Sony DCR-DVD405 Camcorder Reviewby James MurrayPublished on Mar 30, 2006 11:00 AM
|
Advertisement
|
|||||||||||
Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (9.5)
In recent years the Sony consumer camcorder offerings have been dominated by camcorders that are friendly to users less interested in investigating or using manual control. While this auto-heavy format is expected on lower-priced camcorder models anyway, this continued theme up into the $1100 price range for the DVD505 and the $900 DVD405 is a bit surprising considering that most other manufacturers have at least provided manual shutter speed at such prices. But Sony is not budging from this auto friendly stance, and users will either love or hate the restrictions that this camcorder can place on them. For even further restrictive simplicity, an Easy mode option is present on the Sony DCR-DVD405 for the user who is looking for a truly auto camcorder.
The Easy mode is entered by pressing the Easy button, differentiated from the other controls by a blue dot in its center, in the LCD cavity. Once engaged, Easy mode limits the user to control over the zoom toggle. The P-menu, which is otherwise vast and overwhelming with its poor formatting, becomes a simple four-button screen that allows the user to format the DVD, turn button noise on or off, finalize the disc and set the clock and date. All other options are hidden when this mode is entered.
The standard auto mode provides a handful of manual control options for the user comfortable with navigating an illogical default two-tier menu structure. Users can control focus, zoom, white balance and exposure when shooting with the DVD405. Image settings like shutter speed, aperture and gain, which can be controlled manually throughout all of the Panasonic MiniDV and DVD camcorders, will not be accessible when shooting with either the DVD405 or even the more expensive DVD505. Auto controls reacted well in a variety of changing situations, and although there was a noticeable struggle with focus in low light levels, the camcorder shot well with auto controls when in most other situations.
Unique to Sony touch screens, and included on the DVD 405, are two controls that allow the user to measure focal depth and lighting through a spot touch control. The Spot Focus and Spot Meter controls are both located within the P-menu structure and allow the user to press sections of the image on the LCD where the user wishes the camcorder to gauge settings and react accordingly. While both features worked well in simple layout and lighting situations, the camcorder was less reactive and nuanced when it encountered complicated scenes. Additionally, the finger tip of this reviewer is not small and when used on a 2.7-inch LCD, the results were rarely those that were desired. A stylus would help, although what would really help is a better LCD like that found on the DVD505 with measurements of 3.5 inches diagonally.
Along with the auto, manual, and spot controls come a smattering of preset shooting modes that cover general shooting situations that users may encounter. These modes can be especially helpful for users who find themselves comfortable with auto mode but still uncomfortable with manual settings. The Program AE modes are listed in the P-menu in the submenu of the same name, and come in options of Auto, Spotlight, Portrait and Sports. These are potentially helpful, but certainly not expansive. If the idea of preset shooting modes is attractive and the limited options on the DVD405 are disheartening, there are options by Panasonic and Canon that provide both more presets and more control flexibility.
Overall Manual Control (3.0)
The Sony DCR-DVD405 isn’t entirely devoid of manual controls. But although the auto-centric design of lower-end Sony camcorders is understandable, the minimal options provided with this $900 camcorder will force many advanced consumers elsewhere. At this price point, one would expect at least control over settings like shutter speed.
The manual control settings for the Sony DCR-DVD405 are accessed by entering the P-menu, in which focus and exposure are on the first two pages. The three page P-menu structure displays six opaque buttons on each page that overlays a live view LCD screen. The pages of the P-menu are scanned by pressing the up and down arrows on the left side of the LCD screen. The default settings for the menu make it present settings that neither follow a logical structure nor make for simple navigation. Users can reconfigure the menu, but the likelihood of a beginner being up to the task is small.
The original default P-menu structure provides the following settings in regular shooting mode: setup, finalize, surround monitor, exposure, spot focus, fader, spot meter, focus, program AE, format, unfinalize, mic ref level, LCD brightness, super NS, color slow sync, beep, language and P-menu setup. Honestly, how many users are more likely to use a digital fade control more than white balance? Or rather, why are we encouraging users to use digital fade over white balance? Sure—shifting, deleting and adding to the menu is possible with some skill, but how about just having a well designed, clear, concise menu structure from the start?
