Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV 1MP Digital Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom (Includes Handycam Station)

by Sony

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000E0DU6M
• Item model number: DCR-HC46
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,896 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 18, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The DCR-HC46 from Sony gives you a full-featured, compact MiniDV camcorder at an affordable price. Highlights include the Advanced HAD CCD imager, which captures stunning detail and clarity, and 12x optical zoom with Super SteadyShot picture stabilization, which focuses on distant subjects, providing clear close-up images with less distortion. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens offers less glare and increased contrast for vivid, more life-like color and tones. A 1-megapixel sensor allows you to take still images that can be printed at photo quality up to 6 x 8 inches. Make your personal videos complete with additional customization features such as Picture and Fader effects for creative and professional looking enhancements. Picture Package software helps you easily organize and edit still images and video.

1.0 Megapixel (Gross) Advanced HAD CCD Imager
1/5.5-inch Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 690K (effective) pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video (up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution) and still image performance. The Megapixel technology enhances your digital videos and digital still photography performance.

MiniDV Recording
Offers up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution, 3x the color bandwidth and a significantly higher signal/noise ratio, to provide spectacular video performance.

12x Optical/800x Digital Zoom
The optical zoom helps to bring the action close up from far away. In addition, the digital zoom interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms.

Professional Quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens
Carl Zeiss lenses have an advanced optical multi-layer coating that offers less glare and flare with increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation and perfect renditions of subtle tones.

2.7-Inch Wide (16:9) Touch Panel SwivelScreen LCD Display (123K Pixels)
Provides excellent viewing clarity for both 16:9 and 4:3 apsect with improved resolution. The high resolution 123K pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles providing sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback.

Progressive Shutter System
A mechanical shutter system that provides progressive scan performance while utilizing an interlaced scanning system. Digital still images will be sharp and clear with excellent definition.

Super SteadyShot Picture Stabilization System
Picture stabilization system that uses motion sensors to detect and compensate for camera "shake" without compromising picture quality like some other digital stabilization systems.

Handycam Station
The supplied Handycam Station cradle provides quick and easy connections to a TV for viewing or to a PC for editing and sharing video. Just placing the camcorder on the Handycam Station instantly makes the connections. No need to search for cables or wires when charging or playing back.

One Touch Wide Angle Shooting
Easily switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios for shooting with just the touch of a button.

InfoLithium Battery with AccuPower Meter System
Charge the battery at anytime because unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) batteries, Sony's rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries are not subject to a life shortening "memory effect." Sony's exclusive AccuPower meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, in either the viewfinder or on the LCD screen.

i.LINK DV Interface
A digital high-speed bi-directional interface which provides audio-video communication between two compatible devices. This connection allows for pure digital transfer between devices equipped with an IEEE1394 interface, such as camcorders, digital VTRs, capture cards, and PCs.

Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick Duo Media
Capture still images up to 1152 x 864 resolution, directly onto Memory Stick Duo Media for easy transfer to PCs for e-mailing, printing or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick devices.

Tele Macro Function
Useful for shooting close up shots, but without having the camcorder casting a shadow on the subject. Images shot in the Tele Macro Mode will have the subject properly focused with the background unfocussed so that the subject stands out.

Manual Focus
Allows the user to manually adjust the focus of the camcorder using the touch panel. Manual focusing also allows the user to control the focus in difficult situations where either the environment or the subject does not allow the camcorder's auto focus to perform optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.

Super NightShot Plus Infrared System
With Sony's Super NightShot Infrared System you can capture natural looking video, even when shooting in low light. Record subjects up to 20 feet away using the built-in infrared system, but without the overall monochrome color common with earlier low-light recording systems.

On-Screen Zoom and Record Controls
For additional control of the camcorder, the DCR-HC46 features Zoom and Record buttons on the frame of the LCD screen. This allows the user more flexibility when holding the camcorder, especially in overhead or low angle shots.

Additional Features

• Stamina Battery Power Management system
• Program AE (autoexposure) modes
• Picture effects
• Fader
• USB streaming
• Easy Handycam button
• Battery information

What's in the Box
Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV camcorder, power adapter/in-camera charger (ACL25), InfoLithium rechargeable battery (NPFP50), Handycam Station (DRCA-C151), Remote Commander remote control (RMT-831), stereo AV cable, lens cap, USB cable CD-ROM with USB driver (PicturePackage Software ver. 1.5 for Sony)

Product Description

MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder True digital editing uplinks to compatible PC without sacrificing video quality SwivelScreen LCD display with 270 rotation (123KP) auto/manual focus. DVD recording. Professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. 12x optical/800x digital zoom lens. 2-3/4 wide touch panel SwivelScreen LCD display. Progressive Shutter System and Digital Still Memory Mode capture high-qualiy digital still images with excellent definition and sharpness. Compatible with Memory Stick Duo media. Super SteadyShot picture stabilization. Super NightShot Plus infrared system for capturing video even in low light. USB interface allows you to broadcast live video with audio over the Internet. iLink DV interface. Includes AC adapter/in-camera charger, InfoLithium rechargeable battery, Handycam station, USB cable, remote control, stereo A/V cable, lens cap, and CD-ROM with Picture Package software. Manufacturers limited one-year parts/90-day labor warranty. Shpg. wt. 3 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

355 of 360 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent audio-video quality and ease of use, March 9, 2006

By 

Ganesh Kumar Eswaran "Ganesh Kumar" (Bangalore, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV 1MP Digital Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom (Includes Handycam Station) (Electronics)

This is one of the best camcorders in the market today and I would definitely recommend it to anyone planning to buy a Mini-DV camcorder

Positive factors:

- Very small and easy to hold with one hand. Can be easily attached even to a mini-tripod with ease.

