Sony DCRDVD101 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [2.97mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001MAAZ2
• Item model number: DCRDVD101
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,524 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 8, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The stylish design yet easy-to-use DCR-DVD101 is full of features like a Hybrid LCD Screen, Carl Zeiss optics, and an easy to use Visual Index Screen which allows you to shoot and share great video and still images with family and friends. The DVD recording format delivers digital picture and sound quality comparable to that of MiniDV, but on DVD. Playback of the DVDs couldn’t be simpler. After finalizing the disc in the camera, the disc plays back in compatible DVD Players, computers and even PlayStation 2 video game consoles.

1/6" Advanced HAD CCD Imager, 680K Pixels Gross: 1/6" Advanced HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD imager with 340K effective video pixels provides excellent detail and clarity, for exceptional digital video (up to 500 lines of resolution) and still image performance. Realize great looking digital still images with 340K effective pixels.	Advanced HAD CCD Technology Enhanced CCD design allow more light to reach the imager which reduces video noise to improve signal-to-noise ratio by up to 6dB (2x better than a standard CCD). Particularly effective when shooting in dark situations.
10X Optical /120X Digital Zoom The optical zoom helps to bring the action up close from far away. In addition, the digital zoom interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than previous types of digital zooms.	Progressive Shutter System A mechanical shutter system that provides progressive scan performance, while utilizing an interlaced scanning system. Digital images will be sharp and clear with excellent definition.
Analog Inputs: Record any analog NTSC source to digital video via the analog inputs. Perfect for archiving analog tape recordings. This recorded video can then be edited on your computer.	Professional Quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens Carl Zeiss lens have an advanced optical multi-layer coating offering less glare and flare with increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation, and perfect renditions of subtle tones.
2.5" Hybrid SwivelScreen LCD Display (123K Pixels): Provides excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution. The 123K pixel LCD rotates up to 270-degrees for multiple viewing angles, providing sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback. The Hybrid LCD Screen provides accurate viewing in sunlight or bright light, virtually eliminating the "wash-out" common with traditional LCD screens.	Super NightShot Plus Infrared System: An advanced version of Sony’s NightShot Infrared system that allows users to record natural color images in low-light conditions, but without the blurring common with other low-light recording systems.
Battery Information Battery information is momentarily displayed without having to power on the camcorder. Quickly access the battery’s status by pressing the Battery Info button; the "Recording Time Available" is displayed in minutes on either the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.	Dolby Digital AC-3 (2-Channel) Stereo Audio Recording: An advanced form of Digital Audio recording, with sophisticated noise reduction technology, that provides outstanding, lifelike sound quality in any situation.
Program AE (Auto Exposure) Modes: Program AE modes make recording easy even when filming in challenging situations. Choose from Spotlight, Portrait, Sports, Beach & Ski, Sunset & Moon and Landscape modes.	Super SteadyShot Picture Stabilization System: An advanced version of Sony’s SteadyShot system that controls an even higher range of shake and vibration frequencies, to achieve an even higher level of smoothness without degradation of video like some other image stabilization systems.
InfoLithium Battery with AccuPower Meter System: Charge the battery at any time because unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) batteries Sony’s rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries are not subjected to a life shortening "memory effect". Sony’s exclusive AccuPower meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, in the viewfinder or the LCD screen.	USB 2.02 Interface: USB 2.0 interface provides an easy way to connect your DVD Digital Handycam camcorder to computers for fast transfer of video and still images to your computer for editing. The camcorder can also be used as an external DVD burner, convenient for making copies of your DVDs or burning edited movies.
Intelligent Accessory Shoe: Conveniently gives you the option of adding accessories such as lights, flashes and microphones to the camera, which can communicate with the camera and also draw power from the camera.	Visual Index Screen: Shows thumbnail images of movies and still images when playing back on your camcorder or DVD player, making scene selection easier.
Color Viewfinder: Provides a clear, color view of subjects and makes spotting and/or following subjects easier.

What's in the box:
DCR-DVD101 camcorder, AC-L15A Power Adaptor/In Camera Charger, NP-FM50 InfoLithium Rechargeable Battery, RMT-835 Wireless Remote Commander, CR2025 Battery, Special Stereo A/V+S Cable, Lens Cap, Cleaning Cloth, Shoulder Strap, Blank DVD-R Media, USB Cable, CD-ROM with USB Driver (Pixela ImageMixer Ver. 1.5 for Sony)

Product Description

Records to mini DVD-R and DVD-RW * 680,000 pixel CCD * 2-1/2" color LCD * 10X optical zoom * digital photo capture * USB 2.0 interface * Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar lens * Super NightShot® Plus

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great if you know your stuff or are willing to learn, February 5, 2005

By 

R. C. Shipley (detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony DCRDVD101 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Both reviews I've read on this product seem scattered and incoherent, so let me see if I can clear-up some of the misconceptions about Sony's DVD camcorder 101. I've had mine for 6 months now and am getting used to it. Despite what you might hear about the DVD format, this isn't an easy piece of equipment to use. You will have to put some time (translate: hours) into the learning process involved in using the camcorder and the powerful but heavy-on-the-steps PIXELA ImageWriter software that works with the camera.

For me, the camera works great...it does just what the manual says it will do and it does it well. I find the images to be clean and clear, the sound to be excellent, and the buttons and internal program to be logical and understandable. Buy an extra battery and a filter to protect the Zeiss lense-aftermarket products should cost you less than $100 for both and well worth it. I was under the impression that I could just plug my MiniDVD into a drive and burn right away to peripheral DVD drive-just like with Video copying-BUT I was wrong. You have to download everything to your computer hard-drive (and you better have lots of space!), then edit it, then you can make a copy. This process yields a clean product but, yikes, it takes alot of time and effort. Hopefully, some future software package will just automatically cover the many steps necessary to burn a simple DVD. In the meantime, you guessed it, manual keyboard labor!

Now, the Pixela software is another story; It's complicated and confused the heck out of me. It's designed to be universal in format, hence, not words just icons! But, again, once you learn the language of the program you can get it to do what you want, but be prepared to sweat it out and make lots of silly errors before you land in the world of ImageMixer extraordinnaire...

Now, I'm having lots of fun with the camcorder. It's handy and small and the stabilizer works better than I imagined. But, be forewarned that the doggone stuff is complicated to transfer and is best suited for the computer-literate geek!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Plug and Play People, December 14, 2004

By 

Movie Maker (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRDVD101 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I just borrowed my friend's Sony 101 to covert my analog footage to DVD and I thought that it worked great. After converting all my old analog home movies to DVD I thought I would take it out for a spin and see how well it records overall.
It takes great pictures and allows you to save them directly to your DVD vs forcing you to download the images to your computer. I was also able to preview the video footage before I finalized the DVD. You also just hook the Camcorder up to the TV to view your films instead of downloading them to your computer. If you are more interested in watching your home movies vs editing them, then this could be a good camcorder for you.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars DVD Great, ImageMixer tough to learn, April 28, 2005

By 

Ernest Lehmann (Wheaton, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRDVD101 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

These are great for quick DVD renditions of home video, but a bit tougher if you have to spend time in the very-difficult-to-learn and use ImageMixer software. If all you want is to shoot your home movies and make a DVD really fast, this is the camera for you. Great lens, great machine, lousy lousy software. ImageMixer (Pixela) support was very good, but the software leaves a lot to be desired. This camera is not compatible with the MAC platform, a real shame.