CNET Editor's rating: 7.1 out of 10
Reviewed by
Lori Grunin
Review date: 05/16/06
Release date: 01/19/06
The good: Better-than-average video quality; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround-sound recording; decent still photos.
The bad: No video light; occasional compression artifacts still noticeable; slightly grainy low-light video; LCD too small for touch-screen operation.
The bottom line: The Sony Handycam DCR-DVD405 is a solid DVD camcorder, as long as you don't mind fiddling with a touch-screen interface on a too-small display.
Varying sensors and LCD sizes make a world of difference between the Sony DCR-DVD405 and its uptown sibling, the DCR-DVD505, beyond just the $200 price gap. The top-of-the-line DVD505 uses Sony's new 2-megapixel ClearVid CMOS imager and provides a large 3.5-inch LCD, while the DVD405 makes due with an old-hat 3-megapixel Advanced HAD CCD and an undersize 2.7-inch display. Those two differences are enough for the DVD405 to produce visibly inferior video--though still better than average for a DVD camcorder--and to bump a merely tolerable user interface over the line to annoying. In fact, most of the key aspects of the DVD405 are the same as its predecessor's, last year's DVD403; compared to this year's competitors, however, it merits a lower rating. As a result, unless you really crave the Dolby 5.1 Surround recording, the similarly priced three-chip Panasonic VDR-D300 edges it in their class.
Though it has basically the same design as the DVD505, the 1.5-pound DCR-DVD405 has a smaller LCD that allows Sony to shave a fraction of an inch off its length. It's very comfortable to hold and operate, as long as you don't change any settings. At that point, you have to dive into a touch-screen-based menu system--or, I should say, menu systems. There seem to be two: one straightforward tap-on-the-button type and a 3D-rotating wheel that you ping-pong between in a seemingly random fashion. They're both well organized, but unless you have needlelike fingertips and a lot of patience, you'll get quite frustrated. Don't even attempt to focus manually, also via the touch screen. If you're familiar with and actually like Sony's touch-screen camcorder interface, then go ahead and mentally bump the rating up a couple of decimal points.
The feature set mirrors the DVD505's as well. It records up to 20 minutes of highest-quality video on 3-inch DVD+/-RW or DVD-R discs. A 10X zoom lens, a five-channel built-in microphone, a powered accessory shoe, a flash, various NightShot options, and a one-touch Easy mode are among the hardware highlights. On the downside, the DVD405 lacks a headphone jack, a video light, and an analog input, while additional mics have to be attached via the hotshoe. On top of the essential semimanual and preset exposure options, fully auto Easy mode is just a button press away, as is popping between 16:9 and 4:3 shooting. The record and zoom controls on the LCD's bezel are convenient, as always.
Given that it uses the same Zeiss T* 10X zoom lens and 3-megapixel CCD as last year's DVD403, the DVD405's performance and video quality come out pretty similar as well. The zoom is smooth and responsive, autoexposure and autofocus adjust fairly quickly to changes in subject and environment, and though the LCD is small, it's quite usable in most lighting. The image stabilization works well, too.
Video quality can be very good, although there are occasional glitches. Exposure is correctly set, but like its siblings, the DCR-DVD405 tends to blow out bright highlights. Its colors and white balance are sufficiently accurate--certainly pleasing. However, I also saw stuttering in the video playback--not too serious but noticeable. Furthermore, though the surround-sound mics are sensitive and do a good job, the lack of a wind filter results in extremely noisy outdoor shooting. Finally, the DVD405's still photos don't quite match up to those of the DVD505; they exhibit less noise and less blooming, but the colors are less saturated and images look oversharpened. Still, they get the job done.
Though it's not a stellar example of DVD camcorder technology, the Sony Handycam DCR-DVD405 delivers above-average video and stills, in a compact, comfortable package. Before you commit, though, give the touch screen an in-store tryout; it can make or break your experience with this product.
