Reviews for Sony Handycam Digital Camcorder - 2.7" LCD - CMOS

High Tech But At A High Price

Strengths: Amazing HD picture quality from a relatively small camcorder

Weakness: Steep "early adopter" price tag, main menu only accessable via LCD touch screen

For what it is, the HDR-HC1 is an amazing piece of technology. For the first time ever, consumers can now film their important events in true 1080i high definition. Of course that comes at a steep price, 2 to 3x the price of a normal DV camcorder. The fact of the matter though is the HDTV standard will be the broadcast standard in 2009. And HDV, the format the HC1 uses, will soon become the consumer video standard for HD recordings.

The question is, do you want to spend the price for the HC1. Less expensive models are on the way...eventually. Canon, Sharp, and JVC have all said they are committed to the standard. But as of now, the HC1 is alone in its class. So you can spend the money and have HD recordings of all of your family's moments from today forward, or you can wait six months to a year. If you are ready to record in HD now read on.

The general picture quality of the HC1 is outstanding for a consumer model this size. If you watch the output on a HDTV you'll truly belive the even is happening live. In dimly lit scenes the quality understandibly suffers, and the optional video light is recommended. The HC1 does have NightShot and Super NightShot, but these modes to give your video green tint.

Battery life is on par with other DV cameras. The standard battery gives you about 50 minutes with periodic play/rec stopping. Surpisingly there is little savings in battery life using the viewfinder vs. the LCD. However, the viewfinder is on par with ones found in pro models and the best place to view footage offline. The LCD panel, as one would expect on a HDV camcorder is 16:9. One of the annoying "features" of Sony consumer camcorders is that the LCD panels are actually touch panels, and all menu configurations are done here rather than with hard buttons. While this sounds neat, it's not. It's slow, plus, when you spend this much on a camera you really don't want to be putting your dirty greasy fingers all over the LCD panel. This wasn't a deal killer for me, but if I had a choice of another brand, like Canon, it might have been.

While the HC1 is a consumer camera, it does offer a tiny bit of manual control. For example, there is a manual focus ring on the lense, and you can also control exposure as well. The HC1 also features a LANC port.

The HDV format uses regular DV tapes. Your existing DV tapes play perfectly in the HC1. The HC1 also will downconvert the HD content to DV. This is useful if you don't edit your tapes on a computer and want to save the content to DVD. When Bluray and HD DVD come to market (late 2005 or early 2006) this feature won't be as important. (I'm assuming that if you own the HC1 you'll probably go out to by one of these sucessors to the DVD recorder too).

As is the trend these days, the HC1 also doubles as a digital camera. A 16 MB Memory Stick Duo is included which is actually OK if you don't use it as your main camera. The digital camera mode is 2.8 MP, which is why you shouldn't use it as your main digital camera. The pictures from it look good, but forget about enlargements. For what its worth though, stills from the HC1's video look just as sharp as stills.

Despite some ergonomic annoyances, the HC1 is a solid first model for Sony and the market in general. If you are ready to record your family's important events in HD and don't bristle at the price tag the HC1 is for you. It's a very enjoyable unit for what it is. But it is important to understand that this is the first of many models to come; one's that will be better, less expensive, and smaller. If you are OK with that then what are you waiting for...pull out that credit card and go get one now. Your life isn't standing still you know.

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HDR-HC1 is a Great Camcorder!

Strengths: Compact, Great Hi Def Picture, Easy to use, Loaded with Prosumer Features

Weakness: None

I originally bought Sony's HDR-FX1 camcorder, but when the HDR-HC1 was announced I decided to sell the HDR-FX1 primarily due to the smaller consumer size of the HDR-HC1. It is also much cheaper - I saved about $1300 over the FX1. Looking at the specs, I hoped this would be a smaller version of the FX1 - and it is.

While it does not have every bell and whistle that the FX1 has - it has most of them in a very compact size. It even has additional capabilities such as infrared for nightime, low light / no light videos.

