Sony's New DCR-IP7BT - The World's Smallest Digital Camcorder...

Author's Rating:

Pros: Loaded with features. Incredibly compact. Easy to use.

Cons: Expensive. Jittery images. New MicroMV media not up to par with MiniDV.

The Bottom Line: 
Recommended for what it does in its small space, but ultimately far better image producing cameras are out there for far less money.

Author's Review
"Bigger is better..."

That phrase may apply to a myriad of topics and items, but when it comes to electronics, the reverse if often the case - "Smaller is better...".

Witness the cell phone - which has reduced in size over the past decade from a 2 lb, 12 inch model to something you can hide in the palm of your hand.

Witness the handheld computer/electronic organizer - shrunk down from a VHS tape-sized box to something the size of a pack of cigarettes.

And digital video cameras (camcorders) are not immune from this shrinking factor. JVC has long had a miniature digital camcorder that neatly - almost - fit into your pocket, especially since your pocket would be empty of any cash after spending a near-fortune to obtain one of these cameras.

Now Sony, the king of miniaturized electronics, has come out with what they claim to be the world's smallest digital camcorder - the DCR-IP7BT - strange, coded name for an impressive piece of equipment. Actually, Sony is dubbing them their MicroMV Handycam camcorders. More on MicroMV in a bit.

When I heard about this new breakthrough in miniaturized digital video, I quickly called in a favor to obtain one for an extensive analysis (and thus this review). The Handycam (as I'll refer to it from this point on) offers an impressive 500 lines of horizontal resolution - far surpassing a standard TV set - which insures extremely crisp and clear images. Additionally, it offers 16-bit, stereo cd-quality sound. But one of the most interesting features this camera offers is the medium in which it records its video. Move over MiniDV, here comes MicroMV - a tape-based consumer MPEG2 recording format whose tapes are actually 70% smaller than their MiniDV counterparts. This was a necessary factor to allow the Handycam to become the world's smallest.

So just how small is it? Try this on for size (no pun intended). The Handycam measures a mere 1 7/8" by 4" by 3 1/8". No, that wasn't a typo. It really is that small, and light too, weighing in at 12 oz.

Beyond its diminutive size, the MicroMV cassette provides up to 60 minutes of high-quality, digital video footage and adds a 64-kb memory chip, offering 16 times the amount of memory storage available on a premium MiniDV cassette. And impressive additional feature of the memory chip allows for multi-search functionality that lets users access different sections of the tape as they would a DVD by creating thumbnail images of all of the recorded scenes on the tape. The thumbnail images are created from the start of every recorded scene. Users can engage the multi-picture search function, scan the entire tape in four minutes - 15 times the average speed - and instantly access the scene of their choice. This feature, while a little complicated to use at first, it an absolute joy to manipulate, especially when you're searching for a particular scene of time-coded segment on a tape.

Additionally, , thumbnail images can be titled with either pre-set captions or customized descriptions, making it that easier to locate and record your video.

Lastly, each time a MICROMV cassette is inserted into the camcorder, cassette information is automatically displayed on the LCD showing the first date of use, last date of use, how much recording space is available on the tape, and titling capability so you can name your videotape. This feature eliminates the need to search through a box of unlabeled tapes to find specific video footage (something that'll help the unorganized user in all of us).

But there's so much more that this Camcorder can do.

As Sony put it:

"Imagine being on vacation, shooting a short MPEG movie or digital photo -- and then e-mailing it right from your camcorder. Imagine uploading images and videos to your own online photo album at ImageStation.com -- Sony's free image sharing service. Imagine using your camcorder to browse the Internet. Now it's all possible, because Sony has introduced the world's first camcorder with PC-free Internet access via Bluetooth(tm) wireless technology."

That's right- this is more than a simple camcorder - it's practically a full-fledge wireless computer, giving you access to the internet and email. Amazing - especially considering its size.

Now while the Bluetooth(tm) technology is a fairly new one, Sony has become the first major company to incorporate the wireless technology into their camcorders - giving them access to thousands of enabled devices, including cell phones. Apparently, more than 2000 companies are producing products to exploit Bluetooth's technology as well.

But with all it offers, at its core, this is a video camera. To that end, lets take a look at those specific features.

First, the HandyCam comes with a professional quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar Lens - recognized as the world's authority in precision lenses. The lens offers a 10x Optical and 120x digital zoom. Digital stills are also available at 640x480 resolutions using Sony's memory stick storage media.

The camera also has an electronic picture stabilizer - which believe me, it needs. One of the issues of having a camera this small is that your picture will become that much more jittery. I've been using camcorders and the likes for years, so I've essentially trained my hands to remain very steady when shooting video. That said, the video I shot with this HandyCam, with the image stabilizer off, looked like a first year amateur with the shakes. Of course, you lose a little frame size with the stabilizer on, but it does make a world of difference.

The camera comes with a 2½" Precision SwivelScreen(tm) Hybrid LCD Display. You can swivel the screen angle, up to 270º, even adjust it to the popular 'mirror' mode. The LCD provides excellent viewing clarity with 211,000 pixels. Of course, a viewfinder - color - is also available, coming in at 180,000 pixels.

