Better-than-average video quality; excellent, large LCD; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround-sound recording; innovative wireless microphone accessory; decent still photos.
No video light; occasional compression artifacts still noticeable; poor battery life; slightly grainy low-light video.
Full-featured but somewhat bulky, the Sony Handycam DCR-DVD505 DVD camcorder matches its MiniDV competitors in most areas, while offering the convenience of direct-to-disc recording.
