Performance

The Sony DCR-HC46 features a 1/5.5" CCD with 1.07 gross MP. The manual lists 690K effective pixels, though it does not specify what aspect ratio this refers to or whether this is with the electronic image stabilization on or off (it reduces the number of effective pixels when on).

At 3000 lux, the HC46 produced a very good image in most regards. The picture looks sharp, much sharper than that produced by most camcorders with only slightly smaller 1/6" chips. Subject borders and lines are crisp, but not because of excessive in-camera sharpening, which you’ll often see on consumer camcorders. The camcorder is just making good use of the chips.

Color balance is good for its price class. No, it cannot compete with the next model up, the HC96, but that’s a good $250 - $300 more. There is clearly some color saturation going on in the blue-- nothing new for Sony. As a result, the HC46 has some blue noise issues. These carry across into much of the spectrum, and become particularly noticeable in low light. We believed Sony had eradicated this problem since last year: the HC26, HC36, and HC96 all showed an improvement in this area. Perhaps the HC46 was the only model to not receive an upgraded imager. The image from last year’s DCR-HC42, which the HC46 is replacing, is essentially identical.

The biggest problem with the HC46’s image is the noise. The blue noise is a part of it, but there is also general noise, both dark and light, across the image. It doesn’t take away too much from the overall quality of the picture, but it’s definitely not helping.

The "next step down" model HC36 ($400 MSRP) showed what a difference the imager size makes. Its 1/6" CCD produced a picture with noticeably less sharp. Edges and borders have a general fuzziness to them. More strangely, the color balance between the HC36 and HC46 is very different. While the HC46 has a higher blue saturation, the HC36 had much stronger reds.

The Panasonic PV-GS39, which also has a 1/6" CCD, produced an inferior image to the HC46. The image was less sharp, with a less even color balance. The JVC GR-DF550 also had a less even color balance, pushing the reds while ignoring the rest of the spectrum. At least the HC46 is over-saturated across the board.

The Canon Elura 100, one of the strongest mid-level performers we’ve seen this year, had excellent color balance without the high saturation levels of the HC46. There is less noise, no blue noise, and very clean, crisp lines.

**Video Resolution ***(13.5)*

The Sony DCR-HC46 was tested for the resolution of its video by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running stills from that footage through Imatest imaging software. In 4:3, the HC46 produced 397.9 lines of horizontal resolution and 338.4 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 134649.36. In 16:9 aspect ratio, the camcorder produced 408.4 lines of horizontal resolution and 299.0 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 122111.6.

The chart below shows how the Sony HC46 performed compared to competing camcorders.

Low Light Performance*(2.75)*

At 60 lux, the DCR-HC46 maintained the colors that were strongly saturated in bright light, like the blues and greens, and lost the less saturated reds. As a result, this mid-low light image is rather uneven. The reds are clearly under-represented and appear weak. Noise increased a great deal, with the blue noise issue appearing all over the image. As Sony knew last year that this was a problem, it has no real excuse for allowing it to continue. The HC36 and HC96 did not have nearly as much of a problem with blue noise, which seems to indicate that the HC46 did not receive an upgraded imaging set.

Last year’s HC42 had similar noise and color balance issues, though the saturation levels were generally lower. This year’s HC36 was generally darker and had a lot more fine grain noise. That said, the HC36 had a much more even color balance and none of the blue noise. Sure it’s darker, but compared to the totally skewed color performance of the HC46, the HC36 is preferable.

The Panasonic PV-GS39 showed stronger reds than any other color, and its color balance was slightly better than the HC46. Noise was high in the Panasonic image, but it did not have any of the blue noise issues. Last year’s JVC GR-DF550 had the best color balance and most even saturation. The camcorder did seem to have some focusing issues at this light level, and its image was slightly blurry and soft around the edges. The Canon Elura 100 was much darker and did not have much in the way of color saturation. It also had a good amount of fine grain black noise. That said, its image has more apparent sharpness and would be preferable if you are more interested in capturing detail than color.

At 15 lux, the HC46’s image most of the color information was lost. If any good came from this, it was that the blue in the blue noise also disappeared. There was still a decent amount of detail left, and the terrible color of the 60 lux image no longer distracted from that.

Surprisingly, the HC36’s image was brighter. Black noise was rampant across the image, but there was more detail in this picture than in that from the HC46, despite the smaller imager. Last year’s HC42 had an immense amount of blue noise, putting the HC46 at a slight advantage.

The Panasonic PV-GS39 was much noisier, and the noise tended to tramp all over some of the fine detail. The JVC GR-DF550 had a slightly brighter image than the HC46, but no increase in color information. The Canon Elura 100 was the best of all 15 lux performances. Though very noisy, its color performance was vastly superior without showing the nasty side effects of over-saturation.

Overall, the HC46 failed to impress in the low light category. What’s more, the HC36, the next model down, was preferable in many ways.

Wide Angle* (7.8)
*The DCR-HC46 was tested for the width of its angle for video in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. In 4:3, the camcorder offered a wide angle of 39 degrees. In 16:9, the camcorder offered 44 degrees. While the field of view does open up significantly when switching to widescreen, there is also a loss of information from the top and bottom of the screen. This means you’re are gaining information in one direction, but losing it in another.

Format

Compression* (8.0)*

The DCR-HC46 captures video in the standard DV compression at a data rate of 25Mbps. DV compression remains the best option for video quality amongst the myriad of media choices for the consumer. DVD, flash media like SD cards, and internal memory all compress video more heavily and use a lower bit rate (between 8.5 and 10Mbps). While this is not the only factor in video quality, it is a major factor.

