Sony HDR-HC5E reviews: MiniDV storage Full HD camcorder

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Sony HDR-HC5E reviews: MiniDV storage Full HD camcorder reviews

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This camcorder is a good all rounder.

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9.3 out of 10 based on 3 reviews.

Sony HDR-HC5E: Horizontally held, 10x optical zoom camcorder using Memory Stick Duo card. See full product description

Ease of use	8.7
Image quality	10.0
Battery life	8.7
Weight	9.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.3

Some customer reviews of Sony HDR-HC5E

Most helpful reviews

Shaun, Greenock video editor

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: recording on to DV tape
Bad points:: manual control not easy to get to

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	10.0
Battery life	7.0
Weight	8.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.0

Was this review helpful? 6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 23 Jan 2008

Al, Medway

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: Awesome picture quality. Lightweight and discrete. Great 'B' or 'C' camera for indie film shoots.
Bad points:: Mic input is available as an accessory but no mic level set.

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	10.0
Battery life	9.0
Weight	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

Was this review helpful? 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 16 Jan 2008

Read all 3 customer reviews

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Product Features

Resolution quality	Full HD
Resolution quality can be standard definition (SD), High Defintion (HD) or Full High Definition (HD). SD camcorders will have 480 horizontal lines of resolution whereas HD camcorders can have up to 1080. The more lines of resolution you have, the sharper your video will look. Full HD refers to camcorders that record in 1920 × 1080 resolution.
3D	No

Optical zoom ratio	10
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Media format	MiniDV
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Connections	USB

Connections	Firewire

Type of memory card	Memory Stick Duo

Shape of camcorder	Horizontally held

Digital zoom ratio	80
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Type of image stabiliser	Electronic
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Widescreen recording	Yes
Resolution (Megapixels)	2.1

Shortest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/425
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Weight (g)	530
The weight of the product in grams.
Screen size (Inches)	2.7
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Maximum aperture telephoto	2.9
Maximum aperture wide	1.8

Lowest focal length (Millimetres)	50.5

Highest focal length (Millimetres)	594

Type of chip	CMOS

Release date	2007-03-02
The date the product was originally made available for purchase.

Also known as: Sony HDRHC5E, Sony Handycam, Sony HD, Sony HDR HC5E

Camcorders Buying Guide

Manufacturer's Description

The handy size and lightweight HDV1080i High Definition Handycam® with ClearVid CMOS Sensor, Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* lens and a HDMI connection. It now comes with i.LINK cable to be editing-ready.

HDV 1080i Format
Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T*
ClearVid CMOS Sensor for optimum image quality
x.v.Colour mode for more vivid, lively and true colour
HDV editing package supplied: i.LINK cable/ HDV editing software
STAMINA up to 7 hours 20 minutes (with optional battery)
4 Megapixel still image recording and 2 Megapixel Dual Rec while recording movies
10x optical zoom / 80x digital zoom
Super SteadyShot
Enhanced Imaging Processor
2.7" Wide, “Clear Photo LCD plus” screen with touch panel
Wide Colour Viewfinder
HDMI output for HD ready TV
i.LINK input / output for HDV and DV
USB 2.0 (Full-speed)
HDV / DV recording switchability
Smooth Slow Rec mode for advanced slow motion footage
Usage Guide function on LCD screen
Battery Info
Auto Lens Cover

More info at Sony's website

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