Sony DCR-HC32 Camcorder Reviewby Matt CullerPublished on Mar 8, 2005 12:00 PM 
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Sony’s DCR-HC32 is the middle offering of Sony’s new lower-end HCs this year. It shares the same basic body type of the DCR-HC21 (Review, Specs, $329) and the DCR-HC42 (Review, Specs, $399.95), with a few adjustments on last year’s DCR-HC30 (Review, Specs, $399)’s model to make it a bit prettier. Of the non-cosmetic improvements on last year’s model, the DCR-HC32 doesn’t have too many. It does double last year's optical zoom to 20x, includes a Handycam station, and adds secondary zoom and record controls on the LCD screen’s margin. On a sad note, the DCR-HC32 sheds the microphone input of the DCR-HC30 and doesn’t offer any new manual control or imager improvements.
The DCR-HC32 does have the great automatic controls that Sony is know for, but aside from a couple of improvements it is very similar to the DCR-HC21. The DCR-HC32 adds a Handycam station to the DCR-HC21, from which all connecting cords can emanate; the ability to capture stills to the MemoryStick Duo; a 3D touch screen menu system, which is easier to navigate than the DCR-HC21’s non-3D touch screen menu; and an A/V input/output, as opposed to the DCR-HC21’s A/V output. This last feature gives the DCR-HC32 the ability to perform analog to digital pass-through, to convert analog tapes to digital.
Video Performance (5.0)
As far as video performance goes, the DCR-HC32 performs nearly identically to the DCR-HC21. It should, as the two camcorders share identical CCDs. Both the DCR-HC32 and DCR-HC21 include a 1/6 inch CCD with 680K pixels (340K effective for video, 340K effective to stills on the DCR-HC32). These are similar specs to both of last year’s DCR-HC30 and DCR-HC20 (Review, Specs, $255), and there's not much of a quality difference between these models' video. At the optimal, bright light equivalent conditions of 3000 lux, we tested the DCR-HC32 in our controlled testing environment, in order to give it an opportunity to perform at its best.
Similar to the results of the DCR-HC21 at 3000 lux, the DCR-HC32 shows some noise, or grain, and has the same vibrant nuclear colors found on many of Sony’s low-end camcorders. Everyone is always talking about how good the colors are on the Sonys, how vibrant they are; how they achieve such rich blue tones. Personally, I’d rather have a crisp, balanced spectrum. Of course, nuclear colors can be good in a low light situation, where they may appear normal while other “normal” colors drop away. These colors are certainly bright and vibrant. The skin tones especially look good.
Video Resolution (7.9)
It is often hard to narrow down what goes into making good video. Is it the CCD size, number of CCDs, processor, the glass? In the end it’s a combination of all of these things, and it's by no means consistent or easy to iron out. In order to help the reader, and ourselves, to sort all of this out, we test every camcorder using Imatest Imaging Software to get a better idea of what the real resolution of a camcorder is at any given point in capture.
With the DCR-HC32, we took footage from the camcorder’s regular 4:3 mode of a standard resolution chart, exported stills from the this video, and, using Imatest Imaging Software, put each still to the test multiple times in order to get an idea of how the camcorder performs compared to the ideal. In 4:3 mode, the Sony DCR-HC32 gave us approximately 324.7 lines of vertical resolution at its best, with approximately 243.525 lines of horizontal resolution, yielding a real resolution of 79,072.567.
The Front (8.5)
The front of the DCR-HC32 is very similar to that of the DCR-HC21 and last year’s DCR-HC30. All three camcorders feature that ovular frontal lobe common on Sony’s lower-end HCs this year. All three camcorders feature the lens at the top followed down by a built-in stereo microphone and then an infrared sensor. Also, all three camcorders have a built-in lens cover, opened and closed by a switch to the left of the front. This is a really cool feature, which definitely adds to transport ease. One thing that the DCR-HC32 and DCR-HC30 add to the DCR-HC21 is a MemoryStick Duo slot below the lens cover switch, perched on the protruding dark gray section of the right side. Unfortunately, the microphone input port, found below this slot on the DCR-HC30, has been removed on the DCR-HC32.
