Sony Handycam DCR-HC52 user reviews

Pros small, easy to use, touch screen menu, night shot, battery charges on the camera so you dont need to carry a charger with you, just the cord and some batteries.

Cons does not have an external mic jack! (last Sony did have!) comes with a small battery - get a bigger one from e-bay.

Summary I have a pro camera (Canon XL2) The firewire went on the fritz. I bought this so I could switch the tape from the XL2 to this just to use the firewire so I could capture tapes (generally shot on the pro camera)

Don't worry about zoom - everyone seems to be concerned about that but quality goes down when you zoom too much and you cant hand hold it. Forget about digital zoom - thats where the camera digitally zooms the actual picture - waste of time & money.

If you are zooming more than 10x anyway, you need to be closer. this camera has 40x optical zoom, but you don't really need more than 10x. If you do, you need to be on a tripod - with no wind.

after I bought it, the store only had 15 day return policy, then I realized that it did not have some of the features that my past home camcorder had (which was also Sony)
another good feature would have been Line In -- thats where you can record to the camera from a "video input" rather than recording through the lens. My last home camcorder had that too. Guess Sony is trying to save some money.

my 2c... if your going to buy a camcorder, make sure it has an external mic jack.

best, Phil

www.WiseGuyProductions.ca

Pros Great camera with good definition for the money. I love the optical & digital zoom are wonderful features.

Cons The DV import stopped working less than two months after I bought it. I use the camera for a video editing class. I have to get it repaired and I have only had camera for two months!!!

Summary The other main functions work except the area that I really needed to work which was the DV import. If you not interested in doing any serious filming with camera it is great. If you are trying to use all features like the DV import to perform editing for your video. This is not the camera for you.