Digital Trends

Sony DCR-HC96 May 1st, 2006 | by David Elrich

The rear has a small color viewfinder with diopter control for those times you can't use the LCD which is rated a so-so 123K pixels. It pulls straight out but that's the only adjustment. There are keys for adjusting the flash (red eye, on/off and so on) as well as one to enable the NightShot feature. NightShot lets you take videos in almost total darkness as if you were taping a reality show but the quality is a greenish monochrome. You'll also find the record button and battery that lasts about an hour in typical use. Above the record button are three LED lights that tell you which mode you're in (tape, card, playback) There's nothing on the right other than a very comfortable wrist strap since it's the cover for the tape mechanism as well as a compartment with two ports for A/V out and a LANC jack for controlling the tape transport of devices connected to it.

The top of the DCR-HC96 has slot for a hot shoe, Sony's only MiniDV model with one. If you're even thinking about buying accessory lights or mics, this is one to get. Also on the top is the zoom toggle switch, a separate shutter to take stills and the mode dial. With this dial you turn on the camcorder and get it ready for whatever task you have in mind—record to tape, memory card and playback. The position of this dial is a bit problematic since it's so close to the zoom toggle that I found myself inadvertently moving it. There's also a tape eject button. For those who place their camcorders on tripods, the tapes are conveniently top loading. The bottom has a tripod mount and a docking station connection slot. All in all, a very logically designed camcorder other than that annoying mode dial.

The DCR-HC96 comes with everything you need to start taking and enjoying videos other than a tape, memory card and Firewire cable. You'll get a power adapter/in-camera charger, battery, docking station, remote, A/V and USB cables and a CD-ROM with Picture Package v1.5 software. It also comes with a confusing 140-page owner's manual that's also the guide for two other MiniDV models. After charging the battery and loading a one-hour tape and one-gig card, it was time to play Spielberg.