Sony HDR CX405 vs Canon Legria HF R806

Video recorder is a good alternative to capture footage if you don’t have a new flagship smartphone for they are fairly affordable and easy to use. As they are not very popular anymore, there will be a bunch of various cheaper options like Sony HDR CX405 Vs Canon Legria HF R806. They are able to deliver a good image quality but also a little bit different and for those who are eyeing these models, go check what they can offer below. 

In this article, we are going to give you information about:

  • What to Look For in a Camcorder
  • What are Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806
  • What Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 Look Like
  • How are the Performance of Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806
  • What else Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 can offer
  • How are the Image Stabilization in Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806
  • Sony HDR CX405 Vs Canon Legria HF R806

Shopping for a Camcorder/Video Recorder

Documenting our trip and activities are fun because we can enjoy them later both just for memory keeping and for a more serious purpose like re-evaluating performance. All cameras should be able to either record video or capturing still images and many are able to do both but, depending on your activities, the type of camera we have to purchase can be different as well. The easiest method is to differentiate whether your main goal is photography or video shooting.

Those who are into photography will most likely get an interchangeable lens camera like DSLR and Mirrorless because they offer great options to begin with and you can adjust the tool to deliver a certain quality including through manual adjustment to fit every situation. On the other hand those who prefer to record footage will choose to use video recorder or camcorder because the tool is optimized for this purpose including how the camera offers the best comfort for similar situations.

  • Camcorder and Activity

The first factor you may want to consider when looking for a new video recorder is the type of activity we will be doing. For those whose main goal is to record family events like wedding, birthday party, or similar occasions, a regular camcorder with decent resolution should be adequate. They are easy to use, affordable, and made to be handheld. If you are more of an action type, an action camera will be the best choice because they are more compact, easy to mount on various objects, and mostly have water-proof case.

  • Camcorder and Resolution

This factor is directly related to their price range and this is very important to consider because you will get better results as the ladder goes up yet, today in most cases the available options are 720p, 1080p, or the highest 4K. If you are going to play the footage on a larger screen, the higher resolution will do amazing but for a smaller display, it may be difficult to distinguish between resolutions. Additionally, frame rates matter to produce smoother footage especially for fast moving subjects.

  • Camcorder and Feature

Just like any camera and almost any device out there, you will find various features on the unit and this is highly dependent on your preference as well. Common features in a camcorder are zooming functions which may differ from one brand and model to another. Some cameras are also convenient enough to offer features such as built-in projector so users can cast the image on a wider presentation for more people to watch together. Read also: Canon Vixia HF R800 Vs Panasonic HC V180K

About Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806

Looking for the best camcorder is very personal and we should pick the one that fits our application the most. If you wonder what brand is the best to shop from, today we have lots of them and in most cases quality will differ from one model to another so rather than brand itself, the product position matters more. We tend to stick with popular or well-known camera manufacturers because they are proven to satisfy lots of customers and it is easier to access the service or accessories when needed. 

Among those many brands or camera manufacturers, Sony and Canon are two of the most familiar companies we often check out whenever a new camera is out because chances it is from them. There are lots more reliable brands out there but these two are also great choices if you are planning to get affordable models for they carry a wide range of price points. However, for those with less budget, we must be satisfied with entry-level or at least mid-range options.

If you are fine with an HD camcorder and don’t have plans to play the footage on a large 4K display, Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 will be very interesting cameras to consider. Both of them are very similar to each other when it comes to footage quality because you will get a sharp image but not all the features in these models are the same and it may affect your decision yet, price wise, depending on the seller, they should not cost more than $500.

These models have been around for quite some time and while they used to be very interesting years ago, today not many of us are taking a look at HD cameras anymore especially with smartphones catching up the 4K trend. However, what’s attractive is they are cheap and useful if you are going to capture footage often whether it is for traveling, content making for streaming platforms, or to record your hobby such as hiking and cycling. Overall, Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 are convenient and versatile.

Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 Design

The camcorders are no different than any other common models out there because as you can see, these options are still sporting the tubular main form with a flip display and microphone dots below the lens housing. They are handled with one hand and very light to allow you utilize them for prolonged time with a strap to secure the hand. Side by side they are almost identical size wise but Canon is slightly, just a little bit bulkier and also heavier in comparison.

