Sony camera and Video Camera Reviews?

[EMKoper]

Greetings ... does anyone have any experience with the HDR-HC1 HDV 1080i Handycam or have any ideas on the DR-HC3 HDV 1080i Handycam which is to come out soon? How about mid-to-high high end Sony DV cameras in general? (not a film making guy, just looking for somthing to take great quality shots of the kids!)

I have been having trouble finding a good DV camera review site like Digital Photographay Review is for digial cameras. Could you guys list your sources you use for DV camera reviews?

 

[williamw]

everytime i go to the store i fall in love with the HDR-HC1

 

[zim]

I am also looking into the HDR-HC1. It looks like a very nice camera. The podcast Rocketboom uses it and I love the quality that they are getting. I am hoping to head out to best buy, hoping that they have it, so I can test it out. No clue when the HDR-HC3 comes out and if it will effect the HC1 line, amazon does not even list the HC3.

I am also looking for a digital video site like dpreivew.com. If I find anything then I will be sure to post it back here.

Also, someone said that there was a Panasonic that was comparable to the HDR-HC1 and less expensive.. not sure what model, I believe that comment is made on the amazon page for the HC1.

Please update us if you make a purchase or test it out, I am looking for reviews, hands on reviews.

 

[Artful Dodger]

Try http://www.camcorderinfo.com or cnet (I like the other one better). Somebody had the HC1 on MR and really liked it so try a search and see what you get I know on Amazon the price has been dropping the last month or two on the HC1.
Anyway good luck

 

[EricNau]

I don't have video camera, but my Sony digital camera is the best digital camera I have ever had.

 

[solvs]

Sony HD may be overkill for you. I'd maybe look at the low end Panasonics or Canons. Or the new Sony DCR-HC96 if you want something small and simple. If you want to go midrange HD, the HDR-HC3 is supposed to be pretty good. A Google search pulls up a bunch of preliminary info. Little expensive for what you get IMO, but it may be what you're looking for. I'm hoping for more info on the rumored HC5, but I may be waiting a long time. If you can still find an HC1, it'd probably work for what you'd want to do as long as you don't mind bottom loading tapes. http://www.bhphotovideo.com has some good deals, and I've been happy with them in the past.

 

[Applespider]

The other problem with HD is that it uses a lot of processing power. I'm not sure how well the two Macs in your sig will handle it. You might be better off with Sony's high-end handycams for what you want to do. Learn on that one for a few years and then move over to a better specced HD/3CCD one. But I can see the attraction of at least having footage HD now as being more 'future-proof'.

I've got an HC90 (last year's version of the HC94/96) and like it; I got mine for vacations and family stuff too but wanted decent quality.

There's a good French site called magazinevideo.com which, although the reviews are in French, has good quality clips to compare various camera in different lights and circumstances.

 

[ipacmm]

amazon does not even list the HC3.

Amazon.com now has it listed as an April 30th release date...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DZFSFY/ref=sr_11_1/102-7443653-8632941?_encoding=UTF8

I am also looking at the HC1 and the HC3 to buy...I really like the HC1 and I think it is a great camcorder but the new HC3 will be interesting, I can't wait until it comes out to see how good it is.

 

[EMKoper]

Thanks for all the responses! Will look at Camcorder Info a little more closely. I watched some of the Sony video on the French site www.magazinevideo.com and their review section seems comprehensive ... I do have a friend that speaks French that can possibly help me with the review section.

... [HD] uses a lot of processing power. I'm not sure how well the two Macs in your sig will handle it.

Great point... but that does play into my larger scheme of buying a Rev2 Intel PowerMac sometime late next year. I really want to start collecting better footage now and worry about editing/composeing it later if my current PM can't hold-up. I have an older JVC DV (bought in ~ 2000) and I cringe when I work with the footage--in less than bright natural lighting, the quality is poor, noisy, and the auto-focus is constantly going in/out of focus. From my "parent" point of view, the kid-o is growing up too fast and wish, up to this point, we had better video of her.... so a camera that might be overkill for family home footage for most seems like a reasonable option that is, as Appleinsider said, is "future-proof."

 

[LethalWolfe]

The other problem with HD is that it uses a lot of processing power. I'm not sure how well the two Macs in your sig will handle it. You might be better off with Sony's high-end handycams for what you want to do. Learn on that one for a few years and then move over to a better specced HD/3CCD one. But I can see the attraction of at least having footage HD now as being more 'future-proof'.

While HDV takes more processing power than DV I think the two computers should be able to handle it okay. Rendering will suck, but the actual process of editing will probably just be a bit slower than editing DV footage.

Great point... but that does play into my larger scheme of buying a Rev2 Intel PowerMac sometime late next year. I really want to start collecting better footage now and worry about editing/composeing it later if my current PM can't hold-up. I have an older JVC DV (bought in ~ 2000) and I cringe when I work with the footage--in less than bright natural lighting, the quality is poor, noisy, and the auto-focus is constantly going in/out of focus. From my "parent" point of view, the kid-o is growing up too fast and wish, up to this point, we had better video of her.... so a camera that might be overkill for family home footage for most seems like a reasonable option that is, as Appleinsider said, is "future-proof.

Auto anything on any camera will always go in and out as the conditions change. Only very rarely and in specific conditions will you find a pro shooter using any auto settings. And, all other things being equal, an HDV will most likely have worse low light abilities than a comparable DV camera.

The reason is even though the CCDs are the same/similar size, the HDV camera crams a ton more pixels on the CCD than what DV does. And the smaller the pixel the less responsive it is to light. So the trade off is increased resolution for (most likely) inferior low light performance.


Lethal