 "Met Buyer's Expectations" | 2008-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1E8Y1H3E84YER |
| The product showed on time and well shipped. I suspect the product box was opened. However, all materials were enclosed and were in "Like New" condition. The is an older model so I expected it. Thank you for the smooth and good transaction. Yes I would buy from this seller again. - John |
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 "HI DEF SONY CAMCORDER" | 2008-05-13 |
| - Reviewed By robertca99 |
| I love this camcorder. I used in during my vacation in Hawaii. I still can't believe how amazing it looks on the screen. Most of my guests who started watching the video thought that we were watching a discovery channel broadcast. It works it's best outside especially with great lighting. Lighting really is the key. The more the light, the better the image. I just use the component video cables on my HDTV LCD. I'd recommend it to anyone who's really into image quality. |
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 "BEWARE of ieee PORT!" | 2008-02-10 |
| - Reviewed By fikretbocek |
The Sony HDR-HC3 worked well. However the great drawback of Sony camcorders is shown in my recent experience with my HDR-HC3 which I purchased here on Amazon.
We went as a family on a cross-country trip this past summer, filming hours worth of video. When we finally arrived home I plugged my camera into the DV port of my computer. In the past I have had no problem uploading video and making DVDs of family adventures, using our old Canon DV camcorder. We liked that the HDR-HC3 had the option of normal DV or HDV output.
However, unlike with my Canon, my computer (and subsequent computers) could not recognize my camera. After much research online, I found that the problem was that I had assumed the ieee was similar to firewire in that it was hot-swappable. In fact, it was not. Both the camera and computer must be off when attaching them, or the port will fry.
It takes a lot of concentration to remember how to connect the camera. According to other Sony users on various webcam boards, this is a common problem for the general public who are used to USB hot-swappable devices.
The repair fee for this "misuse" is from Sony about $350, according to what they said. One person mentioned that they had been able to open up the camera and purchase a $75 fuse and connected that to the camera hardware....a complicated vs expensive choice of options for a general user like me. Sony acknowledges the fact that the port is extremely sensitive, but still considers it a user-mistake and the fried port is not covered under warranty.
Consequently, I am in the market for a new camcorder that I will only use connected to my computer.
Use of tapes filmed on my Sony HDR-HC3-- Oh, the clincher is this: I tried to use my Canon as a conduit for uploading my footage to computer, but because it was HDV, my Canon could not read it--and this goes for trying to use my Canon to watch the video footage on television. Also, you cannot plug the camera into the TV with a normal 3 to 1 composite DV cable, it requires a camera-specific cable, so tough luck if you forgot to pack it!
This all said, I am pleased enough with the camera that having experienced all of the above, I have learned from my mistakes and probably will purchase another one on ebay for my computer uploads.
I hope that you will learn from my mistakes if you decide to purchase this camera. |
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| "Decent HD Camcorder" | 2007-09-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2Y7MZMDE8UYZ7 |
I purchased my HC3 several weeks ago to film a family wedding. I didn't really intend on purchasing an HD camcorder, but I got a really good deal on a closeout and went for it.
Having shot quite a bit of VHS and 8mm tape in the past, the images from this camcorder are unbelievable. Even downgraded to DV format, I'm amazed at what this little camera can do. I'm also very impressed with the auto focus and white balance. I reprogrammed the small "manual" button to do AE-shift and it worked perfectly. Even in very strong backlight or high contrast shots I was able to quickly dial in the exposure. Very very good.
I also used the still image capture feature quite a bit. Despite being a camcorder, the images I got were almost as good as those taken with my small Casio EX-Z. However, they weren't nearly as good as the shots from my Canon G. My only complaint on the still imaging is a significant release delay between pushing the button and capturing the shot.
The only thing I don't like about the camcorder is the steadyshot feature. I was hoping for more. Long-zoom shots were not nearly as corrected as I had hoped. I don't have expereince with the Canon or other steadyshot models, so I can't compare. Still, I was hoping for more. If you're going to do a lot of long-zoom video with this camera, because of its size and low mass, you'll need a tripod or steadicam.
Low-light performance is average. I've seen better.
Also. I purchased the Sony Bluetooth wireless mic and videolight. These were great. I can't say enough good thinga about the wireless mic. It worked perfectly. The videolight is terrific for its size and weight. It won't give enough light to fill a room, but it does a great job for what it is.
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| "Mini DV is Nearly R.I.P." | 2007-08-22 |
| - Reviewed By sologood |
I must agree with an earlier reviewer, that this camcorder is not worth the asking price ..... especially now, since Mini DV seems to be a dying technology. Don't get me wrong; for what it is, the HC3 does a great job, with quality video and relatively easy operation. But the tape mechanism, as I've had to discover the hard way, is very delicate and it is getting harder to find people to service these machines ..... unless you want to send it directly to Sony and spend over $500. Ouch.
What happened in my case was, at one point the camera prompted me to insert a cleaning cassette for dirty heads. Never do this. I got one, it became stuck, and caused damage to the camera's tape eject mechanism. It has been in the repair shop for a month now because, as they informed me, it is getting harder to acquire parts for these cameras, despite their being only 1.5 years old! One of the reasons for this, I believe, is the popularity of the newer DVD and hard drive recorders that are replacing Mini DV camcorders. I am now kicking myself for lack of foresight .... that's the technology race for you.
