Sony Handycam DCR-PC1000 review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Ben Wolf

Reviewed on: 17 August 2005

Tags: Sony, Sony Handycam DCR-PC1000, pixels, picture quality, special effects

We like:

Compact design; three-chip capture; broad feature set; strong photo capabilities; smooth automatic operation

We don't like:

Clumsy user interface for more advanced functions; pricey; mediocre battery life; works only with proprietary cables and accessories

You might also need:

MiniDV cassettes and a FireWire cable

CNET UK judgement:

Attractive and compact, this MiniDV camera offers excellent image quality for its class and brings CMOS technology to the world of camcorders. But its overly clever user interface doesn't do its feature set justice

Full review:

The Sony Handycam DCR-PC1000 is an odd camera, both in the sense that it has some unusual characteristics and in the more negative sense that it's quirky, in an annoying way. It's unusual for a three-chip camera not only because of its small size, but also because it uses CMOS sensors rather than the CCDs found in almost all other camcorders. Its blend of advanced capabilities with a clumsy point-and-shoot user interface makes it odd in the second sense. Continue Reading...