Customer Reviews

Sony DCR-HC21 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

This is a nice little camera! I just wanted a decent camera to take videos of the kids - this fills that need perfectly. The picture is nice, the colors are accurate and there is very little motor noise (motor noise is often a problem on minidv camcorders in this price range). The 20x optical zoom is fantastic. Low light is a bit grainy but nothing I can't deal with.

The one thing I don't like about this camcorder is the touch-screen controls. As a self-proclaimed digital camera junkie I've spent years trying NOT to touch the LCD screen and on this camera you have to touch the screen to operate the camera. This leaves the LCD screen all fingerprinted and smeary. This is VERY annoying in my opinion and I'm not sure of a safe and effective way to clean the screen. Not a really good design concept!

Other than the touch screen, which by the way IS easy to use, I really like this little camera. Easy to operate right out of the box (I tend to read the manual as a last resort!), VERY small and full of features.

About two days before I exchanged a Hi-8 camera for this gem, I spent two days with a huge Sony TRV 138. It had to weigh about 2 pounds, required the big tapes Hi-8 tapes and was very bulky and noticeable. I decided to exchange the camera for a better model. At first I was going to go with a Digital-8 but the model was basically the same size as the Hi-8. I had already filled up one Hi-8 and the digital-8 could play it. But in-store, I was hooked on to the smaller mini-DV's.

I was so pleases and amazed when I had this little gem in my hand. I am a senior in high school and I want to document my life and I also run a website (www.younglibs.com) and wanted to put some video on there. Considering I'm a pretty tech savvy teen, I had to get it. It's digital so I can put it on the computer and share it. So I coughed up the $180 (grand total of $420) dollar difference to take it home.

The camera is great. It's very small, lightweight and comfortable and is an attention getter. It has a cool swivel screen and Sony's personal touch with the Night Shot, Steady Shot and easy mode that is available on all Sony's. I also like the widescreen mode and some of the AE effects like black and white that you can either record as or playback as. It also has a fader so my videos won't look like collages. It has a built in lens cap that you can just slide up and stead if fixing some attachment to it. It also has those Carl Zeiss lens (I really don't care). If you go to Ritz Camera you can get a free $99 kit with it that includes a cleaner, tripod and carrying case. I also really like the end search feature so I won't record over anything (which I did frequently with the Hi-8). You can also take useless stills with it too, no memory card slot, not that you'll need one for the crappy photos. Another plus is that it operates a web cam (with both video and sound), great for instant messengers like me.

I do have some gripes though. The playback sound is located right where you put your hand at. You cannot hear audio if playing back through the black and white viewfinder, B&W viewfinder for a 2005, $400 model, there is no headphone jack and I don't know how long the touch screen will last considering its the menu and controls.

If you are under the impression that you can just shoot video, plug in the USB and transfer the movie to your computer, you've got another thing coming. Here is where Sony's proprietary ways come in. Yes, they supply the USB, but USB is too slow to transfer quality video to your computer. The USB is only theoretically there to transfer the pictures. On top of that, there is no way to transfer the video directly on to your hard drive, with USB you can only transfer it to CDR. And when you play it in the DVD player, it isn't pretty, the quality is terrible. If you are smart though and want to waste more time trying to get it on the computer, copy and paste the CDR data on your computer. In fact it took almost 3 hours to get 30 minutes of video on the disc and it neglected to put the other 30 minutes on the disc even though there was still tons of space available.

So what I have found out is that you have to buy a I.Link (Firewire) cable (warning don't buy it on the Sony site, its 30-70 dollars, go to pricegrabber.com, I have one on the way for $10 altogether) which allows you to A) put the movies on your computer B) does it in real time (60 minute tape takes 60 minutes not 6 hours) C) doesn't loose quality when transferring unlike the choppy USB. So you see what you get. That also means that you have to buy a Firewire card (about $20 on pricegrabber, ecost, and tigerdirect.com) and have it installed in the computer. If you have ever installed a USB 2.0 card, have fun, if you never have, ask for help with cracking your computer.

And voila you have a movie lab. What I neglected to tell you is that now you need a bigger hard drive 160-200 gigs will do and that will run you another $150 dollars. Just for a heads up 7 minutes of video capture was about 23mb.

If you want to see the video capture quality, I have videos I recorded at www.younglibs.com/blog. If you are a republican, you might have a problem though.

Thanks
Chris

Well, before purchasing this camera, I took the precaution of reading the previous comments about it, and decided the Cons of the camera were worth the price saving.
Now that I own it, I can say that it has the next list of cons and pros:

PROs
- Very light
- Compact design
- "Easy mode" of operation, so anyone can use it
- Very good 20x optical Zoom
- Optional Lamp
- All the Sony features (nightshot, viewfinder, steadyshot, etc)

CONs
- The touchscreen gets dirty from using it
- DVD recording only from firewire.

