Rating: 
Summary: Just Buy It!
Review: I recently purchased this camcorder after our school's arrived and I had a chance to give it a test-drive. I have big hands so I thought some of the buttons would be awkward... not so.
The film looks great, it is easy to use, the still images are of high quality (I put off getting a digital camera to buy this figuring I now have both). You can manually focus when you want to, the lens is of very high quality and there are wide angle and other lens available. Remember to order a memory stick with some punch and mini-dv cassettes... I live in bush Alaska and it was hard to wait for cassettes and memory to arrive (the 8 memory stick is a joke... 15 pictures or about 30 sec of film). The only problem I have had with this is sometimes the screen is hard to see in bright light... I'll see if this drives me crazy this summer.
I do not like the program that came with it, but i-movie and i-photo will work great so that is not a problem. It is good that you don't have to use the program that came with it since I had trouble with it. The tech. person from our school found it strangely configured and also opted not to use it.
Rating: 
Summary: a wonder in a small package
Review: I recently purchased this camcorder after our school's arrived and I had a chance to give it a test-drive. I have big hands so I thought some of the buttons would be awkward... not so.
The film looks great, it is easy to use, the still images are of high quality (I put off getting a digital camera to buy this figuring I now have both). You can manually focus when you want to, the lens is of very high quality and there are wide angle and other lens available. Remember to order a memory stick with some punch and mini-dv cassettes... I live in bush Alaska and it was hard to wait for cassettes and memory to arrive (the 8 memory stick is a joke... 15 pictures or about 30 sec of film). The only problem I have had with this is sometimes the screen is hard to see in bright light... I'll see if this drives me crazy this summer.
I do not like the program that came with it, but i-movie and i-photo will work great so that is not a problem. It is good that you don't have to use the program that came with it since I had trouble with it. The tech. person from our school found it strangely configured and also opted not to use it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent videocamera
Review: I surveyed the market thoroughly before buying my Sony PC101. I bought it in June 2002 and I have compared it a lot to my girlfriend's Sony IP5. The PC101 is slightly larger than the IP5 which is fantastic in size. The IP5 fits in a regular pocket or purse, great to carry around, however, the quality of the video and still shots of the PC101 is superior to the IP5. The color is much clearer and the quality over all of the picture is so much better. Also, the IP 5 does not have the touch screen of the PC101 which is much faster to deal with. I agree one should not have dirty fingers. The PC101 has a function that is great to use in low light, the slow shutter. The effect is great color even when quite dark, no need for an extra video lamp.
Also memory stick is a great media, but get the 128mb from start. In summary, if you want a small girlie cam, get the IP5 (or even better, the IP7) but if you prefer quality over size, the PC101 is the one.
Rating:
Summary: Sony don't gain their fame in video and imaging for nothing
Review: I was shopping for a handheld MiniDV camcorder for awhile already and has narrowed my choices to either a Canon Elura 40MC or a Sony DCRPC101. I ended up buying the Sony since after some rebate the Sony only costs a little more compared to the Canon. I'm really glad I made this choice. My Sony literally refines video imaging so it looks alot more detailed and colorful compared to reallife. I have done some test shots on objects like old oil-paintings and 50 year-old furnitures, and they all look brand-new and shiny inside the video! Compared to the Sony, the Canon Elura 40MC do provide more realistic imaging but hey, what's wrong with elaborating the reality? The standard battery gives me about 45min recording time if I'm using the LCD screen. That can be prolonged to about 2 hours when using the view finder instead. I do have problem holding the camcorder during action though. I probably need more time to get use to my new toy. Also, I don't quite like the touch-screen personally. It tends to pollute the LCD screen with fingermarks. I'm extremely satisfied with my purchase in general;hence, the highest rating. If you need a portable MiniDV camcorder I'll highly recommend Sony DCRPC101. You're really getting what you paid for.
Rating:
Summary: Compact Execution, Excellent Features
Review: I've had the Sony DCRPC101 for about a month, replacing a Hi8. It is superior in every respect - worth every dollar. Video quality is outstanding. Still image quality is excellent consdering this is a video camera. The small size allows me to carry it in the belt case - very handy - and I can carry a whole kit (extra batteries, telephoto, flash/light) easily in a very small bag. This is truly a superior design in packaging and integration and it delivers. A clever accessory is the combined flash/video light which runs off the camera battery and automatically operates either for digital still or video. Extremely great. I'll never go back to Hi8!
Rating:
Summary: You won't be regret to buy it.
Review: It's a great camcorder. The touch screen panel is a very nice feature. You can control the camcorder and be viewing the shooting target at the same time, so you won't miss any movement. Picture quality..... no comment at all just PERFECT.
Features ......... you get what you paid for.
