Sony HDR-CX405

Advantages: Inexpensive, with sunlight, it shoots beautifully! 30x zoom.50 frames per second. Excellent quality Xavc S 50p. decent optical stabilization. By the way, if you upload videos on YouTube in this format, the quality is practically not lost. Here is a video in this format https://youtu.be/pvLP39qmkTw

Disadvantages: Weak shooting in low light. Twilight, night. Indoors with medium lighting shoots for four. Here is a night shooting https://www.youtube.com/embed/IxatllgTj20&t=21s

Comment: For 16 thousand, there is no better option. I’m filming children’s videos, matinees and more. YouTube recording is ideal if you shoot in xavc S 50p. Check out the video review.

Advantages: Compared with other camcorders for 16 thousand in this picture is brighter (like all Sony).
+ good autofocus for macro shooting
+ there is an image stabilizer
+ good microphone
+ Video camera is very light, the hand is not tense at all and does not get tired
+ there is a HDMI output (can be easily connected to the TV)
+ zoom works fine
+ good screen + joystick (others didn’t like the touchscreen)
+ Turns on quickly (just need to open)

Disadvantages: - the battery lasts for 1.5 hours (you can buy additional batteries)
- photo quality is average
- in the dark there is grain

Comment: It copes with all the tasks, a good family video camera.

Advantages: They gave me a camera for my birthday, I liked it from the very beginning! Very simple control: switch on and take off, while the image quality is excellent! No need to wrestle and climb the menu settings. It shoots indoors, outdoors, in the sun and in the shade.

Nature photography is especially impressive, you can watch Sony HDR-CX405 video review on YouTube, you can make stunning shots with a single click:

https://youtu.be/5t-UywB30ok

Advantages specifically:

* Fine optical 30x zoom, even at 60x zoom the picture is acceptable.
* The internal stabilizer is stable, the image does not tremble when shooting with hands.
* A clear picture when macro, for maximum magnification, you will need a tripod.
* Minimum weight! Feels like it weighs almost nothing! This is important when you have to carry a camera in your hands all day.
* Useful built-in USB cable. Never lose a connection to any device.
* Two hours of high quality shooting on the built-in battery. For a camera weighing 200 grams - it's super!
* Optical swivel display: conveniently shoot selfie video! Suitable for combination shooting for Youtube and other social networks.
* Autofocus at a decent level, copes in 8 cases out of 10. In other cases, corrected manually.
* Slow motion and still images give good pictures.
* 1920 × 1080 mode suitable for computer, TV, social networks.
* You do not need to be a guru to edit a video, as specific post-processing is not required.

In general: an inexpensive, easy, simple camera with a good quality picture, from which spectacular videos are quickly mounted. For this price, the camera works perfectly.

Disadvantages: There are no critical flaws, there are features to which you need to get used to:

* You need to get used to the control of the joystick. File operations are best done on the computer.
* It will take some experience to quickly use the manual settings of the focal length, etc.
* This camera without built-in wifi and touch screen. To whom
it even seems worthy, because in real life through a video camera on the Internet do not go.
* Under Macintosh, iMovie needed a converter to import mp4 / H264. Find easy.
* By default, writes two copies of files in different folders on the memory card, this option can be disabled. Although it is sometimes convenient for quick viewing.
* Carefully insert the memory card into the slot; if it is, it will not be read.
* There are no frills.

In general: to brag to your friends heaped menu items and all sorts of cool things will not work. Instead, there will be excellent video and spectacular shots.

Comment: I am pleased with the gift!

Advantages: Loved the stabilizer. You can really with a 30-fold approximation to remove from the hands not twitching picture.

Disadvantages: - It is impossible to shoot when powered from the network.
- Noticeable graininess when shooting indoors, even with normal lighting.
- No webcam mode.

Comment: I share experience:
- I, as a novice, had difficulty in understanding video recording formats. XAVC S HD - an attempt to get closer to higher resolution cameras, unjustifiably eats a lot of memory. If you want maximum clarity and quality, the best option is to choose a frame rate of 50p (50 full frames per second), the frame size and compression ratio is not selected - it is the only one. The remaining options to save space: the frame rate is 50i (this is 50 half frames per second, that is, interlace mode) and options in the Recording Mode menu.
- Indoors automatic white balance is bad - you need to put your hands on a sheet of white paper.
- Actively use the menu "Scene Selection". In the mode of a simple automaton, an unsatisfactory result can be obtained.
- The rest of the manual parameters I was advised not to use, arguing that to achieve better quality will not work.

Advantages: - Large screen
- Good sound and speech quality
- Excellent stabilization when recording with hands
- The body is assembled quite monolith
- Record video in low light
- very light
- USB cable built into the handle

Disadvantages: - Keys are inconvenient
- When connected to a computer, you can only copy information
- Bad viewing angles at the screen
- Inconvenient control with joystick

Comment: The best camera in its price range. Compact and lightweight, with good sound recording quality in noisy places and video in low light conditions. Watch my video review: https://youtu.be/4z9VH_cXB5Y

Advantages: + small, pocket
+ excellent x30 zoom (smooth, large) with excellent Macro
+ excellent optical stabilizer
+ continuous battery life 2 hours
+ good sound recording
+ cheapest (can be found for 14-15 tr.)
+ fast, simple and easy to manage.
+ excellent white balance, autofocus
+ and others

Disadvantages: - noise (graininess) in dark conditions (accept, because a small matrix)
- relieves a little, especially in the dark (it is treated in the editor)
- inconvenient menu (get used to)
- not a touch screen (for 2.7 "this is even a plus)
- other minuses disappear due to the budget of the camera

Comment: I bought because My excellent Sony camera in many respects for video nex 5T did not suit me as follows (typical of most cameras): after 20 minutes it turned off by overheating or after 30 minutes by default; did not have a video stabilizer; small zoom x3; not convenient for video mode (because it is not sharpened for it) by ergonomics.

Panasonic's competitor Panasonic HC V270EE did not fit, since (subtracted) sound recording is noticeably worse, and in films this is also the main parameter and critical for me (I remove granddaughters, children's holidays).

I recommend to all beginners. They write that the video from Sony became lousy (they reduced the matrix to 1 / 5.8 "), but with my experience video (I take pictures with cameras for 7 years, I make films in the editor) I think that it still remains worthy and suits me.
For shooting in XAVC S 50 MB / s (while not being highly demanded) you need a micro SDXC card, it’s better to shoot in PS 50p 28 MB / s.

Advantages: - small, light. Sometimes I wear it in my inner jacket pocket and I don’t feel it.
- Charging for 2 hours is enough, I could not check it yet, but I believe in it with pleasure, because I drive it for 2 days, and there were 4 charging divisions, and it remained
- I cannot assess the quality of the video objectively yet (this is my first camera), but it seems to be the norm
- if you suddenly need a spare battery, then 700-1300r
- ZOOM and stabilization
- quickly starts

Disadvantages: - Reduced the price of the CX405 on all sides: mechanical lens flap, non-touch screen, additional functions at minimum, at a cost of 15050 rubles ROSTEST and 13850 rubles EUROTEST (prices are 11/19/15)
- How many did not climb on the settings, and did not find how to make it so that it would shoot with the screen closed. The screen is closed, the camera is turned off. Very sorry.
- You will most likely have to buy a BD cutter for storing video on blanks, and this is + 5K

Comment: Took ROSTEST, t. To. There is no Russian language in EURO, the charging curve for which an adapter is needed and, most importantly, a 1 year warranty, instead of 2 at ROSTEST.
In general, the camera is satisfied. I was looking for a cheap option with a tolerable video, optical stabilizer and inexpensive accessories.