Sony DCR-HC48 First Impressions Review

by John Neely
Published on Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Intro Performance
Format Tour
Auto / Manual Controls Still Features
Handling and Use Audio / Playback / Connectivity
Other Features
Comparisons / Conclusion
Specs/Ratings  
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Conclusion
The Sony DCR-HC48 is a camcorder that follows up on the company’s best entry-level offering from 2006, the DCR-HC46 (Review, Specs, $419.99), with a few welcome improvements.  The integrated lens cover is a great addition that’s usually only found in higher-end models. The body also fits even more snugly in your palm than last year’s MiniDV Handycams.  We find the placement of some buttons in the LCD cavity rather than the exterior on the left side to be inferior as they are less accessible when shooting with the viewfinder.  Yet this is a change that should impact only a small number of users who prefer the EVF to the user-friendly LCD.

The big wild card in judging the HC48 is the 1/6” CCD sensor that boasts the same resolution as last year’s 1/5.5” sensor.  Without improved engineering, a reduced overall sensor size should yield lesser low light performance since it means the individual pixels on the sensor are smaller.  However, it is reasonable to assume that Sony has improved the CCD’s design and that the new chip will either offer comparable or better performance than last year’s 1/5.5” CCD.  Until we test the video and still performance of the HC48, we won’t be able to weigh in on how much the 1/6” CCD changes the look and quality of the image over the HC46.

What we do know is that this camcorder is a modestly improved iteration of the DCR-HC46.  The menu interface, LCD and EVF, and core specs remain essentially unchanged while the ergonomics are a touch better.  Meanwhile, manual controls (which have seen some promising improvement in high-end Sonys like the HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56) and HDR-SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99), thanks to their manual control dials) remains limited and plagued by a poorly implemented touch screen interface.  Yet for point-and-shooters who have little use for a competent manual control suite, the HC48 should be an attractive little device given its best feature of all: a MSRP of just $400, representing a $100 drop from the initial price of its predecessor.





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