Sony DCR-HC96 Camcorder Review

Overall Manual Control (3.0)
Manual controls for the Sony DCR-HC96 do not overwhelm with their number of options, although menu layout and accessing the options certainly do. The camera has a touch screen interface that allows users to enter the menu structure by pressing the P-menu button located in the lower right corner of the LCD screen. This opens the shooting menu that allows the user to select submenu options from three separate screens, navigated via the up and down arrows on the left side of the LCD.

Each screen displays a maximum of 6 controls, and these options can be entered: menu, disp. guide, tele-macro, exposure, spot focus, fader, spot meter, focus, program AE, LCD brightness, super NightShot, color slow s., digital effect, self-timer, beep, language, white balance and P-menu setup. I did not list these in random order; this is the same order as they appear in the default menu structure. Users may notice that white balance, a commonly used feature, even for the beginner, is buried in the third page in a position that is anything but quick or intuitively reached.

This is where the touch screen system of Sony falls apart. Each menu page offers up a couple of image control options, perhaps a beep noise, maybe a digital effect, and who knows, maybe a fader control. There is no rhyme or reason for this structure. Although it is possible to delete all of the settings and restructure the menu yourself, the requisite combination of being both tech-savvy and trapped on a desert island for eternity seems very unlikely to occur. Why would a fader control be placed on the first page instead of white balance, focus or program AE? Honestly, how many users really find themselves in the midst of shooting only to be overwhelmed by an urge to pull a Metallica and fade to black? And by the way: this menu structure appears as a transparent overlay so that users will have a continuous live view as they navigate through menus, which is great, considering the amount of time that’s going to take.

A second menu structure—which has an entirely different interface—can be entered by pressing the menu button on the first screen displayed when the P-menu is entered. The second menu works as an over-arching structure that covers all of the camcorder areas. This menu displays submenu icons and titles along the left side of the LCD screen, which can be scanned using up and down arrows on the top and bottom of the left side. These controls were a bit undersized for my fingers and I’d sometimes miss or accidentally engage incorrect features when moving through this menu.

If a submenu is selected, a center-positioned second overlay appears in conjunction with the icons on the left side of the LCD. This lets the user scan the entire menu structure so that it isn’t necessary to enter and exit submenus over and over when altering settings. The options available in the overall menu include: record mode, audio mode, LCD/VF set, TV type, USB camera, disp. guide, guide frame, time remaining, remote control, record lamp, beep, display output, menu rotate, auto shut off, clock set, world time, language, program AE, spot meter, exposure, white balance, sharpness, auto shutter, AE shift, spot focus, focus, tele macro, flash set, super night shot, night shot light, color slow s, zebra, self-timer, digital zoom, SteadyShot, progress record, fader, digital effect, picture effect, frame rec., smth int. rec, demo mode and end search. While neither quick nor easy to move through, at least this menu provides all options in one list and in one place.

The zoom control on the HC96 worked with a smooth, steady and consistent pace. It did not provide a huge range of speed variance but was able to shoot cleanly without hiccups and fluctuations, a problem which occurred occasionally with Canon models that have a similar zoom toggle. The HC96 did struggle with auto focus however, and there was frequently a second or two of breathing, or the visual result of the camcorder fluctuating focal distance in an attempt to adjust to new subject depths within the composition. The breathing of the HC96 was visibly noticeable, which is too bad since the touch screen interface made it especially hard to concisely change manual focus settings during shooting.

Zoom (8.0)
Control over zoom is possible through two separate controllers, a raised toggle which functions as the primary controller, and a second set located on the frame of the LCD. The controls on the LCD frame are push-button with one controlling telephoto and one controlling wide angle movement. This pair of controls isn’t overly sensitive but will work perfectly in situations where the cameraman is positioned in front of the camcorder and access to the primary zoom toggle is limited. Note that the zoom toggle on the top of the camcorder overrides the zoom control located beneath the LCD. Also, the LCD-fixed zoom control is capable of only one speed.

The primary zoom control may be comfortably reached with the index finger on the right hand. This zoom toggle is raised and especially sensitive, considering the small size of it. It produced about three distinct  zoom speeds that were steady and didn’t show fluctuation as the depth of image increased or decreased. The sensitive nature of this zoom toggle makes the Sony DCR-HC96 a great option compared to the PV-GS300, which has eliminated the external zoom ring found with last years PV-GS250. Zoom rings are always preferable to toggles, but if a toggle must be used, the HC96’s is the one to go with.

