the Canon's MOD files.
I love the SX40's compact size, the feather lightness, the intuitive simplicity of filming, and the clarity of the movies on our TV screen. I do not love the short battery life and long recharge time.
I was also troubled by camera's filetype and the bundled Picture Motion Browser software. Other reviewers have made similar complaints, so I was ready for the glitch but still frustrated. The problem here is that the MPEG-2 files the camera creates have special DVD encoding. They require a top of the line computer system if you want to view them and edit them, even with the included software.
I'm running Windows XP Service Pack 3. My film files appeared in the Picture Motion Browser as a white screen with a grey "broken" icon. I had to download DirectX9 from Microsoft, and also download the most up-to-date graphics card driver, in order to view my files through Picture Motion Browser. I had no luck at all viewing the files in Windows Media Player. You can pay Microsoft for a download of the correct decoder for Windows Media Player, however:
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Everything worked fine on my husband's newer Windows Vista system -- no tweaking required.
Takes great video and easy to use
Tried for the first time at a school concert where I sat at the back of the auditorium as I do not want to disturb others as I might be fussing with the unit. With the 60x optical, it came out very well. Even managed to zoom into the individual face. Picked up the music played clearly without any problems. The battery that came with the unit has maximum of abt 1 and half hours. Not enough for most and would need to buy a higher capacity battery. Would need additional memory as 4Gb would not be enough - at least for me.
The unit is so small, it fits onto your palm nicely. Probably too small for those with big hands!! When watched taped movies using my analog TV, it is much clearer than the old tape camcorders. Still pictures taken was just as good, obviously without the results as a still camera.
No conversion issues/problems. The software that came with the unit simply provides the managing of the taped contents to your hard drive with ease.
No frills, great simple camcorder that takes good movies without the worry of messing with controls, settings etc.
