Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony DCRPC109 Compact MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

I just got this camcorder, and played with it about an hour, so it might be a bit premature for a detailed review. Yet, my first impression was "wow". It is slick, compact and good-looking.

That was until I inserted the tape. Someone said there is no motor noise. Not ture. This is really major drawback especially for me since one of the major reason I bought this was to replace my aged Samsung SD60, which had an excessive background noise. I compared these two side-by-side, and noise level is about the same to my surprise. I recorded video, and yes, there is white noise (from the motor) in the background when played back on my TV. This explains why the built-in microphone on Sony is located on top of the camcorder.

Still, this is an awesome camcorder. I do like the touch screen LCD, which will be taking some time to get used to, and mostly the compactness and slickness of it.

Things can add up to put this camcorder in good use. I already spent more than a few hundred bucks on accessaries; Polarized filter lense, portible tripod, extra battery (NP-FF71), matching carrying bag. And considering to buy the microphone to reduce the amount of the noise from the motor being recorded.

Lastly, the battery (NP-FF51) seems to drain quite fast. I would not last an hour in typical use. An extra battery seems to be a must.

I've had this little guy for about 9 months now, and I have no major complaints. While this camcorder suits the needs of those who want good performance in filming normal activities, it may fall short of higher expectations.

I bought this camcorder because it is small, compact, good-looking, and has a touch-panel feature (highly amusing and useful). The 1.0 Megapixel picture quality becomes pretty obvious during playback, though. Again, for those who just want to film family, school, and random events, I doubt anyone would complain about this small setback. But for those who want to make quality movies or semi-professional documentaries, the features and pixels may not be enough.

I use this camcorder recreationally and it is a blast to use. I guess one word to describe my experience with it is: Complacent. If you want to film on a more professional level, I recommend the Sony DCR-HC85. It has 2.0 Megapixels, a built in flash, a 3.5 inch touch-panel LCD, and among other great features. It is slightly bigger and heavier, but it is nonetheless an excellent camcorder for more demanding purposes.

Recreational: Sony DCR-PC109. More serious filming: Sony DCR-HC85.
Overall, you can't go wrong with the DCR-PC109.

I first purchased this Sony MiniDV in Octocber of 2004. I had considered other formats such as recordable DVD's and even tapeless but in the end I went with the MiniDV format since I had a good experience with a prior Sony MiniDV model.

In 4 plus years, this DCRPC109 has been a very good "foot soldier" for me. Very reliable in many situations and able to get the scenes I need. What I liked most about this video camera is its small size along with the tiny MiniDV tapes. The picture quality on MiniDV's is crystal clear.

The camera is able to take cell phone quality digital pictures(not bad for 2004, not ok in 2009). Pictures can be stored on the Sony Memory Stick and ONLY the Sony Memory Stick. Other drawbacks include the fact that you need the whole camera in order to charge the battery on a loading dock. You can get a seperate battery charger if you want that option.

You get 10X optical and 120X digital zooms. You also get NightShot and a built-in lens cover. The lens cover is great for keeping out dirt but the NightShot I never found too useful, hate the "greenish" hue. High quality video camera with sharp picture quality. The only thing is that for the same price you can get a much more advanced video camera in 2009. If you can find it really cheap, then I'd say go for it.

I found this on clearance today on the Sony website.
Limited quantity. $ 549.

After I recorded a few tapes using this brand new camcorder bought from Amazon, it got snowflake-like noise all over LCD screen. Since I did not use it for the first month after I got it, I could not return it and had to send it to SONY repair center for service. After I got it back, it constantly complains about dirty video head and I have to use a cleaning tape each time it does that. My worst experience with any electronics I ever had.