Sony DCRHC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical

Sony Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great simple product. Perfect for the grandparents or those wanting just to record quality video without all the bells and whistles.

Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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.

I would love to review this camcorder
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
“You purchased this item on July 5, 2009.”

But it is July 24, 2009 and it still has not shipped…

Good Basic Value But….
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Good Camcorder for the Value, nothing compared to the features and quality of the 1600 dollar JVC I bought 8 years ago!

I got this Camera in order to transfer my old MiniDv tapes to PC and DVD. I hooked it up with 3 different NEW I Link Cables, 2 PC’s with Vista 64 bit and one with Win XP laptop and to a DVD/VCR 1394 connection. Nothing worked!

Spent hours and days with Sony Tech Support that were clueless and woudl not admit that the Camera port was an issue.

Spent hours with teh very helpful HP support who thru diagnostics established it was the Camera port.

Sent the camera back and Amazon replaced it in Two days (Which was the Great service I have known Amazon for). Another good reason to buy directly from Amazon so that you don’t have to send directly back to Amazon or Amzon’s vendor.

I also ended up paying 29 USD to buy “Driver Robot” to get any and all possible Vista 64 bit. Luckily the newly Replaced exact same Camcorder worked. Extensive research on the net shows that Sony I-link connections are a major issue and practically is a Hit or Miss!. The Analog connections on the first camera did work. I need I-link in order to hook up and transfer old DV to my PC.

If I were you stay away from Sony if I-link connectins are the main reason you buy em for! There are others in this price range or cheaper that do not have these issues. Thanks!

May have given em 4 stars but for teh heartache I had with the I-Link, it being the main reason I bought a new MiniDv.

Easy to use and great quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this for my husband who wanted it to film his hunting trips. He loves it. It is a great size, the picture is much better than the one on our old camera, and it has been easy for him to learn how to use it. We will probably invest in the extended battery, based on what other users have said.

2010 review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great little camcorder. I purchased it to replace a 9 year old Sony Digital8 camcorder. I did not want a hard drive, or DVD. The picture quality is great, far exceding my old top of the line Digital8. It is small, easy to use, and so light. It will be easy to take on trips, which is really the reason I bought it..the 8mm camera, which by the way still works like its brand new, is just a little too big to carry around on vacation. I like the touch screen menus, which my 8mm does not have. And once again, the picture quality is awesome, which for me is all it really comes down to. The only thing I use this camera for is recording my kids as they grow up, I am not a video professional.

Not recognized by computer (Firewire)
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I received this camera as a gift. It works fine to capture video. However, it is not recognized by the computer, so I cannot edit the images.

Yes, I connected it to the computer via Firewire and yes, I used a video capture software (tried IMovie and Final Cut on Mac, Movie Maker on Windows). None of these programs recognized the camera.

The Firewire port seems to be working, since the “DV in” info appears on the camera display when it is connected. However, the computer does not recognize the device ever. It is not possible either to transfer video from the computer to the camera (record).

Since no one else seems to have had this same problem, I believe it should be a defect of my camera. However, it is very frustrating. The camera becomes practically useless, and to fix it would probably cost more than buying a new one anyway.

Reason for no Firewire cable
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great beginner camera, and has some higher level features at an entry level price. It has a great picture and fine sound. The major complaint made in the reviews I’ve read was that there was no firewire cable included. Of course Sony likes to sell their proprietary iLink which is their name for the ieee 1394 cable. The reason I believe it’s not included, is because they don’t know which cable to include. If you have a laptop with built in firewire, you will probably need a 4 pin-4pin, if you have a PCI card in your desktop, you will probably need a 4 pin-6pin. Then there is the question of length, 3′, 4′,6′.etc. Everyone’s needs are different so it’s best to order the cable separately. Cables run from 5.00 – $45.00 so a good online search is recommended.

Some fault the camera for not haveing a still capture, but most of the camcorders that do have them are such low quality poor resolution that they are worthless. I use a separate digital camera of my choice for that.

My disapointment with it is that is does not provide a bridge between analog devices and my computer. For the price, I can live with it and just buy a bridge. I do miss my old camcorder but it cost about $2,000 when I bought it and this little camera has most (but not all) of the features I used.

For computer editing, I was able to connect and capture and edit using Nero 7, U-Lead Visual Studio 8 and Windows movie maker.

I would recommend this to a friend.

A Great Little Video Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great little video camera. Lite weight and easy to use. Night vision mode works well for video in low light! A great value for the price!

