Sony DCRPC9 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

I originally did extensive research on the "vertical palm size" mini-DV camcorders and narrowed my decision down to the Sony DCR-PC9, the Canon Elura 20MC and the JVC GR-DVM75. Let me tell you that this was an extremely difficult evaluation because all three cameras have their strengths and weaknesses and there was no clear choice. The digital video technology found in all three of these compact cameras is absolutely amazing. I originally purchased the JVC but I had concern with the workmanship and the quality of the hardware I had read several reviews where the owner eventually experienced problems and the cost to service the camera was extremely steep. I ended up buying the Canon Elura 20MC and did a side by side comparison against the JVC. Not being completely satisfied with either camera, I finally purchased the Sony camera as well. This ended up being an involved process but it was the only way to really evaluate the cameras.

Although you can make arguments that one camera had slightly sharper images or another one handled colors slightly better, overall all three cameras produced crisp, accurately colored images in outdoor sunlight settings. Under outdoor overcast conditions, the colors can be on the dull side but the video still was of decent quality. All three camcorders performed poorly under low light conditions. The low light video taping was indoors at night with single or double lamp lighting with light bulbs between 60 and 100 watts. The Cannon Elura produced the poorest quality video (even with the low light setting) very dark and grainy and the quality was actually poorer than an 8mm analog camcorder. The Sony and JVC with standard auto-shutter settings produced about the same level of video quality which was less grainy but still on the dark side. The lower shutter speed settings on the JVC and Sony improves the image but the video becomes very choppy. As stated in other reviews, the Sony Night Shot (IR based) feature is impressive and works relatively well under "no light" conditions but creates the greenish monotone image. I am not sure how much video I will actually keep with the Night Shot but it is fun to use.

Sound quality is good on all 3 cameras but I do agree with the other reviewers who have commented on the problems associated with having the microphone located on the top of the camera. All the camcorders pick up some motor noise but the noise seemed to be more prevalent on the Canon. I also thought the sound was a little muffled on the Canon when compared to the other two camcorders. The Canon and JVC have wind screen options but I found them to be of limited value.

Not surprisingly, the digital stills from all 3 cameras were extremely poor. Even with the XGA resolution and built-in flash, the JVC stills were only marginally better than that of the other cameras. The best field stills (captured from video) came from the Canon and then the JVC. If you want to produce "print quality" digital stills, my recommendation is to purchase a separate dedicated digital camera instead of spending extra money on a higher CCD count.

You can read about specific features and functions in other reviews for the 3 camcorders but here is a summary of my side by side comparison:

For the Canon Elura 20MC

Pros: Quality Video, Progressive Scan, extended Recording Modes, good ergonomics and design, well constructed, the smallest of the 3 camcorders, manual exposure and shutter speed settings

Cons: Poor low light quality, short battery life, too small for large hands, microphone picks up the most motor noise of the 3 cameras, poor stills, no software, requires a shoe for external microphone and head phone, no USB support

For the Sony DCR-PC9

Pros: Quality Video, NightShot, the most features/functions of the 3 cameras, battery life was about 30% better than the other camcorders, lens ring for manual focus

Cons: Construction feels cheap, Poor Ergonomics, poor stills, cumbersome menu system, uses Sony's proprietary memory stick, limited remote controller functions

For the JVC GR-DVM75

Pros: Quality Video, High Band Processor emulates progressive scan, Built In Flash, well designed remote controller, good number of features/settings

Cons: Construction feels cheap, Poor stills, short battery life, poor viewfinder resolution, requires a shoe for USB connection,

Here are a couple of general observations for purchasing a camcorder. Most sales people only know the specs of each camera but have limited (if any) "actual use" experience outside the store. The image quality on the LCD screen is not a good indicator of the actual quality of the recorded video you really need to view the video image on a TV screen. Finally, you cannot fully assess the quality of a camcorder within the confines of a store.

Because I am planning to do quite a bit of indoor video taping I decided to keep the Sony. I really hated to give up the Canon progressive scan. I originally thought I would keep the Canon (see my review under Elura 20MC) but the poor quality video in low light eventually prompted me to evaluate the Sony. The bottom line is that each camcorder is an excellent product and the best camera for you is dependent on your needs. If you are on a budget, the JVC offers the best overall value, performance, features for your money. Although I only had limited, the hardware quality of the JVC seems to be on par with the Sony. If you are primarily video taping under good lighting conditions and want to capture stills from video, then I would recommend the Cannon. The Elura was also the most compact, most comfortable and best designed. If you need a camera with many digital effects, options and special functions and are video taping in low light/night conditions then I would purchase the Sony. Good luck!

I have been using this camera for a month now and have a few remarks which maybe helpful to you.

1. Size !!!! This thing is so tiny ! and does not look like a regular camcorder. People do not pay attention to it at all which allows you to capture great scenes ! Once I had two film cameras. One was really good but heavy and expensive. Another much cheaper. So ! 90% of my best shots I took with the cheaper camera. Of course you can buy a camcorder with much better quality of the picture for 3-5 grands but will you take it with you everywhere ?

2. Touch screen. I don't bother about onscreen menu. As for me old style wheel is absolutely good. But there is one thing spotmeter. You just touch most interesting point on the screen and exposure adjusts better then you would (OK, I would) do it manually !

