Testing The Sony DCR-HC52 Camcorder For The First Time

[DGKall2010]

dcr hc52 can upload to computer through a firewire 4/6 pin cable

[MrAndrewskates]

does it have a place to put a usb card?

[BernieLJ77]

@MrAndrewskates

No it doesn't have USB, only has an A/V R connection, which terminates in three colored (Red, White and Yellow) RCA-Type analog connections, for the right and left channel audio and the video connection, like to a TV or VCR, and a firewire connection I think it is...I didn't have it very long, didn't even last through the warranty period, and it died on me, so I can't say for sure, but no USB. I now use a Sony DCR-SX40 that uses a 4Gb hard drive which does have USB.

[BernieLJ77]

@MrAndrewskates

The DCR-SX40 uses the USB port for transferring pictures and videos to the computer, and I'm not sure, but I don't think that the DCR-HC52 will take pictures, but it doesn't work, and I'd have to dig out the owner's manual to check on it, but the DCR-SX40 that I use now can record video and switch to taking digital pictures, saving them on a 4GB hard drive, whereas the DCR-HC52 uses DV tape for video storage. So far the DCR-SX40 is still working.

[BernieLJ77]

@MrAndrewskates

I actually wasn't going to buy another Sony, and was looking to get a JVC model, but they only had the display model left, and no owner's manual, so gave Sony a second chance with the DCR-SX40.

The computer's operating system sees the Sony DCR-SX40 as an external hard drive, or I can use the included software, that has the ability to transfer the videos and pictures, so I do like the SX40 better than the HC52, except the SX40 doesn't have Night Shot Plus like the HC52 has/had.

[BernieLJ77]

@MrAndrewskates

Oh yes, almost forgot to say it, but the Sony DCR-SX40 that I use now does have the slot for one of those memory sticks also, besides the USB that is, and it's smaller in physical size than the HC52. Well Good Luck and have a great day...BLJ

[Curtisstewartt]

I have the same Camcorder.. The way I render it makes the quality look great! I might be upgrading to a VX2100 soon tho.. And keep this my back up cam

[BernieLJ77]

Mine turned out to be a piece of junk that didn't even last until the end of the warranty, if you have watched any of my other videos, and I wanted to use it to record my niece's wedding, but it broke down on me, and back then I had lost my job, no unemployment and the boss said he had submitted my worker's compensation claim, but he didn't, and two of his employees, plus him, stated that I quit on them instead of getting hurt, which upset me a bit.

[BernieLJ77]

Anyway, I saw a different brand on sale but they didn't have any more on hand other than the display one, and I wanted one in a box not the display model, which I would still have taken but they couldn't find the box, and I think it was a JVC, but instead I have given Sony a second chance, didn't want to, but I did, and now I use a Sony DCR-SX40, which doesn't use DV tape and instead has a 4 GB hard drive in it. takes both pictures and videos.

[BernieLJ77]

The Sony DCR-SX40 is smaller in size, and lighter, than the DCR-HC52, it also came with a USB cable that connects to the computer, has its own software that allows you to download to the computer and I like it so far, except it doesn't have the night vision or what's referred to as Night Shot Plus. I like the hard drive though instead of DV tape, so all in all I like it better than the DCR-HC52, if it doesn't break down on me so fast like the HC52 did. Have a Great Day and enjoy the HC52.

[darthcrowe]

hey, does this camcorder has a night vision mode? if so is it green white?

[NickInTrayning]

I have this camera and yes it has night vision and it's green

[darthcrowe]

ah, iv got it now but how do i upload videos from it to my pc?

[BernieLJ77]

I answered that a few times already, so you can probably read about that or you can watch a few of my other videos as I sort of explain it there also, but I never did get the firewire cable for it and transferred the video using the supplied composite cable connected to the composite connections on the Hauppauge PVR500 Radio/TV card and used a program called WIN-TV2000, downloaded from the Hauppauge web site to "record" the playback like it was an incoming TV signal.

[BernieLJ77]

Yes, I actually use it a few times during this video, which was taken just before it got dark outside, at dusk you might say, I used what they call Night Shot Plus when the cat was in the hallway and I had the hallway light turned off, then I used it when pointing the camcorder up at my TV/Radio antennas also.

[MerykWalkerFilms]

damn Windows Movie Maker always kills video quality

[BernieLJ77]

Well, actually, Windows Movie Maker can store it in fairly high quality I think, it's just that to save money, I get the 1.5Mb download/576 Kbps upload Broadband speed, so I am limited to sending at the 576Kbps rate, and at the time I did this video WMM had a 521Kbps rate, closest to my maximum upload rate of 576Kbps. Once I went to WIN-Vista, WMM only had a 112Kbps rate, or something like that, their next rate is above my maximum upload rate. Don't know why they got rid of the 521Kbps rate.

