Customer Reviews

Sony DCR-HC32 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom, Handycam Station, & Extra NPFP50 Battery

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I almost purchased the 42 instead of the 32, but after checking them out at the store I decided on the 32. The Samsung 353 was also in the running but one look in the store and I knew Sony was the way to go. I am glad I decided on the 32 because the only real difference was the CCD, which is 340k instead of 680k effective. It turns out the 32 does such a good job with the 340k I can't tell the difference, and for $150 less. The other only real difference is the color viewfinder on the 42, but who uses a viewfinder anymore. It doesn't come with a firewire (iLink) cable so be prepared to purchase one, especially if you have a mac. I am happy with our choice and look forward to many edited videos to share with the family.

For some 50 years, beginning with a Leica IIIG I bought in the 1950's, I have used a variety of 35mm and digital still cameras. I figured it was time to try my hand at video.

I spent several days researching the variety of entry level video cameras and finally decided on the DCR-HC32. Given the slight difference in price between the bare camera and this package, I went for the package.

The handycam arrived a couple of days ago and I immediately put it to use filming one of my grandchildren. It was not long before I realized that capturing images on video is more complicated that when using a still camera. I put the Handycam down and picked up the Operating Guide.

After spending time reading the Guide and checking out the multitude of options this little camera provides, I called my grandchild back for more product testing. The results were gratifying.

It does not seem possible that such a small videotape can provide such crystal clear images, but it does. I experienced a bit of shake when zooming, even with SteadyShot turned on, but that may be at least in part attributed to these old hands.

I conducted most of my early video trials in my den at night, with a single overhead flourescent light providing the only illumination. Even without slowing the shutter the color was beautiful. I sent my grandchild to a shadowy corner about 20 feet from the camera to try out the Super Nightshot. It worked well. Color was thin but good. Then I turned out the light and shot with Super Nightshot Plus. What I got was an incredibly grainy black and white image that was recognizable as human, but that's about all. I have ordered an Infrared light to use in very dim to dark light.

Filming video outdoors on a bright sunny day, the results were crystal clear and the color was excellent. Sound pickup more than a couple of yards from the Handycam was disappointing. I wish this camera had a jack for an accessory microphone.

Still picture quality certainly could be better. However, I have a fine digital still camera to take care of usual still photography work The still images this Handycam creates may not be of studio quality, but the ones I made are certainly adequate for sharing or adding to a family album. I do not doubt that there will be times when using the Handycam that I would like to capture some special moment in a still picture. For this use, the Handycam works just fine, as far as I am concerned

I am well pleased with this little camera and unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone interested in buying a quality introductory level video camera. Using Sony's DVM60PR3 cassettes image color and clarity are surprisingly good. I urge anyone not familiar with small video cameras to heed Sony's suggestion and spend time with the Operating Guide while the battery is getting its first charge.

This camera is fantastic. I also own a $3500 Sony mini-dv and the picture quality of this camera is virtually identical. Transfer what you've shot to DVD, or just play it right off the tape onto your TV and you will be blown away by the broadcast quality of the image. It's very small, and has some great easy-to-use features for shooting in the sun, shade, action,etc., and even extreme darkness. A built in lens cover is also convenient.
After owning this camera for only about 5 months though, I got an error reported with other Sony mini-dv's "dirty tape head." Well, the tape head was actually fine but the damn message wouldn't go away no matter what I did, so I had to have it repaired. I had bought it at Sears but wanted to use Sony for the repair and after telling them the truth and that I was very disappointed, blah blah - the $212.00 to fix the camera I just bought for $450.00 was not fair - they agreed to take the camera and fix it for no charge. (The point is that Sony is making an effort, I believe, to satisfy their customers.) Nonetheless, because of the problem I had, I feel compelled to recommend that a person purchasing this camera go ahead and buy the SONY warranty - directly through Sony before the 90 day manufacturers warranty is up. (It's only $117 for 3 years and you'll have piece of mind.) Should you have to buy a warranty? No. Do things break? Yes. Hell, I've had plenty of stuff break that just became useless.
The point is, this camera is really awesome and worth owning. You can charge it without using the dock however the dock is cool for transfering to your computer or any other source. The battery that comes with it lasts really long too. This camera also has analog capabilities which can be handy for transferring old VHS tapes to mini-DV.