The Right Side (7.0)
The right side of the camcorder is where the hand grips. Most of the camcorder’s important controls are located here and around its back right corner. The lower portion of the right side of the DCR-HC32 flips up to reveal camcorder’s tape mechanism and to allow for tape swapping. Unfortunately, this means that the DCR-HC32 is a bottom-loading camcorder, so you’ll have to unscrew it from your tripod to switch tapes. This can make taping things like concerts cumbersome.
Running diagonally across this panel is the camcorder’s comfortable strap, which while comfortable could be a bit lower. It’s hard to operate the camcorder’s zoom without bending your hand lower on the camcorder, and I’m left wishing that the strap followed my hand there. Above the strap towards the front of the camcorder is a long horizontal port cover which reveals only two ports: A/V input/output and the LANC jack (Local Application Control Bus System), which allows for control of the camcorder using a remote device. It's odd that Sony put a LANC jack on the DCR-HC21 but left off an external microphone jack.
All of the other ports featured under this slender port cover on the DCR-HC21 have been moved to the HC32's Handycam station. They include: FireWire, USB, and a secondary A/V port. Above this port cover is the camcorder’s Night Shot Plus switch. Behind this switch is the camcorder’s primary zoom toggle, followed by the camcorder’s photo button, which rests on a plateau facing the top of the camcorder. Below this button is the camcorder's mode dial, which works kind of like a jog dial; if repeatedly pressed down, it cycles through the three modes (tape, memory card, and playback).
The Left Side (6.0)
The left side of the DCR-HC32 primarily features the camcorder’s LCD screen. On all of these lower-end Sonys, and indeed many of the upper-end ones as well, the LCD screen is the main control interface. Nearly every manual control and numerous other settings are controlled by, and therefor locked into, the touch screen menu. Fortunately, the DCR-HC32 features the 3D version of this menu system (the DCR-HC21 does not, which makes navigation harder), though the user is still required to open the LCD and tap his or her way through the menu system just to do something as simple as a focal adjustment.
Above the LCD screen is a row of buttons, including backlight, display/battery info., and easy mode. The shape of these buttons has been changed (and improved in my opinion) from the DCR-HC30. They are now circular (and ovular) as opposed to the DCR-HC30’s long, slender buttons.
The Back (7.0)
The DCR-HC32’s battery rests on the back of the camcorder, as does the camcorder’s black and white viewfinder. Unfortunately, the viewfinder only extends directly back, just a half an inch from the back of the battery. While on most camcorders this problem hinders use of the viewfinder, on the DCR-HC32 it’s not really a problem, as you really need to use the LCD and because a half inch is more than most. To the right of the camcorder’s battery rests the primary record button and the tape eject level. Below the battery is the camcorder’s primary DC input port (there is a secondary port on the Handycam station).
The Top (7.0)
The top of the DCR-HC32 features a cold accessory shoe located directly in front of the viewfinder with the zoom toggle to its right. This accessory shoe is regularly size. Intelligent accessory shoes on the new Sonys this year are slimmer and only work with Sony products. Since this one's cold, it's not the case here.
Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (9.5)
Automatic control options for focus, white balance, and exposure are available on the DCR-HC32. As on the DCR-HC21, there are also Program AE presets for environments of Spotlight, Portrait, Sports, Beach & Ski, Sunsetmoon, and Landscape. These presets basically set windows of performance for aperture and shutter speed. The A(uto) Shutter function found on the DCR-HC21, and lots of other Sonys this year, is present on the DCR-HC32 as well. Supposedly it adjusts for bright light environments, but I can’t tell if anything is happening. It’s default is “on”, so why not leave it on, especially if no manual shutter speed is available.
If you're feeling especially brain-dead, you can access the easy mode via a button directly above the LCD screen to reduce your menu options to Beep, Clock Set, and Display Guide. Actually, considering the great strength of most of the automatic controls on the DCR-HC32, this might be the best thing to do. It's so solid that you could operate the DCR-HC32 in a drunken stupor at a Jimmy Buffet concert, pass out, and awaken to a camcorder whose settings haven’t changed a bit, thank God. And your video (probably) won’t be that bad.
The nice Spot metering and Spot focusing features do take advantage of the touch screen menu system on the DCR-HC32. While these features are by no means new to the DCR-HC32 and not as effective as manual controls, it's a fun way to guide the camcorder’s automatic adjustments. In either Spot mode, a white box is outlined on the LCD screen, and the user presses within the box to indicate to which area of the image the camcorder should adjust it's focus or exposure.