[BernieLJ77]

However now I don't even use Windows any more and am using a version of Linux called Ultimate Edition and it's supposed to be a "gamers" version of Linux, and had tried Mandriva, and Ubuntu, Kubuntu, OpenSUSE, just a bunch of different versions of Linux and am trying Ultimate Edition right now...I don't know yet if it has a video editing program, and am getting it set up with e-mail, audio player, etc., and also am trying to get the video access to the Hauppauge PVR500 set up. Have a Great Day.

[MerykWalkerFilms]

My Windows Movie Maker that i have on my XP lets me save video at 30.0Mbps in AVI format, but all it's done for me is blur my videos, then again I have a terrible camera as of right now, and by terrible i mean one of those little RCA Flipshot type harddrive cameras, however im upgrading to the Sony HDR-CX100. But WMM won't even matter because im getting Sony Vegas along with.

[Plumyplum]

is the nightshot plus like night vision or is it a light

[BernieLJ77]

Well I guess you'd call it an infrared light...when looking at the camcorder it looks like a Red light, when viewing darkness through the camcorder it sort of has a Greenish tint to it, but outdoors, it really brightens things up...If you watched this video, when I went around the house it was around dusk, starting to get dark outside and when I turned the Night Shot Plus on, it almost made it too bright when looking at the TV antennas.

[TheConduitKing]

hey i have this camera i just dont know how to put what i record on the computer :'( could you please explain how!!! TY!!!

[BernieLJ77]

Sorry I didn't get back to you, but hopefully you found your answer, as I had posted my answer a few times and people were starting to comment on how many times I gave my answer...you should have received your answer if ytou watched some of my videos.

[purplewon1]

where did u get the cable to put ur video to the computer?? plz reply

[BernieLJ77]

Well the HC52 came with a cable...If you've watched some of my videos there's at least one where I kind of show the cable...It's for composite connections, like what you'd use to connect to the VCR with, the RCA type connections which have one Red, one Yellow and one White color-coded end on it, the end you connect to the computer with. The Red and White are for the Right and Left audio channels and the Yellow is for the video. The other end connects to the HC52. It's not Fire-wire though.

[BernieLJ77]

What I have in the computer though is one of those Hauppauge cards that is for watching TV and listening to FM radio on your computer. That's how I connected the HC52 to the computer, through that card, which is a PVR500 which has two receivers in it so I can have radio and TV antennas connected to one receiver and the camcorder to the other receiver and I'd transfer the video to the computer like if it was an incoming TV signal on the composite channel in WINTV2000, software I downloaded.

[BernieLJ77]

A fire-wire cable I think can be purchased wherever electronic devices, like TVs, appliances, etc., are sold, like Radio Shack, BestBuy, Target, Walmart, K-Mart, wherever...Maybe where you buy and/or repair computer systems may have them too.

[BernieLJ77]

Since the camcorder is shot I can't make any more videos anyway

[BernieLJ77]

It has two receivers in it so I can use one receiver connected to an antenna to receive TV and radio signals, plus the composite connections to the other receiver, and I use software I downloaded from the Hauppauge website, for WINTV, or WINTV2000, so the camcorder's "signal" or playback looks like a TV signal, if you know what I mean?

[BernieLJ77]

I just connected the supplied Composite cable, the one with the Yellow RCA-Type connection for vidoe, and the Red and White Audio RCA type connections to the Hauppauge PVR500 TV and Radio card that I have installed in the computer in one of my expansion slots...

[yorkca]

What if my computer does not have a firewire port, its a notebook ?

[BernieLJ77]

I'm sorry I've been too busy lately to do much here on the computer, plus the fact that the camcorder is broke down, or doesn't work, and I've been playing games on Facebook the past two weeks, like Mafia Wars, Vampire Wars, Street Racing, Castle Age, etc...I have never used Firewire myself...

[lilrabbit210]

how do u put the film into the computer??

i need help! plz

[BernieLJ77]

I've mentioned this a few times already, both in text comments and in a video or two, so maybe you've read some of my channel comments, or have watched my videos already? Anyway I'll tell you the basics.

[BernieLJ77]

After recording a video with the HC-52, I rewind the tape, then I connect it to the computer using the cable that came with the HC-52 and connected the three composite connections, the Yellow video, plus the Red and White audio connections, to the composite connections of the Hauppauge PVR500 radio/tv card I have installed in the computer, then using the WINTV2000 software, that I had downloaded from the Hauppauge website, I ran the WINTV2000 software, viewing the HC-52's video playback.

