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  • Performance

  • Format

  • Tour

  • Auto / Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Comparisons / Conclusion

  • Performance
  • Format
  • Tour
  • Auto / Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Comparisons / Conclusion

Performance

Video Performance**

The DCR-HC96, Sony’s most advanced MiniDV camcorder this year, features a 1/3" 3000K (2050K effective) Advanced HAD CCD, the same as last year’s DCR-HC90. The DCR-HC96 also includes a Primary Color Filter, a special feature also found on the DCR-DVD405 and DCR-DVD505, Sony’s new DVD camcorders, and their top-billed, new hard disc camcorder, the DCR-SR100. The DCR-HC96 also features a 30mm Carl-Zeiss lens, and offers a 10x optical zoom with 120x digital capabilities. The next model down in price, the DCR-HC46, includes a smaller 1000K (690K effective) 1/5.5-inch CCD and only a 25mm lens, features similar to last year’s DCR-HC42.

 Last year’s DCR-HC90 featured a similar 1/3" CCD with 3000K gross (2050K effective) for video. The fact that Sony hasn’t upgraded their MiniDV imagers is clear evidence of the industry shift from tape-based media to alternative, previously fringe and gimmick media such as DVD discs and hard discs. Usually, their new MiniDV camcorders topped the list of hype as well as imager advancement, but it seems those days are over. We can expect performance results similar to their ancestors, as these new MiniDV camcorders share the imagers of their progenitors.

Low Light Performance

As far as low light performance goes with this cam, we can pretty much expect similar results to last year’s DCR-HC90 - results that were substantially better than the infamous DCR-HC85, but still not spectacular. This will probably average out to be a decent camcorder which, if cheap enough, should be a solid buy. However, our tests will surely reveal some subtleties that may illuminate this camcorder’s unique nature.

Format

Compression

The DCR-HC96, like the DCR-HC90 before it, uses DV compression, storing video on MiniDV tape at 29.97 frames per second. For still photos, the camcorder uses JPEG compression.

Media

The Sony DCR-HC96 accepts MiniDV tape and MemoryStick Duo media.

Editing

The DCR-HC96’s MiniDV format, as a well-established video media, can be edited more easily, that is to say "more universally," than all of the emerging media (hard disc, DVD disc). This is made possible using the FireWire port located on the camcorder’s docking station.


Tour

The Front

The front of the DCR-HC96 features the camcorder’s 30mm lens located in the top right corner. To the left of the lens is the camcorder’s built-in flash with the infrared sensor and built-in stereo microphone below. This is a slightly more compact design than last year’s DCR-HC90.

**The Right Side **

On the right side of the DCR-HC96, the camcorder features a tremendous blank gray space largely covered by the user’s hand during handheld recording. To the right of this space the camcorder features a slender, vertically oriented port cover revealing the camcorder’s LANC and A/V/ S-Video ports. This design reminds me of some of the smaller, lower-end MiniDV Sonys of last year, which is a decent step-up from the design of the DCR-HC90, the DCR-HC96’s predecessor, which felt somewhat cheap and plastic-y.

**The Back **

The DCR-HC96 features a handsome backside. The most obvious feature is the camcorder’s battery pack, vertically oriented. above this is the camcorder’s color viewfinder, with a slender panel running alongside. This panel is accented by the camcorder’s flash option button, its "charge" LED, and the NightShot activation switch. To the right of the battery pack is an annoyingly small record button, featured on many of Sony’s more compact (and not so compact) models this year. Above this is a handsome mode selector, similar to that of the DCR-SR100. Flipping this guy switches among the camcorder’s tape, card, and playback modes.

**The Left Side **

The left side of the DCR-HC96 features the camcorders 2.7" widescreen LCD screen, among other features. The LCD panel runs along the bottom area of the camcorder, and there are buttons for Easy mode, battery info/display, and the backlight buttons. Except for the Easy mode, I don’t these functions merit dedicated buttons, but their placement is unobtrusive.

