Sony DCR-HC96 First Impressions Camcorder Review

Automatic Control
The DCR-HC96 features the same top-notch Sony automatic controls found on last year’s DCR-HC90. How can we stop praising Sony’s automatic controls? They are the best, and considering Sony’s apparent push away from the MiniDV media, we can expect these automatic controls as a staple on all future Sony camcorders, offering good, smooth, easy adjustments for the consumer who doesn’t have to buy the top of the line and doesn’t really care to adjust much of anything.

The DCR-HC96 features, like its predecessor, Sony’s Easy mode, accessible through a button located on the left side of the camcorder.

Overall Manual Control
We’ve always had issues with the manual controls on MiniDV Sony camcorders. Sony cams have always been comparable in price and imager to the top of the line Panasonic, Canon, and JVC consumer camcorders, but have notoriously offered less manual control. What manual control they had was located within a cumbersome touch screen menu system that rendered them virtually useless.

However, now that Sony has made the move away from tape-based media, virtually doing nothing to last year’s MiniDV models, their lack of manual control is less of a problem. When a camcorder isn’t marketed as a machine for the serious consumer, our expectations can slacken. I say we should concentrate on the problems with the DCR-DVD505 and DCR-SR100, both of which are similarly lacking in manual control. But even so, there still aren’t any good editing solutions for DVD and hard disc, meaning that this MiniDV cam is as professional as it gets. And in that light, its lack of manual control is a disappointment.

The camcorder does include Sony’s common Spot Metering and Spot Focusing features.

Zoom
The DCR-HC96 features a 10x optical zoom, less than the camcorder immediately inferior to it, the DCR-HC46 (which provides 12x optical). This is a trend we see a lot, and we’re not sure what to make of it. Well, aside from the fact that it doesn’t make sense and should be stopped. That said, the actual zoom toggle featured on the DCR-HC96, and on nearly all the new Sonys this year, is welcomed as extremely easy and smooth to use. 

Focus
Manual focus on the DCR-HC96 is the same as last year, and is accessible in the camcorder’s touch screen menu system. Unfortunately, this is where the lack of quality manual controls and the cumbersome nature of the touch screen menu of Sonys comes to a head. The user must enter the touch screen system, find the focus adjuster, and then tap the cursor along a horizontal meter representing the focus field, as focus adjusts. At least they include some numbers to give you some idea of focal length.

Exposure (Aperture)
Though perhaps less of a problem to adjust than manual focus, manual exposure is still sub-par on the DCR-HC96, and no improvements have been made since last year either. Like focus, exposure is adjusted within the touch screen menu system and along a horizontal meter. However, instead of showing some digits as focus does, exposure shows us—guess what—nothing. No F-stops, no shutter speeds, nothing. The exposure shifts are in EV stops, but their increments and value are not displayed.

Shutter Speed
There is no manual shutter speed adjustment on the DCR-HC96.

White Balance
Standard white balance options are available on the DCR-HC96. They are located within the camcorder’s touch screen menu system, but perhaps suffer even less than exposure because of it. Options include: Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and One Push (manual). Indoor and Outdoor are limited automatic modes.

Gain
There is no manual gain on the DCR-HC96.