Sony Handycam DCR-HC46 review

We were pleased with the Sony Handycam DCR-HC46's performance. Autofocus and autoexposure both responded quickly and yielded accurate results. Image stabilization was effective though most of the camera's 12X optical zoom range. Sony rates the included rechargeable lithium-ion battery to provide about 55 to 65 minutes of typical recording time on one charge. That's enough to fill a tape, but a little more headroom would've been nice. To their credit, Sony offers optional larger capacity batteries, so it might be a good idea to get an extra, especially if you plan to bring this Handycam on vacation.

Video from the DCR-HC46 is slightly above average. It was noticeably sharper than the video we got from the DCR-HC36, which shouldn't be a surprise, given the HC46's larger sensor, which captures footage with about twice as many pixels as the HC36's. Colors were slightly over saturated, but not absurdly so. Still images also showed more detail than those captured by the HC36 and had fairly accurate color for a camcorder, though at 1 megapixel, you still won't get high-quality prints from them.

While it was hard to make the case to step up from the DCR-HC26 to the DCR-HC36, the Sony Handycam DCR-HC46 is a logical improvement, with a noticeable bump in video quality for your extra dollars. Casual videographers who care about video quality but don't want to break the bank on a camcorder should keep the Handycam DCR-HC46 on their short list.