Wonderful starter camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Although this is a camcorder that doesn’t have many features (ie: no external mic input, no headphone input), it works like a charm for those who just want to take decent-quality videos for a great price. The picture isn’t all that great, but it’s a nice little camera that hasn’t let me down yet. It’s lightweight and easy to travel with. Even without an external mic input, it picks up sound very well. I use it often, even for a major project I am doing. Get yourself some video-editing software with this camera, a firewire (IEEE 1394 is what I use) to connect it to your computer (make sure your computer has a firewire port, as this camcorder doesn’t use a USB cable for hook up), and you’re good to go. The best part about this camcorder: Mine didn’t require the manufacturer’s annoying software that you have to install in order to use the camcorder with your computer!! I love that part. I can upload the videos straight into any software program that supports DV video uploading (like Windows Movie Maker). I have used this camcorder both with Windows XP and Vista. No problems either way. I highly recommend it!

EXCELLENT quality for the $
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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!

Cómoda calidad de video.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Esta cámara es práctica, cómoda y con una calidad de imagen verdaderamente limpia para ser una cámara de aficionado. La función de Night Shot es un atractivo especial y de mucha utilidad para mi que necesito grabar algunas escenas nocturnas. Su panel LCD es Touch Screen funciona muy bien, y la cámara tiene buenas funciones para foco manual. Lo mejor para mi es poder grabar en cintas de Mini Dv y no en memoria, porque así mis videos son tangibles y puedo archivarlos. La batería dura unos 120 minutos aunque yo trato de usar el visor en vez del LCD para alargar la duración de la misma. Totalmente satisfecho!

spartan and effective
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my second DCR-HC52. My first one got soaked by a rogue wave and died a slow, moist death (although its battery survived and is now my back-up battery). This unit is simple to operate and provides a nice image (I process using the Mac’s iMovieHD). There are no bells and whistles although one can customize the functions a bit and manual focus is possible. Once you get used to the touch screen it does the job. For the money I think you can’t do better than this if miniDV format is what you need.

NIce Camera, But can not use on computer
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera two weeks ago. I like it, but the only draw back is, you cannot connect it to a computer, because there is an ilink port, but there is not usb cord that is compatible with it. If anyone out there has a camera like this, let me know if I am right or wrong about this. Thank You

Decent Camera, But Horrible Color Saturation
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this product to replace one of the first Sony Digital8 Camcorders that ever went on the market (DCR-TRV510). I’ve had that camera for 9+ years and have loved it. I bought this camera because because the reviews were decent, the price was good, and I like Sony products. I’ve had the camera about two months now and I’m very disappointed with the color of the videos. They are very dark compared to what they should be.

My most recent project was filming a basketball game where I had four different Sony digital camcorders in use on the same court (I film a complete game once a year). The other three Sony camcorders (all older, different models) produced far better color than this one. The colors produced by this camera are, quite simply, terrible. The one caveat to that is outside on a bright, sunny day will produce a rich color saturation. Other than that, though, you’re out of luck.

I originally thought it was maybe just my camera, but another reviewer also talks about bad color saturation in his review, so I guess it is product wide problem. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

Love it!!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this camera, the touch screen, the fit, the effects. This is a great camera especially for the price.

Excellent Condition and good price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The product details are not mentioned properly but over all product is excellent Condition and good price

Great camera at an awsome price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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.

Great little camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great bang for the buck…..you can’t go wrong. Great clarity and I like recording directly to my hard drive via the firewire port,,,these way there is no need to waste time rendering to make your DVD copies.

very suitable beginner camera (from a video and television student)
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
let me start by saying, Canon and Sony are two of the big name cameras used in the television station I have worked at.

Second of all Firewire and digital tape (DV) have been one of the most ideal standards for dealing with professional digital video for years. It’s just lately I think solid state cameras are really coming into play here. As a consumer level camera canon, sony and others such as panasonic, jvc have solid reputations, but as with any company and mass production these days lemons show up.

Anyway I wanted to address a couple of the reviewers here and their complaints.

First of all Firewire was mainly developed for macs by apple and texas instruments. and I think sony had a hand in it too. as a rule of thumb windows computers do no have firewire out of the box. Of course it’s possible to add or even buy already present on any computer these days. As for the reviewer who complained about no audio in wmp. Windows as a whole does not play nice with DV support the dv standard. so if you’re a windows user you’ll want an editing suite that supports DV. Macs have quicktime by default which gives DV support at a system level as that’s why mini DV camcorders work so well in the apple world with little to no hassle.

For the Mac user who commented on his/her mac not recognizing the camera, I had to work in the port so to speak meaning I had to put my cable in and out a few times and put slight pressure on it at first to make sure it was firmly in then it worked fine and has since.

