This cam gives me 90’s vibes
I get what you’re going for, but I was around in the '90s, and I know that a bunch of things in the listing didn’t exist back then: HDMI, USB 2.0, NFC, micro SD, SDHC, and of course anything resembling a digital camera with a 9.2 MP sensor!
This camera, having an optical zoom, is going to be better at capturing video from distant sources than your phone. It’s also much better than the $60 cameras at Walmart with no optical zoom and a webcam sensor. I’m a big Sony camera/camcorder fan and even though this is the lowest end camcorder they make, it ain’t bad!
Right? Even in 2002, I wound up buying a VHS-C camera because it was easier to playback tapes for my family members.
Note that this accepts up to a 64GB microSD.
Bingo. If you’re trying to record at some distance (such as having a high-school kid in sports and you’re recording a highlight reel for their recruiting, or into RC planes or hot-air balloons, or if you’re a private investigator, etc), this is a great camera. It’s much more stable and has far better zoom than recording with a phone, and much lighter more portable than a mirrorless camera with a 400x telephoto lens. Pair this camcorder with a $15-$20 monopod and a couple decent SD cards and you can record all day.
My only real complaint is that it doesn’t have a microphone jack–it would be better to use something like a VideoMic Go instead of the built-in one. But the only entry-level camcorders that I remember having mic jacks were Canon, and they left that segment a few years ago.
Really Woot? Selling 10 year old tech?
Date first available on Amazon was 1-6-14!
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-HDRCX240-BVideo-Camera-2-7-Inch/dp/B00HNJWWK2?th=1
I am not a video kinda guy, but I do appreciate that this unit’s main purpose is: VIDEO. Sometimes a unit dedicated to what you really want to do is a good idea. However, if you are planning any kind if FB “reel” or YT whatever, NOT having a mic plug-in is a real bummer.
Talking to a mic several feet away does not sound professional.
This is meant to be used with Woot! After Dark items… 
Depends on the setup. This could still be used in a dedicated content creation/live streaming camera. For that you could use something like a Blackmagic ATEM Mini to connect the camera to the computer. The ATEM would let you connect a separate microphone to the stream, and then they would both be seen on your computer as a single camera input. OBS Studio can also pair the video from this to a different audio source.
Example: streaming something like a painting or sculpting tutorial. You probably have a good camera pointed at your face and a good mic. Something like this would be a great Camera 2 (on a cheap desk mount) pointing directly at the art. The creator would then switch back and forth between the cameras as the video needs.
There are obviously dozens of cameras that are better and have more features, but this is pretty good bang-for-the-buck.
Any idea what the resolution would be like if I took this to a gun range to observe targets at 100-200 yards? Could I see dime sized holes at those ranges?
If it has a USB input, you can run an external mic.
And yet…
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-HDR-CX240-Camcorder-SteadyShot-Stabilization/dp/B075GZ7FLK
Supply, meet demand.
Used, not new. I can find a lot of used items on Amazon; doesn’t mean there’s a demand.
In spite of the high-speed USB 2.0 (40 times faster than USB 1.1) feature and support for the proprietary Sony Memory Stick Micro media, this camera has been discontinued by Sony.
Is Sony still making the batteries for this?
Aftermarket batteries are available on Amazon.
Kastar NP-BX1 Battery Pack Replacement for Sony HDR-CX240, HDR-CX405, HDR-CX440, HDR-PJ440, HDR-PJ410, Vlog Camera ZV-1 Handycam Camcorder https://a.co/d/bz1JVRd
(Please Note: I’m not employed by Woot, but I volunteer to help in the forums.)
Only if you hit the target