Media* (8.0)*

The DCR-HC46 uses standard 6.35mm MiniDV cassette tapes, which can be located almost anywhere that sells blank media. In a world that is rapidly moving away from MiniDV in favor of DVD, MiniDV still offers a number of benefits. Cassettes are less fragile than DVD, and can better endure transport, shuffling from bag to bag, and dropping. They are generally cheaper, and most importantly, they capture video at a much higher quality (see the Compression section above). MiniDV also finds more universal compatibility with editing software, while DVD can more difficult to work with. That said, MiniDV must be captured in realtime to a computer for editing, while DVD and other MPEG2/MPEG4 video can be transferred at faster rates.

Editing* (8.0)*

Sony’s DRC-HC Series of camcorders ships with Picture Package 1.5.1, which enables video capture and editing, backup to DVD or CD, and basic DVD production. The software is easy to use but quite limited – and you’ll only be able to capture footage if you work on a PC. Luckily, new Macs ship with the iLife suite of applications, which offer far more robust editing capabilities. Likewise, Avid’s FreeDV, a freeware program that runs on PCs and Macs, offers much more than Picture Package. Working with MiniDV footage is easy because it’s a mature format and interfaces easily with just about any computer system.

The HC46 also enables very rudimentary in-camera audio dubbing over previously recorded video footage. The footage to be dubbed over must have been shot with 12 bit audio in order for this feature to work. The in-camera dub feature is accessed from the Play/Edit Menu and is easy to use. You simply shuttle through the tape to your starting point, press the on-screen Audio Dub button, and record the new audio using the on-board microphone. Dubbed audio is recorded to one of the two stereo sound tracks, and, after dubbing, the relative sound levels of each track can be adjusted in-camera. Audio work more advanced than simple dubbing requires the use of computer-based editing software.

Tour

**The Front ***(7.5)*

Sony excels at designing easy to use camcorders. While the performance of Sony’s products is variable, design is generally elegant and the user interface simple and appealing to point- and-shooters. The DCR-HC46 and its HC Line cousins are well designed for buyers who place a high premium on ease of use.

Beginning at the camcorder’s front, a 12x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens is set into the top right corner. The lens housing is comprised of a hard plastic with a brushed metallic appearance. A lens cover is included and can be attached to the camcorder’s strap. To the left of the lens is a black plastic cover that conceals the NightShot Plus sensor and the remote control’s IR sensor. Keep in mind that, when using the remote control, you’ll get better results if you are facing the front of the camera. The on-board stereo microphone is located directly below the black sensor cover and represents your only option for recording audio live – there is no microphone jack on the HC46, so this camcorder is not a good choice if you want to use external mics.

**The Right Side ***(8.75)*

Like the rest of this camcorder, the right side is a picture of simplicity. Its major feature is a well-padded hand strap that runs from front to back at a slight downward angle. This side of the camcorder is rounded to conform to the shape of your palm and is very comfortable to hold and shoot. At the top front of the right side is a port cover that, on the HC46, conceals an A/V out port. Other ports, including USB, are located on the docking station rather than on-camera. The HC96 shares the docking station this year, but the step-down camcorders in the HC line retain ports on their body.

The right side of the camcorder also serves as the MiniDV tape compartment and opens out from the body on a hinge below the hand strap. The hinge is designed so that it can be opened even when the camcorder is mounted to a tripod, attached to the dock, or sitting on a flat surface – a feature that some camcorders lack.

**The Back ***(7.0)*

The back of the DCR-HC46 is configured exactly like that of the HC36. While generally simple, it too suffers from the fact that Sony has crammed a lot of controls into a small space. This will make it difficult for people with large hands to easily operate all the controls, an issue most compact camcorders share. In its favor, the HC46 is sufficiently slimmed down, in terms of capabilities, that the back is not as cluttered as it might be if the camcorder supported additional features.

At the top left side of the back is a viewfinder, which can extend out from the camcorder and clear the battery. On the right side of the viewfinder is a dial that allows diopter adjustment to accommodate farsighted people. While the eyepiece is serviceable for very short periods of time in relatively static shooting situations, it is very small and made of hard plastic. Some higher-end consumer camcorders have soft rubber eye pieces enabling comfortable long-term use, but this viewfinder seems like an afterthought.

The battery release lever is just to the right of the eyepiece and is the button that will be most problematic for people with large hands to operate. It is very small, and so close to the viewfinder that disengaging the battery is an uncomfortable operation. The battery itself rests directly below the viewfinder and is also more difficult to attach and remove than many on the market. While our complaints about the battery and release lever many seem minor, whether a camcorder is a pleasure to use or not depends in large part on design details.

The power/mode dial is located on the top right of the camcorder’s back. It’s an efficient dial – if, again, small enough to be unwieldy for most hands. Pressing the small green button on top releases the dial, turning it clockwise switches the camera on, , and rotating it slightly further toggles the camcorder through Tape, Memory, and Play/Edit (VCR) Modes. The Record/Start/Stop button is below the Mode Dial and marked with a red dot. At the base of the left side is the DC in, protected by a hard rubber port cover.

**The Left Side ***(6.0)*

The LCD occupies most of the left side of the DCR-HC46. Unlike its step down cousins, the HC26 and HC36, it has a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio and measures 2.7" at a resolution of 560 x 220. The screen opens to 90 degrees from the camcorder body, rotates through 270 degrees, and can be folded back into the LCD cavity with the screen out to enable image monitoring from the left side. Its hinge seems relatively flimsy, and may be prone to breakage if too much pressure is placed on the screen in the open position. Below the LCD are four buttons: a Record/Start/Stop button, Wide and Tight zoom toggles, and a Wide Select button. The first three buttons offer alternatives to controls found elsewhere on the camcorder, and the Wide Select button toggles between 4:3 and 16:9 modes.

