Customer Reviews

Sony DCRPC1 Handycam Digital Camcorder

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

We've had a PC-1 since Christmas 1998, and love it. Picture quality is better than Hi-8, though there may be better DV camcorders out there. The big advantage is the tiny size of the PC-1, which makes this a camcorder you actually take with you and use at times you might not want anything bigger. The image-steadying feature works well, and it's easy to shoot without the handheld jitters. Do yourself a favor and buy one of the larger capacity batteries when you get the camera; the standard battery is only good for 30 minutes or so with the LCD display on.

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.

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!

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.

You give up some features (o lux, infrared, memory stick) to gain the biggest benefit of all...ease of use. My biggest problem with picture/movie taking is how much of a pain it is to setup the shot and mess with the camera. With the PC1, you just whip it out of your pocket and shoot. The picture quality is actually very impressive (I'm not sure what the guy above is missing). In tandem with a Sony VAIO, the PC1 makes one heck of a home video studio.

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.

I owned this wonderful piece of optical marvel since 2000. In all these years I traveled from the Sahara to the Mont Blanc, from 120F to minus 40 in Siberia. It never failed! I kept it in my pocket to record my life's events. I imported the videos to my hard drive, edited them and burned them to DVD with amezing ease. It is all metal construction and never suffered from the occasional banging it received. Excellent, but keep spare batteries on hand.