The Sony’s HDR-HC3 camcorder is an upgraded version of the former HDR-HC1 handycam.  It features great evolution in features that can accommodate most prosumer demands, compared to its predecessor.  Dimensions for the camcorder are 3.2in x 5.5in x 3.1in (W x D x H) and it weighs approximately 19.8 oz.  It is not the smallest High Definition (HD) camcorder in its category but it is portable enough to fit in your pocket or a handbag.

The Sony HDR-HC3 features a 1/3-inch ClearVID CMOS sensor capable of producing an effective resolution of two megapixels for video and four megapixels for still photography.  It uses MiniDV tapes as storage media and it records in HDV format at 25 Mpbs.  It records in 1080 video with 60 frames per second and uses MPEG2 compression format.

Overall, video performance for this camcorder is high quality.  High definition videos are very sharp and have excellent color balance.  The camcorder also features a sharpness and saturation level control in its Color Level feature.  Each of the two attributes shows as a scale where users can toggle up or down to increase or decrease the level respectively.  It also offers a Zebra Stripping features that will allow users to check when the brightness level of the videos is too high that will skew the output video quality.

Still images are stored in the camcorder’s memory slot that supports Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick Duo / PRO Duo cards.  Still images are in JPEG format like most camcorders.  You can take still images in two qualities (Fine and Standard) and can set them in four different sizes (2304 x 1728, 2304 x 1296, 1600 x 1200 and 640 x 480).  The memory slot sits inside the LCD cavity.  For low light still photography, the camcorder has a built-in flash mounted just above the lens.  The flash can be set to Off, Auto or Forced Flash.  The Sony HDR-HC3 doesn’t have an exposure bracketing function that will allow the user to capture three successive photos in different exposure levels.  It also doesn’t have a burst mode that will enable the user to capture several photos in succession.

In Standard Definition recording mode, the camcorder offers two selections for audio recording.  Users can select 12-bit sampling rate that records two stereo sounds at low quality or the 16-bit sampling rate that records one stereo sound at high quality.  High Definition recording, though, offers no option – recording only at 16-bit sampling rate.  There are no available XLR input and mic jack for this camcorder.  For versatility, Sony has included an accessory shoe than can cater to Sony proprietary accessories like the Sony external video light, shotgun mic or Hi-Fi mic.

A 5.1mm-51mm Carl Zeiss Zoom lens dominates the front feature of the camcorder.  The lens has an aperture range of f/1.8-f/2.9 and a shutter speed range of 1/2sec-1/500sec.  It features a 10x optical zoom capability and an added 80x digital zoom.  Using the camcorder’s zoom to the fullest may cause unnecessary camera shake effects to the video results.  To counter this effect, Sony has incorporated its proprietary Super SteadyShot image stabilization system that eliminates up to 70% of camera shake.  The lens has a 30mm filter size and a built-in lens cap.  Focus adjustments come in manual and automatic modes.

The camcorder also features a passive matrix 2.7-inch touch screen LCD display with an effective resolution of 0.123 MP.  For an alternate playback and video monitoring, there is also an electronic viewfinder with an effective resolution of 0.123 MP.

Shooting programs for the Sony HDR-HC3 includes Scenery, Spotlight, Beach & Ski, Portrait Mode and Sunset & Moon.  Special effects include Sepia, Still, Pastel, Monochrome, Skintone, Cinematic, Old Movie, Flash Motion and Negative Art.  White Balance available is identical with other Sony camcorders.  There is Custom, Preset (Indoor, Outdoor) and Automatic settings.

There are no manual controls for shutter speed, and there is no focus or zoom ring around the lens.  The camcorder offers a dial control at the left side of the camcorder to control the zoom in manual mode – called the Cam Control.  The Cam Control allows incremental adjustments in the zoom as you rotate the dial.  You can also use the Cam Control dial to control Exposure, focus and White Balance.  For automatic operation, the camcorder is equipped with Sony’s Easy mode.  With a press of the Easy button, the camcorder goes full automatic limiting the user’s access to the manual controls.  The Easy mode is very efficient and is capable of producing great quality videos in both standard and high definition modes.

You can access playback mode by rotating the power switch until it displays playback on the LCD screen.  Controls for fast forward, rewind, play or stop sit on the buttons below the LCD panel.  Toggling the view between the video and still modes is thru the button at the lower left most of the LCD panel.

The Sony HDR-HC3 comes with Sony’s NP-FM50 Li-ion rechargeable battery.  A fully charged battery pack can provide up to two hours of extensive use.

The HDR-HC3 features an HDMI port that will allow users to connect the camcorder to HD-compatible monitors and TV’s to watch HD videos.  There is also a USB port (PictBridge compatible) on the left side of the camcorder, inside the LCD cavity.  The Composite out, A/V out and DC ports are located at the rear of the camcorder just beside the battery compartment.

Among the Sony HDR-HC3’s competitors it its category are the Canon Optura 600 and the Panasonic PV-GS500.  Canon’s Optura 600 boasts of a larger imager with its 1/2.8-inch CCD sensor but has a lower effective video resolution than the HDR-HC3.  The lesser effective resolution causes a less sharp image output for the Canon camcorder.  Panasonic’s PV-GS500 has lesser sharp images compared to the Canon camcorder, and its noise is more evident even when shooting in bright light conditions.  There is no doubt that the Sony HDR-HC3 out performs both competitors in sharpness and overall video quality.

The HDR-HC3 has adopted the best qualities of the HDR-HC1 and added several Sony proprietary features to boost the camcorder’s effortless operation.  Its features can cater to prosumer demands as well as the point-and-shoot crowd.

Technical Specifications

Hardware

• Light/Flash : Yes
• Docking Station : N/A