Sony HDR-HC5 4MP MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with

Brand

: Sony

Model

: HDR-HC5

Lowest Price

: 1499.95

Reviewer: Raman Sridharan| Date:2009-06-18

I have had this camera for about 2 1/2 years now, and it is an extremely good camera overall.

I chose this over the Hard drive versions for 3 main reasons; tapes can be easily purchaced when the ones you are using are full, tapes arent susceptible to damage from jerky motion, and it was about $100 cheaper. It would help to have drag and drop capabilities, as to transfer video to a computer you do still have to play the tape in real time.

The video quality is good. I had a Panasonic MiniDV camcorder before this one. And I will say that the video quality of this camera is much better than any consumer SD camera.

The only complaint I have about this camcorder is that it doesn't support any progressive video recording OR display modes, even though it has the "Full 1080" sticker on it. By this I mean that it can only record in wither 1080i or 480i, and when you play it on a TV or transfer it to a computer, you can only play it in 1080i or 480i. There is no 720p option at all. The only way to get progressive video out of this camcorder is to capture the 1080i stream onto your computer, and then convert it to 720p (or 1080p if you want to), which is a painfully long process.

The quality of video is still fairly good when converted to 720p. I have a BD Player, but no BD burner. So, I convert the HDV mpeg2 ts streams this camcorder creates to x264 720p using MeGui, and then from there create an AVCHD disk using tsMuxer. Burn that to a DVD-R and It plays in my Samsung BD player, and the quality is still very good (of course it depends on the encoding settings used in MeGui).

The video quality is also much worse when you are indoors and the lighting isn't good. The video becomes extremely grainy, and much detail isn't visible.

Other random things; I also really like the touch screen LCD on this camera, it is very clever, innovative, and easy to use. I like that this camcorder is still a MiniDV camcorder, and uses the same tapes as my old MiniDV camcorder even though that camcorder wasn't a HD camcorder. I like that this camera still hooks up to a computer using Firewire, and it is easy to transfer (losslessly) video from the camcorder to the PC. I like that the camcorder can hook up to the TV through A/V cables, Component A/V cables (for HD viewing), AND HDMI (for HD viewing); it gives you lots of ooptions.

Overall, good quality, lots of connectivity options, clever, and a good choice for a camcorder.

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: Nicholas P. Pfeiffenberger| Date:2008-08-09

I bought this while living in Hawaii and sold it a little before moving. The whole process of getting it from dv to file format was just too annoying for me. The quality of the video was pretty good, not as high as hoped. The slow motion capture was a nice feature, but was pretty restrictive.

The compact size was great and it was relatively easy to handle on the go.

I'd definitely say at this point to avoid DV even at some quality loss and go with something that is recording straight to file for ease.

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: Fernando Guerrero| Date:2008-08-06

This camera works

With ideal conditions, the camera can capture very impressive HDV footage,but with less light... it can be, well... not so good

I got this camera for home use, I own professional Sony HD cameras, so Sony is always my top choice.

For home use, its ok

Note: The deck transports are very good for a camera this cheap, and the lens is above average.

see ya!

f3

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: Dr. Funkenstein| Date:2008-01-25

I am extremely pleased with this camera. I have been shooting and editing video as a hobby for about 10 years and am thrilled with the image quality of this lens and the processor. If you are going to buy it, my only recommendation is to make sure your computer can handle editing HD video. It is MUCH more data than standard "Mini DV" or Digital Video and will be extremely taxing on your computer's processor.

As compared to similar products in the same price range that I tested in stores, the Sony seems to be slightly better built in terms of its casing. The only potential flaw I noticed was the plastic "door" for the ports. This thing could break extremely easily.

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: William Dailey| Date:2008-01-23

This Sony hi-def camcorder (filming in 1080i) provides a lot of value for the price. The key to "home movies" is always going to be the quality of the media on which you are putting your recording, and on to that end, this camcorder delivers very, very well for a relatively inexpensive price.

