Sony Handycam DCR-HC32 Mini DV, Flash Media Camcorder

My Background Experience

I figured it was important to start with my experience, or lack thereof. You see I am married to an Audio/Visual Aficionado (it's not just his hobby but his line of work). Unfortunately, that doesn't make me one! Our friends were amazed to find out that we hadn't owned a video camera in over 7 years. My home is state of the art, with everything from a dedicated theater room to wireless this and that, as well as remote control lighting and other stuff which I couldn't even begin to explain! I have no clue how to work half the stuff and find myself calling on my husband constantly to show me how things work.

I felt it was time to invest in a video camera. My son is ten and he's not getting any younger. Still photos are good but nothing compares to watching home movies (except if you are not in them!)

Why I Chose the Sony HC32

No joke, we must have spent three hours before deciding on this camera. I kept going back and forth between the Sony and the Cannon. There were only two main points that kept me from deciding. The Sony had a touch screen which I loved, but the Cannon had better Zoom. All of the A/V gurus out there are going to have to forgive my layman's explanation of some of these things, but I feel that for the average user like me (one with little experience) this is the best way.

I guess it was the touch panel that attracted me to the camera. Most of the things in my house are touch screen and I felt comfortable using it. Even though the Cannon had a better zoom, I felt the picture quality of the Sony far exceeded it. My husband explained to me the differences between Mini DVD, Memory Stick and Mini DV Cassette. He convinced me that since the Sony came with both memory stick and cassette capabilities we would save money in the long run.

Included with the Camera

*AC Adapter
*Power Cord
*Wireless Remote Commander
*A/V Connection Cable
*USB Cable
*Shoulder Strap
*Rechargeable Battery Pack
*CD Rom (Picture Package Software)
*HandyCam Station

My Experience Using the Camera

I couldn't believe how easy it was to set up the camera using the touch panel. I also liked the fact that the camera has a built in lens cover which is a big plus for me since I'm not good at remembering to put it back on! In addition, this camera has the ability to record and view in both 16:9 (widescreen mode) or 4:3 (standard mode) which came in handy on our last local safari trip. Recording is easy via the power switch dial as is zooming capability of up to 20X optical and 40X digital. The camera comes with a Carl Zeiss Lens for superior image quality and docking station that makes it easy to charge the battery and transfer images from the camera to your computer.

We took a trip to Lion Country Safari, which is right near our house and unfortunately we didn't prepare ourselves with a backup battery and missed a lot of things. The battery lasted about 40 minutes with non-continuous use. With continuous use it should last about 80 minutes. The LCD is 2.5" and images were extremely clear while recording. I had given my son the camera to test out and well let's just say there was a lot of instability in the recording, but he seemed to get the hang of it after a while. The camera does come with a Steadyshot Mode for those with shaky hands.

More Than I Need to Know, But Something You Might

Although I feel this camera is perfect for the video novice, it also has some awesome capabilities for the seasoned Videographer.

For example, you can record pictures based on the situation, such as Spotlight which helps when people's faces might appear excessively white due to strong light, Portrait if you want to create a soft background image, Sports for use when shooting fast moving objects, Beach and Ski to prevent people's faces from appearing too dark in strong light, Sunset and Moon used to maintain atmosphere such as a sunset or fireworks display and Landscape in order to shoot distant objects or to help your camera from focusing on glass or metal mesh.

In addition, the camera also has a Camera Set Menu that enables you to change the look of your still photo. There is a White Fader, Black Fader, Mosaic Fader, Overlap, Wipe and Dot Fader. You can also add digital effects to your recordings. For example, Old Movie mode adds a sepia hue to your photo. You can also Change the photo from Color to Black and white, Solarize it, Pastel it or Mosaic it.

Final Thoughts

The Sony DCR-HC32 is an excellent buy. It's not only easy to use but comes loaded with so many extra features. It's compact, durable and versatile. I am glad I decided to make this purchase.

Thanks for reading!