Sony Handycam DCR-SX41 (silver)

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The Handycam DCR-SX41 is Sony’s flash-memory-based standard-definition video recorder. Its major features are its little size, 8GB of built-in memory backed by a Memory Stick slot for enlargement, and a 60x megazoom lens. as with many video recorders in its class, the video results are mediocre–especially if you are watching them full screen on an enormous HDTV or have got used to the detail of Hi-D content.

If you are not deeply involved with video quality and need a keenly priced mpeg recorder that is simple to use, will let you see folks and things near and far, and can slot in a coat pocket, this Sony is worth checking out.

Key specs Sony Handycam DCR-SX41
Price (MSRP) $299.99
Dimensions (WHD) 2×2.4×1.3 inches
Weight (with battery and media) 10 ounces
Storage capacity, type 8GB, flash memory; Memory Stick Pro Duo
Resolution, sensor size, type 680K pixels (410K pixels (16:9), 340K pixels (4:3) effective), 1/8-inch CCD
LCD size, resolution 2.7-inch LCD, 123K pixels (touch screen)
Lens (zoom, aperture, focal length) 60x, f1.8-6.0, 39-2,340mm (16:9), 44-2,640mm (4:3) (35mm equivalent)
Minimum illumination 6 lux
File format (video, audio) MPEG-2 (.MPG), Dolby Digital 2-ch stereo
Resolution (video/photo) 720×480/640×480
Recording time at highest quality 2 hours
Image stabilization type Optical
Inputs/Outputs None/Mini-USB, AV terminal
Battery type, rated life Lithium ion rechargeable, 50 minutes

Available in blue, silver, or red versions, the SX41 is a lovable tiny video recorder. Its physical controls are textbook video recorder design with a start / stop button at the rear and easy-to-control zoom rocker up top in front of a shutter release for photos in Photograph mode. Off to the left of that’s a Mode button for swapping between shooting movies or stills. The entire package is approximately the scale of soda can. The hand strap is cosy if a little low. Just to the right of where the strap connects at the rear of the body is a flip-down door hiding an exclusive AV jack and DC input for power. Its battery juts from its back ; below it’s the Memory Stick Pro Couple card slot and power input. An revealed Mini-USB port and covered Memory Stick Pro Couple card slot are also in the hole. The rest of the controls depend on the touchscreen menu system, which is good for folks who don’t make a large amount of changes. Put simply, it’s reactive, but can get rather puzzling for those unfamiliar with Sony’s Menu and Home buttons.

Menu gives you access to context-sensitive shooting options while Home gets you access to the rest. The main issue with this is recalling what functions rest where.

the MPEG-2 files made by the SX41 don’t play well with Macs.

Also, Sony’s Picture Motion Browser software that’s included with the mpeg recorder is Windows only.

Apple’s iMovie ‘09 supports the files, but you may also convert them to a Mac-friendly format employing a free application called MPEG Streamclip for Mac.

Features Sony Handycam DCR-SX41
White balance Auto, Outdoor, Indoor, Manual
Scene modes Auto, Twilight, Candle, Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks, Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Sports, Beach, Snow
Focus Auto, Manual, Spot AF, Tele Macro
Color effects None
Lens cover (auto or manual) Manual
Accessory shoe No
Video light/Flash No/No

This video recorder was designed for trouble-free recording and as such has not got a lot of additional shooting options.

a major percentage of my field testing was done with the SX41 set to automobile for white balance, scene selection, and focus and it performed satisfactorily.

There are far more scene options if you selected to get specific and the same applies for white balance. Also, should you would like to be more hands-on with focus and exposure, you can control both by touching the spot onscreen you’d like the video recorder to draw its info from. What you can not do is control the zoom or recording with the screen, making it tougher to operate if the camcorder is mounted on a tripod or you are shooting overhand. It has an instant-on option that gets the mpeg recorder up and prepared to record awfully fast just by opening the LCD ( not an odd feature, but nice nevertheless ). The autofocus is reactive ; when it is zoomed out, it hunts to focus–particularly in low-light conditions ( also not odd ). Extended life batteries are available, including one that, according to its manufacturer, has a life of at least thirteen hours of continual shooting. Overall, its video quality is very soft ; the one time a rather pointy picture was obtained was in Tele Macro mode. Clips also display quite a lot of noise and digital artifacts till you scale down to YouTube-size dimensions.

Though low-light video had its share of noise, the results were basically decent. Finally , while the video recorder takes still shots, you will probably improve pictures out of a camera telephone.

It is correct that you can get much better video from an HD mpeg recorder that costs $200-$300 more.

Standard-definition video is less demanding to play and edit on a mean desktop or portable and SD video recorders are less costly. With the Sony Handycam DCR-SX41 you are trading off video quality for a tiny, light body, a touchscreen LCD, and a 60x zoom lens.

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