- Capture high-definition video to MiniDV
- 3.2-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor
- 10x optical zoom, 20x digital zoom; Digital Zoom Interpolation
- Capture still images up to 6.1 megapixels
- HDMI connection; USB 2.0 terminal
Technical Details
Product Details
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Product Description
RE)SONY HDR-HC9 MINIDV HI-DEF CAMCOR
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
167 of 172 people found the following review helpful
After looking at the specs to this new HDR-HC9, I noticed that Sony's HDR-HC7 (last year's model) was almost identical to Sony`s latest in MiniDV technology. I began digging in the specs department for awhile on both Sony's website and here on Amazon. I was able to determine the following differences between the two:
- The Sony HDR-HD9 boasts on it's Amazon specs that it has upgraded to a 2.0 USB connector leaving the old 1.1 design behind, however the specs sheet on Sony's homepage seem to dispute this, claiming the HDR-HC9 is still plagued with the old technology. I rarely use any sort of camcorder for still pictures, I do have a 512MB Memory Stick installed in my unit for that "just-in-case" moment we've all been in. Even in the rare occasion I do snap a couple experimental stills while on vacation, I always use a card reader to transfer the pictures to my PC, not the USB interface.
- The supplied software is obviously upgraded. The Sony HDR-HC9 comes with Picture Motion Browser version 2.0.17
- If you really care about stills (and take a lot of them...I mean a lot of them) the Sony HDR-HC9 can now handle an 8GB Memory Stick compared to the HDR-HC7's 4GB.
- The general color of the new HC9 is black (which I prefer over the cheap space-age looking silver of the HC7) but this is just a consumer's preference, no reason to upgrade.
- It has been posted on other websites that the HDR-HC9's manual focus has been improved over the HC7's.
I've been trying my best to come up with something more but honestly, this is all I could find. This camcorder is basically the HDR-HC7 with a new paint job and a few minor modifications. Not to say this is a bad camera...far from it. I shoot exclusively with Sony camcorders and this one is by far the best I've ever owned.
If you happen to own the HDR-HC7 don't be swindled into upgrading. As the few minor spec differences above point out, you already own the new HDR-HC9 minus the 8GB Memory Stick storage capacity and the onyx color scheme. Compare the specs for yourself, if you find anything that differs between these two models feel free to list them in the comments section under this review. I searched for 30 minutes and this is the best I could do.
As far as the camera performance itself...what can I say? It's a Sony, top of the line. If you want to shoot quality HD movies but don't want to break your bank account, the Sony HDR-HC9 or HDR-HC7 is probably the right fit for most people's budgets.
I also prefer shooting with this camcorder because of the MiniDV tapes it uses as opposed to all the other media platforms such as DVDs, Hard Drives, Flash Memory...etc.. This format (MiniDV) is an industry standard and if you are planning on editing your videos with computer software (Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas Studio) this is the ONLY way to go.
DVDs and Hard Drive camcorders require a lot of MPEG-2 video compression and when the video itself is transferred to your PC and edited into files the quality of the video is compressed again. Finally, when burning your finished film to DVD the files are degraded once more, leaving the footage pixilated and grotesque...like someone ran it through a garbage disposal. Something to think about.
Product Highlights:
- MiniDV (my format of choice)
- HDMI hook-up (for a quick plug-n-view of your footage in beautiful high def)
- Switchable HDV/DV formats (just in case you don't need to shoot in HD)
- Professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens
- Widescreen display
- Compact size (for an HD camera this is VERY convenient )
Product Down-points:
- I really wish Sony would have given us a 25x optical zoom...it would have put this little guy over the top as far as camcorders in this price range
- The touch screen interface is a bit cumbersome (sometimes feels like a rat maze when just trying to find a single button) plus it leaves annoying fingerprints
- The supplied battery is a joke, definitely need an upgrade
Recommended Accessories:
- Sony NPFH100 H Battery (This thing goes through juice quick)
- Sony VF37CPKS Filter Kit (Protect that lens)
- Sony LCSVA31 Soft Carrying Case
- The Sony HDR-HD9 boasts on it's Amazon specs that it has upgraded to a 2.0 USB connector leaving the old 1.1 design behind, however the specs sheet on Sony's homepage seem to dispute this, claiming the HDR-HC9 is still plagued with the old technology. I rarely use any sort of camcorder for still pictures, I do have a 512MB Memory Stick installed in my unit for that "just-in-case" moment we've all been in. Even in the rare occasion I do snap a couple experimental stills while on vacation, I always use a card reader to transfer the pictures to my PC, not the USB interface.
