680,000-pixel CCD * digital photo mode * photo resolution: 640 x 480 * MPEG Movie EX * compatible with Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO¨ Duo (8MB Memory Stick Duo supplied) * 2-1/2" color touch-panel viewscreen * color viewfinder * PCM stereo digital audio (12-bit or 16-bit) * variable-speed 10X Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 120X) * Super SteadyShot * Super NightShot Plus * auto and manual focus * shutter speeds (1/4 1/4,000) * 6 AE modes * digital picture effects * i.LINK¨ jack * A/V input/output, including S-video * USB interface * M-JPEG video streaming to PC via USB (Microsoft¨ NetMeeting¨ required) * Accessory Shoe * microphone input * 2-1/2"W x 3-7/16"H x 4-7/16"D * weight: 0.94 lbs. with battery * warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor
1 good camera with poor Mac support
This is a very nice compact camera and works great. However, in terms of getting the digital files onto a computer, the support for Macintosh users is horrible. There are some very brief instructions and it is very difficult to find troubleshooting advice. The majority of the manual is dedicated to PCs.
2 Beware of Sony
My little advice - Beware of Sony. The quality has decreased over past years badly and customer service and technical support is very bad too. Not to mention the warranty plans and costs to fix things. I just owned a nice handycam DCR-TRV19 that died after one year of seldom use. Something that is obvious factory defect (since many people experience exactly the same problem) costs more than half of the camcorders price to fix at sony service. I advise you to have a look at http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6142-0.html?forumID=59&threadID=53316&messageID=1064984 and see for yourself how Sony treats their customers.
Once again, don't be blurred by pretty design. The inside is piece of crap.
Sincerely.
3 great value for the money
First, I advise potential buyers to keep in mind the category of this device - simple, for quick home videos. And it is just perfect for that.
Tests done
1. Picture is definitely better than the best Hi8 and the sound is very good (use 16 bit option always). Does not work perfectly at low light, but that is not expected.
2. Handling - excellent, touch screen is the real saver, easy to use and handy.
3. Efects - there are too many. Those I tried are perfect.
4. Analog-to-digital pas through - it does not get any better than this! The best way to convert your analogue tapes to DVD. You can also make direct DVD recording from any possible source (TV, Hi8, VCR ...)
Note: I use Intervideo DVD Creator Platinum 2 with XP home. Did not test the Sony software, did not use USB, only fire wire.
5. Images - perfect for e-mails, naturally not good for regular photos.
New model 32 has better optical zoom, but the catch is it is extremely difficult to adjust it using the small lever on the camcorder. Model 30 had optical zoom 10x and that is just perfect.
Highly, highly recommended (if you can still find it somewhere).
4 Great starter camcorder
I previously had a Sony Hi8 camcorder and had great success using it, so I knew I wanted another Sony for my digital camcorder. I used it right away for some short skit videos, and sure the video quality and sound isn't the greatest, but what do you expect from a $500 camera? This camera was great, it's small & compact (approx 5x7x2), just put it inside your jacket pocket and go.
An extra microphone isn't necessary in my opinion, just make sure you're an adequete distance (3-6 ft) for sound, and that the lighting is somewhat decent for contrast and video quality. I'm quite happy with the outcome of my videos I've made so far.
If you're an Apple user (like I am), using IMovie and the iLink is perfect. Everything downloads quickly, no defects in sound or video. If you're a PC user, I'd suggest getting a Dazzle DVC Digital Video Converter, it's the best one in my opinion. I've tried a few out there that are actual cards you put inside the tower of your PC, and this works just as good if not better for a Plug N Play device.
Also get Adobe Premiere (or something like it) to edit your movies; the software Sony includes is practically useless. Premiere works just like IMovie, just a bit more complicated, and the end result isn't as sharp in terms of transitions, titles, etc.
