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Sony Handycam DCR-DVD405 comparison

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Product name	Sony Handycam DCR-DVD405	Canon Vixia HF200	Canon DC40	Sony Handycam DCR-DVD505	Sony Handycam HDR-CX100 (black)
Price	$866.40	$549.00 to $769.95	$397.68	$699.99	$368.00 to $599.00
CNET editors' rating	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.1 (3.5 stars)	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
Average user rating	4.0 stars	3.5 stars	3.5 stars	3.5 stars	2.5 stars
Release date	January 19, 2006	April 01, 2009	March 30, 2006	January 19, 2006	March 15, 2009
The Bottom Line	The Sony Handycam DCR-DVD405 is a solid DVD camcorder, as long as you don't mind fiddling with a touch-screen interface on a too-small display.	While it's more expensive than its sub-$600 competitors, the Canon Vixia HF20 and Vixia HF200 deliver a more extensive feature set for the extra money. The HF200, which lacks internal memory, is probably a better buy than the HF20, though the HF20's all-black body is a bit classier looking.	The Canon DC40 definitely deserves a spot on your short list of DVD camcorders.	Full-featured but somewhat bulky, the Sony Handycam DCR-DVD505 DVD camcorder matches its MiniDV competitors in most areas, while offering the convenience of direct-to-disc recording.	You can tell where Sony cut corners on this compact, flash-based HD camcorder. While it's decent, there are better options for the money than the Sony Handycam HDR-CX100.
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Lens aperture	F/1.8-2.9	F/1.8-3.2	F/1.8-3.0	F/1.8-2.9	F/1.8-2.2
Flash type	Built-in	Built-in flash	Built-in flash	Built-in flash	Info unavailable
Media type	DVD-R (8cm) DVD+RW (8cm) DVD-RW (8 cm)	Flash card	DVD-R (8cm) DVD-RW (8 cm)	DVD-R (8cm) DVD+RW (8cm) DVD-RW (8 cm)	Flash card
Optical zoom	10 x	15 x	10 x	10 x	10 x
Optical sensor type	Advanced HAD CCD	CMOS	CCD	CMOS	ClearVid CMOS
Video input type	Camcorder	Camcorder	Camcorder	Camcorder	Camcorder
Digital zoom	120 x	300 x	200 x	120 x	120 x
Battery technology	Lithium ion	Lithium ion	Info unavailable	Lithium ion	Info unavailable
Battery included qty	1	1	Info unavailable	1	Info unavailable
Min illumination	0 lux	0.4 lux	0.6 lux	0 lux	Info unavailable
Weight	1.3 lbs	12 oz	16.9 oz	1.1 lbs	Info unavailable
Image stabilizer	Electronic (Super Steady Shot)	Optical (SuperRange)	Electronic	Electronic (Super Steady Shot)	Optical (Steady Shot)
Optical sensor size	1/3"	1/4"	1/2.8"	1/3"	1/5"
Effective sensor resolution	2.05 megapixels	2.99 megapixels	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Service & support type	1 year warranty	1 year warranty	1 year limited warranty	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Manual focus	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic
Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications
Buying choices	Amazon.com Marketplace $866.40 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store	Newegg.com $549.99 In stock: Yes Amazon.com $549.00 In stock: Yes Buydig.com $549.00 In stock: Yes Prices from 16 CNET Certified stores	Amazon.com Marketplace $397.68 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store	Amazon.com Marketplace $699.99 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store	J&R Music and Computer World $429.00 In stock: Yes Amazon.com $499.99 In stock: Yes Willoughbys Est.1898 $499.00 In stock: Yes Prices from 10 authorized stores
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