Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 13.3 x 5.6 inches ; 13.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00123Q8VY
• Item model number: DCR-HC52
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #887 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 18, 2005

Product Description

The DCR-HC52 puts exceptional quality, versatility, and affordability in the palm of your hands. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens and Super SteadyShot image stabilization capture clear, sharp video. Powerful 40x optical/2000x digital zoom brings you close to the action, and Super NightShot Plus technology keeps your video bright when shooting in dimly lit environments. The 2.5" touch panel SwivelScreen LCD display puts control of everything at your fingertips, or use the Easy Handycam button to simplify your recording options when the action just won't wait.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

199 of 202 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entry Level Handycam, March 25, 2008

By 

Matthew Hellstern "TXMatt" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

First let's correct the Amazon description, this is a 40X optical zoom camera, not 25X as seen on the product itself.

This is a great camera to start out with, the simplicity of Mini DV tapes makes this a good value choice. DVD camcorders in this price range suffer from bad battery life, and disk errors that can render your disks useless. The Mini DV tapes are tried and true.

I use an Apple computer at home and the camera connects to iMovie with no problems using the iLink port on the camera. All you need in most cases is a Firewire 6pin to 4pin cable, and you are good to go.

The video and audio quality are good, and the night vision is fun too. This is not a upper level camera so don't expect several bells and whistles, but it performs great, and has the basic features most people will ever need. The battery life is fair, but that is expected, all camcorder companies want you to buy an extra battery, but at least Sony gives you several options.

With a full charge and a new tape, expect about an hour of record time.

100 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great camera at an awsome price, March 29, 2008

By 

Ray Pringle - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I have been renting a Sony DCR-HC21 from my college for a month or so now. I'm a photographer by trade but I really became interested with editing digital video so I looked around for a camcorder that was a bit above mid range. This is it, it has enough professional functions to make it just right for me. Ability to recored in 16:9 widescreen, touch screen LCD, ability to control exposure, manual and auto focus, 40x optical zoom, and at $234.99 it's an awesome buy.

The one Con I can think of is that the battery provided with the camera is very poor. Only lasts for 115 minutes, which seems nice but in comparison to the NPFH50 that lasts for 3 hours it's poor. Do yourself a favor and buy the NPFH50 Battery for $26 here on amazon.

The other thing that I can't fathom is that none of these minidv camcorders come with the firewire data cable. It seems like including an 8 dollar cable wouldn't be that difficult, Sony afterall bundles the software needed to transfer the video to your PC.

All in all this is the best camcorder for the money, I chose this over the Canon ZR900 and I'm glad that I did. It's well build and has all the features that an amateur or professional would want.

83 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Entry Level camera, November 28, 2008

By 

Steven Veerhoff (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I purchased this camera in mid October 2008, and so far have been very pleased given the low price. I initially wanted more features, but did not want to spend over $250-270 total (with accessories like MiniDV tapes, firewire cable, bag, extra battery). I use it for recording my children's music performances.

Plus:
- The video quality is very good. 40x OPTICAL zoom. This was the highest optical zoom I could find in a camera in this price range.
- The sound quality is good in the 12 bit mode, and even better in the 16 bit mode.
- Easy to use.
- Compact.
- Intelligent Lithium battery.

Minus:
- No MiniDV tape included. You will need to buy some.
- NO PASSTHROUGH MODE. This camera cannot accept input from analog sources (like output from an old VHS-C camera or a VCR). If you plan to use this camera to transfer from older analog to digital video, it won't do it.
- Battery life is short, 115 minutes according to book, but I get between 90 and 100 minutes. Buy an NP-FH50 and use the battery that came with the camera as a spare.
- No USB port. You WILL need firewire inputs on your computer to capture the video. And if you purchase from Circuit City, do not expect the sales people to know this.
- No Firewire cable. Factor that in the purchase price. Firewire cables are expensive ($25-$30) IF you buy from a brick and mortar store; expect to pay $8-10 online
- No Remote control. So if you want to put the camera on a tripod, you must manually start and stop the recording.
- No memory slot. MiniDV only.