Sony DCR-HC21 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom Camcorder Reviews

Sony DCR-HC21 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

Great Camera -- Useless Software 2006-10-24

The Sony "Picture Package" software is horrible. I agree with the other reviews. Sony needs to get their act together. Without the software the camera is useless. (I actually have no complaints with the camera itself, just the completely worthless software shipped with it.)

Breakable Toy 2006-08-29

This was my first video camera so I wanted something easy to use, lightweight, uncomplicated. That it was. It was a Consumer Reports Best Buy and that influenced my buying decision. In daylight the pictures it took were OK. In low light they were terrible, even with Nightshot. When I tried to use it with a tripod I found I had to unscrew the camera from the tripod to change the tape-- an unnecessary hassle created by bad placement of the tape compartment. The software was worthless--unusable. I am a Mac user but did not even get to try out my computer DVD software because the camera broke before I got around to it.
After six months of most moderate use, the tape compartment refused to open and it had to be sent for repair. Sony asked for more than half the price of the camera for the repair. Fortunately I had a Mack extended warranty so I did not have pay Sony. It only cost me another $30 for processing. I would not recommend this video camera even for a beginner. And it taught me not to have implicit trust in Consumer Reports. There must be better choices .

Some Corrections for Chris's Review 2006-06-21

A couple things about Chris's review are innacurate, so I thought I'd post a correction lest the uninformed be swayed by his experiences.

The firewire (aka i.Link, aka IEEE1394) connection is the industry standard for MiniDV->computer connections. The tiny version of the connector is commonly used because there's so little space available for a connector.

Also, the B&W viewfinder is actually a *plus*, because it allows for a clearer, higher resolution image to be displayed.

That's it, just wanted to clear up the impression that this camera uses a Sony proprietary connection. I'm in the market for a camera currently, and if I hadn't already found out otherwise I might have been mislead here.

Good Hardware, Hideous Software 2006-05-11

This was my first digital camcorder. I'm not a videophile, just wanted to take some simple video of the family. The camera seems to be perfect for me. Unfortunately, the software is unusable which makes the camera almost worthless. Sony, get it together. Your hardware is good...but I need the software too. Google "Handycam Software Problems" before buying any Sony Handycam product.

Do not buy! 2006-05-06

I'm terribly disappointed in Sony for creating such a horrible product. It is virtually impossible to transfer what has been taped to a computer or CDR, and you must own a Sony computer to burn a DVD. So, now I have many tapes but cannot play them anywhere but on the camcorder, where they cannot be heard, because...unless you are standing within two feet of what you are filming, you cannot hear what you have taped when playing it from the camcorder, and there is no jack for earphones/headphones.

Not only is the software user-unfriendly, it runs on my computer even when it is not in use. At times,the computer cannot recognize the camcorder, though it did the day before. If the software is recognized, it takes almost three times the length of the recording to transfer it, and a half-hour tape is split into four or five separate "films."

Don't buy this camcorder unless you can afford a resentment.

Horrible horrible horrible product. 2006-04-15

I do realize that the cost of this product is very low but the quality is even cheaper. I wouldn't waste a dollar on this 'paper weight that lights up'. The video quality is that of a bottom of the line webcam and even getting the product to work is something like pulling teeth. We bought 14 of these worthless cameras and every single one of them was riddled with problems and very poor quality video (I didn't just happen to get a bad apple). You would think that a brand name such as Sony would have a little respect for themselves and actually pass their products through quality assurance but I guess even big boys such as sony don't even care what they are putting out anymore. I am litterally scared to buy another sony product no matter what it is, just on the remote chance that it would be even a fraction of the worthlessness of this camera. I would list the pros and cons but that would be a lop sided listing because there is not one single pro! Buyers beware! You would be better off buying a twenty five dollar webcam. It's actually an insult that Sony would just pretty much screw their customers in such a way to produce such a lousy product. I'm even disapointed that I had to give it 1 star. If it were up to me, it would get negative 5 stars. I feel it is my civic duty to warn people of the horrrible quality and craftmanship of the Sony DCR-HC21 MiniDV Handycam (and possibly the whole Sony Handycam product line, although I have never nor will I ever use another Sony Handycam product).

Great camera 2006-04-04

This camera is takes quality video, pictures, and even a webcam.

The effects available on it are amazing. I went on ebay and bought mine and got a full kit. (Wide angle lense, 3 camera filters, tripod, mini tripod...etc..)

Not hard to figure out. very easy to use, very compact, and great overall

Highly recommended for those who want a great camera for less price.

