Meet Sony's new entry-level MiniDV camcorder, the DCR-HC28, an updated version of last year's DCR-HC26. There isn't a much cheaper way to enter the world of digital video recording. The DCR-HC28 is light, compact and extremely portable with a feature set aimed squarely at budget conscious point-and-shoot enthusiasts.

This tape-based DV camcorder offers a standard 1/6 inch Advanced HAD CCD with 340K effective pixels for video. HAD, or Hole Accumulation Diode, is a technology designed to reduce picture noise. The resulting picture quality obtained from the DCR-HC28 is in line with other entry-level units. Colors are generally well-saturated with good contrast. There is some picture noise apparent as the level of available light decreases, but overall, the low light performance is good for a sub-$300 DV camcorder.

The unit is equipped with Sony's NightShot Plus Infrared System for 0 lux shooting, although the subject needs to be within about ten feet of the lens for the system to work and the resulting images are inevitably very grainy and soft.

The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens features a 20x optical and 800x digital zoom capability, along with Sony's Super SteadyShot image stabilization system. The touchpanel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees but measures 2.5 inches in diameter for 4:3 aspect ratio framing rather than 16:9 widescreen (only offered in Camera Mode).

While there are manual controls, it can be time consuming to access them via the touchscreen menu system. The DCR-HC28 is far more adept at automatic controls. The DV camcorder's Easy mode allows you to lock out all controls but the features essential for recording video. The unit also offers a selection of Program AE modes with predetermined exposure settings for a variety of common shooting situations such as Landscape, Beach and Ski, Portrait and Sports.

As with last year's DCR-HC26, this unit lacks a SD card slot, so it can only capture stills to tape and then at the minimal VGA resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. If you are looking for a DV camcorder with a functional stills capability, the DCR-HC28 is not for you.

The DCR-HC28 lacks a USB interface and an accessory shoe, thus restricting the expansion possibilities. The DCR-HC28 comes with an NP-FP30 battery and is compatible with Sony's optional FH100 battery, which offers an impressive recording life of up to 14 hours. Taking its low price into account, the Sony DCR-HC28 is an inexpensive first step into the world of DV camcorders.

Pros: Budget price, great automatic controls
Cons: Average video quality, little manual control, no memory card slot for stills

Warranty
90 days, labor; 1 year, parts