Product Reviews

fair product for begginners like me and great zoom

Bought 4 sets of CX405, previously also bought and used PJ410, great series that sony provide with low cost, good image quality and clear sound recording.

Bought the camera so I wouldn't have to keep borrowing my daughter-in-law's. So far it is working out just great. The files upload easily to my PC and I can hardly wait to do some editing on the videos and get them posted.

I received this as a Xmas gift. It does the job. The picture quality is clear. The frame rate is smooth, audio works well. I like how you can take still images while shooting videos. Great product.

Iwas given the camera as a birthday present, it lay in a cupboard for several months before I used it on holiday. I was unable to change the date which was the 25th December 2015 also I could only see 4 or 5 screens I returned it to Sony Centre Wales and they tell me the camera is working fine . Therefore it must be my hands and fingers are to large for the joystick / multi task tool.

The Handycam has stopped working after one month. Please advise how I get it fixed/replaced.

had to return it the next day. can't get it to focus unless you're about 8 inches away.

I have no complaints about the picture quality. The micro sd card determines how long you can video/number of pictures taken before having to load it on the computer for editing.

All I want to do is video and load in my computer but can't because you have to jump through hoops to do anything.

Bought this two weeks ago,easy to set up and record movies and take pictures.it is so light,the quality of recorded video is good.well impressed with it and at a good price tag.

I used this for candid videos of my daughters wedding. The weekend was overcast, and my nephew did an excellent job. I just used it again on a sunny day, and the kids that used it couldn’t see what they were filming. The pics turned ok but the kids were frustrated. An eye piece to see what you are shooting would be a plus!

GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD

Our daughter is in love with her new Sony camcorder! She enjoys its convenient size, and weight making it easy to use anytime and anywhere. The zoom feature is fabulous and clear, and it’s nice to have an option for pictures too. I highly recommend this camcorder for anyone who is looking for a simple, small, and easy to use camcorder for vacations, birthdays, holidays and hanging out with friends. The price is affordable too.

The camera will not update to the latest firmware….

Horrible picture quality. I didn't go any further than that. It was worse than any smart phone I've ever owned.

i received the cx405 last week and have used it a few times before i go on holiday to learn how it functions and it was real easy to use and i was impressed with the colour reproduction.I wanted to upload the videos to my computer and play back on my tv to make sure things were running smoothly and after a few minutes everything was go.So i would definately recommend the cx405

This camcorder is simple to use and lightweight, and has a couple of camera effects built in.

It was so light I wasn't expecting much from this camera when purchased but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the videos. This little, light camera has become my go to camera to carry with me at all times. Very happy with my purchase!

Very satisfied with purchase. Easy to operate. Compact size.

Tried getting a hold of someone for help. Good luck getting help. Their camcorders are horrible. I bought mine 2018 and it's ruined one of my SD card. Another old camcorder of theirs stopped taking cassettes. All of these contain memories of all of my dogs who died. NEVER BUY ANY SONY PRODUCT!!!!

This is fine little HD camera with great picture and sound quality

I bought this in 2018, used this maybe a few dozen times and I'm starting to have problems. It's been freezing and making memories I have on the card, skip or distorted. These cards I have are memories of three dogs that have passed on. I'm very upset considering I haven't used it much and it's already crapping out. This is the second Sony camcorder that has done this. I will NEVER buy Sony camcorder again. I have memories of my now deceased dogs where words are cut out and pictures distorted. And yes, I'm great at keep my things clean and away from moisture and heat.

Great product for the price I’m more than pleased.

Bought this camcorder as a replacement for a Panasonic V100 which I've had for 10+ years but was showing it's age, only recorded in HD 1080i at 25fps and the microphone had started to pick-up internal noise. Otherwise it has been an excellent camcorder. I chose the CX405 because the equivalent Panasonic was out-of-stock everywhere. I was expecting the Sony to give improved pictures over my old Panny as it could record in 1080p at 50fps, but am disappointed that the clarity is no better and the Panasonic gives smoother panning (no pun intended) than the Sony. I would be tempted to return it if it wasn't for the audio problem with the Panny and I need a camcorder. I have to say though that it hasn't reached my expectations. In some respects I feel I've wasted my money.

sorry no photos as I have not stored any photos just yet

I Love It. It is easy to use and it takes excellent photos and videos.

We have a demonstration at our monthly meeting and so that everyone can see we project it on to large screen our old Sony action camera broke and found this to be ideal have not had a chance to use it properly yet but will let you know how we get on.

Have wanted a cam for a wee while This is a fantastic cam, fairly easy to use, takes good photos as well as the video cam aspect. Reasonably priced ... would recommend the camera to friends and fam

Super light, super easy to use and great movies and photos, for a great price !

Nice little camcorder, bought recently to take videos and pictures from visits to sites that I undertake, which it does very well. Photos transfer up to the computer but so far unable to upload videos, even with the video software at sony.net/pm.... Need to get that sorted somehow in order to upload and then it will fulfill all that I need it for.