One of the other cons I read before, the noise, didn't bother me at all.

Strongly reccomend to get the LCS-VA30 Camera Case, Everything fits in and there's still space for my Cybershot P32, spare batteries, and a couple of MiniDV's.

We bought a DCR-21 a few weeks ago and have very mixed feelings about it. Unless the major problems can be taken care of, it's going back. Pluses: 1. it's small and easy to use. 2. The zoom allowed us to get detailed video of sea turtles swimming in the ocean from the 8th floor balcony of a resort. 3. The videos we've downloaded to our Macs are clear. 4. The "easy" button on the camera will allow the non-tecchies in the families to use it without (or with less) fear. 5. It connects to our Mac with Firewire (not included with the camera, but we already had a cable that came with the computer) or with USB. 6. It works great as a webcam with Firewire - no special software or installation needed. (Kind of expensive for a webcam, though!)

OK, now for the minuses. 1. The battery charges IN the camera. If we get an extra battery so we can swap them on the fly, we can't recharge the dead one while using the other one, unless we buy an external recharger, for more money of course. 2. Also, a longer life battery is thick and will stick out into the user's hand. 3. The zoom goes so quickly that it's hard to control. 4. The touch-screen is cute, but how long will it last? 5. The lens cover is opened/closed with a manual switch - easy enough to do, but if you forget to close it you really won't know unless you happen to look at the switch's position. 6. The videos we downloaded have AWFUL audio - a constant and loud ch-ch-ch-ch-ch. Either there's something wrong with the camera or we downloaded wrong - not sure yet. 7. One of the features we liked was "Nightshot" that allowed low-light taping without shining a light on the subject. It doesn't work - things we could clearly see with the naked eye weren't even remotely visible on the viewfinder, LCD, or tape. 8. Customer support is terrible. We had trouble installing the supplied software and called Sony, they said sorry, it's not Mac compatible - but the software and manual clearly say that it is. When we called the software provider's non-toll-free number, they said to call Apple. Of course Apple can't support third-party software. (We haven't gotten their software to work, but we could download and play with iMovie.)

Bottom line - we can get used to everything except the audio problem. Assuming that we're either doing something wrong OR there's a fixable problem, I'll give the camera three stars - the size (5) and picture quality (5) balanced against the drawbacks.

Well, about 2 months ago, I also got the "black Screen" an earlier commenter on this camera got. However, before buying this camera, I was told that this would happen when the camera knew it needed to be cleaned! Ya, it may seem odd, but the camera is doing the only thing it can to protect itself. By turning itself off like this, it lets you know it must be cleaned, and saves you money in the long run by not hurting the camera. Unfortunately, it seems if you don't know, you think the camera is just busted. Anywho, just a heads up for y'all so you can fix the problem before it happens to you.

PS - the longest I've heard of one of these cameras going before cleaning is about 2 years.

The Sony DCR-HC21 camcorder comes with an AC adapter, a power cord, a wireless remote controller, A/V and USB cables, a shoulder strap, a rechargable 1-hr battery pack and software.

The camcorder is fairly easy to operate and understand, although I was disappointed with the lack of information in the manual that comes with it. The software that comes with the camera is garbage. I am currently using Ulead's MeadiaStudio Pro 7.0. Windows Movie Maker 2 is also a good choice to capture videos. I strongly recommend the use of a firewire cable in order to be able to capture the videos efficiently. Another advantage of using a firewire cable is that the programs then give you more options on the quality of capturing your videos.

That being said, the Sony DCR-HC21 camcorder is definitely a good buy for people who want a simple point-and-shoot device and there's a whole range of functions and settings for the more curious ones out there. The camcorder's not-so-ergonomic shape sits well in the palm of your hand but isn't too comfortable when used for an extended period of time. The power switch could have been placed a little ahead of its current position, which I find is too close the the recording button and isn't always easy to operate. The LCD touch panel screen is large and easy to operate. The menu settings are fairly easy to understand and the manual can be used to provide an explanation of each setting. The zoom toggle switch is sensitive and takes a bit of getting used to. Alternatively, users can use the zoom buttons located on the LCD panel, beside the screen or the remote. The difference is that using the latter two options, the user will find that she/he is able to zoom in and out at a slower and more gradual rate than when using the toggle switch. There is an Easy Handycam mode which sets the camcorder for optimal shooting conditions and allows the user to start shooting without the fuss of having to set the camcorder up. In this mode, however, the user is unable to access most of the menu settings, therefore limiting the control she/he has. The Nightshot Plus mode is my favorite. I took a video of my snakes feeding in pitch dark conditions while standing 1.5-2.0 feet away and the quality of the video was amazing. The picture was sharp and clear and focusing was not an issue with the Carl Zeiss lens. While using the Nightshot Plus mode, I was able to shoot subjects that were 6-7 feet in front of me in pitch dark conditions. While the subjects did not appear as vivid as my snakes, the overall picture was clear and in focus. The 20X optical zoom is good and comes in handy when shooting subjects that are far away or if you desire a closer look at something small as in a snake's teeth ;) I haven't used the viewfinder for more than a few few minutes because I find using the LCD screen is a lot easier. The viewfinder can be pulled outward but I find this hard and frankly it feels like its going to come right off sometimes. There is a lens adjustment lever located on the right side which can be used to achieve picture clarity while looking through the viewfinder. The mic which is located on the front of the camcorder, just above the infrared port is very sensitive and is able to record with great clarity and quality.