Power source comes from InfoLithium(tm) Battery With AccuPower(tm) Meter System. A normal charge will net you about 60 minutes of use, but results certainly vary depending on use.

There are also 8 Picture Effects available including: Black & White, Sepia, Negative Art, Solarization, Pastel, Slim, Stretch and Mosaic.

Additionally, 6 Digital Effects are also included: Old Movie, Luminance Key, Flash Motion, Still, Slow Shutter and Trail.

You've read about the 'good' in this camcorder - and the list is extensive. But it's time to look at the 'bad' side as well.

First, the camera does not have a built in flash, but it does have a port to link to an external one (which is available from Sony).

Second, as previously mentioned, the small size leads to jittery video images, even with the stabilizer on. But that's the nature of the beast. You want portability? Expect a jittery image.

Third, the MPEG2 recording, which incorporates tremendous amounts of compression, does lead to a slightly less defined image than a MiniDV tape generates. To a trained eye, the difference is pronounced. To the amateur, you won't see much of a difference - but you will see a little.

Fourth - the price. At a whopping $1,200.00, this small little camera is clearly weighed down by its stratospheric price. Only the elite and those who love their small toys will initially be purchasing this camera, but in time the price should drop a little bit to become slightly more attractive to the general consumer base.

Numerous positive features, some significant negative ones. In the end, this camera, while a joy to use, especially for the 'cool' factor, is too expensive, slightly incompatible and slightly above mediocre with its video image to be considered for the true videographer. But no one can boast to have anything that does so much in anything twice the size.

Impressive for what it can do, but ultimately there are better, yet bigger, choices out there for far less money.

A full range of specifications and features is listed below.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

-John


FEATURES

* MICROMV(tm) Sony's first tape based consumer MPEG2 recording format
* MPEG2 compression technology that is PC friendly and provides video quality comparable to DV.
* 1/6" Advanced HAD(tm) CCD, 680K Pixels
* Up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution
* Networking Capability via Bluetooth(tm) Technology
* Professional Quality Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar Lens
* 10X Optical/120X Precision Digital Zoom
* Digital Still Memory Mode with Memory Stick® Media
* MPEG Movie AD Mode
* USB Interface
* Progressive Shutter System
* 2.5" Precision SwivelScreen(tm), Hybrid LCD Display (211K)
* Precision Color Viewfinder (180K)
* Super SteadyShot® Picture Stabilization
* i.LINK®* MICROMV Interface (IEEE 1394)
* Cassette Memory
* InfoLithium® Battery with
* AccuPower(tm) Meter System
* Memory Mix Modes
* Preset Exposure
* White Balance
* 16:9 Wide Mode
* 8 Picture Effects
* 6 Digital Effects
* 8MB Memory Stick Media Supplied

COMPLETE CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS

Imaging Device: 1/6" 680K Gross Pixels, Advanced HAD(tm) CCD

Video Actual: 340K Pixels

Still Actual: 340K Pixels

F: 1.7-2.3

Lens Type: Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar

Optical Zoom: 10X

Digital Zoom: 120X

f (Focal Distance): 2.3 - 23mm

f (35mm Conversion): 44-440mm (Camera Mode) 44-440mm (Memory Mode)

Filter Diameter: 30mm

Focusing: Full Range Auto/Manual (Menu)

Minimum Illumination: 7 Lux

Shutter Speeds: Auto, 1/4 - 1/750 (Program AE Mode)

Memory Mode : Yes, JPEG (640 x 480)

MPEG AD Movie Mode: Yes, Light (144 x 96), Standard (144 x 96), Fine (352 x 240), Super Fine (352 x 240)

LCD: 2.5" Precision SwivelScreen(tm) Hybrid Color LCD, 211K

Viewfinder: Precision Color (180K Pixels)

Accessory Shoe: No

Video Input/Output: Yes/Yes, Composite (Special), S-Video (Special)

Audio Input/Output: Yes/Yes (Special, Stereo)

i.LINK® DV Interface (IEEE1394): Yes, 4 Pin

USB: Yes

Headphone Jack: No

Mic Input: No

White Balance: Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, Hold

Exposure: Auto, Manual Preset (24 Steps)

Power Consumption: 3.5W/4.2W/4.5W (VF/ LCD/ VF+LCD)

OS Compatibility: - MovieShaker(tm) 3.1, Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Me, XP (Digital Still Images/MPEG2 Movies)
- MGI PhotoSuite® v8.01, Microsoft®Windows® 2000, Me, XP (Digital Still Images)
- MGI VideoWave® III SE, Microsoft®Windows® 2000, Me, XP, (MPEG1 Movies)
- MGI PhotoSuite® SE v1.1, Macintosh® 7.6.1-9.0 (Digital Still Images)

Dimensions (WHD): 1 7/8 x 4 x 3 1/8" (47 x 103 x 80mm)

Weight: 12 oz (367g) with battery

Supplied Accessories: BTA-NW1 Bluetooth Adapter (view demo), RMT-817 Wireless Remote Commander® Remote, AC-L20 Power Adaptor, NP-FF50 InfoLithium Rechargeable Battery, 2 AA Batteries, USB Cable, 8MB Memory Stick Media, A/V Cable, Lens Cap, Wrist Strap