This was bought as a replacement for a Canon camera which had given up the ghost because Canon models that I was interested in were not available. The model is quite small and light and appears to be mainly built of plastic. Lens and picture quality appear on a par with my previous model. Access to features is by a button which appears not to be particularly robust. As with all such cameras there is no view finder these days which to my mind is a retrograde step. Seems reasonable for the price I paid

Bought this cam for a general use always on hand unit. The first problem is the white balance when in auto mode really has bad results, manual WB only passable. Cant plug in power and record at the same time. No android compatable software, otherwise is a fair deal..

I bought this less than a year ago and the battery no longer charges

I wanted to make some Cooking videos for YouTube. I had not owned a video camera before so I did a lot of research before I purchased my Sony CX-405. My research led me to the right choice. The camera was affordable, compact to handle and use on the tripod I purchased along with it. It thinks for itself and gets me to the right settings automatically. It takes great shots even though I don't know much about photography.

But the process to register it is extremely frustrating. I am at the step where you guys ask for a proof of purchase, the model and serial numbers. I have been taken in a continuous loop, after I upload the picture, provide the model number, serial number, purchase date and where I purchased the camcorder, I take back to the page asking if I want a warranty. This page precedes the model and serial number page. Then, I will start the process all over again. Other than that, the product works great!!!!!!

good alround camera. wish it was easier to change from video to still, bit of a nightmare downloading data if you dont do it often an forget how.

I like the image quality and the weight of this camcorder. but there is a fault that it sometimes does not record. I tried resetting it as suggested but I havnt had the time to test it since. I do hope the fault is corrected.

I have had this handy camcorder for about 5 years now and it's just as good when I received it as a present, I would highly recommend it

HD cameras are the talk of the town. Buy a Sony CX405 and join the trend setters.

I can't rate the blasted thing, because it doesn't work as sold. It doesn't come with a memory card and it doesn't work without one. Now I have to figure out what card to buy and where, and what's an acceptable price. No warning of this anywhere in the marketing. Thought I was getting a working camcorder for the advertised price. Live and learn, I guess, but what an odd sales practice. If I ever order a car online, maybe it will be delivered without tires.

I have bought 5 for streaming church services. The image quality it excellent, even in lighting conditions which are not the brightest. You can only get a clean hdmi output on 1080 and with hdmi ctrl off. It has basic facilities, no Wi-fi for example, but it is excellent for our purposes. If streaming, recommend the use of fibre optic cables.

I needed a handycam to replace my ageing non-HD handycam, and this is suitable one to meet my budget!

I like this camera. It does camerary things......like a camera.

This is very easy to use with all controls easy to use. I love the zoom range, it actually amazing. I wished I could connect a wireless make to it.

I have had it over a year and it is so compact and easy to use.

I bought this camera a few years ago and it works great.

Not really happy that I can not use an external mic.

Small, handy (!) camcorder - easy to use. Still working on the editing side but like the quality of video produced.

WE USE IT FOR FISHING / BEACH TRIPS. WORKS GREAT.

The eternal problem for me is that I'm not at bright as the average customer. The amount of prior knowledge that I am assumed to have by the manufacturer before I take delivery of their product is completely baseless. And that means I am invariably struggling to get the best from the item - in this case my CX405 handicam. What is the most appropriate card to go out and buy to put in it. No clue in the instructions. What programme do I install on my laptop to edit the results. No clue in the instructions. How do I edit the results and trim it up and present something watchable to my family and friends. No clue. How do I use the refinements the camera claims to have. What do they do to the pictures. What mode does what. The list is endless. The result is the camera isn't used and can't be enjoyed. One day I may work it all out but in the meantime only buy this if you have owned and enjoyed having a handicam before. I expect its quite good. Four stars because the lip on the screen that you use to open the thing up is too small and it takes several goes before it stops slipping back shut having issued an infuriating little 'ping' each time you fail to open it. Oh, and it needs somewhere to attach a lanyard as I hang it round my neck whilst I out on my walks.

After having my Sony HD-CX405 video cam nearly a month, I have not stopped using it. The interface is extraordinary. The mobility feature makes using it easy in any situation. I use it to film many events, indoor and outdoor waterever the lighting situation you have to deal with, this handy cam has you covered. I use it to film my church services, the results are astounding in the picture quality. The ability to zoom in and out are smooth and with professional results. And taking still photos are easy and with high quality results. I only wish I had bought one sooner

I really like ti but hard to understand instruction on all the features.

I bought the camera to film a Village stage play, The first attempt the battery ran out half way through the second act. On the second attempt the the charging lead was used and the whole play (two hours long) captured successfully . The picture quality is reasonable but slow to focus and the camera was slow to respond to changes in light levels.Changing the camera settings seems to require a lot of practise as the menus are small and difficult to interpret and the selection button very fiddly. Downloading to Play Memories Home (PMH) took a long time and editing the film was not easy using PMH. A cut and paste facility on PMH would be very helpful. Adding captions also took time to master. Saving the film after editing took nearly two hours. I am sure this camera would be great for taking short clips.

I. Love it.....love it.... really love....nice....godd