Sony DCRPC330 MiniDV 3.3-Megapixel Handycam Camcorder

Exterior - With the vertical orientation of the body and the smaller thickness, this camera will fit well in your palm. The main controls are positioned comfortably where your fingers will most naturally fall. The design allows for basic operation without jostling the camera. As I primarily work in filming live band performances in local clubs, this unit allows me to shoot a high-quality product and not disturb those around me, as most are never aware that I am recording. The only drawback is that the infra-red controls are a switch on the case, as opposed to an internal menu. On more than one occasion I have accidentally turned on the night mode.

Lens - The lens is very sharp and distortion-free. Its size of 37mm is a standard size, and I have been able to purchase several lenses and filters without requiring any adapters or step-up/down rings.

Lighting - As per Sony's reputation for low-light shooting, this camera does not disappoint. Besides requiring only 7 lux for standard shooting, it offers a NightShot (infra red) and a Color Slow Shutter, which preserves bright colors in super-low lighting.

Auto-Features - The auto-exposure and auto-focus are very responsive, except in cases of two rapid changes in light, like a camera flash, for instance. This is where I find the only weakness in this unit. The manual focus ring, while great in concept, does not actually operate on a wide range, so it is only for fine tuning, not necessarily artistic alterations. However, the touch-panel screen does have a Spot-Focus feature, which when used correctly can simulate camera movement.

LCD Screen - The image produced on the LCD screen is quite sharp and a very accurate representation of what is being recorded. It also has a switch for the backlight to save battery power when it is not required while viewing the LCD undera a bright sun. A characteristic that sets this camera apart from most is that the LCD Screen is also a touch-panel for access to the options menus. At first I was hesiatant about this feature, but I have found it to be a favorite part of mine. In low lighting situations, I no longer have to remember where specific buttons are, as the menus are well-illuminated. The panel requires very little pressure, so I can operate it without shaking the camera. And, to top it off, it allows custom menus, so that I set up my most-used options on the first screen. Generally I can change the settings to what I want with only two quick taps on the screen.

Accessory Shoe - The Intelligent Accessory show can connect to and electronically control, and supply power to flashes and micrphones.

Power - The supplied battery will run for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at maximum consumption, the long life will generally provide 7-8 hours.

Progressive Recording - This feature is designed for those who wish to extract still images from video. It records at half the frame rate, but produces a clearer image, without the herring-bone effect of motion in the normal digital frames.

I have had this camera for four months now, and have found only a couple of minor imperfections which do not amount to much when compared to the rest of the DCR-PC330. I highly recommend this unit to anyone and everyone who can afford it. You will not be disappointed.

The other two candidates were the Panasonic DV953 and the Sony TRV950.

To help me choose, I took a crash-course in MiniDV cams (by reading the reviews) and found that most of them kept harping on things that I didn't care about. Things like bottom-loading the tapes vs top-loading; Single CCD vs 3 CCD; the number of shutter speeds. Jeez, 99.9% of people aren't going to pass up a good camera because they need to remove it from the tripod to change a tape, but these folks make it sound like a show-stopper.

I bought the PC330 over the other two for simple reasons:

1) My wife wants very few buttons to have to worry abouy. With this camera, you point and shoot; most of the functions are hidden in the touch screen menus that you rarely have to use.

2) The stills are actually better than my 3.2 megapixel Fuji A303.

3) It felt comfortable to use - much smaller than the other two cameras.

I believe the cons to this camera that will affect most users are:

1) The akward placement of the still button. You really have to bend your index finger into a strange position to use it. The zoom control is placed as the natural landing spot for your index finger.

2) The microphone is located behind the hot-shoe. This is only a problem if you plug something into the shoe - the mic is essentially blocked from your subject.

3) The flash doesn't pop out far enough to clear most add-on lenses. If you attach a wide-angle or zoom lens, you will see a significant shadow of it in still pictures that use the flash. This is certainly not a critical flaw, but annoying.

4) This is probably only a problem for newbies to Sony camcorders, but the zoom control at your index finger is just about the same size as the mode/power switch at your thumb. I don't know how many times I've intended on zooming by moving my thumb -- which causes the camera to switch modes. I chalk this one up to user unfamiliarity; all of my friends with Sony's had the same problem at first.

I bought some nice accessories and found one very valuable. The HVL-IRH2 IR/Video light. This plugs into the hot shoe and provides a 3 Watt video light AND a great IR light for shooting in total darkness in a small all-in-one unit. It uses the battery power from the camera, which drains it FAST, but it also means it doesn't need its own heavy battery. We use this to record our kids sleeping; the IR produces no visible light in the room. Keep in mind, the video will look like a nighttime Baghdad bombing (green), but it's not very grainy at all.