Sony HDR-HC3 4MP High-Definition Handycam MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
digital video cameras reviews
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List Price: $1,499.99
Features
• Records and plays back both high-definition (1080i resolution) and standard-definition video on MiniDV
• 2.1-megapixel ClearVid CMOS image sensor; 1.43K effective
• Variable-speed Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 10x optical zoom lens; digital zoom to 80x
• 2.7-inch widescreen touch-panel LCD
• Super SteadyShot image stabilization |
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Sony HDR-HC3 4MP High-Definition Handycam MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Customer Reviews
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Mini DV is Nearly R.I.P.
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I must agree with an earlier reviewer, that this camcorder is not worth the asking price ..... especially now, since Mini DV seems to be a dying technology. Don't get me wrong; for what it is, the HC3 does a great job, with quality video and relatively easy operation. But the tape mechanism, as I've had to discover the hard way, is very delicate and it is getting harder to find people to service these machines ..... unless you want to send it directly to Sony and spend over $500. Ouch.
What happened in my case was, at one point the camera prompted me to insert a cleaning cassette for dirty heads. Never do this. I got one, it became stuck, and caused damage to the camera's tape eject mechanism. It ended up in the repair shop for nearly three months because, as they informed me, it is getting harder to acquire parts for these cameras, despite their being only 1.5 years old! One of the reasons for this, I believe, is the popularity of the newer DVD and hard drive recorders that are replacing Mini DV camcorders. Though the downside of that is compatibility issues with standard editing software, at least for now .... that's the technology race for you.
Anyway, I know this isn't really the best example of a product review. I was very happy with the little I was actually able to accomplish with this machine, but if you're going to spend this kind of money on a camcorder, I'd have to recommend one that captures to disc; it makes for better backup, and compared to the high maintenance of a tape transport-based unit, would definitely spare the user enormous expense and headaches on a device that will probably prove unreliable (not to mention obsolete) a year from now. Especially once the capture formats become compatible with non-linear editors. |
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Sony HDR-HC3 4MP High-Definition Handycam MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom digital cameras, camcorders for sale