Logo Logo

/// HD Camcorder Comparison



multiple selection by CTRL + left mouse button
lowest US price max
Manufacturer
On the market since
Video formats ?
Recording Medium ?
more filters
sorted by
models per page
Best values highlighted
view only tested models
diese Seite auf deutsch
 Jump to: Model | Test preview | Video | Configuration | Audio | Still | Misc. | Product Shots | Test results | More information |
2 models found [ Permalink for this page ]   

models compared on this page: Canon HF21 and Sony HDR-HC3

display: 3 models per page sorted by score Best values highlighted
Model

Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
Picture ?
Manufacturer Canon Informationen zu Canon

Sony Information on Sony

Name HF21HDR-HC3
European name ?Legria HF21HDR-HC3E
US name ?VIXIA HF21HDRHC3
lowest US price 1099 $911 $
On the market since September 2009 March 2006
Manufacturers URL link to Canonlink to Sony
Test preview

[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
slashCAM rating ?Good
Sufficient
test picture 1200 Lux
Test image 12 lux auto-mode
Video

[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
Video formats ? AVCHD
MiniDV
HDV
Recording Medium SDHC card
MiniDV/HDV-Cassette
video resolutions EU ?AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/25p
HDV 1440 x 1080/50i
MiniDV 720 x 576/50i
video resolutions US ?AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/24p
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/30p
HDV 1440 x 1080/60i
MiniDV 720 x 480/60i
Max Bitrate ?24 Mbit/s25 Mbit/s
Compression format ? MPEG4
DV
MPEG2
on-board memory ?64 GB 
Optics
Optics Manufacturer ? Canon
Carl Zeiss
Optical Zoom ?15 x10 x
Wide Angle 16:9 ?39,5 mm41,3 mm
Filter diameter ?37 mm30 mm
Image Stabilization ?optical
electronical
ND Filter ?No
No
Exchangable optics ?No
No
Image Sensor
Number of sensors ?11
Size of image sensor ?1/4 inch1/3 inch
image sensor effective pixel count 16:9 ?2990000 Pixel 1434000 Pixel
Image Sensor Type ? CMOS
CMOS
Controls
White Balance ?auto
manual
auto
manual
presets
WB-Shift
Focus ?auto
manual
auto
manual
Minimum shutter time ?1/2.0001/auto
Maximum shutter time ?1/6auto
Apperture control ?auto
manual
auto
AE-Shift
Infrared recording ?No
Yes
Expanded Focus ?Yes
 
Peaking ?No
 
Signal Processing
Zebra ?No
 Off
70%
100%
Histogram ?No
Yes
adjustable sharpness ?Yes
Yes
Adjustable color ?Yes
Yes
Cinegamma ?Yes
No
Black Strech ?No
No
Knee ?No
No
Colorbars ?No
Yes
Misc.
Shot Transition ?No
No
Custom Presets ?Yes
No
Set Time Code ?No
No
Configuration

Connections
[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
FBAS ?
synonymous: RCA, composite		 Out
Out
YC ?
synonymous: S-Video		No
No
YUV ?
synonymous: Component Signal		 Out
Out
HDMI ?Out mini
 Out
DV / HDV (FireWire) ?
synonymous: ILink / IEEE-1394		- In
Out
USB ?USB 2.0
USB 2.0
Microphone / Audio input ?Mini-jack
No
Headphones ?also AV-output
No
Lanc ?No
Yes
Time-code interface ?No
No
Genlock ?No
No
Accessory shoe ?Advanced Mini
 AI
HD-SDI ?No
No
Misc.
Weight (without battery) 340 g500 g
Weight (with battery) 400 g600 g
Battery type Canon BP-809
Sony NP-FP60
Battery capacity 890 mAh1000 mAh
Charger ?internal
internal
Remote control Yes
Yes
Size
Height 62 mm82 mm
Width 70 mm78 mm
Depth 124 mm139 mm
Relative Size ?58
Viewfinder
Viewfinder available ?No
Yes
Color Viewfinder ?- Color
Viewfinder format ?- 16:9
Viewfinder pixels ? 123200 Pixel
Display
Display available ?Yes
Yes
Color display ?Color
Color
Display size 2,7 Inch2,7 Inch
Display format ?16:916:9
Display pixels ?211000 Pixel 211200 Pixel
Touch Screen ?No
Yes
External controls
Manual Zoom ?Rocker
Rocker
Manual Focus ?Menu
bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
Manual Aperture ?Menu
bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
Focus switcher ?No
Yes
ND Filter ?No
No
Exp Lock ?No
No
Gain ?No
No
White balance ?No
No
Push AF ?No
No
Audio Levels ?No
No
Custom Keys ?
synonymous: User buttons		No
 
