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26 Jan 2001
Sony PC-5 mini-DV Video Camera Review
by theVooner
I've often wavered between video and still picture format. I started with 8mm,
then Hi-8mm, but after that, I resisted the change to DV (technically, mini-DV).
My logic was this: I have a number of 8 and Hi-8 movies that I have taped but
NEVER, EVER watched. So what exactly was the point? The revolution of digital
photography allows me to share my pictures via e-mail to anyone I want nearly
as soon as I take the pictures. Video was still a cumbersome thing. (We'll get
more into this in just a bit.)
 Nevertheless,
when the new mini-DV camcorders came, there was one thing that interested me,
the size. They were tiny wonders of technology, and they took DIGITAL video.
I read a ton of reviews about how great the format is, and I was nearly hooked,
but the one thing that held me back was the battery life. The same reviews that
praised mini-DV also condemned the poor battery life, with some reviews saying
some batteries lasted a paltry 30 mins. (An ex-colleague of mine that bought
one of the first generation mini-DV camcorders said he had to buy 4 batteries.)
I remember carrying three battery packs in the old days so I shied away initially.
When Sony came out with the PC3 and then the PC100, I started to get that shopping
urge. The cameras were so small, battery life was pretty decent, and it was
just so good looking. Still I resisted because as I outline below, I'm not a
fan of taking videos. Finally, Sony came out with an even smaller unit, and
I couldn't stand it anymore. I bought the PC5. The PC5 is one of the newest
DV cameras out there. It's actually not that new in the market as I bought it
at the end of last summer; I just kept putting off a review (sorry about that).
Before we review the PC5, let me say a few things about video cameras in general.
While I think DV is great, I'm still not convinced that video is the format
for me. I like still-photography, whether digital or not. I like taking, and
then displaying the pictures I take - through e-mail, on my wall, on my computer,
etc. I just don't know what to do with the videos that I have shot. For reference,
I have used 3 DV tapes in the past 5 months, which shows you how much I like
the format. It's hard because when I travel for example, I have to chose between
35mm, APS, digital camera, and a DV camera (theVooner also got one of those
new "instant" cameras so there's another device to add to the list). Then, I
have to decide which to carry with me on any particular day (usually two formats)
and worse which one device to use at any one moment. You only have two hands!
Being the goofball that I am, it's hard with a digital camera strapped around
your neck, a DV camera in one hand, and an APS camera in your pocket. Can you
say gadget overkill? During my recent trip to Tokyo, I spent most of the time
taking Digital Photos. It wasn't until I got my wonderful girlfriend to photograph
me shopping in Akihabara that the camera actually got some usage. In conclusion,
I would say that there are only two main reasons I see to own a DV camera: 1)
if there is some special event happening, like a wedding, graduation, etc.,
or 2) if you have kids. Other than that, the DV camera mainly sits in a box
in my closet.
Enough tirade, on to the review...
Form
 The
PC5 is small, really small. And that alone makes it beautiful. I'm impressed
that they have managed to pack all the functions into something so small. The
DV fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. I have small hands so I imagine
they would be even smaller in comparison to other people's hands. It fits so
snugly in the palm of your hand, you can just walk around with it and after
awhile, you don't even notice it's there. It's also light enough that it isn't
too difficult to leave it in your palm for a couple of hours. It's also small
enough that you can sort of discretely shoot from the hip or from the shoulder
without shoving a big lens in someone's face. The silver body is sturdy and
I reckon strong enough to take the abuse of travel and use.
The buttons are easily accessible, but most of the functions are found on the
touch screen display (greasy fingers beware). The touch panel is one of the
neatest things about the PC5. It's a bright LCD, even though it is quite small.
You can easily see what you are recording on the screen even in bright daylight,
although there is a viewfinder included in case you like to shoot from eye level
or can't see the image on the screen. The Zoom/Wide Angle slider is located
by your index finger and is easy to use without having to look at what you are
doing.
 The
one complaint I have was that the "Record" button was just to pronounced and
easy to push. When I put the camera in the bag, for example, the camera had
a tendency to "accidentally" record. I had to rewind the tape the last time
because it had recorded 25 minutes of "nothing". Aside from this, there are
no major negative considerations to the way this device handles, feels, or looks.
It is thoroughly a spectacular marvel of technological innovation.
Function
Where do I start? First with picture quality - the PC5 takes incredible video
relative to the days of 8mm and Hi-8mm. The clarity is amazing, especially given
that the camera is so small. Anyone can make a "Blair Witch" with one of these
wonders. Watching the video of my Japan vacation, I wish I did actually use
the video camera more. The pictures were just so vivid, the colors were amazingly
lifelike, and the clarity was excellent. I used to have some problems with my
old cameras when it came to focusing. The old Hi-8mm video cameras had a tendency
to blur out and then re-focus when you shifted around or when you zoomed in.
No such difficulties with the PC5, or at least it wasn't as pronounced.
 There
are two different kinds of mini-DV tapes you can buy: a standard mini-DV, and
one with IC memory built-in. The IC is used to store things like titles, etc.
To have this memory function, you have to pay more. I bought both kinds of tapes
to try and while I like putting titles on the videos, it's not a function I
use all the time. Thus, I would recommend not buying the ones with the IC memory
and just adding titles later at the editing stage.
One of the best features found on the camera is the "Nightshot" and "Super
Nightshot" function. I went to a L.A. club with some friends of mine (including
danchan) and I was able to covertly take some video images in near darkness.
That was really fun. For pure novelty (the greenish, monochrome shots are not
exactly the kind of images you want to keep forever), this is a surprisingly
fun function. Voyeurs will have a field day with this video camera. (For those
of you that know about the Nightshot/See-through controversy, I will only say
that I have had mixed results in trying to replicate these images.).
 Editing
was a breeze thanks to the Vaio. Hook up the camera via a firewire cable and
you are set to go. The Sony Vaio instantly opens the DV editing software. You
can upload video clips, which load surprisingly fast, but eats up your hard
drive space quickly. I've only done one quick transfer but it was pretty neat.
You set up the scene on your computer, and then you hit the edit button and
all is done for you. The DV rewinds to the exact spot, the hard drive records
the image, and your done. Hit the output to CD-R and you'll make a VCD for anyone
to enjoy. This whole process is pretty time-consuming so I won't be doing it
all the time. Still the experience was easy and if you're into it, pretty fun.
As expected, the still photo function resulted in mixed results. In bright
daylight, you get fairly decent results. But get into a low-light environment
or a night shot, and the digital photos turn out really poor. Without a flash,
and with such low resolution (640 x 480), you get pretty sad results. Hence
my argument about convergent devices remains true -- if you want to take digital
photos, stick with a digital camera.
Factor
How small can they make these things? I await the next generation of DV camcorders
that will push the size and the quality barriers. But if your priority today
is to buy yourself a mini-DV camcorder, then you can't go wrong with the PC5.
It's not the best, but for its price, its size, and the quality of the video,
this is one great item in anyone's gadget bag. Still, as per my ranting above,
I'm just not a great fan of taking videos. Since the PC5 spends most of the
time in the closet, I'd say its something you should own only if you have MONEY
TO BURN.
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