The Official Wald Review 2006-03-11

On recieving this product for my birthday, Excitement was satiating my body, as my sole was lifted up out of my brand new addidas shoes, with custom lettering. It is not only a great product, but it satisfies my need to digitally record any video's. The only downside it would have, is the fact that it doesnt have a memory card, so taking pictures is difficult, with the tape. Also, it doesnt have a flash like the cannon, but the Night vision is perfect for those "late night" recordings! :)

The Easy CD Guy

Better than what you'd expect... 2006-02-27

With myself being a broadcasting and production technology major, I was a little skeptical in getting the HC21. But I must say, after messing around with it for about an hour after getting it, it's certainly worth those wanting to use it for home AND professional use.

First off, I've noticed some reviews complaining about video quality. Yes, you WILL need a FireWire cable, the USB cable isn't worth the time of day. Before you just go running out to shoot things, you'll have to manually adjust the White Balance. Sony doesn't seem to do a good job with the AUTO, INDOOR, or OUTDOOR presets. Setting the White Balance is very simple. Use the "ONE PUSH" feature, and zoom in on a white sheet of paper (obviously in the lighting of where you will be shooting), hit the ONE PUSH button, and viola! I will admit, the defaults aren't something to go crazy over. But when I set the White Balance myself, I was absolutely amazed. The two major nacks with Sony's miniDV line of cameras is that they do not come with a mic jack or a headphone jack...two crucial things in fields such as mine. There are very simple work-arounds though, it's all about how you want to put good use to the camera. Please, don't be fooled by some of these reviews. I can almost guarantee you that they took it out of the box and started filming. Taking the time to customize your settings will definitely get the max results out of your HC21. It's definitely worth the money!

SONY ...where are you ??? 2006-02-26

(...) I bought this camera because I am travelling to Argentina very soon. I wanted something compact and modern (my 12 year old Sony 8mm seemed inapropriate for such an important event).

How wrong I was!

The only reason I gave this camera 1 star is because it IS compact, and stylish and very cool to look at.
However; the quality of the movies I took is very inferior compared to my old Sony 8mm. Indoor videos come out dark and grainy even with all lights on. When you use the indoor setting, it's even worse because the color fades (almost like B/W).

Also, as another guy said; I also get bars across my screen every so often (seems like some tape glitch)...AFTER 2 DAYS OF USE? If this is due to humidity or a dirty recording head, then I don't even want to imagine what other problems will come up after a few months!

The night shot is a cool feature, let's you film in complete darkness...but then again; who needs to film in pitch dark conditions? I don't work for the FBI!!!

The touch panel control on the LCD screen is very cool indeed, but as others have mentioned, the screen gets all smudged and dirty after 2 days of use. I doubt if the screen will function more than 1 year as it is not the best way to navigate controls, given that one of the most delicate parts of the camera is that screen itself.

I returned this Camera to the store and was told by one of the "technicians" that I probably got a "DUD", since he owns a Sony and he has no complaints on his camera. I did not want to take any more chances, so I traded in for a Canon ZR600 at the same price and so far I am much happier with this purchase. I will review the Canon ZR600 as soon as I give it a full try-out.
But, right off the bat I will tell you that the indoor shots look much better on my canon, and it is a much quieter machine than the Sony; which had increidibly LOUD motor noise.

Still and all, neither one of these digital mini DVs can compare to my old bulky Sony 8mm which has astounding image quality in all light conditions. But since I DO want to upgrade, I feel Canon is a smarter choice over Sony.

(...)

Good Cam Corder for the Money 2006-02-25

Happy with the overall performace of this device. Easy to use and the touch screen features allow for a much more compact device. I am using it in a business environment so it is hard to say how it would work in the personal world but would by one for myself.

Expected More - But found a fix for a problem on the Internet 2006-01-30

I have not owned a video camera for a while, so in getting the Sony DCR-HC21 I thought that everything would be an improvement over what I had previously. Unfortunately the picture quality is not as good as my old VHS monster. A disappointment. The size is excellent, however. Just so you know there is a tradeoff.

I was disappointed that the software which comes with the camera is woefully inadequate for transferring digital movies from the camera to your computer where you can edit them. [Don't even contemplate using the USB transfer as this will give very poor results.] This seems like such a basic thing that people would want to do with digital media, I find it amazing that the software just doesn't do it. [Easy Media Creator does not do it either.] However there is very simple freeware program which you can download at: http://windv.mourek.cz/ which makes digital transfer easy.

Sony DCR-HC21 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder 2006-01-22

Positives: Everything about the camera is great per techinal descriptions and specifications.
Negative: No wide angle lens to capture birthday parties or Christmas events. The zoom is so good, you can't stand back far enough to capture the event without panning.

