Sony DCRHC30 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder

Rating:
Summary: Not full disclosure from Sony - but a good camcorder
Review: While I haven't used a camcorder since my parents' Sharp swivel screen died about 10 years ago, I can say with confidence that this is a marvelous little camcorder.

The LCD screen is very impressive. No smudges, somehow. The touch screen menu system works flawlessly, even though the "buttons" are a little small for someone with large fingers. The clarity is excellent, even in full daylight.

The menu system is pretty easy to use. It's a little confusing at first, until you realize that each mode (the mode for filming with cassette tapes, the mode for filming with memory sticks, and the edit/view mode) has it's own menu set, with similar but different menu items. Not a big deal; just takes a little time in front of the thing.

This camera is SMALL. I have to say that I didn't think that would be too big of a deal for me, but it really is nice. Now, when I see someone "lugging" a larger camcorder around (even though they're all teeny compared to the monsters from back in the 80s and 90s), I can't help but feel bad for them. This thing truly would fit in your jacket pocket.

Along those lines, there is one problem with the size. It was apparently made for people with little hands. I wear size XL gloves. The hand strap doesn't open far enough for me to get my hand into it. It's difficult for me to use the strap and still be able to reach the buttons. If it were capable of adjusting out another two inches, it would be just right.

I ordered mine with an extra battery (just a stock battery, not the 70 or 90) and a quick charger with a 12V car charger - even though the car adapter got thrown away with the Christmas wrapping paper :o(. I would definitely recommend getting the second battery and quick charger.

We also ordered the 4-year Mack warranty. It cost $80, but it might be worth it.

I knew the zoom was only 10X when I bought it, but it still would have been nice to get a 20X optical zoom.

The built-in lense cover is great. My in-laws have a different Sony model sporting a tethered lense cover. What a nuisance compared to this.

The still picture function is pretty cool. You can take stills to the memory stick while recording video to the tape. Pretty neat feature. They're obviously low quality, but it's fun for quick emails. Don't plan on using them for anything else.

The nightshot plus/super nightshot plus (with the infrared light) are absolutely incredible. If there's some slowdown in nighshot, just turn on the infrared light. Really cool to play with. I've only used it to record my little boy sleeping, but I could invision using it while camping, and maybe a couple of other applications as well.

Shooting in a dim room will give you dim results. I don't know what some people expect, honestly. Same thing goes with still photography (digital or film): if there isn't enough light, you'll get a bunch of black. I think this camcorder performs well enough in this regard. The inclusion of spot metering really helps out, too. Just aim at a darker area (shadows, etc.), and touch the screen there. Voila, the camera has adjusted the exposure for the darker areas. Pretty simple.

I can't believe the add-on flash costs $150. That's absurd. It would be nice for stills, though. I doubt you'd want to use it for video, as it draws juice from the battery (maybe if you had a bigger battery).

I read a review someplace about several types of camcorders recording the mechanical noises from the inner works of the cameras. That isn't a problem here. The recorded sound seems to be pretty good to me (without the extra microphone).

I don't have any older media to update to digital, so I can't speak to its capabilities there. However, my main gripe about this camera has to do with transfering images.

I learned too late that the "Burn to DVD" function will only work with the Firewire cable (not included, and extra $50 from Sony) and a SONY COMPUTER! The other option is to go out and buy 3rd party software. We bought a new computer when we got the camcorder, and I made sure it could be upgraded to house an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port (not a big deal, it's just a PCI card - most computers should have an extra PCI slot in them). It'll cost another $60-80 for the hardware, plus another $80 for the software (I'm looking at Roxio Media Creator 7), plus the $50 for the firewire cable from Sony. After dropping $1200 on the camcorder and computer, I would have appreciated a little more from Sony in the way of full disclosure. Don't get me wrong: it's there, just in fine print.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, the included USB 2.0 cable really does nothing useful. If you want to spend $400 on a camcorder (not including excessories and warranties) that will allow you to transfer grainy images (think $50 webcam quality) to your hard drive with Windows XP (the included software from Picture Package SUCKS), then you'll be all set right out of the box.

If, on the other hand, you were expecting to get high quality images on your computer and eventually onto a DVD, be prepared to cough up a little extra moolah. Pretty frustrating, to say the least.

Oh, and for those of you paying attention, I tried to use the video CD (VCD) function through the USB. Unfortunately, my new eMachines computer (built by Gateway) has a cd/DVD write drive that is not on the list of drives supported by Picture Package's software. After 20 minutes on hold, I learned from PP that I'm basically screwed. He told me to use Windows Moviemaker. What a joke.

Sony really should have included a way to get the video to your PC in reasonably high quality with the USB 2.0, either that or include the firewire instead. After all, one of the reasons I went with the Sony over the Canon was the inclusion of "everything you need right out of the box." Not exactly true.

Now that I'm done with that rant, though, I'll summarize by saying this: Once I finally get the necessary equipment to make a DVD directly from the camcorder, I will be very happy with this camcorder (assuming it works). It seems like a solid, well thought out, well built device. The feature set really is impressive for the money. I would recommend it, assuming you haven't been turned off by the above comments.