Bottom line, automatic controls are excellent as expected. Automatic adjustments to exposure and focus are quick and relatively accurate, and adjustments to white balance are smooth and subtle.
Overall Manual Control (3.0)
The DCR-HC32 doesn’t offer much manual control, and what it does offer is stuck in a touch screen menu, albeit a 3D menu system. We cannot recommend this camcorder for its manual control, though the zoom toggle on these HCs is superb for a camcorder of this size.
Zoom Control (8.0)
The zoom toggle on the DCR-HC32 is the same found on the DCR-HC21, and it’s a good one. The toggle is small, T-shaped, and elevated just enough to allow smooth zooms that aren’t interfered with by rubbing into other parts of the camcorder. The only problem is that the toggle is not placed beneath my index finger or even my middle finger for that matter. The DCR-HC32 is so small that all finger tips pretty much wrap all the way to the other side of the top of the camcorder, forcing the user to lower his or her hand so that it covers more of the camcorder’s bottom. This makes the strap feel uncomfortable and renders it fairly useless. The DCR-HC32, like the DCR-HC21, has a 20x optical zoom with options for 40x and 800x digital zooms.
Focus (4.0)
Manual focus on the Sony DCR-HC32 is, to be frank, horrible. It is locked in the touch screen menu system, and when accessed can only be adjusted by a user’s tapping of the LCD screen in order to move a cursor along a horizontal meter without any numerical markers, or any other indicators. Some of Sony’s new camcorders show numerical focal values, but not these HCs. Fortunately, the accompanying shrill beeping sound that comes with this adjusting can be turned off.
Exposure (Aperture) (4.0)
Entry level, and even upper level, Sony camcorders have long been marred by their lack of independent F-stop and shutter speed readings. The trend continues here. Instead of “true” manual adjustment, a +/-meter is used to move through 24 steps of exposure, from light to dark (F="1.8-3.1)." Like focus, exposure is available through the touch screen menu system. Sony’s exposure value is a relationship between exposure to shutter speed; it is defined nowhere in the manual.
Shutter Speed (0.0)
There are no true shutter speed adjustments available on the DCR-HC32. However, there is an Auto Shutter function, which does something... in theory. I can’t really notice a difference myself. For really slow shutter effects, there are some digital effects available, like Slow Shutter, which includes four settings (1-4) that get progressively slower. Some other digital effects like Trail and Color Slow Shutter utilize slow shutter for different purposes; weird strobe effects and night vision, respectively.
White Balance (7.5)
Options of Outdoor, Indoor, and One Push (manual) are available for white balance adjustment to compliment the automatic white balance setting. Selecting One Push allows the user to press and hold a button to adjust white balance to whatever is onscreen. These are standard options that work well, and they are perhaps the best of all the manual controls on the DCR-HC32, as far as functionality and accessibility go. All options are unfortunately only available within the touch screen menu system, though how often do you adjust white balance?
Gain (0.0)
There are no manual gain controls on the DCR-HC32.
Other Manual Control (0.0)
The Sony DCR-HC32 doesn’t offer any additional manual controls other than the aforementioned.
Ease of Use (9.0)
If you can get past the fact that the touch screen hinders your ability to do almost anything besides operate in full auto mode, you’ll find that the touch menu interface is pretty easy to get used to. Even more so than the DCR-HC21, the DCR-HC32 offers an easy to navigate touch screen menu. It’s easy to get around, but takes forever and requires tapping. By in large, Sony prides themselves in offering camcorders that appeal to the idiot in all of us: touch screen menus are state-of-the-art technology, and everything’s in there! Wow, that’s so convenient! Great! What they didn’t tell you was that other comparably priced camcorders offer more functions, though maybe with a less user-friendly disposition. Panasonic’s new joystick control is pretty good.
Still Features (6.5)
The DCR-HC32 captures still images and MPEGs onto MemoryStick Duo. Each Duo can be inserted into the slot of the front right of the camcorder. The DCR-HC32 offers a separate mode for still capture called Memory, as in MemoryStick. It is basically the same menu used for video capture with a few modifications. No audio options are available in Memory mode, and users can chose between two qualities of still images (Fine and Standard) and two resolutions for MPEG capture (320 x 240 and 160 x 112). All still images are captured at a resolution of 640 x 480. Otherwise, all manual controls are available in memory mode as well as all Program AE presets except sports. All picture and digital effects are not available nor are there any interval recording options. The DCR-HC42 adds many auxiliary still features.
