Sony Handycam DCR-DVD305 review

It does better on exposure and white balance, but you have to hit the Backlight button to compensate for backlit subjects; these days, most cameras and camcorders are intelligent enough to recognize and adjust for it automatically. And though it was fairly speedy, the autofocus system had an occasional but annoying propensity to lock on anything but the subject.

On the subject of annoyances, there's the 2.7-inch touch-screen LCD, which is too small for negotiating the menus; the plastic DVD drive cover, which always feels loose; and the weak battery, which seems to last between 20 and 30 minutes. The DVD305 allows you to finalize discs while on battery power, but given its short life, you probably should save that for video emergencies.

Unless this model has some unique, crucial feature that you can't live without--and I can't imagine what that might be--you're better off with almost any other more highly rated model than the Handycam DCR-DVD305.