Customer Rating: 
Summary: This Sony camcorder gives great high definition video for an affordable price
Comment: This Sony hi-def camcorder (filming in 1080i) provides a lot of value for the price. The key to "home movies" is always going to be the quality of the media on which you are putting your recording, and on to that end, this camcorder delivers very, very well for a relatively inexpensive price.
I bought it for about $1,000 in NYC in March 2007 just before a family trip that was to include the Grand Canyon. When I came home and played the recordings on my HDTV, I felt like I had just produced something for the Discovery Channel HD! (I'm talking about the audio and video quality combined with the scenery, of course ... NOT my "skills" as a cameraman!)
Here are the major PROS:
- HDMI output port included, which allows you to show video straight to HDMI-equipped HDTV in the highest quality available (HDMI has become the HDTV standard cable for delivery of digital video and audio in one cable, and all HDTVs made in the last year or two have at least one HDMI input -- current ones have 3 or 4, for other sources like HD cable boxes, HDMI-equipped DVD players, game consoles, Blu-Ray DVD players, etc.);
- Component output ports also included (one for audio, one for video; special cables included), in case you do not have an HDMI input on your (likely older) HDTV;
- Firewire and USB (albeit 1.1) output ports included, for easy upload of video to your PC or Mac;
- You can take pix while filming;
- Low light filming is very good;
- The Night Vision works VERY well (albeit in green, but that comes with any infrared illumination);
- The "shoe" on top allows for a Sony zoom microphoneSony ECM-HGZ1 Shotgun Microphone for DCR-PC55, DCR-DVD305, DVD 405, DVD 505, HDR-HC1, HC5, HDR-UX1, UX5, DCR-SR100&SR200 Camcorders, which I highly recommend for anyone shooting any outdoor footage (the sound actually "zooms in" as you zoom in on the video subject, minimizing distracting noise made by others near the camcorder!);
- The playback features are AWESOME, in that they allow for super slow-mo and zoom, and you can also record a 3-second sequence (golf swing, baseball pitch or swing, basketball shot, etc.) in high-speed filiming (120 frames per second, versus the normal 30 frames per second), so you can dissect that activity to your heart's delight; and finally (not really, but I have to stop somewhere),
- You MUST invest (not much $ for the value) in a Sony tripod with remote control on the tripod handle; this allows you to zoom in and out; start and pause recording; take pix; even turn the camcorder on and off ... all from the main handle of the tripod!!! Sony VCTD680RM Remote Control Tripod for Sony Cameras & Camcorders (I'm not sure if the one I just featured is the one I own. The one I own includes a balance bubble, removable base (for quick removal of the camera from the tripod) and a tilt that allows you to turn the camera 90 degrees to the side - such as when you want to use the camera function in portrait mode.) That works out really well at kids' activities (sports, recitals, etc.), as you ELIMINATE camera shake (see CONS, below). Also, you can change tapes while the camcorder is on the tripod (the inability of which is a common design faux pas on too many other camcorders).
Some CONS:
- The image stabilization is not great, especially at zoomed-in distances, resulting in noticeably shaky video when you record by holding the camcorder with one hand and then plug and play the results on your HDTV (see recommended tripod, above, to fix that most times);
- No microphone or headphone jacks (which don't matter much in regular use); and
- the mini-dv tapes are more expensive than any off-the-shelf-at-CVS/Walmart/etc. types, although you can buy them in small bunches on Amazon for less than $10 each all-in NOT REFURBISHED, NEVER USED, NEVER OPENED.. It is said that the hi-def tapes have a better metallic coating on them that make them better-suited to hi-def recording. I have never done a side-by-side comparison of regular versus hi-def tapes, so I can't opine on that.
In the end, you want to get the best MEDIA for your priceless memories, and this camera (in the hi-def mini-dv format) delivers, as the video and audio are less compressed than on hard drive or DVD hi-def camera, and thus more revealing. And since Blu-Ray seems to have won the High-Def DVD race (defeating HDDVD, if you are to believe the papers), then buy this camera, record your priceless memories before they go to college and convert then to Blu-Ray DVDs when Blu-Ray DVD recorders get to a reasonable price!!
Whatever you choose, first go to a bricks-and-mortars store and try out and compare this camera and a few others. Good luck!
Customer Rating: Summary: HDR-HC5 Review
Comment: So far I have found this to be a great camera. Here are a few of my observations so far.
Video Quality: The video quality this this takes is great. However, there must be sufficient lighting. In a dimly light room, for instance, the video accumulates a fair bit of grain. But by adding a few more lights, or taking it outside on a nice day, your videos will rival that of broadcast HDTV.
Sound: Like most all camcorders the sound is very average. And the only mic's available are proprietary Sony mic's. One must upgrade to the HC7 to get the real mic inputs.
Features: This camera comes pretty packed. There are manual settings for exposure, focus, white balance, and a few others as well. And all of these, for better or worse, are adjusted through the touch screen interface that I personally love. Some of the buttons on the screen are small, so those with bigger fingers may have trouble navigating the camera.
Battery: I get about an hour of real recording time with the built in battery. It's enough to get through a Mini-DV tape, but not much more.
Other: The "Smooth Slow Record" is garbage. Yes, it does record 3 seconds of video extremely slow. But the video quality makes YouTube look like HD... It is bad. The Night Shot is pretty cool and works just as described. The effect is only as good as the built in IR light, so you can see maybe 15' in the dark. The touch focus feature is really cool. Just touch on the screen where you want the camera to focus, and it does it automatically.
Recording on Mini-DV tapes seems quite antiquated, but it does get the job done. It is a proven standard and pretty much any decent video editing program can handle it. The hard drive camcorders out there that record in AVC-HD do not currently enjoy as much compatibility as HDV, so that is why I when the tape based route.
Overall, this is a great camcorder. It could use some "real" manual features, like a dedicated focus ring, but those kind of features seem to be reserved for cameras in the 4 digit area. The video quality is also great in the right conditions. Definitely recommended.