Even stands up to constant warehouse use! 2006-01-21

We ordered several of these camcorders to use in our warehouse facility. We needed something compact, durable, and that would provide clear resolution even when recording product moving at a high speed. We have been pleasantly surprised with how well these camcorders have worked. These recorders have been running up to 16 hours a day, five days a week. If it can withstand the kind of abuse it is getting in a warehouse, it can withstand any home use. A great value.

Buy Sony at your peril 2006-01-15

As an owner of the Sony DCR-HC30 model DV Handicam, I want to warn everyone about my horrible experience with this product line. Design and feature-wise, these Handicams are great. The problem is, they are built like junk.

From the day I opened my box, I got a message that told me that the heads were dirty and needed to be cleaned. In retrospect, I should have returned it for a replacement then and there. But being a basically optimistic guy, I decided it just got dirty in transit, and I got a head cleaner and cleaned the heads. It worked fine for about 30 days - just about the amount of time in Sony's crappy labor warranty. And from that point forward, I have gotten dirty head messages constantly, which at first could be `cleaned away,' but now, even when the message is gone, problems persist.

I often get bars across the screen during playback, and I have already determined that I have lost many a precious memory of my infant children. Sony's solution to this situation is their standard "flat rate" repair program, truly a bargain for $250 or so - more than half what I paid for the camera in the first place.

Any Sony wonders why their brand value has all but disappeared? They are just another electronics brand now, and one with sub-par quality and service at that. Guess I'll be buying Samsungs or Canons next time around.

Are you listening, Sony?

Not all that great... 2006-01-11

I bought this minidv because Consumer Reports rated it a best buy. Well, it's not that good of a camera in my opinion. The first day I got the camera home I shot basic footage indoors in what I thought was a well lit room and the video turned out very flushed and grainy. Outside it looked a little better, but it was far from what I would even call a good picture. After taking this camera back I plan on cancelling my subscription to CR as well.

Great little product 2006-01-05

This is a great little camcorder. I really enjoyed using it for the holidays! What I did find out is that the transfer software from camera to pc wasn't the easiest to figure out. I am very computer proficient and I had some small issues. I was able to transfer the movies with USB. It was real time video so slow going. All in all I think that this does exactly what they say it does and well.

Excellent Performance with less price 2006-01-05

This is an excellent Handycam with a very low price. I bought this one 3 weeks back to retire my DCR-TRV520. It is light, easy operable with less complicated features which we do not use but pay for. Battery life is between 80min - 115min depending on how much time you keep it idle. If you are a bit cautious and switch it off after each shoot it is ok for one trip to Zoo/ Universal Studio / football Game. Some of the controls are thru touchscreen but they are easy to use.

It is one of the best choice for outdoor, vacation, party with a much lesser price.

Great Camera, Firewire is an industry standard 2006-01-05

This camera has worked great for me, especially for the price. The image quality is very good (except in very low-light situations), and the sound is much better than I expected. I recorded music playing through my speakers, then played the recording back through those speakers, and it still sounded very good.

Just to counter those complaining that the only way to get the video onto your computer is with a FireWire (Also known as IEEE 1394 or iLink) cable:

This is the industry standard way for all camcorders (of all brands) to transfer DV to computers. A cable is not incuded because some computers have a 4-pin FireWire port, and some a 6-pin.

I was also suprised to see someone complain that the software does not work on Macs. I do not see this as a problem, since iMovie, which is included with all Macs sold in the past several years, is vastly superior software. If you have a Mac (purchased in the last 3 years or so), don't even bother putting the CD in your computer. Just plug the camera into the computer via FireWire, turn it on to playback mode, rewind the tape, launch iMovie, and click import! If you want to do a lot of editing with iMovie, and/or DVD creation with iDVD, I strongly recommend iMovie HD and iDVD 5: The Missing Manual by David Pouge. This camera plays very well with Macs, and it can even be used as a web camera for video chats using iChat!

If you want to edit full-quality DV film on your PC (from this camera, or any other MiniDV camera), you will need the following: At least 10-15 GB of free hard drive space, a FireWire port & cable, and movie editing software. Windows XP comes with capable video editing software.

Finally, a note on reliability: Consumer Reports has ranked Sony MiniDV camcorders as the most reliable of any MiniDV camcorders on the market, based on actual consumer data. Please ingore the fanatical claims by other reviewers of poor reliability: All consumer electronics have failure rates, and you will find such reviews for every camcorder on the market.