3. Image quality good. But colors could be better. I beheld that there is some lack of green, more then need of red. Blue is perfect ! But that can be seen only in comparison with high end camcorders.

3. Viewfinder. The wickest part of the camcorder. I must say I almost returned it back to the store because got tired pulling it out and pushing back. Why Sony didn't allow to change the viewfinder focus so it would be possible to use it for a short moments without pulling out ? Using of swivel screen could solve the problem but it eats the battery too fast. Another thing that when you put the camera on a tripod you cannot turn the viewfinder up, which is not very convenient.

Otherwise very good camera and definitely worth buying. If you planning taking video for yourself you will not find a better choice. But please ! DON'T BUY IT FROM ROYAL CAMERA. Go to the store with good repuitation despite the price seems to be higher there.

Buy Sony DCRPC9 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder Now

Best of the miniDV camcorder around. After searching for about a month, comparing more than 15 minidv camcorders. Even actually bought one. I'd have to say that this is the best one that we found.

At first, we bought a JVC GR-DVM90U because after. This camcorder has so many features, lightweight, and thinner than other digicams.

But after we've bought it, we found that it's image quality is very poor in low light condition. Though it has many features in it (such as AE program with 12 digital effects and 17 scene transitions), we never use any of it. Moreover, the image stabilization also not as good as we expected.

As for the digital camera capability, we don't really use it because we have a FUJI digital camera. And the quality of the camcorder's snapshot won't match the quality of the digital camera.

Since we're not really satisfied with our JVC, we tried to look around and end up with 2 choices. Canon Elura 2 or Sonny DCR-PC9. The review of Canon Elura 2 is better than our JVC, but we can't find a review for Sony DCR-PC9 because the product is new. But we know that Sony has a respectable quality, so we take our chances and bought this camera.

The moment it arrived and we hold this camcorder in our hands, we're sure that this is a great camcorder. The camcorder is less the size of the palm. It has the best image quality and the touchscreen is nice to use. The amazing part is that it performs really well in low light condition. You can even use it in total darkness with it's Nightshot feature. Really cool. The image stabilization is also really good.

The only flaw that we found is that the AUTO setting for the light is not really good. If you're using this camcorder indoor, you might want to switch it to the INDOOR option instead of leaving it at AUTO.

Battery life is okay. With around 2 hours of recording (much better than the JVC with only 1 hour of battery life).

So far, in our opinion this is the best digital camcorder around for the money.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCRPC9 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder Here

I was in the market for a small, high-quality MiniDV camcorder, and the PC-9's specs looked perfect. I have had mine for a month now, and I am very happy with it. Although it is slightly larger than some of the JVC's and Canon's Elura II, it is still very small. Also, unlike JVC and Canon camcorders, the PC-9 feels extremely solid and robust. The construction is top-notch, and you don't feel worried about breaking it, despite its small size. One note of caution, however: be careful not to leave the camcorder in a bag with a lot of stuff crowding it, as the lens cap is prone to coming off. This shouldn't be a problem if it's in a nice padded case, but I carried mine in a bag with other equipment and several times was alarmed to find the lens unprotected.

The PC-9 has a 680K pixel CCD, which is more than is needed for 525 lines of horizontal resolution. Be wary, however, of other cameras with a 480K pixel CCD, because even though the DV format only uses 525 lines, a single CCD doesn't actually record as many discrete pixels as its pixel count claims (thus the advantage of a 3 CCD camera, which the PC-9 is not). Unfortunately, many people are looking for an end-all solution for video and still photography. There is nothing for a reasonable price that accomplishes this goal. While still digital cameras are 3 or 4 megapixels, with this camcorder, you are stuck at .68 megapixels not too impressive. Yes, they are acceptable for small internet jpegs, but forget about looking at them on a nice monitor, and don't even think about printing them. I mention the poor quality of stills not because the PC-9 is any worse than its competitors, but simply because paying extra to have a Memory Stick slot for stills is an utter waste of money (and space, to some extent). Still, the PC-9's fantastic video quality, small size, excellent build, and easy-to-use controls and navigation make it a great buy for anyone looking for quality, affordability, and style.

Want Sony DCRPC9 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder Discount?

While I was slightly disappointed opening the box ( I expected a metal case it's plastic and scratches easily magazine pictures put me off) a month of use has overcome this initial disappointment. While I would agree with the previous reviews re the flimsy cover for the USB and video connection ports (appalling), the overall performance has been great. The small size is a real boon, you can fit it in the pocket of your (loose) chino's with relative ease (sans battery maybe that's why we have two pockets?). Other reviewers have had problems with the handling and button position but I found both intuitive and convenient (medium cadet golf glove i.e. pretty small hands). I bought the camcorder for the slow motion reply primarily for my golf swing (great, the slowmo, not the swing) general performance (family vacasion) has also been exemplary. I also bought both a quick charger (necessary if you value the covers), a 32 MB memory stick (not really necessary 32 MB is 200 an odd pictures) and a 10 hour battery (Require at least a 2 hour real life). In summary I love the handling, the touch screen, the size, the MPEGs (rough but fun), the stills ( good enough for e:mail and playback on a pc not to print) and the slowmo. I hate the connection covers and the fact that in 12 months it's going to look rough. Hope this helps.