Some have criticized the need for hi def camcorders given the difficulty of editing high def (more powerful editing software and system required) and the lack of DVD burners and players to create hi def video. Fair enough. But my view is you can NEVER go back and capture a memory on hi def once it has passed. So I record on hi def and then simply let the HDR-HC1 convert it when I capture it on my computer as WIDESCREEN DV (I use Pinnacle Studio 9). So no problem. I get widescreen and I can use all the DV editing I have in place now.

I am also experimenting with doing my editing in hi def and once getting it final, putting it back to to mini-DV tape in hi def so I will have final edited versions in hi def. Then simply rendering the hi def version as DV for purposes of creating DVDs, etc.

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Sony HDR-HC1

Strengths: Small and good-looking. Video quality is very good. Uses regular mini-DV cassettes.

Weakness: Only interlaced video. Poor selection of included aciessories

Overall, this is a pretty good camera; it is basically your only choice right now if you want a consumer HD capable camcorder. It is pretty small, and the overall appearance is good. Most of the functionality is accessed through the LCD touch screen; this eliminates a lot of the buttons, and it works out pretty well for the most part. It would be nice if the screen was a little more sensitive (i.e. it requires a fairly firm touch) and your hand sometimes gets in the way of seeing the buttons (most of them are pretty small). The video quality is very good, you can select between 1080i and standard DV modes. I am very disappointed though that there is no 720p or other non-interlaced mode. Interlaced video is not ideal for sports/action shots and is usually a nightmare to edit. The autofocus is a bit slow, but it does focus well, and doesn't seem to drift in and out of focus. The zoom lens works well also, but the zoom slider is in a very awkward location; it is not located where your fingers naturally rest like some of the older Sony cameras. My main complaint about this camera, as with most other Sony products I've purchased is with the included accessories. This is a top of the line camera, so basic accessories like a stand alone battery charger and a IEEE 1394 cable should be included; also, why do they even bother making 16mb memory sticks? They include a usb cable, which can only be used for downloading still pictures, but not a 1394 cable, which is necessary to get digital video from the camera. If they were going to include any cables, the 1394 should have come first. Sony also uses proprietary batteries; they say that there are digital circuits in the battery pack to accurately calculate the remaining battery life (it is far from accurate), but it is basically just there to make sure that you will only be able to use the expensive Sony batteries with this camera. If Sony would have included decent accessories with this great camera, I would have given it 5 stars.

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Sony HDR-HC1 is a steal at under $2000!

Strengths: Superior video quality, small form factor, light, tons of accessories.

Weakness: High initial cash outlay, not easy to convert to computer video file, no consumer HDV format yet (e.g. Blu-Ray or HD-DVD).

You've seen the expert reviews. I can now tell you everything they said about the Sony HDR-HC1 is absolutely true.

The video that this small camcorder produces is STUNNING. How much better is it than a mini-DV camcorder that produces standard definition video? It's exactly the same if you were to go to your local Best Buy and compared an analog television set with a high definition projection television!

The price is really high but when you consider that the video is 3 to 5 times better than a regular mini-DV camcorder, the price (under $2000) is a steal!

Another way to look at it is you can never go back and reshoot memorable moments. If you can shoot in high definition now, you can always edit your footage later when tools will be plentiful. You can always size down your video. But it's impossible to take standard definition and improve it to high definition.

Other things that should be considered are accessories. They are not cheap! Expect to add the cost of a tripod, monopod, additional light source, microphone, wide angle lens, telephoto lens, etc.

About batteries, I would recommend getting a few of the Sony NP-QM71D batteries. There is also the higher capacity Sony NP-QM91D but as mentioned in most online reviews, the NP-QM91D sticks out at the rear farther than the viewfinder, thus rendering the viewfinder useless.

The viewfinder can be tilted upwards at an angle. It cannot be stretched backwards/outwards. This is however not a problem if you shoot your video through the LCD screen.

The other problem right now is the lack of software for transferring your video footage to your computer for editing. High definition DVD standards are not even finalized yet. You will also require a high powered computer for transferring and editing footage.

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Sony HDR-HC1 - the first HDV 1080i High-Definition...

Strengths: This is a ground breaking high-end consumer camcorder. Takes really sharp, 16:9 widescreen high-definition video in good and OK lighting. Paying 'street price' lets you get some accessories.

Weakness: No progressive scan mode. Needs a video light in dimly-lit settings unless you want the green 'NightShot' look of a wildlife movie.

I have used this camera for three weeks. The 'killer feature' that makes this camera worth the hefty price tag is the wonderful High-Definition 16:9 widescreen picture quality - it leaves Mini DV in the dust for both video and the occasional still when you don't want to carry a digital still camera as well. Second, I love the one hour recording time compared with 25-30 minutes for DVD camcorders. The camera's size and weight and handling are pretty good - I don't want to lug a 4-5 pound 'pro' HDV camera around, but some of the newer, smaller Mini-DV models seem to be designed to look cute in the store/slip into a purse rather than for comfortable shooting at least for big-handed adults. There is no substitute for picking a few cameras up in your local electronics store before you make your buying decision.

The build quality is excellent, the kind you used to get all the time from Japanese electronics. The color viewfinder is the best I've ever used. It's so good that the LCD doesn't measure up in terms of picture quality, but often the LCD is more convenient for shooting. With a larger capacity battery you're probably stuck with the LCD because the viewfinder tilts up but doesn't extend back. The Zeiss video lens is up to the quality you would expect from a camera this price. Auto-focus is sharp and reacts fairly quickly. I like the well-placed exposure control. Color rendition is great in good lighting.

Negatives are fairly minor. Please remember that this is a high-end consumer camcorder, not a $3K+ pro model. It's not at all a true 'prosumer' crossover item like a decent Nikon Digital SLR. I wish it was easier to get a slow zoom - the primary zoom control on top of the camera is too speedy for me. The zoom/focus ring on the lens is a great feature but since it's not mechanically linked to the lens why can't we adjust how fast or slow it zooms, at least as as a menu option? The buttons next to the LCD are the best way to zoom slowly but I wish they were more tactile - just like using the touch screen LCD controls for spot exposure or focus it takes my attention away from the subject I'm shooting.

The standard battery life is OK for me (50-60 minutes with stop and starts) without using a video light - I got the medium sized SQ quick charging battery (QM71D) as a second battery for 'on the road'. The QM91D is too big for me but your mileage may vary. I ordered a stand-alone quick charger as on-camera charging is slow for the QM71D. You may also need a case, and some HDV-quality tapes. Compared with the cost of the camera $12 to $17 per Sony HDV-quality MiniDV tape is not a deal-breaker but I haven't compared the quality with shooting HDV on regular Mini-DV tape. I expect tape prices to come down as more people buy this camera and when more camera makers and tape manufacturers get on the HDV bandwagon.

Consumer 1080p camcorders aren't available yet (10/05) and it's debatable whether 720p is a step down or a step up from 1080i. This product is the first of it's kind - a relatively affordable, 'right-sized' camera that lets ordinary consumers shoot in beautiful widescreen high-definition. Try it out in a store and then buy online. You won't be disappointed. Suddenly 'DVD-quality' won't quite be good enough ...

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Sony HC-1 A Fantastic Little High-Def Camcorder

Strengths: Records in both DV and HDV formats on regular mini-DV tape Many options Easy to use

Weakness: Poor low light performance Mediocre control over aperature and gain

When I first read about this camera, I immediately sold my three chip CCD DV camera and traded up to this single CMOS sensor HDV camera. It really is high definition and plugged into a high-def monitor looks ultra clear. The camera is very easy to use with all automatic features available. There are also many user selectable features including manual control over shutter speed, aperture, zoom, focus.

However, the zoom is a little too fast for some (I like its speedy nature, though it doesn't 'ease in' well) and is accessible through the zoom ring, top rocker, or buttons on the LCD. The aperture does NOT give you an F Stop reading until you play back the tape in data code mode, though does show you a slider bar on the great wide screen LCD so you can get an idea of how wide open the aperture is. It's easier to slip it into one of the programmable modes, like soft portrait, to get a shallow depth of field.

