Performance

 The DCR-SR40’s performance is mediocre, but in the ballpark of the other entry-level camcorders. The colors are strong and saturated, but there is slightly less emphasis on the blue end of the spectrum than we’ve found in most consumer camcorders. Overall, the SR40 produced an image that was slightly less blue than the DVD105 and its sibling, the SR80. Unfortunately, the bluish noise issues that plagued those camcorders also affect the SR40, though to a slightly lesser degree. The three Sonys also employ a significant degree of in-camera sharpening and contrast enhancement, which are built into many consumer camcorders to produce an image that manufacturers believe is more appealing to consumers. The operating assumption behind this kind of video processing is that what a consumer perceives in the image on their screen is more important than how clean an image actually is. The effects of over-sharpening and contrast boost are present in all three of these Sonys, and are easily visible when the images are studied closely. The boundaries between colored boxes are blotchy, noisy, and muddy, especially in the DCR-SR40 and DCR-DVD105 which both struggle against the limitations of their 340K effective pixel CCDs. The DCR-SR80 fares a little better given its superior resolution, but the same processing aimed at producing video that looks better on a TV is present.  The GZ-MG37 shares many specs with the SR40, and is second from the bottom in JVC’s Everio HDD camcorder line. Just as the GZ-MG77 produced brighter colors when we compared it to the SR80, the MG37 proved brighter than the SR40. It also suffered from noise, but it took on a finer grain than the blotchy noise that characterized the Sony. Colors were rendered with more subtlety, and contrast was less intense across the board with lesser delineation color squares in the yellow and green areas of the chart. The JVC’s handling of greys scale was relatively imbalanced, and its reds registered much higher than greens and blues. The Sony’s greys were darker, but very balanced, without notable differences in the intensity of reds, greens or blues. This speaks either to better white balancing, or more accurate color processing on the part of the Sony. We have included the Panasonic SDR-S150 because it’s also a simple and very compact camcorder that records MPEG2 video, though it retails for a relatively astronomical $999 MSRP, nearly double the cost of the Sony DCR-SR40, and records video to removable SD and SDHC cards. It also has an advantage as a 3-CCD camcorder, employing three 1/6" sensors with one each for red, green and blue. In keeping with its higher price point, and 3-CCD array, it scored higher in terms of video performance and resolution than the others we discuss here, with the DCR-SR80 coming in a close second. Noise levels were low, and the Panasonic managed to handle transitions between colors with an impressive degree of refinement, though it gave slightly more emphasis to greens and reds throughout the colored areas than the Sony. Greyscale was rendered very faithfully, with excellent balance across the spectrum.  {column='Video Performance' models='Sony DCR-SR40,Sony DCR-SR80,Sony DCR-DVD105, JVC GZ-MG37,Panasonic SDR-S150'} **Video Resolution *(11.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 was tested for its video resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running stills from that footage through Imatest imaging software. In 4:3 aspect ratio, the camcorder produced 343.3 lines of horizontal resolution and 321.9 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 110508.27. In 16:9 aspect ratio, the DCR-SR40 produced 294.1 lines of horizontal resolution and 209.5 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 61613.95. This resolution score relatively close to the Sony DCR-DVD105, Canon DC100 and JVC GZ-MG37, but it is much lower than the Sony DCR-SR80 and Panasonic SDR-S150. {column='Video Resolution' models='Sony DCR-SR40,Sony DCR-SR80,Sony DCR-DVD105, JVC GZ-MG37,Panasonic SDR-S150'}Low Light Performance***(3.0)*By a quick look at the specs, the Sony DCR-SR40 should not be expected to perform well in low light (we’ll save you the anticipation… it didn’t), due to the small 1/6" imager. This is the bare minimum size for an imager on a camcorder, and size is the key factor for determining low light performance – more chip space means more surface area to capture light.

 At 60 lux, the DCR-SR40 produced a very noisy image – fine grain noise piled on pretty heavily with some Sony-standard blue noise, though less than on many models. Colors dimmed, but its color performance overall was not too bad. That is to say, it didn’t look that good in bright light, and it didn’t get too much worse here. The noise was the real issues.  The Sony DCR-DVD105 produced essentially the same image. It was nominally brighter, but its noise and color performance were the same. The DCR-SR80, with a slightly larger imager, produced an arguably worse image. Yes, it was a little brighter, but the imaging system also managed to load on the blue noise that has plagued Sony camcorders for the last few years. It had less black, fine grain noise, however, which helped increase the fine detail.  The JVC GZ-MG37, with the auto gain control (AGC) on, was completely washed out. The color performance was abysmal, and noise levels were just as bad as the DCR-SR40. Even the Panasonic SDR-S150, which is a far better camcorder than any of these models in bright light and still performance, is no great low light performer. Noise levels are lower than any of the Sonys or the JVC, but the color performance at 60 lux dropped off considerably from 3000 lux – the reds and blues fell off the map. Clearly, good low light performers are few and far between.

