Sony DCR-PC110

The DCR-PC110 is the latest (as of this writing) in Sony's series of upright mini DV camcorders and is based on last year's popular DCR-PC100. It incorporates all of the PC100 features and adds the ability to capture megapixel-size still images and MPEG movie clips on Memory Stick modules. To aid in getting properly exposed still images an intelligent pop-up flash has been added. The PC110 can handle any size Memory Stick up to the just recently available 128MB size modules. You don't need a Memory Stick reader either, the PC110 has a builtin high-speed USB port for downloading JPEG images and MPEG movies to the host computer.

The PC110 is a real marvel of modern technology as it is a fully featured DV camcorder and still camera all rolled up in a very sexy and high tech looking package that fits in the palm of your hand. For some folks the PC110 is going to be too much, it is a gadget-freak's dream and is covered with buttons and switches and I/O connectors. Unfortunately it's quite expensive and was selling for $1995 until a week ago when Sony dropped the price by $200, but even at $1795 it is still beyond the reach of many consumers.

As with many of Sony's camcorders, the PC110 features NightShot and Super NightShot recording modes that work in complete darkness thanks to a builtin infrared illuminator. When recording in NightShot mode the video is captured in black and white and can often be quite grainy looking but considering that you're shooting in total darkness it is quite impressive. Regular color recording in low-light conditions is not very impressive though, this is not the right choice if you're planning on doing a lot of low-light video recording. It also has a problem with extremely bright lighting conditions too, there is no neutral density filter in the PC110 so going from shadow to strong sunlight is a very stark contrast.

Don't get the idea that this isn't a good camcorder because it is, in the normal indoor or outdoor environs it operates very well and produces video that is almost broadcast quality. Comparing the video shot with the PC110 to the video shot with my old 8mm camcorder is like comparing television signals from a regular antenna to those from a DirecTV satellite dish. The video is incredibly sharp, colorful and detailed, expecially when viewed on a modern high-res TV screen.

The real reason that we reviewed the PC110 was to see how far they had gotten to making a camcorder that could also capture high-resolution still images. I used to own a DCR-TRV20 and it could capture 640x480 VGA resolution JPEGs but they weren't as detailed as 640x480 images from a Mavica FD7 digicam. If you're buying the PC110 as basically a still digicam then my advice is - don't. It does capture better still images than the TRV20 or any other camcorder but its megapixel size images are not as good as those captured by most 1-megapixel still digicams. This is first and foremost a video camcorder.

The Photo mode shutter release is mounted on the right side behind the zoom lens control and it's a bit awkward to actuate without jiggling the whole camera. It works like most digicams, you pull it halfway to focus and set the exposure and then pull it all the way to capture the image. Its placement just makes that whole process a bit difficult for the average user, I hope they move it somewhere else on the next model. When you first press the shutter release it automatically pops up the flash unit in case it is needed so you don't have to worry about forgetting to do that. You get a simulated shutter sound when capturing still images and the LCD screen or viewfinder image looks like a 35mm camera when the mirror flips up during exposure. It only takes the camera a couple of seconds to process and store the still images but it's not a motor drive camera capable of high-speed sequence shots -- except when filming in regular camcorder mode.

You can copy video sequences from DV tape to Memory Stick whenever you want to create a 15-second 320 x 240 MPEG video clip. These are about 1.5MB in size so they're not really huge and if you have a fast modem or cable service you can email them to friends. Smaller MPEG videos in 160 x 120 resolution can also be created and these are much easier to email but they're also very tiny, especially when viewed on a monitor in 800 x 600 or higher resolution.

The PC110 is loaded with input and output ports. It has a DV In/Out port that lets you connect it to Sony laptop or desktop PCs with the iLink cable. This is the same as FireWire (IEEE 1394) and lets you move full motion video from the camera to the computer for editing. When you're done creating the next home version of Star Wars you can then send it back to the camera and record it on DV tape to be given to others or viewed through the camera when connected to a TV set. You can also connect analog (remember that old stuff?) video to the PC110 via the S-Video or the A/V connectors. The A/C connector uses a cable with standard RCA jacks on it so this can be hooked up to most common video sources.

The lens, what can I say?  It's exactly what you'd expect from a set of optics with the name Carl Zeiss on it. The lens is fast (F1.8) and sharp as a tack. The PC110 uses digital image stabilization instead of the more precise optical image stabilization due the size constraints. Overall the PC110 is a well built and extremely high-tech camcorder, it captures megapixel stills and MPEG movies to MemoryStick, it's loaded with I/O ports and exposure features. The small set of stereo microphones on the top of the camera function well and do not pick up any camera mechanism noises. On the downside it is expensive, it may be too high-tech for some users and it isn't a terrific still image capture device or a great low-light camcorder. Given these limitations I am sure that it will still suit a lot of people well for what they want in a modern mini DV camcorder, and if nothing else the sexy looks of the PC110 will blend in well with your Porsche or Beemer.