Sony DCRHC20 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder

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Manufacturer: Sony
Price at amazon.com: $399.99
Usually ships in 24 hours

Used & new from $375.00

List price $449.99



Product Features:

• Sleek, compact MiniDV camcorder and digital still camera with 680,000-pixel CCD
• 10x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 120x) with Super SteadyShot image stabilizer
• 2.5-inch rotating LCD and black-and-white viewfinder
• Low-light recording settings, 12-Bit/16-Bit PCM digital stereo, and accessory shoe
• NP-FM50 InfoLithium Rechargeable Battery

Product Description:

Click Here For Package Contents:The DCR-HC20 is Sony's entry level MiniDV Handycam camcorder in an all new compact design. It's full of features such as Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens system, 2.5-inch SwivelScreen Touch Panel LCD Screen, 10X Optical/120X Digital Zoom and more, to help preserve your digital memories. Spectacular video and sound in a versatile, portable compact design Get up close with 10x Optical and 120x Digital Zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens helps you shoot like a pro Record start/stop button on LCD panel puts recording literally at your fingertips Easily create fun music videos with supplied Picture Package software 2.5-inch Hybrid SwivelScreen Touch Panel LCD puts fun at your fingertips New super compact size means taking your camcorder with you is easy 1/6-inch Advanced HAD CCD Imager, 680K Pixels Gross - 1/6-inch Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 340K (effective) pixels provides stunning detail and clarity, with exceptional video (up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution) and still image performance. MiniDV Recording - Offers up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution, 3X color bandwidth (vs. VHS) and significantly higher S/N ratio, to provide stunning video performance. 10X Optical/120X Digital Zoom - The optical zoom helps to bring the action up close from far away. In addition, the digital zoom interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms. 2

Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: It's completely a joke Rating:
I bought this camcorder based on the high rating on this site and Circuitcity ratings and it's on the way back to the store after two days trial.

I want a good simple Cam to tape my baby and HC20 got my attention due to price, Sony brand, sony famous lowlight performance, digital transfer and specially small.

Pro:
- USB, Firewire video/audio transfer to PC
- Small, easy to carry around.

Con:
- Video and video quality.
- Low light performance is useless.

I taped my baby in the bedroom and living using whatever light available but I don't consider low light especially I expect low lux performing but when I play on the TV, the picture is dark, too much noise and soft. the sound is ok. that is a little disappointed.
Then the next day, I try to tape during the day time, around 6pm in Cali. and play back in the tape, quality is just alright, but once the digital zoom kick in, you can't see any more, all blur. If you happen to see a bad VCD thenyou know what I am talking about.

Think about it, small CCD will cause quality suffer.
I have used the TRV27 in the past so I am going to get the TRV38.

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Comment: Excellent Ultra-Portable Camcorder Rating:
This is a great little camcorder. It feels sturdy, is lightweight, and I can hold it in one hand securely. The video is also quite excellent.

I was debating whether to buy this or one of the Canon ZRs. Even though I was not sure if I would be shooting a lot indoors or not, I like knowing that I can, especially with the Sony's infrared light. The reduced zoom compared to the Canons was a minor issue for me, but I thought that the improved low-light quality of the Sony compensated for it.

The touch screen only functionality of this cam took some getting used to, but as this was my first camcorder, I was not used to any other system. It does not appear that LCD-only buttons is a major drawback, and in fact, I got used to it quite quickly. Also, I can appreciate that there are fewer buttons on the body itself to add to a cluttered appearance.

The built-in lens cover is quite nice as there is no losing it, and also, I think, could be useful for quick manual transitions when shooting.

The camera itself is very compact, and slim. About 2" thick, I can slip this baby into my pocket and go, albiet, large pocket, but it's still amazingly small.

The zoom is very rapid, and the rocker allows variable-speed zooms.

The photo function is nice to have, but I wish that the 7-second audio with each picture was variable, or could be turned off altogether, but as with all camcorders, the photo function is just a nicety, and serious photos should be taken with a real camera, not a video camcorder.

All in all, this is a great miniDV camcorder. I have no basis for reference as this is my first, but I love it, and have no regrets in spending $460 of my limited college-student budget =) on this. I recall three years ago my friend and I were making a film for science class with his hi-8 camcorder, especially the pain of having to manually control a VCR to tranfer the film onto a regular VHS tape. But no more, with miniDV, I can edit and output a film in just a few minutes. WIth the help of a firewire cord (sold separately), on the first day I was able to import the film onto my computer and make a short film clip using Windows Movie Maker. It worked beautifully, so I didn't bother installing the software that came with the cam, since I've heard that it is useless.

PROS:
Lightweight and compact
Excellent film quality
Infrared Lamp
Bright, functional LCD

MINOR CONS:
Constrained still-photo function
Relatively short zoom

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Comment: my new best friend Rating:
i picked up one of these 2 days after they hit the stores and i'm really happy with it. my intention was to buy an older floor model--i didn't realize these were even out yet-- but the second i picked this one up it blew the competition away. it's very intuitive, which is great for lazy people like me who can't be bothered to read manuals.

when i bought it i was really worried about lighting indoors and motor noise which are often reported problem with so many video cameras. since i bought the camera to record acting monologues this could have been a deal breaker but all i need is an adequately lit room, i haven't heard any motor noise. it's also been a trooper at graduations and other more usual camcorder duties. if you buy one you're gonna get a lot of envious stares and more than a few questions so be prepared.

i can't imagine there's a better deal unless something earth shattering has been released since february. i'm happy with the battery life, it feels solidly made. the only cons are that 1) the still photos aren't that great but they're good enough in a pinch and 2) the zoom is sensitive and takes some getting used to. i'd but another one in a second, it was worth every cent.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)