HDR-CX405

I am an aspiring actor who purchased this camera and a few other miscellaneous products to aid me in making my own indie films and this camera would be just what you need... The camera is lightweight and compact which means you can easily take it wherever you want without any hassle, although I wouldn't recommend dropping it as you will probably destroy it. The battery lasts about 2 hours which is brilliant for when I am filming for a long period of time, the battery also only takes about 30 minutes to charge. The camera menu is relatively easy to navigate and all of the settings are easy to follow and change, however be warned that the manual is outdated and some features that are given in the manual are not present in the camera. Finally, the quality is fantastic! The camera can record in AVCHD instead of the standard MP4, meaning basically that it looks really good. I honestly thought that I was watching a professional television show when I was watching clips back. I would recommend that you purchase a Sony Micro SD Card as the camera only takes Micro cards, the camera does not come with it's own so make sure to buy one with this product. I personally have a 32gb Sony Micro SD Card and I record up to 3 hours of content in the highest quality and have it processed in seconds with that particular card. Overall, fantastic camera for the price and would recommend it to anyone look to record crisp and realistic video!

Longevity and durability are key factors but I have had it for three months and shot a fair amount of video with absolutely no problems. As long as you don't drop it on concrete it seems likely to last. Otherwise, an amazing piece of gear: super high quality photos and sound, very light and handy - I often just put it in my trouser pockets. Excellent zoom and single-shot facilities. Menu intuitive: all done with a single button. If forced to criticize: 1) it shoots automatically in mp4 and another super high-quality full-HD format. I don't need the latter, but I can't see a way of selecting mp4 only. Not a big deal, except I have to delete the larger files manually. 2) It connects and transfers files easily to a computer, but I can't find a way from the computer to DELETE files on the camera's internal storage. Maybe there's a way, but I can't find it. I have to delete them on the camera itself, which is weird. However, for the price, this is an astonishing camera.

This is a good little camera, but could be better. It’s very light, which some may say makes it feel cheap, but it’s well made and comfortable to use for long periods. It simultaneously records in two file formats (.MTS and .MP4). The .MTS files are very large but are of very high resolution. The .MP4 files are still fairly good quality, but the smaller size makes them more useable for uploading or sharing on the web. Quality of the optical zoom is excellent and you get about five and a half hours recording on a 64GB Micro SD card at the highest quality. You have to purchase the SD card separately and not all cards are compatible. I use Sony branded cards. I have found that files transfer more quickly to the PC when the camera is connected directly (rather than using a card reader). I do have a few criticisms. My previous Sony Handycam had a viewfinder as well as the fold out screen and I miss this a great deal. No memory card is supplied, so unless you order one the camera can’t be used immediately. The connector lead supplied only has an HDMI connector, so no composite etc. There is no microphone input socket. Apart from the niggles listed above I’m quite happy with this camera and it performs well.

I love this camcorder, for the price it is easily the best camcorder I have had. It is simple to use, not many functions built in but thats what I use my editing software for, I don't really need anything on the camcorder itself, I just want to point and record. I have to say that I am also quite impressed with the Still pictures it takes too, they don't rival a dedicated camera or SLR but they are the best quality again that I have had. I know to many people that colour balance, effects and total control over the aperture etc are essential but if like me you are just looking for a no hassle camcorder that to the non professional takes great quality video with good sound then you won't be disappointed. You do have some control via the menu but these are quite basic. I have spent 3 times this on other camcorders and they have not given me as good results as this little camcorder, which is very nice and compact. My only bug bear is the little built in USB charger cable on the strap, a good idea but too short, you either have to use the the extension cable or the camera hangs from the plug. From flat it takes about 2 hours to charge and on holiday in Disney recently lasted me nearly 2 days on one charge with intermittent recording throughout both days and evenings, that said I always carry a portable charger with me for my phones etc so could of topped it up if needed.

I took this with me just a few weeks after buying it after just doing some test shots at home. The quality of the footage that I took is super with the help of some nice features tucked away in the menus. The stillness of 'zoomed' handheld shots is terrific if you use the feature in the menu. Also, if you customise the white balance before taking footage, the results are just stunning. Colour is natural and if you also take the trouble to use a tripod, you'll have people coming in thinking that it's broadcast TV!! The beauty of this camera is the ease of getting it turned on. Just flip it open and you're off. I got many shots on the cuff like this which were brilliant when edited into my end result. Just watch the software that you decide to edit with. The rendering can actually harm the quality that you capture from the camera. I used a Sony programme. Although it's not a brilliant editor, it does the job but the rendering is one of the best I've seen, where I can barely see any difference from the camera original. Some software is clumsy in the way they render, so you end up with uneven motion and artifacts. This is a really useful camera for capturing events very efficiently.