- The supplied software is obviously upgraded. The Sony HDR-HC9 comes with Picture Motion Browser version 2.0.17
- If you really care about stills (and take a lot of them...I mean a lot of them) the Sony HDR-HC9 can now handle an 8GB Memory Stick compared to the HDR-HC7's 4GB.
- The general color of the new HC9 is black (which I prefer over the cheap space-age looking silver of the HC7) but this is just a consumer's preference, no reason to upgrade.
- It has been posted on other websites that the HDR-HC9's manual focus has been improved over the HC7's.
I've been trying my best to come up with something more but honestly, this is all I could find. This camcorder is basically the HDR-HC7 with a new paint job and a few minor modifications. Not to say this is a bad camera...far from it. I shoot exclusively with Sony camcorders and this one is by far the best I've ever owned.
If you happen to own the HDR-HC7 don't be swindled into upgrading. As the few minor spec differences above point out, you already own the new HDR-HC9 minus the 8GB Memory Stick storage capacity and the onyx color scheme. Compare the specs for yourself, if you find anything that differs between these two models feel free to list them in the comments section under this review. I searched for 30 minutes and this is the best I could do.
As far as the camera performance itself...what can I say? It's a Sony, top of the line. If you want to shoot quality HD movies but don't want to break your bank account, the Sony HDR-HC9 or HDR-HC7 is probably the right fit for most people's budgets.
I also prefer shooting with this camcorder because of the MiniDV tapes it uses as opposed to all the other media platforms such as DVDs, Hard Drives, Flash Memory...etc.. This format (MiniDV) is an industry standard and if you are planning on editing your videos with computer software (Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas Studio) this is the ONLY way to go.
DVDs and Hard Drive camcorders require a lot of MPEG-2 video compression and when the video itself is transferred to your PC and edited into files the quality of the video is compressed again. Finally, when burning your finished film to DVD the files are degraded once more, leaving the footage pixilated and grotesque...like someone ran it through a garbage disposal. Something to think about.
Product Highlights:
- MiniDV (my format of choice)
- HDMI hook-up (for a quick plug-n-view of your footage in beautiful high def)
- Switchable HDV/DV formats (just in case you don't need to shoot in HD)
- Professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens
- Widescreen display
- Compact size (for an HD camera this is VERY convenient )
Product Down-points:
- I really wish Sony would have given us a 25x optical zoom...it would have put this little guy over the top as far as camcorders in this price range
- The touch screen interface is a bit cumbersome (sometimes feels like a rat maze when just trying to find a single button) plus it leaves annoying fingerprints
- The supplied battery is a joke, definitely need an upgrade
Recommended Accessories:
- Sony NPFH100 H Battery (This thing goes through juice quick)
- Sony VF37CPKS Filter Kit (Protect that lens)
- Sony LCSVA31 Soft Carrying Case
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
The Sony HDR-HC9 is a great camera in a small package. The HDV footage is stunning in clarity. The Super SteadyShot really works well as long as fast zooms and pans aren't in the plan. The NightShot is super fun to use at dimly lit parties and events. Smooth Slow Record is a blast! Tape something with lots of motion (volleyball serve, trampoline flip) and dissect it. Coonectivity is great with component video, AV, and HDMI outputs. All this functionality in a camera that fits in your pocket (almost) is awesome! most of the time...
Some of the buttons are too small and hard to reach if the LCD screen is out. Also, the manual focus control is difficult to use. It is a scroll wheel which is hard to control. A focus ring would have made this camera much better.
Overall, I would recommend this camera for anyone who wants to shoot HD footage of family events or even use professionally as a 2nd or 3rd camera as a stand alone on a shoot of an event.
Some of the buttons are too small and hard to reach if the LCD screen is out. Also, the manual focus control is difficult to use. It is a scroll wheel which is hard to control. A focus ring would have made this camera much better.
Overall, I would recommend this camera for anyone who wants to shoot HD footage of family events or even use professionally as a 2nd or 3rd camera as a stand alone on a shoot of an event.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
This is our first HD camera, so we didn't really know what to expect. (Note that for video review, we played the output via HDMI to our Sony Bravia 46" HD TV.) In full light, the picture is fantastic; you get some blur and artifacts during movement or in shadows, but I don't know if that is normal or not for an HD camera, so I'll take that at face value. Night shooting without the IR light (Nightshot) is pretty grainy, even with an add-on light. The Nightshot IR functionality works great and is a lot of fun to play with. The built-in IR light seems to work well up to 7 or 8 feet and then drops off.
