| Sony Handycam HDR-HC3E - Camcorder - widescreen - 2.1 Mpix - optical zoom: 10 x - Mini DV (HDV) - black | 
 enlarge | Brand: Sony
Category: Photography
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:   (1 reviews)
Sales Rank: 65139
Media: Electronics
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Optical Zoom: 10
Display Size: 2.7
Maximum Focal Length: 51
Minimum Focal Length: 5.1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
MPN: HDR-HC3E
Model: HDR-HC3E
UPC: 411378031792
EAN: 4905524333817
ASIN: B000JNA82S
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| Features:
| • | This camcorder has not been imported, warrantied or otherwise supported by Sony USA. Discs recorded on this camcorder will not play on models compatible with NTSC TV system. | | • | Includes Power Adaptor/ In Camera Charger (AC-L200), InfoLithium(R) Rechargeable Battery (NP-FP60), Wireless Remote, A/V - Component - USB cables | | • | Focus System - Full Range Auto/Manual (Dial) / Manual Focus (Dial), Spot Focus (Touch Panel) | | • | Effective pixels of moving pictures in 16 - 9 - 1.43 megapixel / Effective pixels of moving pictures in 4 - 3 - 1.076 megapixel | | • | Minimum Illumination - 5 lux (without NightShot); 0 lux (with NightShot) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Even the home video enthusiasts are impressed with the range of recording capabilities offered by the HDR-HC3 Handycam camcorder. With HD and SD Recording Modes, you can make the move to HD while retaining compatibility with standard definition equipment. The HC3 sets the industry standard in resolution quality with its ClearVid CMOS Image Sensor, capturing precise detail and superior color reproduction. Dual Record Mode lets you capture 2.3 Megapixel stills while shooting high definition video. And Smooth Slow Recording captures fast movement with precise detail for slow motion playback. Now you can record what you want however you want it. The HC3 is everything you've come to expect from the world's smallest and lightest consumer camcorder.
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| Customer Reviews:
High quality pictures but some poor image controls January 19, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Takes great pictures, and has well designed controls. Responds quickly to the "on" request and is delightfully compact and convenient. The automatic lens cap is great - I always eventually lost the old manual ones somewhere.
However, taking shots through the viewfinder (using the screen is usually inconvenient) has drawbacks. The viewfinder itself has a tiny screen. The focus is really dumb - it does not know how to pick up the subject when zooming in and usually focuses on the background. It has ruined many wildlife shots for me. You can set an area for focus on the screen, but that's impractical, as it changes, and can't be changed through the viewfinder. The manual alternative is harder than it need be - rather than just rotate the bezel, you have to find one little button at the left on the front, and rotate a tiny little wheel which could go either way, all the time trying to see what's happening in a very low definition screen.
There's no practical way to rewind the tape to repeat something and overwrite expensive tape. You have to switch the camera into a completely different (playback) mode with an awkward rotating control, work back through the fold out screen, then fold it away and switch the camera off, and back to the record mode! How did Sony miss that one?
The lens has limited zoom, and the digital image stabilization is quite poor. How can Sony charge four times as much as the regular definition cameras they have had in production for years, and not give us the 20x optical zoom, and optical image stabilization most of them have?
The tapes are ridiculously expensive - about $8 is the best price around for 64 minutes. There seems to be collusion in the US, as most quotes are almost identical, yet the same tape is less than half the price, even with the (18%?) VAT there, versus the pre-tax price in the US.
All in all, the most important thing - the HD pictures - are great. We have a 61" 1080i screen, and these pictures are just as good as the HD broadcasts! Start/stop and zoom controls work very well. But why didn't Sony's HD team talk to the Hi8 team? How did they lose the much better zoom, image stabilization, autofocus, active rewind features, and such? So now we get superb definition, but can't compose nearly as good shots!
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