There are a number of flash settings. If the right external flash used, the user can set the flash to execute all the time, all the time with red-eye reduction, auto, and auto red-eye. The flash can be set to high, normal, or low.
Still Resolution (0.9)
The Sony DCR-HC32 captures stills to SD card and to tape at a resolution of 640 x 480. In order to test the resolution of these stills, we imported them into Imatest Imaging software, and discovered that at its best the DCR-HC32 produced stills with 89,010.18 pixels (.089 MP).
Still Performance (3.5)
The stills captured on the DCR-HC32 were okay. They showed decent colors for such a low-end camcorder, and while there was some noise, there certainly wasn’t as much as seen on some of the lower-end JVC camcorders. If we compare these stills with those captured at a similar resolution on the Panasonic PV-GS35 (Review, Specs, $359.95) (Review, Specs, $283.25), there is a world of difference. The Panasonic’s stills are remarkably more crisp and lack nearly all of the noise found on the Sony’s stills.
Low Light Performance (3.5)
The DCR-HC32 performs slightly better than the DCR-HC21, though not that much. At light levels of 60 and 15 lux, the DCR-HC32, like the DCR-HC21, shows unfortunate amounts of noise. The nasty blue noise seen on the DCR-HC21 is absent from the DCR-HC32, which is nice, and a lot of the color information at 15 lux that the DCR-HC21 loses, the DCR-HC32 retains. Both of these camcorders have identical imagers, which makes these differences seem odd, but it is exactly these subtle differences (and these are very subtle) that help distinguish a camcorder in the consumer’s eyes. The low light performance seen on the DCR-HC32 offers images within the same scope of performance as some of the lower-end Panasonic camcorders, though Panasonics tend to have better, more balanced spectra, with similar noise.
Zoom Power/Ratio (20.0)
The DCR-HC32 has a decent optical zoom of 20x, however it is smaller than the JVC and Panasonic models in the market.
Wide Angle (8.5)
Like the DCR-HC21, the DCR-HC32 tested as having a widest angle of 42.5 degrees. This makes sense as the camcorders share identical optics.
VCR Mode (6.0)
The Play/Edit mode can be reached with the same mode selector used to record to tape or memory card. When selected, the LCD screen goes blue and small touch screen buttons appear along the bottom of the screen for playback options and menu access. The menu allows the user to change still functions, format the memory stick, perform a slide show, put digital or picture effects on your images, or print. There are also options for audio dubbing controls—-to record 12 bit audio to merge with 12 bit original sound and video—-playback at various speeds, and burning to DVD and Video CD. For many of these functions you’ll need a computer or a printer.
LCD/Viewfinder (9.0)
The DCR-HC32 features the same 2.5 inch (6.2 cm) LCD screen, with a 123,200 pixel count (560 x 220) and black and white viewfinder seen on the DCR-HC21. The LCD screen, like so many of Sony’s, is superb, doesn’t solarize, or get too greasy with all that touching. As on the DCR-HC21, the DCR-HC32 features secondary zoom and record controls on the LCD’s margin.
Audio (2.5)
Not only can the DCR-HC32 capture both 12 and 16 bit audio, it can also support audio dubbing of 12 bit audio to be placed over original audio and video recorded at an earlier time. The bummer is that the microphone jack found on last year’s DCR-HC30 has been removed, rendering the DCR-HC32’s accessory shoe kinda worthless. There are no manual audio level controls either, and it's disappointing to be forced to rely on the built-in microphone for good audio.
Handling (7.0)
This camcorder is tiny, which makes it somewhat of a pain to handle, though small size always aids in portability. When held with the strap in the appropriate place, the DCR-HC32 can be a bit hard to control. The user’s fingers pretty much hang over the top of the camcorder which makes zoom and photo control a bit difficult. This could be eased by lowering the strap or moving the zoom toggle to the other side of the front. While the zoom toggle is certainly easy to use it might not be easy to get to.
