Sony DCM-M1 Discam

Author's Rating:

Pros: Still frame capture from any video! Up to 4500 stills and 260 minutes of audio!

Cons: Video and stills are restricted to a 640X480 resolution.

The Bottom Line: 
This camera is not for everyone but short clips it's great, in camera editing is king and stills are fun. I paid $500 US on ebay and it's worth it.

Author's Review
With the huge volume of digital video cameras out there today is is hard to choose one perfect for yourself. The Sony DCM-M1 Discam takes a slightly different approach by saving all information to MD Data2 discs.

The Disc
The discs same size as a regular mini disc(2 13/16" X 2 11/16"), in the solid plastic case, but able to hold video, audio and stills. Each disc is able to hold 650 MB which is equal to 10-20 minutes of video, 260 minutes of audio or 4500 digital stills. The ability to edit in the camera is a huge advantage by allowing trimming, moving tracks, copying, erasing, dividing, grouping, still frame capture form video, scene transitions, titles, adding text, drawings and picture effects (black and white, Mosaic or sepia). The disc may be formatted or you may delete selected tracks to record over and over again (PS. record to VHS tape to save memories)

Recording
In the camera mode you can record videos (10 min at SP, 13-20 min at VP or 20 min at LP) or snap still pictures. Due to the resolution the quality is not as good as some other DV cameras but i find it looks just fine on my TV. The interview mode allows audio recording as well as the ability to take up to 3 still pics which are played back at the appropriate time. Audio may also be recorded from the line in on the AC adaptor. You can then record audio from your tv, cd player or computer(anything with audio output).

Playback
This mode allows you play any or all tracks on the disc. This may be used to view in camera or if connected to a VCR, through RCA jacks or S. Video it may be recorded. Some things I did not like are as follows: the text entered is not crystal clear, the slow-motion bar appears on the TV when used and music cannot be played with video. These are not negative things just minor drawbacks to keep in mind. Audio MD's are also compatible. However they may only be played back not recorded over.

LCD screen
The LCD is 3.5 inches diagonally with a 839 X 220 resolution. The screen is a touch screen (like a palm pilot) which is very convenient to use. Navigation can also be done using the roller by you right thumb.

Zoom
10X optical and 40X digital. This zoom level is enough for me. The digital zoom is a little pixelated. Sony also uses Super Steady Shot which works very well. I compared having it on and off and it looks like an earthquake without it. It is great.

External Devices
The camera comes with an Mic hook up, accessory shoe (flash etc.) and can hold extra lenses (fisheye etc.).

Computer Connection
Connects using lan cable plugged into AC adaptor. Data transfer ratio is slow ( 96 kbps) and video is only video NO AUDIO! A bit of a pain but a camera cannot have everything.

Battery Life
Last approx 30(LCD)-35(viewfinder) minutes of recording if turning on and off using zoom. This converts to 75(LCD)-95(viewfinder) minutes while in playback mode. I usually get around 1 hour of use (recording and using playback). Charging is fast 1 min use= approx 1 min charge. From a dead battery it takes 60 min for normal charge and 2 hrs for full charge. Full charge adds an extra 20 minutes.

There are also may settings on the camera however I found them fun to explore and mastered them quickly and easily.

any questions feel free to contact me at jerm@sympatico.ca