Customer Reviews
Nice HandyCam 
2001-12-29
I have had this camcorder for 6 months now, and its worked like a charm. Very good picture quality, easy to use once you get the hang of it, very light weight. A Sony camcorder is definitely the best value for money.
The camcorder battery runs out in around 90 minutes, but I have not yet run into a problem with that. You just get a 4MB memory stick with the camcorder. I had to upgrade to a 128MB memory stick, since I take a lot of still pictures. The photos when printed at 4 X 6 come out very well. Very easy to transfer the still pictures (and 60 second clips which is also recorded onto the memory stick) if your computer has a USB port.
I did not face any problems accessing the camcorder buttons as mentioned by some of the reviewers.
Wow ! This is the BEST digital camcorder on the market! 2001-12-25
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!
nice but still to ... for most 
2001-11-22
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?
A Great Buy, Worth Every Penny! 2001-11-18
When I first started looking at camcorders, one that kept repeatedly showing up was the Sony DCR-PC110. I started to research it more, and found out all the great features that they crammed in it. Then I saw the pricetag. As a 16 year old, I had no idea how I would pay for this, but I did find a way. Yes, it's a very expensive gaget, but it's been worth every penny I spent. I use it almost daily, if not taking pictures with it, then I'll film something and plug it into my computer and edit it. I would not recommend this camcorder to anyone who doesn't want to edit their video with a computer, beause I think it defeats the purpose of all the nifty options it has. When you first pick it up, if might feel funny if your hand because first of all it's so small, and second of all, theres a certain way to hold it that's different than most camcorders. This camera comes with everything you could possibly need. The only thing extra I would buy is a larger memory stick. Even if you're not planning to use this to take pictures, you will end up taking tons of digital stills. This is such I wonderful camcorder, I could go on forever. Both Newsweek and Consumer Reports magazine featured this camera as one of the best. If you want a great quality camcorder and willing to pay a high price, this is the camera for you!
Best Personal Camcorder/Digital Camera on the Market 2001-09-19
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.
Excellent product 2003-09-16
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.
Great camera if you upgrade... 2003-08-09
I have had the PC110 over a year now and still like it very much. The size is perfect for traveling and is easy to take on hikes, etc. The DV quality is very good and the still shots are good if you shoot at high resolution and keep the pictures small when viewing on a computer. The camera has a good zoom, but close up pictures require the extra wide angle converter. I can take a picture of my house without it and get maybe 1/2 of the house. Standing in the same spot with the wide angle lens, I can get it all. You really need this accessory if taking pics or video of close up groups and things where you want to get a wider view. There are many good features: nightshot/super nightshot lets you take pictures in TOTAL darkness. Clarity is not that great and of course the picture is green like in the movies where a soldier is looking thru night vision. Special effects like B/W, sepia, fader, etc is nice if you are not using video editing software and want a few neat effects on the finished product. The PC110 does have a digital converter built in so you can plug a VCR into the camcorder and the analog signal is converted to digital and you can output that to a computer via firewire IE1394. A stand alone converter is about..P>The factory battery is ok, but I bought the larger one for an extra ... and can get 5hrs on it. We toured the Grand Canyon and I shot all day and still had a little juice left. I also purchased a 128M card for stills and can get several hundred pictures on it in a higher resolution. I also purchased extra, the wireless link where you plug the wireless receiver into a tv/vcr via RCA connectors and the camera sends a wireless signal to the receiver and you can watch your video and pictures instantly on tv. Very nice accessory. The camera is very nice if you upgrade to the better accessories.
Nice, but could be better 
2003-02-13
I have no complaints except one: the digital pictures it takes are print quality but, the pixel could be greater for the amount of money you're paying for this. Since Sony has such advanced technologies, the least it could do was to incorporate their superior technology towards the digital picture function. More megapixels would've been better. Afterall, Sony does make good digital cameras, why didn't they combine the great features?
A real workhorse! 2002-05-20
This camera does so much! Even after taking it on constant assignments over the past year (I bought it in June 2001) I have never had trouble with it. I've used this camera everywhere from Pompeii to ground zero NY city. Not to mention rainforests, deserts, Chicago cold, etc...
I'm a journalist. I take a lot of photos for the newspaper I work for and also do a lot of interviews for articles I write. This camera has been a great help to me in getting my job done.
It's true that the resolution of the stills the Sony PC110 captures is not the best quality available, but they are easily good enough for web and email publishing, and, they even look good for newspaper print when shot correctly.
The DV digital video format is fantastic! It's better than any analog video I've ever shot(VHS, BETA, HI8, etc) and believe me I've shot a lot of video! I used to work for a TV news outlet in my previous job. The thing I love about digital is that I can record my interviews and easily download the video to my laptop, cut out what I don't need and then burn it onto a CD in MPEG format or in an AVI file format. THis means all my notes are ready to access whenever I need them, and I can keep tham archived for as long as I need them.
There are dozens of video editing programs that will make the process easy for you. I use Sony's DVgate software and Adobe's Premiere, and both are great. You can even take your digital stills and record them to a videotape som you can send copies to your family and friends that they can watch on their TV.
I highly recommend it even though it is a bit expensive. If I were buying a new camera today I would almost certainly buy a Sony.
A perfect home DV choice and worth the money 2002-02-12
I love this camera. The hard-earned cash I bought it with was very well spent.
During a week of painstaking research I happened upon this DV-camera. I had set a budget of $700 and of course the PC110 is quite a bit over this price. I felt I wanted a camera that would last well, and would deliver excellent picture quality so I splurged and hoped for the best.
What I got was better than I expected. The video quality is superb. The LCD is bright and clear. The unit is very compact, and well-designed as I expected with Sony. Using device-control and a firewire card, I can import, edit, preview and save video back to the tape in the camera. Bags o fun, and be warned if you aspire to do it, a major time commitment and steep learning curve.
As a digital still camera, it is not on par with a good prosumer model, but I find it useful to incorporate stills into video where the still is taken at around the same time as the video. The 10x optical zoom and good lens makes this a great still camera for snapshot close-ups. It has a pretty decent flash, and the big rechargeable battery allows for lots and lots of stills. USB performance is rapid.
After a month of using it, I would thoroughly recommend the PC110 to the hobbyist videographer.
PROS: It's best features are its incredibly compact form-factor, fantastic lens, menu jog-dial controller and every control you could possibly want (gadgeteers rejoice). I think you can have up to eight different cables attached to it at once. The battery supplied ("smart Lithium" rechargeable) is acceptable, but an extra would be welcome.
CONS: I received a 4-MB memory stick with the camera. This gives you room for 3 15-second MPEG videos or 6-8 stills. It is a waste of time really -- I've assigned it to my Clié. You need at least a 32-MB memory stick, and preferably a few of them. The camera makes MPEG video clips which are cool, but will only allow 15-seconds worth at the highest quality setting. No case came with the camera either.
Once you see the quality you get with DV, I'll wager you'll never go back to analog.
