Customer Reviews
Great camcorder but Sony proprietary connectors are a problem
This is a great camcorder. I won't go into detail on that, there are plenty of very comprehensive reviews here for you to read.
If you are planning to use this camcorder with a Bullet or Helmet Cam, as many MANY people are, be aware that the AV input is through a proprietary Sony connector that will stick straight out of the camera.
This is a problem because it either pulls out too easily, or worse and more likely, it could break the camera where the cable plugs into it if you are not extremely carefull.
The simple solution would be to use a right angle connector so the cable is flush with the camera body (Like the LANC remote). Seems simple right? Wrong! I've been searching online for over a year now and the only thing I've found is that there are a LOT of people with the exact same problem as me.
Are you listening Sony? If you insist on using these proprietary connections to lock us into your accessories, at least provide decent accessories! Please give us a right angle A/V cable!
If you don't care about this issue, then go for it! Its a great camera.
Buy Sony products at your own peril
As an owner of the Sony DCR-HC30 model DV Handicam, I want to warn everyone about my horrible experience with this product line. Design and feature-wise, these Handicams are great. The problem is, they are built like junk.
From the day I opened my box, I got a message that told me that the heads were dirty and needed to be cleaned. In retrospect, I should have returned it for a replacement then and there. But being a basically optimistic guy, I decided it just got dirty in transit, and I got a head cleaner and cleaned the heads. It worked fine for about 30 days - just about the amount of time in Sony's crappy labor warranty. And from that point forward, I have gotten dirty head messages constantly, which at first could be `cleaned away,' but now, even when the message is gone, problems persist.
I often get bars across the screen during playback, and I have already determined that I have lost many a precious memory of my infant children. Sony's solution to this situation is their standard "flat rate" repair program, truly a bargain for $250 or so - more than half what I paid for the camera in the first place.
And Sony wonders why their brand value has all but disappeared? They are just another electronics brand now, and one with sub-par quality and service at that. Guess I'll be buying Samsungs or Canons next time around.
Are you listening, Sony?
An utter disappointment!
Before purchasing this product I did plenty of research hoping that it would help me make a wise decision as to what camcorder to buy. Since there are innumerable digital camcorders to choose from, this fact no doubt makes it extremely difficult to know which one to acquire. Since Sony HC-42 is a rather inexpensive camcorder I had been careful not to expect too much. Upon delivery I immediately charged the battery and started recording. The video quality for indoor shooting was extremely poor in spite of the fact that the room in which I was shooting was well-lit. The picture was grainy and significant noise could easily be seen. In fact, the entire LCD screen was filled with white dots. Thinking that there was something wrong with the settings I referred to the manual which said that the camcorder always comes with the optimal settings. So I went outdoors, the video quality was slightly better but the white dots were still there and I am not talking about small and barely visible dots, even in this case the distortion was highly evident. Keep in mind that this shooting took place outdoors on a sunny day!
I went to a local store to see if they had a Sony HC-42 in order to determine if mine was defective in some way. Admittedly, the video quality was a bit better in the local store but the white dots were still there. So, what I did was to compare the Sony HC-42 with the other camcorders present in the store at that time (Hitachi DZ MV750, Panasonic PV-GS35 and a JVC GR-D270). My verdict was that these three camcorders completely outperformed Sony HC-42 in video quality. Note also that only the Hitachi's camcorder is more expensive than the Sony HC-42. I was shocked by this fact since I am a big fan of Sony's products; I have their DVD player which works exceptionally. One thing I like though about the Sony HC-42 is the touch screen that works flawlessly and very smoothly. Many camcorders in this price range usually lack this feature. Furthermore, the ergonomics of this camcorder are superb, it is small and fits easily in your hand and the battery time is good as well. None the less, the video quality is not better than on a VHS camera and that is completely unacceptable, one cannot compromise with the video quality. I would have accepted a slightly lower video quality for indoor shooting, that I can live with. However, when shooting outdoors I want it to be perfect, with as little aberration, noise and distortion as possible. Sony has failed to deliver in this case. I am not implying that there are no good Sony camcorders on the market but this one is not something I would recommend my parents to buy, if you know what I mean. Before you purchase this product make sure to go down to your local store and test it first.
By the way, I have returned mine.