Keep in mind for the price, you're getting the bare essentials necessary. Be prepared to spend about another $150-200 on accessories, iLink cable (4 to 6 pin), MiniDV tapes, Duo Memory Stick (I suggest getting a 512MB right away), a larger battery, carrying case, etc. I got a majority of the accessories on ebay so I only spent about $90 total for all of them.
What I liked:
-Super compact design
-Decent quality video and sound (equivalent or better to my Hi8 which is twice the size)
-Can connect it to other VCR, camcorders, TVs and record
-Works great with IMovie
What I didn't like:
-Touch screen menu was a little confusing at first
-Record button is TINY and right next to the on/off/modes switch, I sometimes accidently turned the camera off or switched modes when I wanted to hit record (but there is a second button on the LCD screen)
-If you don't have an iLink cable, you can't download video from the tape without a Dazzle converter or something similiar (the USB cable, which is included, only works for transferring files from the Memory Stick). This is applicable for Apple users only, I haven't tried to download video on my PC yet (haven't needed to!)
-Zoom button is a little hard to reach and makes smooth zooming difficult
-Have to use the touch screen to rewind and fast forward thru your tape
If you are aware of what exactly you're buying, you should be happy with this camera.
5 Great camera with great features
I have had this camera for about 6 months and it has been great. This camera is so small that I can put it in my cargo shorts pockets. I think that the touch screen is great, and the menu is set up alright I guess if you are a electronic geek like I am.
I also like the ability to take still photos while video taping. All you do is click the button and you get a still image stored in your memory card. The pictures are only .5 mp, but when you are zoomed in 20x opt. you can get things from far away. The 20x opt. that I am able to get is from a after market 2x lens you can buy for about $35-$50. I went up in the mountains and got some pictures of deer and elk from 200 yards away, and you can tell if they have horns or not.
I have hooked this camera up to my laptop which has a dvd burner, and have burned some dvd's with the this camera. It is at the quality of a dvd movie. I was very shocked to see the great quality.
If you are questioning whether or not to get this, get it. Only don't get it if you are worried about losing it because it is so small.
6 This is my first camcorder and I'm very pleased!
I got this one because of the name & the price. The LCD screen is really nice, perfect picture. All I do is make home movies with it, so I'm not really into all the editing stuff. I have taken a few pictures, and the quality is really grainy. But the way I look at it, the video quality is great, and that's why I bought it. The menu is a little overwhelming, and I still don't know what most of the menu items do. I'm learning as I go. Overall, though, I would probably buy this item again.
7 Absolutely Great Camera
I absolutely love this camera. With the Sony name you can't go wrong. The Mini DV quality is fantastic. Little features about this camera really add up as well, such as the Carl Zeiss lens which makes the picture quality even better and with less glare. The internal lens cover is great, you don't have to worry about loosing one. Touch screen is very easy to use and makes shooting that much better. Nightshot modes work very well and it's very impressive how much light it can pick up in very low level light conditions. Remote control is very useful and is a must for any camera. One of the best features is the battery info. Not only does it tell you when your battery is getting low but it also tells you approximately how many minutes you have to work with. Color viewfinder is also nice since it gives great detail and uses less battery power. This camera is very lightweight and small but at the same time very sturdy and not too small to operate. My only complaint is that the camera would have been a little better with an internal light however you can buy one later and attach it to the camera. Overall couldn't be happier, worth the money if you want a top quality mini dv camcorder.
8 Great Value and Convenience
This camcorder does an excellent job in normal lighting conditions considering the aperature is about 1/3 as large as my old Sony TRV57. For those people who are complaining about the performance in low-light conditions: What do you expect? It's a "mini" camcorder. The lens is very small so you sacrifice significant light-gathering capability for a nice, small camera. Sony addresses this problem by allowing you to adjust the shutter speed via different recording "modes". So far, I've found the results in low-light acceptable.
I also purchased the DCRHC65 thinking the larger 1/5" CCD would improve the performance in low-light, but it really wasn't noticeable, so I returned it. The overall design of this camera is far superior to the HC65. All input/output cable ports are in easily accessible locations. The built-in lens cover is nice. Longer batter life by virtue of it's smaller power requirements. Nice and compact.