[BernieLJ77]

I viewed the HC-52's video playback in the WINTV2000's software program like if the camcorder's video playback was a television signal on the Composite Channel and used the WINTV2000 software to "record" and "save" the video playback as a file on the computer, then I used the Windows Movie Maker software to edit the file, including picking the highest quality or speed in the Windows Movie Maker software that is closest to the maximum upload speed of my Internet connection. I then could upload it

[BernieLJ77]

Of course, if you have the media center in your computer already, you can record it with that, but I like the looks of the WINTV2000's "TV" and "Radio" skins better than the media center's skins, but if you don't have a radio and TV receiver card installed in your computer, then you probably would need to buy a firewire cable to connect the HC-52 to the computer, to transfer the video to the computer. I guess, according to what I read in my HC-52's owner's manual, the HC-54 comes with that cable

[BernieLJ77]

I'm not sure right at this moment, because of the time that has passed and the number of videos I've done, but I think you can see some of what I'm talking about in the video I called, "Sony HC52 To Hauppauge Composite Connection," but there I think is one or two others that may touch on how I did it also.

Since this was my first camcorder, and since this was the first time I had uploaded camcorder videos, and since I didn't buy the firewire cable, I can't say how to do it that way.

[BernieLJ77]

I had used the webcam way of saving videos and have uploaded videos directly using the webcam, and have even used the camcorder almost like if it was a webcam, to upload videos directly, but never had uploaded videos before where I had recorded videos using the camcorder and had saved, edited and uploaded those videos, so this was new to me too. I deleted my first YouTube account, where I could upload videos of almost any size, or at least 1 hour, but I decided to start another one. Good Luck

[NOLIMIT331]

is there any way i can transfer my film to the computer without the firewire cable?please reply

[BernieLJ77]

You can read about that above, or you can watch a couple of my videos where I talk about that, but what I did was to use the composite cable that came with the camcorder and connected the three wires to the back of the computer, to the Hauppauge PVR-500 that I have in the computer, which has two radio and TV receivers in it, then I used a program called WINTV2000, that I downloaded from the Hauppauge website, to "record" the camcorder's playback on WINTV2000's Composite Channel.

[BernieLJ77]

That's basically what I did to get most of the videos onto the computer. The Hauppauge PVR-500 has "regular" "Screw-On" "F-Type" connections that I have a digital TV converter box connected to for watching TV, since the PVR-500 is analog, and the other receiver uses the composite connections, the same connections that the HC52 Camcorder's cable uses on one end of its cable. The other end of course goes into the camcorder.

[BernieLJ77]

In WINTV2000, you do a scan for TV channels, but after that you still need to set up the composite channel as another "source" as they put it in the WINTV2000 software, and then to view the camcorder's playback, or live video, you just go to the Composite Channel. Of course, if you don't have a card in your computer for watching TV and/or for listening to radio, then you won't be able to do it that way. I put the PVR-500 into my computer as it didn't come with it but it was from another computer

[RamiroR]

You can, but is way better to always use firewire, this way there's not quality loss , you can also use composite cables, using a Video Capture Card, but if this has the fireware port, use it

[Vpando4life]

is it a good camera i mean is there a microphone input or headphone jack

[BernieLJ77]

Already answered elsewhere, but I'll say that it has a built-in two-channel microphone and for audio output, it has the DV jack for "fire-wire" I think, and a composite jack, with seperate video and audio left and right channels, with a supplied cable, plus a built-in speaker but no external speaker jack and no external headphone jack, and unlike the HC54 which has a DV cable I think because I see that listed in my owners manual, it doesn't come with the DV to USB cable.

[Vpando4life]

thx and srry about that

[BernieLJ77]

I wasn't able to use my HC52 very long, as most know already, but I'd say that you can only record videos and not individual pictures, but I may be mistaken on that. What I did though was to connect my HC52 to the back of my computer, to the Hauppauge PVR-500 card which has two radio and TV receivers in it, and used a program called WINTV2000, downloaded from the Hauppauge website, and then recorded the playback on the composite channel. I used Windows Movie Maker software to edit the videos.

[BernieLJ77]

In other words, when playing the DV taped video in the camcorder, I "recorded" the video by using the WINTV2000 on the composite channel, like if the camcorder's playback was an incoming TV signal. Using Windows Movie Maker or some other software, you probably could "extract" "pictures." I can do that with WINTV2000 in a way. I can click on "SNAPSHOT," and I can take a snapshot of the screen, or I have also used another software program to do "Screen captures," which I used on my game videos.

[BernieLJ77]

If you choose "OFF," then all you'll get is the 40 times optical zoom, which is what I mostly had recorded my first videos with, until I discovered that you needed to enable, or turn on, the digital zoom by the menu system.

After Step 7) you can either click on the arrow keys to make changes to other things, or on the RET button or key to go to the previous menu, or you can click on the "x" at the top right of the screen to leave the menu system.

[usliusli1]

You use the max zoom? 40x? This camera can make photo? Or only make movie?

Sorry, my english its poor! kkkkk!!

Im brasilian guy!

[BernieLJ77]

Well, at first I tested the zoom, and had sometimes zoomed in and out, but I hadn't really paid attention to whether it was maximum zoom or not, but sometimes I knew it was maximum zoom, but at first it would only zoom in to 40 Times optical zoom. You needed to go into the menu system to turn the 2000 times digital zoom on.

