Sony DCR-HC96 MiniDV Handycam

The DCR-HC96 ($650 as of May 11, 2007), Sony's high-end MiniDV camcorder, offers step-up features like a higher-capacity battery, a charging dock, and the ability to capture higher-resolution video than other HC series models can. Though it scored points with our jury in still-image performance, its low-light video quality and battery life were merely average.

With a body composed of plastic and metal, the DCR-HC96 fits nicely in your palm. The 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD has touch-screen controls; and play, record, and stop buttons sit just below the screen, enabling you to keep your eye on the action while controlling the camera. A built-in lens cap and a top-loading cassette mechanism are other subtle design pluses. The DCR-HC96 includes Sony's proprietary AIS accessory shoe for attaching an AIS-compatible microphone or flash. The camcorder comes with a dock that supports FireWire and USB transfers and provides connectors for AV cables and power (the latter ports are ` included on the camcorder as well).

The DCR-HC96 delivered impressive still images. Our panel of experts judged the test shots we took with the 3-megapixel unit as Superior, thanks to high marks for color accuracy, sharpness, and exposure.

The Sony's video quality was impressive, too. High marks for audio clarity and for video taken in standard light, along with middling scores for low-light video, yielded an overall video quality score of Very Good.

A night vision feature allows you to record video in low-light conditions that would otherwise make capturing viewable video impossible. Nevertheless, the results have a strange, otherworldly look to them, so it's probably best to use this feature only as a last resort. The camcorder's electronic image stabilization feature worked well, steadying my hand-held shots with no detectable degradation in video quality.

When fully charged, the DCR-HC96 permitted about 85 minutes of video recording before shutting down. That's about average for the MiniDV camcorders we've tested.

Sony's DCR-HC96 Handycam performed well and provided impressive still-image quality. Nice features like a touch-screen LCD and an accessory shoe increase its attractiveness, but you can find camcorders with better low-light video quality --and some of these, such as the Panasonic PV-GS320, cost less.