Have not used a Camcorder for over 10 years! 2005-12-17

Sure is small and very easy for my wife to use. The AUTO switch makes it very quick to just pickup and shoot a whatever!
I am using battery.com for power as SONY is a bit high on their prices for a battery.
The product does what they say and more. It is FUN to use and works well with my computer.
Remember, you will need a good size hard drive just to put the movies on if you want to edit them at all!!

Yes, I would buy it again as even with my 60 year old hands I can make good videos. Get an extra battery and the external charger and a camera bag. Do not pay > $30 for the bag as the smaller ones work just fine!

Have fun and good luck with yours also.....

Merry Christmas from New Hampshire, John

perhaps better for very lit up rooms 2005-12-14

We bought the Canon ZR100 on Consumer Reports "best buy" list but chose to return it after reading many reviews about the loud motor/fan noise during recordings. We next went with the Sony HC21,also a recomended model. It was used in a room with two lamps and a window. The picture appeared dull with the colors and the greys were grainy. Maybe it would have been fine outside, but our house faces North and we can only do so much with lighting. This was not the camera for us even though Consumer Reports, and Best Buy workers recomended it. We returned it and exchanged it for the Panasonic pv-gs150 (about $300 more) but avoided paying the restocking fee and are very happy with the indoor picture on that one.

Love the Mini DV, Easy to use. If importing onto computer though, make sure you buy a firewire 4-pin to 6-pin cable. 2005-12-11

I have had my mini DV now for about 4 months and love it. The portablity, picture quality, ease of use, and options are well worth the money and the price tag, you definately get a great camcorder for your dollar. I do a lot of film editing and compositing and have to say, even for a family camera this gets great results and picture and can withstand the heavy usage. It is not a complicated camera to figure out, I was shooting film within minutes after purchase, and even my mother can figure it out (someone who's not of the digital age). I do have a comment on Chris's review, yeah it is a pain to not be supplied with a cable for film importing from DV to computer (besides the incredibly slow USB) however, they are extreemly cheap and easy to find. You don't even need the iLink that Sony reccommends, you can just get a Firewire cable and plug it in that way. I can film, import, and have a dvd burned within hours with this hook up!

"Black Screen of Death" on Consumer Reports 2005-12-05

According to ConsumerReports.com, the "Black Screen of Death" is causing product recalls for many camcorder companies, but the scope of the affliction is too limitied to avoid purchasing n affected model or maker. The article can be found HERE.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/chip-problem-with-some-digital-cameras-and-camcorders-1105.htm

Black Screen can be fixed! 2005-11-12

Well, about 2 months ago, I also got the "black Screen" an earlier commenter on this camera got. However, before buying this camera, I was told that this would happen when the camera knew it needed to be cleaned! Ya, it may seem odd, but the camera is doing the only thing it can to protect itself. By turning itself off like this, it lets you know it must be cleaned, and saves you money in the long run by not hurting the camera. Unfortunately, it seems if you don't know, you think the camera is just busted. Anywho, just a heads up for y'all so you can fix the problem before it happens to you.

PS - the longest I've heard of one of these cameras going before cleaning is about 2 years.

What a disaster 2005-10-17

I bought this camcorder less than a month ago. While it was working (more on that below!) it was only average in picture quality. Its supposed to have a decent CCD but the outdoor quality was good, yet indoors it is dreadful! If you intend to use this for outdoors, like sports its OK (just OK not superior), but forget about using it indoors - bad in indoor light, awful in low light.

Now for the best part......the touch screen stopped working in just a few weeks after purchase. I am careful and gentle with my electronics. Its in the shop for repair and Sony service appears to be bad also.

Best product for its price! 2005-09-12

Well, before purchasing this camera, I took the precaution of reading the previous comments about it, and decided the Cons of the camera were worth the price saving.
Now that I own it, I can say that it has the next list of cons and pros:

PROs
- Very light
- Compact design
- "Easy mode" of operation, so anyone can use it
- Very good 20x optical Zoom
- Optional Lamp
- All the Sony features (nightshot, viewfinder, steadyshot, etc)

CONs
- The touchscreen gets dirty from using it
- DVD recording only from firewire.

One of the other cons I read before, the noise, didn't bother me at all.

Strongly reccomend to get the LCS-VA30 Camera Case, Everything fits in and there's still space for my Cybershot P32, spare batteries, and a couple of MiniDV's.

Sony Camcorders fail in 2 years 2005-08-28

There is currently a known issue with many of the Sony Camcorders. This is being called the "black screen of death".

What happens is that the camera works great for 1-2 years then the CCD goes out like a light. The camera will not take video again.

