Sony HDR-CX440

A high-definition camcorder from Sony with wireless capability, a MicroSD/MemoryStick Micro memory-card slot, 30x optical zoom, and an image stabilizer.

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CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

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Current Range of Tested HD camcorders

What goes into the Overall Score?

Picture quality

/ 5

Low-light picture quality

/ 5

Ease of use

/ 5

Auto focus

/ 5

Audio quality

/ 5

Image stabilizer

/ 5

Display quality

/ 5

Versatility

/ 5

Still camera

/ 5

Battery life (min.)

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

VIDEO. The Sony HDR-CX440 takes very good video, higher quality than most High-definition camcorders. Pictures were sharp, which means you can see most details and subtle patterns in the image. In low-light situations, the video was good: quite viewable but not as bright or clear as the better models. It captures full HD video of 1920x1080 at 60i frames per second.

AUDIO. It captures very good audio in stereo, better quality than most models. But it will slightly pick up the sound of the zoom in the audio.

PHOTO QUALITY. In Photo mode it captures at best 9.2-megapixel stills with very good quality.

LENS. It has a moderately long 30x zoom lens that can be helpful when you need to zoom in to capture your subjects. The lens also has a very wide-angle (26.8mm) capability that's very useful for landscapes and group portraits, although you may notice a bit of distortion when you're shooting faces up close, for instance. The lens has a bright f/1.8 aperture (at its maximum), which gives you a shallower depth of field for producing more professional looking portraits and images.

IMAGE STABILIZER. This is an important feature with a long zoom lens; taking hand-held shots at the telephoto end of the zoom range can generally blur or soften images due to slight movement of your hands. Shooting in well-lit scenes, this model did a very good job of minimizing the effects of camcorder shake.

SPEED. Its readiness when switching to Video mode is fast, better than most models. It is fast waking up from standby, better than most models.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. It has a wireless communication feature. Like most models, this camcorder does not include a viewfinder, which means you'll need to rely on the LCD monitor to compose your video or photo. It has a small 2.8-inch LCD, which otherwise has excellent quality that lets you very easily compose your shots and has superb playback of photos and video. It has a hot shoe for attaching an external lamp, flash or directional microphone (generally sold separately).

About

The HDR-CX440 is a 2.29-megapixel camcorder with 30x optical zoom and has a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 26.8mm-804mm. It has a live-view 2.8-inch LCD. The camcorder has a maximum aperture of f/1.8. The camcorder allows manual setting of focus, shutter speed and white balance.

The HDR-CX440 stores video and photos on MicroSD and MemoryStick Micro memory cards and has 8GB of on-board storage. It captures video as AVCHD files at a top resolution of 1920x1080 at 60i frames per second and 9.2-megapixel resolution stills as JPG files.

The image stabilization system for this camcorder is optical.

The HDRCX440 measures 2.8 inches wide by 2.2 inches high by 5.2 inches in length, and weighs 0.5 pounds.

Features & Specs

Features

Built-in light

Remote

Yes

3D models

Specs

Format

MicroSD, MemoryStick Micro

Weight (lbs.)

0.5

Optical zoom

30X

LCD size (in.)

2.8

Connections

Largeness

Average

HDMI output

Yes

AV Input

Microphone input

Headphone out

Price & Shop

Sony HDR-CX440

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

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