Sony DCR-HC26 Camcorder Reviewby James MurrayPublished on Feb 9, 2006 9:00 AM
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With a touch screen menu structure and basic menu boxes connoting easy to use manual control options, the interface for the Sony DCR-HC26 (Review, Specs, $299.99) would appear at first glance to be an easy one to glide through. However, the touch screen interface and two page Function Menu design are complicated in actual engagement. You’ll find yourself making several incorrect selections before finding the one, true path. While using the Spot Focus and Spot Metering functions, users will find that their hands cover portions of the LCD screen, making a clear view of the entire frame impossible.
The menu structure has two parts. There is the initial two-page Function Menu, and after that, a secondary administrative menu which is structured like Sony camcorders of yore. This secondary menu is also navigated through up and down arrows located on the touch screen panel, and moving between submenus and main menu is a hassle thanks to the EXEC. and RET. buttons that must be used in addition to these two navigational controls. A simple straightforward menu with a list structure, external control, and a cohesive visual design would be far easier to navigate.
You'll be thankful for the Easy button, located on the left side.
Another setback to a touch screen menu structure arises when users actually want to engage the electronic color viewfinder and not the LCD. All camcorder settings including aspect, manual, and preset controls will need to be set prior to using the viewfinder since menus are only available when the LCD screen is open. If low on batteries or in a situation where the LCD is less than advantageous, this limiting access structure may be another point of discontent for possible consumers.
Despite all the complaints above, Sony will always have the Easy button to fall back on to boost its score in this category. Even a monkey could pick this up and start recording if given enough tries. Who knows? They might even give the Spot Focus a whirl.
Handling (7.0)
Instead of using four-way controllers or joysticks like other manufacturers Sony has opted to outfit their line of camcorders with touch screen interfaces. In theory, this would lead to simpler navigation and user-friendly control systems. Well, this theory didn’t hold out, and we found that interaction with Sony’s menu layout and design leaves an immense amount to be desired.
The DCR-HC26 had a tendency to do one of two things during navigation. When placed in the regular menu structure, the camcorder occasionally wouldn’t react when pressure was applied to the touch screen, forcing multiple attempts at activation. On the other end of the spectrum, once entered into a control setup using a sliding scale, such as the one found with the focal depth, the camera had a tendency to jump and send the control to the other end of the spectrum. Although this didn’t happen with zoom (which is an external control) it certainly happened with focus and exposure levels when attempts were made at fine tuning.
Speaking of the zoom toggle, users will find it sensitive and diligently accurate in replicating varying speeds based upon the pressure exerted by the user. This allows for a wide range of zoom speeds from sloth-like shifts to huge jumps to occur within seconds of one another, a great advantage over models like the Panasonic which has one point between off and full blast. But the zoom buttons on the frame of the LCD are less than stellar and really should only be used for rough adjustments when shooting from a position in front of the camcorder body. In terms of other controls, beyond these few key features and the record button and the Photoshot button, the user of the HC26 will find few other external offerings.
The joystick design used by Panasonic this year provided some compelling arguments for using external controls; it encouraged fast navigation of menu structures and manual controls with a minimal number of settings. In many ways this design would be better suited for a camcorder like the HC26, with its limited menu settings and even more limited manual control options. However, the downside to this design was the cumbersome one-press-per-increment-movement navigation. This was a major irritant when dealing with the more than forty steps necessary to move from one end of the gain scale to the other end of the aperture range. With slight tweaking Panasonic will surely have a menu system and manual control structure which far outdoes that found on the HC26, but as of right now each has their benefits and setbacks.
Portability (8.25)
In terms of overall portability, the Sony DCR-HC26 certainly improves upon models offered last year, a trend which seems to be prevalent this year. This model has dimensions of 2.7 inches in width, 3.2 inches in height, and 4.5 inches in length, which means that I was able to comfortably palm this unit when not shooting. The camcorder weighs 14 ounces with both battery and cassette which is certainly lighter than last year’s model, and the HC26 is light enough for casual carrying in the user’s hand during walking or hiking.
While the strap for the right hand is comfortable during shooting and minimal portage, users may wish to purchase an additional should strap or case for carrying this camcorder over a longer haul. The plastic on the right side of the camcorder seems to be easily scratched and would indicate that carrying this in a backpack or loose in another bag may not be a good idea.
LCD/Viewfinder (9.3)
The LCD screen on the Sony DCR-HC26 is a 2.5 inch touch screen interface and has a total pixel count of 123,200 pixels. This touch screen appears to have a protective layer to help reduce wear and tear, but it isn’t totally able to deflect finger sweat and grime or the feeling that over time this interface will inevitably lead to damaged and dead pixels.
The viewfinder on this camcorder is an undersized electronic color viewfinder that is hard to use due to the small frame size. Thankfully, the viewfinder does extend out from the camcorder body, making its close proximity to the battery a non-issue, unlike the smaller and fixed position viewfinder on the Canon ZR500 (Review, Specs, $224.8). A viewfinder focal adjustment knob is located on the right side of the viewfinder and can adjust to individual user’s eyesight within a certain range. The HC26 has improved upon its predecessor, the HC21 (Review, Specs, $329), by making the viewfinder color rather than black and white. We are thankful for improvement, but must this final note: when secured to a tripod, the bottom of the LCD panel has a tendency to scrape across the plate. Expect scuff marks on your shiny technology pretty soon.
Battery Life (12.4)
We tested the DCR-HC26 for battery longevity while shooting. The camcorder was set to record in 4:3 mode, with the image stabilization off, and the LCD backlight off, as well. When the tape required changing, the DC power was plugged back in, then immediately removed to continue testing. In total, the NP-FP30 battery lasted an a mighty 124 minutes and 44 seconds (2 hours, 4 minutes, and 44 seconds). Last year's DCR-HC21 (Review, Specs, $329) lasted only 105 minutes, showing an significant improvement this year.
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