Sony DCR-SX40 Palm-Sized camcorder with 60X Optical Zoom
- 4GB embedded memory
- 60X Optical / 2000X Digital Zoom
- Professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens
- Hybrid Recording to 4GB memory or Memory Stick media (sold separately)
- 2.7” wide touch panel LCD display (123k pixels)
Product Description
The Sony DCR-SX40 is the entry-level Memory Stick format model in the 2009 Handycam camcorder lineup. In addition to recording video to removable Memory Stick Duo media (sold separately) , the DCR-SX40 can also record up to approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes of video footage (in LP mode) to 4GB of embedded flash memory. Additional features include a 60X optical zoom lens for capturing extreme close-ups from far away, direct connection with the optional VRD-P1 Express DVD burner for easy video transfer without a PC, and an ultra-compact, lightweight design that allows for easy portability. The DCR-SX40 comes in three colors — silver, red, and blue. The DCR-SX40 appeals to those who want an ultra-compact, highly portable camcorder and simple touch panel operation, as well as the extended reach of the 60X optical zoom lens…. More >>
Sony DCR-SX40 Palm-Sized camcorder with 60X Optical Zoom
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.
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.
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.
I love the size of this camcorder. It truly fits in the palm of your hand. It takes some time to get used to holding it in order to record and to use the zoom feature. You need to experiment and also ensure to get the strap snug enough to alleviate movement of the camera when you’re recordng.
The instructions aren’t as detailed as I’d like. I found myself having a few questions about the operation but didn’t find the answers. The software it comes with is powerful but takes some time to understand it and to learn all the features.
The screen is touch screen and again, need to get used to how hard to press on the screen in order for it to respond. Some of the on screen features aren’t easy to manuver around and I find myself closing the screen just to reset it. I’m sure there is a proper way to do everything but I have to admit I haven’t spent a lot of time reading everything in detail. It wasn’t hard to figure it out right from the box. A big plus is if you have a Sony store near you. They offer free one hour instructions on any of their products. I plan to take advantage of that as soon as I get the time.
Overall, for the price, I would recommend it.
Hopefully this “review” will be helpful to other Mac users, as it took me several hours to figure this one out. I thought I could just drag and drop the files from the camera to my Mac. While you can do this, there will be no audio on the files.
Here is the fix:
Import the files directly from the camera using iMovie. Once imported, the files will be .mov and you can do what you want with them. That’s it!
(Note: I was using Mac OSX 10.5.6 and iMovie 7.1.4).
P.S. As of 5/27/09, the photo showing the “silver” version of this item is incorrect. Chose one of the other colors to see what it really looks like.