The alert reader may have noticed that one manual control—white balance—is distinctly missing from the default P-menu. The white balance menu is actually located within the administrative menu under the category of “Camera Set”. The placement of white balance in this menu structure is definitely going to minimize the number of casual users who are going to use white balance, even though it works well and is simple to set.
The administrative menu for the Sony DCR-DVD405 is accessed by pressing the setup menu button on the first page of the P-menu. This menu is structured differently from the P- menu, utilizing a never-ending cyclical list structure that overlays most of the LCD screen. Breaking up the monotony are five sub-category menus that may be rotated through as a shortcut to moving through the entire list. These category menus won’t display all the options within their specific submenu, and users must memorize or scan haphazardly in an attempt to locate appropriate options.
The category menus for the DCR-DVD405 are camera set, pict. appli., media set, standard set and time/langu. Listed within these menus are the following control options: program AE, spot meter, exposure, white balance, auto shutter, spot focus, focus, Super NS, NS light, Color Slow Sync, self-timer, digital zoom, SteadyShot, fader, digital effect, picture effect, demo mode, format, finalize, unfinalize, disc title, rec mode, micref level, surround monitor, LCD/VF set, TV type, remaining, remote control, record lamp, beep, display output, setup rotate, auto shut off, sub-t date, clock set, area set, dst set and language. Needless to say, with this many options it won’t be simple to quickly scan this behemoth of a menu, and those essential controls will need to be transferred to the P-menu structure for easier access.
One final note - the touch screen LCD has the added cost of battery life.
Zoom (8.0)
There are two zoom controls on the Sony DCR-DVD405. The primary zoom is on the top of the camcorder body, positioned for control with the index finger of the right hand. The second zoom control is to the left of the LCD, on the frame surrounding the screen. The zoom lever on the top of the camcorder body reacted quickly and efficiently and produced zoom speeds that were reactive to different pressure levels. The zoom lever itself is framed by raised bumpers at both the front and back so that accidental slipping and incorrect engagement is less likely when shooting. A small horizontal scale appears in the upper left corner of the LCD that displays the relationship of the current zoom level to wide angle and telephoto. This scale could be greatly improved if it were labeled with actual measurements of distance; as it is, it’s undersized and vague.
The only major concern regarding the zoom toggle wasn’t its performance, but rather its placement near the in-camera microphones (or rather, the placement of the microphones near the toggle). When using the zoom lever, we noted that when it is quickly released the sound is picked up and recorded.
The push button zoom control on the frame of the LCD screen provides a fixed zoom rate. This isn’t a huge detractor since the inclusion of a secondary zoom control is a bit of an anomaly, though it additional controls certainly don't hurt. The placement of the zoom on the frame of the LCD lets users can control this feature from a variety of shooting positions that generally limit access to the primary zoom control on the top of the camcorder.
Zoom Power/Ratio (10.0)
Like the DCR-DVD505, the Sony DCR-DVD405 has an optical zoom level of 10x. The DVD405 has a SteadyShot stabilization system for electronic image stabilization, which will help with camcorder shake although not as successfully as optical image stabilization systems will. You may notice that the optical zoom for this 1/3" CCD is smaller than 1/6" camcorders like the Sony DCR-DVD105, which sports a 20x optical zoom lens. This increase in CCD size comes at the price of ultra-zoom ranges. However, considering the marked increase in video quality when shooting with a 1/3 inch chip, a decrease in zoom range is a negligible trade off. The 10x optical zoom lens of the Sony DCR-DVD405 will perform successfully in most if not all situations and will not suffer from the camera shake of ultra zoom camcorders. But even with a lower zoom level of 10x, the use of a tripod is still recommended if possible when shooting.
The camcorder also provides a digital zoom system with a maximum zoom of 120x. However, image quality degrades the further a user approaches the end of a digital zoom range. An image with 15x digital zoom applied will have a vastly lower image quality when compared to an image which only engaged optical zoom. Digital zoom can be either used to its full 120x capabilities or capped at 20x for a far more legible (although still compromised) image.