 At 15 lux, the Sony DCR-SR40 produced an image that was nearly black and white, with so much grain that most fine detail was lost. This is not a usable image. The Sony DCR-DVD105 is identical. The Sony DCR-SR80 had marginally better color, but it was still an image that you would not want to use. The JVC GZ-MG37, with the AGC on, had even less color and was completely overrun with noise. Finally, the Panasonic SDR-S150 managed to hold on to a little color and did not have nearly as much noise as the other camcorders here. That said, this was not a great performance, either, just better.  Overall, the DCR-SR40 is not a low light performer.  {column='Low Light Performance' models='Sony DCR-SR40,Sony DCR-DVD105,Sony DCR-SR80, JVC GZ-MG37,Panasonic SDR-S150'}**Wide Angle*** (9.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 records video in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, and we tested it to determine the camcorder’s actual field of view. In 4:3 mode, the camcorder produced a 45 degree field of view, and in 16:9 mode the field of view measured an identical 45 degrees. The number of effective pixels is 340K pixels in 4:3 mode, and Sony does not specify the effective pixel count in 16:9 mode, but our resolution tests indicate a sharp drop in resolution when shooting widescreen video with the DCR-SR40. This evidence, combined with the 4:3 native CCD, indicates that DCR-SR40 uses an aggressive crop and zoom method to achieve a widescreen look.**

**

Format

Compression*(5.5)*The Sony DCR-SR40 records video using MPEG2 compression, and offers three video quality settings that correspond to different compression rates: HQ, SP, and LP. HQ records at the highest quality setting and has the highest data rate, and the lowest level of compression with a maximum bit rate of 9Mbps. SP has a maximum bit rate of 6Mbps, and LP has the lowest bit rate and highest compression, at 3Mbps. Like other camcorders using MPEG2 compression, this camcorder employs a variable bit rate (VBR) encoding method, meaning the SR40 modifies the bit rate slightly according to the complexity of the recorded image. A relatively simple static interview shot can be captured at a lower average bit rate than a scene containing lots of movement and action like a soccer game. VBR encoding will extend the recording time available to your HDD media when recording simple scenes without compromising video quality. Footage shot with the DCR-SR40 is appended with .MPG file extensions, and the files will be compatible with many consumer post-production applications. The JVC GZ-MG37 records MPEG2 footage video as .MOD files which many editing programs have trouble recognizing. .MOD file extensions can be manually changed to .MPG allowing the video to play, but this quick fix de-links audio tracks from the video track. There are workarounds available to Everio users, but the SR40 is easier to use out of the box, especially for novice videographers. **Media***(4.0)*The DCR-SR40 uses its non-removable 30GB HDD (hard disk drive) to store both video and still images, and there is no card slot on this entry-level model. The HDD is enclosed in the right side of the body where a DVD drive or tape compartment is found on removable-media camcorders. Several safety mechanisms have been implemented on the DCR-SR40 to protect the HDD from damage, which is not surprising given the fact that you’ll be utterly reliant on the smooth functioning of the HDD.  Drop Sensor is a feature that detects what the manual refers to as "non-gravity conditions," and instantly pauses recording to help retain the integrity of the data on the drive. The HDD is also protected by shock absorbers that should help to prevent damage from more modest bumps or vibrations. Despite the presence of these protections, buyers looking at this and other HDD camcorders should be aware that there is the potential for loss of a full 30GB of recorded data in the event of serious damage. Those risks simply aren’t as great with a DVD camcorder, since DVD data is durable enough to survive accidents like an unexpected dunking that would likely doom the SR40’s HDD.  In addition, the DCR-SR40 manual warns that the camcorder should not be used at elevations above 3000 meters (9800 feet) to prevent HDD damage. If you work or recreate above 3000 meters, this is a major drawback. And for the unlucky residents of Leadville, Colorado, (elevation 9927 feet) this camcorder isn’t even an option. At its highest quality setting, HQ mode, the HDD holds approximately 420 minutes (7 hours) of video; in SP mode, 600 minutes (10 hours); and in LP mode, 1200 minutes (20 hours).  On the whole, HDD has a lot to offer in terms of simplicity, but leaves just as much to be desired in other ways. A single, non-removable medium means that all of your precious video could be destroyed by one bad drop. The onus to transfer that data for safety and archiving purposes is on you.  **Editing***(4.0)*The DCR-SR40 and its HDD siblings includes a copy of Sony’s ImageMixer for Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder software, a rudimentary video editing program. This is an easy NLE (non-linear editor) to use, but it’s not a program designed for more than very basic video editing. The SR40 records video as MPEG2 files that can be edited using a number of third party NLEs (non-linear editors), including Ulead VideoStudio 7, or converted to a format compatible with higher-end NLE’s like Apple Final Cut Pro or Avid Xpress Pro. At this time, support for MPEG2 video footage among professional-level NLE’s is sparse, due in part to the fact that the flavor of MPEG2 used in consumer camcorders yields video quality below other formats considered broadcast-quality including DV and HDV. MPEG2 compression squeezes video down to a maximum data rate of 9Mbps versus 25Mbps for both the DV and HDV standards.**

**

Tour

The Front*(6.5)*The design of the DCR-SR40 is brutally simple, and the front of the camcorder is notably unadorned. The main feature on the front is a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 20x optical zoom lens with a filter diameter of 30 mm and a 2.3 to 46 mm focal length. The 35mm equivalents for the lens are a 48-960 mm focal length in 16:9 camera mode, a 44-440 mm focal length in 4:3 camera mode, and a 44-880 mm focal length in 4:3 memory mode. The lens aperture measures f1.8 to f3.1. The lens is seated in the large front-end of the lens barrel, which defines the squat shape of the camcorder.

