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Sony DCRPC110 Digital HandyCam Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode

Sony DCRPC110 Digital HandyCam Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode

List Price: $2,099.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: an almost great 2 in 1 handycam
Review: i purchased the PC110 to replace my very outdated SC100. i needed a new DVcam with analog inputs, and there was a choice of PC5, PC9 or PC110. unfortunately, i could not wait for the new PC120. why the analog inputs ? because i had to attach a mini spy cam as an in-car camera for my single seater racecar. somehow, the PC5 showed fuzzy images and there was no stock for the PC9 but the mini spy cam worked on the PC110 (and an old PC3 my friend had). so i settled for the PC110.
it was a good choice because i also have a bulky Nikon CP950 which took great digital photos. but 1M is good enough for 3R prints, and now i only need to bring the PC110 during weekends for home video and family photos. and there was no USB for my CP950.
negatives - very strange why the PC110 did not come with the external battery charger

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent camcorder from Sony, but not a home run
Review: I recently decided to get this camera and sell off my TRV900 because I really found I needed something smaller to carry around. It was a tough choice, as the image quality and stills from the TRV900 were decidedly better. But I just couldn't pass up the size. This one is so small for the features you get. It has many, many well thought out features. For instance, it has a little swing-down handle to make filming easier (always an issue with these little digicams). You can hook the camera directly to your computer through USB, no need to get a card reader. Pop-up flash is nice for doing indoor shots. Easy to use menus. Fairly high resolution stills for a digital camcorder. I love the Sony batteries that tell you how much time you have left...same for the tapes and memory cards. Plenty of features that a camera at this level should have.

Now, for the negatives. No progressive scan. Let me say that again. NO PROGRESSIVE SCAN!! Heaven knows why Sony continues to leave this feature off. It was so noticeable between this camera and the TRV900 which does have progressive scan, when you capture stills off of video. The ones from this camera are nowhere near as good. Not even close. If the subject is moving at all (which is usually the whole point of trying to capture a still from video), without progressive scan it is just not as clear, sharp, colorful, etc. Why Sony does not put progressive scan on their cameras is beyond me. Most of the other gripes I have with this camera are fairly minimal. Some of the buttons are fairly hard to locate, the zoom is hard to use and rather touchy, the photo button is right next to it so I often hit the wrong one, etc. Fairly typical problems for a camera of this size. Were it not for progressive scan being missing though, this would definitely be a 5-star camcorder. Without it, sorry Sony. You blew it again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wow ! This is the BEST digital camcorder on the market!
Review: I tried more than 20 camcorders, and read all the reviews before buying this one. Other than the price ([amt]is a bit steap for a single CCD camera), this is the most fun you'll have this side of ...! Trust me! The features are numerous, the quality is fantastic, and the fact you can take 1 megapixel stills will come in handy even if you don't think so now. I had this camera at a Christmas party, and I was able to take video and a couple stills without much adjustment or bags full of.....

The size makes it easy to carry around, no more lugging that heavy monster from place to place. There are hours of events slowly slipping out of my brain, because I didn't want to take the camcorder. Oh well, who needs another hour of wedding video anyway? I guess I do, because I'll never miss another moment! This thing fits in my coat pocket.

I'm not sure some people know what this camera is all about. They are writing about putting the digital video back on to VHS and losing quality. Huh? If that is what you are considering, I'd just go buy a cheaper Super8 or Digital Tape camera. The whole point of this camera is to use the Firewire (IEEE 1394) connection and edit the video in your computer. Sony even includes the MGI VideoWave Software to edit the video right away! Then you can copy it to a DVD or CD for safe keeping. No fuss, no muss! This thing is beautifu! And, it is 520 lines, near broadcast quality in a little handheld camera! You can't beat that!

I must confess. I am a gadget junky, and this thing is full of gadgets! I can take footage at night with Super NightShot, and send it to my Sony notebook through the LaserLink Wireless Transmission System. You can use the Analog-to-Digital Conversion to get old VHS to digital. That's more like it! If you don't have Firewire, you can use the slower, but just as easy to use USB Interface. The camera also has Picture and Digital Effects that I haven't used yet, because I use Photoshop and After Effects, but they'd be great for those who want to save some money after buying this baby.

