Customer Reviews

Sony DCR-HC36 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After having used an old bread-loaf-sized Sony 8mm camcorder with great success for many years, I felt it was time for an upgrade. Modern feature-packed MiniDV cameras have become very reasonably priced, as the DCR-HC36's barely $300 price tag attests, so it was only a matter of which features I wanted - I prefer a powerful telephoto lens, and Sony has a curious habit of reducing zoom power the higher up the product line you go, so even though the HC36 is middle-of-the-road in the Sony camcorder lineup, its full 20x optical zoom made it a natural choice.

Modern MiniDV cameras are also very reasonably sized; occupying less than half a cubic foot, the HC36 weighs in at less than a pound even with the battery and tape. That's about large cheeseburger size, or the size of a digital camera from a few years ago. Despite toy-like dimensions, the sculpted duo-tone exterior and handsome chrome lens bezel lend to a quality look and finish.

Those of you intimidated by the arms-length list of features who "just want to hit record and go" will be glad to know that the HC36 has an Easy button. Located right next to the Sony logo on the left side of the camera is a blue button labeled - yes, really - "Easy". Pressing this button puts the camera into everything-automatic mode, and also increases the size of text on the display (very handy for the reading glasses set), allowing the old-school and I'm-not-technical school alike to record full quality video. You don't even have to know how to flip out the LCD screen, the Easy button literally makes the camcorder point-and-shoot.

The more technically inclined are accommodated with tailored personalization. Nearly all the camera's functions are controlled by the touch screen LCD's menu system, but Sony uses a clever shortcut; A personalized menu which you can set to display the features you want - any camera function, such as exposure, white balance, etc., can be set as a menu button; A single touch of the LCD brings up the menu of buttons you've set to display. No scrolling through menus to get to some deeply-buried function, just press the screen and there's the menu that you made with your functions. This system is in some cases faster than physical buttons on the camera itself!

And there's no shortage of functions to play with. The HC36 features two different levels of night vision; "Nightshot Plus" employs an infra-red lamp on the front of the camera providing a fully lit view up to about ten feet even in total darkness, while "Super Nightshot Plus" bumps up the light sensitivity by slowing the shutter speed - great for distance viewing in low light, or shots of the night sky (night vision can see stars that you can't). A Tele Macro function captures close-up sharp images from a few feet away, and the Spot Focus feature makes focusing a breeze - just touch what you want focused on the touch-screen and it focuses to that object.

There's the usual basic palette of picture effects and faders included, but the true video editor will of course want to use the computer, which is what the MiniDV format was made for. An i.LINK jack (i.LINK is Sony's name for Firewire/IEEE1394, they're one and the same) is provided for a quick and quality connection. A note to the uninitiated: *DO NOT use a USB connection to export video to your computer.* The USB format is slower and will result in poorer-quality video. Connecting by Firewire provides a better-than-TV image using the right software - I avoid using bundled software when possible, and would recommend using Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 or Sony's own Vegas DVD program, both of which offer free trials to see which you prefer.

The HC36's still picture feature is a novelty; you must purchase/provide a Memory Stick Duo for the function to work, and while 640x480 VGA size images are nothing compared to a digital camera, it can be entertaining when combined with the camcorder's other features - using the digital zoom and NightShot for example, you can capture an image from several hundred feet away in near darkness. Fun, but a real digital camera is still the way to go for photographs.

Connections are the HC36's weak point. The aforementioned Firewire jack is there, but the cable is not included. An analog video/audio jack (out only, no in) is provided along with RCA-ended cable to connect to your television or analog source, but because the jack and cable are non-standard and unique, should you lose the cable, you'll have to go to Sony to get another. And there's no mic input. The built-in stereo mic can record 16-bit high-quality audio, but a camcorder with this many features should have this one more.

Overall, the HC36 is the sweet spot in the Sony camcorder lineup, a big-quality features-heavy camcorder in a small, lightweight package, with a tiny price to match. Five stars for Sony's movie-making multi-tool.

(Addendum: Why not DVD? DVD camcorders offer similar features, however you must pay hundreds more for a DVD camera than a similarly-featured MiniDV cam. They're also noticably larger, and DVDs aren't nearly as easy to work with - You must format a DVD before using it, which requires setting the camera on a steady surface and waiting several moments. Recording at the highest quality setting, a camcorder DVD will hold only 20 minutes, and then you must "finalize" the disc before playing it in any other DVD player. Should you need to replace the DVD during an important timely event, or forget to finalize the disc before giving it to someone or storing it, you're pretty much out of luck. Because the DVD camcorder system is set up to just play the DVD as-is, editing or getting the video on computer can be a long and very complicated process. Whereas MiniDV tapes last an hour, were made for editing, and offer slap-it-in-and-go convenience. If you have the extra money and just want to play back video as you shot it, a DVD camcorder is a possibility, but at a fraction of the price and complication, the MiniDV cam is the bang-for-the-buck convenience-is-king winner.)