 To the left of the lens is a black plastic cover that conceals the Super NightShot Plus Infrared System sensor. The sensor enables the camcorder to record an image illuminated with the onboard IR lamp, and must be unobstructed for this feature to work properly. A metal loop affixes to the camcorder at the lower left corner of the front, and secures the hand strap. Below the lens, the onboard stereo microphone is visible as perforations in the grey plastic of the body. **The Right Side*** (7.0)*The right side of the DCR-SR40 presents about as Spartan a façade as you’re likely to find on a camcorder. Unlike most consumer models that locate their removable media compartments here, the non-removable 30GB HDD of this unit remains out of sight because you’ll never need to access its hardware. The only feature of interest to users is the hand strap, which attaches to the lower corners of the front and back of the body, and runs along the length of the camcorder. Sony straps are very nicely padded and therefore, are quite comfortable in comparison to the thin straps that other makers use. This strap slopes down towards the front of the camcorder at about a 10 degree angle, which helps to orient the lens for hand-held shooting. 

 **The Back***(4.5)*The back of the Sony DCR-SR40 is unadorned, with only a few important controls and the battery slot. The Power/Mode dial is on top, and its design follows that of Sony’s other current Handycam camcorders. The dial has two fixed positions: off, rotated all the way counter-clockwise; and on, one click clockwise from off. With the camcorder powered on, nudging the dial further counter-clockwise allows you to toggle between camera, still photo, and playback modes. A small green button on top of the dial must be pressed to unlock it from the current setting. 

 To the left of the Power/Mode dial are three small LED indicator lamps that indicate whether the camcorder is in video, sill photo, or playback mode. A fourth lamp labelled "Access" is below the mode lamps, and illuminates when the HDD is actively in use. Below and to the left of the Power/Mode dial is the Record Start/Stop button. The button is marked with a red dot, and protrudes slightly from the body of the SR40 making it easy to find by touch. The battery slot occupies the bulk of the remaining space on the camcorder’s back end, below the dial and to the left of the Start/Stop button. The slot forms a deep indent in the body, and batteries can be slid into place from below. When the included NP-FP50 battery pack is inserted, it sits almost flush with the surface of the camcorder while an extended life battery would protrude further. The battery release switch is on the base of the camcorder at the edge of the battery slot. If you use a tripod, you will find this placement inconvenient because there’s no way to access the switch when the SR40 is affixed to a tripod head.  **The Left Side***(5.5)*The left side of the Sony DCR-SR40 is home to several external buttons, the onboard ports, and the LCD screen, which serves as the camcorder’s only display, and as its touch screen menu navigation interface. The screen on this camcorder is small by current standards measuring 2.5" with a resolution of 123K pixels and an aspect ratio of 4:3. The step-up SR60 and SR80 upgrade to a widescreen 2.7" display which offers a better means of monitoring 16:9 video as well as additional maneuvering room for operation of the touch screen display. The extra 0.2" should not be underestimated unless you possess tiny fingers or video gamer dexterity. It’s helpful when it comes to navigating Sony’s touch screen menu.

 Like most camcorder displays, this one jumps through the usual hoops, opening to 90 degrees from the body, rotating through 270 degrees, and even folding into the LCD cavity screen-side-out to offer multiple viewing angles. Three buttons on the outside edge of the LCD work as secondary camera controls, for Record Start/Stop and zoom control. The screen-side buttons can be very useful when operating the main controls on the camcorder’s top and back is difficult, such as when holding the camcorder at either a high or low angle. Unlike the main zoom toggle, the buttons are not pressure-sensitive and move the zoom at a medium-rate fixed speed only. The LCD cavity is home to a few buttons and features, including the Easy button – for one-touch engagement of Easy recording mode – at the lower right corner, and the Disp/Batt Info button. The Disp/Batt Info button cycles through LCD display options when the SR40 is in record mode, and displays detailed information about battery life and HDD space in standby mode. Above these buttons, an onboard speaker used to monitor sound in playback mode, is embedded in the body. The tiny reset button is at the lower left corner of the LCD cavity. Pressing this button with a paperclip or other sharp object returns the camcorder to factory settings. 

Below the LCD cavity, a rubber port cover protects the DCR-SR40’s two terminals, for DC-in at right, and AV at left. The lack of an onboard USB port is unfortunate because it means you’ll need to rely entirely on the Handycam docking station to transfer footage digitally to a PC for editing or backup. The SR60 and SR80 feature a USB terminal on both the station and the camcorder, and that omission on the SR40 reduces its versatility. The port cover itself adopts a common design, attached to the body by a thin plastic connector. As a means of protecting the terminals, it works, but the thin connector makes the cover vulnerable if it happens to snag on something as it dangles open.  To the left of the ports is an external Back Light button which engages BLC (back light compensation) during recording. **The Top***(5.0)*The top surface of the DCR-SR40 is home to a handful of essential controls but as you must assume by now – it's pretty bare. Near the back edge is the Photo button, nestled next to the Zoom lever. Sony’s zoom controls are very well engineered, and more refined in terms of feel than those on many other consumer camcorders. The SR40’s zoom controller is both sensitive and easy to use, due in part to a "rocking lever" design that Sony has implemented better than its competitors. Just right of center, about mid-way up the lens barrel is the NightShot Plus on/off switch used to enable and disable the camcorder’s night shooting mode. It is interesting to note that NightShot and Back Light are the only external controls that allow you to select recording modes on the DCR-SR40. Higher-end camcorders geared towards advanced users are often covered with external buttons and controls but on this entry-level camcorder, Sony has whittled the interface down to the bare necessities. Apparently Sony has concluded that BLC and NightShot Plus are the two features worthy of their own external controls, relegating all the others – from exposure to focus – to the touch screen menu.**

