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Sony Handycam DCR-HC40 Mini DV Camcorder

User Rating:

(16 reviews)

Price Range: $394 to $587

Bizrate User Review.

color of pictures not the same as in other sony prodts

by Online Shopper , Apr. 9, 2005

Comments:
I do not knows if the fault is in my equipment, or if this is normal. The picture quality, mainly the color has been very bad. especially, if i compare it to my other cameras. I had a sony hi 8 camcorder before and loved the color, but this one is so du

QuickTake:

Pros: very compact

Cons: picture color is not good.

Recommended: No

Has Owned Product: 12 months

Bizrate User Review.

great if you can overcome some design flaws

by gin2000 , Jan. 6, 2005

Comments:
i found several 'flaws' in the design: 1) the 'fader' option has to be manually set each time you record on/off. my previous camcorder (non-sony) had a 'random fader' option and for each set of recordings, each scene was separated by this 'fader' opt

QuickTake:

Pros: small, lightweight

Cons: design flaws

Recommended: No

Has Owned Product: 4 weeks

Bizrate User Review.

loud motor noise appears after 2 months

by John , Oct. 23, 2004

Comments:
Comments: I bought DCRHC40 because of the compact size and because it was a SONY product. But, the loud motor noise came after 2 months I used it. This noise can be recorded in the tape. This is absolutely either a defect product or a poor part inside

QuickTake:

Pros: compact

Cons: big motor noise

Recommended: No

Has Owned Product: 2 months

Bizrate User Review.

One flaw ruins the whole thing

by BLIM , Oct. 2, 2004

Comments:
I researched a lot of cameras and decided on this one due to a lot of good factors; however, when I got it home I noticed a buzzing noise, like a mosquito or bee coming from it when a tape is in and it is on, standby or recording. Like another reviewer s

QuickTake:

Pros: resolution, quality of picture, compact size

Cons: BUZZING NOISE!

Recommended: No

Has Owned Product: 2 days

Bizrate User Review.

Exceeded my expectations by far.

by trhtk , Jul. 5, 2004

Comments:
The camera have Exceeded my expectations by far. Its Small, Easy to use, gives very good image quality and sufficient Still image capability for emails and web. (Could use a larger memory stick...;0). I have purchased an additional UV lens for physical

QuickTake:

Pros: Its Small, Easy to use with very good image quallity.

Cons: would have liked a better zoom capability.

Recommended: Yes

Has Owned Product: 2 months

Bizrate User Review.

Comes with motor noise which gets recorded on tape

by hnn1 , Jun. 24, 2004

Comments:
I bought DCRHC40 because of the compact size and because it was a SONY product. But, I hate to say that the whole HC series of camcorders come with a motor noise when you put a tape in it, which gets recorded on tape also. You can hear the noise even when

QuickTake:

Pros: compact

Cons: motor noise gets recorded on tape

Recommended: No

Has Owned Product: 3 weeks

camcorderinfo.com Professional Review.

Sony DCR-HC40 Camcorder Review

by Mark Bassett

Comments:
Among the slew of new camcorders released by Sony at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show, was the top of the HC-line, the DCR-HC40. 2004 was the year of reductions in camcorders. A reduction in overall body size, the DCR-HC40 has cut its girth by 25 percen

Read full review at camcorderinfo.com

alaTest.com Professional Review.

Review summary of Sony DCR-HC40

by alaTest

Comments:
alaTest has collected and analysed 311 reviews of Sony DCR-HC40 from international magazines and websites.

Review Verdict: Experts rate this product 73/100 and users 74/100. Comparing these reviews to 82288 other Camcorders reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 83/100 = Very Good.

Read full review at alaTest.com

cnet.com Professional Review.

Sony Handycam DCR-HC40

by Denny Atkin

Comments:

Review Verdict: The DCR-HC40's touch screen can be inconvenient to use, but this affordable compact camcorder's footage in automatic mode isn't likely to need many adjustments.

Read full review at cnet.com

QuickTake:

Pros: Compact and lightweight; solid video quality and low-light performance; accessory shoe; on-camera editing mode.

Cons: Sometimes awkward touch-screen controls; prone to recording popping noise from zoom toggle; bottom-loading tape; no wind filter for microphone; short battery life from included cell.

pcmag.com Professional Review.