and affordable camcorder is
let down by its low quality
video performance. Our test
video shot in studio lighting
looked fuzzy and grainy, and
colors appeared pale. These
problems were exaggerated
in low light situations,
where the grain was extremely
distracting.
The DCR-HC36E Handycam
handles well and is easy to
use. It fi ts comfortably in the
palm of the hand, with the
zoom control falling under
the index finger when the
hand strap is properly adjusted.
The record button is a
little high, though; you may
have to brace the camcorder
with your left hand to reach
up and hit it. This camcorder
is also pretty light.
Most of the DCR-HC36’s
controls are located in an
on-screen menu, which is
accessed via the touch screen.
Though this keeps camcorder
operation as simple as possible,
you end up with fi ngerprints
on the screen.
The 2.5-inch LCD display is
clear and bright, but it doesn’t
accommodate wide-screen
viewing. The DCR-HC36E
has a 20X zoom lens and
includes electronic image
stabilization, which does a
reasonable job of controlling
the effects of camera shake.
However, it is not as effective
as optical image stabilization
found in other cameras. The
battery life of just over 100
minutes was acceptable but
not outstanding.
Overall, this is a budget
camcorder that takes adequate
video in daylight, but its
poor performance in low light
will be a problem if you want
to take videos indoors—at a
party, for instance.
Search Amazon.com for Sony DCR-HC36E
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