Sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

This is a great little camcorder. I purchased it to replace a 9 year old Sony Digital8 camcorder. I did not want a hard drive, or DVD. The picture quality is great, far exceding my old top of the line Digital8. It is small, easy to use, and so light. It will be easy to take on trips, which is really the reason I bought it..the 8mm camera, which by the way still works like its brand new, is just a little too big to carry around on vacation. I like the touch screen menus, which my 8mm does not have. And once again, the picture quality is awesome, which for me is all it really comes down to. The only thing I use this camera for is recording my kids as they grow up, I am not a video professional.

I used this twice and already broke. I get that its an old camera. But would of expected a little better quality. Oh well lesson learned.

The overall positive reviews on this mini-dvd camera are warranted. This is a great little camera for the money that produces some very good video. I have a Panasonic DVX100B, and I initially purchased this camera as a low cost video deck alternative, so I wouldn't wear out the motor on the DVX while downloading video footage into my computer...and this camera serves that purpose very well. But, I found that this camera is just a fun overall camera to have just to shoot video on the run without the need to set up a bunch of other equipment.I highly recommend this camera.

I love the picture quality. i love that you can transfer videos if you have 1394 cable and card... but what if you don't have either one.. I would have been happier if they supplied the 1394 cable with the camcorder... The biggest advantage of the the mini-DV ... you are not dependent on a hard drive (which for all it's convenience is still a less reliable media when compared to a DV tape or DVD. The picture quality is very good.. I had a DCR HC20.. was very happy with it.. got the DCR hc52.. it had more zoom.. but they completely eliminated the USB.. which was kind of Bizarre.. but it's Sony and they like to be proprietary retained the firewire.. Would have loved it even more if they could find a way to attach a flash.. but I knew about these minor drawbacks even before I bought... and went ahead all the same 'cos i loved the picture quality with my dcrhc 20.. so far the hc52 has been as good as anticipated

We have had the camera for a month now, and have been extremely happy with it so far.a) the quality of the images are excellentb) the ease of use is excellentc) the compactness of the camera is excellentd) the battery life is excellent.e) the auto focus and auto exposure has been very goode) The LCD panel is excellent, and is still quite satisfactory in bright light.The only negative is that the optical view finder is very poor, and too small to use. However, this really has not been an issue at all, since the LCD panel does not seem to be a drain on the battery, and has been usefully visible under all light conditions.

I bought this product to replace one of the first Sony Digital8 Camcorders that ever went on the market (DCR-TRV510). I've had that camera for 9+ years and have loved it. I bought this camera because because the reviews were decent, the price was good, and I like Sony products. I've had the camera about two months now and I'm very disappointed with the color of the videos. They are very dark compared to what they should be.My most recent project was filming a basketball game where I had four different Sony digital camcorders in use on the same court (I film a complete game once a year). The other three Sony camcorders (all older, different models) produced far better color than this one. The colors produced by this camera are, quite simply, terrible. The one caveat to that is outside on a bright, sunny day will produce a rich color saturation. Other than that, though, you're out of luck.I originally thought it was maybe just my camera, but another reviewer also talks about bad color saturation in his review, so I guess it is product wide problem. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

If you have never had access to Super NightShot, hold on to your britches. It's amazing in the extreme. Sony has all but stopped making night shot cameras due in part I hear from people misusing it when photographing people in swimsuits and light colored clothing. Well, too bad for us. Sorry people don't have commonsense, but there you have it.Now on to the SuperNightShot. This is maximum stealth technology. Great for parties, wildlife and dimly lit social scenes where your high priced video camera dies out. You say, will it's all green and everything... wrong again rookie. You can restore near perfect flesh tones and other colors in Sony editing softrware like Vegas Pro.Super NightShot is not the same as Nightshot..... It's a million times BETTER.

Sold without cables or required docking station, which makes it useless. DO NOT BUY.