Audio

[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
Audio Formats ?Dolby AC-3 Digital 2 channel 48 KHz
MiniDV: 2x48kHz 16bit PCM
MiniDV: 4x32kHz 12bit PCM
HDV: 2x48kHz 16bit MPEG 1
Microphone ?Stereo internal
Mini-jack external
Stereo internal
Audio Control ?auto
manual
auto
Audio levels ?Viewfinder
Screen
No
Still

[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
Recording Medium ?SDHC card
Memory Stick Duo
Medium included ?No
No
Effective pixels ? 1991000 Pixel
Resolutions ?2304 x 1296 - Max
2304x1728
2304x1296
Standard ?JPEG Exif 2.2
JPEG Exif 2.2
Flash ?Yes
Yes
Misc.

[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
Specials  &"Smooth Slow Record" slow motion mode: 3 seconds are recorded with 200 half frames/sec., resulting in a 4-fold slow motion.However, the recording is without sound and in poorer image quality.
Product Shots

[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
View 1  
View 2  
Test results

Test pictures
[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
luminance resolution
 
chrominance resolution
 
lens distortion
 
test small ISO image
 
noise / internal microphone
 
test picture 1200 Lux
 
Test image 12 lux auto-mode ?
 
Test image 12 lux optimized ?  
slashCAM rating
Lowlight ?SatisfactorySatisfactory
Resolution ?GoodSufficient
Color performance ?Very goodSufficient
subj.Picture impression ?Very goodSatisfactory
Optical Zoom ?SatisfactorySufficient
Wide Angle ?SatisfactorySufficient
Configuration / image ?SatisfactorySatisfactory
Configuration / sound ?SatisfactoryPoor
Handling ?SatisfactorySufficient
Portability ? Excellent Very good
Photo function ?SatisfactorySufficient
Optics ?GoodGood
Dynamics ?GoodGood
Conclusion slashCAM
slashCAM rating ?Good
Sufficient
Total score ?
(maximal 570)		367264
Pros + Many manual controls
HDMI out
+ Cheap price
Cons - fiddly operation
- No Zebra
- Manual focus very poor
- bad color resolution
- DV-quality only average
- poorly equipped
Conclusion Compared with the older models of the same series the smaller sensor, the picture problems and the exaggerated sharpness offer no real advancementsAdd to that the bad low-light sensitivity with some bright pixel noise, the missing histogram and zebra-displays and the manual focus problems.On the positive side: the low price and the fact that the pictures in the automatic mode (assumed there is enough light) are sharp and generally good.The Sony HDR-HC3 offers only average brightness resolution in HDV, the color resolution is beneath SD-level.Occasionally significant (colored) moirees can be seen on fine details.The subjective picture impression is barely good, in part thanks to the good dynamics behavior with little noise and few smear-effects.Color-wise the HC3 is pleasantly warm.The wide angle is very limited for indoors, but on the other hand there are only few lens errors.In low light situations the HC3 performs satisfactory.
More information

Reviews and Forums
[ top ]Canon HF21Sony HDR-HC3
slashCAM Review
HDR-HC3 Review
external reviews/tests  www.camcorder-test.com
Forum posts  Off of the PC to the HDR-HC3E
Copy of HC3 on Hi8
Recording falters when SonyHDR-HC3E
Final Cut Express HD cut of SonyHDR-HC3E Mini DV material
Playsation3 and the HC3 ...
Buying NV-GS500 or SonyHDR HC3 and HC7?
How can I get my HC3 film intersect with my PC?
How can I get my HC3 film intersect with my PC?
SonyHDR-HC3E OR Panasonic NV-GS 300 EC?
SonyHDR-HC1 or SonyHDR-HC3e?
sony HC32E problem: overexposed recordings
SonyHDR-HC3E Viewfinder
Large Battery NP-FP90 is not akzpetiert of camcorder HDR-HC3E


Please consider that these data have been entered into this database by human beings.Also, the technical information provided by the manufacturers are at times contradictory, incomplete and sometimes even incorrect.Although we take great care checking all information, we can not gurantee for its correctness.Should you find this data to have some omission or error, please let us know! Mail:



update am 24.Mai 2012 - 06:23
slashCAM ist ein Projekt der channelunit GmbH
*Datenschutzhinweis*