Best feature, IMHO is the analog to digital pass-through, which is really why I decided on this camera. We have dozens of Hi8 analog tape that I ultimately want available on DVDs. I connected my old TRV57 into this camera, connected this camera to my Mac via firewire and iMovie began capturing the digitized analog footage. I just finished creating my first DVD from one of our old Hi8 tapes.
Incidentally, I do not recommend trying to use a PC to capture and edit movies. If you're going to drop some $$$ for a digital camcorder, do yourself a big favour and buy a Mac. The latest operating system for Mac (OS X) is wonderful and comes stock with iMovie and iDVD so you don't have to fight with the lousy video editing software that is included with this camera. You might consider buying some video editing software for your PC instead. Don't. You'll be just wasting your time and money. I've used PCs for 15 years and I'm just amazed at how incredibly inept they are at doing most things related to multimedia. Take my advice and buy a Mac for your video editing. You won't be disappointed.
9 Not full disclosure from Sony - but a good camcorder
While I haven't used a camcorder since my parents' Sharp swivel screen died about 10 years ago, I can say with confidence that this is a marvelous little camcorder.
The LCD screen is very impressive. No smudges, somehow. The touch screen menu system works flawlessly, even though the "buttons" are a little small for someone with large fingers. The clarity is excellent, even in full daylight.
The menu system is pretty easy to use. It's a little confusing at first, until you realize that each mode (the mode for filming with cassette tapes, the mode for filming with memory sticks, and the edit/view mode) has it's own menu set, with similar but different menu items. Not a big deal; just takes a little time in front of the thing.
This camera is SMALL. I have to say that I didn't think that would be too big of a deal for me, but it really is nice. Now, when I see someone "lugging" a larger camcorder around (even though they're all teeny compared to the monsters from back in the 80s and 90s), I can't help but feel bad for them. This thing truly would fit in your jacket pocket.
Along those lines, there is one problem with the size. It was apparently made for people with little hands. I wear size XL gloves. The hand strap doesn't open far enough for me to get my hand into it. It's difficult for me to use the strap and still be able to reach the buttons. If it were capable of adjusting out another two inches, it would be just right.
I ordered mine with an extra battery (just a stock battery, not the 70 or 90) and a quick charger with a 12V car charger - even though the car adapter got thrown away with the Christmas wrapping paper :o(. I would definitely recommend getting the second battery and quick charger.
We also ordered the 4-year Mack warranty. It cost $80, but it might be worth it.
I knew the zoom was only 10X when I bought it, but it still would have been nice to get a 20X optical zoom.
The built-in lense cover is great. My in-laws have a different Sony model sporting a tethered lense cover. What a nuisance compared to this.
The still picture function is pretty cool. You can take stills to the memory stick while recording video to the tape. Pretty neat feature. They're obviously low quality, but it's fun for quick emails. Don't plan on using them for anything else.
The nightshot plus/super nightshot plus (with the infrared light) are absolutely incredible. If there's some slowdown in nighshot, just turn on the infrared light. Really cool to play with. I've only used it to record my little boy sleeping, but I could invision using it while camping, and maybe a couple of other applications as well.
Shooting in a dim room will give you dim results. I don't know what some people expect, honestly. Same thing goes with still photography (digital or film): if there isn't enough light, you'll get a bunch of black. I think this camcorder performs well enough in this regard. The inclusion of spot metering really helps out, too. Just aim at a darker area (shadows, etc.), and touch the screen there. Voila, the camera has adjusted the exposure for the darker areas. Pretty simple.
I can't believe the add-on flash costs $150. That's absurd. It would be nice for stills, though. I doubt you'd want to use it for video, as it draws juice from the battery (maybe if you had a bigger battery).