The Achilles heel of the camera is its low light performance. It tends to boost the gain in many indoor situations. The gain is not too bad, though much better to properly light a situation. I recently shot a band in a small recording studio and three 150 watt bulbs were not enough. Trading them out for 250 watters served me well.

Also note that this camera shoots in regular DV as well, a great addition. Also, if you shoot in HDV, the camera will automatically 'down convert' the signal to DV when plugged into a regular camera or editing system that doesn't support HDV (not all of them do yet). Sometimes I had to go into the camera menus (all via the touch screen LCD) to change the choices from automatic to something like HDV to DV.

The camera is super light weight and balances well with a FM-71 battery (many off brand versions can be found via price grabber and seem to be worth the savings.) However, double check on many of the camera vendors listed here as some will give you a headache just by trying to save fifty or a hundred bucks. Plug a few choice words into google to check on the vendors or simply buy from a known reputable dealer.

The camera also take reasonable stills onto a memory stick duo (also poor low light) and has Sony's proprietary intelligent accessory show -- the discussion of which is beyond the scope of this review.

All in all, a great purchase for the price, and very forward thinking as it supports both DV and HDV. As soon as High Def televisions and HD/Blu-Ray players become common in a year or two, you'll be glad you shot on HDV. Also a great choice for film festivals and indie features which can screen on HD. You'll just have to get a transfer to the appropriate HD tape at a transfer house for the end product. A Great little camera with many more features than listed here. I'm still discovering them.

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Happy little camcorder for high-definition recording.

Strengths: small, records in HDV (1080i), variety of adjustments and manual controls

Weakness: rather poor low light performance, zoom lever zooms too fast, rolling shutter may cause smudging of fast-moving objects, HDV editing software is NOT included.

This camcorder is amazingly small, smaller than a lot of regular DV cameras on the market and is extremely light. And it's HDV! Invest in a spare battery, though - the one that comes with the camera only lasts for about 30 minutes (with LCD on). I bought 3 spare QM71 batteries, which lasted for about 60 minutes each on the first charge.

Video quality is excellent! The only trick is getting the video out of the camera and editing it - there is no HDV editing software included with this camera. You can still capture the video via Firewire (standard), but if you want to edit the video, make sure that you put an additional chunk of money aside in order to buy HDV-capable editing software, such as Sony Vegas 6, for example. Software is NOT included with this camera.

Hardware-wise, the camera is very well balanced and feels just perfect in hand. Sony also managed to achieve good balance between the number of hard buttons and touch-screen controls. Some of the hard buttons are somewhat customizable and can be assigned to control frequently used options. Most of the control is via LCD, though.

Sony's spot focus is another great feature that I love and should be a requirement for high-definition recording because even a slightest out-of-focus, not normally noticeable on regular DV, becomes very obvious with high definition viewing. The camera does a very good job finding the right object to focus on most of the time, but if you are filming a scene with a big depth and off-center objects, just touch an object on the screen and the focus will tune to that object. That is very helpful.

Steady-shot performance is okay. The built-in stabilizer is okay and is not worse than that in a regular DV camera, but, just like with the sharpness of the focus, any shaking appears amplified in HD.

If you add something like Steadicam Merlin, your high definition videos will look almost broadcast quality and no one will believe that you filmed that with such a small camera.

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Great camcorder for high end consumers

Strengths: Incredible clarity, small form factor, solid feel and construction.

Weakness: Low light capabilities on par with "consumer" camcorders. No universal "shoe" for shotgun mics, lights, etc.

I bought this camera for $1700, which is fairly high compared to other camcorders, but a great price (as of 9/2005) for an HDV camcorder. You cannot understand how clear a picture this takes in outdoor, sunny conditions until you see it for yourself in HD. Indoor footage is still very acceptable, but the HC1 does not have the low light capabilities of a 3 chip camcorder like the Sony FX1. However, I still can't get over that I'm finally shooting all my footage in widescreen!