Intro:
The Sony Handycam DCR-DVD405 is a 3" DVD-RW, 3" DVD+ RW, and 3" DVD-R-based, consumer camcorder.Compared to other consumer camcorders on the market, it is midpriced at around $645.It comes with Sony Picture Package and Nero Express 6 software.This product weighs 1.3 pounds and has a 2.1 megapixel effective sensor resolution.
Noteworthy Features:
Has a 2.7-inch viewscreen.Has 2.1 megapixel resolution, which is relatively high for a digital camcorder.Provides manual focus control, whereas many camcorders have only auto-focus.Weighing a little over a pound without battery or media, this camcorder is reasonably portable.
Weaker Features:
Has only a 10x optical zoom.
Suitability:
A consumer camcorder, suited for recording video directly to DVD.
Value:
In general, this camcorder's features are as expected for this price.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Sony Reigns Again
I have owned many video cameras but have been most pleased with Sony Video Products. I had previously owned the ...
I have owned many video cameras but have been most pleased with Sony Video Products. I had previously owned the DCR-DVD403 and then the Sony HC1 HD Video Camera. I sold the HC1 and bought the DVD405 and happy I did. People complain of only 18 min of HQ video, but how often do you run that long of clips. Speaking of clips, its nice to have them organized on the dvd and watch then without rewinding or finding your place to continue recording. Media is very cheap now especially when you buy in bulk. I have bought name brand media for as little as $0.40/DVD-R. The video camera is very small and easy to transport. As with all video cameras buy at least one extra battery. Another good purchase is the plug in wall charger by Sony that fits easily in the bag as well. Automatic lens caps is another nice feature. Have made of thirty DVD-R with no errors and all play in the DVD players I have tried. Finalization takes about 2 1/2 min if you fill the disc. Make back-ups easy to do with any DVD copy programs (I use 1click dvd copy 4.2). Dolby sound is excellent, but camera person's every sound also loud and clear. Low light is ok, but suggest the Sony 3W light that cost around $40.00. Digital pictures just ok, stick with digital camera for important events. You can however record photos on memory stick or on the DVD. Start-up is quick but if you do not use Sony Media then you get the "Sony Disc Recommended" warning each time you start the camera up lasts about 3 seconds. But again, I have had no problems with any other media. As far as where to buy...go with someone you know or locally. Prices on the internet are mostly scams and package deals which inflate the cost of the camera. Warranties also worth the money for something so small and delicate. Good luck and happy memories. If you want miniDVD this is the only model I would recommend if quality is an issue. If not then do no waste any more time reading reviews and just buy the cheapest thing out there.
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by chiroson1 (see profile) -
March 24, 2006
85 out of 85 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 out of 10 - Average not a bright and shining star
i did a lot of research before buying this camera, and i thought that i had made the best decision. ...
i did a lot of research before buying this camera, and i thought that i had made the best decision. Well after receiving the camera i was very impressed with the qualiy of the construction and the design. Beautiful like all of Sony's devices. The Video quality was beautiful, but during the the playback of my daughters tea party movie, i noticed a buzzing sound, not all the time, but only when the camera seemed to be writing the data. I come to realize that the beautiful dolby 5.1 surround sound picks up the spinning of the dvd drive. What in the world?!?! what is the sense of having this level of quality in your audio recording if it can pick up its own sounds. Im selling it, this is a deal breaker and it turns a camera with A LOT of potential into a dud. wise up sony. I CAN NOT BELIEVE NO ONE HAS MENTIONED THIS FLAW! evidentally it is an issue with all dvd camcorders
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by terrible0ne (see profile) -
June 2, 2006
25 out of 25 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Excellent DVD Recorder overall
When shopping for a camcorder, I compared this with all leading DVD recorders, and for the price and available features, ...
When shopping for a camcorder, I compared this with all leading DVD recorders, and for the price and available features, this, in my opinion was clearly the best option. The real question came down to whether I even get a DVD recorder at all as opposed to a standard digital camcorder. Aside from the optical zoom, the positives of the DCR-DVD 405 far outweighed the positives of standard camcorders, so I went with the DVD 405.
