Hi Nic. Bought somewhere August 2014, at "Technomania" shop Belgrade, sn 3623164, model hdr-cx240E. I will write about socalled "Losinj syndrome" (Croatian island Losinj). First I will praise the endurance of the model. This year's 3 week holiday, (on Losinj island) was little more problematic than usual, but successful. I recorded 10 sd cards from 16 to 32 GB, sometimes 32 GB in a day. (over 250 GB holiday memories). It fell accidently from over 2 feet bench, down to rock pavement on the beach, and still works. (cracked plastic with sign 54X I have to order new to replace). It survived rain caught me on rocky hill St. Ivan, 250 m high over Veli Losinj. As I record (like some go pro way) my video diary, I tried to protect cam. from the moisture drops, recording checkpoints I passed, when I arrived to the town it stopped recording. Message appeared "cannot project the image, due to battery level is low" (something like that). Camera hasn't projector, and battery was charged. I thought I finished her life, but it got dried in my pansion room in coming days. Another thing I have to praise Sony is that USB jack, where I can easily add external battery packs, like Xwave 2600 mAh, when empty stick another Xwave into the jack, and save internal battery, during day excursions. There I hate, there is no option to disable that funcyion, when I close the LCD coverlid, recording stops. Now I use battery packs, so no need to save energy by disabling the LCD monitor. And I hate, sometimes those indications are too tiny for my eyesight. There starts "Losinj syndrome".
When I bought unpacked cam. I saved it until journey (model is nice for traveller purpose with 27x zoom). I charged battery and brought it with me. I have recorded flight Belgrade-Ljubljana and used it until battery expired. And failed to charge it at overnight hostel. (I had my previous Samsung ready to continue.) When I reached Losinj, I charged Sony in my room, and next day went to the town hill where is the parish church and square. I started recording, and after under 20 seconds, it stopped rec. and message appeared, small to read. I put out battery, put out SD card, in out, reduced recording from FH (1920x1080) to Standard HQ, until end of my vacation.
This year many times camcorder turned off during recording, just ends recording when cam wants, mostly when I was remoted from it recording myself. There problem can be with Kingston class 10 uhc I (new and previously recorded) SD cards, as I've read somewhere, but I'm not sure I erased some recordings and caused delays because fragmented cards. And I bought there some new PNY SD cards from EU, good, but when I put the card out, Sony turns off, not happening with Kingstons. As I wrote, "Buffer overflow" message mostly appears after connecting to the PC, or charging the battery. Mostly after 18 seconds of recording, and later appears message "do I want to repair it". Records of 18 seconds never repairs. This year's holiday I had "buffer overflows", aftrer more minutes of recordings, for instance 'sunset over island Susak' and recorded material was saved. Probably SD card was fragmented or closed to its being fully recorded, and maybe that was real "buffer overflow", even with class 10 uhc I. But other day, I finished recording that SD card normally until it was fully recorded. Problem I solve thatway, I record about 15 seconds and press Stop. Then it is blinking Stby (or Rec) for 15 to 30 seconds, then it can record normally. If I am persistant, it can dozen times stop after 18 seconds of recording. Good is that after using USB connection, I make pause before starting recording. Sometimes "buffer overlow" appears after many successful recordings during day, but over 90% it is during first rec. attempt. In some rare cases camera spontaneously try to repair recording (with message reapairing and cruising circle), but in wain for short tracks. It ruined many of my shooting attempts, where object of recording is gone. But at holidays, I can record sunset next day if weather is clear. So if I prepare for important shooting, I let cam record in vain for under minute, then wait my event to happen keeping it "power on". Those summer turn offs during recording is not my great worry, after 5 years of use. But my previous 3 camcorders hadn't recording problems. Zoom is weak point, sometimes goes out of focusing, and going beyond 27x with C.I.zoom it needs a lot of time for sharpening the target at large zoom. It is time to choose some new model, then I can send it Sony can find out, do they screwed something. Besides I wish to replace broken plastic part, I wanted to know did somebody else experienced my buffer problem. It will serve as assisting cam, when I acquire something new, but as I wrote, it was great disappointment, choosing it then been promoted in shops as official camcorder, I expected Sony to be perfect