A speaker is inside the LCD cavity, near the hinge. Above it is a reset button that returns the camera to its factory settings. At the rear of the LCD cavity is a Memory Stick Duo Pro card slot. The slot is unobtrusive and easy to use – the card snaps securely into place with moderate pressure, and disengages when pressed again. Above the LCD cavity are three additional control buttons – Back Light, which causes the camcorder to compensate in backlit situations; Disp/Batt Info, which turns the LCD information display on and off; and the Easy button, which instantly puts the camcorder in Auto mode. There are two tiny LED’s at the back edge of the camcorder. One, near the viewfinder, indicates that the battery is charging; another, next to the battery, indicates Memory Stick Duo Pro card access.

The Top* (6.0)*

The top of the DCR-HC46 is the location of several controls, including the important zoom toggle rocker. The Zoom Toggle is located just in front of the photo button, near the rear of the camcorder. It is a very well-designed toggle, and is more sensitive than many on the market, allowing for an infinite number of zoom speeds. Its placement is excellent: right where the index finger naturally rests. In about the middle of the camcorder’s top is the NightShot Plus switch for shooting in very dark environments. At the front right is the Open Eject switch, which releases the MiniDV Tape compartment lock. Opening the tape compartment is a manual process – once you’ve pressed the switch, you then need to pull the door open until it clicks. A small motor pops the tape bay up and into reach.

Auto/Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (9.5)

The Sony DCR-HC46 is a camcorder that does not offer many manual controls – instead, it excels in its very well-implemented automatic controls. Engage what Sony calls Easy Mode by hitting the well-labeled Easy Button, and the HC46 instantly goes into autopilot. In auto, the camcorder performs admirably, allowing a novice shooter to focus on the family trip to Disneyland instead of squeezing out the best possible image. Individually, the auto controls are all very capable as well. When your subject is framed in the center of the screen and well-lit, the camera snaps into focus quickly and accurately. Likewise, auto white balance and auto exposure make their adjustments almost instantly, without the auto-adjustment-lag that is so common in consumer camcorders.

The HC46 also includes a number of controls that enable users to govern how the camcorder makes auto adjustments. The Program AE modes are intended to provide better performance in special shooting situations and include Spotlight, which compensates for intense key lighting; Portrait, which creates a shallower depth of field to help throw the background out of focus; Sports, for fast-moving objects; Beach & Ski, which compensates for very bright environments; Sunset & Moon, for darker environments; and Landscape, which prioritizes focus on distant objects.

Auto shutter, which automatically adjusts shutter speed depending on lighting, is the HC46’s default setting. While this camcorder does not allow true manual shutter speed adjustments, Color slow shutter forces the unit to adjust shutter speed in low light in order to achieve better color saturation. In contrast, Sports mode (mentioned above in Program AE features) uses faster shutter speeds to reduce the blurring of fast-moving objects.

Spot Meter is a feature that offers some control over what part of the frame is used to achieve proper exposure. Selecting Spot meter from the P-Menu brings up a bounding box that encompasses most of the LCD display. Touching any part of the frame within the bounding box forces the camcorder to use that "spot" for metering purposes. While this is not a fine adjustment, it works well if you need to override Auto exposure in a relatively simple composition. It works best if the camcorder is mounted on a tripod, because trying to select a spot to meter is very difficult when camera shake is part of the mix.

Overall Manual Control (3.0)

The HC46 offers few manual controls, a deficiency shared amongst nearly all consumer Sony camcorders. Perhaps listing the manual controls that not included is the most illuminating portion of this section. The HC46 does not have manual shutter speed, manual aperture control, or manual gain. It does, however, have zoom, focus, exposure in EV steps, and white balance controls.

The P-Touch Menu

Each of the menu's sub-categories

*The Camera Set sub-menu, which has most of the manual controls *

Most of these controls are located in the menu on the touch screen LCD. The first level of the menu, the P-Touch menu, is accessed by pushing the "P-Menu" button in the lower right corner of the screen. This level has large buttons spread out across 3 pages, all for the most popular functions. You can customize this menu if there are features you’d like to have more accessible not currently found on the P-Touch level. Level 2 is accessed by pushing the Menu button in the P-Touch menu. You scroll through the titles for each of the sub-menus: Camera Set, Picture Applications, Edit/Play, Standard Set, and Time/Language. The first, Camera Set, contains most of the manual and automatic controls. The animated gifs illustrate the options found here.

Zoom (8.0)

There are two zoom controls. The primary control is located on top towards rear. Normally, you’d want the control to fall under the index finger. Here, it falls under the middle finger – not the best design, but it’s not too much difficulty to push your index finger forward onto the control. The main control is a raised toggle switch. It has a very smooth feel, and is pressure sensitive to about three different zoom speeds.

The second zoom control, located on the LCD panel, is found on most Sonys. Here it is located under the screen as two very small buttons that can only effectively be pushed with the fingernail. These controls, I believe, are of limited use. Not only does it tend to jar the camcorder more than the primary toggle, but also unnecessary. Even if you are holding the body down low, with your hand out of the strap, your thumb will still likely fall comfortably on the primary zoom toggle. Also, the LCD zoom controls are not pressure-sensitive and have only one speed.

