Good Things Do Come in Small Packages
Written: Jan 24 '02
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Pros: Bright crisp LCD, small, feature packed, 1.55MB res. stills, lightweight, battery life and Sony.
Cons: Sony proprietary memory sticks, lack of carrying strap, placement of infra-red window.
The Bottom Line: Feature packed mini-DV, with the added bonus of decent hi-res stills.
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| chin_sing's Full Review: Sony Handycam DCR-PC115 Mini DV Camcorder |
(As far as I can determine, essentially (1) the same as the PC110, but with higher-res stills, and/or (2) same as PC120 but without BlueTooth.)
This was my first foray into a new camcorder in some time. My previous unit a JVC-ZR1, a 9-year old SVHS-C camcorder is still going strong, (unfortunately, my wife isn't, she claims this camera is too large and heavy), of course its smaller than our first GE-camcorder (of the shoulder variety) and frankly half the camcorders being sold today are still as large as the JVC, but who am I to argue, when the wife asks for a new electronic gadget, give 'er what she asks (am I a lucky guy or what).
Among the choice of features I had to consider, were format (DV, VHS, 8mm, etc.); camera style, traditional horizontal layout, handycam-vertical, or pocket-able; extra features such as digital still photos and online editing capabilities, etc. Brand rep, repair record, availability of accessories, etc. My advise, make sure you decide these upfront, or be prepared to be overwhelmed with choices available today.
First choice was format. Digital, with its promise of longer video image life, portability to computer formats (or VCD/DV) was for me. Analog can be fine too, if you're on a budget, but as I said earlier, I already have a SVHS-C unit. Sony was not my first choice, JVC was smaller, and reputed to have better quality video. Canon was smaller and used more standard smart media. All were equally reliable and battery life these days is great no matter whose unit you choose. In the end, I would up with the Sony because it had the best balance of all of the above. I paid a little more but as much as I hate to admit it, brand experiences do still matter. (And to date, my experiences with Sony have all been favorable.)
I stayed away from the new Sony PC7 and PC9, micro-DV formats because I feel its still too new and I didn't want to become a victim of the format battle to ensue. DV tapes you can find anywhere. Micro-DV's are still Sony only.
This unit was easy to setup, right out of the box. Most controls were intuitive and located conveniently. Of course, some adjustment to camera technique were required to start.
(1) Get a grip - Probably the first thing you need to master is how to properly hold the camera. First instinct, for me, was to hold it like my old VHS-C unit, with my wrist and thumb in a kind of handle gripping position. In this fashion the controls seem all cock-eyed. My friend even wondered how he was supposed to operate the zoom with his pinky. BUT, once you realize that this unit is much smaller and hence should be held is sort of a handshaking position, with thumb on the stand-by/record, the index finger on the zoom, and the remaining fingers wrapped around to the front, the placement of all the buttons quickly becomes evident.
(2) Zoom - the Sony has an incredible fast zoom. What one needs to realize is that the zoom button is variable and touch sensitive. The harder/farther you push the slide switch, the faster the zoom reacts. If you want a gradual controlled zoom, you need to push only slightly/lightly. Takes a few tries to master but now that I know how, I actually like the variable zoom feature. Helps on those occasions when you want to zoom in fast.
(3) Shooting straight - one other area that takes some getting used to is the viewfinder. When you pickup the unit, you might wonder why you can't seem to focus. Turns out the viewfinder needs to be pulled out first. Then it can be focused to your eye. Not very evident, and frankly a silly feature. I don't understand why they could make the adjustments so that it could be viewed without pulling it out first. This would be a drawback, save for the LCD viewfinder. With it's nice bright view, even in sunlight, and 180-deg. swivelabilty, I quickly abandoned the viewfinder anyway.
Other strong features, true zero lux capability, (I shot in the pitch blackness and could still capture an infra-red assisted (greenish looking) photo, very cool. Pop-up flash for still photos, won't work for video, too battery intensive, and don't need it anyway, camera has GREAT low light gathering, even without 0-lux feature. USB & Firewire ports, both connected to my PC without a hitch, and transferred stills (JPG) and D-videos (MPEG) effortlessly.
Too many other bells and whistle to discuss at this point. If you've stayed with me this far, hopefully you've gotten enough out of this review to know whether this is the unit for you. Besides every unit has its own fancy niche feature, and brand-only technologies etc. Most you will never use anyway, and the others you can enjoy discovering on your own.
Let me know what you think.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1366
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Epinions.com ID:
chin_sing
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Reviews written: 3
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