**

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control*Automatic Control**(9.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 makes it easy for you to operate in auto mode. In fact, that’s probably the preferable mode, as the manual controls are lacking. This camcorder, like most Sony camcorders, is blessed with good automatic responses, thankfully. Exposure, focus, white balance, and shutter speed, all shift rapidly to changing conditions. Their accuracy is generally good, but like the DCR-SR80, the SR40 had a hard time achieving the proper focus in extended zooms.  

The Easy button is located in the LCD cavity. * Like all Sonys, the DCR-SR40 offers a number of simple image-improvement features – not true manual controls, but they are one-touch controls that give the user some sense of enfranchisement. Two of the most popular include Spot Meter and Spot Focus. Both create a frame around the picture on the touch screen LCD. See a spot that you want in focus different from where the auto focus has placed it? Well, just touch that area of the screen and it shifts. Spot Meter works the same for shifting exposure. These controls work best for larger objects or generalized areas. Small details or multiple planes of focus can become difficult.   Scene Modes (sometimes called Program AE modes) are settings roughly tailored for certain shooting environments. They include Beach & Ski, Landscape, Portrait, Sports, Spotlight, and Sunset & Moon. Scene modes can be useful for beginners or when you don’t have time to make manual adjustments (or *cannot make adjustments, in the case of most Sonys).  *Overall Manual Control**(3.0)*This is not the camcorder for manual control enthusiasts. We may take that a step farther and say that this is not a great camcorder to learn on; if you plan on pursuing videography as an active hobby. The ideal camcorder for that would be one that offered the option for manual controls but would otherwise do an adequate job in auto mode. Quite to the contrary, Sony camcorders perform exceedingly well in auto mode but lack most of manual controls we consider vital: aperture, shutter speed, and a good manual focus control.  However, there are an assortment of simpler manual controls, including exposure, white balance, and a barebones manual focus control.  Let’s start with a tour of the menu. Sony, despite a lack of manual controls, makes excellent menus for their camcorders – clear and comprehensible with an intuitive structure. The menu is entered by pushing the onscreen P-menu button. This will take you to the top level of the menu: 16 large push buttons spread over three pages to provide fast access to the most popular options. These include exposure control, Spot Meter, Spot Focus, manual focus, and more. The P-Menu can be customized to add or delete buttons for any function of the camcorder, and in this sense, it can become extremely useful for on-the-go shooting.  Pushing the very first button, Setup, brings you one level deeper in the extended menu. Here you’ll find five categories: Camera Set, Picture Applications, HDD Set, Standard Set, and Time/Language. The buttons get smaller here than they do in the P-Menu, and pushing the wrong button is more likely. This is hardly helped by the small, 2.5" LCD screen, smaller than any other Sony HDD camcorder.  The Camera Set sub-menu contains all manual controls not contained in the default setup of the P-Menu, which includes auto shutter on/off (when "off" the shutter locks at 1/60th), NightShot and Super NightShot, digital zoom on/off, widescreen on/off, SteadyShot on/off, and more. The Picture Applications menu contains all of the digital effects and faders. HDD Set includes information about the hard disk drive. Standard Set contains audio controls, input/output settings, and display and LCD settings. Finally, the Time/Language contains… you guessed it, clock settings and menu language controls.  The touch screen menu has a lot of fans and just as many detractors. We fall in the latter party, generally. While the touch screen controls make menu navigation speedy, and the plainly labelled buttons are certainly easier to understand than Panasonic’s menu of cryptic icons, they have even more problems. Constantly touching the screen builds up fingerprints in no time. Not only is this aesthetically displeasing, but it makes evaluating the image quality that much more difficult. Imagine trying to find the correct focus with finger grease all over the screen. To make matters worse, the SR40’s 2.5" LCD is the smallest in the Sony HDD line, which means smaller onscreen buttons.  *

