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Sony Handycam HDR-HC3 comparison

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Product name	Sony Handycam HDR-HC3	Canon Vixia HF200	Canon Vixia HV30	Sony Handycam HDR-HC1	Sony Handycam HDR-FX7
Price	$1,499.95	$479.00 to $869.95	$599.95 to $1,499.99	Check Prices	$1,749.00 to $2,399.99
CNET editors' rating	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.6 (3.5 stars)	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
Average user rating		4.0 stars	4.0 stars	4.0 stars	4.0 stars
Release date	March 11, 2006	April 01, 2009	March 01, 2008	July 05, 2005	October 15, 2006
The Bottom Line	Though significantly cheaper than Sony's previous consumer HD camcorder, the Sony Handycam HDR-HC3 still offers superb HD video quality.	While it's more expensive than its sub-$600 competitors, the Canon Vixia HF20 and Vixia HF200 deliver a more extensive feature set for the extra money. The HF200, which lacks internal memory, is probably a better buy than the HF20, though the HF20's all-black body is a bit classier looking.	An extremely minor upgrade from the HV20, the Canon Vixia HV30 remains a quality HDV camcorder with a couple of performance issues.	The Sony Handycam HDR-HC1 is a good first effort at a consumer HD camcorder, but only HD fanatics should consider it.	The Sony Handycam HDR-FX7 is an excellent high-definition camcorder from a video perspective, but it's less satisfying if you're an audio control freak.
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Lens aperture	F/1.8-2.9	F/1.8-3.2	F/1.8-3.0	F/1.8-2.1	Info unavailable
Flash type	Built-in flash	Built-in flash	Built-in flash	Pop-up flash	Info unavailable
Media type	Mini DV (HDV)	Flash card	Mini DV (HDV)	Mini DV (HDV)	Mini DV (HDV)
Optical zoom	10 x	15 x	10 x	10 x	20 x
Optical sensor type	ClearVid CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	3 ClearVid CMOS
Video input type	Camcorder	Camcorder	Camcorder	Camcorder	Camcorder
Digital zoom	80 x	300 x	200 x	120 x	Info unavailable
Battery technology	Lithium ion	Lithium ion	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Lithium ion
Battery included qty	1	1	Info unavailable	1	1
Min illumination	0 lux	0.4 lux	0.2 lux	0 lux	4 lux
Weight	19.8 oz	12 oz	1.2 lbs	1.5 lbs	Info unavailable
Image stabilizer	Electronic (Super Steady Shot)	Optical (SuperRange)	Optical (SuperRange)	Optical (Super Steady Shot)	Optical (Super Steady Shot)
Optical sensor size	1/3"	1/4"	1/2.7"	1/3"	1/4"
Effective sensor resolution	Info unavailable	2.99 megapixels	Info unavailable	1.9 megapixels	1.04 megapixels
Service & support type	1 year warranty	1 year warranty	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable
Manual focus	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic	Manual Automatic
Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications
Buying choices	Amazon.com Marketplace $1,499.95 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store	B&H Photo-Video $749.99 In stock: Yes Newegg.com $549.99 In stock: Yes Amazon.com $549.00 In stock: Yes Prices from 18 CNET Certified stores	B&H Photo-Video $599.95 In stock: Yes Amazon.com Marketplace $1,499.99 In stock: Yes Prices from 2 CNET Certified stores	E-mail me when this product is available	Amazon.com $1,999.99 In stock: Yes Willoughbys Est.1898 $2,399.99 In stock: Yes Sony Electronics, Inc. $1,999.99 In stock: No Prices from 5 authorized stores
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