Portability (8.0)
The DCR-HC32 is about as portable as you can get aside from one small problem: the Handycam docking station. If you don’t want to tote around the docking station things will work out just fine, but if you’re going on a vacation during which you’d like to dump some photos or video onto a computer (that doesn’t have memory stick) you’ll have to carry along the docking station.
Battery Life (10.5)
The DCR-HC32 ships with the same NP-FP30 InfoLithium Battery as the DCR-HC21. The user can either plug the camcorder directly into the AC adaptor while the battery is in its slot to charge the camcorder, or plug the camcorder (and battery) into the docking station which will feed off of the wall outlet. When recording with the LCD screen open and without using the zoom toggle, the DCR-HC32 recorded for approximately 1 hour, 44 minutes, and 40 seconds. This is bit more than is specified for battery life, which is nice, though these batteries tend to lose some life over the months.
Compression (8.0)
The Sony DCR-HC32 uses standard DV compression to MiniDV tape. MiniDV compression is certainly the standard of video quality against which all other consumer compression formats are judged.
Media (8.0)
The Sony DCR-HC32 has the ability to record video to 6.35mm MiniDV tape in both SP and LP modes. Sixty minutes can be recorded in SP mode with 90 minutes available in LP mode. Still images can be captured to MemoryStick Duo.
Editing (8.0)
Video footage recorded to MiniDV tape can be edited very easily using any of the many editing software suites, most notably Avid and Final Cut Pro, though many manufactures include rudimentary editing software with their products. The DCR-HC32 ships with Sony’s Picture Package Software, which enables rudimentary editing, copying, and burning to various CD formats. If you have a Sony VAIO computer, “Click to DVD” software can be used to create DVDs.
Widescreen/16:9 Mode (5.0)
Like the DCR-HC21, the DCR-HC32 features a letterboxed 16:9/Widescreen mode. On the beefed-up DCR-HC42, Sony includes its enhanced Widescreen mode, with a 16:9 LCD to boot.
In Wide Mode, the image is letterboxed; the menu adapts.
Scan Rates/24P (0.0)
On the DCR-HC32, video is captured at 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.
Ports (6.5)
A long slender port cover is home to only two ports on the right side of the DCR-HC32. They are the camcorder’s LANC jack and A/V output/input. On the back of the camcorder, under the battery, the DC input port is located. There is a cold, regularly sized accessory shoe on top of the camcorder. On the camcorder’s Handycam docking station another A/V output/input port, a USB port, a FireWire port, and another DC input port are included.
Other Features (4.5)
Display Guide Utilizing the DCR-HC32’s touch screen menu, the Display Guide function allows the user to press on unknown areas of the LCD screen in order to learn what icons and other display elements mean.
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 on the right center of the 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.
Super NightShot
This is basically a 16x stronger version of NightShot Plus.
SteadyShot
The DCR-HC32 features an electronic image stabilization function. When recording a TV or a computer screen black lines may appear when using this function.
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.
Color Slow Shutter
This a special night mode found on both the DCR-HC32 and DCR-HC42. It slows down the shutter speed of the camcorder considerably without increasing the F-stop, forcing tons of light into the picture, and hence brightening the image. The only problem is, looking at the resulting image makes you feel like you’re drunk. (Of course, some might not think that's a problem...) It cannot be used with fader, a digital effect, program AE, manual exposure, or spot metering.
Tele Macro
This is basically an automatic telephoto close-up. When selected the camcorder zooms in as far as it can. Once the zoom toggle is adjusted, Tele Macro turns off. With the DCR-HC32 the user can get as close as 39 cm (about 15 inches) to a subject; with the DCR-HC42, 35 cm (about 14 inches) are available.
Comparisons
Panasonic PV-GS35
The PV-GS35 seems to be the Mac Daddy of lower-end camcorders this year. It includes a microphone port and S-Video port, which may be considered extravagances; their inclusion is relatively unique at this price point. What really distinguishes the PV-GS35 is its 30x optical, which is unprecedented and pretty amazing. The PV-GS35 records the best 640 x 480 stills to SD card of any lower-end camcorder I’ve seen so far (haven’t seen the Canons yet), and has comparable, if not a bit better, low light performance to the DCR-HC32. Panasonic has also overhauled the hard-to-use navigational system of last year’s camcorders, offering a new joystick control that is really easy to use, if you like joysticks. And I do. It makes one-handed operation a pleasure. With the wealth of manual control on this camcorder it’s hard not to consider it, especially at a recommended price equal to that of the DCR-HC32.
