Peggy,

Sony makes some solid cameras and camcorders, but it really comes down to either doing an actual test of the two cameras or finding some research online for both of them. I have not tested the Sony in a side-by-side comparison. I do know for the the money that the Canon is solid. The Canon does not have internal memory like the Sony. The Canon is also less expensive. But cheaper is not always better.

One other suggestion that I have is seeing if there are YouTube videos with footage from each to see what you think about the quality of each. Of course, some of that is determined by who is behind the camera, the lighting, etc., but YouTube could still be a helpful resource.

I will close with this. I shoot professionally and just purchased a more expensive Sony. I am taking it back and replacing it with a Canon after shooting a side by side comparison. However, that may not be the same in this situation.

I know that I did not give you a clear answer because not being familiar with the Sony makes it difficult to say for sure without additional research.

Thanks for stopping by and asking for help,

David

Canon VIXIA HF R400 vs Sony HDR-CX260V

Thanks so much for your input

Don, here it is http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR-3350-Omnidirectional-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B002HJ9PTO/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381350570&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=wired+microphone+audotech. David