[BernieLJ77]

To enable the 2000 times digital zoom, turn the camcorder on, then:

1) click on the FN key or button;

2) Click on the Menu button;

(If MENU" isn't showing then click on the "PAGE 1" button);

3)If the "Camera Set" list isn't showing, use the arrow keys to go up, or down, until the Camera Set list shows;

("D ZOOM" will be the first on the "CAMERA SET" list);

Click on the EXEC button or key;

4) Use the arrow keys until the "D ZOOM" is hightlighted; (you'll see the current setting)

[BernieLJ77]

5)Click on the EXEC button or key; (You should now see "OFF," "80x," and "2000x" showing)

6) Use the arrow keys or buttons, to move the choice up or down, to make your choice: Either "OFF," "80x," or "2000x"

7) Once the choice you want is highlighted then click on the EXEC button or key.

This turns the digital zoom off, or this will turn 80x digital zoom on, or will turn the 2000x digital zoom on, depending upon which choice you make.

[JohnnyGlitch]

DUDE U F N ROCK IT WORKED thx and sry about your camra

[JohnnyGlitch]

i tried and like what it does is like 4 excample i rec my cats and view it then i want to get rid of it and i did what u said but instead of taping over it it like "shoves it 2 the side" and i have 2 back 2 back videos

[BernieLJ77]

Hmm...It sounds like the tape isn't rewinding maybe. Anyway, I put a tape into the camcorder, then I either pressed the REC Start/Stop button that's on the back end of the camcorder, which is right below the On/Off rotary button or knob, or the Record button that's next to the LCD screen which is right below the zoom in and out buttons. Once the recording is stopped, I briefly turn the knob so the LCD screen switches over to what I'll call the "Playback Screen."

[BernieLJ77]

I then rewind it, which it sounds like you were able to do, since you said that you watched what you had recorded, and once the tape gets back to the beginning, you should be able to record over the old video, but I'm wondering something, maybe you need to briefly turn the knob again so that the LCD screen reverts back to the same screen you get when turning the camcorder on, then maybe you can record over the old video. I can't really do anything with mine as mine is broke down.

[BernieLJ77]

So I can't really go through every step and I didn't have mine very long and it became shot on me. It also was the first camcorder I owned. I can't record or rewind, or play back and I can't open the door to get the tape out, etc...and in one video I did I show the part that came out of the camcorder...The audio got noisy too...Hope you figure it out and Happy Holidays...Bernie

[BernieLJ77]

over the old video...does that help? the middle button on the screen, the one with the arrow pointing to the right, is the play/pause button, and the one on the left is the stop button and the one between the stop and play/pause buttons is the rewind button. Of course to record you can press the REC Start/Stop button at the back of the camcorder also, but the rewind is on the screen. Have to go...Hope that helps...

[JohnnyGlitch]

i just got this camcorder and i dont know how to delete or tapeover videos or whatever do u know how

[BernieLJ77]

Well, if you know how to switch to the screen where the "buttons" are, the ones that are on the bottom row of the screen, the one to the left is the "Stop" button, the next one over is the "Rewind" button, unless you keep pressure on it, then it goes backwards while you watch the video, "Search backwards" may be what it is, the next button over is the "Play" and "Pause" button, then next one over is the "Fast Forward" and "Search Forward" button and the last button on the right is the...

[BernieLJ77]

"Function" button, or that's what I call it anyway, which allows you to access the menu functions. Anyway, if you've recorded a video, by pressing the "Record" button, and didn't want to keep that video and use a different tape, and you want to record over the old video, which worked for me up to a certain number of times, then the tape starts to wear out, and I only used three DV tapes the entire time I made my recordings, then what you do is this...

[BernieLJ77]

I assume that you turned the camcorder on and then just pressed the "Record" button, the maybe you pressed it again to stop the recording? If you're on the screen where you just turned the camcorder on, then what you need to do is to turn the power on and off knob clockwise briefly, it will return to where it was, but the screen will change to where the control buttons are. You can press the second button from the left to rewind the tape, it will stop by itself I think, then you can record...

[stevenwm94]

would this be good for filming skateboarding

[BernieLJ77]

Hmm...I really don't know...I used it while riding bicycle, but I rode my 21-speed, all-terrain bike, in only one certain gear, down a path, and also on the street, holding one handle bar and using my other hand to hold the camcorder. I don't know if it would work well skateboarding or not. Do you mean using the camcorder yourself while skateboarding, if so, then using zoom would be hard, or do you mean to have someone else record your skateboarding, if that's so, then it may work ok.

[rike94]

does that camera has a microphone port, for an external one?

