Sony DCR-HC20 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by Andrew Alexander
Published on Jan 19, 2004 12:00 AM



Sony has consolidated both the number of camcorders and the physical size of their camcorders in their 2004 model line which was introduced at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The camcorders have a new rounder design, and some upgraded, and some downgraded features. I got a chance to look at the DCR-HC20 on the show floor and make some first impressions about the camcorder, which is certainly targeting a different market than last year's models for Sony.

Video Performance
Being a first impressions review, and given the limited amount of time available for testing the new camcorders, I am unwilling to speculate on the quality of the video performance of this or any of the new camcorders released at CES. Sony has achieved a significant size reduction to the DCR-HC20, producing a product which is 25% smaller than the TRV-19. To accomplish this they have reduced the CCD’s physical size from 1/4 in. to 1/6 in., a 55.5% reduction, but maintained the same pixel counts at 680,000 gross and 340,000 effective.

The advantage of reducing the size of the CCD is allowing a greater travel distance for the lens grouping and a corresponding increase in zoom capability, however Sony didn't translate that into a larger zoom, it has remained the same at 10x. As well, there is a reduction in size and weight, and power consumption. However, the laws of physics dictate that smaller CCD photosites make less sensitive receptors and consequently require more light to achieve the same performance. But Sony may have found better signal processing algorithms to improve the ability to achieve good low-light performance and color reproduction, we can't really make a conclusion about the video quality until we get a DCR-HC20 for testing, which should be soon.

The Front
The front of the DCR-HC20 is simple and uncluttered. Centered at the top of the front of the HC20 is the camcorder lens. Below the lens is the Sony logo and below that is the microphone. Below the microphone is the infrared receiver, which includes a tally light centered at the bottom.

The Right Side
The right side of the DCR-HC20 has changed slightly from the TRV-19. The power-on and mode functions are still controlled through a command dial on this side, but to change between tape, memory stick and playback you rotate the command dial slightly and it springs back to the on position. It is intuitive to operate and works well, as well as reducing the number of button/dial interfaces on the camera, and providing a unit with smoother lines. The nightshot switch is the only other prominent control on the right side, and is either on or off. The DCR-HC20 features an integrated lens cover, the switch being at the front end of the right-hand side, and the data ports are accessible through a cover.

The Back
The design of the DCR-HC20 is relatively the same as the original TRV-19. At the top of the back of the unit is the black and white viewfinder. Directly below the viewfinder is the battery slot. Below the battery slot is the AC Adapter. Towards the top and right of the battery is the record button and the other side of the power dial. Gone are the Focus and Back Light buttons, replaced by touchscreen functions.

The Left Side
The left side represents one of Sony's chief innovations in this new series of camcorders. Sony has obviously done some considerable amount of consumer group testing, as they have included a new ''Easy'' button which puts the camcorder into an automatic mode for simplified recording (more on this later). This is in addition to the original Backlight and Battery Info buttons, which maintain their original functionality. The inside of the LCD screen remains devoid of any functions.

The Top
The DCR-HC20 has been completely revised regarding the top design of the camcorder, with no buttons or features save the cold shoe, photo button and zoom rocker. The zoom rocker is elongated slightly to protrude from the top of the unit and be obvious to the touch. Where the zoom rocker on the TRV-19 had a metallic finish, the DCR-HC20 zoom rocker is a grey plastic, but still durable and rigid enough for extended zooming at a constant speed.
Picture & Manual Control

Automatic Control
The DCR-HC20 delivers the same automatic controls as other camcorders in the Sony MiniDV lineup. The goal of any automatic control system in a camcorder is to make the right decisions regarding shutter speed, aperture size and white balance given a certain set of environmental conditions, such as being indoors versus being outdoors. If the automatic controls are well designed, the camcorder will deliver excellent footage every time. Unfortunately, given the limited recording conditions available, it is impossible to speculate on the camcorders' capability in different challenging situations. A future review will have to examine this performance in greater detail.