Zoom Power/Ratio (10.0)
The Sony DCR-HC96 allows 10x optical zoom to be engaged in tandem with or without an additional digital zoom setting. Digital zoom is accessed through the camera set menu located within the administrative menu. The digital zoom submenu allows users to select between off, 20x and 120x digital zoom levels. Note that the higher the digital zoom level the lower the image quality; this relationship becomes apparent very quickly even with low levels of digital zoom. Unless degraded video is desired, the digital zoom feature should be avoided.

Focus (4.0)
There are two manual control options for focus, one being a manual focus mode and one being a spot focus mode. The spot focus mode works with varied success. It works well when provided with a simple composition, but it won’t differentiate between two small objects a foot apart in the background of an image.

For finer tuning the user should adjust focus via the manual focus control, which uses a portrait icon for close range and a mountain icon for distance/infinity shots. These controls are displayed on either side of the LCD, and when activated display their appropriate symbol along with a numerical focal depth reading. This is probably the most informative of the manual controls included with the Sony DCR-HC96. Unfortunately, like exposure, the screen for focus is cluttered with menu controls and options which mask a large portion of the viewing surface.

Exposure (Aperture) (4.0)
To access exposure control the user must enter the P or Personal Menu and select the exposure box from the first page of options displayed. The exposure screen displays a sliding scale and auto/manual settings. If the user engages the manual control setting, they can set the exposure level by pressing either the + or – square until proper exposure level is set.

There is unfortunately no numerical measurement to correspond to the setting, and users must eyeball exposure levels on the LCD only, which is preposterous. Also, a touch screen display means that the hand of the user is blocking part or all of the screen when making adjustments. And finally, if using this manual option be prepared to be overwhelmed by seven, yes seven, nearly opaque options that appear simultaneously on one 2.7-inch LCD. It’s a miracle if anyone can actually use this feature to do anything but provide the roughest of exposure settings.

Exposure cannot be adjusted when using the viewfinder since the controls for this menu option, and all menus on the DCR-HC96, are accessed only via the LCD touch screen— another design faux pas for anyone who ever uses a viewfinder.

Shutter Speed (0.0)
There is no manual shutter speed control on the Sony DCR-HC26, an unfortunate omission for the manual control enthusiast. If shutter speed, aperture, gain and other manual controls are wanted in full, it would be best to look at a camcorder like the Panasonic PV-GS500, or any other camcorder in both the MiniDV or DVD lines by Panasonic in 2006. If Panasonic isn’t to your manual control liking, Canon also provides manual control over shutter speed.

White Balance (7.5)
The white balance control produced some initial consternation. It’s here somewhere, but not present in the P-Menu where all other manual control options are provided. Despite further reading of the manual, this mystery remained shrouded. Eventually we solved the riddle. Users must enter the administrative menu and scroll to the Camera Set menu, at which point the user can randomly guess or ask Gandalf whether white balance is contained within.

Seriously—the P-Menu, then the administrative menu, then the Camera Set menu, and then, scroll down until somehow you magically alight upon the white balance menu, which in turn must be entered to access the preset, auto and manual white balance options. Aggravated? Angry? Hostile? All over white balance? Perhaps, but rightfully so. This placement is ludicrous; all other manual controls are automatically displayed in the first menu. There is a way to right this situation, but not surprisingly, it involves yet another string of menu navigations and control alterations. This is surely not a design meant for the auto control user.

To change the placement of the white balance to a section of the menu which can actually be accessed within this century, users must enter the P-menu setup option on the third page for changing menu setup. This submenu displays options for add, delete, sort and reset. Choose add and another menu appears, which allows users to scroll through all the lists and menus on the camcorder and select the feature they wish to add, in this case white balance. Once selected from the menus, the setting is added to the P-menu, and finally white balance may be used with ease.

The control options for the white balance settings on the Sony DCR-HC26 allow the user to select between full auto, indoor, outdoor and one push (manual) white balance. While the indoor and outdoor presets are a little too general for many situations, the one push control worked quickly and easily with advertised “one-push” ease.

Gain (0.0)
Not surprisingly, considering the lack of outright manual control elsewhere on the Sony DCR-HC26, this camcorder has no manual gain control. If this is essential to your shooting, know that any camcorders released by Panasonic provide an impressive gain range that will suit nearly every shooting situation.

Other Manual Control (0.0)
There are no other manual controls included with the Sony DCR-HC96.