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by BobbyYLee (see profile) -
March 20, 2006
35 out of 55 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect I think it will be just what we wanted
It looks like this camera will be just what we want, once we get it..... We used to use a ...
It looks like this camera will be just what we want, once we get it..... We used to use a Hi8 tape camcorder but used the USB connection so much, it won't work anymore. So, rather than mess with cords to upload, we will go to DVDs. The reason we don't have the unit yet is that we ordered one from USAPhotoNation.com. We got an email from the company to call and when I did, a salesman tried to sell me the rest of the camera. He was extremely rude and just a smart ass. He told me that the camera I ordered was the Asian model, had no english wording (he asked if I spoke Mandarin but suggested that it was Thai--??) it had no battery, no charging cord and no other accessories sold with them in stores. He also asked if I had just come out of a 25 year coma if I expected to buy a $900 camera for only $459. I asked to speak to a superior and he mockingly asked several times if I was going to "subpoena him". After a loud verbal exchange, he finally put me through to a boss who assured me that he would dock the salesman and cancel my order. I immediatly got the email confirming the cancellation. Here is just one more example of "buy locally" and "you get what you pay for". Suggestion, don't purchase from USAPhotoNation.com. I can't wait to get the camera and will submit another review once we use it often enough to tell if it really earns the 10 rating.
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by eleven75 (see profile) -
March 15, 2006
15 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Compatability problems!
Buyers beware: Sony has forced us into a Catch-22.
If you don't use an external microphone and instead rely ...
Buyers beware: Sony has forced us into a Catch-22.
If you don't use an external microphone and instead rely on the internal microphone, you can HEAR the DVD spinning on your recording--it's quite annoying and distracting.
If you then want to remedy this problem by getting external microphones, you'll find that this camera ONLY allows you to use external mikes that fit into its "Active Interface Shoe," which gives you access to (I guess) ONLY Sony's special, proprietary mikes (which I can't find in stores anyway). Plus, Sony apparently does not make an adapter to let us convert our regular stereo-jack mikes to the Active Interface Shoe.
The result? Bad audio or selling back this camera. I used to like Sony, but this forced proprietary stuff really makes me angry.
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by spencerpahlke (see profile) -
February 4, 2007
10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
this camera feels sturdy, great for coverting vhs tapes.
1) Really Nice Picture Quality 2) Awesome stills (3 mp) 3) Inbuilt Flash is pretty decent 4) Line in recording from any video output: so i can record live matches on tv. 5) Easy to use. 6) Compatable with dvd-r dvd+r, dvd-rw,dvd+rw 7) Decent Battery Life 8) Memory duo/pro duo Card Slot 9) Stable Video 10) Nice shutter system 11) Easy to create movies with nero vision 3 12) Copious number of features 13) 5.1 Surround sound 14) Easy to shift from 4:3 to 16:9 wide screen mode. 15) Really fast formatting of dvd discs
now the disadvantages:
1) The dvd media records about 26min of video at standard play. So u need to keep Changing discs evry 25 minutes. that is really frustarating. some times u also can loose precious photo moments due to this 2) Sony media is quite expensive so invest in rewritable media. 3) Touch Screen Could have been better 4) Editing options are limited 5) big disadvantage: photos and video cannot be taken both together. 6) Low light perfomance is mediocre 7) microphone occationally pics up noises from where the palm is placed 8) Night shot reduces battery life
Suggestion: Invest in Accesories : 1) External mic(attachable to the accessory shoe) 2) Video light (Also attachable to the accessory shoe) 3) dvd-+rw media 4) extra battery NP-FP90 for very long durations of video shoot.
Final Verdict : For those who want instant and good quality video without editing hassels like that of the mini dv cameras, just go for the dvd 405. for those who crave for better quality and also can spend 200$ more than the dvd 405, i suggest that u should invest in the state of the art dcr dvd-505 which boasts of better image and video quality with features similar to that of the dvd 405.