The Top

The top of the DCR-HC96 is pretty barren except for Sony’s custom-sized accessory shoe, located towards the midsection of the camcorder. A silver port cover protects this shoe when it’s not in use, and provides an aesthetically pleasing transition along the smoothed top surface as it tapers towards the rear.
**

**

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control

*Automatic Control *

The DCR-HC96 features the same top-notch Sony automatic controls found on last year’s DCR-HC90. How can we stop praising Sony’s automatic controls? They are the best, and considering Sony’s apparent push away from the MiniDV media, we can expect these automatic controls as a staple on all future Sony camcorders, offering good, smooth, easy adjustments for the consumer who doesn’t have to buy the top of the line and doesn’t really care to adjust much of anything.

The DCR-HC96 features, like its predecessor, Sony’s Easy mode, accessible through a button located on the left side of the camcorder.

*Overall Manual Control *

We’ve always had issues with the manual controls on MiniDV Sony camcorders. Sony cams have always been comparable in price and imager to the top of the line Panasonic, Canon, and JVC consumer camcorders, but have notoriously offered less manual control. What manual control they had was located within a cumbersome touch screen menu system that rendered them virtually useless.

However, now that Sony has made the move away from tape-based media, virtually doing nothing to last year’s MiniDV models, their lack of manual control is less of a problem. When a camcorder isn’t marketed as a machine for the serious consumer, our expectations can slacken. I say we should concentrate on the problems with the DCR-DVD505 and DCR-SR100, both of which are similarly lacking in manual control. But even so, there still aren’t any good editing solutions for DVD and hard disc, meaning that this MiniDV cam is as professional as it gets. And in that light, its lack of manual control is a disappointment.

The camcorder does include Sony’s common Spot Metering and Spot Focusing features.

Zoom

The DCR-HC96 features a 10x optical zoom, less than the camcorder immediately inferior to it, the DCR-HC46 (which provides 12x optical). This is a trend we see a lot, and we’re not sure what to make of it. Well, aside from the fact that it doesn’t make sense and should be stopped. That said, the actual zoom toggle featured on the DCR-HC96, and on nearly all the new Sonys this year, is welcomed as extremely easy and smooth to use. 

*Focus *

Manual focus on the DCR-HC96 is the same as last year, and is accessible in the camcorder’s touch screen menu system. Unfortunately, this is where the lack of quality manual controls and the cumbersome nature of the touch screen menu of Sonys comes to a head. The user must enter the touch screen system, find the focus adjuster, and then tap the cursor along a horizontal meter representing the focus field, as focus adjusts. At least they include some numbers to give you some idea of focal length.

*Exposure (Aperture) *

Though perhaps less of a problem to adjust than manual focus, manual exposure is still sub-par on the DCR-HC96, and no improvements have been made since last year either. Like focus, exposure is adjusted within the touch screen menu system and along a horizontal meter. However, instead of showing some digits as focus does, exposure shows us—guess what—nothing. No F-stops, no shutter speeds, nothing. The exposure shifts are in EV stops, but their increments and value are not displayed.

Shutter Speed

There is no manual shutter speed adjustment on the DCR-HC96.

White Balance

Standard white balance options are available on the DCR-HC96. They are located within the camcorder’s touch screen menu system, but perhaps suffer even less than exposure because of it. Options include: Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and One Push (manual). Indoor and Outdoor are limited automatic modes.

Gain

There is no manual gain on the DCR-HC96.

Still Features

Still Features

The DCR-HC96 features nearly identical still photo recording specs as last year’s DCR-HC90. Still can be captured in 4:3 and 16:9 mode, at resolutions of 2016 x 1512 and 2016 x 1134, respectively. They are captured using 3310K gross pixels and 3000K effective pixels, yielding a maximum of 3MP stills, though options of 1.9MP and 0.3MP are available. This year Sony displays these options instead of actual dimensions in the touch screen display (I’m not sure if this is good or bad or both). The DCR-HC96 includes similar still capture effects and features as last year, including normal and high speed burst modes and exposure bracketing. Stills can be captured in standard and fine qualities.

The MemoryStick slot

One the main perks of the DCR-HC96’s still features is that it is Sony’s only MiniDV camcorder this year to ship with an included MemoryStick Duo. It also features better imaging options than the DCR-HC46, the next-most-advanced Sony MiniDV camcorder this year. The DCR-HC46 captures 1 MP stills at 1162 x 864; it doesn’t ship with the MemoryStick either. Or MemoryStick Duo?