Anyway, I know this isn't really the best example of a product review. I was very happy with the little I was actually able to accomplish with this machine, but if you're going to spend this kind of money on a camcorder, I'd have to recommend one that captures to disc; it makes for better backup, and compared to the high maintenance of a tape transport-based unit, would definitely spare the user enormous expense and headaches on a device that will probably prove unreliable (not to mention obsolete) a year from now. |
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| "NOT worth over $1000" | 2007-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1JAULFUL1QJC9 |
I happened to get a great deal on this camera at $500. It has more than been worth it for that price, but there are several shortcomings that keep it from being worthy of the premium price range at most retailers, and the interests of mid to pro level videographers.
First of all in terms of manuel control, there is very little to be said. It is, for the most part, non-existent.
You can set the small wheel to adjust the "exposure" and the focus, but that is about it, its also very easy to jiggle the frame when using the wheel.
Apparentlly you can shut auto shutter off, but sadlly after doing so, you aren't given the ability to adjust the shutter speed.
White ballance can be set manually, but you will need to go into the extensive menues to do so, and the camera resets to auto each time it is turned off.
Low light situations are a problem for anyone that is going to be filming indoors whitout any extra lighting.
My personal most inconvenient problem with the camera is its complete lack of inputs. For me its a real shame because i need to do a lot of signal captures from different sources, which means I can't bring along this cam for a good amount of work. Also audio is a pain because of this, At the moment I'm having to record to minidisk, and even though the quality is better, allways having to sync up in the edit is becoming a bit of a pain.
Aside from all these things, this camera really does create wonderful images under the right conditions, and with its size, its incrediblly convenient if you want to get great shots without having to lug around a huge kit. |
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| "Great Camera, Needs Audio Help" | 2007-05-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: ABEY8PABI0ZR1 |
Obviously Sony created this from the HC1 to appeal to more consumers that don't give a rip about having shotgun or wireless mics. I don't regret getting this. My son's birth is all in HD and looks tremendous. As I got better at editing, I started getting work from clients to do video (I am a web and graphic designer), so I immediately saw the need to have a camera with better audio functionality, so I purchased the HC1 as well, and now I use both...the HC3 for video only and as a backup camera. The HC3 is great to get started in videography, and hard to beat for great home movies. If you don't have a Mac with Final Cut (Express or Pro, it doesn't matter), then don't bother getting this camera. Get a nice DV camera that you can edit with some cheap $100 movie editing software. If you want to do it right, get a Mac, and everyone will think you are a friggin genious because your movies look so good.
Overall, a great camera. No motor noise with Sony's shotgun mics (I've tried them all). I will say that if you get this camera, you MUST MUST MUST get Sony's Bluetooth mic. AWESOME quality, and you can use for interviews and weddings. Really good. |
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| "Sony HDR-HC3" | 2007-04-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1HSIYLD8BIT5H |
| I was very pleased with this product. The ease of use, great video quality make it worth the high price tag. It also takes great still pics. I saved about $300 on Amazon and got my camera in 1 day, just in time for my kids Xmas program. With the MiniDV format your not bound to the Bluray format but you can make stunning high def DVDs if you invest in some software and a burner. |
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| "Excellent and reliable" | 2007-04-29 |
| - Reviewed By rod16203 |
The first use for this HD camcorder was to record for an hour total of childbirth and bringing the baby home. Lighting varied from dim in labor/delivery to bright in ordinary rooms and of course outdoors. The first material went into iMovie and then to iDVD and produced top-quality HD images on a 50-inch screen.
Some people worry about low-light performance. Yes, it is dim and grains out slightly in very low light. Check the Hollywood movies or TV journalism when they are using ambient, low light without hidden "fill" lighting. What do you expect for $1,050???? (Down $50 from when we got it.)
Highly recommended. Wait for the inevitable new one if you must, but strongly consider this one at that time as its price should fall below $1,000. |
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| "Good for its price" | 2007-04-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3NVQ84AO5QI4W |
I would have to agree interms of video quality, HDR-HC3 rocks. Especially if you play the footage directly off the camera. It loss some of its quality after encoding process because the color ratio for HDV format is 4:2:0. So be aware of that, I usually set my color bar up high so even after losing alot of color detail I still get pretty saturated image in the end. Audio quality I believe is fairly good as compare to its predecessors and Panasonic DVX100A, DVX100B.
It doesn't have a line in jack which is a big turn off for me being a film student I'm oftenly required to use as many accessories as I can for my shorts in order to make them look and sound professional. This camcorder lacks tremendously when it comes to hooking up stuff to it. Also there aren't much manual features for users who are comfortable with camcorders and like to do the hard way instead of using automatic or easy setup. You can't set a shutter speed which limits you to shoot in certain situations. If you want to catch a flying bird or a racing car, you can't do it without manipulating shutter speed. I don't like how big companies priporatize their products and leave their customers with no choice but to buy only their add-ons and etc.
For its lower price, it gives you enough to satisfy your needs. But to be more specific it also depends what are your preferences. |
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