I almost purchased the 42 instead of the 32, but after checking them out at the store I decided on the 32. The Samsung 353 was also in the running but one look in the store and I knew Sony was the way to go. I am glad I decided on the 32 because the only real difference was the CCD, which is 340k instead of 680k effective. It turns out the 32 does such a good job with the 340k I can't tell the difference, and for $150 less. The other only real difference is the color viewfinder on the 42, but who uses a viewfinder anymore. It doesn't come with a firewire (iLink) cable so be prepared to purchase one, especially if you have a mac. I am happy with our choice and look forward to many edited videos to share with the family.
The video looks great. Colors appear very accurate and bright. I just turn on the camera and it does all the work. I don't mess with manual features much. If you do, this is probably not the best choice of cameras.
The management of the battery is uniquely good with Sony camcorders. You get a constant rundown of how many minutes of battery life you have left that is pretty accurate. The optional extended batteries are expensive, but provide amazing battery life. Even the small battery that ships with the camcorder gives me over an hour of use.
The camcorder is very small yet is still comfortable to hold.
The LCD screen is top notch.
The Analog to Digital Passthrough works great. I converted a 2 hour tape to my Mac with no problems. The audio and video remained in sync for all two hours.
I cannot hear any camera noises on the tape. Some people complain about the built in microphones picking up camcorder noises on these little camcorders. I looked for it and did not hear any, even after transferring video to my computer.
Some other thoughts on the camcorder.
The touch menu system is not so bad, easier than most other camera menu systems. The only problem is that certain options go away when you are not in the correct mode.
The camera does fine with low light until it is dark enough to want lights on in the room. The night shot really goofs up the colors (like a poorly colorized movie). My old Hi8 camcorder actually does better when it gets dark out (I guess this is not surprising since the CCD is bigger yet it has less pixels).
The docking station is fine if you only connect the camera to one TV or device. If you need to move it around, then I would perfer not to deal with it but this is a pretty minor detail.
The camera is a bit expensive and accessories are even more expensive. The Canon ZR-200 is very similar in capabilities (not sure if the video quality is as good) and a good bit less expensive. I borrowed a friends ZR-85 and thought the video qualitiy was not as good especially in less than ideal lighting. I think Canon improved the low light video for the ZR-200's however.
Buy Sony DCR-HC32 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom Now
Just an FYI for some of the previous reviewers: the problem of CCD failure that affected earlier versions of this Sony camcorder line is not an issue in the 2005 models. For complete information on the Sony CCD problem, see;http://www.imaging-resource.com/badccds.html
Functionally, this is a great camcorder for the price. The ergonomics are particularly nice very comfortable and easy to use. Good low light performance. Just wish it had a colour viewfinder and that Sony had included a small Memory Stick.
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This is a very good camera for the price range. I have always had good luck with Sony products, unlike some of the reviewers here. The resolution of the viewer window and the image quality itself is more than what I would expect from a camera in this price range.... it's pretty decent. For what most people use DV cams for, this is camera doesn't suck at all.I like how tiny it is. It doesn't go much past the palm of my hand when I'm holding it. Also it was very easy to figure out just by exploring the menu on the touch pad. Color graphics & icons on the menus add a nice touch. A beginner could start filming very soon after opening the box, I think. The camera feels sturdy in my hand, I mean I don't feel like the viewer window is going to break off when it's open or that I could easily break the buttons with normal use.
As others have mentioned, you have to buy a 4 to 6 firewire if you have a mac because the iLink cable that comes with it is a S-video input for TVs. Also the battery that comes with it is the 30 minute battery but I would have bought an extra one anyway because you never want to wait around while your only battery is charging. The software CD is a do-it-yourself install, at least for Mac. It might not be for PC. I'm used to being guided through the installation process... (since at least the early 90's!) but I had to drag the folder to my hard drive my darn self. A minor thing but I would have expected more from a major company like Sony.
But the reason I give it a 4 star rating instead of 5 is because the firewire goes into the base, not the camera so you cannot have the camera on a tripod while it's connected to your machine. I realize this will not be a big problem for very many people but since I do stop-motion animation and use frame grabbing software, I need to have it connected to firewire and on a tripod in while I'm working. I almost returned the camera when I discovered this but instead I hot glued velcro to the bottom of the base and to my tripod adaptor so I could have the firewire plugged in and attached to the tripod....kinda ghetto. I figure it was worth it though since I got such a good camera for the price (I paid $299 on sale for it.)
If you're looking for a decent but cheap camera I would recommend either this one or the hc42 if you want to shoot in widescreen.
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I love this camcorder it has a great resolution video and easy to use,the only thing is that mac users have to buy the iLink cable 4pin to 6pin.
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