From...

The Sony DCR PC1, left, and the Canon ZR digital camcorders

December 15, 1998
Web posted at: 10:15 AM EST

by Paul Heltzel

(IDG) -- Is Santa bringing you home-video equipment this year? If so, you might see if the old boy is generous enough to pony up a few hundred extra for a digital camcorder. Cameras that use the miniDV format offer great digital sound and picture that won't degenerate when you make copies. We looked at two shipping models that connect to your TV or computer, the Canon ZR and Sony DCR PC1.

Both devices are about the size of a point-and-shoot camera, and either may suit you depending on your needs. The Canon is slightly larger, less expensive ($999) and offers a more limited feature set. The Sony will set you back more ($1800), is sized about mid-range for these types of cameras, and offers excellent picture and sound.

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Both cameras offer a FireWire interface to output video. This means the transfer of video to your PC is entirely digital and very fast (you'll need a separate PCI adapter card). You can edit the video using a program like Adobe Premiere or MGI VideoWave, then send your Spielbergian creations back out through FireWire. Then you play back the tapes using the cameras' VCR style controls.

The Canon ZR is a good entry-level model. Its picture quality is crisp and compares very well to an expensive Hi8 camera that you'll find in an electronics store. The camera can also shoot at a wide-screen 16.9 ratio, as opposed to TV's standard 4:3, so your Christmas video can look like a spaghetti western. Audio capture is very clear, with no hiss. To play back your video, you screw on a small attachment to the bottom of the camera, which provides the plugs you'll need to play back the tape on your TV. It also has a DC connection for juice when your battery is dead. This is a nice, well-rounded camera that that will fit into your pocket.

If you've got the dough, however, the Sony PC1 is a better bet. The PC1 is well-suited for someone who needs to create videos for business or simply wants very high quality video and sound. The PC1 uses a sharp Zeiss lens and offers a 120X digital zoom, so you can get close-ups of your neighbor's barbecue from across the street. The PC1 has a bright display, which you can pivot out so you don't have to hold your face to the camera while shooting. It also has a sharp color viewfinder, which is helpful when shooting in bright light, since the color display will wash out. The Canon also offers a viewfinder, but it's a separate attachment that adds to the bulk of the camera, and the display isn't very sharp.

Both devices double as still cameras -- just click a button to grab one frame of still video -- but the quality won't compare to that of a good point-and-shoot camera you can pick up for less than $100. But either of these models offer considerably better video than what you're likely used to seeing on camcorders. If you go another step and install a FireWire card in your PC (and a large hard drive) you've got the makings of your own digital production studio.