Sony DCRIP5 MicroMV Digital Camcorder w/ 2.5" Hybrid LCD Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Actually I really like the camera, it's small size, the lens, and the features.
But what I want to share with everyone is that this is NOT a DV camera, it is MV which means your DV software will not work with this camera.
As of this writing, 4/2002, there is no software available that will let you capture MV over the firewire port. The best you can do is an analog capture board.
Pinnacle says there is no support "YET" but gives no timeframe for Studio support, if any.
The bundled software is cute and has some simple splicing features.
The MV format is promising, and the form factor cannot be beat for portability. But I am just crossing my fingers that someone will develop PC support for this.
Otherwise, this camera is great. Excellent battery life, great lens, and very portable. I take it everywhere-- with the small size, I'm sure I'll get that one in a million shot because I actually carry the thing!

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The newest digital format on the market, MicroMV records video and audio encoded as MPEG-2, which is the format used for DVD video. While this is a unique and intriguing feature, it's buttressed by the incredibly small size of the camera itself. While MicroMV might be the wave of the future, there are some unanswered questions in the present, but those concern the camcorder's interoperability with computers (most video-editing programs are made to work with the DV standard, not MPEG-2) rather than its shooting abilities.
All that said, your biggest question is probably, just how small is the DCR-IP5? It measures less than 2 inches wide, 3 inches high, and just over 3 inches deep. In other words, it's the smallest digital camcorder we've seen. Amazingly, Sony crammed a 10x optical zoom and 2.5-inch LCD onto this thing, which means they didn't sacrifice anything in their quest for smallness.
The DCR-IP5 uses Super SteadyShot image stabilization to avoid the shakes normally associated with high zoom levels. Image stabilization will likely be your best friend when using the IP5, as its small size and weight lend themselves to the small camera movements likely to result in shaky footage. The camera comes with S-video, composite video, and IEEE 1394 ports.

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