[BernieLJ77]

No, just a built-in microphone, open/close lens cover, Night Shot Plus for low-light video, reset button, miniature speaker, button for "easy" operation if you'd like to use that, button to display battery condition, button to increase lighting on the LCD screen, on/off/mode switch, record on/off buttons, zoom in/out buttons and switch, open/eject button, screw threads for tripod, DV jack for Firewire cable I guess, DC In jack for external power and for charging, A/V R Composite jack & battery.

[noper12345]

dose anyone know where to buy a fisheye lens for this camera

or if they make fisheye lenses for this camera????

THANX

[3Z3K13L08]

Well I got this camera and if you hold it properly and don't zoom too deep, the image is very stable even while walking.

To those who don't know how to import the video: You need to by a Sony (or a 3rd party) i.Link cable, aka Firewire cable. Make sure it's compatible with the camera first as not ALL Firewire cables will work (I found this out the hard way). You can also use the Composite out jack into a TV tuner card and record when the camera is in playback mode.

Hope this helps .

[BernieLJ77]

Yes, that's what I do, or did until the camcorder broke down, transfer the video from the camcorder via the composite connections to my Hauppauge TV tuner card using WINTV2000 to record the playback of the camcorder as a composite channel, so I then put the record function on in WINTV2000, like if I was going to record a TV program, and if I'd connect the composite cable to a VCR instead of the TV tuner card in the PC, I could record to VCR video tape that way.

[BernieLJ77]

With the Firewire cable, the HC54 comes with one I believe, but the HC52 doesn't, at least that's what I gather looking at the owner's manual, as the owner's manual covers both models of camcorders, but when I looked at Walmart, they didn't have the right Firewire cable, but they did have one that had the correct Firewire cable connections, but it also had other adapters on it as well, but that was an expensive cable, and I didn't need the other connections, so I didn't buy it.

[BernieLJ77]

I suppose that other places, like BestBuy for example, may have the proper Firewire cable, as I didn't want to get the one they had at Walmart as it did include the proper connections, but it had all sorts of other connections as well, which would be nice if you could use them, but I didn't need all of the other connections, so I thought that it was kind of high-priced to get just what I wanted, because it had all the extra connectors that I didn't need.

[ydrjtt]

my dads been thinking of getting this for me ive been using my point and shoot camera for my filming

[BernieLJ77]

I didn't have good luck with my HC52, it lasted just under 2 1/2 hours, then the head needed cleaning, so if you get it, get a DV head cleaning tape. After that it seemed as though I needed to use the head cleaning tape for about one minute every time I wanted to record something. I bought the HC52 new from Walmart on May 20th, 2008, on July 10th it developed a loud whine or noise, (watch another video of mine) and by July 11th, 2008 it was broke down, but others have had good luck with theirs.

[BernieLJ77]

I had purchased the HC52 with part of my Stimulus Check, but I had hurt my back on the job, my employer denied that I had done so, hadn't put my claim in for worker's compensation, and I also was turned down for Social Security Disability benefits, as I guess I'm not "sick enough," or "disabled enough," to qualify for benefits, so I had no money to send the HC52 in for warranty work, so I'm just out around $250.00 I "invested" in the HC52, but it was supposed to "stimulate" the economy anyway.

[BernieLJ77]

I can't lift over 25 pounds at a time, so I guess that if I ever get married, I can't "carry her over the threshold" so to speak, and I'm not supposed to do any bending or stretching either, and general labor is just about all I've ever done for work, so my job prospects are "few and far between" so to speak. Anyway, I've been out of work for over a year now and it's not looking too good for me right now. If I was only about 12 or 13 years older, then I could at least claim Social Security.

[BernieLJ77]

I see that I mentioned I had it connected to USB, and I was mistaken, or I stated that wrong, and what I meant was that I took the Composite cable that came with the HC52, connected one end to the A/V R connection on the camcorder, then connected the other end to the Composite connections on the Hauppauge PVR-500 PVR Radio/TV card. The Yellow to the video of the card in the PC and the Red and White Composite cable to the left and right audio channels of the card and not to USB. Sorry

[watch4theDROP]

how did you get the video onto your computer? is there a special wire you need to buy? i couldn't find the USB jack anywhere

[BernieLJ77]

I explain some of this in one or more of my other videos, but basically, the HC52 only came with a composite cable that's mainly for connection to either a VCR, or TV, etc., that has those types of connections. You can buy a DV to USB cable, or Firewire cable for the HC52, but what I had done was to connect the composite cable to my Hauppauge TV/Radio card that's in the PC. That's a card I had since 2006. It's an analog tuner card that has a TV and a radio receiver in it...

[BernieLJ77]

The composite cable has color-coded ends on it, which does match up to the color coded connections on the TV/Radio card. I think the Red and White ends are for the Left and Right audio channels, and the Yellow one is for the video connection. I connected those to the card like I mentioned, then after recording with the camcorder, I connected the camcorder to the composite cable, which has an end that connects to the A/V R jack on the camcorder.