Now for the camera itself, it’s a big step up in options from the canon ZR600 i had which was reliable the only reason i got this new sony was the canon had an accident a couple years ago and fell over on the tripod causing it’s slow death. and I don’t have the mony to buy a professional camera either right now.

I just wanted to leave a note for those of you who use macs and are either professionals or well versed camera operators and editors. For macs, maybe for windows too, if you are going to do in house filming. you do not need to use the mini dv tape deck you can connect and record directly to a computer’s hard drive via a video capture app such as quicktime player. I am not sure if final cut supports camera mode, or just vcr mode, but this is a big advantage of a dv camcorder it can be stand alone or a hd camera in conjunction with a computer. Also, a dv camcorder can also work like a vcr too. If you have a video clip or animation etc on your hard drive and you have the right software (final cut again) or other major suites will let you print on tape so you can put it on your camera and use the camera to present it on a tv or just have a portable video player if you so desire etc. Anyway just some tips for the advanced users.

Overall This is a good camera for the beginner if you’re a video student or film, someone who wants to do video for a career. I would recommend this as a good starter camera, but also I would say if you can afford 3,000 or more get a professional camera instead, consumer camcorders do not have the correct type of sensors to produce broadcast quality video. (this was the case in analog days) with everything digital now I myself need to play catchup and see if this is still true or not.

DOA
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Had to send it back. Arrived but camera would not focus at all. Send it back and bought a Canon Z900, which works fine.

Sony dcr-hc52
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This camcorder is not compatible with a usb cable so you cannot put video onto the internet. Unfortunetly this is why I bought the camera so I wasted my money.

Very Nice, Simple, Every Day Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this several days ago to replace a Sony Handycam DCR-HC36 (dead firewire port) that I had been using for about 4 years.

And of course this was THE ONLY cam I could find anywhere with i.LINK. I did not want a cam with USB.

It works the same as the old cam, but much better quality & zooming. Pictures are clear. Does everything I want/need it too. Sadly there is no remote control though.

Some of us like to set up the cam on a tripod & record from a distance, where zooming in & out with a remote is required. But, ohh well.

I cannot comment on the battery, as I run the camera directly from it’s AC adapter.

I also do not use the mini cassettes, because I stream video directly into my iMac or MacBookPro.

For $250 I got a decent little cam.

No special bells or whistles, but I really was not looking for that.

This is perfect for home use & short videos to be published online.

Great gift!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For ease of use, convenient size and portability, it would be hard to beat this camcorder.

This was purchased as a Christmas gift after seeing several sites researching it on the intended recipient’s computer. Unfortunately, the day before this one arrived, he bought one himself, so it had to be returned, but we’re both quite happy with this item and would recommend it without reservation, especially for a novice user.

MR. ERNST MENTOR
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought it as a gift for a friend and she likes it and did some

great videos

no sound on WMP
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Movies play on other media players but on Windows Media Player there is no sound. I called Sony and they said that it was “Microsoft’s problem”, but I disagree, it is their CUSTOMER’S PROBLEM and they refused to help. Stay clear of this quirky pos.

Last SONY product I’ll ever buy
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera last fall, along with a firewire interface card. Had a problem with the interface card and exchanged it. Replacement card had the same problem (it was a usb/firewire combo card that the computers I tried it in failed to recognize). I then ordered another firewire card that seemed to work. Note the qualifer, ‘seemed’. No matter what computer I installed the card into or what OS that computer was running, or which of the several cables I tried, the camera was never recognized. Obviously, the firewire port on the camera was either defective at the time of manufacture, or the design is defective, causing it to fail in NORMAL usage.

In and of itself, this problem probably wouldn’t warrant a one-star rating. However, when I finally decided (well within the 12 month warranty period) that the problem was with the camera’s ilink port, I attempted to contact SONY for service. It turns out that the 12 month warranty covers only parts, labor is only covered for 90 days (which was pretty much used up ordering alternate interface cards, cables, and testing). Since the fixed cost to repair this camera that’s absolutely worthless for its intended purpose (under warranty!) is just slightly less than the cost of replacing it, that is the route I will take. Needless to say, that replacement will not have the name SONY anywhere near it (and when my SONY TV, VCR, DVD players, and monitor need replacement, they will also be manufactured by somebody else!)

Great Entry Level camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera in mid October 2008, and so far have been very pleased given the low price. I initially wanted more features, but did not want to spend over $250-270 total (with accessories like MiniDV tapes, firewire cable, bag, extra battery). I use it for recording my children’s music performances.

