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Sony DCRPC1 Handycam Digital Camcorder

Sony DCRPC1 Handycam Digital Camcorder

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredible size and quality
Review: Although it does lack a couple of goodies like ultra-low light shooting, the size and picture quality are amazing. If you want a video camera you can take everywhere (it even fits into a coat pocket) get this one now.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredible size and quality
Review: Although it does lack a couple of goodies like ultra-low light shooting, the size and picture quality are amazing. If you want a video camera you can take everywhere (it even fits into a coat pocket) get this one now.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Digital Video Editing on your PC
Review: An earlier review stated that it was not possible to edit digital video from the DCR-PC1 on a desktop computer. I bought a third party FireWire board and DV editing program bundle for my PC (I paid $80) and had the board installed, the software running, and video downloaded from my camera in under an hour. While cracking open a computer case and installing a new board might not be everyone's idea of fun, it is a simple procedure and greatly enhances the value of the camera. I've been very pleased with the DCR-PC1 and carry it everywhere I go.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: DCR PC1 Handycam Digital camera
Review: I am looking for a digital camera which can record directly on a CD. If there is one then please let know about it. Sony DCR PC1 is an excellent piece of photographic equipment. It is very useful for my profession of Highway Designing/Improvement. For my profession I need something that can be immidiately loaded / displayed on computer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Efficient, excellent quality and compact
Review: I bought the PC1E in 2004 so it's not the newest, I have been looking for a camcorder to settle down with for a while now and have used Panasonics, Sharps and JVCs, I was put off Sony by the fact that you usually pay a premium price and I had no evidence that they were definitively better than the other brands. Obviously the size of the PC1 is noticeably small even by modern mini-DV standards it holds up well. It takes a little getting used to but unlike other upright cameras that I've used the natural holding position on the PC1 doesn't interfere with the microphone, a definite plus. Sound quality is good and the unit makes very little mech noise so you don't get that on playback. The Carl Zeiss lens is excellent as you'd expect, I particularly like the light adjustment which is very fast and very good, it means if you swing past a window whilst indoors it doesn't screw up your footage. All in all I'd recommend it as a great camera for the enthusiast, in terms of connectivity it links up to the Mac through iMovie with no trouble at all.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I purchased this camcorder Oct. 1999. The picture quality is crystal clear in good lighting conditions, grainy in low light conditions. I also purchased a ... hardware/software package from Pinnacle Systems ... that allows me to edit video and audio captured on the camcorder on my PC. This is a very innexpensive way to produce high quality home movies. The best feature of the camcorder is its size-you take it everywhere.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Inability to Edit
Review: I think overall the camera is a marvel. The quality of the images and the audio are much better than I was used to with VHS-C. And the compactness of the camera goes without saying. However, I belatedly discovered that there is no way to edit your the tapes on a computer as the comparable (and cheaper) JVC model can. JVC includes free software so that you can download, cut, reassemble, add effects and so on. With the DCR-PC1 you must purchase Sony's editing machine (if you can find it) at a list price of approximately $2,000. I am now patiently waiting for Sony or a third party to develope editing software. If editing is important to you, this not your camera.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Overall a great product
Review: I've shot about 10 tapes with PC-1 and this is what I learnt: + I love its compactness (it's more important than I originally thought) + Has many features (scene transitions, digital effects, titles, manual focus/exposure) + Picture quality is very good (for a non professional camcorder) + 120x digital zoom is good enough (in digital zoom, unlike optical zoom, picture quality is inversly proportional to zoom (pixels are getting larger as you zoom in destroying picture resolution- you don't really need 300x) + Variable speed zoom works fine + You can buy extra case for underwater shooting + You can alternate movie/photos on the same tape

- I miss a package used to connect PC-1 with a PC (to grab frames or make movies from tape like JVC camcorders have) - Need to buy extra battery to give you 2+hrs of taping - Need DV tape with memory to add titles - Zoom In/Out button is not positioned ergonomically (should be tilted at 45 degree to make zooming easier)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: tiny wonder
Review: Size matters. I've noticed in the almost year and a half that I've owned the PC1, I use it more frequently than previously owned camcorders. Because it is pocketable, I take it with me more regularly. I like the ability to hook it to my PC and save still shots. (With 30 frames per second you certainly can find an optimum shot to grab.) I wish it could operate in lower lite. By the way, a new battery has just come out which has greater capacity and is the same size as the older one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Stellar Gem
Review: This dinky Sony DCR-PC1 is perfect for all home video situations especially shooting images of our grandbaby. Children - age 5 and up - have also used this camera which is a testament to how easy the camera is to operate. The compact size and the excellent optics make this a win-win video camera. The only criticism I have about the camera package is that it should have come with an S Video cable. Overall I give this handy unit a 5 star rating for excellence of design, ease of use and small size. Good work Sony!


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