» Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom

Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy to use and great quality
Comment: I bought this for my husband who wanted it to film his hunting trips. He loves it. It is a great size, the picture is much better than the one on our old camera, and it has been easy for him to learn how to use it. We will probably invest in the extended battery, based on what other users have said.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great gift!
Comment: For ease of use, convenient size and portability, it would be hard to beat this camcorder.
This was purchased as a Christmas gift after seeing several sites researching it on the intended recipient's computer. Unfortunately, the day before this one arrived, he bought one himself, so it had to be returned, but we're both quite happy with this item and would recommend it without reservation, especially for a novice user.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Wonderful starter camera
Comment: Although this is a camcorder that doesn't have many features (ie: no external mic input, no headphone input), it works like a charm for those who just want to take decent-quality videos for a great price. The picture isn't all that great, but it's a nice little camera that hasn't let me down yet. It's lightweight and easy to travel with. Even without an external mic input, it picks up sound very well. I use it often, even for a major project I am doing. Get yourself some video-editing software with this camera, a firewire (IEEE 1394 is what I use) to connect it to your computer (make sure your computer has a firewire port, as this camcorder doesn't use a USB cable for hook up), and you're good to go. The best part about this camcorder: Mine didn't require the manufacturer's annoying software that you have to install in order to use the camcorder with your computer!! I love that part. I can upload the videos straight into any software program that supports DV video uploading (like Windows Movie Maker). I have used this camcorder both with Windows XP and Vista. No problems either way. I highly recommend it!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Entry Level camera
Comment: I purchased this camera in mid October 2008, and so far have been very pleased given the low price. I initially wanted more features, but did not want to spend over $250-270 total (with accessories like MiniDV tapes, firewire cable, bag, extra battery). I use it for recording my children's music performances.

Plus:
- The video quality is very good. 40x OPTICAL zoom. This was the highest optical zoom I could find in a camera in this price range.
- The sound quality is good in the 12 bit mode, and even better in the 16 bit mode.
- Easy to use.
- Compact.
- Intelligent Lithium battery.

Minus:
- No MiniDV tape included. You will need to buy some.
- NO PASSTHROUGH MODE. This camera cannot accept input from analog sources (like output from an old VHS-C camera or a VCR). If you plan to use this camera to transfer from older analog to digital video, it won't do it.
- Battery life is short, 115 minutes according to book, but I get between 90 and 100 minutes. Buy an NP-FH50 and use the battery that came with the camera as a spare.
- No USB port. You WILL need firewire inputs on your computer to capture the video. And if you purchase from Circuit City, do not expect the sales people to know this.
- No Firewire cable. Factor that in the purchase price. Firewire cables are expensive ($25-$30) IF you buy from a brick and mortar store; expect to pay $8-10 online
- No Remote control. So if you want to put the camera on a tripod, you must manually start and stop the recording.
- No memory slot. MiniDV only.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not recognized by computer (Firewire)
Comment: I received this camera as a gift. It works fine to capture video. However, it is not recognized by the computer, so I cannot edit the images.

Yes, I connected it to the computer via Firewire and yes, I used a video capture software (tried IMovie and Final Cut on Mac, Movie Maker on Windows). None of these programs recognized the camera.

The Firewire port seems to be working, since the "DV in" info appears on the camera display when it is connected. However, the computer does not recognize the device ever. It is not possible either to transfer video from the computer to the camera (record).

Since no one else seems to have had this same problem, I believe it should be a defect of my camera. However, it is very frustrating. The camera becomes practically useless, and to fix it would probably cost more than buying a new one anyway.

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