Sony DCR-HC38 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Jun 25, 2007 8:11 AM 
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Ease of Use (7.0)
Of course the DCR-HC38 (Specs, $279) is easy to use—it’s a MiniDV Sony. Between the almost universal format and Easy button, you should experience few bumps in the road while shooting…until you need to interact with the menu. As outlined in the menu section below, the DCR-HC38’s menu is a free-for-all of convoluted structuring and arcane abbreviations. Every feature is a grand quest to locate and activate. The DCR-HC38 loses points for this crucial blunder.
As far as editing goes, nothing can surpass MiniDV for ease. Almost every NLE on the market supports the format, and you can capture footage, edit it, and export it right back onto your MiniDV tape. HDD, SD, and DVD camcorders are not that simple—many deal with finicky video files that must be converted before they even see a timeline of any sort.
Sony’s classic Easy button is the consumer’s definitive lifeline. Pressing the blue-dotted button of aid sets the camcorder in full autopilot, allowing the shooter to sit back only to worry about the record start/stop and zoom controls. The touch screen menu buttons grow in size and the screen is less cluttered. Menu options are also whittled down to the bare essentials.
Handling (5.0)
The Sony DCR-HC38 feels good in the hand, we’ll say that much for it. The padded hand strap is comfortable and set at such at height that the camcorder will not careen to the left when you let go of the body, as most camcorders do. The zoom toggle is well-positioned. The record on/off button is in the right place for the thumb. Every exterior feature is great.
Unfortunately, everything stemming from the touch screen, including the menu and all the manual controls, handles like a wet dishrag. We go into more detail in the Menu section below. In brief, menu systems have a big impact on handling, and the HC38’s menu has a bit, fat negative impact.
There’s not a whole lot else to the HC38. This is an entry-level model with precious few features. The built-in lens cap is smart, though we can only speculate on its durability over time. We’re pleased that Sony opted for tape mechanism that loads from the top. The bottom-loading Canon DV camcorders, which cannot be opened on a tripod, are a big hassle.
Menu (3.0)
This is by far one of the most scatterbrained, vexing menus we’ve seen in a while. Nothing is in any particular order—most poor innocent point-and-and-shooters will be sucked into a web of oblivion while attempting to maneuver through the DCR-HC38’s labyrinthine interface. Everything requires two steps too many, eating time and boosting stress. To make matters even worse, the menu buttons are miniscule and the LCD is 2.5” wide. Let’s attempt to extract the logic out of this one, shall we? Anyone with fingers wider than Bic tips will get the shaft. We once attempted to press the return button eight times before it caught on.
Function menu
On the main screen you’ll see two buttons in the bottom right corner—guide and function. Let’s deal with the function menu first. Once you find a way to press the puny rectangle of frustration, a screen appears with a bar at the top and two tabs, page 1 and 2. Page one consists of Spot Focus, focus, Spot Meter, display guide, menu (for accessing the full administrative menu), scene selection, End Search, and exposure. Why is the menu button randomly thrown into the grab bag of settings and not placed more prominently? No one will ever know. Another pain is that when Spot Focus or Spot Meter are selected, you can’t return to page one. Your only options are “end” or “auto,” which bring you right back to the main screen.
On page 2 you’ll find your faders, white balance, beep, clock set, and LCD brightness settings. Why did white balance get stuck on page 2, while End Search makes the first page? It’s a lot easier to have your core manual controls under one roof, otherwise the propensity to grow mad is highly plausible.
To access the full admin menu, jump back to page 1 and press the “menu” button. A small, vertically scrolling subset of options appears. Along the bottom of the screen is a set of rectangular buttons: down, up, execute, and return. All of these directives are abbreviated within an inch of their lives, making the first few go ‘rounds with the HC38 incredibly frustrating. Because the admin menu is too small for any human finger, you have to use the up and down arrow buttons to scroll through each option. Execute selects that option, and return must be pressed to revert back to the submenu. This is preposterous. Too many buttons, too many levels. The whole point of a touch screen menu is to simplify. But when the screen is too small, they have to extra buttons?! Those with ADD will not fare well with this deplorable menu structure.
The admin menu is broken into six submenus: Manual Set (including picture effects), Camera Set (digital zoom, wide select, SteadyShot, edit search, NightShot light), LCD/VF Set (LCD backlight, LCD color, viewfinder backlight, wide display), Tape Set (record mode, audio mode, tape remaining), Setup Menu (USB stream, language, demo mode), and Others (world time, auto shut off, and display out).
Usage guide in action
The DCR-HC38 also includes a usage guide, activated by pushing the “GUIDE” button next to the function button on the main screen. The usage guide contains a shoot guide and a display guide. The shoot guide offers information about each scene selection setting and it also explains Spot Focus and Spot Meter in camera preferences. The display guide allows you to select a part of the screen in order to obtain information about quality settings and screen setup.
Portability (5.75)
A model like the DCR-HC38 was made for the road, measuring a compact 65mm x 85mm x 115mm (2 1/2 in. x 3 3/8 in. x 4 5/8 in.). It’s also just shy of a pound, tipping the scale at 450g (15oz.). You can definitely toss the DCR-HC38 into a small camera bag with room to spare. Throw some extra MiniDV tapes and battery packs in there, and you’ll be all taken care of for a full day’s worth of shooting. Since the DCR-HC38’s battery lasts over 2 hours, you will probably only need one extra pack. The DCR-HC38 operates at a temperature range of 32 degrees to 104 degrees and can be stored at -4 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s good news for all you Floridian Fellinis. Be sure not to leave the port covers open and close the lens cap during transport, or the DCR-HC38 will soon bite the dust.
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The translucent viewfinder eyecup... |
and small, 2.5" LCD make for less the optimal viewing. |
LCD and Viewfinder (6.5)
The DCR-HC38’s 2.5” wide 4:3 aspect ratio LCD screen will transport you back to the mid 90’s. Standard definition monitors are a dying breed in 2007 as the HD boom continues to grow. The DCR-HC38’s LCD extends 90 degrees from the body and rotates up to 270 degrees vertically. The LCD has a 123,200 pixel count and looks a bit washed out. You can tinker with the LCD color in the administrative menu, but then you’d be cheating yourself out of a true image. There is an LCD backlight button located in the LCD cavity. The backlight can also be accessed in the administrative menu. A thin vertical strip containing zoom out, zoom in, and record start/stop is located in the left side of the LCD panel. Take note: the zoom control on the LCD panel is not touch sensitive to speed; it’s a fixed, medium pace.
Here’s a peculiar phenomenon: a translucent viewfinder. The DCR-HC38’s hard plastic extendable eyecup does not fully block intruding light, rendering the viewfinder compromised in bright light – precisely when you’re relying on the viewfinder because the LCD is totally useless. You’ll have to jam your eye as far as it will go into the viewfinder shaft in order to create a sort of human matte box. The eyecup is actually removable and can be cleaned, and the dioptric adjuster is located on its right side. You can apply a backlight to the viewfinder by accessing the LCD/VF set found in the administrative menu.
Battery Life (1.23)
We tested the life of the NP-FH30 battery pack by setting the camcorder to full auto mode and recording continuously in a fixed position until the battery croaked. The DCR-HC38’s battery lasted a total of 123 minutes and 7 seconds (2 hrs. 3 min. and 7 sec.). A battery that lasts over 2 hours is a rarity amongst consumer camcorders, and the DCR-HC38 will not let you down. A backup battery wouldn’t hurt, but it’s not entirely necessary for most normal shoots.