The DCR-PC9 is a small camcorder with some big specs — it weighs barely more than a pound, but it sports a 10x optical/120x digital zoom with Carl Zeiss optics. The DCR-PC9 also sports a 2.5 inch LCD display that can be swiveled, and features an integrated color viewfinder.
The DCR-PC9’s increased battery life is thanks to the new “M” series Sony InfoLithium battery included with the new model; Sony says that the new battery will offer up to 30 percent more charge than last yea’s model. That translates into 115 minutes of battery life.
The DCR-PC9 also has an MPEG movie record mode. It can record up to 60 seconds of video and audio at 160×112 pixels or up to 15 seconds at 320×240, dumping the data directly to Memory Stick, the solid state transportable media preferred by Sony in many of its digital camera devices. Users can either shoot live in MPEG movie mode or can dump from recorded video.
USB is also included on the new camcorder, making it possible to connect to a computer and transfer still images and MPEG movies directly.
Other features of the new camcorder include digital program editing, which enables users to assemble up to 20 scenes together without using any digital video editing software on the computer; Super SteadyShot picture stabilization, which uses motion sensors to compensate for camera shake; Super NightShot 0 Lux Recording, which enables users to record in total darkness using infrared, and more.
Sony says to look for the DCR-PC9 in retail stores starting this June for about US$1,300.