Product reviewsSony NTSC Hi-Def Handycam MiniDV Camcorder - Video Transfer (HDR-HC3)

Get them while you can

The colors are great and accurate. Digital tape makes for the best archiving, and clear as you can see on any 1080 or 4K TV. Tape is cheap and will outlast Flash memory. Over time, the cards will eventually degrade and some of the inside parts will fail. Contacts will corrode or brake, and there comes a time in the future you will get the dreaded "file error". If stored properly, digital tape will be playable for 50 years. I still have analog VHS tapes form 40 years ago that still look good. So yeah, get these digital High Def. miniDV camcorders while you can. I have 2. Also HC3 and up have a nice HDMI to easily hook up to your TV. Remember, you can always drag tape across a playback head, but if your card gets a spark from static electricity, you're SOL.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Sold by: aluckyfind01

EXACTLY what I wanted!

So I had a kind of complicated issue at hand. I wanted to make a movie out of all our old home video tapes for my mom for Mother’s Day. We had tried years ago to send them to a business that converted tapes digitally, but they had no luck. I bought a different camcorder first but once I received it I didn’t realize our old family tapes were shot in HD so the camera gave me a “wrong format” screen. Back to square one. So, I did a little research and found the exact camcorder we had at the time, which was this bad boy! So I ordered this one right away. It was sent out right away and I even received it a day early. Everything works perfectly and I can now show my mom videos from over 10 years ago that none of us have seen since then. Thank you so much! Definitely recommend.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: auctionpride

Absolutely excellent product!! A high point in the Sony line.

One of the best models in the Sony HD camcorder line.

I love this model so much that I HAD to buy this replacement immediately after my old one, which I had had for over 5 years, decided to go for a swim off the side of my boat..

These are superb cameras, the picture quality is amazing, and I am actually glad that the audio is simple stereo, not Dolby 5.1 like some of their other cameras, which is a pain to edit.

I also like being able to just take stills, even whilst filming. The still quality is only 4MP, but that's fine for most uses. I have got some really nice shots.

Because I'm a backup freak and the tapes are pretty cheap, I like being able to keep all of my original DV tapes, although I also back up the original raw footage to DVD/BluRay disks :)

I prefer these cameras to the ones with memory cards, because that's just silly, they don't hold much and and are expensive. These DV tapes hold an hour of footage which is fine with me.

I also prefer this model over those with built in HDs because it is too easy to put off backing up the contents to your PC, then you could lose everything if disaster strikes and you haven't backed up the video in 6 months.

I would have been VERY unhappy when I lost my other camera if I'd lost more than a few minutes of footage since I'd just changed the tape.Read full review...

Sony HDR-HC3E is the european version of the hc3

Sony HDR-HC3E is the european version of the hc3. Both produce stunning HD quality, however the hc3-e is a PAL camcorder, not an NTSC camcorder. The video produced on this version cannot be played directly on US tvs. Unless you have editing software that can convert PAL to NTSC ( Widely available on line & in upscale editing programs)you should not buy this version of the hc3
unless of course you live in the UK or the continent. Both versions create fantastic video in all lighting conditions, just be aware of the compatibility issues. This unit does play NTSC mini DV tapes The HC3 is my favorite series of Sony HD 1080i camcorders because it records in the HDV high definition format & not the AVCHD format used in the newer cheap HD home movie camcorders, a format which I personally do not like because of it's over compression of video files which can produce video artifacts, and is not recognized by many versions of editing software.Read full review...

Excelente custo & beneficio.

Esta camcorder é exelente! A qualidade da imagem chega a niveis de Broadcast, a opcao de HDMI e Firewire facilitam muito na post production. Unica desvantagem é a falta de uma entrada para microfone externo, somente atravez da sapata para flash, a inteligent hot shoe. Os acessorios sao relativamente baratos e o fato de ela ainda gravar em tape oferece a vantagem do backup automatico do material original. O mecanismo dela é robusto, as fotos gravadas no cartao também sao de otima qualidade, levando em concideracao de que ela tem "apenas" 4 mega pixel...para o uso em uma grua por exemplo, ela oferece a entrada para Lanc, voce pode controlar todas as funcoes da camera por controle remoto via cabo.Read full review...

Great Camcorder

This is a great HDV camcorder for the price. Most camcorders are now AVCHD, but I beleve the HDV has better quality. I have both, the AVCHD sometimes shows trails when panning fast, where the HDV does not. The only complaint is, durability. My original one was dropped in the camera bag, and the LCD went bad. I purchsed another used one witch works perfect.Read full review...

Great camcorder, great value for the features-Great seller makes the sale.

This camcorder is an exceptional value for all of its features, ease of use and logical controls. Condition is key, and in order to enjoy these features, a trustworthy and honest seller is critical. In this case, I found such a seller. The value of the HC3E holds because of the seller.Read full review...

Sony Handycam HDR-HC3E

This is a great camera. I bought it for work that I'm doing in Highschool with our AV department. I love the handycam's features and capabilities. The HD is fantastic. I would recommend this handycam to anyone.Read full review...

Funny old technology - but neat!

Funny old technology - but neat!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: trackingblissnow

Working Great

Product is working great

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: d3fn