Zoom (7.0) The DCR-SR40 offers two zoom controls. The first and most familiar control is a toggle located on the back right of the top. We didn’t like the design of the toggle very much. The profile is too low against the body to get a good grip. And in an effort to either streamline the look or to keep anything from snagging on the switch, there are two ridges along the front and back. The top of these ridges are right on the same level as the top of the toggle, making it even harder to get a good grip. We prefer a nice, tall toggle, snags be damned. The better grip a zoom toggle offers, the more control you have in your zoom speed and accuracy. As with most toggle, this is a pressure-sensitive control that allows you about three zoom speeds.  The second control is the Sony-standard zoom forward and back buttons on the LCD panel These controls are useful if you adopt a two-handed grip, with your left hand on the LCD, or when you need to hold the camcorder overhead and the toggle is out of reach. They are not touch, sensitive, however, and move the zoom at a medium pace only.  *Zoom Power/Ratio (20.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 lens produces a respectable 20x optical zoom power and an 800x digital zoom. This is zoom is a good deal more powerful than the 12x zoom found on the DCR-SR60 and DCR-SR80. The stronger zoom, however, is made possible by the smaller sensor on the SR40, so there is a steep cost in terms of video performance and resolution. A 20x optical zoom is ample for most shooting situations, and because digital zooms reduce video resolution very quickly, we recommend leaving this feature set to off. *Focus (4.0)*Manually focusing with the DCR-SR40 is no great joy. Because so many obstacles stand in the way of you determining the correct focus, the majority of the time you’ll be better off letting the auto focus take charge. Here’s the problem: manual focus controls consist of two touch screen buttons, a mountain icon and a person icon. The buttons are large, obscuring much of the image you are trying to focus. Secondly, there is no gauge to tell you where in the focal range you are. Third, the resolution of the screen is only 123K and 2.5", hardly enough to provide an accurate portrayal of the image as it will appear on a large TV. Finally, even if this was a fantastic LCD, it’s still a touch screen control, meaning that every time you touch it, you’re adding to a layer of oil and dirt that further obscures the image.  The real question is, why bother putting it on in the first place? The answer: because there are times when manual focus is necessary, and it’s good to have the option, even if it proves to be completely unreliable.  Exposure (Aperture) (4.0)*The exposure control on the DCR-SR40 works in a similar way to the focus. Manual adjustment is found in the menu. When activated, it creates two touch screen buttons (- and +) with a scale of 22 increments in between. Though it is not stated anywhere, we can tell you that these increments represent unspecified EV steps. It’s fine for quick fixes in overly dark or overly bright images, but does not give you the flexibility of independent aperture and shutter speed controls.  *Shutter Speed (0.0) *There is no manual shutter speed control on the DCR-SR40. Some Canon camcorders offer a Shutter Priority mode, and all Panasonics feature fully independent shutter and aperture controls.  *White Balance (7.5)*The DCR-SR40 does allow manual white balance adjustment. Located in the menu, you need only point the camcorder at a white surface and push the Set button. It takes the camcorder about 5 seconds to shift to the proper balance. For quick adjustments, the DCR-SR40 also offers two white balance presets, Indoor and Outdoor, as well as an auto mode. These presets should be considered quick fixes only, as they only estimate the color temperature of an "indoor" or "outdoor" environment, which may vary considerably from the environment you find yourself in at the time of shooting.  *Gain (0.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 has no manual gain control. Only Panasonic offers this control in the consumer market.  *Other Manual Control (0.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 does not offer any other manual controls.**

**

Still Features

Still Features*(5.75)*The Sony DCR-SR40 is very limited in its still capture offerings compared to most camcorders on the market today. There is only one still resolution, 640 x 480, which equates to about 0.3MP. The average low-end digital still camera therefore offers about 20 times that resolution. 640 x 480 is good for very low-end web pictures, and even that is becoming a thing of the past.  The camcorder does offer the choice between Fine and Standard qualities. Like the DCR-SR60 and DCR-SR80, there is no MemoryStick Duo slot, but both of those models offer a higher resolution of 1152 x 864, as well as bracket and burst shooting modes not found here.  Nearly all the manual controls you find in video mode are also found in still mode: exposure, focus, white balance, zoom, along with all the digital effects.  In playback mode, the camcorder offers a slideshow feature. Stills appear as thumbnails on the LCD. If you want to see them full-size, simply tap on them and they fill the screen.  **Still Resolution*** (1.3)
The stills of the Sony DCR-SR40 were tested for their resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. In total, the camcorder produced an approximate resolution of 130479.31. {column='Still Resolution' models='Sony DCR-SR40,Sony DCR-SR80,Sony DCR-DVD105, JVC GZ-MG37,Panasonic SDR-S150'} *Still Performance***(3.25)*As mentioned above in Still Features, a 640 x 480 image is good for one thing and one thing only. As soon as you can tell us what that is, please post it below; we have no idea. In bright light, the DCR-SR40’s stills were a grainy and drab. The image lacked fine detail and was too dark. Not that it looked any better or worse than most of the competition.  

 The DCR-SR80, the two models up in the Sony HDD line, is able to produce a larger image (1152 x 864), which increased the fine detail but did nothing to improve color performance. The actual color interpretation was quite different from the DCR-SR40. While the SR40 was dark and dull, the SR80 was bright, with certain colors washed out (red and green) and others (yellow and blue) taking too much dominance. Both camcorders produced an abundance of noise.  The Sony DCR-DVD105, their entry-level camcorder, produced stills more or less identical to the DCR-SR40. The JVC GZ-MG37, an HDD camcorder slightly more expensive than the SR40, produced an image that was more washed out but was less noisy. That’s not to say that the noise levels were acceptable (they were quite high), but they looked better. Finally, we looked at a peak performer for comparison’s sake. The Panasonic SDR-S150 produces much larger stills, up to 2048 x 1612. The still performance is excellent, with clean lines, low noise, and bright, well-defined colors. This camcorder far surpassed any other model in this line-up, though you’ll pay for it, with an MSRP about $400 greater than the DCR-SR40.  Comparatively, the Sony DCR-DVD105 looked exactly the same, and it offered the same maximum resolution. The JVC GZ-MG37 produced larger stills, at a maximum 1632 x 1224. It showed lower noise and better color. The Sony DCR-SR80 did not have quite the color balance and strength that the JVC showed, but the resolution was higher (2016 x 1512). The larger imager shows a marked improvement over the SR40’s 1/5.5" CCD, but we’ve seen better. The Panasonic SDR-S150 was probably the best of this bunch as a hybrid camcorder. The images were a little grainy, but the color balance was good (sluggish in the greens) and the resolution was high (2048 x 1512). The picture was sharper looking than the rest, rounding out a best overall performance.  {column='Still Performance' models='Sony DCR-SR40,Sony DCR-SR80,Sony DCR-DVD105, JVC GZ-MG37,Panasonic SDR-S150'}