Perhaps one of Sony’s better innovations on the new models is the introduction of the ``Easy`` button, which allows the user to turn off advanced functionality in favor of a, well, easier mode of operation. Not only does the camera return to its default setting, the menus are made simpler, with larger text. Clearly Sony is going after a market that has previously been intimidated by camcorders as complicated devices, but is also maintaining its advances in manual control functionality. Of course I wish they had dedicated a button to a manual control function, but realistically this probably appeals to more users, I think it's a good innovation

The only reservation I would have about the Easy button is its proximity. The camcorder may have reduced in size by 25%, but my hands are just as big. If I didn’t want to enter Easy mode, I would be very surprised to do accidentally.

Overall Manual Control
The DCR-HC20 models offer the Spot Focus and Spot Metering functions, which allow you to touch an area of the screen and the camcorder will adjust either the focus or the exposure respectively to the area you touched. The Spot functions are probably the only good thing to come out of the touch screen LCD. They are a nice hybrid between automatic control and manual ctonrol.

Zoom
The zoom capability for the DCR-HC20 has remained the same as the original TRV-19 model at 10x optical. If the units had not been reduced 25% in overall size, we might have seen an increase in zoom capability given the transition to a smaller CCD, but a smaller unit was probably the overall priority for Sony without losing any of the existing capability. The zoom is controlled by a fairly small zoom rocker which is elevated a little above the camcorder. I found it was hard to get variable zoom speeds and hold them with the small zoom control. The zoom control on the DCR-HC20 is pretty good, it gives enough resistance so that you can get variable zoom speeds and hold them.

Focus
The DCR-HC20 does not have a manual focusing ring, rather focus can be controlled in the touchscreen menu by selecting manual focus and adjusting it one way or the other. Focus can be adjusted in small gradations but it is not a precision process. It is safer to assume that it is more useful from the perspective of setting a focus point and turning off automatic focus. But basically, forget about any creative focussing on the fly. The touchscreen menu system also includes the Spot Focus feature. Spot Focus allows you to point on an area of the screen and the camcorder will automatically adjust the focus to that area.

Exposure (Aperture)
All the picture control functions beside zoom on the DCR-HC20 are controlled through the touch screen LCD. The exposure control is controlled by touching the FN (Function) button on the touch screen. That brings up a superimposed menu with a variety of options. After touching the exposure button, you can manually adjust the exposure by hitting the manual button. A plus and a minus button increase or decrease the exposure over 24 steps. You can also adjust the exposure using the Spot Metering function, just like the Spot Focus function.

Shutter Speed
The DCR-HC20 includes no shutter speed controls. Rather shutter speed is controlled automatically depending on various programmed auto exposure modes.

White Balance
The white balance control on the DCR-HC20 models is the standard of Sony MiniDV camcorders. It includes four modes, auto, manual set, indoor and outdoor. This level of control is pretty standard for a consumer camcorder.

Still
The only first impression I can relate regarding stills in this review is that the DCR-HC20 does not have a memory stick port; its stills are recorded to tape. The camcorder allows you to select low or high quality stills, in either 640x480 resolution or 1024x768 resolution.

VCR Mode
All the VCR functions on the DCR-HC20 are controlled through the touch screen LCD. The camcorder superimposes the VCR control buttons on top of the video picture. Gone are the frame shuttle buttons on the top of the camcorder.

LCD / Viewfinder
The LCD screens and viewfinders remain the same on the DCR-HC20 as on the previous TRV19 model; a black and white viewfinder, and a 2.5`` color LCD. On the LCD Sony has included two new buttons, an LCD backlight which allows the user to toggle between high- and low-contrast options for indoor and outdoor viewing, and an additional record button in case the user is using the camcorder two-handed, balancing the unit with their other hand. The user can activate or deactivate recording with either button.

Sony has put a hybrid LCD screen on the DCR-HC20. The hybrid LCD screens which first appeared on MicroMV models and the DCR-PC105 have a reflexive coating which allows them to operate in both direct light (sun light) and in a dark room. Although we couldn't test the LCD in a variety of conditions at CES, the Hybrid LCDs on other Sony camcorders have worked quite well in a variety of conditions.