Sony is evasive if not downright deceitful about this issue when you call tech support. The fact is Sony does not stand behind their product. If this happens to you, Sony will not own the defect and you will be out hundreds of dollars.

There is a lengthy thread on CNET on this issue. Search for Sony black screen.

Wishing you luck in the purchase of your (not Sony) video camera,
Scott

great choice 2005-08-17

I bought this camera for my husband for his 30th birthsday and it was a great choice!! Its very easy to use and have all the features amateurs like us need. If I were to make the choice again its the camera I would have bought!!

Great camera...but missing software 2005-08-04

The camera is very nice. It is small, clean, and easy to use. It has clear, steady images and works great in virtually any light.

But like a significant number of people have already reported on the web, my camera was missing the driver/program CD. Unfortunately I didn't notice that in the first 30 days, so Sony expects me to shell out over $70 to cover their mistake.

I spent over 3 1/2 hours trying to get this problem resolved to no avail. Their support site is virtually useless -- even more so when compared with other support sites on the web. The phone support wasn't much better. I was routed to invalid extensions twice and dropped into an auto-attendant loop another time. The final time they escalated my call to a hangup.

You pay a lot of extra money to get the Sony name. Frankly, I expected MUCH better customer support.

nice little cam 2005-08-04

This is a very nice small handycam which is just the right size; not too small not too big. I would have given this little beauty 5 stars but didnt only because of the following which I didnt like :

1. Very short battery life. Sony should supply at least a mid level battery with the camera instead of the lowest one.
2. You have to use the touch screen factility to play back, rewind, end search, etc. There is no other way.
3. Sony should have included record from video input on this model too. (you cant use it like a VCR to record stuff off other players and TV)

There is no memory stick in this option but is available in the next model. But thats OK since you get what you pay for and this is a video camera and moreover if you want to shoot stills the resolution will be too low and if you want to shoot stills why would you buy a video cam?

Otherwise the camera is very useful to tuck in with your usual holiday packing. Excellent entry level Mini DV cam.

On the plus side 2005-07-27

I bought along this camcorder on a recent vacation and chose it over several others because of the Carl Zeiss lens. It performed well and I liked the compact size. Some of the shots I used the zoom with turned out blurry but it was probably because we were in a low lit tree forest or I was panning too fast. I should have practiced with it before I left. Sometimes still photos don't do a place justice and in my case I'm glad I recorded the experience in this mode. The price is right and I'm sticking with Sony. I given it 4 stars because of the ergonomics.

Small but some drawbacks and poor customer support 2005-07-06

We bought a DCR-21 a few weeks ago and have very mixed feelings about it. Unless the major problems can be taken care of, it's going back. Pluses: 1. it's small and easy to use. 2. The zoom allowed us to get detailed video of sea turtles swimming in the ocean from the 8th floor balcony of a resort. 3. The videos we've downloaded to our Macs are clear. 4. The "easy" button on the camera will allow the non-tecchies in the families to use it without (or with less) fear. 5. It connects to our Mac with Firewire (not included with the camera, but we already had a cable that came with the computer) or with USB. 6. It works great as a webcam with Firewire - no special software or installation needed. (Kind of expensive for a webcam, though!)

OK, now for the minuses. 1. The battery charges IN the camera. If we get an extra battery so we can swap them on the fly, we can't recharge the dead one while using the other one, unless we buy an external recharger, for more money of course. 2. Also, a longer life battery is thick and will stick out into the user's hand. 3. The zoom goes so quickly that it's hard to control. 4. The touch-screen is cute, but how long will it last? 5. The lens cover is opened/closed with a manual switch - easy enough to do, but if you forget to close it you really won't know unless you happen to look at the switch's position. 6. The videos we downloaded have AWFUL audio - a constant and loud ch-ch-ch-ch-ch. Either there's something wrong with the camera or we downloaded wrong - not sure yet. 7. One of the features we liked was "Nightshot" that allowed low-light taping without shining a light on the subject. It doesn't work - things we could clearly see with the naked eye weren't even remotely visible on the viewfinder, LCD, or tape. 8. Customer support is terrible. We had trouble installing the supplied software and called Sony, they said sorry, it's not Mac compatible - but the software and manual clearly say that it is. When we called the software provider's non-toll-free number, they said to call Apple. Of course Apple can't support third-party software. (We haven't gotten their software to work, but we could download and play with iMovie.)

Bottom line - we can get used to everything except the audio problem. Assuming that we're either doing something wrong OR there's a fixable problem, I'll give the camera three stars - the size (5) and picture quality (5) balanced against the drawbacks.