I wanted a miniDV camcorder that had a Analog to Digital passthrough capability so that I could convert all my old Hi8 tapes to DVD's. I wanted one that was small and light, had a large zoom range, and was good on batteries. After agonizing over choices between Canon ZR, Elura models or the Sony HC32 I finally settled on the Sony. So far, no regrets.
- The video looks great. Colors appear very accurate and bright. I just turn on the camera and it does all the work. I don't mess with manual features much. If you do, this is probably not the best choice of cameras.
- The management of the battery is uniquely good with Sony camcorders. You get a constant rundown of how many minutes of battery life you have left that is pretty accurate. The optional extended batteries are expensive, but provide amazing battery life. Even the small battery that ships with the camcorder gives me over an hour of use.
- The camcorder is very small yet is still comfortable to hold.
- The LCD screen is top notch.
- The Analog to Digital Passthrough works great. I converted a 2 hour tape to my Mac with no problems. The audio and video remained in sync for all two hours.
- I cannot hear any camera noises on the tape. Some people complain about the built in microphones picking up camcorder noises on these little camcorders. I looked for it and did not hear any, even after transferring video to my computer.

Some other thoughts on the camcorder.
- The touch menu system is not so bad, easier than most other camera menu systems. The only problem is that certain options go away when you are not in the correct mode.
- The camera does fine with low light until it is dark enough to want lights on in the room. The night shot really goofs up the colors (like a poorly colorized movie). My old Hi8 camcorder actually does better when it gets dark out (I guess this is not surprising since the CCD is bigger yet it has less pixels).
- The docking station is fine if you only connect the camera to one TV or device. If you need to move it around, then I would perfer not to deal with it but this is a pretty minor detail.
- The camera is a bit expensive and accessories are even more expensive. The Canon ZR-200 is very similar in capabilities (not sure if the video quality is as good) and a good bit less expensive. I borrowed a friends ZR-85 and thought the video qualitiy was not as good especially in less than ideal lighting. I think Canon improved the low light video for the ZR-200's however.

Just an FYI for some of the previous reviewers: the problem of CCD failure that affected earlier versions of this Sony camcorder line is not an issue in the 2005 models. For complete information on the Sony CCD problem, see;

http://www.imaging-resource.com/badccds.html

Functionally, this is a great camcorder for the price. The ergonomics are particularly nice - very comfortable and easy to use. Good low light performance. Just wish it had a colour viewfinder and that Sony had included a small Memory Stick.

This is a very good camera for the price range. I have always had good luck with Sony products, unlike some of the reviewers here. The resolution of the viewer window and the image quality itself is more than what I would expect from a camera in this price range.... it's pretty decent. For what most people use DV cams for, this is camera doesn't suck at all.
I like how tiny it is. It doesn't go much past the palm of my hand when I'm holding it. Also it was very easy to figure out just by exploring the menu on the touch pad. Color graphics & icons on the menus add a nice touch. A beginner could start filming very soon after opening the box, I think. The camera feels sturdy in my hand, I mean I don't feel like the viewer window is going to break off when it's open or that I could easily break the buttons with normal use.

As others have mentioned, you have to buy a 4 to 6 firewire if you have a mac because the iLink cable that comes with it is a S-video input for TVs. Also the battery that comes with it is the 30 minute battery but I would have bought an extra one anyway because you never want to wait around while your only battery is charging. The software CD is a do-it-yourself install, at least for Mac. It might not be for PC. I'm used to being guided through the installation process... (since at least the early 90's!) but I had to drag the folder to my hard drive my darn self. A minor thing but I would have expected more from a major company like Sony.
But the reason I give it a 4 star rating instead of 5 is because the firewire goes into the base, not the camera so you cannot have the camera on a tripod while it's connected to your machine. I realize this will not be a big problem for very many people but since I do stop-motion animation and use frame grabbing software, I need to have it connected to firewire and on a tripod in while I'm working. I almost returned the camera when I discovered this but instead I hot glued velcro to the bottom of the base and to my tripod adaptor so I could have the firewire plugged in and attached to the tripod....kinda ghetto. I figure it was worth it though since I got such a good camera for the price (I paid $299 on sale for it.)
If you're looking for a decent but cheap camera I would recommend either this one or the hc42 if you want to shoot in widescreen.