I read a review someplace about several types of camcorders recording the mechanical noises from the inner works of the cameras. That isn't a problem here. The recorded sound seems to be pretty good to me (without the extra microphone).
I don't have any older media to update to digital, so I can't speak to its capabilities there. However, my main gripe about this camera has to do with transfering images.
I learned too late that the "Burn to DVD" function will only work with the Firewire cable (not included, and extra $50 from Sony) and a SONY COMPUTER! The other option is to go out and buy 3rd party software. We bought a new computer when we got the camcorder, and I made sure it could be upgraded to house an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port (not a big deal, it's just a PCI card - most computers should have an extra PCI slot in them). It'll cost another $60-80 for the hardware, plus another $80 for the software (I'm looking at Roxio Media Creator 7), plus the $50 for the firewire cable from Sony. After dropping $1200 on the camcorder and computer, I would have appreciated a little more from Sony in the way of full disclosure. Don't get me wrong: it's there, just in fine print.
Anyhow, to make a long story short, the included USB 2.0 cable really does nothing useful. If you want to spend $400 on a camcorder (not including excessories and warranties) that will allow you to transfer grainy images (think $50 webcam quality) to your hard drive with Windows XP (the included software from Picture Package SUCKS), then you'll be all set right out of the box.
If, on the other hand, you were expecting to get high quality images on your computer and eventually onto a DVD, be prepared to cough up a little extra moolah. Pretty frustrating, to say the least.
Oh, and for those of you paying attention, I tried to use the video CD (VCD) function through the USB. Unfortunately, my new eMachines computer (built by Gateway) has a cd/DVD write drive that is not on the list of drives supported by Picture Package's software. After 20 minutes on hold, I learned from PP that I'm basically screwed. He told me to use Windows Moviemaker. What a joke.
Sony really should have included a way to get the video to your PC in reasonably high quality with the USB 2.0, either that or include the firewire instead. After all, one of the reasons I went with the Sony over the Canon was the inclusion of "everything you need right out of the box." Not exactly true.
Now that I'm done with that rant, though, I'll summarize by saying this: Once I finally get the necessary equipment to make a DVD directly from the camcorder, I will be very happy with this camcorder (assuming it works). It seems like a solid, well thought out, well built device. The feature set really is impressive for the money. I would recommend it, assuming you haven't been turned off by the above comments.
10 Dirty video head
I thought I would like this camera since I had a Sony from a few years ago that got stolen. Sony has gone completely downhill in their quality control and repair departments. After using the camera 3 times a dirty video head message came on. We bought a sony head cleaner and problem kept coming back. Sony repair said to send back and they would pay for shipment from a UPS store. When I got to the UPS store they stated that they had been scrwed by Sony not paying and they needed a fax directly from sony. Calling back and going through about 6 people while at the UPS store they finally told the UPS people that someone had made a mistake and I had to pay to return. I did pay since I wanted for the holidays. The camcorder came back with an invoice that they had repaired a hinge and the same problem immediately came up on the video screen. Nobody did any quality control at the repair site! I spent 2 days trying to get Sony to replace so I would have one for the holiday. After many hours on the phone they are now looking at it again. Did not use for holidays. I bet it will come back still broken!
Never buy Sony again
11 Excellent MiniDV.... audio needs work
A BEST-KEPT MINIDV SECRET: the video "pass-through" feature on the HC30 lets you connect a VCR or camcorder and digitize the signal for editing. You think it can't make a difference? Think again!
I have several DVDs created with one of those USB all-in-one devices, from tapes made on my old analog camcorder. Using the USB, video quality was ok but with some artifacts and pixilazation. I then tried running the analog camcorder signal through the HC30 using the "pass through" feature. What I got were zero lost frames, zero pixalization, and full screen video with no artifacts (!)
I didn't believe it when I saw it, but I realize that despite what "they say", USB 2.0 can't handle the full bandwidth of analog video. As a result I've been spending evenings re-editing all my old analog camcorder tapes through my HC30.