Handling and Use

Handling

The DCR-HC96 has gone on a diet, as have all the update models from Sony this year. The design makes all the new MiniDV models (the DCR-HC26, DCR-HC36, DCR-HC46, and DCR-HC96) more portable than last year; however, handheld use might suffer, depending on the size of your hands. They will have to cram in and around the camcorder and might have problems reaching the zoom toggle comfortably.

There are two big pluses to the new body design of the DCR-HC96. One is the inclusion of a built-in lens cover, now making things less clumsy and more convenient; it’s one less thing to lug around or lose or choke on. Also, MiniDV tapes now load from the top which is a big step in convenience. Now, to change tapes during tripod use, the user no longer needs to take the camcorder off of the tripod.

LCD/Viewfinder

The DCR-HC96 features the same widescreen LCD featured on many Sony camcorders this year. The LCD is 2.7" in diagonal, and the widescreen feature can be switched on and off using the wide select button located on the LCD’s margin along with a secondary record button. The camcorder also features a 123K pixel color viewfinder. Unfortunately, the viewfinder only pulls directly back, instead of angling upwards.

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio

The DCR-HC96 records 12 and 16 bit audio on its built-in stereo microphone located on the front of the camcorder. It lacks a microphone input, like so many other Sonys, which severely hinders the versatility of the camcorder’s audio functionality and means that any adjustment to the audio will have to happen after recording. **

VCR Mode**

The DCR-HC96 provides a playback/editing mode accessible using the same mode selector as used for both recording modes, to card and tape. This mode is similar to the one on last year’s model, and features Click-to-DVD technology. This allows the user who buys a Sony Vaio Computer to export his captured footage directly to DVD using the included software.

**

***The HandyCamStation*

Ports

The DCR-HC96 features the same ports as last year’s DCR-HC90. These include a LANC jack and an A/V output port located on the right side of the camcorder under a long slender port cover near the front of the body. There is no S-Video, headphone ports, or audio inputs. The camcorder’s Handycam docking station features a USB port, a FireWire port, a DC input, and an A/V Output.

Other Features

**

Other Features***

Built-in flash* --The DCR-HC96 features a built-in flash that is operated by a button located on the back of the camcorder and is itself located on the front of the camcorder to the left of the lens.

Zebra Patterning - As found on last year’s DCR-HC90, zebra patterning is available on the DCR-HC96. This feature, able to be set on two levels of intensity (70 and 100), shows zebra strips on areas of overexposure during on-camcorder visualization via either the LCD or the viewfinder.

Guideframes - Another feature carried over from last year’s DCR-HC90, Guideframes places a tic-tac-toe design, in white, over the screen during on-camcorder visualization. This allows the user to line up their composition more precisely.

Handycam Docking Station - Like some of the other Sony MiniDV camcorders this year, the DCR-HC96 ships with a Handycam docking station which allows for easy support during connection to either a VCR/DVD player or computer. The station itself plugs into a strip on the underside of the DCR-HC96 and features duplicates of all the camcorder’s ports, making for easier connectivity.

Telemacro - The Telemacro feature, also found on last year’s DCR-HC90, among other Sony camcorders, extends the zoom to its fullest extent. The user adjusts the zoom toggle and the cam locks focus onto an extremely close object, making macro recording easier and more convenient to achieve. This is good for recording bugs on flowers, as advertised in the manual.

Comparisons / Conclusion

Conclusion

If you buy the new DCR-HC96 instead of last year’s HC90, you’ll get a more compact camcorder (for better or worse), Click-to-DVD technology, and a built-in automatic lens cover. But that’s about it. The camcorder features the same imager as last year’s model, the same mediocre manual control options, and the same other features.

The lack of upgrades on this camcorder is surely a sign that Sony is moving in the direction of the more fringe media of DVD and hard disc camcorders. That’s where the money is going, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see less and less of these MiniDV camcorders next year. The good thing is that these MiniDV camcorders still offer the best editing compatibility and better compression (or lack thereof) than either DVD or hard disc camcorders. However, this year, their video quality, due to un-upgraded imagers, may fall by the wayside if DVD and hard disk continue to receive all the innovation.

Meet the tester

Matt Culler

Matt Culler

Editor

Matt Culler is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

See all of Matt Culler's reviews

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