Handling
At a trade show, the camcorders are locked to posts to prevent you from running away from them, and typically they do not have batteries on them; rather, they are plugged in with DC adapters. Such was the case with the Sony camcorders, and it severely limits the ability to judge the weight distribution on the camcorders. I can comment that the DCR-HC20 does feel good in the hand, the handstrap is easily adjustable, and the controls are all laid out in intuitive locations. That is, if you want to operate the camcorder in automatic mode. In manual control, you have to go through all sorts of touchscreen menus with a menu that does not always respond well to touching and will likely make you shake the camcorder.

Sony is one of the premier companies pushing miniaturization and in the field of camcorders, they are no exception. The DCR-HC20, while being a marvel of technical innovation, almost feels too small. Some users with large hands may feel like their hand engulfs the camcorder. Such was one of the criticism of the MicroMV camcorders and if this line of camcorders gets any smaller, it may become a criticism here. You might have to worry about your hand covering up the lens or the microphone because the camcorder is so small.

Jacks and Ports
The DCR-HC20 includes all the jacks and ports you would want on a consumer camcorder. It has a Firewire in / out, a USB1.0 jack, a Mini RCA AV in / out jack, an S-Video jack, a headphone out jack, microphone in jack, a Control-L / Lanc jack and an accessory shoe. The ports are not integrated onto the camcorder; rather, you must attach a U-type connector which features a series of cables for this purpose. It's a change from last years models which had a Mini RCA jack for the video and left and right audio channels and a dedciated S-Video jack.

Other Features
Battery Info The DCR-HC20 maintains the Battery Info button, which you can press to check the remaining battery time.
Bottom Loading Tape Mechanism This really isn't a feature but it must be mentioned. Tapes are loaded into the DCR-HC20 through the bottom, meaning you have to remove the camcorder from a tripod whenever you want to change tapes.

Analog to Digital Pass Through The DCR-HC20 does not support analog to digital pass-through recording.

USB Streaming Using USB streaming you can use your camcorder as a web cam or for video chatting, and is available on the DCR-HC20.

PicturePackage Software The DCR-HC20 will ship with Sony's new consumer video editing tool PicturePackage. The software is designed to be three step video editing and very easy to use. They have an 'automatic' editing feature based on Muvee Technologies engine, and a slightly more advanced mode, however the software is clearly targeted at consumers.

No-3D Menu Not really a feature, Sony decided to keep the new 3D menu system off the DCR-HC20 which is included on every other 2004 MiniDV model. I feel the 3D menu system is much easier to use than the system on the DCR-HC20, which uses a more 'list-like' and 2D layout.

Night Shot Plus Sony has upgraded the Night Shot system included on the DCR-HC20. The new Night Shot Plus integrates some color into the image, however we couldn't test it at CES because the camcorders were in a well lit room.

Conclusions
The DCR-HC20 represents a change in direction for Sony. They are clearly now targeting beginner consumers. The combinations of small size, easy handycam, included software and spot metering and spot focus will make this camcorder very appealing to many people. However, in the process, they've made what seems like a poorer quality product for users who care about shooting quality video. Manual control options have not changed between the DCR-HC20 and the DCR-TRV19, they have shrunk the CCD which I am almost sure will degrade video quality, and they've consolidated a lot of features. The new night shot plus does seem like a step in the right direction. Although it's not there yet, it's the kind of innovation that we need to see on low light shooting modes to eventually get to a point where Night Shot produces watchable video. The bottom line is the DCR-HC20 is a good camcorder for you if you are clueless about how to use a camcorder, however if you have any experience or will ever want to delve deeper into how to operate your camcorder at it's best, you might want to look at other models. Of course, analysis of the video and low light quality when we get a model for testing could change everything about this camcorder, making it either a great deal or a flop. The DCR-HC20 will be available in February of 2004, with a retail price point of $499.