Handling and Use

1. Turn camcorder on.
2. Press Easy Button.
3. Begin recording.
4. Voila!

In other words, if you are a point-and-shoot user, who likes to shoot video informally without bothering with manual controls, you’ll find the DCR-SR40 to be a very welcoming device. This ease of use is very much in character for a Sony since they specialize in designing camcorders with a learning curve of approximately 30 seconds. Because this camcorder records direct to its HDD, it is even easier to use than a DVD camcorder that requires onerous steps like inserting and ejecting discs. With an easy backup feature that facilitates footage transfer to a PC, the SR40 and its siblings are practically plug-and-play.  Among Sony’s many ease of use features is the touch screen menu. In order to make their camcorders as easy to use as possible, Sony employs a full-text menu structure that pretty much spells out all the options available on-screen. Making a selection is done by touching icons on the screen, rather like an ATM machine or airport kiosk.  The drawbacks to touch screens include that they make terrible manual control interfaces and lead to fingerprint covered displays. Yet for the broad point-and-shoot market, a menu that won’t intimidate Aunt Betty may be preferable to one that offers superior manual control. Simplicity is Sony’s forte, and you’ll find it in spades on the DCR-SR40. **Handling***(7.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 is about as simple to handle as a camcorder gets. Not only does it offer the famous Sony ease of use, but there are hardly any features to be found on this camcorder. Turn it on, point it at something, and hit record – that was clearly the core principle in the camcorder’s design.  The handling problems occur when you want to step outside of the ease of use box. Manual controls are few and far between and require you to use the touch screen controls. While they do speed up menu navigation, touch screen controls tend to make things like manual focus difficult (see the Focus section above). Also, the 2/5" LCD screen makes the touch screen buttons smaller on this camcorder than the SR60 and SR80, which have 2.7" screens.  The body is small, overall, which can make it difficult to keep a stable shot. The electronic stabilization suffices up to 2x – 4x zoom, but after that you’ll want a tripod or smooth, steady surface.  **

Portability***(9.5)*The Sony DCR-SR40 is highly portable – certainly one of its selling points. HDD camcorders are the essence of portability. With no tapes or DVDs to carry, this can slip into a small bag with a charged battery and be good to go for nearly 2 and 1/2 hours of continuous recording. It’s the same size as its step-up cousin, the DCR-SR60, but slightly smaller than the DCR-SR80, by virtue of that model’s larger capacity 60GB HDD. If ultra-portability is very important to you, the Panasonic SDR-S150 is even smaller, saving on the space occupied by the HDD by recording to SD and SDHC cards. The Sony DCR-SR40 measures 69 x 71 x 117 mm (2 3/4" x by 2 7/8" x 4 5/8") with a total weight of approximately 390g (14 oz.) including the battery pack, making it larger than pocket size, but smaller than the most consumer camcorders of any media type. The included Handycam Station does make this camcorder less portable simply by adding an extra device to your bag, but that’s only if you plan on archiving or editing away from home.**LCD/Viewfinder***(6.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 is equipped only with an LCD screen and lacks an EVF (electronic color viewfinder), like the DCR-SR60 and DCR-SR80. This camcorder was designed for simplicity and compactness, and Sony clearly determined that an EVF was not a vital feature for the point-and-shoot target market of this camcorder. 

The LCD screen measures 2.5" with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and a resolution of 123K pixels. This screen is small relative to many other consumer camcorders that feature a 2.7" widescreen LCD. It’s especially small considering Sony is the company that has led the charge towards LCDs even larger than 2.7" by implementing 3.5" screens on many higher-end Handycam models, like the DCR-SR100. For efficient operation of the touch-screen interface, a 2.5" will feel very small and cramped unless you’ve got tiny fingers and video game-guru dexterity. Technically, the screen is very good, however, featuring Sony’s SwivelScreen technology which prevents the image from solarizing at viewing angles that would challenge most screens found on consumer camcorders from other manufacturers. **Battery Life***(14.6)*The DCR-SR40 ships with the NP-FP50 battery, which should have a charge time of about 125 minutes. We tested the battery ourselves by leaving the LCD open, turning the image stabilization on, and leaving the backlight off. In total, the battery lasted for 145 minutes and 45 seconds (2 hour, 25 minutes, and 45 seconds) which give the SR40 a comparatively long recording time using the included battery pack.**

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Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio ***(2.5)*The audio features of the DCR-SR40 are slim. Audio is recorded in 2-channel stereo through a built-in microphone on the front of the body under the lens. Even the meagre offerings on the DCR-SR60 and SR80 – an accessory shoe and manual audio levels – are absent here. Built-in mics tend to not offer much in the way of quality, and this one is no different. The camcorder does benefit, however, from the whisper quiet operation of an HDD recording medium rather than the whir of a DVD or tape mechanism.

