Excellent video, but no digital stills (Sony Handycam DCR-PC2)

Member Name: robndawn

Product:	Sony Handycam DCR-PC2
Date:	01/09/00 (700 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Video quality, very small, many features

Disadvantages: No real stills option, Battery not always accurate, Sony service in the UK, No DV-in

I've had this camera for a little over a year and have been over the moon with it.

The video quality in very bright and low light conditions is brilliant, far better than I'd been used to with video in the past. The camera just sorts everything out for you. There are manual overrides, but I've never used any of them except for the 'infinity' focus.

Something else which is brilliant about the camera is it's size. I had previously been put off by video cameras because of their size. With the latest DV cameras you can use it without it being obvious that you are videoing. People often think it is just a digital camera. To be even more descrete the camera has a viewfinder which you view by putting your eye to the back of the camera. The fold-out screen is very convenient though.

My biggest regret with the camera is the lack of ability to capture stills. When I bought the camera I was told that it could take stills. That's true in a sense, but you can only print them on a video printer. Pretty useless feature. The PC3, which costs a little more uses the Sony proprietry memory stick to save still photos. The memory stick can then be inserted into a floppy-disk like device and the digital image transferred to a PC. If I'd known the limitation of the PC2 I'd definitely gone for the PC3.

Besides the memory stick option of the PC3, the PC2 and PC3 are identical.

I have discovered that Sony have recently brought out the PC4 and PC5, which is smaller and has even more features. It has the same optics, and is about 2cm shorter. I wouldn't recommend the PC2 or PC3 anymore. Pay that bit extra and go for the PC5 (the PC4 has the same limitations as the PC2 vs. PC3)

I bought the camera outside the UK (but still in Europe) and Sony-UK have been really difficult to deal with. I have had to return the battery and received a replacement, but not without hassle.

Summary: