Sony to Announce Lower Priced HDV Camcorder HC3

by David Kender

Published on Jan 26, 2006 12:00 PM
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BREAKING NEWS
January 26, 2006  – A manual for the European version of the HDR-HC3 camcorder, a lower-end follow-up to the popular high definition (HD) HCR-HC1, has been released on the Internet. The existence of the camcorder has been confirmed by a source close to Sony. That source stated that the camcorder will be announced in the next few months. Sony has refused to offer any official confirmation of the new product or indicate whether or not the release manual is accurate. Among the HC3’s features are the ability to record 1080i HD quality video, a 1/3” CMOS sensor, a 2,103,000 gross pixel count, and a 10x optical zoom.

It is unclear if the HDR-HC3 is a replacement for the HDR-HC1 or meant to complement it in the line. It is lighter and has many features taken away including the mic jack and  zoom ring, according to the released manual. The HDR-HC3, the manual states, will use a Carl Zeiss-Sonnar T* lens, with a 30mm filter diameter with 10x optical and 80x digital zoom, a focal length of 5.1 – 51mm, with a 35mm equivalent of 41.3mm – 485mm in 16:9 aspect ratio, and 50.5 – 594mm in 4:3 aspect ratio.



The above picture was provided by a user on SonyHDVInfo.com and is not confirmed to be the camera.

 

Sony has clearly been busy with CMOS technology. The DCR-DVD505 (Review, Specs, $664), which premiered at CES earlier this month, featured their new ClearVID CMOS sensor. The HDR-HC3 also offers a 1/3” CMOS, though there is no indication if it too uses ClearVID technology. ClearVID tilts all the sensor’s pixels at a 45 degree angle, thereby improving picture quality. It also boosts the green pixel count, which is the color which the human eye perceives with the most detail.

The HDR-HC3’s CMOS is confirmed to produce a gross pixel count of 2,103,000; a 1,076,000 effective pixel count in 4:3 mode; a 1,434,000 effective pixel count in 16:9 mode; a 1,991,000 effective pixel count in 4:3 still mode; and a 1,493,000 effective pixel count in 16:9 still mode.


The multi-purpose “CAM CTRL” ring around the lens is certainly one of the most exciting features on this model. The HDR-HC1 had a similar feature, but offered only zoom and focus control. The new HDR-HC3 ring does not allow for zooming, but does offer additional control over exposure, automatic exposure (AE) shift, and white balance shift. Switching functions is performed by using a button and toggle switch located on the left side of the lens barrel. The exposure adjustment is, unfortunately, the same method that Sony uses for most of their camcorders – a scale with a plus sign on one end and a minus sign on the other. AE shift has a similar scale, and works in a manner similar to aperture priority. While it does not measure the aperture in F-stops, shifting the AE should function by changing the aperture size while locking the exposure, thereby allowing for depth of field control. White balance shifting uses the same plus and minus scale, moving across the Kelvin scale from cooler to warmer tones.


All of the LCD screens shown in the manual are displayed above.

Other manual controls include sharpness control and color intensity, both of which also use the plus and minus scale. We are extremely disappointed to report that the HC3 will not offer manual shutter speed control. It does have an Auto Shutter Program, which allows for better automatic adjustment in bright light conditions.

The featured automatic controls are largely the same as the HDR-HC1: color slow shutter, zebra patterns, and a histogram. Sony will also outfit the HC3 with Spot Focus and Spot Metering. Program modes are in line with the standard Sony set: Auto, Spotlight, Portrait, Beach and Ski, Sunset and Moon, and Landscape.

 Features HDR-HC1  HDR-HC3 
Image Sensor Type 1 Chip CMOS 1 Chip CMOS 
CCD Size  1/3  1/3
Gross Pixel Count   2,969,000  2,103,000
Effective Pixel 4:3   1,490,000  1,076,000
Effective Pixel 16:9  1,980,000  1,434,000
Max Still Resolution (4:3)  1920x1440  2304x1728
Max Still Resolution (16:9)   1920 x 1080  2304x1296
Focal Length Minimum   5.10 mm 5.1 mm 
Focal Length Maximum  51.00 mm   51.00 mm
F-stop Minimum  F1.8  F1.8
F-stop Maximum  F2.1  F2.9
Optical Zoom   10x  10X
Ports    USB, LANC, HDV/DV, A/V Out, Hot Accessory Shoe, Analog Mic-In, Headphones-Out, Component-Out USB, LANC, HDV/DV, HDMI-Out, A/V Out, Hot Accessory Shoe, Component-Out 
LCD Size  2.7 inches  2.7 inches
LCD Resolution  123, 200 pixels  211,200 pixels
Hot Shoe  Yes  Yes
Body Size   71 mm x 94 mm x 188 mm  78 mm x 87 mm x 139 mm
External Ring Control  Zoom and Focus  Focus, Exposure, AE Shift, and White Balance

Sony refused to comment on the leaked manual; however, the manual resembles other ones released by the company on other camcorders. The source close to Sony was unsure if the manual is correct; however, they confirmed the general specs and the existence of the camcorder. It should also be stressed that the released manual was for the European version, and how that differs from a US version is unknown. No information about the model's pricing has been found or released.

While there are a number of ports and jacks, the HC3 does not appear to offer analog to digital pass-through or conversion. The manual states that there is an A/V out port located on the rear of the body. Also found there is a component-out jack. On the left side, in the LCD cavity, are a MemoryStick Duo slot and USB. In the front of the body are ports for HDMI-out, DV (i.Link), and LANC. There is a hot accessory shoe on top of the HC3's body. All ports are shown in the pictures below.

A remarkable new feature is the HC3's removable viewfinder. Above, see the animated GIF for how to remove and clean it.