Sony DCRPC350 3MP MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

The main reasons I purchased this camera were its size and its resolution. The camera is small enough to fit in my coat pocket, which means that I have it with me when I need it, and its 3MP resolution means that I can leave my digital camera at home. In fact, this camera has an F1.8 lens, which is as fast as you'll find on most full-size cameras, so it takes decent pictures indoors even without using the flash.

While I've been delighted with the size and still camera capabilities, there are a few other features that I think are great as well. The first is the option to use 16:9 video format if you want. I have a HDTV, and video shot in normal 4:3 format doesn't fill the screen unless it's stretched sideways, making everyone look fat. The 16:9 option of the DCR-PC350 allows you to shoot video that fills the screen like a real movie. You'll probably appreciate this even more in a few years when most TVs are widescreen.

A second useful, though not well documented, feature is the "seek to end" feature. If you've been reviewing what you've recorded and want to start recording again without overwriting something, you can use the "seek to end" to move quickly to the end of the recorded section.

Another reviewer complained about the inability to monitor sound levels during recording. This hasn't been a problem for me as I found I could just plug a set of headphones into the AV jack and hear what was being recorded. In fact, both the AV port and the s-video port are active when the camera's on, so you can watch and hear what you're recording using an external monitor and headphones (or speaker) if you want.

The camera has tons of other fancy features, all of which are accessible through the handy touch-screen display, but those above are my favorites.

The main complaints I have about this camera are:

1) The memory stick. The camera ships with a memory stick that's got a measly 16MB capacity, so plan on replacing it with a 256MB or 512MB stick straight away. In addition, the memory stick is this odd "memory stick duo" format that you have to insert into a larger adapter (supplied) to make it readable by a computer. Using a standard SD card, which is the same size as the duo anyway, would have been a better idea.

2) The software. The bundled video editing software is terrible. Plan on buying Adobe Premiere, or using Windows Movie Maker.

3) The cabling. You definitely want to use firewire rather than USB 2.0 for doing your video transfers if for no other reason than it provides almost 2x the transfer speed. In addition, some video editing software looks for cameras only on a firewire port. So plan on buying a firewire cable as well.

The need to immediately drop another hundred or two on accessories is the main reason I gave this camera 4 stars instead of 5.

Lastly, I'd also recommend getting the "BCTRF Compact Battery Charger for F Series Batteries" and the "Sony HVLS3D 3 Watt Video Light" The charger is only slightly bigger than the battery and saves you lugging the AC adapter around on vacation. The light is tiny and despite being only 3 watts can make a significant difference indoors if you're close to your subject.

I bought this item a couple of days ago in Hongkong (its already released here) and have had the chance to play around with it. I got this in HK for around US 1190 together with a tripod, 5 DV cassettes and a camcorder bag (promotion going on). The video quality is outstanding. The base is a boon as u can attach the S video, firewire or USB cables to it and then simply place the camcorder into the base to charge or transfer the files to the PC. I would like to say that be careful regarding the LCD. In brightly lit rooms (like showrooms where I bought mine), if the LCD has any dead pixels (whichs shows up as a bright dot)you will not be able to see them. So do cover the LCD with your hands, cover the lens with the shutter cap and then carefully check the LCD for dead pixels. (You should carry out this check after the Camcorder has been on for a minute or so to allow the dead pixels to show up). The lens is perfect and you have the option of buying attachments for more creativity. All in all its an outstanding product with great features (love the night shot mode). Highly recommended if you are willing to spend this kind of money on a camcorder.

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I have had this camera for about 2 months now and really have had no problems with it. I love the size. It is small enough to fit in my jacket pocket while skiing. Takes awesome pictures movies, even during extremely bright conditions while skiing. I have used this camera indoors as well and find it to do a great job. I love being able to film in widescreen mode and play movies back on the widescreen tv. The pictures are extremely clear. My only problem is with the whole docking station / charging the battery issue. I would suggest buying an extra battery charger / ac cable or a travel charger so as not to have to unhook all of your cables from your computer every time you travel. Overall, I am very happy witht his camera and would definately buy another one if the need arose.

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I have had this device for about two years, and I am generally happy with it. The camcorder specs for video resolution are excellent (at least for one that was designed a few years ago). It is small enough to fit in a coat pocket or even a pants pocket of baggy pants, so it can go places another larger camera would be left behind.

The digital stills have disappointing quality. They seem to be better in good sunlight, or in a closeup indoors, but they are not comparable to what most people get from a digital still camera. One person told me that, although the stills are supposedly 3.0 MP, their quality is closer to what a 2.0 MP still camera would give. As explained to me, the problem apparently is the imaging device -what works well for video does not work well for stills, and vice versa. Even as of August 2007, there are no combination cameras that do a great job on both video and stills.

My solution was that I eventually bought a Nikon Coolpix S10 6.0 MP digital still camera for taking stills where I want really high quality stills. The Nikon will also take video, but it is poor quality.

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Okay, so I don't have a lot of prior experiance for comparison but this camera was easy to use right out of the box and the more I learn how to use it the better it gets. Some people have faulted its small size but I love the fact that I can slip it in my pocket. It takes good quality video and the stills have been okay. As long as you don't blow them up too much the stills are fine, as good as I've seen on a lot of other 3MP cams.