Sony DCR-HC96 Camcorder Reviewby James MurrayPublished on Mar 10, 2006 2:15 PM
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The Carl Zeiss lens is in the upper left corner on the front of the Sony DCR-HC26 and provides 10x optical zoom with a 30mm diameter lens and a focal length of 40.6 to 406 mm. The in-camera flash is located to the right of the lens and is positioned so that conversion lenses will easily block and distort flash coverage. It will also provide an unflattering lighting effect, due to the position of the flash to the side of the lens.
The infrared port is located beneath the flash, and while it is not visible to the user, it is essential to the proper functioning of the NightShot feature. Remember not to cover it when bracing the camcorder. It is also important to note that a conversion lens will block this feature and its functionality, so the removal of conversion lenses is essential before shooting with any mode engaging the IR port.
The in-camera stereo microphone is directly beneath the IR port, off center from the lens. To the left of the microphone is a small LED light which blinks red if the battery is low. Watch out for this feature if you’re filming a serial killer from a secret cave, Nancy Drew style. Hey, I’m not saying it’ll happen, but I mention it just in case.
The Right Side (5.5)
The tape compartment is the primary feature on the right side of the camcorder and can be opened by a tab on the top of the DCR-HC26. A slightly textured surface spans the right side, which helps when palms are sweaty or damp conditions are encountered.
A vertical port cover is between the front edge of the tape compartment and the front face of the camcorder. This port cover has a tab on its back top edge and is easily popped open to reveal the two ports beneath, a LANC and A/V out port, comfortably spaced. That being said, nearly two-thirds of the space under the cover is left unused and could be put to better use. Four small hinges are placed at the base of the port cover and connect the front edge to the camcorder. They appear to be durable and flexible.
Below the cover is an eyelet for the right-hand strap, which horizontally spans the length of the DCR-HC96 camcorder body. The strap is wide and well padded, unlike those on Panasonic’s lower priced MiniDV camcorders, which allow the camcorder to flop and shift if not being held with a death grip. The right-hand strap is adjustable and can comfortably fit a wide breadth of hand sizes and widths.
The only other features on the right side are three labels which correspond to LED lights located on the back of the camcorder. These labels are painted on and are likely to rub off over time with continual use.
The Back (7.5)
The electronic color viewfinder is located in the upper left corner of the back face. This electronic color viewfinder can extend from the camcorder body approximately half an inch, far enough to allow clearance of the battery pack beneath. We like that the viewfinder can extend outwards because in the attempt to make more compact camcorders this feature seems to be disappearing.
On the right side of the viewfinder is the focal field adjustment dial, textured and easy to engage. The actual eyecup surrounding the viewfinder is an uncomfortably hard plastic similar to that found on the right side of the camcorder. While certainly tolerable for quick viewfinder use, the hard plastic will become intolerable during extended shooting.
The battery pack is located beneath and slightly to the right of the viewfinder, in the center of the camcorder. The battery pack has a release control directly above it and parallel to the bottom edge of the viewfinder. Running vertically alongside the left side of the battery pack is a Flash control and a NightShot control. Between these two controls is an LED which indicates flash state and NightShot state. The DC in port is covered by a rubber port cover and is located at the base of the camcorder, directly to the right of the battery pack. Manufacturers will often place DC in ports in the cavity of the battery, a design which necessitates the user breaking continuity of shot since the camcorder must be turned off and back on when switching from battery to wall power. By placing the DC in port outside the battery pack cavity, it is possible to switch power sources while recording.
Above the DC in port and beside the top edge of the battery pack is the record start/stop button, easily reachable by the thumb of the right hand. Three LED lights are located directly above this control and inform users as to whether the camcorder is in tape, memory stick or play/edit modes. The labels for these LEDs are located on the right side of the camcorder.
The mode dial is to the right of the electronic color viewfinder and is a polished silver with textured sides. The mode dial is simple to activate and can be easily switched between tape, memory and play/edit modes by pivoting the dial to the mode settings section of this control.
The Left Side (8.0)
The left side of the Sony DCR-HC96 features a well sized 2.7-inch LCD screen, which flips open from either the back or bottom edge of the monitor frame. The open LCD monitor may be rotated 270 degrees, doesn’t suffer from solarization and displays legible images from a variety of viewing positions.
There are four controls on the frame of the LCD beneath the screen. They allow secondary control over rec start/stop, wide angle, telephoto and wide select options. Though tapping buttons on a frame does often cause the camcorder to shake when shooting from behind the camcorder, these features come in handy when shooting from in front of it when the screen is flipped and the controls on the back of the camcorder are inaccessible. The LCD screen is connected via a strong hinge which showed only a slight amount of movement when placed under pressure.
In the cavity masked by the LCD screen are three features of note for the DCR-HC96. The in-camcorder speaker is located towards the front of the camcorder with the reset button for the camcorder located directly above. The reset button is set into the body of the camcorder some and shouldn’t ever be accidentally engaged. The proprietary Sony MemoryStick Duo Pro slot is located at the back of the camcorder in the LCD cavity as well, and is left uncovered so that users must merely slide the stick into the camcorder body to begin recording to memory stick.
Above the LCD on the body of the camcorder are three controls, aligned parallel to the top edge of the LCD in a horizontal arrangement. These controls engage the Back Light, Display/Battery Info, and Easy mode settings for the Sony DCR-HC96. The easy mode control has a blue LED embedded in it for easy and immediate identification.
The Top (8.0)
The open/eject tab is located on the right side of the top face of the DCR-HC26. This control easily slides backward to allow the top-loading MiniDV compartment to open. By having a top-loading compartment the HC96 can provide access to this feature even when it is securely affixed to a tripod. This is especially helpful if the user is switching tapes but needs to maintain an accurate frame from one tape to the next.
A scalloped ridge runs along the edge which separates the top and right side of the camcorder. It provides a surprising amount of hold and enhanced grip when steadying a shot. This edge leads to the back of the camcorder, where the user will find the rocker-styled zoom control, easily accessed and manipulated with the index finger of the user’s right hand. This zoom toggle was sensitive and provided a wide range of speed levels with relative ease.
And finally, the Photo button for still shots is located directly behind the zoom toggle and may also be reached with the index finger of the right hand. To the left of these controls and directly in front of the electronic color viewfinder is a proprietary hot shoe which is covered by a port cover attached flimsily to the back edge. Although hot shoes are great, the use of a proprietary hot shoe that limits the use of video lights, flashes and microphones to Sony brand products only is not.
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