We love our Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera but we needed another camera for selfie filming and run and gun. The Black Magic is a superior camera but using it for quick shots and selfies is like swatting a fly with hand grenade. We needed something small, with descent quality, autofocus, and image stabilization. The array of viable cameras was staggering. We found dozens of models and brands to fit the bill with prices all over the place. We looked at review after review and had trouble narrowing the field. Finally I had given up on just researching and went down to our local store to see if I could get a hands on with an actual camera. When I saw the Sony HDR-CX240 along with it’s diminutive price tag I decided to give it a whirl. The final price after I bought memory card and a 3 year insurance plan came out to $260.
I brought the box home and put it where Hall would find it when he came over for our daily Roaming Gallivants workday. He sussed immediately and said, “What’s this?”
Being the stoic I am I replied, “What’s what? Oh that, nothing much.” Hall guffawed and proceeded to open and inspect the new toy and after several minutes of fiddling, with only minor cursing, beeps from the camera, and raised eyebrows on yours truly, Hall announced we were ready to try her out so we put her on the tripod and fired up the lights.
*Note we did not color correct the Black Magic’s RAW footage as we thought it would be a truer test to leave it as shot with no adjustments since we weren’t color grading the Sony HDR-CX240’s footage. All Sony HDR-CX240 shots were filmed at full auto settings at it’s maximum resolution.