Holding position...... takes a little bit more time to adjust the strap to your comfort position.
Touch screen menu ......... not well organized, but is a good feature
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera!
Review: Just got this camera, its the best! It's small yet picture quality is excellect. I was even impressed with the stills. Stills however come out best when taken outside in bright daylight. Indoor and at night, you do need flash.
Touch screen menus (One of my favorite item) are really easy to use. Video editing is quite easy with FireWire. I used Adobe Premier, worked without problem. You can controll the Camcorder from Premier when doing editing. There is however a problem with the camera..Not sure if I got defective ..but..there is too much motor noise. At least in mine, it's too loud. Too much motor noise is being recorded. In quite room you can actually hear the motor running from 6-8 feet away.
Rating:
Summary: I love the size
Review: of this camera. I had been looking for a digital camcorder to replace our analog one. My main criteria was it had to be small, so that we would take it almost anywhere (unlike the old clunky one). After much research, we decided to get either the Sony DCR-PC101 or the Canon Elura 40MC. Even though, the Sony cost more, we picked it since our digital camera is a Sony. I got a great deal at Sears on an open box product ... and it came with the full warranty. I have used it a couple times and I absolutely love it. The software (pixela) could be more user friendly, but I will probably get bundled software with a 1394 card that I will buy. Some folks complain about the small buttons, but hey, you can't put big buttons on a camcorder that fits into your pocket!
Rating:
Summary: My first camcorder
Review: This is my first camcorder and I've been using the Sony DCRPC101 for three months now. It's small size and light weight allows me to take it everywhere. Pictures taken outdoors (bright light, overcast), indoors (incandescent, fluorescent), while driving (day, night), are impressive. I use a Macintosh to download footages through iMovie. It came with a USB cable, but the Firewire cable (6 pin to 4 pin, that comes with the Macintosh) is more reliable. In my experience, the battery life varies tremendously, depending on how you use the camcorder. With the LCD on, constant on and off, taking 1 to 2 minutes of footage each time, repeated standby and replaying previous shots, the battery won't last through half a tape (36 minutes). With LCD off, 15 to 30 minute shots, limited standby, the battery will last over 3 tapes (3 hours, 12 minutes). If you plan to shoot all day, buy the NP-QM91 battery. I did, and was able to record to 6 miniDV tapes (that's all I had). There was time left on the battery for one more tape. (FYI: 6 tapes equals 6 hours which translates to 51 GB of hard drive space.) Using the camcorder for the first time, you have to get use to the location of the control buttons. They are small, and close together, compared to my friends DCRTRV25 and ZR50MC. After using it for a while, you'll notice how convenient the buttons are located. It's just a matter of getting use to the layout. The zoom is instant. From minimum to maximum, it takes less than a second. Not exactly what I wanted. With a little practice, you can achieve a smooth slow zoom. I've read complaints about the cheesy plug cover hinges. I don't get it (not just yet). They are not hinged, but attached to the camcorder with what appears to be a nylon tether. I know hinges break, but unless you pick up the camcorder by these covers, I don't see how they can break. As far as durability, my camcorder has been dropped (on carpet, twice, from waist height), ran over (radio control car), and toppled (on the driveway, mounted on a tripod, me tripping on the tripod). Besides a few scratches, the camcorder still functions like brand new. I think all miniDV camcorders you buy today, have still image capture. The Sony DCRPC101 is equivalent to a 1 megapixel camera. I have a 3 megapixel Canon digital camera that is dedicated to taking still images, and I use it exclusively for that. Even though the digital camera can take video shots, it's image/sound quality is nowhere near that of a miniDV. And the same thing applies to the miniDV camcorder. The stills cannot compare to the digital camera. If I have any complaint, that would be the built-in microphone. The microphone, and it is a good one, is mounted on top of the camcorder. It is omni directional, and picks up sound everywhere. Of course, the closer the sound source is to the camera, the louder it is. If you are the one taking the video, and decide to add your voice, you will definitely come in loud and clear. During silent passages, you can almost hear a humming sound, which is the motor noise. My friends old JVC 8mm, records some very obvious noise, something I've never noticed before, until I started making comparisons. The ZR50MC also picks up motor noise or whatever it is. Another friends DCRTRV25 is very quite. But it's something you have to focus on. The best accessory to buy for your camcorder is a 30mm UV Filter. This is a must have. Think of it as insurance, it protects the lens. It's easier to wipe the dirt, dust, fingerprints off the filter than the lens. If the filter gets scratched, you can replace the filter.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: This is my first digital camcorder that I have ever owned and it is great! I love the digital stills (I don't have a digital camera) and the input/outputs. If you are looking for a good camcorder and don't want to spend more than $$$ then this is the camcorder for you!
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