Sony Handycam, Handy Ain't It? (Sony Handycam DCR-PC103)

Member Name: thespurs

Product:	Sony Handycam DCR-PC103
Date:	28/07/04 (1508 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Small, Great Quality, Very Handy

Disadvantages: None

*Introduction*


My Dad bought this Sony Handycam a while ago now. It has come in very handy for a number of things, everything from recording family occasions to some of my school projects. We have also let friends borrow the camera to record their parties and take abroad with them. Everyone who has used it has said it is a wonderful video camera and that they would definetly consider buying one, or something fairly similar, of their own in the future.

I will be honest with you the reader and declare that my knowledge and know-how when it comes to video recorders/camcorders is very limited. If you give me any other electronics product and ask me to use it or tell you about it, I won't have too many problems. I will do my best to show the good points (and bad if there are any) about this Sony Handycam. Please bear with me when it comes to technical data and also feel free to correct me if I make any silly mistakes.


*Ease of Use*

As I have said, I don't much about video recording devices. When I first picked this Handycam up, I thought to myself 'Oh, this should be fun'. In fact I soon got the hang of how it works and how to use the various functions and settings. Sony, have made a product with the user being very much the top priority. Everything is made simple because they have laid out the various buttons in a sensible manor and they have limited the amount of functions a particular button can perform. This therefore means that I know what each button does more easily.

If you are one of those people who are frightened, or just not willing to learn, about new technology have no fear. You can pick up how to use this very quickly and learn to make use of all of the features by referring to the instruction manual. If you cannot make head nor tail of the instructions I'm sure some younger people will be willing to help and advise you of what to do.


*Durability*
<
br>The product seems well put together, something that you would expect from an international brand like Sony. The materials used seem very strong and sturdy, as well as being fairly scratch and mark proof. The screen and other plastic covers, seem very strong and well hinged so I don't think you will be able to snap them off unless you give them a real whack.

Techically I expect this product to be very good. We haven't had any problems, neither have friends, with the machine. It hasn't done things like lose recorded data or suddenly switched off. We had an old camcorder that would often turn itself off without any reason. The battery would have a lot of power on it but it would still turn off. I expect this Handycam to be in the family for a long time to come. I think it will last for many years because it is well made and technicaly superb.


*Range/Quality of Features*

This Sony Handycam does have a large number of different features and functions that it can perform. This is another positive about the camera which made my Dad purchase it in the first place.

The camera has a Digital Zoom capability of 120x. This allows the user to get really close up shots of objects in the distance. This Handycam can double up as a Webcam for your PC. This is quite a good feature to have, because it saves you a few quid not having to buy your own Webcam. The Viewfinder, or screen for some people, is high quality. It is an LCD monitor which gives you really clear images. It has a resolution of 113,500 pixels. The Display is also an LCD colour screen and it is rotating. It supports 211,200 pixels.

There are a number of different modes that the camera can be set to. They are: spotlight, sunset and moon, sports, beach and sky, landscape and portrait. The sunset and moon setting is one we have used to capture the sunset in India. It adds something extra to the shot and also more realism and atmosphere. Also, you can turn on
a number of different special effects to enhance you pictures and they include: Low Shutter Speed and Old Movie. We have had some great fun using all of these features at one time or another.


*Specifications*

Dimensions - Width 5.1 cm
Depth 9.7 cm
Height 10.4 cm
Weight - 440g


*Instruction Manual*

The overwhelming impression that I get, when reading through the manual is one of simplicity. The layout of the text makes reading easy. The text is set out into clearly defined points and sections. This then allows you to scan through the information and indentify the solution to whatever your problem is. The diagrams are very clear and well annotated which I found to be very handy. A lot of diagrams in other manuals aren't well annotated which can make life very difficult. I find the contents to be very helpful, because it clearly defines each section of the manual. I was able to find what I was looking for very quickly and managed to resolve the situation.


*Value for Money*

If you go on a lot of holidays, have children or granchildren who perform in play or have parties and even go to sporting and music events then this is for you. It will enable you to capture those special moments that a photograph just doesn't do justice. You can capture the atmosphere of family occassions, not just the images. You can pick this up for around £400 on the internet or a little bit more on the high street. It is worth every penny if you are going to get a lot of use out of it. It may also come in handy when you least expect it to be of any real use. You never know what might just unfold right on the doorstep or whilst you are on holiday. Also, you are getting the Sony brand name and a high quality Handycam for your money. I think this is the best product in its class by a long way. You may be paying a little more than you would do for other brands, but that does show. My Dad didn't mind payin
g that bit extra because he knew what he was getting was reflected in the price. This will last you a long time, much longer than others, so you won't have to go out and buy a new one quite so soon.

Off you go then. Go and buy it. Thanks for reading and please give me some feedback if you do go out and buy one.

Summary: