Sony DCRPC110 Digital HandyCam Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode
Details
- Records 1152 x 864 stills onto included 4 MB Recall Stick
- 10x visual (120x digital) zoom with optical image stabilization
- Uses Sony NP-FM50 InfoLithium freestyle; includes MGI PhotoSuite and VideoWave
Description
The Sony DCR-PC110 Mini DV camcorder is affluent with more goodies than a piñata, and in a package smaller than a box of Pop-Tarts. Its novel-length holder's manual is 166 pages of tiny type with, thankfully, dozens of illuminating illustrations with circles and arrows. To control all these features, the PC110 is suffused with buttons, switches, and toggles that would intimidate even the most seasoned techno-geek. But denounce if this digital camcorder isn't fun to use, despite a couple of ergonomic hiccups, plus it stores abundant images thanks to its Carl Zeiss lens, and, more importantly, it will evoke many oohs and aahs from the techno-envious.Like most Mini DV models, the PC110 can take still pictures and outlet them either on tape or on a flash media card--in this case, Sony's proprietary Celebration Stick. Unlike most DV camcorders, the PC110 also can record 15- and 60-lieutenant MPEGs, saving you the trouble of having to convert your footage to this e-mail-warm format in your PC. The camcorder comes with a 4 MB Stick, which holds just six stiff-resolution stills, and is useless unless you have a Memory Stick-operational Sony VAIO, a Memory Stick accessory drive, or a built-in USB haven.
The PC110 also enables you to spice up your recorded video with an array of image and digital effects, such as negative, sepia tone, or black and white. You also can zoom in during playback of a recorded allusion. 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.Relate/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--determine in-and-out edit points for particular scenes, set the scene sequence (up to 20 scenes), and the camera impulsively goes back and forth to output the image to whatever tape player you've relevant the camcorder to. This program editing is a bit convoluted, but it's better than doing it manually.
The principal problem is the placement of frequently accessed control buttons and jacks. For example, the zoom and still-photo shutter release buttons are located at the front of the camcorder, obscurely where your pinky is supposed to be. But the pinky isn't the most dexterous digit, and the hand-strap further limits the teeny finger's angular movement necessary to manipulate either switch.
The PC110's stumpy design also necessitates the scattering of the various inputs and outputs. The microphone, headphone, and DC power inputs are to be found on upper-right side; the i.Link (FireWire), USB, and AC power are on the front below the lens; the S-Video result is on the lower-right side under the hand strap; and the analog A/V minijack is to be found 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 obstructive to make out the details in a crowded frame. The menu does take in two sets of LCD brightness controls to ameliorate the lack of LCD area. --Stewart Wolpin
Pros:
- 1-megapixel still-speedily capability
- Fun to use
- Records 15- and 60-second MPEGs onto Retention Stick
- Informative illustrated manual
- Quality Carl Zeiss lens
Cons:
- Bundled Recall Stick is only 4 MB
- Expensive
- Controls can be difficult to use
