Quick Camcorder Reviews: Sony DCR-HC26

The DCR-HC26 has a 1/6” 340K effective pixel CCD that produced images stricken with noise and color inaccuracy which bordered on being saccharine in quality compared to more accurate budget camcorders produced by manufacturers like Canon. Since manual controls are greatly limited with this camcorder, making adjustments to image parameters is restricted. With its unimpressive results in bright light, the DCR-HC26 was bound to disappoint when it came to low light performance.

Low light shooting with the HC26 resulted in a jump in noise levels. This is something that should be expected, but the drastic decrease in color information for the yellow and green tones of the chart was a bit of a surprise. The HC21 from last year didn’t display this inaccuracy. When shooting at our lowest light level, the colors practically become black and white.

When it comes to grip, the Sony DCR-HC26 definitely succeeds. It offers a well-designed right edge on its top face that provides the fingers of the right hand a solid and comfortable grip, while still allowing access to external control features. The touch screen interface used to access all manual controls and menu settings was riddled with problems, including an inevitably finger grease-smeared LCD screen, illogical menu structure (that can be re-formatted by users if they are savvy enough), and an overall lack of sensitivity when making adjustments. The camcorder does come with an Easy Mode, and while it's great for the ultimate auto user who never wants to enter a menu, it won’t satisfy everyone.

The auto controls for the Sony DCR-HC26 are definitely the selling point of this camcorder, and the camcorder does produce quick results when it comes to shifts in focal depth, white balance, and exposure. The manual controls are another issue and those that are included are limited to a few essentials. The manual control options for the DCR-HC26 are focus, exposure compensation and white balance, along with options like spot focus and metering, which allow the user to touch the screen in an attempt to encourage the HC26 to meter the selected section of the image frame. The success (or lack thereof) of the spot control features was a disappointment and quickly led to quick frustration when complex scenes or fingers bigger than a pencil tip were used.

The Sony DCR-HC26 is also limited in other ways; users won’t find the bevy of manual control options found with Panasonic camcorders within the same price range. The camcorder can record still images to video tape which is a start, but it is still far from the functionality that would make it a true hybrid camcorder.

The DCR-HC26 is an option for the section of the budget market that is looking for an auto mode further simplified with an Easy mode. The camcorder continues the legacy of its predecessor, the HC21, with struggling image quality in even the best lighting situations and miserable performance in anything less. Without the HC21's cold shoe, the HC26 actually manages to downgrade from the DCR-HC21 . At a retail price of $350, it would be advisable to either save up your money for a better quality camcorder or look at other manufacturers within the same price range.

Sony DCR-HC26: THE BOTTOM LINE... Rating: 169.72

Likes

- Simple Easy Mode for beginners - Lowest priced Sony on the market

Dislikes

- Poorly designed touch screen menu structure - Limited manual control will minimize the possibility to adapt to more controls over time - Low image quality in both strong and low light - Loss of cold shoe from the DCR-HC21

Sony DCR-HC26 Compared to the...

Sony DCR-HC36 Rating:	Panasonic PV-GS29 Rating:	Canon ZR500 Rating: 187.57	JVC GR-D350 Rating:	Sony DCR-HC21 Rating: 168.48
Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
-Has a MemoryStick port for shooting stills rather than recording stills to tape -Remote control included  -3D Memory System for easier navigation	-30x optical zoom  -Greater overall manual control for settings like gain, aperture, shutter speed  -More interactive control layout  -Avoids touch screen interface  -Lower price range	-Larger 2.7-inch LCD  -Microphone input option  -25x optical zoom lens	-Lower priced camcorder -32x optical zoom lens -Headphone port -No touch screen interface	-Lower overall price  -Cold accessory shoe was included with this predecessor
Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal
-FireWire Port  -Touch screen Interface system  -A/V out  -1/6-inch, 340K effective pixel CCD  -NightShot Plus feature  -Focal Distance  -USB Port  -White Balance preset and manual options  -Minimal overall manual controls  -MiniDV format  -Electronic Image Stabilizer -Picture Package 1.5 Software -20x optical zoom -2.5-inch LCD	-Manual control over white balance  -1/6-inch, 340K effective pixel CCD  -2.5-inch LCD screen  -FireWire   -Electronic color viewfinder  -A/V out  -No microphone input	-Electronic color viewfinder -MiniDV format for recording video  -Electronic color viewfinder  -Manual control over white balance setting  -Imager Size at 1/6-inch 340K effective pixel CCD	-Simple auto mode options  -1/6-inch, 430K effective pixel CCD  -2.5-inch LCD screen  -No microphone input port  -A/V out  -FireWire Port  -Digital manual focus control  -Stereo audio recording via in-camera mic	-Stills to tape  -20x optical zoom lens  -Touch screen interface for menus and controls  -2.5-inch, 123K pixel LCD screen  -FireWire port  -A/V out  -Same limited manual control availability  -Electronic color viewfinder  -1/6-inch, 340K effective pixel CCD  -Focal diameter -NightShot Plus shooting mode -USB out -Manual control over white balance -MiniDV recording format -Electronic Image Stabilizer
Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse
-Higher price range	-No USB out	-External camera design with controls  -Lower overall resolution on 2.7-inch LCD screen  -Poor physical construction quality  -Non-extending viewfinder	- Less simple to use	-Larger camera body