- So don't use the supplied USB cable! Go buy a i.link/Firewire card and cable, otherwise you will lose 1/3 the picture quality. I'm not sure why Sony even bothered to include a USB cable and cause everyone grief.
- Instead of griping about the software Sony bundled, spend an extra buck and go buy the top-notch "Pinnacle Studio" or download the trial of Sony Vegas 5.0. Why buy a quality MiniDV camera and struggle editing your family movies with freeware?
HOWEVER: One downside to the HC30 is that mechanical noise from the camera is slightly picked up by the built-in microphone. Adding a high-quality mike like the Sony ECMS930C picks up the sound even more. This is a problem Sony needs to fix to make this camera's sound as good as it's picture...which is excellent.
12 Great Video Recorder Horrible Software
The Video Recorder worked fine almost out of the box. The battery needed to be charged. The video replays fine on the screen viewer. However it is impossible to transfer a video from tape to a CD. The documentation also says that it will take "hours" to transfer from a tape to a CD. Sony should be ashamed of including this horrible junk software with their wonderful camcorder. No one wants tape. Tape is just a method for recording. The camera gets 4 stars, the software gets negative 20 stars for all my wasted time. Don't bother installing Picture Perfect software, it will not transfer from tape to CD for videos.
13 GREAT CAMERA - TERRIBLE SOFTWARE
Well the camera is really good, its our first video digital camera and its fairly easy to use. BUT the software is really bad, i spent 5hrs trying it on my MAC and PC with little success so I read these reviews again and found the solution with another reviewer and used iMovies on Mac to upload video from tape to computer...couldnt be easier..altho doesnt work with USB cable, has to be firewire cable. If you have a PC i feel sorry for you...you need to get different software as recommended by other reviewers. Havent burned to DVD yet...so I'm hoping it'll be easy with the good old MAC...praise Apple!
14 LCD MALFUNCTIONING RIGHT FROM START
DON'T buy this model DCRHC30, unless you want to get into REAL BIG TROUBLE. This model is quite useless as you can see from the numerous complaints of others also.
My LCD screen is malfunctioning right from the 16th day after purchase. It has been sent for repairs two time within 45 days for the same problem. That's poor performance for something so expensive. The LCD screen's backlight doesn't show up at all after a while. After this happens the unit cannot be operated and becomes USELESS, because all functions are touch-screen.
Sony people is not cooperating at all. They are apologizing quite profusely, but when it comes to replacing the defective unit that is less than 45 days old, they are having all sorts of "problems". Am facing BIG PROBLEM personally.
If you want to know more or read my e-mails to Sony and their reply, you can write to me at am_fre@yahoo.com
15 Excelente compra
Una excelente c‡mara, de tama–o compacto y muy liviana, posee una imagen nitida y un sonido claro (podr’a decir de calidad profecional) El nightshot plus excelente m‡s que comparable con un visor de visi—n noctura. El software es f‡cil de instalar, no se necesita ser un profecional para lograrlo, es s—lo intuici—n y leer con detenimiento el manual, los efectos digitales est‡n geniales. Es muy silenciosa, la duraci—n de la bater’a es buena, el zoom —ptico es un poco deficiente 10x pero por el tama–o y las dem‡s especificaciones este detalle es facilmente ignorable.
16 Love The Night Shot - Zoom Doesn't Bother Me
I am really pleased with this camcorder. It is my second miniDV camcorder, my first one was a Panasonic PV-DV910. I got the Panasonic years ago when digital camcorders first came out, and it was no good in low light. So, my main criteria in looking for a new one was...
1. Ability to shoot in low light
2. Zoom comparable to Panasonic (18x-320x)
3. Smaller size
4. Ability to download to PC
5. Ability to take still pics
I got the sony the day of my birthday with full intention of returning it if it didn't suit ALL of my needs. A group of friends rented a limo for the night, so I planned to run the sony through a series of Low-Light and Zoom tests. Here are my results:
1. LOW-Light-(5 Stars) I was able to get some great shots in the limo!!! With the panasonic I would have had to use my Light which would have been very distracting to the situation and ate up most of my battery before we even made it to the destination.
