Sony Handycam DCR-SR40 review

Performance
Overall, the SR40's performance was pleasing. Startup and autofocus were both very fast, the zoom controller responded well and switched speeds comfortably and we experienced little delay between pressing the record button and the start of video capture. Likewise, shutter lag during photo capture was minimal for a camcorder. Autofocus and autoexposure reacted well to shifts in zoom, lighting or scenery, though, as usual, response time for these dropped noticeably in lower light.

Sony's SteadyShot image stabilisation worked well, but couldn't quite keep up with this camcorder's 20x optical zoom range. We found that it was effective to as much as about three-quarters of the zoom range. If you plan to shoot extreme close-ups, or long shots, you'll probably want to set up a tripod, unless you like that herky-jerky Blair Witch Project look.

Sony rates the DCR-SR40's battery life at 125 minutes for continuous recording, though you should expect slightly more than half of that during normal use. It's probably a good idea to get a spare battery if you plan to shoot for any serious length of time, or before you take this camcorder on holiday. Like most other Sony camcorders, the SR40 displays remaining battery power in estimated minutes remaining, which is more useful and convenient than the broken bar chart approach employed by some manufacturers.

Image quality
Despite its smallish CCD and an effective pixel count of 340,000, we were impressed with the image quality of the DCR-SR40. While obviously not as sharp as the footage you'd get from a camcorder with more pixels, such as Sony's own DCR-SR80 or DCR-SR100 models, the SR40's footage still yielded an admirable amount of detail with few compression artefacts and well-saturated colours. Colours were a touch cool when shooting outdoors and slightly warm indoors, but not as bad as those of some other camcorders we've seen. As we mentioned in our review of the DCR-SR100, Sony seems to be doing a better job with MPEG-2 footage than JVC does, except for JVC's three-chip Everio GZ-MG505.

Still-photo enthusiasts who want to make 100x150mm (4x6-inch) prints will want to steer clear of the DCR-SR40 or supplement it with a dedicated digital still camera. When printed at 100x150mm, still images from the SR40 were rather blurry, with jaggy edges on curved lines and bland, though fairly accurate colours.

Overall, Sony's Handycam DCR-SR40 is a decent choice for an entry-level hard-drive-based camcorder. Tweakers and still-image buffs will probably want to move up the line, but casual shooters, such as those who just want to document birthday parties and the occasional holiday, should enjoy the convenience and conservation of leaving the tapes and mini-DVDs in the store.

Edited by Jim Hoffman
Additional editing by Kate Macefield