Sony DCR-DVD905E

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By Denny Atkin, CNET.com
Apr 13, 2006

Thanks to a large LCD screen and responsive performance, shooting with the Sony Handycam DCR-DVD905 is a pleasure; throw in its superior video quality, and the camcorder makes an excellent alternative to MiniDV models if you're looking for straight-to-player convenience. And paired with the optional Bluetooth center-channel microphone, its 5.1-channel sound capture is bound to impress. At the top of Sony's DVD camcorder line, the DCR-DVD905 shares much with its next sibling down, the DCR-DVD805--everything, in fact, except for the 3.5-inch LCD and the new 2-megapixel ClearVid CMOS imager; the DCR-DVD805 uses the same 2.7-inch LCD and 3.3-megapixel CCD as last year's DCR-DVD403.

Design
The Sony Handycam DCR-DVD905 is a bit longer than typical compact MiniDV cameras such as Sony's DCR-HC96--relatively small but large enough to challenge some jacket pockets. Weighing in at 540g, it's hefty but not so much so that you'll have any problems holding it during extended shooting sessions. Its nondescript silver-and-gray chassis is constructed of thick plastic, which gives the camcorder a solid feel that should stand up well to everyday handling.

As is typical for Sony camcorders, the camera sports very few buttons, with most functions accessed using menus on the LCD touch screen. A programmable Quick menu makes it relatively fast and easy to get to your most commonly used settings, but the full menu is so loaded with options that it can take significant time to scroll through the available adjustments to find the one you want. Casual shooters can just press the Easy button to put the camera in fully automatic mode.

The zoom rocker as well as the still-photo and record buttons are all comfortably located for typical one-handed shooting. Additionally, buttons on the LCD's bezel let you start and stop recording and adjust the zoom. These touch-sensitive buttons are handy when holding the camera at unusual angles, where reaching the traditional zoom rocker and start button can be tricky.

The DVD drive sits on the right side of the unit and opens to the side, and the battery clips onto the rear, allowing you to easily swap discs and batteries while the camera is mounted on a tripod.

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