With the Sony, I was able to get great natural shots, because with the infrared light, it wasn't so obvious that i was filming.
2. Zoom- (5 Stars) At fist glance the zoom really isn't that great compared to what I have. This was the biggest question in my mind... would I miss what I currently had. We went to a bar after dinner and I was able to zoom in an acceptable distance to the band. I really didn't miss my old zoom at all. But the thing that really made me accept the low-zoom was the fact you can BUY A BETTER ZOOM!!! The lens has the capability to expand!
3. Smaller Size- (5 stars) Wouldn't want it any smaller. Love the touch menu and menus are intuitive and easy to use.
4. Ability To Download To PC- (5 Stars) Everyone is right about the software, it isn't the greatest but I have other software that I use to capture video to pc.
5. Still Pics- (5 Stars) I have a digital camera to take the quality photos but this camcorder takes pretty good quality pics. Not having to carry both camcorder and camera is nice.
To make a long story longer.... I love this camcorder!!! Obviously, I didn't return it. I hope this helps.
17 its good but not the best
i bought this camera a month back, and found video quality is uncomparable but stills are not upto mark. i am a professional vidographer and editor in INDIA and purchased this camcorder for professional use but disappointed in stills.
software supplied are a total waste excluding still transfer from cam to PC with USB cable. i dont heard any motor noise as others had.
for night picture quality is not very good.
in total the camera is good for daylight but not for nights.
manish, Ranchi, Jharkhand, INDIA.
18 Problems brand new out of box
I bought this camcorder last night. After charging the battery and attempting to use it for the very first time there was a warning on the screen "Dirty Video Head". How could that be with a brand new camcorder? I turned off the power, turned it back on, and the warning was gone. So I started filming, about 15 minutes worth, and then hooked it up to the TV to watch it back. Half of the recording did not even work~ all I had was a blue screen! The 2nd half that did record had thick grey lines running horizontally across the picture, as well as sound distortion (including the very loud motor noise others have mentioned!). I checked the troubleshooting section of the handbook and found that these lines indicate "Dirty Video Head" (again!) and that I would need to use an optional (not included) cleaning cassette!
This is unacceptable in a brand new product. I have sinced checked other review sites and found another consumer who had the same problem with their brand new Sony! This really makes me lose confidence in this company. I returned my camcorder today and will keep looking.
19 medium quality
In short, this is a medium quality camcorder. The picture quality is not great, the recorder is picking up the motor noise and still images are completely useless.
The AUTO mode takes the picture or video very dark. You need to adjust the exposure for better picture or video.
You cannot do anything about the recorded motor noise. it is always there
You cannot print the still images taken with this camcorder (even in 4x6). So if you buy this for the still image,dont wasteyour money and choose with better or theonew/o still pictures.
The features are very limited per the canon zseriesof camcorders. Optical zoom is 10x, which is very limited in compare to 20x (Canon)
The software works but the VCD creation is very slow with the provided SW.
So in short, this camcorder does not deserve what is costs.
20 Great Camera, Not Great Software
I've been into DV for over a year now, I worked for a huge media site that did a lot of video crunching and encoding. So I'm not use to this bundled software. After a while of getting into the video editing again, I finally got the quality to come out good.
The thing that is important is deinterlacing the video if you're going to watch it on the PC. I couldn't figure out how to do this in the software bundle they gave you, and it didn't come out with a good resolution. So I went to www.adobe.com and downloaded Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5, which is their newest version and is a great version.
Once I used that to capture the video and also used the deinterlacing features to deinterlace the footage, it looked great. The resolution is 720x480, which is standard DV resolution.
The reason I give this package 4 stars is because of the software bundle. It would be hard for a novice person to actually get this working.