A small zoom scale is displayed in the upper left corner of the LCD screen when the zoom lever is activated. This sliding scale will split into two halves when digital zoom is turned on, and users must press the zoom lever again when transitioning between optical and digital zoom. This is advantageous for automatically-oriented users who are concerned about accidentally entering the range when shooting, though it will unfortunately show up as a slight stutter on the footage.
Focus (4.0)
Sony does provide manual control over focus on the DVD405, but using this manual focus is only advisable when the auto focus is straining and no other option exists.
Manual focus is entered by selecting the Focus submenu on the second page of the P-menu. The user can press the mountain range or the portrait bust icons on the LCD screen to alter manual focus levels to adjust far or near, respectively. The focal depth for the camcorder is displayed in the center of the screen so that users can monitor changes in depth as the changes are being executed.
One of the downsides to using a touch screen interface for focal control is that during adjustment, the left hand will obscure part if not all of the LCD. Also, the LCD has a total pixel count of 123,000 pixels, and with a screen measuring 2.7 inches, the resolution isn’t going to be high enough to produce images that can be accurately gauged for focal depth. Adding to the drawbacks is the residue on the screen left behind by fingers; it will further mar the ability for users to properly adjust focal levels. The manual focus is definitely functional, but its drawbacks make using this feature less of a feasible possibility.
The camcorder also includes a spot focus that requires an immense amount of tapping and cajoling to work in anything but the most basic of scene situations. If shooting with one or two focal depths, the spot focus can perform accurately. However, when forced to contend with multi-depth/multi-subject scenes, the spot focus wasn’t sensitive enough to react to subjects in close proximity or at slightly varied depths, even when using a pencil as a stylus.
Exposure (Aperture) (4.0)
Exposure on the Sony DCR-DVD405 can be manually controlled by pressing the P-menu button in the lower right corner of the LCD screen. Once this menu is open, the exposure button can be selected to display the full submenu with settings of auto and manual. When the manual exposure option is selected, the forthcoming horizontal exposure scale can be altered by pressing the + and – controls on the LCD screen. This screen provides a live view that allows instant visual confirmation of changes.
Shutter Speed (0.0)
The shutter speed for the Sony DCR-DVD405 is not manually controllable, which isn’t really a shock considering that aperture and gain are also fully automatic. The automatic shutter speed range for the DCR-DVD405 is 1/4 to 1/4000th of a second, which will enable the DVD405 to perform well in strong lighting but handicap it in lower light. No consumer Sony camcorders have manual shutter speed, but we won't stop saying that they should.
White Balance (7.5)
White balance is one of the few controls on the Sony DCR-DVD405 that is genuinely, fully controllable. Unfortunately, Sony placed this manual control outside of the easily accessible P-menu. Instead, users must press the P-menu setting, followed by the setup button, which opens the entire administrative menu, which can then be scanned for the camera set submenu, that must then be opened and scanned for the white balance menu. Needless to say this is not simple. The likelihood that a point-and-shooter is going to successfully navigate this overwhelming labyrinth is about as likely as David Bowie showing up to your birthday to sing “Dance Magic Dance”.
It is highly recommended that users take advantage of the ability to rebuild the P-menu structure to include this definitely useful control. Why Sony excludes the white balance from the P-menu (while choosing to include settings for digital faders) is beyond this reviewer. White balance settings within the submenu include preset modes of outdoor and indoor in addition to full auto and one-push (manual) white balance. The white balance submenu is displayed as a set of semi-transparent buttons on top of a live view screen, so that at least is a helpful aspect of it.
Gain (0.0)
It should come as no surprise to those readers familiar with Sony camcorders that the DVD405 does not come with manual control over gain. That said, MiniDV camcorders throughout the Panasonic consumer line, down to their lowest priced PV-GS29 at a $299 MSRP, do. Although it’s not a huge loss for the dedicated point-and-shoot user, those looking for manual controls now or in the future will want something more.
Other Manual Control (0.0)
There are no other manual controls included with the Sony DCR-DVD405.
|
Advertisement
|