Still shots are pretty poor; even in picture mode, they look like video captures; the contrast and color balance are bad compared to a dedicated still camera, but that seems to be common with most if not all dual use cameras so, again, take it at face value. Note that it does have a built-in flash (I couldn't find that documented anywhere).
It is small and light; you can almost stick it in your pocket, even with an extended life battery. Contrary to the CNET review, I didn't have any issues with the touch screen functionality.
Video and still import work fine; I had to buy a different firewire cable (the one included has the small end on each side, my PC has a large firewire connection). The Picture Motion Browser did not work; it crashed with an error when trying to open on Vista. Sony were absolutely no help; they just kept sending me to knowledge base articles that were of no use, and refused to make any effort to help (given that I just dropped $1500 on camera and accessories, you'd think there would be more love there).
On the whole, I'm pretty happy with the camera, although I'm disappointed that I have to carry two devices to get quality stills, and I'm very frustrated with Sony's support for their worthless software. But, at the end of the day, I paid for an HD video camera, not a still camera or software...so, four stars for the video functionality.
Still shots are pretty poor; even in picture mode, they look like video captures; the contrast and color balance are bad compared to a dedicated still camera, but that seems to be common with most if not all dual use cameras so, again, take it at face value. Note that it does have a built-in flash (I couldn't find that documented anywhere).
It is small and light; you can almost stick it in your pocket, even with an extended life battery. Contrary to the CNET review, I didn't have any issues with the touch screen functionality.
Video and still import work fine; I had to buy a different firewire cable (the one included has the small end on each side, my PC has a large firewire connection). The Picture Motion Browser did not work; it crashed with an error when trying to open on Vista. Sony were absolutely no help; they just kept sending me to knowledge base articles that were of no use, and refused to make any effort to help (given that I just dropped $1500 on camera and accessories, you'd think there would be more love there).
On the whole, I'm pretty happy with the camera, although I'm disappointed that I have to carry two devices to get quality stills, and I'm very frustrated with Sony's support for their worthless software. But, at the end of the day, I paid for an HD video camera, not a still camera or software...so, four stars for the video functionality.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great Sony Camera but with some Caveats
Let me start with the good:
The picture quality is amazing in bright and dark rooms the camera captures clear crisp videos. Read more
The picture quality is amazing in bright and dark rooms the camera captures clear crisp videos. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Javier Borja
it's alright...
I've had this camera for about a year and a half and I've gotten pretty annoyed with the video quality. Being a $1,000 camcorder, I was expecting exceptional video quality. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Cheryl
Loved it until it developed 'double vision'
There's a lot to love about the HC9, at least while it works. Others have gone over its good points, but I particularly liked the quality for the size and the ability to take flash... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Chris Kridler
Great!! For the short time it worked. Now it's JUNK
A $1000 camera should last a little longer with minimal use. Sony has included great features with this camera and the picture quality is great... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Tony S
Great Sony Quality
I am producing a series of cooking shows for broadcast and internet distribution and decided on the HC9 because I wanted to shoot with the camera on a Merlin Steadicam so that I... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Bill Raddatz
Stunning
What you expect from Sony,stunning video,and the highest bit rate of all HD camcorders.This is my 3rd sony camcorder.Camera works perfectly. Read more
Published on May 15, 2010 by MikeT
Disappointed in SteadyShot
I had a Sony standard-definition camcorder for many years that worked very well, and I decided it was time to get a high-def one. Read more
Published on March 22, 2010 by Susie Jones
SONY HDR-HC9 IS REALLY GREAT
I been looking for a camcorder for 5 months and I did lots of research in that time, I was in favor of a Canon at first ( S D ). Read more
Published on March 2, 2010 by S. E. MILLER
Outstanding buy
Saved money over a new camera and it was in excellent shape and worked as good as the new product.
Published on February 1, 2010 by Kirby
Specs Correction USB1.1 Not 2.0
I'm on the verge of buying this camcorder after much research. It has most of the same features of my superb 10-year old Sony DCR-TRV10 mini-DV digital camcorder, with the addition... Read more
Published on November 23, 2009 by William Brown
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