Canon ZR300 (Review, Specs, $449)
The Canon ZR300 is available for a recommended price equal to that of the DCR-HC32. While I have yet to test and evaluate the ZR300’s performance, I do know that it shares a similar imager with the DCR-HC32. It also houses a 22x optical zoom, has Canon’s enhanced 16:9 mode, records 1024 x 768 stills to SD card, and harbors better manual control than the DCR-HC32. It does not have an accessory shoe like the DCR-HC32. The ZR300 is controlled using a jog dial, which in my eyes, is preferable to everything except focus rings and the like.
Sony DCR-HC21
One step down from the DCR-HC32, the DCR-HC21 has the same 20x optical zoom of the DCR-HC32. In saving probably about a hundred bucks, you’re losing the ability to capture stills to card media, the 3D menu system of the DCR-HC32, and the Handycam docking station (which may not be too bad). Performance is similar, and should be similar, though the DCR-HC32 performs a bit better in low light situations. Also, the DCR-HC21 only has an A/V out, rather than an A/V input/output, so you can’t convert your old analog tapes to digital with the camcorder.
JVC GR-D295 (Specs, )
For a recommended price of $499.99, the JVC GR-D295 is available. Like the ZR300, it captures 1024 x 768 stills to SD card, includes more manual control than the Sony, and houses a similar imager to the Sony. The JVC GR-D295 with, however, will likely perform better than the DCR-HC32 in both video and low light conditions. There is no Sony touch screen menu system on the GR-D295; the menu is accessed using external buttons. The stills on the JVC GR-D295 will likely be as bad as those on the GR-D275, which is no reason to buy the camcorder. And frankly, all the GR-D295 adds to the cheaper (and recommended) GR-D270 (Review, Specs, $379.99) is two included batteries and a remote control. I guess that’s worth fifty bones to some.
Who It's For
Point and Shooters (9.0)
Definitely a point-and-shoot camcorder, the DCR-HC32 may appeal more than its less-advanced and cheaper brother, the DCR-HC21. The DCR-HC32 has the same lack of manual control and great automatic controls as the DCR-HC21, but includes a memory stick for still photos, and a better looking menu.
Budget Consumers (8.0)
At a $500 recommended price, the DCR-HC32 could be a lot cheaper for what it offers.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (1.5)
While the DCR-HC32 has the option to capture 640 x 480 stills on a memory stick, it cannot be recommended as a good hybrid.
Gadget Freak (4.0)
The touch screen is a nice gimmick, though it’s not exactly new any more. Those new 16:9 LCD screens on some of the new Sonys--now those are pretty cool.
Manual Control Freaks (2.0)
Not a reason to buy, as there are few manual controls.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists (1.0)
Who are we kidding? The DCR-HC32 cannot be recommended for the pro or even serious hobbyist.
Conclusion
Like the DCR-HC21, the DCR-HC32 is a camcorder designed for point-and-shooters. It offers fantastic automatic control options and a gimmicky menu system that users can enjoy for a bit but not really use. It is definitely a camcorder that looks better than it performs, at least in the still image and low light department. Yet low light performance on the DCR-HC32 is better than that of the DCR-HC21; it harbors more and better color information without nasty blue noise and the like, though it still falls short of some of the other manufacturers' offerings this year. Both low-end JVC and Panasonic camcorders perform better in low light situations. Certainly all other manufacturers often offer the user more manual control with a navigation interface that's easier and more convenient than the touch screen menu. Finally, the biggest downside to the DCR-HC32 is its price. For a recommended hundred dollars more than the DCR-HC21, the DCR-HC32 will have a tough time competing with other manufactures as far as bang for your buck goes. Check the comparisons section for a discussion of what is offered for the same amount of money. While the next model up for Sony, the DCR-HC42, offers a better imager as well as other options including a 16:9 LCD (cool) for hundred dollars more than the DCR-HC42, it still might be worth looking into. Bottom line, I don’t think people are going to want to spend this kind of money for the DCR-HC32, unless they can find competitive street prices. The DCR-HC32 is currently as low as $410.50 on the street, which may make a big difference.