Terrible Customer Support from Sony 2005-07-01

I recently bought a DCR-HC21 and lost the driver CD that came with it. I called Sony and you wanna know what they told me? Pay another 69+7 dollars and we will send you the CD.
I was like, what the hell? I told them that I paid the price of this CD, the only thing that they were going to do is just send me the CD at the expense of shipping and handling or give me a web site that I could download it from. I told them, I paid the price of the program and there is no cost of copying the software once its licence price is paid, right?

However after couple of days of struggle I still could not pursuade them that once a program is purchased, it means that it is purchased, the rest is just a matter of copying.

So , the bottomline is I am not buying a Sony product anymore, and if you don't want to experience the same thing, you do what I am doing: Stay away from Sony.

Tamer Uz

Great home movie cam....a bit lousy on the still photo mode 2005-06-22

this cam was given to me as a present.as soon as i opened the box i charged the battery slid a tape in and went on shooting everything in sight.the video resolution was great.and since i already bought a firewire card and cable before hand, video transfer to my pc was a breeze,except for the supplied software which was a pain to use.so i grabbed a copy of sony vegas 5.0 and it proved very useful, i uninstalled the supplied software altogether! especially when capturing the photo stills from the camera which was saved on the tape the vegas 5.0 was very easy to use and straight forward to use.other programs captures the stills from the tape as a movie clip,requiring you to use a third party program to extract the still pic.the vegas 5 cpatures the still and saves it as jpeg format.though don't expect to use this in lieu of your dedicated digital camera as the best resolution i could get was only at .3 MP or less!the night shot feature is great in low to zero light conditions,and the touch panel screen was just way too cool, the unit itself is very handy and fits just fine on my palm making it easy to lug around and run after that perfect shot.overall, the movie made from this camera is far from professional quality but its more tha enough for personal and occassional use.just don't expect to catch good looking stills on this one.my suggestion is, if you're going to buy this camera...save some extra cash for a dedicated still camera, and you won't go wrong.

Nice when it works, but extremely poor workmanship 2005-05-31

Based in part on reviews I read here, I purchased this camcorder three weeks ago. The viewfinder was DOA, although the camcorder worked and images could be seen in the flip-out screen. So I returned it figuring I'd just been unlucky and replaced it with another one. I'm now in Istanbul, Turkey and two days ago it ate two of my tapes. BTW, I am very careful and know how to use camcorders. I still use several analog camcorders that I've owned for ten years. Today, it simply stopped working altogether -- it will not power up and I have three batteries, two were fully charged. I finally decided to take it in for repair (of course I don't have my warrenty with me) and the guy was very familar with this camcorder. He walked over to his shelf and pulled three units that all looked brand new, each brought in within the past two days by travelers from various hotels in Instanbul. He told me that Sony products have been making him a lot of money in the past few years as their quality has slipped. I will return this immediately on my return to the States. I am simply amazed at how Sony has let there quality slip. While the images look good and I'm reasonable happy with it's functionality (I wish I'd purchased a unit with more of that), if it don't work, it ain't no good.

Sony DCR-HC21 2005-05-22

The Sony DCR-HC21 camcorder comes with an AC adapter, a power cord, a wireless remote controller, A/V and USB cables, a shoulder strap, a rechargable 1-hr battery pack and software.

The camcorder is fairly easy to operate and understand, although I was disappointed with the lack of information in the manual that comes with it. The software that comes with the camera is garbage. I am currently using Ulead's MeadiaStudio Pro 7.0. Windows Movie Maker 2 is also a good choice to capture videos. I strongly recommend the use of a firewire cable in order to be able to capture the videos efficiently. Another advantage of using a firewire cable is that the programs then give you more options on the quality of capturing your videos.