21 Excellent Comcorder!!!!!!!
Being a loyal sony fan i refused all others brands without having a sight on them and bought this Camera as it best suits my budjet and uses...So far it works fine and there is no problem with the camera and beleive me that this camera has an excellent picture quality on Tv, Unfortunately not on Computer wether you use firewall or usb it has not very impressing quality...Software with it is just a junk as even though after a month i don,t know how to transfer videoz to my computer and yes it uses a lot of system resources and will crash your system if you are sufring from low memory or slow speed...Fortunately i am using sony pc with softwares like movie shakera and Dv capture which works very fine ...i would suggest sony to bundle this software into this package...Stills are perfect for emailing but you will be disappointed with the resolution this camera offers..Camera has a lot of usefull functions such as easy hand cam button which is perfect in situations where u don,t know which settings to use...One thing missing is audio out and firewire cable ( i think firewire should be provided within package as it does,t make sense to use comcorder with such an important thing)..Battery life is good ..Overall excellent camera..Buy it now as sony products are designed with state of the art technolgy...I am very impressed with sony products.
22 Hard to figure out vidio transfer to computer
I am also Software engineer(5+) and have many years of building and fixing computer problems. But it was so hard for me to figure out how to transfer video to my computer. With this Picture Package software, it was impossible so I had to use other tools(luckly I had pinnacle software). It did not come with firewire so I wanted to use USB cable but it did not work. I had to install xp sp1(not mentioned in sony mannual) for this to recognize video transfer. Quality was bad so I bought firewire cable and card and it works fine now.
23 Software that comes with it and support are terrible
I'm a software developer of 15+ years, build my own computers, and am a fairly serious amateur photographer, and I CANNOT figure out the Picture Package software that comes with the camera for transferring the video to my computer, a CD, or a DVD. I've spent probably 5-6 hours over 2 days. The Picture Package Auto Video program, which seems to be the only way to capture the video on your computer with Sony's software is using 99% of my 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 cpu when I click on anything in the screen. There is NO online support except a telephone number provided (not even an 800 number) for Pixela User Support.
All the reviews said the picture quality was amazing, and I find the camera itself reasonable to use. I love its size, and find the touch screen easy to use after looking up a couple key items. But if I can not transfer the video to the computer with the software and equipment Sony provides, something is VERY wrong.
I am well aware I can use other capture software, but as a big Sony fan, I am very disappointed.
24 A lovely camcorder, and the price is right.
Don't buy a camcorder for the computer software. Do yourself a favor, get a Mac if you want to do any serious movie editing. iMovie (free with every Mac) is mission-critical for any home movie editor or aspiring Scorcese.
That aside, let me tell you what is right about this smartly-priced beauty. It's tiny. It has long battery life. It has a terrific, touch-sensitive display. It works great across light levels, and even has a special low-light feature that may make you look a little like a zombie, but it's terrific if you want to film those aliens stealing your trash.
The picture quality is terrific (as one might expect from Sony), the form, fit and function are first-rate, it has all the standard features you expect (including a mic-out and "hot shoe"). I can't really see spending more.
25 software (and its support) is poor
Cant figure out the software ("Picture Package") that comes with the camcorder.
The only way to get video from the camcorder through Firewire interface, seems to be to use the "Automatic Video Producer" feature of "Picture Package".
To do such a video capture, it forces you to choose a value for the options "Music settings" (for sound) and "Effect/Style" (for video). There is NO WAY not to choose a value for these options !! So whatever video you download has these stupid effects :( I managed to get rid of the "Music settings" by going to the installation folder and physically removing the .mp3 file it was using for the sound effects. But I cannot find a way to get rid of the video effects ..
Sony support was not helpful.
26 Excellent camera for the price!
After doing much research on the 'net and visiting every electronics store on the island, I decided on the HC30 and I am not disappointed. I've never owned a camcorder before, so I was worried that I'd have trouble using one, but Sony has taken away any hassle with its "Easy" mode, which uses automatic settings--great for point-and-shoot novice (read: wannabe) videographers like myself.