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by tejaswy mallela (see profile) -
May 23, 2006
10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Sony DCRDVD405...Poor Service
I purchased the camcorder on April 5; took about a week to get it. Used it three times using the ...
I purchased the camcorder on April 5; took about a week to get it. Used it three times using the battery that came with it. I then purchased two SONY NP-FP90 battery packs, charged them and installed one on the camcorder. The camcorder booted up and I got the message..."use InfoLITHIUM battery packs" and the unit shut down. I tried several times with the same result. I then installed the second NP-FP90 battery pack with the same result. I emailed Sony support and they said I would have to send the unit in. I shipped the camcorder on April 24, the service center received it on April 27. I followed the servicing of the camcorder on line which indicated that the camcorder was being serviced on April 28. On about May 3, it said that service was delayed as a part is on order.
It is my understanding that fixing the unit could take up to 10 days with an extra 2 weeks to get the part. I called and was told that the part ordered is a battery. I inquired as to the part number of the battery but the girl couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me. I wanted to find out if the part was another NP-FP90 which would be a waste of time since I already tried two. That was indicated on the paperwork I sent to them with the camcorder.
I ordered the unit to take videos of my grandchildren and so far I have missed out on several soccer games, a youth olympics day, a school recognition night, etc. with more upcoming events that I won't be able to video.
I have been talking with customer service at Sony asking that, because the camcorder was virtually new, could they see that the part is overnighted to the service center; could they send me a NEW camcorder; and on and on. So far I have been without my camcorder for longer than I had it. Customer service says they will call me back in 24 hours; they didn't. They take notes and say they will pass them on to ??someone?? I can't imagine a Sony service center that doesn't have necessary parts on hand.
The Sony is a good camcorder, but god forbid you ever need service. Be prepared to be without it for an extended period. We're going to Europe this fall and I am scared to death that the camcorder will need service and I won't have it to take along.
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by Melda456 (see profile) -
May 6, 2006
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Great camcorder
I love many things about this item, but I am still puzzuled by grossly distorted audio during live and loud ...
I love many things about this item, but I am still puzzuled by grossly distorted audio during live and loud performances,even though I set mike level to low. This camcorder takes wonderful stills and movies, and I don't reget my purchase
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by ricador (see profile) -
February 16, 2008
10 out of 10 - Perfect Well-made, feature-rich, great price
We picked this model up at a Best Buy in San Jose on sale recently for just under 400.00, ...
We picked this model up at a Best Buy in San Jose on sale recently for just under 400.00, and I'm very, very impressed with the features and well-designed, slick camcorder itself.
Sony does a pretty good job of designing slick consumer products, in my experience, and this model doesn't disappoint.
The surround sound recording is pretty cool, as is the night vision recording. Still photos are a bit dim and grainy when viewed on a high-resolution monitor.
I'd recommend using a tripod for recording video, as it's fairly easy to overcome the anti-motion technology while recording at high-res or while zoomed in.
All in all, I'm quite pleased with the purchase - money well spent. As per the negative posts about DVD noise, I found it to be almost negligible and not worth giving any credence to at all.
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by jdaemon (see profile) -
June 18, 2007
Accessories hot shoe,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Touch-screen control,
Progressive shutter system,
5.1 channel surround sound ready,
Analog to digital conversion with pass through,
16:9 widescreen mode
Analog to digital conversion
Yes
Remote control
Remote control - Infrared
Software
Nero Express 6,
Sony Picture Package
Included Accessories
Lens cap,
Cleaning cloth
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type
Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution
123,000 pixels
Display
Type
LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.7 in - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type
None
Microphone
Type
Microphone - Built-in
Connections
Connector Type
1 x Composite video/audio (input/output),
1 x Remote control,
1 x USB,
1 x DC power input,
1 x Microphone
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