Zoom Power/Ratio (12.0)

When compared to other point-and-shoot camcorders’ capabilities, the 12x optical zoom of the Sony HC46 is not impressive, especially when the HC36 boasts a 20x optical zoom and some range up to over 30x. The lower optical zoom rating is partly a function of CCD size: camcorders with a smaller CCD are capable of greater zoom power. Packing a marginally larger 1/5.5" CCD than the HC36’s 1/6" into the same body, the HC46 sacrifices zoom power for better image processing. If optical zoom power is your prime consideration, a cheaper camcorder like the $300 JVC-GR-D350, with 32x optical zoom, might be a good option.

The Sony DCR-HC46 also has a digital zoom capability, maxing out at 800x. While this is a huge figure, camcorders achieve high digital zoom numbers by magnifying the pixels available at the highest optical zoom. This method means that image quality plummets when a camcorder enters optical zoom territory: beyond 24x, the HC46 produces a progressively more pixilated image until it becomes a useless muddle. Thankfully, the camcorder’s digital zoom can be either turned off or capped at 24x to ensure a recognizable image. When digital zoom is engaged at either 24x or 800x, a dividing line appears between the optical zoom range and the digital zoom range to indicate whether the camcorder is magnifying pixels. In general, we discourage the use of digital zoom because it is so detrimental to image quality. In addition, 800x digital zoom ratings may mislead consumers into believing that their camcorder has amazing telephoto capabilities when, in fact, digital zoom just blows up the pixels available to a camcorder at its maximum optical zoom.

Focus (4.0)

The focus control on the Sony HC46 is poor, but no poorer than on most consumer camcorders. Like all Sonys, the focus on this model is found in the menu, with four large icons blocking out a good portion of the screen. Adjusting the focus is done by pushing two touch screen controls. Here are the problems with the focus control. 1) The LCD screen has the relatively low resolution of 123K. 2) There are four icons taking up a good portion of the screen, blocking what you may be trying to focus on. 3) The touch screen gathers fingerprints like ants at a picnic, further blurring your picture. 4) The control is buried in the menu. 6) There is no numerical indication as to where you are in the focus range.

Our conclusion: let the auto focus do the work unless there is an extreme focus problem. It’s not worth the effort.

Exposure (Aperture) (4.0)

The exposure control on the HC46 is located in the menu. Like the focus control, the exposure control is operated by touch screen buttons, a plus and minus button. Yes, it does make the picture lighter and darker, but there is no numerical indication as to how much you have changed the exposure. Presumably, it is in EV step, but whether they are full stops, half stops, etc., is unknown.

Panasonic offers full exposure control in f-stop, independent of shutter speed. Most Canons offer Aperture Priority mode, which allows f-stop control while the camcorder takes care of the other controls.

*Shutter Speed (0.0) *

There is no shutter speed control on the DCR-HC46. You will find manual shutter speeds in some form on nearly every other manufacturer, including Panasonic, Canon, JVC, Samsung, and Hitachi.

White Balance (7.5)

The white balance control on the HC46 is located in the menu. There are two presets – Outdoor and Indoor – as well as an automatic and "One Push" (manual) setting. The manual adjustment is fast and accurate. We recommend that even beginners learn how to make a manual white balance adjustment. It’s a simple process and can make a big difference in color performance.

Gain (0.0)

There is no manual gain on the DCR-HC46. Only Panasonic offers full gain control in the consumer realm.

Other Manual Control (0.0)

There are no other manual controls on the DCR-HC46.

Still Features

Still Features* (6.75)*

The HC46 captures stills in JPEG format to MemoryStick Duo and MemoryStick PRO Duo cards, which load in the LCD cavity. Resolution options include 640 x 480 (0.3MP), 1152 x 864 (1.0MP), and 1152 x 648 (0.7MP widescreen). It can save each still in Fine or Standard qualities. If you are in video mode with a widescreen, 16:9 aspect ratio and click the still shutter button, the camcorder will default to a fourth resolution size – 640 x 360 (0.2MP). No card comes included with the camcorder.

The MemoryStick slot, located in the LCD cavity

There is no flash on the HC46, nor is there an accessory shoe to fit one in later. Both of these features are on the next model up, the HC96. The HC46 does offer burst mode, which takes up to thirteen 640 x 480 images in a row, or four 1152 x 864 and 1152 x 648 images, all at 0.5 second intervals. Still mode has a timer which can be set for 10 seconds. The HC46 also records short MPEG4 video files to MemoryStick at resolutions of 320 x 240 and 160 x 112. The camcorder is PictBridge compatible for easy printing with select printers.

Most of the manual and automatic controls available in video mode are also available in still mode: Program AE modes, focus, exposure, white balance, Spot Focus, Spot Metering, auto shutter, Color Slow Shutter, telemacro, and NightShot.

This feature set is fairly similar to that of other camcorders in its price range. The maximum still resolution of the HC96 is much higher (3MP), but that camcorder is also about $300 more.

Still Resolution* (2.9)*

We tested the stills of the DCR-HC46 for their resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. In total, the largest stills (1152 x 864) produced an approximate resolution of 293641.01.

The chart below shows how the HC46 stood up against the competition.

Still Performance* (3.75)*

The Sony DCR-HC46’s stills are not its strong suit. The color balance is absolutely abysmal and wrought with blotchy blue noise. The entire image has a faint blue wash to it, as if the image was shot under sunlight without proper white balance, though we can assure you that we took the shot under controlled indoor lighting and properly white balanced it. Besides the blue noise, there is also blackish and whitish noise in abundance.

Last year’s DCR-HC42 is essentially the same as the HC46. The Sony HC36 only shoots at a maximum resolution of 640 x 480, but the color balance is much better. Blackish noise is decidedly worse, but there is no blue noise, and most people would take the dark noise over the blue.

