Sony DCR-HC36 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on May 5, 2006 12:00 PM
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Automatic Control (9.5)
Like most Sonys, the DCR-HC36 (Review, Specs, $309) is an exceptionally simple device to operate with great automatic controls. These include exposure, shutter speed, white balance, gain, and all the other controls that factor into image quality. The auto focus is excellent from objects at quite a distance to almost touching the lens, as long as the zoom is between 0 and 1x. In extended zooms, the auto focus will falter. Exposure controls work well, and the white balance is satisfactory. Still, we gave the white balance a run for its money in rooms where ambient sunlight and indoor light mixed.
The camcorder also has a number of controls that are halfway between automatic and manual controls, providing help while giving the user the feeling of control. In particular, several Program AE modes are meant to aid in certain tricky lighting situations. They include Spotlight, Portrait, Sports, Beach & Ski, Sunset & Moon, and Landscape.
The Easy button on the left side of the HC36.
An auto shutter function, which can be turned on and off, is designed to help shooting in bright light situations. Color Slow Shutter is another function that aids in low light. It has the unfortunate side effect of blurring moving objects.
The Spot Focus feature creates a frame around the touch screen LCD. You can then touch portions of the screen and have the camcorder adjust its focus to that subject. This is not a fine control, and will not work if the subject is too small. The Spot Meter function works the same way, but is for exposure control. There are two white balance presets, Indoor and Outdoor, in addition to auto and manual settings.
While the HC36 has better automatic controls than the competition from Panasonic, JVC, and Canon, it does not stand out from similarly priced Sonys. If you really need a simple to use camcorder, the HC36 and HC26 (Review, Specs, $299.99) are a great choice but you will sacrifice a lot in making the purchase.
Overall Manual Control (3.0)
The HC36 offers few manual controls – the downside of all Sony camcorders. This is a manufacturer that focuses on ease of use. If 
you are looking for more manual control, check out Panasonic and JVC and to a lesser extent Canon, both of which offer a wider array than Sony. Of course, a lot more goes into camcorders than the manual control set, so be sure to factor in performance, handling, and the rest.
On the HC36, you’ll find controls for focus, exposure (in EV steps), and white balance. Making any changes requires the touch screen control, which inherently limits them. Touch screens, we believe, are not a great control. Primarily, they collect fingerprints and grease. If you are trying to adjust focus by tapping the + and – buttons on the screen, you’re actually getting the screen dirtier with each touch. How, then, can you tell whether you actually need focus or just a cleaner screen?
The actual menu is fairly simple to navigate. Pushing the P-Menu button in the lower right corner brings it up. The menu has a front page (or pages, actually) with large buttons for the most common tasks. This front page is programmable, so if you frequently use a function which is buried deeper in the menu, you can move it up. You can also re-sort and delete front page buttons. The back menu, which has smaller buttons, can be a little harder to navigate.
Zoom (8.0)
Users can control zoom levels via a toggle on top of the camcorder body, near the back of the frame. The Sony DCR-HC36’s zoom toggle is raised from the body of the camcorder slightly; users, regardless of hand size, should be able to access it comfortably. Helping aid in steadier zoom transitions is a slight ridge that runs along the edge between the top and right side of the camcorder body. The 20x optical zoom level on the Sony DCR-HC36 is about standard for a one-chip point and shoot camcorder, although it certainly isn’t the preposterously large 32x optical zoom currently found on the JVC GR-D350 (Review, Specs, $214.95). To compensate for camera hand shake, which becomes more apparent with higher zoom levels, the Sony DCR-HC36 uses an electronic image stabilization system.
The two zoom controls of the HC36, the primary lens on top, and the zoom control on the edge of the LCD panel.
A secondary zoom control, on the LCD frame, provides users with a slow and paced zoom transition that eliminates awkward shifts in speed, which often occur with the primary zoom toggle. This secondary zoom control is comprised of two slightly raised touch-pads labeled “W” and “T”. The only problem with engaging controls on the frame of the LCD is the tendency to shift and move the camcorder when making adjustments. Using a tripod or applying steady pressure should nearly overcome this problem.