The camera works great but ...Neither Sony nor Pixela, the makers of the Picture Package software that comes with some Sony camcorders with mini-disks tells you that the software IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS XP, SERVICE PACK 2! It will crash your computer or not work properly. DO NOT install the Picture Package software if you have run Windows XP. If you have a DVD player on your computer, you can download the photos from the mini-disk without this dangerous software. Shame on Sony and Pixela for selling the software to Windows XP users or including it with the camera without a warning.

I purchased the HC36 as a backup to a Sony VX2000. I filmed a play in low light and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the video. I was able to intermix the video from the HC36 with the VX2000 with only a slight difference in quality. The onboard mic was also excellent! more than I expected. I hadn't planned on using the audio from this camcorder, but in the end I did use about 20% of the audio for a 2-hour production.

I have owned several camcorders over the years and I'm always pleased with the quality of Sony. I will definitely use the HC36 as a backup for wedding shoots.

I bought this camera tonight, and after a little confusion, I am pleased. There are other reviewers out there that state you can only transfer the video to VCD. The problem is that the documentation is unclear about this. All you have to do is go to Start Menu>Picture Package>Handycam Tools>Video Capturing Tool.

I shot a small test video, transferred it, and all is well. I will recommend getting a Firewire cord when you buy the Camcorder, as it does not come with one. The quality on the firewire vs. USB video is more than noticable.

All in all, a good starter cam with more than enough features to keep you playing for some time.

I bought it a week ago. Tried some shooting and transfered from HC36 tape to PC smoothly with firewire connection (not USB)and Windows Movie Maker/Sony Vegas 6.0. The picture quality is good for resolution up to 720x480 (high quality). Don't expect too much from this handycam, only the basic video shooting will do. If you want to make 'Hollywood-like' movie, this is not the right choice. You need to have spare battery, the standard is about 80 minutes. One of the reason I chose Sony HC series is you can have an optional battery(NPFP90) up to around 500 minutes. For me it is important as I don't want to carry a lot of spare batteries and keep changing batteries while travelling in remote area.
For me it's a good product for what I paid.

This Camcorder has excellent features for the price...most important is the quality of video both in daylight and night use and it tops the canon and samsung brands as I have tried both...just in answer to the guy in new york with software issues...it clearly states in the manual that to use the "click to DVD " feature you can only do this with Firewire (sony calls it I-link) and not with a USB connection.

All,
This camera is packed with features, almost too many. If you've worked with other hitech devices the menu is very logical. The play-back video quality is kind of grainy and my older chunky Sony Camcorder has better picture quality, I expected better from this newer model. Camera is not for the beginner. This model comes with all the cables. The model below this (HC-32) comes without some of the cables and the features of this one. So better to spend the extra money and get this one than go searching on e-bay for all the obscure connectors. Being able to record onto Memory Stick Duo Pro is neat, but quality is even lower and they don't give you a starter stick. You need a real steady hand with this camera. The camera is incredibly compact.
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Brian

I just got this camera the other day. And so far, I'm in love with it. I am a photographer and a video artist, and I had a nicer Sony camera that broke, and I was seeking out a replacement. The DCR-HC36 has a much lower quality image than my old camera, however its exactly what i've been looking for. Small, portable, and grainy. I still would like to get a nicer video camera to replace the old one. But I think that this camera is what the Holga is when talking about medium format film cameras. It has its charm and you definatly get a certain look to what you record.

This camera seems like it would be good for someone who just wants to film their kids or family events. However, if you want something with better image quality, spend the money and take a step up. However, i would also recomend this camera for a video production student, its got plenty of manual features and the 20x optical zoom is great.

The Sony DCR-HC36 is very easy to use, especially with the "EASY" setting turned on. Picture quality in well-lit places is pretty good. However, the color quality suffers in low-light situations, with a somewhat bluish tint occurring.

The camera can be hooked up to a PC or Mac via Firewire (iLink) or USB. I hook up the camera to my Mac Mini via Firewire and the iMovie software works great with it. iMovie can control the camera pretty well. The camera can also act as a web cam (via Firewire) using Yahoo! Messenger on the Mac.

The image quality is good (just as any DV camera). Connecting the cables directly to the camera with no need of any base or cradle is also very good. With USB connection you can use this camera also as webcam when at home, and you can even show recorded images on your tapes through as if it is a live image. The audio quality of the microfone rocks! (really really good) And it can also be used as USB microfone with the webcam.

Perhaps, I got disappointed with some important features:
- It does not have any led light that shows if the camera is recording of not (VERY BAD!).
- It can not take shots if you are recording in widescreen mode.
- If you don't want to mess up your battery, you have to take it off from the camera, because it does not detect that the battery is already charged. This is terrible when you are using the camera at home with the AC adapter: always remeber to remove the battery.
- Night vision is badly placed, so when you attach an extenal lens, the light is covered. Also, when not using an external lens, it only works when very close to the subject.

The last point i think is a general DV cams problem: don't waste your money with a 1GB or 512MB memory stick to store pictures. The picture quality is terrible, it's only 0.3 megapixel (640x480). An old 64MB memory stick is enough, unless you want to store videos on it, but why you'll want to do that if you have DV tapes???