- Excellent widescreen video and hi-fi audio. Your videos finally get that "Hollywood" feel when you shoot movies in 16:9 ratio (widescreen format). Even if you don't have a widescreen TV currently, you will very soon have one as more and more people are buying them. So its better to buy this camcorder and shoot in 16:9 format to enjoy your movies later in widescreen format.

- Includes widescreen rotatable LCD so what you see is what you get when you shoot in 16:9 ratio (widescreen format)

- Good battery life. One extra battery is enough. You can easily manage a day's worth of shooting with two batteries before recharging them again

- Includes docking station making it easier to connect to computer or TV. If you have a good computer with a firewire port, please buy a firewire cable to connect the camcorder to your computer. You can download your movie in excellent clarity in .avi format and edit it as required

- Make sure to change the audio setting to 16 bit (instead of the default 12 bit) for very good hi-fi audio

- Touchscreen menu system is great. You don't have to search for any buttons as they are all available in the touchscreen menu itself.

- 12X optical zoom is more than sufficient for ordinary home videos. Anything more produces more "shaking" and would necessiate the use of a tripod. When you shoot without a tripod, 12X is the best zoom you can achieve without worrying about shaky videos

- 1 MP widescreen still photo. You can use this feature if you forgot to bring your digital camera. The photo clarity is not good so please don't expect great shots. Since the photo is in 16:9 format, you can take panoramic photos and cover more people in group shots

- Nightshot: Cool feature that records using infrared light. Useful for shooting at night as you can record a video even in 100% darkness

- Color widescreen viewfinder - Very useful when you are running down on batteries and need to use the viewfinder. The color widescreen viewfinder gives an excellent picture and is as good as the LCD in clarity

Negative factors:

- Outdoor videos especially in bright sunlight are overexposed. So please adjust the white balance when shooting outdoors. Add the white-balance menu to your shortcuts so that you can easily access it and return to default once you start shooting indoors

- Sensitive microphone may pick up button clicks (best to turn off the button click "beep" sound).

Notes:

- Use a fresh cassette after recording 2 or 3 times on the same cassette. The head tends to get dirty if you re-record on the same cassette more than 3 times

- You can edit movies in Windowx XP using Windows Movie Maker, but beware it does not support 16:9 ratio video. Hence your videos look ugly as you shot them in 16:9 but Movie Maker converted it to 4:3. Invest in Pinnacle Software version 9 or 10 for better movie editing capabilities. Pinnacle is the only software, I am aware of, that preserves teh 16:9 ratio. Even Roxio could not allow 16:9 format.

- You can also invest in wide-angle lens as it gives excellent coverage

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Look elsewhere if you need to shoot indoor video, September 17, 2006

By 

A. Kumar - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV 1MP Digital Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom (Includes Handycam Station) (Electronics)

I bought this camera after looking through reviews on a plethora of sites; one of my primary requirements was to shoot indoor video. One good thing about this camera is that it is surprisingly small and light, which would no doubt make it easy to carry on trips. The other good thing is that it shoots fairly good outdoor video. But these are pretty much its only two strengths, and they are far outweighed by the lousy quality of the video I got when I tried the camera indoors. In the default mode, the picture is dark, extremely noisy, the colors are wildly inaccurate, and it looks as if the video is being shot through a yellow snow storm. Things improve slightly if the white balance is set to indoor mode, but the color fidelity and the graininess is still unacceptable. Another issue that I noticed was that the camera takes a noticeable amount of time to focus in on objects when you move it around, but this was a relatively minor inconvenience when compared to the abysmal low light performance.

I also noticed that there was a small but very prominent red speck on the LCD; the manual says that this is a "normal" result of the manufacturing process. Being somewhat familiar with this industry, I can tell you that it is more likely the result of lower QA standards to cut costs (how many of us have seen a color speck on a new laptop or desktop LCD?).

Before returning the camera, I went over to a local electronics store and shot similar footage with it and with a display model of a Panasonic PV-GS300. The quality of the video was far superior with the GS300; I noticed no graininess, the picture seemed to be steadier and always in focus, the colors more accurate.

My suggestion to all those thinking about buying this camera is to seriously consider spending the extra $100-$300 and purchasing the high end Sony HC96, the Panasonic GS300, or perhaps the GS500.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Mid-Range Camcorder, November 24, 2006

By 

Mike (ALPHARETTA, GA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV 1MP Digital Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom (Includes Handycam Station) (Electronics)

The Sony DCR-HC46 is a terrific mid-range digital camcorder. It has a more than adequate 12x optical zoom (any more and even image stabilization won't remove the jitters). There are quick access buttons on the body of the camera, and a ton of features in the on-screen menus (available only on the swing-out LCD viewfinder). Using your fingers on these menus is much easier than I thought they would be, and most of those features are for infrequent occasions. In addition to the LCD viewfinder, there is a color traditional viewfinder (missing on many up-scale models like the DCR-SRxx line of hard drive camcorders), which is great when outdoors where the sun can wash out the LCD. We really appreciate the Handycam Station that makes connections to computers and TVs a breeze while charging the battery. Now that really is "handy."

Technically, the image capturing technology is the same as the hard drive-based DCR-SR80. However, MiniDV recording technology does not compress the digital images where hard disk and Mini DVD technologies do. Therefore when you transfer the data to your computer for editing, you avoid the uncompress process required by the latter two technologies. When you create the resulting DVD, that is the first and only compression to hit your video, meaning you get better image quality.

The cons? Well, the included software is woefully lacking. I'd like to author DVDs, but ImageMixer is a Video CD authoring tool. And VCD is so ten-years-ago. And the built-in 1 megapixel camera is truly a joke.