Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony DCRPC101 MiniDV Compact Camcorder w/ 2.5" LCD, and 8 MB Memory Stick

This is my first camcorder and I've been using the Sony DCRPC101 for three months now. It's small size and light weight allows me to take it everywhere. Pictures taken outdoors (bright light, overcast), indoors (incandescent, fluorescent), while driving (day, night), are impressive. I use a Macintosh to download footages through iMovie. It came with a USB cable, but the Firewire cable (6 pin to 4 pin, that comes with the Macintosh) is more reliable.

In my experience, the battery life varies tremendously, depending on how you use the camcorder. With the LCD on, constant on and off, taking 1 to 2 minutes of footage each time, repeated standby and replaying previous shots, the battery won't last through half a tape (36 minutes). With LCD off, 15 to 30 minute shots, limited standby, the battery will last over 3 tapes (3 hours, 12 minutes). If you plan to shoot all day, buy the NP-QM91 battery. I did, and was able to record to 6 miniDV tapes (that's all I had). There was time left on the battery for one more tape. (FYI: 6 tapes equals 6 hours which translates to 51 GB of hard drive space.)

Using the camcorder for the first time, you have to get use to the location of the control buttons. They are small, and close together, compared to my friends DCRTRV25 and ZR50MC. After using it for a while, you'll notice how convenient the buttons are located. It's just a matter of getting use to the layout. The zoom is instant. From minimum to maximum, it takes less than a second. Not exactly what I wanted. With a little practice, you can achieve a smooth slow zoom.

I've read complaints about the cheesy plug cover hinges. I don't get it (not just yet). They are not hinged, but attached to the camcorder with what appears to be a nylon tether. I know hinges break, but unless you pick up the camcorder by these covers, I don't see how they can break.

As far as durability, my camcorder has been dropped (on carpet, twice, from waist height), ran over (radio control car), and toppled (on the driveway, mounted on a tripod, me tripping on the tripod). Besides a few scratches, the camcorder still functions like brand new.

I think all miniDV camcorders you buy today, have still image capture. The Sony DCRPC101 is equivalent to a 1 megapixel camera. I have a 3 megapixel Canon digital camera that is dedicated to taking still images, and I use it exclusively for that. Even though the digital camera can take video shots, it's image/sound quality is nowhere near that of a miniDV. And the same thing applies to the miniDV camcorder. The stills cannot compare to the digital camera.

If I have any complaint, that would be the built-in microphone. The microphone, and it is a good one, is mounted on top of the camcorder. It is omni directional, and picks up sound everywhere. Of course, the closer the sound source is to the camera, the louder it is. If you are the one taking the video, and decide to add your voice, you will definitely come in loud and clear. During silent passages, you can almost hear a humming sound, which is the motor noise. My friends old JVC 8mm, records some very obvious noise, something I've never noticed before, until I started making comparisons. The ZR50MC also picks up motor noise or whatever it is. Another friends DCRTRV25 is very quite. But it's something you have to focus on.

The best accessory to buy for your camcorder is a 30mm UV Filter. This is a must have. Think of it as insurance, it protects the lens. It's easier to wipe the dirt, dust, fingerprints off the filter than the lens. If the filter gets scratched, you can replace the filter.

Just got this camera, its the best!

It's small yet picture quality is excellect. I was even impressed with the stills. Stills however come out best when taken outside in bright daylight. Indoor and at night, you do need flash.
Touch screen menus (One of my favorite item) are really easy to use.

Video editing is quite easy with FireWire. I used Adobe Premier, worked without problem. You can controll the Camcorder from Premier when doing editing.

There is however a problem with the camera..Not sure if I got defective ..but..there is too much motor noise. At least in mine, it's too loud. Too much motor noise is being recorded. In quite room you can actually hear the motor running from 6-8 feet away.

I have used this camcorder intermittently for about 1 month. I am very pleased with it. It is small, but cannot fit in a pant's pocket comfortably (unless you are fond of elephantine, droopy pants), but certainly fits in a parka or other jacket pocket. The size is actually a reasonable compromise--any smaller and it would be difficult to operate, depending on your hand size. It would be helpful to go to a store and try the fit and ease of operation. There is a bit of a learning curve with the camera's operation, but it is rapidly mastered. The layout of the controls and the LCD menu are well-done. The latter minimizes the clutter of buttons. The quality in low-light, as has been pointed out, is variable, depending on what settings you use. Turning on lights certainly helps, as do the various options for low light. The quality is acceptable given those conditions, given the price of this camera and its size. If you want improved low-light performance, turn on lights or purchase a lamp for the shoe on the top. This is clearly not an issue for this product alone, but for other brands as well. I debated between this and the more expensive Optura 200MC. There seemed to be less complaints overall about this product., although the other one was certainly well-regarded. Overall, for the price and performance I am very happy with my purchase. This is an excellent value purchase for the average or somewhat picky user, who will delight in its portability and ease of use. Perfectionists will need to spend more money or get a bigger machine, but will nevertheless find something else to focus on...

I bought this for my wife for Christmas. She wanted a small and easy to use camcorder, so after some research I chose the PC101. When it arrived, I was shocked at how small it actually is. My sister has a larger model miniDV sony and it has MANY small buttons with crytic labels. The touch screen on the 101 is great and get's rid of the clumbsy buttons on the larger model. In the first 3-weeks of use, I have nothing to bad to say, and still can't beleive value in this model.

I surveyed the market thoroughly before buying my Sony PC101. I bought it in June 2002 and I have compared it a lot to my girlfriend's Sony IP5. The PC101 is slightly larger than the IP5 which is fantastic in size. The IP5 fits in a regular pocket or purse, great to carry around, however, the quality of the video and still shots of the PC101 is superior to the IP5. The color is much clearer and the quality over all of the picture is so much better. Also, the IP 5 does not have the touch screen of the PC101 which is much faster to deal with. I agree one should not have dirty fingers. The PC101 has a function that is great to use in low light, the slow shutter. The effect is great color even when quite dark, no need for an extra video lamp.
Also memory stick is a great media, but get the 128mb from start. In summary, if you want a small girlie cam, get the IP5 (or even better, the IP7) but if you prefer quality over size, the PC101 is the one.