The body seems to be made out of plastic but they feel pretty secure and for the display, you can rotate them to make a self-camera like video blog style but, it is unfortunate that the size is only 2.7-inch, making it is not as convenient compared to those with larger LCD. What’s different is that Sony actually has better display with crisper images and menu appearance. They will record into MicoSD and SDHC cards respectively yet, you may not get the memory in the box, depending on the seller.

Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 Performance

Moving further, as an HD camcorder, Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 are going to record their video up to 1080p natively so they will give you the same resolution and in general the same experience. This can be affected by their identical sensor as well because we are getting the common 1/5.5-inch Exmor R CMOS and CMOS type with an effective pixel or 2.5MP compared to 2.3MP for the video recording function, the same with their photo mode but Canon does elevate it a bit for still pictures.

They are also recording at similar frame rate on the top setting of 1920 x 1080 but slightly different between 60 and 50 frame rates per second. Quality wise both of them are amazing and they do offer an adequate dynamic range with decent details. Side by side colors are quite similar but the Sony seems to be a bit colder and not as pops out as subjects captured by Canon. Audio quality is also nice and very clear especially when used indoors where there is less wind.

Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 Feature

Moving further, while their image quality is already very good for the price range, our favorite part of these camcorders is their zoom range because this is probably the main reason why we love a dedicated video recorder. Here you can get optical zoom up to 30x and 20x respectively but the digital zoom is far reaching for up to 350 and 400. We always prefer optical ones because the result will still be useful compared to digital zoom which produce too much noise.

Another feature worth mentioning is Sony is not coming with a touch-sensitive display but it has a joystick-type of control located next to the display and a button to select the menu compared to standard touch display in Canon. Physical control can attract those who dislike utilizing screen in fear of dirtying it but at the same time it is not convenient.

Sony HDR CX405 and Canon Legria HF R806 Image Stabilization 

The last point we want to talk about is their image stabilization because if you are an active person and will record while moving around as well, this is a very necessary feature to consider. Most video recorders have image stabilization but there are two of them; optical and digital/electronic stabilization. Sony uses optical while Canon has electronic image stabilization which is utilizing software and in comparison, optical ones are usually better in aiding movement because there is a moving component inside that follow the motion of your camera.

Sony HDR CX405 vs Canon Legria HF R806

Both of these models will be a great choice for your budget camcorder but they are also slightly different because in comparison we do like the footage color of R806 better yet, CX405 is also working well for the price point. What’s different in our opinion is that Sony has higher optical zoom, the type we tend to use the most and it also has optical stabilization to aid camera movement.

- BUNDLE INCLUDES: Sony CX405 Handycam 1080p Full HD Camcorder with Exmor R CMOS Sensor, SanDisk 32GB Ultra UHS-I microSDHC memory card
- SENSOR AND PROCESSOR: The large, cutting-edge Exmor R CMOS sensor enhances image clarity, reduces noise in dark environments, and enables soft background defocusing
- ZEISS LENS: Sharing a commitment to outstanding performance and design, Sony and Carl Zeiss co-develop lenses that combine the best possible optics with premium-quality electronics and sensor technology
- OPTICAL STEADYSHOT: Advanced image stabilization keeps footage blur-free, even when the recording circumstances or the user's hands are shaky
- Fun and easy to use, this compact camcorder has a big 57x Advanced Zoom, simple touchscreen control and powerful technologies that automatically ensure your family movies look and sound great.
- Enjoy superb Full HD quality movies that automatically sound as good as they look - even in tricky light - thanks to a host of powerful technologies like DIGIC DV 4.
- Shoot dramatic-looking movies with slow or fast motion effects, and get creative with Touch Decoration and Cinema-Look Filters. Capture key moments using advanced Baby Mode.
- Record comfortably for longer thanks to a lightweight, compact design.. Simply point and shoot with easy touchscreen control for great movies.

Conclusion

All in all it depends on your personal taste since we can’t go wrong with this much budget and these two options, but we do like Sony better because of its higher optical zoom and its optical image stabilization.

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