Sony HDR-CX625 Full HD Compact Camcorder (5-Axis Balanced Optical SteadyShot, 30x Optical Zoom, Wi-Fi and NFC) - Black

I wanted a small affordable videocam to do what a good smartphone or action cam cannot currently do: produce steady hand-held shots and be capable of high quality optical zooming. The HDR-CX625 meets these requirements perfectly. I initially looked at 4K cameras but rejected them on expense. I just don’t yet need (nor can I easily edit) 4K footage without upgrading the TV and PC as well.I set it up for the highest possible quality (XAVCS at 50p) which gives a little over 2.5 hours shooting on a Class 10 64GB micro SD card. Lower quality image quality choices will of course allow for more shooting. It’s worth spending some time digesting the manual in order to fully understand all the options.I found it a pleasure to use on a recent holiday. See https://youtu.be/LrOgkBRLuOo for an example movie – make sure you choose 1080p output for viewing. There is an optical zoom test shot at the 5:39 point. I also bought a DURACELL DR9706B 7.4V 1640mAh Replacement Camcorder Batteries for Sony NP-FV70/NP-FV90 which was way cheaper than a Sony branded one. It lasts for around 3 hours shooting which was enough for me to last all day. The supplied Sony battery is smaller and only lasts for about 1.5 hours so I used that as my backup, but never needed it.The zoom is smooth, silent and easy to use. It does get a bit pixelated at full optical 30x which is to be expected on something in this price range, but it’s still pretty good. The otherwise excellent stabilisation shakes a bit at full magnification, so a tripod would be recommended if zooming at full stretch. I did not bother with the 60x digital zoom so cannot comment on it.The Wi-Fi & NFC options allows for remote control via a smartphone app. Also, some image quality settings allow for an option to automatically produce low res copies for uploading to social media via the app. Just be aware that the highest quality setting (XAVCS at 50p) does not allow this low res option.Pros:- Comfortable, quick and easy to use – start up time is almost immediate- Image stabilisation is really very good indeed when the Intelligent Active setting is enabled- Output quality is better than smartphone and action cams – the colours, contrast and white balance require very little or no tweaking in post- Socket for external microphone (you’ll need an external mike with windshield to fully get rid of ambient wind noise)- The articulated screen swivels around to enable selfie shots- Built-in USB fly lead in the handle for easy charging without removing the battery- Can be used with external USB SSD storage- Can be used and/or topped up with an external USB power sourceCons:- No protective dust filter for the delicate shutter mechanism (solved by buying a Hoya 46 mm FUSION Antistatic Protector Filter)- The screen cannot be closed completely if using an external microphone because the mike socket is under the screen closed position - but it closes enough to switch off the camera (see photos)- Somewhat grainy results for internal shots in poorly-lit rooms unless you provide additional lighting- The Sony hot shoe mount requires a converter to fit other top-mounted accessories. I bought a JJC MSA-MIS Cold Mount Adapter Converter for Sony Multi Interface Shoe -Black for under a tenner which does the job to mount my Rode VideoMicro Compact On Camera Microphone

This is a good camcorder with Sonys excellent G zoom lens which gives really good clear images and video coupled with good audio. It has a touch screen which makes camcorder settings quick and responsive. A really good camcorder.

I purchased this camcorder to replace an ageing Sony HDR-CX410 camcorder which has given me years of good service but is now showing signs of decay! This CX625 camcorder appears to be an updated version of the CX410 with only a few modifications. The camera is small and easily fits snugly into even my large hands, Controls are easy to reach and operate. Picture and sound quality are both very good. The steady shot function is very good and removes most of the unwanted hand shakes. I have always used a tripod with my camcorders and the Sony one which I used with the CX410 (VCT-VPR10) works just as well with the CX625. The batteries for this camcorder are also the same as with the CX410 (NP-FV50) and the larger FV70 batteries also fit. Battery life for the FV50 is around 90 minutes and a good 3hrs with the larger FV70. The wireless and NFC functions are new to me and as yet have not been tested. The Sony stereo microphone was also transferable from the old camera and fits into the accessory shoe on top of the camera. This is fitted with a wind jammer and cuts out most of the unwanted noise from a high wind. I had considered buying a 4K camcorder but the price and not so good specification has made me stick to the 1080 format which most of the people viewing my material will be using. Set up of the camera is straight forward but there is a need to work through the various menus carefully to ensure the correct camera configuration. Many of the available controls have an auto setting which seems to work well for most situations. Manual override for focus, exposure etc are available but can be a little fiddly to set up. There is no on board memory and video and images are stored onto a micro SD card instead of the full SD card used in many of the older camcorders. I tend to use nothing larger than a 16Gb card as I have had this type of card fail with the loss of recordings. I always feel it is better to use smaller cards and loose less than say on a 64Gb card if that fails. Good quality class 10 cards are essential.One little niggle occurs when using a lens hood resulting in some vignetting occurring at the wide angle end of the zoom. This is not a camera fault, more the design of the available lens hoods. I have found that a stepping ring from the camera's 46mm filter thread up to 55mm, then fitting a 55mm wide angle lens hood overcomes this problem for a very small outlay.If I had to criticise anything it would be that the camera does not come with a lens cap. The lens is protected when not in use by a shutter system which keeps most of the dust at bay but when the camera is in operation the lens is exposed and therefore vulnerable to ingress of dust. A cheap UV filter, permanently attached to the front of the camera solves this problem, protects the lens and cuts out UV light for only a few pounds.I have always been impressed with the quality of Sony's photographic products and I would not hesitate to recommend this camcorder to anyone who is happy to stick with the 1080 video format.

Not a bad little camcorder,very good steady shot and good video but let down by very poor photos.Sony and Panasonic have a bad habit of putting the mic input behind the viewing screen (should be on the other side of camcorder).Also Sony do not use a stranded hot shoe size you have to buy an adapter.I do own three Panasonic camcorders and rate them far superior than Sony.If Panasonic used the same steady shot as Sony and moved there mic input there would be nothing to touch them ...