Sony HDR-HC5 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Nov 28, 2007 8:52 AM
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Comparison
Sony HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56)
A $300 price gap separates the HDR-HC5 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $999.99) and its top of the line general, the HDR-HC7 ($1299.99 MSRP). So, what constitutes that trio of Benjamins? For one, the HDR-HC7 is equipped with a slightly larger 1/2.9” CMOS chip while the HDR-HC5 sports a 1/3-inch chip. Both camcorders produce a vibrant, sharp image in bright light, but the HDR-HC7 holds its own in terms of sharpness, due to the increased pixel count. The low light performances between each camcorder were close, with a slight edge by the HDR-HC5. However, the higher sensitivity score of the HC7 skewed final Low Light Performance score in the HC7’s direction. The HDR-HC7 also includes a handy Cam Control dial, which eliminates the need to wade through the preposterously extensive touch screen menu for certain key manual adjustments. Aside from those two major differences, the HDR-HC7 features Mic and Headphone jacks. It’s obvious that the HDR-HC7 was designed for the more advanced shooters while the HDR-HC5 is geared toward Easy moders. Figure out which one you are before heading to the store—it could save you 300 smackers.
Canon HV20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903)
Pinning any camcorder against the venerable Canon HV20 ($999.00 MSRP) is tough competition. You’ve heard us raving about the HV20 all year. No one can touch its image quality. The HV20 also includes Mic and Headphone jacks, a rear-mounted joystick, a competitive suite of manual controls, and a Cam Control dial that is identical to the HDR-HC7’s. The HV20’s only flaws are derived from its cheap construction and wonky handling. The HDR-HC5 has a sturdier body, but it can’t coast on its trademark ease of use. Canon camcorders are, by and large, just as simple as Sonys. The winner is the HV20 by a large margin.
Sony HDR-SR5
We haven’t tested the HDR-SR5 ($999.99 MSRP), but it’s essentially the AVCHD version of the HDR-HC5. Both camcorders feature the same 1/3-inch, 2,100,00 pixel CMOS chip, hot shoe, and touch screen controls. The HDR-SR5 utilizes the Home menu structure, ships with a docking station, and can hold hours more footage on its 30GB HDD. The HDR-SR5 will suffer with its lower maximum bitrate and noisy AVCHD compression. In addition, good luck working with its footage unless you have a super computer. Yes, hard drive camcorders are newer and shinier than tape, but the HC5’s tape-based HDV compression is high quality and much easier for post-production.
JVC GZ-HD3 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $642.00)
JVC’s little HDD monster, the GZ-HD3 ($1300.00 MSRP) has all the makings of a legend, but no follow through. The GZ-HD3 is equipped with three 1/5-inch CCDs, each with a gross pixel count of 570,000. In bright and low light, compression artifacting was a problem. We’d take the HDR-HC5’s HDV compression over JVC’s MPEG-2 Transport Stream any day. Transferring files to a computer is a total pain, as well. The GZ-HD3 does handle like a champ and includes a video light, Mic jack, and Focus Assist button. The GZ-HD3’s manual controls and LCD-mounted joystick are also superior to the HDR-HC5’s touch screen interface. In the end, you’ll probably get more enjoyment out of the Sony HDR-HC5, given the ease of use and video quality.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters
Beginners who pine for the greatness of the HDR-HC7, yet are not ready to breach the borders of advanced manual control, will find solace in the HDR-HC5’s touch screen LCD and Easy button.
Budget Consumers
$1000 is out of the ballpark, but for high definition, it’s about as low as they come. Keep in mind that our Camcorder of the Year, the Canon HV20, flaunts an identical price tag and oodles of additional features.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
The HDR-HC5 offers a decent still set including a flash, however the HDR-HC7 and Canon HV20 can snap larger stills and feature additional goodies.
Gadget Freaks
With no Cam Control dial, cutting edge media, or additional bells and whistles, the HDR-HC5 is just a watered down consumer toy in the mind of the average geek.
Manual Control Freaks
The HDR-HC5 is well-equipped with manual controls, yet it doesn’t offer shutter speed. In its place is Auto Slow shutter, which is halfway there. Manual control freaks will most likely opt for the HDR-HC7 with its Cam Control dial.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists
The HDR-HC5’s low light performance will most likely deter the pro looking for a highly portable alternative to a shoulder mount.
Conclusion
The Sony HDR-HC5 is an excellent HD camcorder. Available for well below the price of the top-of-the-line HDR-HC7, the HC5 aims more at the point-and-shoot crowd. Lacking the HC7’s “Cam Control Dial” for manual adjustments, the HC5 relies solely on touch screen interface. True, Sony has packed a lot of features into the HC5, but accessing them can be a chore. Many users may never bother, settling for the camcorder’s superior automatic controls.
Sony has struck an interesting trend with their HDV line. In 2005 it premiered its first truly consumer HD model, the HDR-HC1 (Specs, $2295), one of the best under-$2,000 camcorders in history. Sony followed up in 2006 with the HDR-HC3 (Review, Specs, $969.99), which was in essence a cheaper, downgraded HC1 stripped of its best features. This year, Sony forked into a higher-end/lower-end scheme with the HDR-HC7 and HDR-HC5. Most new development has gone into the high-end model. There is little difference internally between the HDR-HC3 and HDR-HC5, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Video performance is very good, with low light results that rival the best of the year. Handling and menu interface are dead simple, limiting the intimidation factor for beginners. Advanced users will find a surprisingly extensive set of manual controls, though it still lacks “core” controls like aperture and shutter speed. The manual focus control is flat-out poor. In light of these and other omissions (like the touch screen-interface only), the HC5 is not the best choice for power users, but general shooters who can afford HD should check out the HDR-HC5. The Canon HV20 continues to offer the best overall video quality and great ease of use, but the Sony name recognition will hold a lot of sway.
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