Sony DCR-PC1000 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
by Sony
Our Price: $275.00
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SonyModel: DCRPC1000
Product features:
- Sony DCR-PC1000 MiniDV Handycam(R) Camcorder / Power Adaptor/In Camera Charger / NP-FA50 InfoLithium(R)
- Sony DCR-PC1000 MiniDV Handycam(R) Digital Camcorder is Sony's first consumer camcorder to feature 3-chip CMOS
- Cinematic mode lends a 24 frame, film-like effect to recordings while the new imaging technology adds clarity and detail
- Large 2.7-inch wide hybrid SwivelScreen(TM) touch panel LCD screen, which lets you switch between 16 - 9 and 4 - 3 aspect ratios
- Handycam Station for quick, easy connection to a TV or PC
- Pinnacle Studio HD V14 [OLD VERSION]
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (3.3 Feet/1.0 Meter)
- Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Pro Pack [OLD VERSION]
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to B-Male Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony DCR-PC1000 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: What a great little camera!
Summary: 5 Stars
This camera achieves its goal as a sleek, simple dual function (still/movie) camera with moderate access to advanced functions. It is easy to use, small and lightweight, and has a very high coolness quotient. It has an interesting form factor, which I haven't found difficult to use, although the zoom toggle is sometimes difficult to reach because it's placed too high when you're holding the camera low in front of your body. The video is sharp and clear, and the audio is surprisingly good considering the built-in mic is placed on the top of the camera body. I do wish it had even the smallest of lights to assist with low-light conditions, because the video quality can be average in dim light. I think Sony should either have put a standard accessory shoe on the camera, or they should offer more options in terms of accessories, which are limited to a couple of mics and a light/flash or two. For example, a combination video light/flash and quality stereo or surround mic would be fantastic. Also, there is no external microphone input or headphone monitor jack, both of which should be standard on a camera in this price range. The battery life is limited. At full charge it reads 80 minutes. There is a larger battery available, but even that wont hold up to sustained use of zoom and flash. I suspect Sony chose an enclosed battery compartment to keep the camera sleek, but they should get working on a more potent option.
One of the best features of this camera is that it works quite well as a still camera! I use it interchangeably with my dedicated still for anything that will print 4x6 or smaller. Camcorders are typically regarded as glorified cell phones in terms of their still functionality, but this one breaks the mold. While it's not able to capture the same level of detail and color balance, it IS good enough for small prints and my wife's scrapbooking projects.
As for the computer interface, it's very good over USB, and I'm sure over firewire as well. Connecting the camera couldn't be simpler. It auto-detects the usb connect mode, and is easy to switch from DV capture to DV pass-through or memory stick acces. It can even stream video over USB, though I doubt I'll ever use a $1000 webcam. As slick as the hardware is, Sony's software has a long way to go before it is mature. The video capture utility could be great, but they need a usability designer to sort the thing out. For example, it stops every so often at a non-configurable and arbitrary "time limit", making it impossible to simply punch "capture" and walk away from the camera, returning to a single, complete AVI file. I tried some freeware, but it choked on the audio, so I now use Windows Movie Maker. It's a simple solution that can both capture and edit, and it's the software Sony should have produced. They could improve upon it by enabling the ability to install video codecs other than WMA, like DIVX or XVID, or even just plain old MPEG1/2! But it works great for raw AVI capture and edits. I'll use some other tools to convert the video and burn the DVDs.
My overall review of this camera remains 5 stars becuase of:
1) size
2) usability (others have complained, I find it quite good)
3) versatility (camcorder, camera, camcorder - not too bad!)
4) extremely good video quality (in bright light)
5) cool factor
BUT, Sony needs to put out a more powerful battery option, and expand on the shoe accessories. Plus, they need to improve the software profoundly on the next go-around, and they need to add a damn headphone and external mic jack to this thing. Finally, it WOULD be nice to have a more versatile set of manual controls and a simpler mechanical interface to access them (ie a nice control ring), and it would be nice to add a firewire/usb port on the camera to enable direct DV streaming to an external hard disk.
Sweet camera overall, with a few acceptable quibbles...
Description of Sony DCR-PC1000 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
With high performance video recording and a fresh new body design, the DCR-PC1000 MiniDV Handycam(R) camcorder takes form and function to a new level. The 3 CMOS imaging sensors provide superior detail and clarity in both video and still image recording. The 2.7 Megapixel digital still memory mode captures beautiful, high-resolution still images onto Memory Stick(R) Duo and Memory Stick(R) PRO Duo media for picture perfect prints. The Super SteadyShot(R) picture stabilization system provide smooth video recording for the best possible picture. Up to 530 horizontal lines of resolution Professional Quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T Lens - 10X optical zoom lens with up to 120x digital zoom Super SteadyShot(R) Image Stabilization System Program AE Modes - Portrait, Beach & Ski, Sports, Landscape, Spotlight, Sunset & Moon NightShot Infrared System - Color Slow Shutter Exposure - Touch Panel, Dial (24 Steps) 2.7 Megapixel Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick(R) Duo Media MiniDV Video format USB Streaming IEEE1394 iLink DV port White Balance - Auto/Outdoor/Indoor/One Push Tele Macro Function Active Interface Shoe Assignable Manual Dial Built-In Flash Picture Effects Unit Dimensions - 2.13 W x 4.48 H x 4 D / Weight - 1.06 lbs. Remote ControlCamcorders
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