TrustedReviews reviews Sony HDR-HC3E HD video camera and concludes that if you’ve used the HDR-HC1E or Sony’s more professional HDV models for any length of time, you can’t help feeling disappointed by the HDR-HC3E’s lack of prosumer features. All that video quality, with so little user control. But then there’s the price. With some e-tailers already listing this model for $800, HDV has clearly arrived in the mainstream, albeit the high-end thereof. We can’t recommend the HDR-HC3E to semi-professional filmmakers – the much more expensive HVR-A1E based on the HC1E is the most cost effective choice here, or grab the latter while you still can. But if you’re an early-adopting consumer looking to capture family moments and holidays in stunning HD video, the HDR-HC3E’s superb image quality, price and portability make it the ultimate point-and-shoot camcorder.
