My impressions of the PC7

I had the pc7 for one weekend. During this short period of time, I tested both its functionality and its performance.

Size:

The first thing you would say when you see the PC7 is "wow - its so small!" and it is. Its size in incomparable even to the smallest of sony 8mm handycams. The pc7 is about half the volume of the small SONY TR-45 for instance, or about a third(!!!) of the size of the new hi8 models.

The compactness of this camcorder does not mean less performance or functions:

• It has a 2.5" lcd screen that is so thin, it makes you wonder why SONY puts so much extra plastic and volume on its 8mm camcorders.
• A Thin and light lithium-ion battery, good for about 1 hour of shooting also makes it easier to hold and carry.
• A color LCD view finder.

The whole thing is a masterpiece in compacting art!

The small size has a lot of advantages: you could caryy it with it's accessories in a very small bag, or even slip it into a large pocket! Even the power supply / charger is smaller than the 8mm versions! if you thought handycams where easy to carry, they will seem like huge monsters now. its almost like going from VHS to 8mm! This fact makes the PC7 the best camcorder for your vacation.

Small size can also be of disadvantage. The square shape is not as simple and straight-forward to handle as the "handycam" shape. it takes a lot of getting used to. especially if you are accustomed to the "handycam" shape. Grabbing the PC7 for a long time seemed uncomfortable, and left a red mark on my hand, where it was pressed against the plastic corner.

Zoom:

The PC7 has a x10 zoom lens, and x20 (or x120 in some models) digital zoom.

Handling the zoom is something you should master before using this camcorder, even if you are an experienced videographer. The zoom has a very delicate variable control, that change the speed from "Professional" looking slow and graduate zoom to very fast and unnatural zoom by moving the button only two or three millimeters. You have to hold the camcorder in both hands and carefully use the control to achieve a smooth zoom. This uncomfortable operation of such an important function is a serious disadvantage, but I guess after a week of practice, you could get good results.

The lens is wider than most 8mm handycam lens. This fact helps to keep it small. this means you get wider angle at "wide" setting, and less magnification on the tele side. If you are used to the x12 or x15 of the 8mm handycams, you will find out that the x10 zoom of the PC7 looks more like x6 or x8 than x10, for that reason. Its tempting to go into Digital zoom, but beware! with DV picture quality, every drop in image quality is visible! think again before using the digital zoom!

The digital zoom, especially when you go beyond the x20, is just... horrible! and should never be used. There is no apparent try to enhance the poor resolution image, so its bad effect on the image quality is highly visible. The problem is that the lcd viewfinder is of such poor resolution itself, That you can't see the low resolution of the digital zoom until you play back your recordings on a decent TV or monitor! I advise you all to change the "digital zoom" on the menu, to "off"!

Light sensitivity:

Maybe its the wide angle lens letting more light in, or maybe the ccd is more sensitive, but picture quality of the PC7 in low light conditions looks better then my Hi8 model. I was able to get fairly good image at night, on medium lit areas. (without "steady shot"). In very low light conditions, the picture become snowy and pale. The common problem to all digital steadyshot models is low light operation. To achieve a sharp image after stabilizing, the shutter speed is kept high - about 1/50 even in poor light conditions, instead of using the 1/25 (pal) or 1/30 (ntsc) slow shutter speed necessary to achieve the best image. Its a tradeoff between slightly smeared and unsharp image due to camera motion and the snowy and pale look of a dark image. This means that when you switch to "steady shot" in low light conditions, and lets face it, most of our home shooting is done in far then ideal light, your shots looks more steady, but the whole picture is pale and snowy. I advise against using this feature in low light. Its better to hold the camera firmly and concentrate on a steady and smooth shot without the help of the camcorder. The final result is much better!

Recorded Picture quality:

The picture quality of the PC7 can be summarized by one word: Digital! its the best you've ever seen on consumer products.

Audio:

The DV format has 16 bit CD quality recording ability. The PC7 unfortunately does not use it. It can only record 12 bit audio. as it turns out, it's not a big loss... the PC7 microphone is very sensitive! it pick up everything! The bussing sound of the video head rotating for instance... and the zoom motor... and your hands touching the zoom control... it will all be there on the final recording. loud and clear.

SONY engineers tried to keep it away from all noise sources, putting it on the top (!?!) of the camera, to pick mainly the sound reflecting from the ceiling. Its fine if you shoot outside (you get to hear all the birds!) but its a complete disaster if you shoot indoors! nothing from the ability to discriminate the sound source position is retained. The whole stereo sound sounds like... well... its not a word I would use on the net! My advise: get an external microphone!

Conclusions:

If it will be your first, than the PC7 is the best choice for you. Its small and light and gives you all the benefits of DV quality. For the more experienced videographer - the PC7 feels too much like a toy. Its hard to control and not suitable for serious movie making. Consider the VX1000 for instance, witch handles more like you want it to, and not the other way around... If you are, like me, coming from the 8mm Handycam, you will feel uncomfortable at firs. The PC7 looks and handles like a toy. It will take you some time to master it and make the best of what is has to offer. You will, I promise, forgive it all its annoying features after you look at the picture.

BUT I also learned to appreciate my Hi8 Camcorder in the process. The Y resolution of 400 lines delivered by Hi8 is very close (as far as me experienced eyes could tell) to the 500 of DV. A Hi8 camcorder with TBC is very close to DV Performance, If you ignore the horrible color resolution of Hi8... for home use, Hi8 is not dead yet. At least until DV overcomes the hi price for camera and cassettes, and the absence of analog inputs!

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