Plus:

- The video quality is very good. 40x OPTICAL zoom. This was the highest optical zoom I could find in a camera in this price range.

- The sound quality is good in the 12 bit mode, and even better in the 16 bit mode.

- Easy to use.

- Compact.

- Intelligent Lithium battery.

Minus:

- No MiniDV tape included. You will need to buy some.

- NO PASSTHROUGH MODE. This camera cannot accept input from analog sources (like output from an old VHS-C camera or a VCR). If you plan to use this camera to transfer from older analog to digital video, it won’t do it.

- Battery life is short, 115 minutes according to book, but I get between 90 and 100 minutes. Buy an NP-FH50 and use the battery that came with the camera as a spare.

- No USB port. You WILL need firewire inputs on your computer to capture the video. And if you purchase from Circuit City, do not expect the sales people to know this.

- No Firewire cable. Factor that in the purchase price. Firewire cables are expensive ($25-$30) IF you buy from a brick and mortar store; expect to pay $8-10 online

- No Remote control. So if you want to put the camera on a tripod, you must manually start and stop the recording.

- No memory slot. MiniDV only.

good camera but need extras
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent camera but you will need to buy an i-link or equivalent (mini firewire) cable if you want to edit video on your PC computer. Actually the manual does not indicate that connection to a computer is possible. The instructions in the manual indicate that with the optional cable you can import video from a VCR but references the next model up (HC54) if you need to export to a PC.

Once I purchased the cable I was able to capture video without problem. Windows computers have the appropriate drivers preinstalled. Just connect the cable set the camera to play/edit and select capture in your favorite editing program (this assumes your PC has a mini firewire port-not all do).

Although Mini DV cameras have older technology, they take better movies than SDHC (card) or harddrive camcorders because the pictures have far less compression. Also the format used .avi is much easier to edit than MPEG-4 which the other formats typically use. They do use more power so look for a “kit” deal that includes an extra battery.

Cannot transfer video to a PC
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I own 4 different Sony camcorders. I bought this one because all of the others stopped having the ability to transfer video to a PC using the IEEE 1394 firewire (iLink) cable. Right outta the box, this one is not recognized by 3 different PCs, all having firewire ports, all having WinXP, tried with a variety of 4-pin to 6-pin cables. I’m done with SONY. The reason I kept purchasing SONY was to transfer SONY video. I used a Samsung camera to transfer video but the codecs caused choppy video. My camcorders are all $300 and below in cost. If you search the Internet forums you’ll see that SONY has serious problems with their firewire ports. Another SONY for my useless collection.

Shame on Sony
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I owned an older model DV Sony camera. It’s too bad that the accesaries are not interchangable. I brought this camera with the hope of using the extra batteries I had from my old camera. Shame on Sony for not designing compatibility between the two designs. I think that corperate greed played a big part in the design of this cheaper version of my old camera.

Great little video camera.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The overall positive reviews on this mini-dvd camera are warranted. This is a great little camera for the money that produces some very good video. I have a Panasonic DVX100B, and I initially purchased this camera as a low cost video deck alternative, so I wouldn’t wear out the motor on the DVX while downloading video footage into my computer…and this camera serves that purpose very well. But, I found that this camera is just a fun overall camera to have just to shoot video on the run without the need to set up a bunch of other equipment.

I highly recommend this camera.

Very user friendly
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this for my daughter to shoot video with her friends. It is very easy to use and thus far has had no negative issues. It has features exactly as described by Amazon and the price was right for us. This is an upgrade from our last Sony DCR-HC. Handycams from Sony have always been “handy” for us!

It works just fine
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve shot a home video and an instructional video on it, and I like what I see. Its easy mode makes focusing and lighting simple.

Nice Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We have had the camera for a month now, and have been extremely happy with it so far.

a) the quality of the images are excellent

b) the ease of use is excellent

c) the compactness of the camera is excellent

d) the battery life is excellent.

e) the auto focus and auto exposure has been very good

e) The LCD panel is excellent, and is still quite satisfactory in bright light.

The only negative is that the optical view finder is very poor, and too small to use. However, this really has not been an issue at all, since the LCD panel does not seem to be a drain on the battery, and has been usefully visible under all light conditions.

piece of junk
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
If you intend to transfer your video to your computer, do not buy this junk. I agree with the other reviewer, I will never buy anything else with the Sony name on it.