The remote commander is a great little accessory that comes in handy when you have your camcorder mounted on a tripod. The battery supplied is good for anywhere from 40 minutes to 105 minutes depending on the type of recording (continuous/ start-and-stop, using the zoom function and turning the power on and off) as well as the use of the LCD screen versus the viewfinder.

I have not talked about the camera function on this camcorder because I don't really use it. The camera records an image with 7 sec. of sound. I'm not really sure what the advantage is and I'm not too keen on using it as I already have a Canon Powershot A70 that I'm quite happy with.

Overall, this camcorder is an excellent choice for the user who wants something compact, easy to use with the option of having a wide variety of settings to play around with. The price is reasonable and I would recommend this camcorder for a beginner or for someone who just wants an upgrade.

I purchased this camera because I was itching to buy a camcorder. My first choice was the JVC R-D270 but it was out of stock at two stores so I purchased the Sony, which was about $30 more (when on sale). The camera is very easy to use for recording and playback. The touch screen feature is okay but this was not a huge selling point.
I specifically like the nightvision feature much more than JVC's built-in light. When nightvision is on the camera doesn't project a light, unlike JVC. This is cool for sneaking in on a sleeping baby or any other dark situation that you don't want to be disturbed by light.
The camera also has a manual focus, which is a bonus, although I don't know if I'll ever use it. I also didn't think I would get any use out of the remote but I have found myself using it already for recording (when on a tripod) and for playback.
I'm very pleased with my purchase.

With myself being a broadcasting and production technology major, I was a little skeptical in getting the HC21. But I must say, after messing around with it for about an hour after getting it, it's certainly worth those wanting to use it for home AND professional use.

First off, I've noticed some reviews complaining about video quality. Yes, you WILL need a FireWire cable, the USB cable isn't worth the time of day. Before you just go running out to shoot things, you'll have to manually adjust the White Balance. Sony doesn't seem to do a good job with the AUTO, INDOOR, or OUTDOOR presets. Setting the White Balance is very simple. Use the "ONE PUSH" feature, and zoom in on a white sheet of paper (obviously in the lighting of where you will be shooting), hit the ONE PUSH button, and viola! I will admit, the defaults aren't something to go crazy over. But when I set the White Balance myself, I was absolutely amazed. The two major nacks with Sony's miniDV line of cameras is that they do not come with a mic jack or a headphone jack...two crucial things in fields such as mine. There are very simple work-arounds though, it's all about how you want to put good use to the camera. Please, don't be fooled by some of these reviews. I can almost guarantee you that they took it out of the box and started filming. Taking the time to customize your settings will definitely get the max results out of your HC21. It's definitely worth the money!

This is a very nice small handycam which is just the right size; not too small not too big. I would have given this little beauty 5 stars but didnt only because of the following which I didnt like :

1. Very short battery life. Sony should supply at least a mid level battery with the camera instead of the lowest one.
2. You have to use the touch screen factility to play back, rewind, end search, etc. There is no other way.
3. Sony should have included record from video input on this model too. (you cant use it like a VCR to record stuff off other players and TV)

There is no memory stick in this option but is available in the next model. But thats OK since you get what you pay for and this is a video camera and moreover if you want to shoot stills the resolution will be too low and if you want to shoot stills why would you buy a video cam?

Otherwise the camera is very useful to tuck in with your usual holiday packing. Excellent entry level Mini DV cam.

The video quality is exceptional. For a camcorder this cheap the still image quality is excellent. The LCD and Night Shot Plus would be two outstanding features of the camera combined with great zoom without any deterioration of video quality. The camera has many options for video including light and color auto adjustments that make a huge difference in quality. I would rate this camera 12 stars out of 5...Yeah that good for $399. I just want to add the that the battery life of the cheap battery it comes with also performs above average recording/playback time.