I love this camcorder it has a great resolution video and easy to use,
the only thing is that mac users have to buy the iLink cable 4pin to 6pin.

The sony dcr hc32 is one of the sleekest cameras for it's price. However, I find the little touchscreen to be a tad difficult to use without a stylus (wonder why Sony couldn't include one). If you have stubby fingers like me, it takes a while to get used to the tiny menu buttons. Inevitably, the screen gets covered with thumbprints. I started using the top-eraser of a small pencil.
Sony is also notorious for not providing larger optical zoom, even on its high-end camcorders. In fact, this camcorder fares better than some of the more expensive Sony mini-dv's. Though 20x is probably okay for casual use, it would help to have some more. Lastly, be aware that the package with the extra battery and docking station is not worth much. I was irked to find that the battery can only be charged while its loaded onto the camcorder (which can then be set in the dock or take ac power directly). This stupid feature means you cannot charge a battery while simultaneously recording off a second one, basically defeating the purpose of an having extra battery.
I would recommend considering the Canon zr600 which is cheaper, has more optical zoom and widescreen recording capabilities. It is almost as small, but I think it still lacks an external battery charger.

I have had this camera only a short time, but I am impressed with it already. After doing a lot of research and not wanting to spend hordes of money, I decided on this camera. It was a great purchase. It is perfect for the amount of recording I do. Although you have to purchase the bigger battery to get the longer life, it is worth every penny.

I purchased this camera just a few weeks ago. I really love the Sony brand. Just a few comments though. the price for servicing is a standard fee. No matter what you send in thats the price. Be it a Digital camera or your camcorder. These devices have to be opened in a clean room. these rooms are filtered to that tiny particles like dust or your skin cells do not get inside. and the operators have to wear those white suits to keep all that contamination to them selves. This is not Slappys TV and VCR repair we are dealing with. Any foreigh material getting inside or on your CCD will dammage the camera and you don't want that. Keep in mind that these rooms cost millions of dollars to build and maintain. If you are worried about that then get the warranty. Any company charges around the same price. Check with other companies. Kodak charges about that much just to open the camera up. And if you are experiencing problems with ANY electronic device out of the box return it or swap it out. they cannot test every single unit. Usually they test several out of a batch. So if your unit is not operating to your expectations then by all means its your money go and take care of it!

That aside, I'm glad my Powermac came with the Firewire cable I needed for the camera. For several years it has just been in a drawer. The manuel does not explain fully that it is required to transfer the video from the tape using this. (at least for Mac users). Taking Video was easy and transfering it to the Mac was simple. The Camera comes with Video editing software but I just used IMovie and IDVD to make my DVD's and VCD's. And Since I already had Toast for the Mac It was easy to burn the movies to disc. Otherwise stick with the software included.

For those pining about not having a Memory card included you are not missing much. The quality of the pictures and movies you take to the card are not noteworthy. You need plenty of light, the photos are very grainy as the photo mode on the memory stick does not have a high Megapixel rating, and the videos are chopy. So other than just taking small images to possibly keep for reference this feature is useless.

The Camera does have a video out port on the camera itself so you can leave the docking station at the computer and when wanting to connect to the tv just use the av cable alone with the camera.

I do not hear any motor noises on the recorded tape. Though it does make some noises when turning the unit on.

The menu system is fairly easy to navigate and the Easy button makes it "easy" for anyone to pick up the camera and shoot.
Remember that you are not getting a professional camera this is for consumer use and will not have all the features and functionality of a $2,000-$3,000 model.