Entry Level Handycam
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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.

would be better with standard 1394 cable
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love the picture quality. i love that you can transfer videos if you have 1394 cable and card… but what if you don’t have either one.. I would have been happier if they supplied the 1394 cable with the camcorder… The biggest advantage of the the mini-DV … you are not dependent on a hard drive (which for all it’s convenience is still a less reliable media when compared to a DV tape or DVD. The picture quality is very good.. I had a DCR HC20.. was very happy with it.. got the DCR hc52.. it had more zoom.. but they completely eliminated the USB.. which was kind of Bizarre.. but it’s Sony and they like to be proprietary retained the firewire.. Would have loved it even more if they could find a way to attach a flash.. but I knew about these minor drawbacks even before I bought… and went ahead all the same ‘cos i loved the picture quality with my dcrhc 20.. so far the hc52 has been as good as anticipated

5 stars
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The camera works great.

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

Enjoy it!

Great Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera is very easy to operate, light weight, compact and the features for a small camera a nice. I had an earlier version of this camera and a new feature is the lens cap it slides into a comopartment and does not hang off the camera. Great zoom easy to reach controls. Great camera for the average user to record family vacations.

Nice camera NO USB
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
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!!

noisiest camera I ever owned
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I have had 3 Sony Camcorders, including two mini-dv handhelds. None of them make the noise this one does. I bought it as an extra camera to record some of my psychotherapy sessions, but the motor is so loud I cannot use it. I could hear it from across the room of my office. Maybe I just have a dud. Sony has always been a good brand and I am going to try one of their solid state media low end cameras instead. At least then it should not be noisy. The video quality seemed ok – about what I would expect. I would not recommend it.

Cannot find firewire…..
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
My biggest complaint is that I cannot find a firewire to purchase so I can view the recordings on my computer. I even looked for it on Samsung’s website store and got nowhere. Watching my granddaughter on the little screen attached to the camera is the pits. I will not purchase another Samsung camcorder.

Sony Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for my Uncle. I bought this video camera because it was the cheapest camera that used mini DV tapes. I am very happy with the purchase. The only thing I wish this camera had, is the ability to capture video or pictures on a SD card. The camcorder is very small and compact and seems to be very good quality. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cheap camcorder that has decent video quality.

Poor Quality in LP
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for our first cruise. I am editing the video in iMovie and displaying it via my AppleTV on a 720p HDTV.

The video quality is poor when set to the LP mode, which I used for the extra time. Most of us know from the VCR days that longer modes have poorer video quality, but the poor quality was quite surprising. Lots of jagged edges and poor color saturation plague this camera. Even with the understanding that this is an entry level camera, this picture quality still looks poor to me. To be fair, some of this poor quality is also due to iMovie’s implementation of stabilization, which zooms in on the video to increase stability. Unstabilized video looks ok, but it still isn’t great.

If relatively poor video is ok with you…

This camera is lightweight, sips battery, and is small. It fits perfectly in one hand. The touch screen is a nice-to-have, but not a requirement. It does reduce the number of physical buttons, which is nice. I bought a larger extra battery, which adds some weight, but is well worth the price for the extra time.

The default settings use image stabilization. Even so, be careful of using the zoom. Things can get shaky very quickly when zoomed in. Luckily iMovie can do some stabilization.

This camera is great for those who just want to pop in a tape and start recording. It is definetly for the quick-starter types who don’t read the manual. The price is great, but if you want DVD quality video, look elsewhere.

Ok but not great
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This camera is just ok. I wish I had spent a bit more money to get something that would have had more bells and whistles. Also another reason for a bad review is that Sony has misinformation on their website about this camera. The Sony website links to a USB cable for this model of camera, and they have a USB cable for sale. BUT DON’T ORDER IT because it won’t work. You can NOT use USB with this camera. The returns process for Sony is convoluted, and they won’t credit shipping charges even when it is their mistake! They don’t readily provide a customer service number on their .com site. Also, the user manual is lacking in information about the camera and misses several ideas for troubleshooting. It is also a noisy camera and has to be charged for every 2 hours of use. I have never purchased a Sony device before… if this is typical for Sony (misinformation on their website and a mediocre user manual), I won’t again.

DEPENDABLE WITH ONE MINUS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I like almost everything about this camera except one thing. COLOR SATURATION IS LOW. I wonder if it is just MY camera or are the others like this? My previous JVC DV Cam had much better saturated reds and blues than the Sony. The HC52 has good clarity, good stereo built-in sound, with little if any machine-noise. For the great price, I think the extras make the deal.. Like touch screen menus, built-in lens cover, and 40X zoom. The image stabilizer works, albeit mildly. I noticed that the sunrise/sunset mode enriches the colors.. however the focus is fixed for distance only and can’t be over-ridden manually in that mode..so, thus far I can’t seem to manually get more saturated colors, therefore it loses 1 star.