Quick Review Camcorders: Sony HDR-HC3

The Sony HDR-HC3 will undoubtedly prove to be one of the most popular camcorders this year. Last year’s HDR-HC1 was both critically praised and sought after by consumers. The first consumer HD camcorder for under $2000, Sony had a difficult task designing a follow-up for a growing market. While we love many things about the HDR-HC3, we must confess disappointment with Sony’s “less is more” strategy of pulling features in order to lower the price.

 

The HDR-HC3 comes outfitted with the 1/3” ClearVID CMOS sensor, the same chip found in their top DVD camcorder, the DCR-DVD505, and both new AVCHD camcorders, the HDR-SR1 and the HDR-UX1. The HDV compression of the HDR-HC3 works most favorably with the chip though, combining great color performance with fantastic resolution. While noise levels were higher than last year’s HDR-HC1, the HDR-HC3 proves to be much superior to the AVCHD camcorders in that regard.

 

The ClearVID sensor is a huge benefit for low light performance. While the HDR-HC3’s HDV compression results in the cleanest image of any of Sony’s HD camcorders. Noise increased in diminishing light but to a more than acceptable level.

 

Handling the HDR-HC3 is a much simpler affair than last year’s HDR-HC1, if only because the body has shrunk and some features were stripped away. Because of the design, there is a tendency of the camcorder to tip away from your shooting hand, but the grip is excellent. Menu navigation is through the touch screen menu, which some people will love and some people will hate. We find that smudges on the LCD are frustrating considering that the LCD is the same tool used to make image quality control decisions.

 

A little, blue Easy button on the upper left side is almost as clear a branding tool as Sony’s own logo. In Easy mode, the excellent auto controls take over and the user is free to point-and-shoot without a care in the world (of course, making your movie interesting is still up to you). There are also what we call “manual controls with training wheels” like Spot Focus and Spot Metering, in which you point on the screen to the place you want to focus or adjust exposure. Automatic controls and ease of use are Sony’s strong suits, and these controls work well.

 

 

The manual control and audio control sets are the areas hurt most by changes from last year’s model. The HDR-HC1 was praised for the return of features that Sony had not turned out in years: shutter speed control, a mic jack, a headphone jack, and a ring control that shifted focus and zoom. The HDR-HC3 dropped nearly all of those controls. The multifunction ring was reduced to a minute Cam Control Dial, totally devoid of the smooth feel of the ring. To its credit, the dial offers control over more features (AE shift, exposure, focus, and white balance shift), but the diminutive size makes you less likely to use it. Thankfully, the HDR-SR1 and HDR-UX1 found a happy medium, offering an expanded number of functions with a full-sized ring.

 

There are plenty of options for getting the video out of the HDR-HC3: DV/HDV, AV, component, composite, USB (for stills), and HDMI. This last port is highly sought after for transferring the best possible picture to HDTVs, and it is one of the biggest advantages over the Canon HV10, which omitted HDMI.

 

The HDR-HC3 compresses video in the HDV format, which, after several years, now finds wide acceptance in consumer editing software. It eats up more system resources than standard definition, but HD is the future, and it’s best to start recording for it now.

 

In conclusion, if you can find the HDR-HC1, it’s a better buy than the HDR-HC3, though it will cost a little more. Compared strictly to this year’s HD camcorders, the HDR-HC3 is in a tight race with the Sony HDR-SR1 and HDR-UX1. Both use AVCHD formatting, which presents enormous workflow issues, especially to the amateur camcorder owner. However, both of those models offer better features, including a mic jack, headphone jack, and the multifunction ring. The HDR-HC3 is a fine camcorder in its own right, but the competition should make you think twice.