Sony HDR-HC1 HDV Camcorder Reviewby Robin LissPublished on Jun 29, 2005 1:30 PM 
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Audio (7.0)
Using the audio capabilities of the HDR-HC1 (Specs, $2295) is like a nice trip down "Camcorder Memory Lane;" back when HDV camcorders didn’t exist, when mid-range DVD cost over $1,000, and when Sony camcorders were considered the best for manual control, including audio options.
To start, the HDR-HC1 has a microphone input. No, you aren’t imagining it: the camcorder really does have a shiny, 1/8 in. hole, covered with a small piece of rubber where you can plug in a microphone. Good job Sony, good job Sony, good job Sony. I feel like I need to repeat it to make up for all the times in the past year that we’ve blasted them here, in newspapers, and on TV for not putting microphone inputs on their consumer models. I’ll say it again, thank you Sony. Whatever Sony camcorder exec was stubborn enough to demand a microphone input, he or she is my hero. The microphone input is located nicely right under the lens barrel on the right side, above the headphone out jack (props for that too). It’s recessed inwards by about 3/8 of an inch. Its recessed position has an added bonus of tucking the plug portion of a microphone’s cable in a bit, so you don’t have it protruding as much from the camcorder’s side.
Next stop on our little nostalgia trip is manual audio level control. Using the touch screen, you can set the audio level of either the HDR-HC1’s on-camera microphone or an externally connected microphone. When you adjust the microphone level, the camcorder displays a dual channel audio monitor; however, you can only adjust the overall audio level, not the left and right sides independently. The camcorder gives you 32 steps of audio levels. Even cooler, when you manually set the audio levels, the HDR-HC1 displays a two-channel audio level monitor in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. The camcorder also offers manual volume control of the audio out with the volume lever during playback/VCR mode. This is more convenient than fiddling in the touchscreen for a volume control.The on-board microphones on the HDR-HC1 are neatly placed on the sides of the lens barrel, apart from each other. In our informal testing, the audio was above average, producing less general noise, though, as always, you should really just rely on an external microphone.
The HDR-HC1 allows you to do audio dubbing in SP mode. Additionally, the camcorder includes a neat "Audio Mix" feature which allows you to change the mix of the audio from the original tape audio to the newly recorded audio. Another small audio add-on is the ability to customize playback for stereo and multi-channel situations. There is an option to select if to playback on just the left channel or the right channel. Like any other camcorder in MiniDV mode, you can't use 16 bit audio if you want to do dubbing however but must make your initial recording in 12 bit.
There is one major downside to the audio options on the HDR-HC1, which is why it didn’t score higher. There is no easy way to connect a non-Sony microphone to the camcorder body itself. While the microphone input will allow you to bring in an audio signal, since the accessory shoe is Sony’s proprietary intelligent accessory shoe, there is no way to physically lock down a mic. Now don’t get me wrong, I’d rather have a microphone input with no included way to attach the microphone than no mic input at all, but I really wish Sony would have bucked their proprietary camcorder trend of late to include a standard sized accessory shoe.
However, this flaw really shouldn’t deter you from still liking the audio options on the HDR-HC1. There are many alternatives to this shoe handicap. Many third party manufacturers make shoe braces which attach to the camcorder’s tripod mount and adds a standard accessory shoe. Of course, if you are using a lav microphone this shouldn’t be a problem, because the mic is attached to your subject and not your camcorder. In addition, if you’re using a wireless system your wireless system more than likely can be attached to the camcorder’s strap using a clip or simply using Velcro. The shoe handicap is only going to become a problem when you attempt to use a shotgun microphone. For a small compact camcorder, an extra bracket will be a nuisance but the only way to mount standard microphones.If I hadn’t been deprived of any viable audio options from Sony for this past year, I probably wouldn’t be in love with the audio options on the HDR-HC1, which are good with minor flaws. However, the HDR-HC1 is a welcome relief in the audio category.
VCR Mode (9.0)
VCR Mode on the HDR-HC1 is similar to every other Sony camcorder, offering playback control through the touch screen. In addition the VCR mode functions as the still image playback function. The VCR controls are small and work fine, so they don’t cover up too much of the screen area. Other VCR functions include an easy to use analog to digital pass-through (something that is a bit difficult on other camcorders), a slow motion playback option, and the ability to playback HDV video in either DV or HDV.
Ports (8.0)
The Sony HDR-HC1 does pretty well in the ports and jacks section, certainly better than all the other consumer Sony camcorders below it, but not quite as well as its big brother, the HDR-FX1. The camcorder includes a FireWire jack for transferring either DV video or HDV video, a component video out to hook the camcorder into HD compatible equipment, an RCA video jack for hooking the camcorder up to regular DV equipment, an S-Video jack, a Microphone in, Headphone out, Control-L / LANC Jack, and Sony's "intelligent" accessory shoe. I like the connectivity options on the HDR-HC1, especially the fact that it includes a Microphone in jack. My one complaint is with the "intelligent" accessory shoe. I really wish they'd put a real accessory shoe on the camcorder, not Sony's useless proprietary system.
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