Sony DCRIP7BT MicroMV Digital Camcorder w/ 2.5" Hybrid LCD, 8MB Memory Stick, MPEG Movie, & Network Capability

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [2.77mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000063LHM
• Item model number: DCRIP7BT
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,283 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Featuring a compact, vertically aligned body to go along with its potent 10x optical zoom, the DCR-IP7BT is the first of two camcorders featuring the unique new recording format MicroMV, which records using the same format used to encode DVDs: MPEG-2.

Lens and CCD
The two central components of any video camera (or digital still camera), are its lens and CCD (the image sensor). This Sony model builds around a 10x optical zoom, which is paired with Super SteadyShot image stabilization to cut down on the shakes and jitters common to most amateur video footage. The CCD sports a pixel count of 680,000 pixels--great for video--that translates the image into around 500 lines of resolution.

Size
The size of the DCR-IP7BT is actually one of the features that Sony is really excited about, and it's easy to understand why. The device is extraordinarily small; it's somewhere on the order of a half-inch to an inch smaller in its dimensions than comparable models. That's quite a hefty reduction, making the IP7BT small enough to fit in a pocket. Because of the small size of the camcorder, its 2.5-inch LCD becomes comparatively larger than it would otherwise be.

Digital Photo Mode
Like many digital camcorders, the IP7BT features a digital still mode. And, like many digital camcorders, the snapshot mode is good for taking stills that can be e-mailed or posted on a Web site, but not for making high-quality prints.

Bluetooth
Bluetooth has been a talked-about wireless protocol for years, but it's only recently started to gather steam in the electronics world. Sony is leading the pack by incorporating Bluetooth networking into the DCR-IP7BT. The connectivity standard allows you to transfer your still images, or any of the short MPEG movie clips you record to the Memory Stick, to any Bluetooth-equipped computer.

Cables and Connectors
Despite the small size of the IP7BT, there are a number of audio and video inputs and outputs, making it a very flexible and capable machine. Most intriguingly, besides S-video, there are also composite video in/outputs--composite video provides the highest level of quality in home-theater setups. Four audio, stereo in/outputs are included. In addition, to transfer your digital stills and MPEG movies, a USB port is included. Of course, in any digital camcorder, you should expect to find an IEEE 1394 port, also known as FireWire or iLink, which the IP7BT provides.

Included with the DCR-IP7BT are the Bluetooth adapter, a USB cable, an 8 MB Memory Stick, a wireless remote, an AC-L20 power adapter, an NP-FF50 InfoLithium battery, two AA batteries, iLink Cable (four-pin to four-pin), AV cable, lens cap, wrist strap, and a software CD-ROM (software is Windows only).

Product Description

What could be more convenient than a camcorder that fits right in the palm of your hand? This camcorder uses the NEW MicroMV formatM-^Wa tape thatM-^Rs 70% smaller, yet holds up to 60 minutes of video thatM-^Rs every bit as good as its bigger cousin, MiniDV! Get crystal-clear images through the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens, and see the results instantly on the 2.5" LCD Swivelscreen. Your audiences will appreciate the shake-free images youM-^Rll get with the Super SteadyShot« stabilizing system.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars terrible color and picture quality...., June 30, 2002

By 

lal (New Providence, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRIP7BT MicroMV Digital Camcorder w/ 2.5" Hybrid LCD, 8MB Memory Stick, MPEG Movie, & Network Capability (Electronics)

The size of the DCRIP7 is fantastic. Great to
hold, really slides into your pocket, and all the knobs
are quite functional given the size of the camcorder.

However, no matter what the form factor, the bottom line
on any camcorder is the color and picture quality. If
it were not for the form factor, I would give this a
rating of zero!

The color, focus, and clarity [stink] big time. Make sure you
project the output of the camera directly onto a computer
or TV set, and not make a judgement based on the image
on the LCD screen. I took my unit back and demonstrated
what I was talking about with the unit on the floor.
Same thing. Red objects look different, focus is terrible,
(so much for the CZ lens), and the image is grainy.

Very disappointed!!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Profound disappointment, May 27, 2002

By 

Lemuel Moye PHD (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony DCRIP7BT MicroMV Digital Camcorder w/ 2.5" Hybrid LCD, 8MB Memory Stick, MPEG Movie, & Network Capability (Electronics)

As a devoted Sony customer and a contented user of the DCR-TRV11, I had high hopes for the smaller DCR1P7BT. The size and fucntionality of the DCR17BT was superb, but its utility is plagued by its video downloading difficulty. Several different programs have to be installed. After installing Movieshaker, Quicktime, DirectX8a and an upgrade driver for Windows 2000, the camera still would not download using a FireWire connection. I have attempted downloading on FOUR SONY PCs (2 running Windows 2000, and two running XP and failed every single time. I returned the camera to Circuit City after 24 hours of frustration. My TRV11 downloads flawlessly. The last thing I need with a videocamera is downloading problems. With firewire devices, downloading should be nearly effortless.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not buy this camcorder!, June 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony DCRIP7BT MicroMV Digital Camcorder w/ 2.5" Hybrid LCD, 8MB Memory Stick, MPEG Movie, & Network Capability (Electronics)

First of all, the Bluetooth feature is absolutely useless. You can only use it to upload to Sony's website using a 56k dialup. Forget about using it to upload videos.

Second, it uses a Sony proprietary video format called MicroMV. As such, can only use the bundled MovieShaker to import and edit your video footage. This doesn't seem to be a big deal except that MovieShaker is extremely slow.

Do yourself a favor, do a search on the web for reviews of this unit. I returned mine ...