Although pleased with this model in general be aware of the supplied accessories as they are not being supplied correctly. First one arrived battery was half charged however could not be recharged as the charge lead supplied was incorrect duly returned. Replacement arrived and now the charge lead is correct however the HDMI lead supplied alhough a standard full size HDMI plug at one end has a mini plug at the other end that does not fit the camera socket.So feed to TV direct from camera not possible. As the camera does do all I require it for have not bothered to return and have purchased a correct lead elsewhere. Picture quality is good easy to use however construction is weak not a robust bit of kit at all screen swivel is flimsy and would break easily if treated harshly. Charge method is a poor design ( a Standard USB socket on a short fly lead which when not in use tucks away into camera handle) cumbersome when a mini USB on camera body would surely be a better option. I would not recommend this model for although I just required a small Camcorder for one particular project for which it will suffice there a many others on the market which maybe better. And beware of the parts being supplied would suggest Sony have a bit of a packaging problem.

I have long been a fan of Sony cameras and camcorders so when it was time to buy another camcorder, the obvious choice was Sony for its picture quality and reliability and, despite some initial disappointments, it has proven to be another good choice. On delivery, my first impression was that it didn’t look the least bit like the Sony quality I expected with its wholly plastic body and it feels lightweight and cheap – not at all what I expected. I was also disappointed to see that it could not record just MP4 files (the ability to film in MP4 format was one of my reasons for buying it) and has to dual record AVCHD and MP4 files together in order to produce MP4 files. Again, I felt let down. I had opened the sealed box so was committed to keeping it and making the best of it – and I am so glad I did. Despite initial doubts the camcorder is actually very good. Start-up is almost instant simply by opening up the monitor and opening the lens cover which takes perhaps a second and then it’s ready for filming. It will film in 4 AVCHD formats (long play 5M, standard 9M, HQ 17M and Highest Quality 25M) with the option of recording the second smaller file in MP4 format ‘for sharing’. Although this is not a feature I particularly wanted, it has actually proven very useful. I film in the highest 25M resolution for ‘professional’ work for files which are to be edited then use the smaller MP4 files for Facebook and YouTube uploads and this dual-recording system actually works very well – to my surprise. The camcorder menu system is accessed via a jog shuttle/joystick controller above the monitor, although I would have preferred a touch-screen (unlikely to be offered at this price!). At first it felt quite fiddly but after a few hours of use, it became second nature to use it and navigate the various menus which include resolution sizes, still picture size, picture effects, zoom mic, lox lux filming, white balance, exposure, manual focus, shutter speed and frame rate (50P or 50i). In practice, I find myself sticking to the ‘auto’ mode which has proven completely reliable. Sony’s optical image stabilisation is always good and this is no exception, but a tripod is still recommended if using the top end of the zoom. The camcorder has a 30x optical zoom supplemented by a further 30x ‘clear image zoom’ giving a total zoom length of 60x. Personally, I am less keen on the additional zoom where quality is lost and there seems to be no option to disable this so I have to remember to only use the first half of the zoom which involves some guesswork. Charging is via the nifty USB cable which clips into the hand-strap. It is quite short but an extension cable is provided so it can be connected to a computer, laptop or powerbank for charging. It uses widely-available NP-BX1 batteries which offer a good life of several hours stop-start filming. However, if the camcorder is going to be used regularly, ie daily as mine is, then I would recommend buying an external mains and 12v charger plus a few spare batteries which are available together on Amazon for about £12 for non-Sony branded yet seem to work just as well. This camcorder offers a lot of features and performance and has more than redeemed itself for its unexpectedly-plastic build quality and having given it a thorough testing as a casual user who also films semi-professionally for news agencies and TV companies, it is a camcorder I would happily recommend to a novice or more experienced user and I would happily buy it again. It also offers very good value for money and I doubt that any other brand could match the performance at this price. STRENGTHS * Very good picture quality * Smooth zoom * Range of filming resolutions * Good stereo mic records clear and crisp audio with good volume * Can take a still image while recording * Neat USB charging cable tucked into hand-strap * Very good battery life * Tripod socket on base * Easy menu system with many user options * Excellent ‘auto-everything’ mode * Very lightweight, compact and portable * Extra batteries available for about £5-£6 (non-Sony) WEAKNESSES * Build quality isn’t up to Sony’s usual standards * Cannot disable the ‘clear image zoom’ * Joystick menu controller may be fiddly for larger fingers * Probably wouldn’t survive a drop

I love the simplicity of this camcorder. Just open it up and press a button and off you go. Small and light to carry and produces very good (but not excellent) video quality at a reasonable price. Recommended. Pros Feels a bit flimsy because it is so light, but it is well made and robust (already dropped it twice). So easy to use. Just open it up and press the record button. Integrated lens cover (loose ones are always a faff) Good zoom and effective stabilisation. Hidden integrated USB cable. Good quality HD video and sound. Reasonable still images. Small and light to carry. Supplied Play Memories app works well for uploading images and video to a laptop. Cons Screen navigation a bit slow due to having to use the little joy stick for everything. No Wi-fi or blue tooth (but given the price that’s fine)

Very handy. Super lightweight. Quality of the video & zoom is worth the price