Sony DCR HC52 1MP MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom

Editorial Review
The DCR-HC52 miniDV Handycam(R) camcorder is a high quality, versatile, and highly capable device. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens and Super SteadyShot(R) image stabilization capture clear, sharp video. Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lenses are designed specifically for compact camcorders, and utilize precision ground optics to maintain the sharpness and contrast found with larger lenses. Powerful 40x optical, 2000x digital zoom brings you close to the action, and the 2.7" touch panel Swivel Screen LCD display puts control of everything at your fingertips. 1/6" Advanced HAD(TM) (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 340K effective pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution and still image performance. In addition the Digital Zoom Interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms. The display rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles, as well as provides sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback. Quickly transfer images from the camcorder to compatible devices equipped with an IEEE1394 interface. When using the Sony InfoLITHIUM Battery, the Stamina(R) Battery Power Management System helps the camcorder prolong battery life for extra long continuous recording times from a single charge. 35mm Equivalent - 36 - 1440mm (4 - 3 Camera Mode), 39 - 1560mm (16 - 9 Camera Mode) Aperture - F1.8 - 4.1 Filter Diameter - 30mm Focal Distance - 1.9 - 76mm Shutter Speed - Auto, 1/60 - 1/4000 (Scene Selection Mode) Minimum Illumination - 11lux (1/60 Shutter Speed) Video Signal System - NTSC color, EIA standards White Balance - Auto, outdoor, indoor, and One Push (Touch Panel) Picture Effects - Mosaic, Solarization, Monotone, Sepia, Neg. Art, and Pastel Dimensions - 2 1/2 x 3 3/8 x 4 5/8 (63x85x115mm) with Battery Weight - 15 ounces (440 grams) with tape and batt
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Customer Reviews

Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV

2008-03-12
Item was straw purchase; I purchased it for someone else, a friend who has never chosen to use any form of credit card. But anyway, the camera works flawlessly in it's chosen use, filming skydiving students/customers while mounted on a helmet.

Only a little lack of info on Amazon site, but easily obtainable on Sony site was the lens size/thread pitch so a wide angle lens could be purchased. Overall, no complaints, camera and Amazon worked as expected.

Nice camera NO USB

2008-03-01
I bought this camera, comes with Windows Computer edit software, but guess what? I does not have an USB port, I learn that the manual I checked was also for the DCR-HC54 which has USB, but this cam has not. Now I should pay expensive hardware in order to get to see my videos on computer.

I will not recommend this stuf, I whish I could change it!!

:(

EXCELLENT quality for the $

2008-06-07
I tried to buy this camera from Amazon but their server was trashing on 6/6/08 so I dashed over to the local WalMart and picked up one. After spending the last 7 hours going over every feature and nuance, I wish I'd had this camera last week for videoing a great rock band in Illinois... the spot metering feature would have provided me vastly better results than the old Sharp miniDV it replaced! One review of this camera is extremely biased by the buyer's ignorance of technology... firewire is the only way to go for transferring DV to computer, and this feature works flawlessly on this camera. I'm very pleased to have one, and not even sorry to have paid more at WalMart than Amazon's great price! Image quality is excellent!

5 stars

2008-05-31
The camera works great.

Night shot plus and steady shot IS make difference. Also 40x zoom.

Enjoy it!

DOA

2008-04-07
Had to send it back. Arrived but camera would not focus at all. Send it back and bought a Canon Z900, which works fine.

Great camera at an awsome price

2008-03-30
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.

Entry Level Handycam

2008-03-25
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.

Cameras & Photography Products and Books

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PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography

Editorial Reviews from Book News, Inc.
A couple of digital photography experts weigh the advantages and disadvantages of film vs. digital photography, and explain the basics underlying both types of photography. The Grottas provide reality checks on such issues as whether the number of megapixels really matter, and tips on camera selection, use, and e-mailing and organizing photos. The handbook includes color and b&w images, a glossary, and sidebars and Web links for further technical details.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland.

From the Back Cover The megapixel hype
The fact is a camera’s megapixel rating is only a measure of how many pixels (photosensitive sites) an image sensor has…. An image sensor is simply one component of an entire system that produces a digital photograph… So resist buying into the megapixel hype when you’re choosing a digital camera. From Chapter 1

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