That being said, the Sony DCR-HC21 camcorder is definitely a good buy for people who want a simple point-and-shoot device and there's a whole range of functions and settings for the more curious ones out there. The camcorder's not-so-ergonomic shape sits well in the palm of your hand but isn't too comfortable when used for an extended period of time. The power switch could have been placed a little ahead of its current position, which I find is too close the the recording button and isn't always easy to operate. The LCD touch panel screen is large and easy to operate. The menu settings are fairly easy to understand and the manual can be used to provide an explanation of each setting. The zoom toggle switch is sensitive and takes a bit of getting used to. Alternatively, users can use the zoom buttons located on the LCD panel, beside the screen or the remote. The difference is that using the latter two options, the user will find that she/he is able to zoom in and out at a slower and more gradual rate than when using the toggle switch. There is an Easy Handycam mode which sets the camcorder for optimal shooting conditions and allows the user to start shooting without the fuss of having to set the camcorder up. In this mode, however, the user is unable to access most of the menu settings, therefore limiting the control she/he has. The Nightshot Plus mode is my favorite. I took a video of my snakes feeding in pitch dark conditions while standing 1.5-2.0 feet away and the quality of the video was amazing. The picture was sharp and clear and focusing was not an issue with the Carl Zeiss lens. While using the Nightshot Plus mode, I was able to shoot subjects that were 6-7 feet in front of me in pitch dark conditions. While the subjects did not appear as vivid as my snakes, the overall picture was clear and in focus. The 20X optical zoom is good and comes in handy when shooting subjects that are far away or if you desire a closer look at something small as in a snake's teeth ;) I haven't used the viewfinder for more than a few few minutes because I find using the LCD screen is a lot easier. The viewfinder can be pulled outward but I find this hard and frankly it feels like its going to come right off sometimes. There is a lens adjustment lever located on the right side which can be used to achieve picture clarity while looking through the viewfinder. The mic which is located on the front of the camcorder, just above the infrared port is very sensitive and is able to record with great clarity and quality.

The remote commander is a great little accessory that comes in handy when you have your camcorder mounted on a tripod. The battery supplied is good for anywhere from 40 minutes to 105 minutes depending on the type of recording (continuous/ start-and-stop, using the zoom function and turning the power on and off) as well as the use of the LCD screen versus the viewfinder.

I have not talked about the camera function on this camcorder because I don't really use it. The camera records an image with 7 sec. of sound. I'm not really sure what the advantage is and I'm not too keen on using it as I already have a Canon Powershot A70 that I'm quite happy with.

Overall, this camcorder is an excellent choice for the user who wants something compact, easy to use with the option of having a wide variety of settings to play around with. The price is reasonable and I would recommend this camcorder for a beginner or for someone who just wants an upgrade.

Imporant Experice 2 be shared 2005-05-03

Video Quality : Excellent.
It is User Friendly & Compact
CAUTION : Drawback of Sony HC series camcorders
Software supplied to tranfer video is pathetic. Search internet for horrible experiences faced by owner of HC series camcorders.

USB cable is only to transmit images. If video is tranferred quality is very very bad.

If you have SONY memory card and SONY note book it is very compatible else THINK twice before buying.

Impressive quality 2005-04-13

This is my very first camcorder and I decided to go with a middle of the line one after I read some reviews. We tested it out yesterday and even displayed what we taped on a huge TV screen and the quality is amazing. I was worried about sound quality, but this little camcorder packs quite a punch. It's easy to use. I almost don't even need the manual. Add to that the fact that it's small enough to carry everywhere with you. I'm overall impressed and very happy with my purchase.

Beware Of Sony 2005-04-12

My little advice - Beware of Sony. The quality has decreased over past years badly and customer service and technical support is very bad too. Not to mention the warranty plans and costs to fix things. I just owned a nice handycam DCR-TRV19 that died after one year of seldom use. Something that is obvious factory defect (since many people experience exactly the same problem) costs more than half of the camcorders price to fix at sony service. I advise you to have a look at http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6142-0.html?forumID=59&threadID=53316&messageID=1064984 and see for yourself how Sony treats their customers.
Once again, don't be blurred by pretty design. The inside is piece of crap.
Sincerely.

Great Camera 2005-03-27

Really great camera, which I'm very happy with. I don't really have much else to say which hasn't already been said.

Note to the young liberal: Don't worry, most liberals grow up to become conservatives :^)

Still Amazed at the size 2005-03-08

About two days before I exchanged a Hi-8 camera for this gem, I spent two days with a huge Sony TRV 138. It had to weigh about 2 pounds, required the big tapes Hi-8 tapes and was very bulky and noticeable. I decided to exchange the camera for a better model. At first I was going to go with a Digital-8 but the model was basically the same size as the Hi-8. I had already filled up one Hi-8 and the digital-8 could play it. But in-store, I was hooked on to the smaller mini-DV's.

I was so pleases and amazed when I had this little gem in my hand. I am a senior in high school and I want to document my life and I also run a website (www.younglibs.com) and wanted to put some video on there. Considering I'm a pretty tech savvy teen, I had to get it. It's digital so I can put it on the computer and share it. So I coughed up the $180 (grand total of $420) dollar difference to take it home.