Pros: Size (this camera is tiny compared to other camcorders in this price range), Memory Stick MPEG movie + still image recording (perfect for e-mails + websites, but not for prints), bright 2.5" touchscreen LCD, good automatic settings, excellent picture quality, Super NightShot (a MUST for single CCD cameras used in low-light settings), analog-to-digital pass-through (for recording from a VCR onto your PC using firewire), Carl Zeiss lens (hence the excellent picture quality.
Cons: Menu navigation and getting to manual controls is not intuitive and can be problematic while shooting. The optical zoom is small compared to other cameras in this class (10x vs. 20x).
It's low-light performance is mediocre, but compared to other camera's I've researched and tested, the HC30 outperforms them all with its Super NightShot.
And for anyone complaining about the poor still image quality, I will say that this camcorder, and its stills were not meant for prints, but for e-mails or the 'net. It's a given that if you want good photo quality, buy a regular digital camera--even the most ambitious of camcorders usually only come with a one megapixel sensor, which is not nearly enough for crisp photos. Don't worry, this camcorder is small enough that you can still carry around your digital camera and not be weighted down.
I'm new to the world of digital video, but I'm an avid digital photographer and I've got to say that with its feature set and ease of use, I can readily recommend this camera to people who want no-hassles with good quality. Given it's pros (good auto settings) and cons (buried manual controls) it's obvious that this is meant for consumers and not prosumers, but with its excellent image quality and decent low-light performance, I think that even prosumers should think of picking this up as a good backup camera.
27 Very Poor in mixed lighting
This one is going back. My first chance to use it was my daughter's birthday party. While she sat in the living room opening her presents I noticed long white streaks running the entire length of the picture. I thought that maybe they were only on the LCD, but no they were being recorded. Completely ruined the shot. Returned the camera and got another thinking it was defective, nope same problem. The problem stems from the camera's inability to adjust it's gain properly with normal indoor lighting, and a bright light source above it. The light source (a chandelier) doesn't even appear in the picture, but it must be hitting the periphery pixels of the CCD and causing these entire screen long streaks. This was at 3:00 in the afternoon with a window on one side blinds open and a light source above. Not a difficult lighting situation. Very Poor.
Zoom is way to touchy, yes with practice it can be effective, but come on, this is a point and shooter I shouldn't have to be super nimble fingered. Motor noise is loud, don't know if it is picked up on tape as the streaks caused me not to even bother checking. Touch screen is OK, but not the best user interface. Give me a scroll wheel. If anyone is interested I will get you screen shots of what I am talking about. Too bad, it was a nice little package with some neat features.
28 Very happy so far
I bought this camera about 1 week ago. I had read in a review that the zoom was difficult to operate--that it only had 2 speeds: fast and slow. I found, however, that with very little practice I was able to use a medium speed on the zoom. I haven't had the opportunity yet to move any recordings to a VHS or DVD, but played back once on a TV and the picture was excellent. Didn't notice any motor noise in the tape itself, but perhaps it's too soon to tell. Night shot was a delightful surprise (I could see better through the camera than I could with my own eyes). Love the camera's size, and will use it much more because of that. Too early to give an evaluation on the battery that came with the camera. It's one of those Infolithium batteries, but the reading keeps changing on the camera, so I'm never too sure how much time I actually have left. I'll probably buy a 4-hour battery for trips.
29 Great camera for the college student
I just bought this camcorder yesterday, but the 24 hours that I've spent going through its features and video quality, I must say that I'm fairly impressed. I know it's not at the top of the food chain, but the picture/sound quality is what I expected it to be for its class. I'm happy with the feature set; especially the 16:9 ratio mode and the spot focus/exposure setting. I could go on about this camcorder, but lets hear what others have to say. I sorta splurged, considering I'm a college student.. but I feel my investment was well worth it.