I bought it for about $1,000 in NYC in March 2007 just before a family trip that was to include the Grand Canyon. When I came home and played the recordings on my HDTV, I felt like I had just produced something for the Discovery Channel HD! (I'm talking about the audio and video quality combined with the scenery, of course ... NOT my "skills" as a cameraman!)

Here are the major PROS:
- HDMI output port included, which allows you to show video straight to HDMI-equipped HDTV in the highest quality available (HDMI has become the HDTV standard cable for delivery of digital video and audio in one cable, and all HDTVs made in the last year or two have at least one HDMI input -- current ones have 3 or 4, for other sources like HD cable boxes, HDMI-equipped DVD players, game consoles, Blu-Ray DVD players, etc.);
- Component output ports also included (one for audio, one for video; special cables included), in case you do not have an HDMI input on your (likely older) HDTV;
- Firewire and USB (albeit 1.1) output ports included, for easy upload of video to your PC or Mac;
- You can take pix while filming;
- Low light filming is very good;
- The Night Vision works VERY well (albeit in green, but that comes with any infrared illumination);
- The "shoe" on top allows for a Sony zoom microphoneSony ECM-HGZ1 Shotgun Microphone for DCR-PC55, DCR-DVD305, DVD 405, DVD 505, HDR-HC1, HC5, HDR-UX1, UX5, DCR-SR100&SR200 Camcorders, which I highly recommend for anyone shooting any outdoor footage (the sound actually "zooms in" as you zoom in on the video subject, minimizing distracting noise made by others near the camcorder!);
- The playback features are AWESOME, in that they allow for super slow-mo and zoom, and you can also record a 3-second sequence (golf swing, baseball pitch or swing, basketball shot, etc.) in high-speed filiming (120 frames per second, versus the normal 30 frames per second), so you can dissect that activity to your heart's delight; and finally (not really, but I have to stop somewhere),
- You MUST invest (not much $ for the value) in a Sony tripod with remote control on the tripod handle; this allows you to zoom in and out; start and pause recording; take pix; even turn the camcorder on and off ... all from the main handle of the tripod!!! Sony VCTD680RM Remote Control Tripod for Sony Cameras & Camcorders (I'm not sure if the one I just featured is the one I own. The one I own includes a balance bubble, removable base (for quick removal of the camera from the tripod) and a tilt that allows you to turn the camera 90 degrees to the side - such as when you want to use the camera function in portrait mode.) That works out really well at kids' activities (sports, recitals, etc.), as you ELIMINATE camera shake (see CONS, below). Also, you can change tapes while the camcorder is on the tripod (the inability of which is a common design faux pas on too many other camcorders).

Some CONS:
- The image stabilization is not great, especially at zoomed-in distances, resulting in noticeably shaky video when you record by holding the camcorder with one hand and then plug and play the results on your HDTV (see recommended tripod, above, to fix that most times);
- No microphone or headphone jacks (which don't matter much in regular use); and
- the mini-dv tapes are more expensive than any off-the-shelf-at-CVS/Walmart/etc. types, although you can buy them in small bunches on Amazon for less than $10 each all-in NOT REFURBISHED, NEVER USED, NEVER OPENED.. It is said that the hi-def tapes have a better metallic coating on them that make them better-suited to hi-def recording. I have never done a side-by-side comparison of regular versus hi-def tapes, so I can't opine on that.

In the end, you want to get the best MEDIA for your priceless memories, and this camera (in the hi-def mini-dv format) delivers, as the video and audio are less compressed than on hard drive or DVD hi-def camera, and thus more revealing. And since Blu-Ray seems to have won the High-Def DVD race (defeating HDDVD, if you are to believe the papers), then buy this camera, record your priceless memories before they go to college and convert then to Blu-Ray DVDs when Blu-Ray DVD recorders get to a reasonable price!!

Whatever you choose, first go to a bricks-and-mortars store and try out and compare this camera and a few others. Good luck!

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: mikepippin| Date:2008-05-04

Used the camera for four months now. The HDR-HC5 has a number of nice features for a consumer camcor
buy only if looking for basic point and shoot video.

Review from http://www.epinions.com/content_428800183940?linkin_id=7000610