The Panasonic PV-GS39 also maxes out at 640 x 480. Color performance and balance are not great, but are definitely better than those of the HC46. Noise and poor sharpness are other hallmarks of the GS39. The JVC GR-DF550 produced dull colors in its stills, but they were far more even than the HC46. There was little noise, but JVC seemed to show some lens drop-off: poorer performance around the edges than in the center.

The Canon Elura 100 did not have the noise issues of the HC46, but its color performance was just about as bad. While the Sony had uneven saturation, the Elura 100 was mostly washed out. Neither of them was very good at all.

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (8.0)*

The Sony DCR-HC36 is an easy camcorder to use, especially when Easy mode places it in full auto mode. This limits menu options to Beep On/Off, Clock Set, and Display Guide, which gives contextual information about any icon on the LCD screen. Pressing the Disp/Batt Info button, just to the left of the Easy button, accesses the Display Guide at any time.

The touch screen menu makes the HC46 and other Sony camcorders easier to use simply because it’s a ubiquitous interface form, present in ATMs and all manner of informational kiosks. Clearly Sony has selected the touch screen because their market is already familiar with touch screen technology, and navigating their menus thus requires no ramp-up.

Touch screens are problematic for a few reasons, however. We write often about the fact that they require users to touch the LCD screen – the most important means of assessing image quality – which will inevitably become covered with fingerprints. The second major liability to the touch screen interface is that it limits the precision of features like Spot Meter and Spot Focus to the accuracy of your fingerpad on the screen. A stylus would be more accurate – but more specific manual controls would be better still. Finally, touch screens require that icons and text be large enough to select with a finger or thumb, and can get in the way of the scene. Non-touch screen interfaces, like Panasonic’s joystick, are not beset by these issues, though they may be slightly more difficult to master.

Features like Program AE, Spot Meter, and Spot Focus, which provide some control over image quality, give ease of use another boost. These features are simple to use and can provide adequate control in a variety of non-standard shooting situations.

Handling* (7.0)*

The Sony DCR-HC46 is well-designed for hand-held shooting, and is a comfortable camcorder to hold. The right side, where the camcorder is gripped, is curved ergonomically and the hand strap is wide and nicely padded. Importantly, all the most important controls are within easy reach of the thumb (Rec/Start/Stop) and index finger (Mode, Photo and Zoom Toggle). All of these key controls function intuitively and a new user should feel at home operating basic controls within a few minutes. The Zoom Toggle deserves special praise because it is both sensitive and accurate, allowing for smooth zooms at various speeds, and stops on a dime.

Additional on-camera controls are easily accessed. Back Light, Disp/Batt Info and Easy Mode buttons are clearly labeled and appropriately placed on the camcorder’s upper left side – out of the way but close at hand. Engaging NightShot Plus is similarly easy – you simply flip a switch – and it is located on top of the camcorder body. Opening the Tape Compartment is a partially manual process and involves pressing a latch and pulling out on the compartment door simultaneously, in a design that mirrors many camcorders on the market. Thankfully, the compartment can be opened fully even when the camcorder is mounted on a tripod. The one main gripe about basic handling is the tiny battery release, crammed so tightly against the viewfinder that operating it is a tricky process. People with larger hands especially will have trouble with the release, and, to a lesser degree, with the other on-camera controls of the HC46.

The HC46’s menu is intuitive, and relatively easy to navigate. The onscreen buttons are literally self-descriptive, because they are presented as text – as you scroll through menu options by touching up and down arrows, you simply touch the selection you want when it appears. Unfortunately, simplicity does not equal efficiency, and the utility of many options (such as manual focus and exposure) is compromised by the fact that they are buried deep in the menu tree. I’d venture to guess that there is an inverse relationship between a feature’s accessibility in a camcorder’s interface and its frequency of use – and if that’s the case, few HC46 users take advantage of the camcorder’s more advanced capabilities. The touch-screen interface, as well, remains an issue.

Finally, though the HC46 is well-suited to basic shooting, and is, in my opinion, a nice looking camcorder, it feels a bit cheap. The controls are solid, but there’s no getting around a plastic body that feels and looks like plastic, despite pleasing lines. Additionally, the LCD hinge on our test model seemed less sturdy one would hope for in a model where the touch screen acts as the main menu interface. Pressing on the screen caused it to bend slightly back beyond ninety degrees to the camcorder body, a fact that did not inspire our confidence in the HC46’s overall durability. Other camcorders, like the Canon Elura 100 and the Panasonic PV-GS39, sport stronger hinges even though they don’t use touch screen technology.

Portability* (8.25)*

Sony’s HC line is quite portable, and the external dimensions of the DCR-HC46 are identical to the measurements of its step-down cousin, the HC36: 65 mm x 79 x 113 mm (2 5/8" x 3 1/8" x 4 1/2"). With a better imaging system, the HC46 is only slightly heavier than the HC 36: 445 g when fully loaded with the included battery and a MiniDV tape. The HC96 is slightly larger and heavier than both of its cousins and a less portable, if more capable, option.

Factoring in the Handycam Station Input/Output dock impacts the HC46’s portability. Sony has introduced the docking station this year on the HC46 and HC96 as a new feature, but it decreases overall portability while adding an item that could be misplaced. The other camcorders mentioned in this article, including the HC26, do not use a docking station, and are therefore more portable. However some users will appreciate the fact that the camcorder can be easily removed from the docking station, even when all of its ports are in use. In contrast, disencumbering an all-in-one camcorder requires unplugging cables from numerous ports, an activity that can be hazardous when you are in a hurry.