VCR Mode*** (9.25)*The VCR mode on the DCR-SR40 is a simple affair. When switched to playback mode, each clip appears as a thumbnail image. Simply touch the image to play the clip. Some of the best features of the HDD medium become apparent here. There is no need to rewind and fast forward to find a clip, as there is on tape, and there is virtually no load time, as there is with some DVD camcorders. All the VCR buttons appear as touch screen controls. The zoom toggle can digitally zoom in on clips from 1.1x – 5x.  Plain and simple, simple and plain – the creed of the SR40.  **Ports***(5.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 includes a very basic selection of ports, with a AV-out and DC-in terminals on the camcorder body, and USB, AV-out and DC-in terminals on the Handycam Station. The step-up SR60 and SR80 add a remote jack to their Handycam Station, an analog input, and an Active Interface Shoe for connecting proprietary Sony accessories such as video lights and microphones. The addition of the analog input is a compelling reason to upgrade if you're thinking about a Sony HDD camcorder. 

 The AV and DC-in terminals are protected by a plastic port cover on the lower left side of the body. The port cover can be pulled open by tabs along its upper and lower edges, and it is attached to the camcorder by a thin plastic connector. Ports of this type are standard on most consumer camcorders but are prone to snapping off with rough treatment. In fact, many pros and avid videographers just rip the port covers off because they use them so frequently. The DCR-SR40 can convert analog footage to digital MPEG2 video stored on the HDD. Analog-to-digital conversion should not be confused with analog-to-digital pass-through, which converts an analog signal to digital on the fly. Analog-to-digital conversion is still handy for converting old Hi-8 or VHS videos to an archivable digital format. None of Sony’s new HDD camcorders include a USB port on the body of the camcorder, so transferring footage digitally to a computer for editing or DVD burning requires use of the Handycam Station. This omission seems to be a curious choice on Sony’s part, and any money saved by not adding a USB port to the camcorder body must be negligible. It’s an unfortunate choice, because users of HDD camcorders have no choice but to move footage regularly from their camcorder to clear up more space. Requiring users to resort to the Handycam Station reduces the versatility of the SR40, which is not exactly handy.**

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Other Features

Widescreen/16:9 Mode*(5.0)*The DCR-SR40 is a 4:3-native camcorder, meaning its imager has a 4:3, or standard-definition video aspect ratio. There is also a 16:9 recording option, that can be engaged from the Camera Set sub-menu. The DCR-SR60 and DCR-SR80 offer the upgraded features of a widescreen LCD and an external Wide Select button for toggling between aspect ratios. It is only possible to move from one aspect ratio to the other when the camcorder is not actively recording. **Scan Rates/24p***(0.0)*The Sony DCR-SR40 records video at 60i (60 interlaced fields per second), the norm for standard definition video. Some higher-end camcorders offer additional scan rate options such as 30p, 24p, or 24F but 60i is typical for consumer camcorders today. **Other Features***(4.5)**Fader* – Consumer camcorders are designed with convenience in mind, and most include some basic digital effects that can be applied to footage in-camera. The DCR-SR40 includes a fader effect on page 1 of the P-menu, with white and black fader options for fading into or out of a shot. In addition to these basic fades, the SR40 includes overlap and wipe options for fading into a shot, but not for fade-outs. *Digital Effect/Pict. Effect* - The DCR-SR40’s Digital Effects are in the Pict. Appli. sub-menu of the Camera Set menu. These include Luminance Key, which keys-out the brightest portions of a still image over video, and Old Movie, which makes applies an old-fashioned film look to video. Under Picture Effects in the menu are several more effects for modifying the look of your video, including sepia, black & white, pastel, and mosaic. In-camera effects are a short-hand way of adding some spice to your video, but they mostly went out of style with America's Funniest Home Videos. *Electronic Image Stabilization* – Virtually all consumer camcorders now include some kind of image stabilization system, and the DCR-SR40 in equipped with Sony’s branded Super SteadyShot EIS (electronic image stabilization) system. EIS is very effective in terms of reducing camera shake, but they accomplish this by using part of the visual information as a buffer. This approach reduces the resolution and quality of the video image. OIS (optical image stabilization) is a superior stabilization method that does not impact video quality, but its also more expensive to implement. OIS can be found on higher-priced camcorders such as Panasonic’s SDR-S150, retailing for nearly double the price of the DCR-SR40. *No Analog-to-Digital Conversion* - Not so much as "other feature" as a "missing feature," we wanted to draw attention to the fact that both the DCR-SR60 and SR80 offer analog inputs, but the DCR-SR40 does not.  *Drop Sensor* – The DCR-SR40 is reliant on its internal HDD for storage, and Sony has integrated a drop sensor that disables the HDD mechanism when it detects a sudden shift. *Color Slow Shutter* – The Color Slow Shutter feature reduces the shutter speed of the SR40 below its normal 1/60 second in order to capture a more saturated image in low light. Using this feature may produce video with a stuttering appearance, so if you plan on using Color Slow Shutter, you would be advised to give it a test run so you know what to expect. *Battery Charge Information* – Most camcorders provide only a limited amount of information about battery life, in the form of an on-screen icon of a battery showing a rough estimate of how much power remains. Sony’s new HDD camcorders provide more detailed information about both battery life and HDD space, accessed by pressing the Disp./Batt. Info button when the camcorder is powered down or in standby.**

