Sony DCRHC85 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I DIDN'T LIKE THAT PARTS FELL OUT OF IT WHEN I OPENED THE CASSETTE TRANSIT.I DIDN'T LIKE THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET IT.I DIDN'T LIKE THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET THE REFUND.I SHOWED HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET A PRODUCT, TEST IT,REPACK IT, AND SEND IT BACK.When you find a broken watch at an accident, it usually tells you the last time it was working.Such is true with a camera.Anything mechanical should not have parts rattling. NEVER TEAR into a box. use a letter opener take a video or pictures of the unpacking , ROTATE it again and if now you here moving parts SEND IT BACK. with the parts that fell out. All this should have been done by the seller, especially with a camera that hasn't been used since 2006,as the camera indicates. Actually this procedure should be done with any product. The more attention you put into unpacking something, checking it out, and finding out that something is wrong, the faster it is to put it back the way you received it with a note describing the problem and if there are parts, TAPE them to a sheet of paper and include it in the return packaging.

I was looking for a camcorder with a external mic input, a cmacorder that allows you to manually control the focus, and a camcorder that works well in low light settings. After months of research I Ulitmately decided to go with the Sony DCR-HC85. I'm pleased with my decision I have a video light attached to the hotshoe and it works great in low light settings, I love how the camcorder feels in my hand when holding it its a great improvement from my samsung sc-d382. I have a 3pc filter set which helps bring out the colors when shooting in daylight, my nest plan of action is to attach a mic and this camcorder will be ready to produce some great short films. If your on a budget and looking for a solid starter camcorder then the sony dcr-hc85 is the way to go!!

The camcorder appeared clean and unblemished but the fire-wire output did not work. The i link is required for downloading video into the computer. The vendor agreed to take the item back but due to our limited mobility (we are retired) I decided to resell the item myself to avoid the complexity of finding a ride to the post office and mailing the item back. Between my daughter and myself we have thus far ordered 3 similar camcorders that exhibited the same problem with the i link, this seems to be a recurring flaw in these devices.

This is a great camcorder except for one major limitation: the minimum focal length of the lens. The lens is equivalent to 52mm - 520mm in 35mm camera terms. For telephoto situations it is great, but as far as normal shooting it means that if your subject is close, you will have to back up to get everything on screen. I bought this camera one day before going on a trip to Disneyland and found that I was constantly backing up into people or getting frustrated that I could not get everyone in the picture.Most new camcorders have a much lower minimum focal length, usually between 44mm - 46mm. It may not seem significant but the 6 - 8mm difference of the HC85's lens at its widest, is VERY NOTICEABLE! I had being using a Sony TRV10 with a 42mm minimum focal length which made the problem even more apparent. This is the only new Sony model with this limitation. Every other new Sony model, including the similarly designed but lower resolution HC65, have either a 45mm or 46mm minimum focal length. I am exchanging my HC85 and upgrading to the Sony PC350 which has a 45mm minimum focal length and twice the video resolution of the HC85. It also has 3 Megapixels of still resolution vs. 2.11 Megapixels for the HC85.

The Sony DCRHC85 MiniDV camcorder really delivers for me. This metallic finish Camcorder is both a sleek design and easy to operate. This is a very user friendly Camcorder, just about anyone could take good quality footage or stills with this. It is, however, worth reading the manual, and learning how to operate the different shooting modes, as shooting everything on Easy mode will not necessarily give you the best results. Altering the camera settings is done mainly on the LCD screen, and this is both impressively large and intuitive to operate. The quality of the footage is good at 1/3.6" Advanced HAD, and I was relieved to find that there weren't the video quality problems described in some early reviews I read online for this product. The only few minuses I can think for this camera package is that it didn't come with a mini DV tape supplied, iLink cable or a case, you'll have to get these separately. Look for value for money with this camera as you can get some great deals if you buy this Camcorder online. Overall one of the best point and shoot Camcorders on the market. Not a Pro-Cam, but delivers significant performance nonetheless for the mid-range point and shoot market. A great buy.

I bought this camcorder about a month ago after I bought the DCR-TRV70 which was not working properly. This Camcorder is so much easier to use than the TRV70 and I like the larger LCD screen. I'm still learning about the camera but, I don't like the still pictures. My 8 month old is always drooling and the stills have silver dots on all his wet spots. Also you have to have very good lighting in a room to make the videos bright enough. the video always seems very, very dark indoors. The only time this does not happen is in the mornings and early afternoon. I'm going to try a video light for 40.00 to see if this will correct the problem. I'm also having problems streaming my video into my computer but the memory card goes right in and it's tons of fun to take my mpg video's and e-mail them to family. Nobody has had a problem opening any of these videos on there end. I love the video but, if your used to really sharp 4x6 or 3x5 from a 3 or 4 megapixal camera you won't like the photos from the DCR-HC85.