LCD/Viewfinder* (9.3)*

The Sony DCR-HC46 shares the same 2.7-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD screen as its step-up cousin, the HC96, with a resolution of about 123,200 pixels. This is a typical LCD resolution for camcorders in this price range, and is not sharp enough to allow for fine-tuning focus manually. In their favor Sony, LCD screens suffer less from solarization than competitor’s screens, and remain viewable when tipped beyond forty-five degrees. However, this advantage when it comes to solarization is compromised by the fact that the LCD doubles as a touch screen and will pick up fingerprints during normal use. As anyone who has looked through a grimy window knows, fingerprints and grime are more visible at an angle. The HC46 screen will indeed suffer less from solarization, but it’s going to be a grimy non-solarizing screen.

 

The drawbacks of LCD-based interfaces are clearest when using functions like manual focus. By definition, focusing manually requires that the user see an image clearly in order to make fine adjustments. However, the HC46’s Manual Focus interface because blocks the majority of the LCD with oversized buttons and icons. When the user’s ability to scrutinize the image is most critical – during Manual Focus – Sony has made doing so absurdly difficult. In addition to the Manual Focus’s place ten steps within the menu structure, this further indicates Sony’s emphasis on the point-and-shoot market, and illustrates the limitations of the touch screen camcorder interface.

In addition to the LCD screen, the HC46 has an electronic color viewfinder that seems to render an even sharper image. This viewfinder would be a useful tool for manually focusing the image precisely because of its added sharpness, but manual controls are only available via the touch-screen interface on the LCD screen. The viewfinder does extend out from the camcorder body, providing good clearance, but it is extremely uncomfortable to look through. In fact using the viewfinder properly and blocking ambient light from the sides requires placing your eyeball directly against the hard plastic encircling the lens. In other words, poor implementation has rendered this technically very good viewfinder nearly useless. Sadly, this seems to be another example of Sony including a feature that would be useful to experienced users (like Manual Focus), and then dooming it through thoughtless design.

Battery Life* (13.0)*

The DCR-HC46 ships with the NP-FP50 battery, which is estimated to run for 100 minutes of continuous recording and 125 minutes of recharging time. We tested the battery ourselves for continuous recording by shooting in Easy mode with the LCD open, the back light on, electronic image stabilization on, and no manual controls or zoom engaged. In total, the battery lasted 129 minutes and 47 seconds (2 hours, 9 minutes, and 47 seconds).

Audio/Playback/Connectivity

Audio* (2.5)*

Audio recording options on the Sony DCR-HC46 are extremely limited – the camcorder has an onboard stereo microphone and an audio dub feature, but nothing beyond that. This limitation a by-product of Sony’s relentless pursuit of a broad consumer market that wants shooting video to be a simple, no-fuss affair. In limiting audio input options on its mid-range camcorders, Sony is not alone. Panasonic’s PV-GS39 and JVC’s GR-D650 are similarly constrained, while the step-up HC96 adds a hot accessory shoe that is compatible only with Sony’s own microphones. Among camcorders mentioned in this review, only the Elura 100 boasts a mini microphone jack which opens up a universe of microphone options, from wireless clip-on mics to shotguns capable of gathering sound at a great distance.

Many consumers would not make use of a microphone input if Sony had built one onto the HC46: adding a microphone to a shoot adds complexity to the endeavor, and most people believe that it’s the picture that determines whether a video succeeds. In fact, researchers have shown that sound is more important than image because language conveys so much meaning. When you consider that small built-in mics can only capture decent sound under optimal conditions (positioned close to the sound source in a quiet setting) the sound gathering limitations of the HC46 and many other camcorders become clear.

That said, the HC46 provides a few audio options in its menu. Users can record audio in two modes:12 bit stereo, and better quality16 bit mono. Choosing your audio mode should be determined by what kind of audio post-production – if any – you intend for your footage.

The DCR-HC46 does include some on-camera editing capabilities, including audio dubbing during VCR playback mode. If you intend to add sound to your footage in-camera, you will need to select 12 bit audio – the dub feature cannot be applied to 16 bit audio. The dubbing feature is a cool addition, and even allows for basic level adjustments to the two audio tracks, but it’s a primitive audio editing tool. Adding insult to injury, the only audio monitoring option you have is the small built-in speaker behind the LCD screen. If you buy the HC46 and want to work on your audio, any non-linear editing software will be far superior to the camcorder’s primitive on-camera audio editing options.

VCR Mode* (6.0)*

Sony calls its VCR function Play/Edit Mode – something that may be confusing to users the first time they want to play back a tape. Turning the mode dial clockwise twice from Camera mode enters Play/Edit mode, in which familiar VCR icons for stop, rewind, play, and fast forward line the bottom of the touch screen. It is possible to zoom into footage up to 5x as it plays back and to pan around the video image by touching different parts. This is certainly a cool feature; it might be useful if you need to review footage during a shoot and don’t have the luxury of a large monitor.

If you are not using Playback in Easy mode (which oddly enlarges the VCR buttons to conceal much of the image), a menu button offers some additional functionality. Variable Speed Playback is a useful mode: it adds buttons for 2x , slow rewind, and forward speeds, as well as frame advance, to the LCD interface. Unfortunately, these buttons take up more screen real estate, and cover nearly half of the image when in use. The HC46 includes additional VCR/Edit functions, such as an on-screen display of record buttons, an Audio over dub function, and End Search, which shuttles the tape forward to the next gap in recorded video. Playback volume is another option accessed through the menu. This commonly used function would have been more useful if it were more accessible from the camcorder body.