All in all, this is the camera I'd get. The only thing I'd change is to have a better sound recorder, but that might make the camera too big, and that would be a shame. Maybe some day the technology will be better. With Sony, they will probably upgrade next year. I'll get that one too! Buy this now! Thank me later!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent product
Review: I've had since 2 years and it worked great under any situation and weather conditions.
It's a very solid product, with lots of great features. Very good image quality, both in video as in still modes.
Also used it for transfering my previous home videos to the PC for editing, using the camera as a 'gateway' with its analog-digital converter (firewall).
It's my first Sony Handycam (previously used JVC cams), but in my opinion there's no point of comparison. I think I'll be tied to Sony for a long while.
Very recommended product. If you can spend a little more, don't hesitate.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A fantastic piece of gear
Review: I've had this camera since February and I'm still amazed at how good it is. I think versatility (DV camcorder/still digital photography) and ease of use are its main strengths. In fact, I'm so pleased with it that I'm upgrading my computer so that I can start editing and burning my own DVDs.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Personal Camcorder/Digital Camera on the Market
Review: If you are considering buying the Sony DC-PC110 Camcorder, you should ask yourself, "What am I looking for in a camcorder?". I spent a long time debating between buying this camera, the Sony PC9, and the Canon Elura 2 (all great camcorders). My final conclusion is that the PC110 is the best all around... but if you don't need to extras, you needn't spend all the extra money. The PC110 functions perfectly as a camcorder for movies AND as a quality digital camera, something that other camcorders can't boast. It also includes in-camera editing and special effects controls, image-stabilization (hands naturally shake, and this makes movies more smooth), night-shot (for recording in total darkness), and intuitive ergonomics (contrary to what other reviewers have said, the pinky doesn't belong on the controls, the index finger does...), and the camera is very easy to operate (once you get the hang of it). The 120X Zoom is very good (even at extreme closeness, the quality of the image does not suffer). Hooking it up to your computer for editing is easy (cables & free software are included).

As a digital camera, it's perfect. You can take pictures ("stills") while recording by pressing the "photo" button while in recording ("camera") mode, or you can take a series of pictures & delete the ones you don't want in digital memory ("memory") mode. You can play back your movies on your camorder (or hooked up to your TV) while in "VCR" mode. The camera charges quickly while off & plugged into an AC adapter, but the battery that it comes with only lasts around an hour, so you'd probably want to buy a bigger one for vacations.

The bottom line is, if you don't want to use your camera as an all-purpose two-in-one, you needn't spend the extra money (if you buy the camera as-is, you will need to buy an extra battery, a filter, a bag, digital tapes to record movies, and a 64MB memory stick for digital photos, which adds up to quite a lot of money). However, I recommend this camera as a long-term investment for all your camera needs... it is sturdy, takes quality movies, is easy to use, easily hooks up to PCs & Macs to edit (or to TVs to view), and doubles as a great digital camera. It also helps that it's very small and light (and looks very sleek...) If you don't want to use it as a digital camera, I'd recommend the Sony PC9 instead, which is basically the same as the PC110, but a bit smaller & takes lower quality digital pictures. Overall, I highly recommend the PC-110 -- it's the best personal camcorder on the market.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Is it worth the purchase price?
Review: It is definitely the most expensive "toy" that I have ever owned (not counting my car), but after finally taking possession of the camera, I immediately fell in love with it. The ease of operation, craftsmanship, and overall quality make this the best camera I have ever operated (this Sony replaced an early model Sharp camera). Do you need all of the bells and whistles on it? Probably not. As a matter of fact I?d recommend that you skip any ?special effects? until you start editing the video on your computer (for which I definitely recommend a Macintosh with its free iMovie software ? it doesn?t get any easier than this!). On a side note, don?t pay attention to any reviews that complain about the location of controls and having to use your pinkie to operate the zoom. If these reviewers had read the manual they would have found out that the handle folds down for quite a comfortable grip that doesn?t get in the way when you store the camera.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Is it worth the purchase price?
Review: It is definitely the most expensive "toy" that I have ever owned (not counting my car), but after finally taking possession of the camera, I immediately fell in love with it. The ease of operation, craftsmanship, and overall quality make this the best camera I have ever operated (this Sony replaced an early model Sharp camera). Do you need all of the bells and whistles on it? Probably not. As a matter of fact I?d recommend that you skip any ?special effects? until you start editing the video on your computer (for which I definitely recommend a Macintosh with its free iMovie software ? it doesn?t get any easier than this!). On a side note, don?t pay attention to any reviews that complain about the location of controls and having to use your pinkie to operate the zoom. If these reviewers had read the manual they would have found out that the handle folds down for quite a comfortable grip that doesn?t get in the way when you store the camera.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The BEST camcorder that I ever had!
Review: Just Love it. The best camcorder for the travelers.

Try to add 64MB memory card, 10H battery and filters for lens It's just great , the size, the quality, I just love it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: nice but still to ... for most
Review: Ok as a proud owner of a DCR-pc100 I was amazed to see that pc110 had all the improements that I wished for on the pc100 model. The buttons are well placed, the hand holding with the flip out lever extension is a plus, and the pop up flash is a nice touch. But it still only has a 1 mega pixel still camera capability, which is not good enough for most camera buffs. The video and sound quality are still excellent, auto focus appears to be the same, good but not perfect.

As with the pc-100 if you have either a iMac (or mac with firewire) or a Sony pc you can edit the digital video without to many problems. Likewise the Sony USB card reader is a must! The serial reader will not work with a mac and is so slow to download on a pc. Also get the 32 MB card over the 64 MB card, for some reason the 64 MB card seems to get slower as it fill up.

If you get this camcorder you must realize that the conventional VHS tape copies will lose some of the high quality video image and some of the sound quality as well. S-VHS seems to do a better job but few pwople have S-VHS units so sharing could be a problem.

The best solution would be one of those nice DVD recorders that are just starting to appear onthe market. Digital to digital media, what could be better?


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