Sony DCR-HC46 Camcorder Review

Beginning at the camcorder’s front, a 12x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens is set into the top right corner. The lens housing is comprised of a hard plastic with a brushed metallic appearance. A lens cover is included and can be attached to the camcorder’s strap. To the left of the lens is a black plastic cover that conceals the NightShot Plus sensor and the remote control’s IR sensor. Keep in mind that, when using the remote control, you’ll get better results if you are facing the front of the camera. The on-board stereo microphone is located directly below the black sensor cover and represents your only option for recording audio live – there is no microphone jack on the HC46, so this camcorder is not a good choice if you want to use external mics.

The Right Side (8.75)
Like the rest of this camcorder, the right side is a picture of simplicity. Its major feature is a well-padded hand strap that runs from front to back at a slight downward angle. This side of the camcorder is rounded to conform to the shape of your palm and is very comfortable to hold and shoot. At the top front of the right side is a port cover that, on the HC46, conceals an A/V out port. Other ports, including USB, are located on the docking station rather than on-camera. The HC96 shares the docking station this year, but the step-down camcorders in the HC line retain ports on their body.

The right side of the camcorder also serves as the MiniDV tape compartment and opens out from the body on a hinge below the hand strap. The hinge is designed so that it can be opened even when the camcorder is mounted to a tripod, attached to the dock, or sitting on a flat surface – a feature that some camcorders lack.

The Back (7.0)
The back of the DCR-HC46 is configured exactly like that of the HC36. While generally simple, it too suffers from the fact that Sony has crammed a lot of controls into a small space. This will make it difficult for people with large hands to easily operate all the controls, an issue most compact camcorders share. In its favor, the HC46 is sufficiently slimmed down, in terms of capabilities, that the back is not as cluttered as it might be if the camcorder supported additional features.

At the top left side of the back is a viewfinder, which can extend out from the camcorder and clear the battery. On the right side of the viewfinder is a dial that allows diopter adjustment to accommodate farsighted people. While the eyepiece is serviceable for very short periods of time in relatively static shooting situations, it is very small and made of hard plastic. Some higher-end consumer camcorders have soft rubber eye pieces enabling comfortable long-term use, but this viewfinder seems like an afterthought.

The battery release lever is just to the right of the eyepiece and is the button that will be most problematic for people with large hands to operate. It is very small, and so close to the viewfinder that disengaging the battery is an uncomfortable operation. The battery itself rests directly below the viewfinder and is also more difficult to attach and remove than many on the market. While our complaints about the battery and release lever many seem minor, whether a camcorder is a pleasure to use or not depends in large part on design details.

The power/mode dial is located on the top right of the camcorder’s back. It’s an efficient dial – if, again, small enough to be unwieldy for most hands. Pressing the small green button on top releases the dial, turning it clockwise switches the camera on, , and rotating it slightly further toggles the camcorder through Tape, Memory, and Play/Edit (VCR) Modes. The Record/Start/Stop button is below the Mode Dial and marked with a red dot. At the base of the left side is the DC in, protected by a hard rubber port cover.

The Left Side (6.0)
The LCD occupies most of the left side of the DCR-HC46. Unlike its step down cousins, the HC26 and HC36, it has a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio and measures 2.7” at a resolution of 560 x 220. The screen opens to 90 degrees from the camcorder body, rotates through 270 degrees, and can be folded back into the LCD cavity with the screen out to enable image monitoring from the left side. Its hinge seems relatively flimsy, and may be prone to breakage if too much pressure is placed on the screen in the open position. Below the LCD are four buttons: a Record/Start/Stop button, Wide and Tight zoom toggles, and a Wide Select button. The first three buttons offer alternatives to controls found elsewhere on the camcorder, and the Wide Select button toggles between 4:3 and 16:9 modes.

A speaker is inside the LCD cavity, near the hinge. Above it is a reset button that returns the camera to its factory settings. At the rear of the LCD cavity is a Memory Stick Duo Pro card slot. The slot is unobtrusive and easy to use – the card snaps securely into place with moderate pressure, and disengages when pressed again. Above the LCD cavity are three additional control buttons – Back Light, which causes the camcorder to compensate in backlit situations; Disp/Batt Info, which turns the LCD information display on and off; and the Easy button, which instantly puts the camcorder in Auto mode. There are two tiny LED’s at the back edge of the camcorder. One, near the viewfinder, indicates that the battery is charging; another, next to the battery, indicates Memory Stick Duo Pro card access.

The Top (6.0)
The top of the DCR-HC46 is the location of several controls, including the important zoom toggle rocker. The Zoom Toggle is located just in front of the photo button, near the rear of the camcorder. It is a very well-designed toggle, and is more sensitive than many on the market, allowing for an infinite number of zoom speeds. Its placement is excellent: right where the index finger naturally rests. In about the middle of the camcorder’s top is the NightShot Plus switch for shooting in very dark environments. At the front right is the Open Eject switch, which releases the MiniDV Tape compartment lock. Opening the tape compartment is a manual process – once you’ve pressed the switch, you then need to pull the door open until it clicks. A small motor pops the tape bay up and into reach.