Sony DCRPC110 Digital HandyCam Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode

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Manufacturer: Sony
Price at amazon.com: $2,099.99
This item is not stocked or has been discontinued.

Product Features:

• MiniDV
• DV camcorder, uses MiniDV tapes
• 10x optical (120x digital) zoom with optical image stabilization
• 2.5-inch color LCD monitor and color EVF
• Records 1152 x 864 stills onto included 4 MB Memory Stick
• Uses Sony NP-FM50 InfoLithium battery; includes MGI PhotoSuite and VideoWave

Product Description:

Description from Manufacturer:The Sony DCR-PC110 Mini DV camcorder is loaded with more goodies than a piñata, and in a package smaller than a box of Pop-Tarts. Its novel-length owner's manual is 166 pages of tiny type with, thankfully, dozens of instructive illustrations with circles and arrows. To control all these features, the PC110 is covered with buttons, switches, and toggles that would intimidate even the most seasoned techno-geek. But damn if this digital camcorder isn't fun to use, despite a couple of ergonomic hiccups, plus it stores great images thanks to its Carl Zeiss lens, and, more importantly, it will elicit many oohs and aahs from the techno-envious.

Like most Mini DV models, the PC110 can take still pictures and store them either on tape or on a flash media card--in this case, Sony's proprietary Memory Stick. Unlike most DV camcorders, the PC110 also can record 15- and 60-second MPEGs, saving you the trouble of having to convert your footage to this e-mail-friendly format in your PC. The camcorder comes with a 4 MB Stick, which holds just six high-resolution stills, and is useless unless you have a Memory Stick-equipped Sony VAIO, a Memory Stick accessory drive, or a built-in USB port.

The PC110 also enables you to spice up your recorded video with an array of picture and digital effects, such as negative, sepia tone, or black and white. You also can zoom in during playback of a recorded image. These extra effects are for those folks who do in-camera editing and can be output only through the camcorder's analog outputs, not via i.Link/FireWire. If you've got video-editing software, you can add many of these effects and more on your PC.

The PC110 also includes in-camera digital-editing compiling capabilities--choose in-and-out edit points for particular scenes, set the scene sequence (up to 20 scenes), and the camera automatically goes back and forth to output the image to whatever tape player you've connected the camcorder to. This program editing is a bit convoluted, but it's better than doing it manually.

The biggest problem is the placement of frequently accessed control buttons and jacks. For instance, the zoom and still-photo shutter release buttons are located at the front of the camcorder, vaguely where your pinky is supposed to be. But the pinky isn't the most dexterous digit, and the hand-strap further limits the little finger's angular movement necessary to manipulate either switch.

The PC110's stocky design also necessitates the scattering of the various inputs and outputs. The microphone, headphone, and DC power inputs are located on upper-right side; the i.Link (FireWire), USB, and AC power are on the front below the lens; the S-Video output is on the lower-right side under the hand strap; and the analog A/V minijack is located to the right of the power/standby/record switch.

And being that this is a tiny camcorder, the 2.5-inch LCD viewscreen also makes it difficult to make out the details in a crowded frame. The menu does include two sets of LCD brightness controls to ameliorate the lack of LCD area. --Stewart Wolpin

Pros:

• 1-megapixel still-shot capability
• Fun to use
• Records 15- and 60-second MPEGs onto Memory Stick
• Informative illustrated manual
• Quality Carl Zeiss lens

Cons:

• Bundled Memory Stick is only 4 MB
• Expensive
• Controls can be difficult to use

Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: A Nice Powerful Toy Rating:
I got this camera for a graduation present from my parrents. It is great. The power in the small size is the best. I got this product because of the still picture feature. The pictures it can make are very nice. The tape feature runs like a normal camcorder and so does the in camera vcr feature.

Some of the things to think about when buy this is, if you are planing on make digital movies on your computer you needd to go out and buy another part for your pc. It is called a video capature card. I bought one this is called a firewire or iEEE.... And if you want to open the box and start shooting film that is not going to happen. You have to go out and buy the tapes as wel,...

One of the new features on the pc110 is mgep movies on the memory stick. That is true but theere are downsides. The stick that it comes with can only hold 17 seconds not much, and a 64mb stick will cost you....

Now don't get me wrong this is a great product, there are many digital features for filming that are great. I do not regret asking for the camera it is the best.

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Comment: Great camera if you upgrade... Rating:
I have had the PC110 over a year now and still like it very much. The size is perfect for traveling and is easy to take on hikes, etc. The DV quality is very good and the still shots are good if you shoot at high resolution and keep the pictures small when viewing on a computer. The camera has a good zoom, but close up pictures require the extra wide angle converter. I can take a picture of my house without it and get maybe 1/2 of the house. Standing in the same spot with the wide angle lens, I can get it all. You really need this accessory if taking pics or video of close up groups and things where you want to get a wider view. There are many good features: nightshot/super nightshot lets you take pictures in TOTAL darkness. Clarity is not that great and of course the picture is green like in the movies where a soldier is looking thru night vision. Special effects like B/W, sepia, fader, etc is nice if you are not using video editing software and want a few neat effects on the finished product. The PC110 does have a digital converter built in so you can plug a VCR into the camcorder and the analog signal is converted to digital and you can output that to a computer via firewire IE1394. A stand alone converter is about..P>The factory battery is ok, but I bought the larger one for an extra ... and can get 5hrs on it. We toured the Grand Canyon and I shot all day and still had a little juice left. I also purchased a 128M card for stills and can get several hundred pictures on it in a higher resolution. I also purchased extra, the wireless link where you plug the wireless receiver into a tv/vcr via RCA connectors and the camera sends a wireless signal to the receiver and you can watch your video and pictures instantly on tv. Very nice accessory. The camera is very nice if you upgrade to the better accessories.

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Comment: Excellent product Rating:
I've had since 2 years and it worked great under any situation and weather conditions.
It's a very solid product, with lots of great features. Very good image quality, both in video as in still modes.
Also used it for transfering my previous home videos to the PC for editing, using the camera as a 'gateway' with its analog-digital converter (firewall).
It's my first Sony Handycam (previously used JVC cams), but in my opinion there's no point of comparison. I think I'll be tied to Sony for a long while.
Very recommended product. If you can spend a little more, don't hesitate.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)