[BernieLJ77]

I switch the camcorder over to the play mode, rewind the tape to the beginning of the recording, and maybe while the DV tape is rewinding, I'll click on the WinTV2000 icon I have on my desktop, which opens WinTV2000, which was software I downloaded from the Hauppauge website, and that software has both a radio and TV support, and if you watch one of my other videos, I also demonstrate that a bit, and I also have the Media Center in the PC as I actually downgraded my Windows Vista to WIN-XP...

[BernieLJ77]

Home Edition because some of my hardware doesn't work with Windows Vista because there are no Windows Vista drivers for the hardware, and I do have the Media Center Edition, but I wasn't able to get that to work too well for the composite channel that the camcorder uses, so I use the WIN-TV2000 software instead for the Hauppauge PVR Radio and TV card. Anyway, I open WIN-TV2000, it looks like a television screen, and has controls on it. I set the tuner card up to receive not only regular TV...

[BernieLJ77]

channels, but also a composite channel, which is what the camcorder is connected to. The PVR-500 I think the model number is has two receivers in it, so one I use for TV, the regular over-the-air TV channels, and the other receiver with the composite connections I use for the camcorder, so I set the WIN-TV2000 software to record, by pressing on the OTR button, which stands for "One Touch Record," after turning or setting the channel to the composite channel or composite source...

[BernieLJ77]

I click on the play button on the camcorder, and WIN-TV2000 records the camcorder's playback like if it was an incoming TV signal...It's sort of like when you'd record a TV program with a VCR...Of course, when the playback ends, I click on the stop button on the camcorder, if needed, then I click on the OTP, or "One Touch Pause" button, in WIN-TV2000 stopping the recording of the composite signal...

[BernieLJ77]

Now then, the recorded file, with a filename that starts with something like "Composite..." in it's filename, is of such quality, that I can't upload it to YouTube, because my maximum upload speed is limited to 576Kbps I think it is, so what I do then is to edit the video using Windows Movie Maker and save and the video at the closest speed to 576Kbps I can, which shows 512Kbps I think, but it will usually show that I uploaded at 521Kbps I think. Hope that Helps...maybe watch my other videos.

[BernieLJ77]

(The Hauppauge PVR-500, or whatever the model number is, actually has two receivers in it, so I can have a TV antenna connected to one receiver, and either a VCR, DVD player, etc., or the camcorder connected to the other receiver. One receiver has screw-on "F" type connections, like the type that the cable going up to the TV antenna has, and the other receiver has the composite connections, the same that the cable that came with the HC52 camcorder has.)

[3Z3K13L08]

It's not as stable with one hand? Try holding it without shaking it. Also you can hold the camera with one hand (say, your right), and then hold your right wrist with your left hand to make you hand less shaky. I did media studies in yr 12 high school and we used the older Sony Handycams and the problem most people had was that they didn't know how to hold it properly.

These cameras aren't designed to be ultra steady when used with one hand. Plus you were walking, which wobbles the camera more.

[BernieLJ77]

Yes, I tried to hold it as steady as possible, and actually it seemed to be steadier holding it with one hand instead of two hands like it recommends in the owners manual, and I don't think that I shook it on purpose, unless I stated that I was testing that, it just gets real shaky the more you zoom in. I had that enabled, but it didn't seem to help much. The setting for steadiness that is, whatever it's called.

[BernieLJ77]

Yes, I viewed a video showing that not only the one hand holding the wrist of the other one, but also putting your elbows up to yourself, more or less making yourself a human tripod.

[aceofclubs08]

does it have a USB porT?

[3Z3K13L08]

Yes, but only to transfer still images. It has a Firewire port for video import to PC.

Trust me, you'll want Firewire, USB sucks.

[BernieLJ77]

All I've used to transfer video to the computer is the Composite cable that came with the camcorder, plugged into the USB. I can only upload at 521Kbps rate to the Internet however, because my upload speed is limited to 576Kbps, I can download up to 3Mbps though, so I have to choose the 512Kbps rate that I think is one of the upload choices for Broadband in Windows Movie Maker.

[BernieLJ77]

Do you have USB1 or 2.0? I have a card with 4 USB 2.0 ports on it, and I did notice that when I installed the updated driver that came with the USB 2.0 card, USB seemed to double its speed. I can't say how fast Firewire works as I haven't used that yet, even though my external hard drive came with a Firewire cable, my computer doesn't have a Firewire port, and the Firewire cable for the hard drive has a different end on it than what would fit into the camcorder.

[myskymusic]

I am sorry for malfunction of HC 52. I had a Sharp company camcorder before. I touched it like treasure and kept it in the box carefully without use. but oneday audio recording was out of order and after that video was out, too. but I didn't discart it yet.

[BernieLJ77]

Yes I use it off and on now, but only using WINTV2000 and then I record like if the camcorder was a webcam.

