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• Amazon Sales Rank: #3952 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Sony
• Model: DCRHC46E
• Released on: 2006-01-05
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 2.65 pounds

Editorial Reviews

Manufacturer's Description
The DCR-HC46 from Sony gives you a full-featured, compact MiniDV camcorder at an affordable price. Highlights include the Advanced HAD CCD imager, which captures stunning detail and clarity, and 12x optical zoom with Super SteadyShot picture stabilisation, which focuses on distant subjects, providing clear close-up images with less distortion. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens offers less glare and increased contrast for vivid, more life-like colour and tones. A 1-megapixel sensor allows you to take still images that can be printed at photo quality up to 6 x 8 inches.

Make your personal videos complete with additional customization features such as Picture and Fader effects for creative and professional looking enhancements. Picture Package software helps you easily organize and edit still images and video.

1.0 Megapixel (Gross) Advanced HAD CCD Imager
1/5.5-inch Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD with 690K (effective) pixels provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video (up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution) and still image performance. The Megapixel technology enhances your digital videos and digital still photography performance.

MiniDV Recording
Offers up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution, 3x the colour bandwidth and a significantly higher signal/noise ratio, to provide spectacular video performance.

12x Optical/800x Digital Zoom
The optical zoom helps to bring the action close up from far away. In addition, the digital zoom interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms.

Professional Quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens
Carl Zeiss lenses have an advanced optical multi-layer coating that offers less glare and flare with increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life colour saturation and perfect renditions of subtle tones.

2.7-Inch Wide (16:9) Touch Panel SwivelScreen LCD Display (123K Pixels)
Provides excellent viewing clarity for both 16:9 and 4:3 apsect with improved resolution. The high resolution 123K pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles providing sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback.

Progressive Shutter System
A mechanical shutter system that provides progressive scan performance while utilizing an interlaced scanning system. Digital still images will be sharp and clear with excellent definition.

Super SteadyShot Picture Stabilisation System
Picture stabilisation system that uses motion sensors to detect and compensate for camera "shake" without compromising picture quality like some other digital stabilisation systems.

Handycam Station
The supplied Handycam Station cradle provides quick and easy connections to a TV for viewing or to a PC for editing and sharing video. Just placing the camcorder on the Handycam Station instantly makes the connections. No need to search for cables or wires when charging or playing back.

One Touch Wide Angle Shooting
Easily switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios for shooting with just the touch of a button.

InfoLithium Battery with AccuPower Meter System
Charge the battery at anytime because unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) batteries, Sony's rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries are not subject to a life shortening "memory effect." Sony's exclusive AccuPower meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, in either the viewfinder or on the LCD screen.

i.LINK DV Interface
A digital high-speed bi-directional interface which provides audio-video communication between two compatible devices. This connection allows for pure digital transfer between devices equipped with an IEEE1394 interface, such as camcorders, digital VTRs, capture cards, and PCs.

Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick Duo Media
Capture still images up to 1152 x 864 resolution, directly onto Memory Stick Duo Media for easy transfer to PCs for e-mailing, printing or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick devices.

Tele Macro Function
Useful for shooting close up shots, but without having the camcorder casting a shadow on the subject. Images shot in the Tele Macro Mode will have the subject properly focused with the background unfocussed so that the subject stands out.

Manual Focus
Allows the user to manually adjust the focus of the camcorder using the touch panel. Manual focusing also allows the user to control the focus in difficult situations where either the environment or the subject does not allow the camcorder's auto focus to perform optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.

Super NightShot Plus Infrared System
With Sony's Super NightShot Infrared System you can capture natural looking video, even when shooting in low light. Record subjects up to 20 feet away using the built-in infrared system, but without the overall monochrome colour common with earlier low-light recording systems.

On-Screen Zoom and Record Controls
For additional control of the camcorder, the DCR-HC46 features Zoom and Record buttons on the frame of the LCD screen. This allows the user more flexibility when holding the camcorder, especially in overhead or low angle shots.

Additional features: Stamina Battery Power Management system, Program AE (autoexposure) modes, Picture effects, Fader, USB streaming, Easy Handycam button, Battery information

Product Description: Capture more video in greater detail with the DCR-HC46 MiniDV Handycam® camcorder. Performance is enhanced with the 1.0 Megapixel Advanced HAD & Digital stills Shoot like a pro w/ a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® Lens 2.7" wide SwivelScreen& 800x Digital Zoom Memory Stick Duo® Plus INFRARED System for low-light Compatible with Click To DVD® Vario-Tessar® Lens: An advanced optical multi-layer coating that offers less glare and flare with increased contrast, resulting in vivid image brilliance. 2.7" wide Touch Panel SwivelScreen

Box Contents

• Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV camcorder
  
• Power adapter/in-camera charger (ACL25)
  
• InfoLithium rechargeable battery (NPFP50)
  
• Handycam Station (DRCA-C151)
  
• Remote Commander remote control (RMT-831)
  
• Stereo AV cable
  
• Lens cap
  
• USB cable
  
• CD-ROM with USB driver (PicturePackage Software ver. 1.5 for Sony)

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Customer Reviews

Stunning quality images
I bought this camera as my dad wanted a camcorder in the house. My brother, by no means a technical, took this on holiday and watching the footage back, the image quality was stunning. We played it back through our 40-inch lcd tv, and it looked great. I'd be intrigued to see how much better a true hd camcorder would look, as this was amazing. Great quality for the price.

Good & Bad
I must start by saying that this is my very first camcorder and I am by no means an expert.

For £400 this camera is a great buy. If your looking for a home vide camera to film the kids and the dog then this camera is capable of doing just that with great quality. It is compact, light and full of features.

Their are a few personal touches that I really liked such as the mechanisem of the tape draw opening and the cute little chime you hear as your tape is ejected, very clever.

So far as conveniance for video editing is concerned this camera is fantastic. As in the name it is a very handycam. Your supplied with loads of software and a camcorder docking station that connects to your PC via USB (simular to a laptop docking station).

I purchased this camera to use for amature productions, short films, by way of a hobby. I decided to go with a more affordable camera to start with so I could learn the very basics before looking into profesional cameras.

If your looking to use this camera in a simular way then I advise you to think again. It does not have an Audio In jack (and so you cant plug in a microphone) and it is not compatible with any remote control tripods as it dosn't have a jack for these either.

For an extra £125 (at the time of writing this) you can order the top of this range, the Sony DCRHC96E from Amazon. It does have Audio In and is compatable with remote control tripods and it also has three times the pixels at the cost of some of the zoom.

In conclusion this is a fantastic camera for the average user, absolutley remarkable. If your looking to go a little more technical and, like me, want a small camera to try your hand at amature filming before moving onto the more profesional models then go for the DCRHC96E (its a natural stepping stone).

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