Sony DCR-DVD405 Camcorder Review

by James Murray
Published on Mar 30, 2006 11:00 AM

 
Intro Performance
Format Tour
Auto / Manual Controls Still Features
Handling and Use Audio / Playback / Connectivity
Other Features
 Comparisons / Conclusion
Specs/Ratings


Widescreen/16:9 Mode (6.0)
Engaging the widescreen feature on the Sony DCR-DVD405 is a simple process which can be engaged by users of any skill level. The wide select button, located in the LCD cavity, allows the user to toggle back and forth between this camcorder’s 4:3 and 16:9 modes (though this camcorder doesn’t produce a true wide angle frame). Thankfully, engaging this camcorder’s alternate aspect ratio doesn’t necessitate menu navigation or dealing with the touch screen interface. And though the “16:9” mode does crop some image information, it will produce an image that neatly fills the expanse of a widescreen television.

Scan Rates/24P (0.0)
The Sony DCR-DVD405 has a standard fixed scan rate of 29.97 frames per second.

Other Features (4.5)
Active Interface Shoe – The Active Interface shoe is a hot shoe that has the unfortunate restriction of being a proprietary shoe that only accepts Sony brand accessories for lighting and audio. For more information on compatible microphones, see the ‘Audio’ section.

Color Slow Shutter – The Color Slow Shutter setting is located within the P-menu on the third page, and allows users to shoot with higher color saturation levels when in lower light situations through an automatic slowing of the shutter speed during shooting. Note that when shooting in low light, the Sony DCR-DVD405 struggled with maintaining focus when shooting in AF mode, and more advanced users may wish to use the manual focus option to overcome this poor performance.

Electronic Image Stabilization –Sony has outfitted this camcorder with an electronic image stabilization system that will compensate for camcorder shake when shooting. While certainly better than nothing, it is not as good as Panasonic’s famous optical image stabilization system.

Battery Info – To access the battery info screen, the power switch on the DVD405 must be set to off. The user can then press the Battery Info/Display button in the LCD cavity, which will momentarily turn the LCD screen on and display the recording time left when using either the LCD or the viewfinder. The user can also check if the camcorder is currently charging the battery.





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