[BernieLJ77]

Then after that, it seemed as though I needed to clean the head every time I recorded something, then a little later on I heard a loud whine when the camcorder was turned on, and it of course recorded that sound when I tested that out. Then the very next day I couldn't do anything with it, couldn't record, playback, fast forward, rewind, and the tape wouldn't eject either, and when I opened the door a part fell out. I just have had bad luck with my HC52.

[XEsandmanEX]

can it take pictures??

[BernieLJ77]

I don't know for sure but I don't think so. I have never tried that. I don't see anything talking about that in the manual, and I can no longer use my HC52 anyway, other than I can point it at something, look at something, zoom in, and using the included AV R Cable, I can connect it up to my computer and using WINTV2000, I can record video directly to the computer, other wise the HC52 is broke down and I don't have the money to send it in and there's only 4 days left in the warranty.

[BernieLJ77]

If I do use WINTV2000, and would record directly to the computer, WINTV2000 has the ability to save "Snapshots," which would in a sense be like taking pictures, so I suppose that if you used a laptop computer and would use software like WINTV2000 to save snapshots, then I'd say yes, you could take pictures, but on its own, I'd say no it can't.

[3Z3K13L08]

No. But it can take stills of your recorded video.

[BernieLJ77]

Yes, that it can do, but I hadn't used very many of the built-in features like that as I used it for motion and had a digital camera for still shots. I also used Windows Movie Maker for editing, although sometimes that software locks up on me and I sometimes need to close it and reopen it, and sometimes it had auto-saved the current project and other times it didn't, so I get frustrated with Windows Movie Maker at times.

[BernieLJ77]

I could have tried using the manual focus, and it also has a manual exposure too, which occasionally came in handy, if there was a Black line, or dark area, in the picture, you could use manual exposure to adjust that out. I have a couple of videos showing what happened to the HC52, and others that have used it, likes theirs, but mine just decided to die, first small problem was that after just under 2 1/2 hours of recording time, I needed to clean the head with a head-cleaning tape.

[BernieLJ77]

Actually, when I first saw the Moon, it was bright, and when I first started to view it with the Sony HC52 Camcorder, you could see craters and different features, but by the time I started to record, because of having to put the DV tape into the camcorder, the features were mostly gone, and the camcorder's auto-focus started capturing the tree that was in the way of the particular view I had. I do have a video of that attempt.

[myskymusic]

I have no camcorder yet but I am interested in high powerful Zoom because my hobby is looking up the night sky with telescope. Your informations about Sony-HC52 are helpful for me. Thanks. I am sorry it is difficult to catch the MOON by X40 power zoom. Is there way to do the moon by good contrast? I am afraid to record moon eclipse with it. Is there choice of Shutter speed or aperture function on it? I think those function helps for night sky. Thanks again for your information.

[BernieLJ77]

I found later that the 2,000 digital zoom wasn't automatic, and you needed to go into the menu system to change the setting to allow either an 80 times digital zoom, or the 2,000 digital zoom, so I didn't get the Moon in the 2,000 digital zoom. I also have a video showing some of the menu settings. I however can't use the HC52 anymore, it has broken down on me, and I can't even send it in under warranty, because I hurt my back, so no money. It was purchased with the Stimulus Payment.

[BernieLJ77]

I don't remember at what frame rate the camcorder records at, because afterwards I always need to lower the frame rate so I can upload to YouTube at the fastest or highest quality that I can upload, which for Windows Movie Maker is "512Kbps for Broadband," because my maximum upload speed is 576Kbps, so I can't use any higher of a setting, and it usually shows about 521Kbps that was uploaded. The actual frame rate for the Sony is much higher than that, like maybe twice my uploaded frame rate.

[BernieLJ77]

No shutter speed or aperture functions that I know of, but you can use manual focus and manual exposure instead of the automatic settings. I did see craters on the Moon with the camcorder, so I put a DV tape in to record them, but by the time I was set up to record, the craters couldn't be seen anymore and the tree got in the way. I hadn't enabled the digital zoom in the menu at that time either, which I did do later on.

[Thome123]

nice trailer

[BernieLJ77]

It's a 1986 trailer, so it's old, but the skirting was replaced with vinyl skirting, not by me though, and I can't use my string trimmer to trim around the trailer because it "punches" holes in the skirting, and all but two windows were replaced, and it originally was a 14 X 70 trailer home, but when I measured it on the outside, it measured 14 X 85 feet, added on by the previous owner I guess. I did some painting on the walls but the trailer still needs work. Two places in the floor are bad.

[XEsandmanEX]

thx

[FrostedLane]

well i found dis camcorder on circuitcity. where did u get cuz im wondering if it comes wit a free tripod

[BernieLJ77]

The HC52 came with an AC adapter, a Power cord, these will both power the camcorder and will charge the battery if connected/attached to the camcorder, an AV R Cable, which connects to the camcorder and to composite connections on either a TV or VCR, which I connected to the composite connections of my Hauppauge PVR500 Radio/TV card to transfer video to the computer using WIN-TV2000, a NP-FH30 battery, an Instructional DVD and an Operating guide. No USB cable, application software or tripod.

