Our first reaction, upon opening the DCR-SX40E\'s packaging, was one of sheer surprise at the size of this flash-based camera. It\'s tiny. It\'s almost too small. One expects a video camera to be… well the size of a video camera. Can something this size offer real performance?
With 4GB of storage, it\'s unlikely you\'ll be shooting a feature length film with it, but you will be able to record up to 3 hours of footage. Even better, because it\'s based on solid-state storage there are no tapes to change. If 4GB just won\'t cut it, Sony has included a Memory Stick PRO Duo slot, so you can expand its storage.
The DCR-SX40E features the, now ubiquitous, Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, which is a far cry from the cheap lenses you\'ll find on a host of other entry-level cameras. There is also a 60X optical zoom, which allows you to get right in there for those emotional ultra-closeups.
Unfortunately the imaging sensor lets this standard definition camera down a bit. It consists of a single CCD measuring an eighth of an inch, and has a pixel count of just over 4 megapixels.
You might also be a bit disappointed when viewing footage on an HD TV, as there quite a few digital artifacts lurking on the screen. But if all you\'re recording is the family and friends you\'ll probably love this tiny camera.
PROS
You can expand your storage via a Memory Stick PRO Duo slot.
CONS
You can only take 4 megapixel stills which is a bit of a let down.
USER COMMENTS
Most Read Articles
Read
Magazine Online
TechSmart.co.za is South Africa's leading magazine for tech product reviews, tech news, videos, tech specs and gadgets.
Start reading now >
Download latest issue
Have Your Say
What new tech or developments are you most anticipating this year?
New smartphone announcements (45 votes)
Technological breakthroughs (28 votes)
Launch of new consoles, or notebooks (14 votes)
Innovative Artificial Intelligence solutions (28 votes)
Biotechnology or medical advancements (21 votes)
Better business applications (132 votes)