Ports* (4.5)*

There are four ports on the body of the Sony DCR-HC46 (DC In, A/V, Memory Stick Duo Pro) and the docking station port) and four on the docking station (DC In, A/V, USB and Firewire). The location of DC In and A/V ports on both the camcorder body and the docking station offers some flexibility in terms of how those ports are used. On the right side of the camcorder body, the A/V port cover is located just in front of the MiniDV tape compartment. The cover itself is made of unusually tough plastic and connected to the body by a four-piece connector. While a seemingly minor detail, durable port covers are a nice touch because they suffer from lots of wear and tear and are prone to breakage. The DC in port is at the back of the camcorder and is protected by port cover made of the same durable plastic. This location makes it possible to switch between battery power and DC power without interrupting the shot. The MemoryStick Duo Pro slot is inside the LCD cavity, so swapping out the card does require that the LCD be open. The port connecting the camcorder to its docking station is located on the underside of the body and cannot be used when the HC46 is mounted on a tripod.

*The AV port, located on the camcorder's front right side (left), and the ports of the HC46's base (right), which includes:

USB, DV, DC power, and AV out. *

The Docking Station is made of seemingly flimsy plastic and has ports for DC In, A/V, USB and Firewire. It is intended to save users from the hassle of unplugging multiple connectors from the camcorder. Some users will sure appreciate the dock because it does indeed enable rapid deployment of the HC46 – but it is another item to lose, and reduces the camcorder’s portability. Some users may also find it annoying that they cannot access essential ports like USB and Firewire cannot be accessed while the camcorder is affixed to a tripod. For those users who appreciate having all ports on the camcorder body, Sony should have retained USB and Firewire ports on the HC46. While complete redundancy in ports between camcorder body and docking station may seem wasteful, it would allow people to choose between the differing conveniences of a docking station and an all-in-one design.

Other Features

Widescreen/16:9 Mode* (5.5)
*The HC46 offers a strange hybrid sort of widescreen. While the wide angle does increase from 4:3 to 16:9, the camcorder also trims some information from the top and bottom of the picture. It’s certainly not as good as most Canons and the upper-end Panasonics, which offer true widescreen (with no loss of info from the top and bottom). The HC46 does, however, have a widescreen mode, which is conveniently activated by a button on the LCD panel, directly under the screen.  

Scan Rates/24p* (0.0)*

The HC46 has no additional scan rates beyond its 60i capability.

Other Features* (4.0)*
Fader

Sony has included a few in-camera fades on the DCR-HC46, which are applied on the fly while recording video. These effects enable the user to begin or end a shot with a fade-in or fade-out, and would be useful only for those who do not intend to add effects via a non-linear editing program.

Fade effects are accessed via the menu and fade-in is set before recording begins. When the Rec button is pressed, the selected fade effect begins the shot. Fade-out effects must be set while the camcorder is recording – this means navigating through the touch screen menu to the desired fade effect, which inevitably jostles the camcorder, so the usefulness of on-camera fade-out is debatable. Fade-in/fade-out options include white, black, mosaic and monotone; overlap, wipe and dot fader are transitions between shots, and are only available as fade-in options.

Electronic Image Stabilization

As in all of today’s consumer camcorders, the Sony DCR-HC46 has a stabilization system to help reduce the effects of camera shake on the video image. There are two common image stabilization methods, and the HC46 uses the inferior system – electronic image stabilization or EIS. EIS stabilizes the video image by creating a digital "buffer zone." The buffer zone literally subtracts pixels from the recorded image and thus reduces its sharpness. Optical image stabilization (OIS) systems are better than EIS because they stabilize the image without impacting resolution.

Digital Effects/Picture Effects

In addition to fades, the HC46 has a handful of digital effects that can be applied in-camera. These options include Cinema effect, which shifts to a 16:9 aspect ratio and progressive video mode; Delay motion, which repeats the recorded image; Still, which records a movie over a saved still image; Flash, which records an image in a strobe-like manner; Luminance Key, a rudimentary keying function; Trail, which creates image trails; Slow Shutter, which slows the shutter’s speed; and Old Movie, which adds a sepia hue. All of these options except Old Movie and Cinema can be adjusted with a sliding bar in the menu.

The HC46 includes six still picture effects that can be applied in both capture and playback modes: negative art, sepia, black and white, solarize, pastel, and mosaic. It goes without saying that computer-based video and photo editing software offers far more control over effects than is possible in-camera, so, for most users, these digital and picture effects are no more than gimmicks.

Super NightShot Plus Infrared System

NightShot Plus and Super NightShot Plus utilize the infrared port (located below the lens) to gather image information in very dark environments. The quality of NightShot images is very poor – grainy and de-saturated – but this feature does enable recording in zero-lux environments. While it may be a gimmick, NightShot is definitely one of the cooler gimmicks out there.

Comparisons/Conclusion

Comparison
Sony DCR-HC36*
*From the outside, all the camcorders in Sony’s HC line look nearly identical – and, in terms of body shape, they are. The question for buyers is: what separates the HC46 from its cousins and what value does the $100 price increase ($500 vs. $400) over the HC36 add?

The most obvious technical distinction between these camcorders is in CCD size. The HC46 chip is slightly larger at 1/5.5 vs. 1/6 for the HC36, and does yield a noticeably sharper image. However the HC46 suffers from blotchy blue noise that will serve as a disincentive for some buyers. Due to its different optical mechanism, the HC46 also has less optical zoom power:1 2x vs. 20x. The HC46 does add a 16:9 formatting option and has a larger 2.7 inch LCD to accommodate widescreen display. Stepping down from the HC46 gets you a camcorder with all ports on-board, and on balance, we prefer the all-in-one model. Both camcorders record still pictures, but the HC46 produces images with nearly three times the pixel count of the HC36. Judging which of these two camcorders is the best buy is difficult, but if widescreen, still capabilities and video sharpness are important considerations, the DCR-HC46 has a winning edge.