[BernieLJ77]

I however already had a Kodak tripod, which I had purchased for the digital camera that I had owned before buying the Sony DCR-HC52 Camcorder. This works with the camcorder, but is a short one, not the larger, or taller, one where you can stand up, but mine was one for setting on a table, or some surface up off of the ground.

[BernieLJ77]

After recording a video with the camcorder, I open WIN-TV2000, then I click on the OTR button, which stands for "One Touch Record," in WIN-TV2000, then I start the camcorder playback of the video and record the composite channel of WIN-TV2000. Once I reach the end of the video, I click on the OTP button in WIN-TV2000, which stands for "One Touch Pause," then stop the camcorder playback. I then use Windows Movie Maker to edit and save the video. Haven't used USB or Firewire yet, just composite.

[ttacm11]

how good is the audio and quality?

[BernieLJ77]

Well, in all but two videos, so far anyway, the audio is the original audio, and in one video I had the original audio plus narrated audio over it, so you could hear both, and one video I either increased or decreased the audio by using "Volume" in Windows Movie Maker, after right-clicking on the original audio track, so in most of the videos, it's the camcorder's audio. However, I have noticed lately that the audio is a little "fuzzy," but that may be the DV tape, which may be wearing out as...

[BernieLJ77]

...I'm still using 2 of the 3 original DV tapes I purchased right after purchasing the HC52 camcorder, so the sound may get better with new tapes. I'm limited to using the 512 Kbps rate, for Broadband, for saved movies, after editing it with Windows Movie Maker, because my maximum upload connection speed is limited to 576 Kbps...I can download up to 3 Mbps, but that doesn't help the upload rate, so that's the best quality "picture" I can upload to YouTube, or any other site for that matter.

[BernieLJ77]

I'll also say that the audio, when listening to a video with only the camcorder is fairly good, but if I go above the 4th from the loudest setting, the audio gets a little distorted or "fuzzy," but if I lower the volume to around 4 settings below maximum, then the audio is clear, but not real loud, but when using Windows Movie Maker software, WMM has the option of "Narrating" the video, to change volume settings, but the audio sounds ok when listening with a computer that has good speakers.

[justinaurelius]

You can get a firewire cable off ebay for a few bucks. The ones at Best Buy and various retail stored are $20 - massively overpriced.

[BernieLJ77]

Yes...I wonder about software though but that's ok...One guy was talking about Vegas 6 or Vegas 8, or something like that, for software, instead of the PMB that the camcorder's owner's manual talks about, and I used to use ULead and Corel Products myself when I wanted to manage my digital camera's photos...Like Photo House for example.

[justinaurelius]

That's one well trained lion. He stayed motionless the entire time.

[BernieLJ77]

Yes, he was outside, on either the patio or near the front steps, of my aunt's place for a number of years, so "he" was exposed to the weather, then she was tired of it, so she gave "him" to my mother who has had it for a number of years also, but indoors this time. "He" had one tooth come loose, which needed gluing, but before that could be done, the tooth either got lost or misplaced, so "he" has only three teeth instead of four.

[carljohnson25]

This is a great review!!! You showed the zoom, the sound quality, dark indoor locations with nightshot effects, outdoor picture testing. You got everything in your review!!! Keep going :D

[BernieLJ77]

Yes, it was the first time I owned a camcorder, as I was using a digital camera before this, and I did it all one-handed, and they recommend that you hold it with two hands to get better, more stable, pictures, plus I did take a couple of bike rides where I again hold the camera with only one hand while holding the bicycle with the other hand, but when I'd meet someone while riding, I'd place the camcorder on the handlebar, so then you'd see more shaking.

[BernieLJ77]

I took the Sony HC52, connected it to the "Yellow," color-coded, Composite Video connection of the Hauppauge FM Radio/Analog TV PVR-500 Card, then using the WIN-TV2000 software, downloaded from the Hauppauge website, I "recorded" the playback from the camcorder on the WIN-TV2000's Composite Channel. I edited the video with "Windows Movie Maker." Look for a video where I'll talk about, and will show, some of this, and it may show a few small scenes of older videos, as I paused while recording.

[BernieLJ77]

I wanted to connect to the PC using the DV connection, but the HC52, unlike the HC54 which does come with the cable, didn't come with a DV to PC (USB) cable, and I did see the Firewire cables, and I also saw a cable with a bunch of different ends to it, the DV to USB included, but it was kind of high-priced, so I didn't want that, so I used the included A/V cable and connected it to the Composite connection of the Hauppauge Radio/TV card and "recorded" the camcorder's "signal" using WIN-TV2000.

[XvHaLoFreaKvX]

dont you need a firewire cable to hook this up to your computer.