Focus on Affordable HD: Sony HC3

The HC3 has a lot of great features, including Smooth Slow Record, which lets you capture up to 3 seconds of fast motion at 240 fps and play the video back in 12 seconds (at the normal 60 fps).

Though the price performance trends in HDV and other affordable HD formats have been remarkable, none of these ground-breaking options are truly inexpensive. Enter the new Sony HDR-HC3 HDV 1080i Handycam camcorder at $1399.

Sony considers the HC3 to be aimed at the consumer market rather than professional, but like some other products that determination may be in the eye of the end user. Of course, at $1,399 MSRP, the price tag is really in the "prosumer" zone. The bottom line for professionals is: what can you expect from this camcorder as opposed to the Sony HVR-A1U for about $3,100? Besides comparing physical variables like imaging chips and lens optics, there's the intangible factor of the shooter''s skill and the definition of useable footage as dictated by the application and deliverables. There will be applications that suit this camera; there will be situations where at it''s best, the camera cannot deliver the necessary image quality. But in general the blurring of the line between pro equipment and consumer product is to the benefit of the savvy end user, especially in our multi-platform media culture.

How does the HC3 measure up? After pounding on mine for a while, I found that it can be an appropriate entry point for HD, with caveats.

HDV records either 1080i or 720p HD images using MPEG-2 compression. The 1080i version of the format, which the HC3 shoots, has a bit rate of 25Mbps—the same as DV''s pro variations like DVCAM and DVCPRO. In addition to the savings and convenience of recording HD to a DV tape, HDV offers great bang for the buck vs. traditional HD. Also, because HDV utilizes the same color space as the DVD format (4:2:0), when you output and burn a disc the color remains true to the original footage.

With a 1440x1080 pixel resolution in a 16:9 aspect ratio, this camera is ready to shoot content designed for HD display. While there are 720-line solutions using progressive scan, I much prefer both the look and flexibility that 1080i offers. The benefit of interlace scanning is three-fold; it''s used in television for both NTSC and PAL, and it offers a better display on video monitors with minimal flicker. Perhaps best of all, its vertical resolution of 1080 lines offers the opportunity to output to film resolution.

The Sony HDR-HC3 HDV Handycam 1080i may be considered ‘consumerish'' by some but you might not know that by some the features and specs it offers. First, the lens is a high-quality hunk of glass: The Vario-Sonnar lens (10X optical zoom) is made by Carl Zeiss. It uses new technologies like its ClearVid CMOS Sensor and Sony's Enhanced Imaging Processor. It makes a great digital still camera putting 2.3 megapixel JPEG stills onto a Sony PRO Duo Memory Stick.

The HC3 has a lot of great features that might prove useful, though they're somewhat standard across good consumer camcorders. Smooth Slow Record lets you capture up to 3 seconds of fast motion at 240 fps and play the video back in 12 seconds (at the normal 60 fps). There's also Super SteadyShot image stabilization and a dual-record feature that allows you to record video and a still at the same time. The LCD is a sharp 2.7in. SwivelScreen screen in 16:9 format. The camcorder also features an InfoLithium battery with AccuPower Meter System and infrared NightShot for ghostly low-light effects. I/O ports include USB and IEEE 1394 (FireWire), as well as HDMI output for single-cord connection to your HDTV. You can record in either HDV or in traditional DV with the flip of a switch

From the look and feel of the Sony HC3, it's clear that it's intended as an easy-to-use mass-market product. The camera is very lightweight (just over a pound) and compact. Its controls are a bit small for my fat paws, but there''s a unique dial at the rear of the camera that you can program with frequently used features, which I found quite handy. I also like the zoom controls on the left of the LCD viewfinder, which is viewable from almost any angle. I took the unit to the Hawaiian island of Maui for a small annual music festival. Shooting both DV and HDV in a variety of situations from full-blown sunlight to dark nightclubs, I found the HC3 the perfect shoot-from-the-hip camcorder and as a great tripod topper that can be set up to record the whole stage in a medium shot. Its small size means I can use this camera without attracting a lot of attention.

Even with the HC3''s consumer-ish feel, the camera was easy to operate and hold for extended periods and the results were very good. But that''s not to say, naturally for me, that there aren''t some improvements I''d like to see. The camera's flat front is great because you won''t be banging a protruding lens housing, but it was a royal pain putting different filters and lens attachments on its 30mm (vs. 48mm-52mm) filter ring. And for the life of me, I don''t understand why a headphone jack for audio monitoring wasn''t included. That's a killer for professionals.

While I love the whole idea of being able to access menu items via the LCD touchscreen, I found that touching the screen to launch various features was less than responsive. Naturally I would like more manual control over everything, but I understand the fine line between convenience and configurability. One example is that you can set the exposure at only 24 different levels.

Perhaps more important is that I found the bottom-loading tape insertion and ejection mechanism to be, for lack of a better term, delicate. Granted, it's no better or worse than that of many other DV camcorders. Only time will tell if the HC3 would stand up to rigorous work. I''ve heard more than a few stories about jammed tapes with this type of tape transport, regardless of manufacturer.

Sony and other manufacturers have now come to market with new hard-disk
and DVD cameras, so I might think twice about jumping for the HC3 at this
point. Still, for a first time HDV camera, it's hard to beat.

Company: Sony

Park Ridge, N.J.

(800) 686-7669

www.sony.com/professional


Product: Sony HDR-HC3 HDV Camcorder


Assets: Lightweight, superior imaging, easy use.


Caveats: Flimsy tape transport system, no headphone jack.


Demographic: Anyone looking for a cost-effective entry point to high-definition video capture.


Price: $1,399 MSRP