Sony DCR-HC96
The price jump between Sony’s DRC-HC46 and its step up cousin is startling – the HC96 has an MSRP of $800, $300 higher than the HC46. The differences start with the HC96’s much larger CCD, 1/3" vs. 1/5.5" for the HC46. This larger chip yields better video performance, especially in low light. The HC96 also has much improved still photo capabilities: 3 MP vs. only 1 MP for the HC46. A hot shoe on the HC96 will accommodate only Sony accessories, including microphones – a universal mini mic jack such as the one on the Canon Elura 100 would have been better. In its favor, the HC46 has a slightly better zoom (12x vs. 10x) and is a bit smaller and lighter. Is the extra $300 worth it? We think not. For $100 less than the HC96, the Panasonic PV-GS300 provides a universal mic jack and additional manual controls. All in all, the HC46 is a better value than its pricier cousin.

Panasonic PV-GS59
At a significantly lower price of $379, the Panasonic PV-GS59 offers stiff competition for Sony’s DCR-HC46. While the Panasonic does have a smaller imager, at 1/6" vs. 1/5.5", it shoots in both 16:9 and 4:3 like the Sony. It also boasts a whopping 30x optical zoom that trounces the HC46’s 12x. In the Sony’s favor, it has NightShot and is a very easy camcorder to use. In this race, it’s tough to get around the $120 price differential between these two camcorders ,so the PV-GS59 gets our vote.

JVC GR-D650

JVC GR-D650 packs a lot of features into this surprisingly affordable camcorder. At a mere $399 compared to the $500 price tag of the Sony HC46, the JVC is worth a close look. The JVC’s imager is larger at 1/5"; when combined with 3-D noise reduction and an F1.2 lens, it provides overall video performance that beats the HC46’s handily. The JVC takes marginally larger stills, functions as a web cam, has a better zoom at 15x, sports manual shutter speed adjustments, and ships with a remote control. In most other respects the camcorders are similar, though the Sony’s LCD is larger (2.7" vs. 2.5"), it has NightShot, and it wins on ease-of-use. It it’s hard to argue with the D650’s plethora of features and impressive light gathering capabilities. Once again, the HC46 comes up short.

Canon Elura 100
The DCR-HC46 encounters similar problems when compared to the Canon Elura 100, one of this year’s most impressive consumer camcorders. At an MSRP of $399 (matching the JVC GR-D650’s price), Canon has produced a camcorder that boasts excellent video performance. The HC46 bests the Canon in a few areas, notably in ease of use, handling and battery expandability, but as a package, it falls short. The Elura’s imager is larger (1/5" vs. 1/5.5"), it has a universal mic input (there’s none on the HC46), a better optical zoom (20x vs. 12x), records to SD cards (a more common format than Sony’s Memory Stick) and better manual controls (shutter speed, controls more accessible). So while the Elura 100 is by no means perfect and the HC46 is definitely easier to use, the Canon simply gives you much more camcorder for your money.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters *(8.0)*

Sony camcorders are easy to use and very solid performers in Easy mode – and for the point-and-shooter, the HC46 a good choice. The options it adds over the step-down HC36 will be worth the extra $100 for many customers, and at $300 less than the HC96, it’s a good value.

Budget Consumers* (5.0)*

The HC46 is not a cheap camcorder at $500, and budget consumers will simply get more for their money if they opt for the Panasonic PV-GS59 ($379), the JVC GR-D650 ($399) or the Canon Elura 100 ($399).

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid* (3.5)*

This camcorder is a serviceable hybrid, but if you are interested in capturing quality stills, there are better options – the HC96 is a much better hybrid, as it captures larger, sharper stills, and PV-GS59, GR-D650 and Elura 100 perform comparably at much lower prices.

Gadget Freaks* (1.0)*

This is a camcorder for soccer moms and dads – other than NightShot, the HC46 offers the gadget freak little to get excited about.

Manual Control Freaks* (3.0)*

Manual control freaks will only find frustration with the HC46 – a camcorder that is wholly geared to the Easy mode user. Even dabbling in this camcorder’s image control features is a chore, so anyone who wants even decent manual control over focus should look elsewhere.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists* (2.0)*

Pros and serious hobbyists would be better off with any camcorder mentioned in this article other than the HC36. The HC46 offers less in the way of control and flexibility over the video image than just about any camcorder on the market other than lower-end Sonys.

Conclusion

The DCR-HC46 will sell well, that much is almost certain. It’s the middle-of-the-road MiniDV model from the most recognizable name in camcorders – Sony. If the salesperson is successful is swaying you out of the $400 and below market, this will surely be a strong contender in the sales pitch line-up. But does it deserve that attention?

Sony camcorders are simple machines to operate. Their Easy mode and their touch screen LCD menus have a powerful draw for the beginners and technologically disinclined. These conveniences come at a steep cost, however. Manual controls are curtailed, and do not include shutter speed, aperture, or gain. More importantly, the performance was worse than we were expecting. While most of the 2006 Sony MiniDV camcorders managed to shed the old problem of blue noise, the HC46 missed that crucial fix and continues to produce very noisy video. 

The Canon Elura 100 gives the HC46 its tightest competition, and we have to place our favor with the Elura. It’s cheaper, it has better video, and it offers more options, including a mic input. For many shoppers, it’s a Sony or nothing world, but we urge you to shop smart and consider the Elura 100 before you buy.

Specs/Ratings

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