**

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparisons*Sony DCR-SR60*The 30GB Sony DCR-SR60 ($699 MSRP) is the step-up model, and it includes several notable upgrades over the $599 SR40. The most important is a larger 1/5.5" sensor with nearly double the effective pixel count of the 1/6" sensor found on the SR40. We did not test the SR60, but it’s specs are identical to the 60GB SonyDCR-SR80 – which we did test – and it can be expected to offer identical performance. The SR60 also features an Active Interface Shoe compatible with Sony accessories like microphones and video lights, a larger 2.7" wide screen LCD, and improved 1MP still resolution. So is the DCR-SR80 worth the extra $100 over the DCR-SR40? On the basis of video performance alone, we think so – and the other feature enhancements seal the deal.

 *Sony DCR-SR80*The top of the mid-grade models, this HDD camcorder ($799 MSRP) is the SR60 with a 60GB capacity, twice that of the SR40 and SR60. We recommend this over the other two models if you ever plan on spending a whole day and night shooting away from your computer. 30GB fills up faster than you might think, and the extra space can be a life-saver.  *Sony DCR-DVD105*This entry-level DVD camcorder has been a big success for Sony, though it’s likely due to brand recognition more than features or performance. Its picture quality looked virtually identical to the DCR-SR40 in our tests, which comes as no surprise given the fact that they share the same imaging specs. The difference is the recording medium, DVD vs. HDD. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. HDD offers portability and larger storage. DVD offers better archiving and safer storage (all your eggs are not in one basket). Your choice. We have no strong opinion on this topic, except to say that each of these camcorders are among the poorest performers in their given medium.  *JVC GZ-MG37*Not quite the entry level model, this HDD Everio camcorder ($800 MSRP) nevertheless matched the DCR-SR40 in poor performance. JVC got the head start on the HDD market, but Sony’s behemoth camcorder division swooped in this year and deployed five models, including a high definition model (the HDR-SR1) that trounced every other HDD camcorder in the market. The GZ-MG37 does offer a better manual control array than the DCR-SR40, but that’s about it. The Sony remains easier to use. One final note that might help your decision: retailers are telling us that JVCs have a higher return rate for defects. We have no hard data on this, but word on the street gets around.  *Panasonic SDR-S150*The Panasonic SDR-S150 ($999 MSRP) is in a different class from any of the camcorders here, but its Panasonic’s lowest-end SD card camcorder, which is similar to HDD – both record in the MPEG-2 format and use durable media that are not prone to scratches or minor drops. The 3-CCD array on the SDR-S150 completely blew away the performance of the DCR-SR40 in bright light and still tests. Low light results didn’t have quite the margin of victory but were still better. Like all Panasonics, the SDR-S150 offers an impressive manual control suite, including independent shutter and aperture, gain, and focus. The downside is that the SDR-S150 only ships with 2GB of memory, a fraction of that found on the DCR-SR40. You can upgrade to larger SDHC cards, but it will cost you, and the maximum capacity is currently only at 4GB. The question you have to ask yourself is this: Would you rather shoot smaller amounts of great looking video or large amounts of poor looking video? We choose the former, and we’ll pack a laptop to transfer the data when the card is full.  **Who It’s For***Point-and-Shooters (6.5)*This is definitely a camcorder designed for the point-and-shoot crowd. Sony's ease of use and the simplicity of HDD technology in a camcorder with almost no features. How can anyone mess that up? *Budget Consumers (2.5)*HDD is a still a little expensive to make it the smartest choice for the budget-minded. DVD prices have been dropping but tape-based camcorders are the cheapest buy of all, and generally offer better video quality.  *Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (3.0)*The DCR-SR40 was not designed to take good still pictures. 640 x 480 stills with virtually no extra features makes this a poor choice for the hybrid crowd.   *Gadget Freaks (6.0)*Gadget freaks may have an interest in HDD camcorders on the whole, but this low-end model has so little to offer in terms of "cool features" that they’ll likely want to pass.  *Manual Control Freaks (4.0)*Absolutely not.   *Pros/ Serious Hobbyists (2.0)*Again, no.   **Conclusion**The Sony DCR-SR40 is a camcorder that offers mediocre video performance, only basic features, and no way of adding accessories.  The SR40 is the epitome of a bare-bones camcorder.  As per the company's hallmark, all Sonys are easy to use, but this entry-level offering one-ups even its Handycam relatives.  The recording media is integrated into the body, and there are only a few external buttons and controls making this perhaps the most idiot-proof camcorder ever.  Ease-of-use trumps other concerns for a great many users who just want to make sure nothing goes wrong when they capture their daughter’s birthday party, and we expect the SR40 to do well among point-and-shooters. 

Yet the drawbacks associated with the DCR-SR40 should be strongly considered before you drop your $500 at the local camera shop.  The camcorder's video performance is poor relative to the majority of other camcorders on the market, and the manual controls leave a lot to be desired. Even the the simple touch screen interface is hampered by the too-small LCD. The SR40 will get the job done, but you may find yourself wishing you'd spent a few extra bucks on a more capable device when the meaning of 'bare-bones' sinks in.

Specs/Ratings

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