Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Bought to transfer tapes to the pc. Works without a hitch.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Good, quality product.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

So far it's a great little camera- and the most important it has a viewfinder! However, the batteries it came with don't hold charge for more than ~20 minutes. We ended up calling SONY, where we were told, that the camera somehow was supplied with WRONG batteries... we got new batteries from SONY, but just keep it in mind.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Very easy to use,quality of video was above average.Works well with macs, imovie.Would recommend this camcorder for those who want a very easy to use camcorder,although it has plenty of fun settings to play with if you choose.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

I am using the camera to convert mini DV tapes to my hard drive. It works well. Since it doesn't have a USB port (only firewire), I had to buy a firewire card for my computer. I then had to by a 4-6 firewire cable (it would have been nice to have had it included). I then used Movie Maker (free) to transfer the tapes. It worked well. I haven't filmed anything with the camera, and probably won't.. I just needed to move a wedding on tape over to my hard drive.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

I bought this product before heading out for our New York trip. I was able to capture very easily..thanks to the light weight, very ergonamically designed, simple to operate (my four year old too shot several mins of video) camcorder

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

This little Sony MiniDV camera is quite a buy for the money. I've worked with video professionally for 34 years (I'm now retired) and I wish I had had some the features this camera sports in some of the studio cameras of long ago that cost as much as a house and were the size of a Volkwagon.The Steady Shot feature works wonderfully at most focal lengths; however, when you are zoomed in to the extreme you will still experience "shake," but that's just how it is. Get a tripod.The color fidelity is very good, as is the white balance setting. The specific scene settings work wonderfully, in most cases. You may still have excessive and out-of-range contrast under extreme, e.g., "high noon," lighting conditions, but again, that's just the way is is. Bring some reflectors and an assistant.The many options -- spot metering, spot focus, etc. -- work great and are quite accurate. I do wish I could spot meter AND spot focus at the same time, but for the price, the features are amazingly good. The only operational issue that bothers me about this camera is that is is so small my fingers tend to over-reach the zoom control near the grip. (And my hands are average size.) If you shoot using the LCD screen flipped open as your viewfinder, you won't have this problem since it has a second zoom control.I purchased the camera mainly to record family events, but I've been pressed into service as a videographer for a couple of outdoor jazz combo concerts, with the footage to be edited and used for promotional web sites. The camera is light and quick to move about the stage on a monopod and gives good results for the intended end use. DO get an extra battery for this camera -- preferably one with a higher capacity than the one included. I didn't purchase one when I ordered the camera from[...] but ordered one from them about a week later.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

PROS: Nice color reproduction, smooth zoom control. The 40-X optical zoom is a plus. Small footprint and lightweight make it easy to shoot on the run and carry the camera for quick shots. Long battery life ensures you'll get as many shots as possible.

Average ability to work in low light settings.

CONS: Zoom control is too close to the power switch. A couple of times, I accidentally shut the camera off when trying to zoom in to a scene. A special connector is part of the break out cable, not the typical mini plug that other cameras have. This means that if you forget or damage your cable, you may not necessarily be able to buy a replacement at just any electronics store.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Great product. The miniDV format will be around for a long time and a tape-based camera still offers better functions-per-price than the new solid state devices. Tapes offer instant long-term removable storage other than computer hard disks. I bought one of these for its small size for traveling and recently another for my daughter's to use with her new baby.

Nothing bad to say other than the supplied battery is someone short-lived. By a second one and you have a great camera deal!

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

I use this camcorder for basic video work and it is a gem. The camera has just about everything you could want in an entry level miniDV handycam.
The zoom is great for filming distant objects and the "landscape" filming mode lets you film distant objects through windows without the windows being filmed. This camera gets four stars and loses one star because it doesn't have either a mic or a headphone jack. When using the LCD screen to playback material I would prefer soft buttons instead of depressing the LCD screen where problems could develop later. The price of this Sony miniDVD gem however is unbeatable value!

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

I teach a multimedia class and bought these camera's to introduce movie making with my students. Some of my students like the lightness of it. The video quality is pretty good, better in outside and in plenty of light, but adequate in low light situations. I have mixed feeling about the on-screen menu's. I suspect the screen will get pretty dirty after awhile.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Great starter camera

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Bought this camcorder as a gift for my son and he loves it. Says it is an incredible little camcorder for the price. Said it is very easy to use and has loads of extra features. He's really pleased with it.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Sound quality isn't terrific, hard to hear when there is background noise, but other than that, everything works pretty well

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

compact, easy to learn

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Light weight
Great price
great picture

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

I had an older Sony MiniDV camcorder that sustained water damage, so was originally planning on getting a Hard Drive Camcorder to replace it. But I have a bunch of MiniDV tapes that I didn't transfer yet, and I want to wait a little longer for the HD Hard Drive Camcorders to come down in price, so I got this camcorder for now. It is very light weight, inexpensive, and will hold me over until I get an HD Hard Drive unit. I have a digital camera so didn't feel the need to have a camcorder that takes pictures.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

GREAT DEVICE FOR THE PRICE YOU CANT BEAT, LOVE THE NIGHT VISION OPTION,GOOD ZOOM.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

Camcorder is easy to use, small, light, and a good value for the price. B&H had the best price[...]Would recommend both B&H and the camcorder.I read several reviews that the battery life was not as long as advertised, so bought a second battery.

Comments about Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder:

This camcorder is smaller than our 5 year old Sony DVD Handicam and much easier to use. We are very happy with our purchase.