whats up with sony new dv cameras?
 

The Sony mini dv HC line is changing almost each 6 months. I have a minidv HC-40, and till now has been a "great" camera, by is light size, and ....for having an input to external micro, despite one or other thing I dont like.

But...

The new (last) series, for instance the HC-42, has no chance to put an external micro by a normal 3,5 jack...

The new line (HC 46) not only keeps that way, but as a several extra body....and I dont know what is Sony's idea about changing the cameras each 6 monts, and take off some nice features like those!! And also to make a camera that is almost the double of the body from the 2 last series!! If its a light serie....let it keep in a "light" way!

I usually like very much Sony products but when they make some changes in the products...its always a "dark side of one enygme"! I even dont talk about the last minidisc "rights" managements, wich I simply hate!

I think they want people to buy those micro with sony adapters (shoes) to connect to the camera....am I wrong?

Conclusion: I wanted to upgrade my HC 40 to a new one (small) and....it will not be a sony...or at least...I'll keep my 40 !
:(

Actually they replace them every year...the HC42 came out 2/5/05 the HC40 the year before. I kinda like the fact that this one is in fact a TOPLOADER...and it really isn't that much larger...maybe like 1/4" wider but I held both up next to each other and it really doesn't feel much larger...

Also since it is a consumer cam, not a whole lot of consumers have any interest in a mic input in this price range ($100 LESS than last year's HC42) and it does have the propreitary hot shoe for sony mics/lights if some really wants one.

...Hum...yes, is true that the price is coming down. My note was in the feelling that if a camera like Hc-40 is small and the portability is a great matter....the station where the new cameras are connected and the larger weight are not very good to travell, for instance, in a large dressing pocket as I do with Hc-40, witch I bought indeed for those reazons!

Who uses also this cameras will see the high level noise that the motors does if we are filming in a quiet place, as an interview. simply horrible!

Anyway, I still choose sony cameras! but i found weird to see the new ones. larger, with a station that must walk always with me too in order to get image in any device such a video, dvd recorder or Tv, and without a micro input.

And...a hotshoe with a micro....is also very expensive.
but i get your point!
:)

I see the point as well - if someone needs the features they're removing, they're better off with a professional camera.
I personally stay away from Sony's consumer cameras because of their touch screens - most useless thing ever to end up on a camera.
Other than that, I like the ones from a couple of years ago that were a little larger and I thought were very feature rich even though they were consumer cameras.

I visited a Best Buy a few weeks back to pick up a low-end DV camera for corporate work (a 1 chipper). I found that over the past few years they've really taken out a lot of the basic extensions (such as shoe mount, external mic, etc.) and instead added a bunch of consumer stuff like 42x digital zoom, etc.

It just seems more and more the divide is growing between prosumer and consumer. Extensibility is one of those that seems to no longer make it on the consumer side.

Actually the new Canon ZR500/600 have both manual focus/exposure and a 3.5mm mic input...a feature previously not found in the ZR series. So Sony is eliminating features while Canon is adding them

Actually up to the ZR70, all ZRs had mic inputs. They pulled it on the ZR80 and up, but apparently they've put it back now (luckily.)

Yes, my ZR-45 has a mic input and manual exposure control. Only thing it needs is a manual gain control - automatic is very annoying.

Just a note.

I was this afternoon in the Sony Portugal and I handled a new HC-46.

Two big (bad) surprises: this new one has NO CHANCE to put any kind of external Mic, light, etc. Simply hasn´t any "shoe mount" adapter to connect !

And...dont have ANY kind of lenses protector!!! Funny is that I emailed Sony and they gave the wrong answer, that yes, the camera has a micro plugin connection.....well...I was very surprised indeed...and again I can ask: whats up with Sony!? One thing is to decide not to put an external mic jack. Another is not to give the abilitie to put ...anything!!!
....

No words....Long live my old Hc-40!!!
:)

You sure about that on the 600?