The camera is great. It's very small, lightweight and comfortable and is an attention getter. It has a cool swivel screen and Sony's personal touch with the Night Shot, Steady Shot and easy mode that is available on all Sony's. I also like the widescreen mode and some of the AE effects like black and white that you can either record as or playback as. It also has a fader so my videos won't look like collages. It has a built in lens cap that you can just slide up and stead if fixing some attachment to it. It also has those Carl Zeiss lens (I really don't care). If you go to Ritz Camera you can get a free $99 kit with it that includes a cleaner, tripod and carrying case. I also really like the end search feature so I won't record over anything (which I did frequently with the Hi-8). You can also take useless stills with it too, no memory card slot, not that you'll need one for the crappy photos. Another plus is that it operates a web cam (with both video and sound), great for instant messengers like me.

I do have some gripes though. The playback sound is located right where you put your hand at. You cannot hear audio if playing back through the black and white viewfinder, B&W viewfinder for a 2005, $400 model, there is no headphone jack and I don't know how long the touch screen will last considering its the menu and controls.

If you are under the impression that you can just shoot video, plug in the USB and transfer the movie to your computer, you've got another thing coming. Here is where Sony's proprietary ways come in. Yes, they supply the USB, but USB is too slow to transfer quality video to your computer. The USB is only theoretically there to transfer the pictures. On top of that, there is no way to transfer the video directly on to your hard drive, with USB you can only transfer it to CDR. And when you play it in the DVD player, it isn't pretty, the quality is terrible. If you are smart though and want to waste more time trying to get it on the computer, copy and paste the CDR data on your computer. In fact it took almost 3 hours to get 30 minutes of video on the disc and it neglected to put the other 30 minutes on the disc even though there was still tons of space available.

So what I have found out is that you have to buy a I.Link (Firewire) cable (warning don't buy it on the Sony site, its 30-70 dollars, go to pricegrabber.com, I have one on the way for $10 altogether) which allows you to A) put the movies on your computer B) does it in real time (60 minute tape takes 60 minutes not 6 hours) C) doesn't loose quality when transferring unlike the choppy USB. So you see what you get. That also means that you have to buy a Firewire card (about $20 on pricegrabber, ecost, and tigerdirect.com) and have it installed in the computer. If you have ever installed a USB 2.0 card, have fun, if you never have, ask for help with cracking your computer.

And voila you have a movie lab. What I neglected to tell you is that now you need a bigger hard drive 160-200 gigs will do and that will run you another $150 dollars. Just for a heads up 7 minutes of video capture was about 23mb.

If you want to see the video capture quality, I have videos I recorded at www.younglibs.com/blog. If you are a republican, you might have a problem though.

Thanks
Chris

My 1st Camcorder 2005-03-04

I purchased this camera because I was itching to buy a camcorder. My first choice was the JVC R-D270 but it was out of stock at two stores so I purchased the Sony, which was about $30 more (when on sale). The camera is very easy to use for recording and playback. The touch screen feature is okay but this was not a huge selling point.
I specifically like the nightvision feature much more than JVC's built-in light. When nightvision is on the camera doesn't project a light, unlike JVC. This is cool for sneaking in on a sleeping baby or any other dark situation that you don't want to be disturbed by light.
The camera also has a manual focus, which is a bonus, although I don't know if I'll ever use it. I also didn't think I would get any use out of the remote but I have found myself using it already for recording (when on a tripod) and for playback.
I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Excellent Value!!! 2005-02-24

The video quality is exceptional. For a camcorder this cheap the still image quality is excellent. The LCD and Night Shot Plus would be two outstanding features of the camera combined with great zoom without any deterioration of video quality. The camera has many options for video including light and color auto adjustments that make a huge difference in quality. I would rate this camera 12 stars out of 5...Yeah that good for $399. I just want to add the that the battery life of the cheap battery it comes with also performs above average recording/playback time.

nice camera - hate the touch screen! 2005-02-22

This is a nice little camera! I just wanted a decent camera to take videos of the kids - this fills that need perfectly. The picture is nice, the colors are accurate and there is very little motor noise (motor noise is often a problem on minidv camcorders in this price range). The 20x optical zoom is fantastic. Low light is a bit grainy but nothing I can't deal with.

The one thing I don't like about this camcorder is the touch-screen controls. As a self-proclaimed digital camera junkie I've spent years trying NOT to touch the LCD screen and on this camera you have to touch the screen to operate the camera. This leaves the LCD screen all fingerprinted and smeary. This is VERY annoying in my opinion and I'm not sure of a safe and effective way to clean the screen. Not a really good design concept!

Other than the touch screen, which by the way IS easy to use, I really like this little camera. Easy to operate right out of the box (I tend to read the manual as a last resort!), VERY small and full of features.