Sony DCR-HC21 Camcorder Review

Widescreen/16:9 Mode (5.0)
Like the DCR-HC32 (Review, Specs, $490.7) (Review, Specs, $490.7), the DCR-HC21 (Review, Specs, $329) features a letterboxed 16:9/Widescreen mode. On the beefed-up DCR-HC42 (Review, Specs, $399.95), Sony includes its enhanced Widescreen mode, with a 16:9 LCD to boot.

Wide Select Mode

Standard Aspect Mode

 Scan Rates/24P (0.0)
On the DCR-HC21, video is captured at the 60 interlaced fields per second each with 525 lines of resolution only. There are no artificial or true methods of approximating a film-like effect or capturing video at an apparent 24P Scan Rate.  

Other Features (4.5)
Display Guide Utilizing the DCR-HC21’s touch screen menu, the Display Guide function allows the user to press on unknown areas of the LCD screen in order to learn the meaning of certain icons and other display elements.

Fader Accessible in the menu system, this feature allows the user to fade to and from a color picture to either white, black, mosaic, or monotone (black and white).

NightShot Plus Sony’s night mode is operated by a switch right of center on top of the camcorder. When used with the N.S. Light, this feature emits an infrared light to illuminate objects. When the N.S. Light is turned off, moonlit images or arc-light lit subjects can be filmed with better color representation.

SteadyShot The DCR-HC21 features an electronic image stabilization function. When recording a TV or a computer screen when using this function, black lines may appear across these screens.

BackLight This function brightens the LCD screen to help the user monitor the capture. A sun-with-rays icon appears on the lower left of the LCD screen when this feature is selected.