Sony DCRSR40 Hard Drive Camcorder
I purchased a Sony DCRSR40 in January 2007 to replace my previous camcorder, also a Sony DCRSR40. Do not fear, it didn't break, it was stolen out of my car!
I have been phenomenally impressed with the quality, durability, and abilities of the little machine. Lightweight, sturdy, and dependable, this camera has become an instant point of envy at family outings, get-togethers, and any event where I see reason to film.
The DCRS40 boasts a generous storage capacity (30gb) which is capable of storing your videos and photos directly, rather than being forced to use discs or memory cards. After you record, you dock the camera to your computer, upload the videos for editing, or you can burn all of your footage directly to a DVD with a single button present on the camera dock.
The camera has both a video and photo mode. Both operate on a 640x480 pixels aspect ratio, a respectable quality for a home video camera. Enthusiasts looking for a higher quality image for professional videos may consider Sony's DCRSR60, or DCRSR80, which boast higher megapixel capabilities.
One of the most noticeable and most user-friendly features of the camera is the LCD touchscreen. The viewscreen for previewing, and reviewing your film, is also your menu and navigation window. From your touchscreen you are able to access your recorded files on the hard drive to review or delete, adjust modes for effects like sepia and pixelate, and adjust all the settings within your camera.
My personal experiences with the camcorder's durability have also been impressive. I will admit to having accidentally dropped the camera on both a carpeted floor and to a paved parking lot from a height of three to four feet. My experiences with other cameras told me that if you drop it, or even bump it against something, the lense is likely to break loose and become impossible to focus. In both instances, the Sony DCRSR40 turned on and performed perfectly, every feature and ability perfectly in tact, all of my files perfectly safe on the camera's hard drive.
There are a few more features that make this camera a desireable buy. Included on the camera's exterior are nightshot-mode and backlighting buttons available for quick, on the fly ability to adjust lighting properties, or see in a perfect dark.
The Sony DCRSR40 is an excellent hard drive camcorder, containing all the features and dependability to satisfy even the most fickle of enthusiasts, and most can be found at a price well worth the technology it contains. That being the primary reason I chose to replace my stolen camera with the exact same model.
One final useful trick I've found concerning this camera: I recall a time in which I needed to transport a large file from one computer to another. The file was well above seven gigabytes and I, without a 7 gigabyte jump drive or burnable DVD, found myself in desperate need of an external hard drive. A light came on and I realized that I had one! I quickly pulled out my camera and plugged it into the first computer, I placed the large file on the camcorder hard drive in a separate folder I created, unplugged the camera from the first computer and into the second, and took the file back out! Following that I removed the large file from my camera and took the liberty of a clever chuckle. Who would have thought that a digital video camera could be so useful?
The Sony DCRSR40 is an excellent camera and great buy, I would recommend it to anyone browsing the camera market.Read full review