As I stated above, it is a weakness that this does not come with a universal shoe mount for lights or mics. You can use special Sony products that fit a proprietary mount. I worked around this fact by buying a 3rd party bracket that screws to the tripod mount and give you 2 universal show mounts.

I have not taken a still picture with this, nor do I ever plan to with this camcorder.

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Good consumer HD cam

Strengths: If you just have to have HD then this is currently the only reasonable price consumer HD cam.

Weakness: Don't expect this camera to pro quality output. HD artifacts.

Here is the bottom line on this camera:

1. If you are thinking its output will be capable to a AG-DVX100a or VX-2100...forget it. The video quality is more inline with a good consumer camera not a pro grade 3-CCD camera. I was really hoping that this camera would be capable...

2. Since the HD signal has to be recorded on the same tape as DV it has to be compressed more this shows up in motion artifacts and jpg compression low light artifacts. Shooting in low to average light with any kind of reasonable panning will bring out these very noticable artifacts.

3. The autofocus system is not as good as a pro grade camera which causes more motion artifacts: lots of blurry scenes.

4. Low light performance is pretty bad.

Now, what's the good point. Shooting in good light in HD and playing back on a HD TV looks pretty good. Then this camera really shines. That footage is capable to the pro grade camera's. Obviously at some point it will have to be down converted and you will lose the quality. It won't be easy to mix footage from this camera with a VX-2100 for example.

Good start...maybe the new 3-CCD pro version will be better.

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Mostly Good

Strengths: Great nightvision (lag with Super Nightvision). Nice shape and size. touchscreen menus are much easier that finding little roller dials and buttons. works as webcam without additional software.

Weakness: bottom-loading. does not come with software to rip DV or burn to DVD. does not come with firewire cable (required for DV capture).

We bought this camera just a couple weeks ago. So far, using the camera has been great. I have not put it on the tripod yet, because we have to remove it from the tripod to change the tapes.

The camera did not come with any software. Sony sells their software from $130 to $175000, but could not even be bothered to put the $130 package into the box or allow a 5-minute test burn to see how well it worked. Asked them about it, and they were very unhelpful.

So far, the only software I have found that has been able to rip the DV without frame loss (on DV, not HDV) has been winDV (freeware, under 100K in size).

So far, have been able to successfully write a DVD+RW that will work on the standalone DVD player, but not a DVD-R. Have made a few platters so far.

If you already have a software solution that works great (with DV capture) then I would say this camera is worth it. If not, don't forget to add that (and the firewire cable itself) into the cost.

Overall, very happy with the camcorder itself - frustrated with PC integration.

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HDR-HC1

Strengths: IT is very small, but it has a great quality. I love the ability to touch the screen and select the spot you want the camera to expose for. advanced menu system for navigating around the various areas.

Weakness: I hate that so many of the features are menu driven. I don't like the zoom lever.

For people who want to buy the HDV deck that plays back HDV tapes, this is a good alternative. You can buy this camera and use it as a playback deck through your fire wire. Very impressed with most of the clever features and the iamge quality of the camera. The LCS is screen is really small but it is a small sacrifice for getting a light camera withsuch quality.

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Sony Handycam HDR-HC1 Mini DV Digital Camcorder

Strengths: GREAT PICTURE ON LCD & EASY TO HOOK UP TO DISPLAY.

Weakness: BUTTON TO TAKE PICTURE NOT IN A GOOD PLACE, NO SPECIAL EFFECTS, A LITTLE BIG, EXPENSIVE

This is my first ever HD recorder. I'm not really that impressed with the unit as it has no special effects built into the unit. I guess one should have that kind of software on your computer. Overall the unit is a little big and it zooms too fast. It takes a wonderful picture and my new born twins are definately worth the investment!!!

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having problem with audio noise when

Strengths: excellent camera otherwise

Weakness: can't use the external power supply when mic input is plugged into a external mic.

The problem I have found is you can only use the battery when I have an external mic input coming to the camcorder. If I use the power supply. A hum is created.

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ReviewGist for Sony Handycam HDR-HC1 Mini DV Digital Camcorder 3 0MP 10x Opt 120x Dig 2 7 LCD

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