Zoom Power/Ratio (20.0)
In the world of small point-and-shoot 1/6th inch CCD camcorders a 20x optical zoom range is about average with models like the JVC GR-D350 providing 32x optical zoom which is bound to pick up in the slightest hand shake. Even with a 20x optical zoom the user is bound to notice shake from hands during shooting with higher zoom levels and while the SteadyShot image stabilization setting is helpful in overcoming this problem it won’t perform with the same success or quality as an optical image stabilization feature. If camera shake is a problem and the electronic image stabilization isn’t compensating successfully the use of a tripod is recommended.
In addition to the 20x optical zoom the Sony DCR-HC36 also comes with a digital zoom range with a maximum of 800x. With digital zoom the quality of video decreases as higher digital zoom levels are engaged. Image degradation occurs quite quickly and users with discerning taste will dismiss digital zoom entirely while those with questionable aesthetics may be able to tolerate the miserable results of 10 or 20x. The DCR-HC36’s digital zoom can be turned on and off by entering the appropriate sub-menu within the administrative menu system. The digital zoom menu allows users to select between off, 40x and 800x. With a setting of 40x the user will have a 20x digital zoom range which while plagued by poor video quality is at least still somewhat legible whereas a setting 800x will result in mush.
Focus (4.0)
There are actually two methods for controlling focus somewhat manually when shooting with the DCR-HC36: a digital manual focus control and a touch screen spot focus system.
The manual focus option is listed on the second page of the P-menu. Its screen is as cluttered as the exposure manual control interface: it has a frame, two icons for making adjustments to manual focus levels, an indicator for focal depth, auto and manual buttons, and a return button. With this many controls, it will be difficult to clearly view focal transitions when selecting an appropriate focal depth. The right hand will block most of the user’s view and the litter of controls and information on the screen make any information even rarer. Simply placing the mountain and bust icons along the bottom of the LCD screen would have alleviated much of the problem; as it currently exists, this setup is an unnecessary hassle for a control that is simple in theory.
Using the spot focus system is no less difficult. The spot focus option, on the first page of the P-menu, opens to display a touch-screen frame measuring 2.0 inches diagonal. This control is meant for simple shifts with basic scenes, and will not perform with nuance or with success in complicated scenes with multiple or small subjects. It also isn’t meant for situations with three depths of field, where each of the subjects fills one-third of the screen, and things honestly don’t get much simpler than that when shooting.
Exposure (Aperture) (4.0)
The manual control for exposure is located on the first page of the P-menu structure. Opening the exposure sub-menu produces a horizontal sliding scale with +/- icons on either end for making adjustments via the manual button directly beneath it. With the scale, the adjustment icons, the auto and manual buttons, a frame with control type listed, and an OK button, this live view screen is far too cluttered. Add in your left hand obscuring sections of the screen when making adjustments, and this control takes a bit of patience and review.
Shutter Speed (0.0)
There is no manual shutter speed control on this low-priced auto-centric Sony camcorder. Then again, there isn’t manual shutter speed on their top-of-the line DC96: those who value manual controls should consider an alternate manufacturer. The Canon ZR500 (Review, Specs, $224.8) provides manual shutter speed control for a hundred dollars less than the DCR-HC36 and, while the design of this camcorder suffers in terms of aesthetics, it should be an alluring alternative in terms of both manual control and price.
White Balance (7.5)
While the DCR-HC36 offers manual white balance control, locating this feature requires navigating an absurd series of menus that will scare beginning or casual users away. The three page P-menu which houses all other manual controls doesn’t, contrary to logical expectations, list the white balance settings. Instead, users who want to access these options must open the P-menu, select the administrative menu option, and scan the menu structure for the Camera Set category. Scanning the list of category options in this menu reveals a white balance sub-menu option. While it’s possible to restructure the P-menu to include white balance, it’s absurd that Sony didn’t do this in the first place, especially as it’s an essential control designed for beginning users. Once in the white balance sub-menu, the user can select between auto, outdoor, indoor and one push (manual). These five buttons overlay most of the 2.5 inch LCD; with a return arrow and a frame surrounding these controls there is little of the screen left for actual accurate monitoring.
Gain (0.0)
The Sony DCR-HC36 does not come with a manual control option for gain levels. The lack of gain on a Sony camcorder is expected, due to their heavy auto-control emphasis and additional lack of manual control over shutter speed or aperture. If manual gain control is important, models by Panasonic will be able to provide this option at a relatively low price.
Other Manual Control (0.0)
There are no other manual control options provided with the $400 point-and-shoot Sony DCR-HC36 camcorder.
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