DCR-IP1 World's Smallest Camcorder [Sony's MicroMV]

[@WaybackRewind]

Can you guess where I shot the sample footage? lol🤣

[@MichaelAChang]

I have a DCR-PC101 that I haven't touched for years, maybe I'll take it out for a bit of nostalgic fun tomorrow. How Sony manages to make them so small never ceases to amaze me, on the other hand I'm also afraid of the transport eating tapes like those old car cassette decks every time I use it. I like my PC101 because it has NightShot long exposure capability in video mode and a hotshoe mount for accessories. Speaking of NightShot, it's one reason why I like Sony still cameras of that era such as the DSC-F828 and DSC-V3 where I can enable IR mode with a magnet hack but shoot in normal colour mode.

[@WaybackRewind]

I wish I had the time to catalog all of the Sony cameras and figure out the differences. I pick and choose the most interesting ones to buy, but it seems that Sony produced innumerable permutations that don't really make sense to me. When I learned of the IP1 I had to have one. Back in 2003 people complained of the quality, but standard definition doesn't look all that great on any camera today. I hope you liked seeing this one. I am still searching for a working PC55, but they all seem to be broken. I would like a PC101 or PC100 and I have no clue what is the difference to be honest. Thanks for watching.

[@MichaelAChang]

@@WaybackRewind You're right, there are too many Sony camera permutations to track so I just pick units with features I want such as (super) NightShot since long exposure greatly enhances low light performance in video mode. This was the reason I bought the PC101 and VX2100. Like you, I wasn't even aware of the IP1's existence. They were all relatively expensive machine in their time and buying them today is somewhat asking for trouble because of their complex transport mechanisms, but there's no denying the nostalgic factor.

[@kevinblanco3244]

So happy for you! I had the same experience. Bought an untested one on eBay under $100. Bought a battery and worked with no problem what so ever. I even managed to find the specific cradle. This thing is under the radar and rare in my opinion. Transferring MicroMV footage is quite the learning curve as it’s not straight forward like MiniDv. Glad you found a working one . I’d recommend not using so much to prevent potential issues 😅 cause finding another one is only gonna get difficult and repairing these tiny mechanisms is a headache. Cheers 🍻

[@WaybackRewind]

@kevinblanco3244 Thanks. I have come up empty so many times I think I was due to have some good luck. I have searched everywhere, and so far, the cradle is impossible to find, so I can not access the firewire. Yes, I only gently use these cameras. My workhorses are modern cameras that can be easily replaced. Thanks for watching.

[@Raptor50aus]

Well done having a working unit and a working LCD more so

[@securityg]

Yeah, I'm currently reading the book - SONY: A LIFE and that company was/is impressive in their technology work ethic. - James D Watkins artistic director of Phoenix Productions

[@WaybackRewind]

I love SONY, but an interesting corporate culture. Even today they have a bewildering number of models that are all so similar and none seem to be able to do everything. Thanks for watching.

[@Raptor50aus]

Will be trying Firewire to my PC once the Handy station arrives :)

[@WaybackRewind]

@Raptor50aus I wish I could find one. The are super rare.

[@WaybackRewind]

I got my handy station from the UK and it's working exactly as expected. The USB is mounting exactly as expected. It's going to take me a minute to sort out the firewire. I don't have complete control yet. Crazy I couldn't find that handy station anywhere in the US.

[@WaybackRewind]

Finally got the firewire capture working. Took about 4 reboots, not sure why but finally got it to work. Glad it works.

[@Raptor50aus]

I have a new LCD flex cable coming from China for mine. Otherwise mine works great. Very impressed with the video quality in bright sunny weather. Also I have experimented with recording from sources like MiniDV and HDV video. The playback is great. Currently using a 5 inch FPV monitor connected to the AV out until I install the new LCD flex cable.

[@WaybackRewind]

Very nice!

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

I repaired many of them, a bit fiddly and we all knew it was way too much ahead of time to miss the transition to solid state.

[@WaybackRewind]

@LawpickingLocksmith did you ever fix thr DCR-PC55? I have 4 broken ones, it's always the camera that goes dark. Thanks for watching.

[@Raptor50aus]

@@WaybackRewind I have 2 x PC55 on their way from Japan so will test and see if they have the same camera issue. If so I will attempt to repair them.

[@WaybackRewind]

@Raptor50aus if you discover how to fix the camera issue, I would be interested. They all seem to fail the same way.

[@Raptor50aus]

At least the batteries for the IP1 are easy to buy.

[@WaybackRewind]

Yes, I bought two and they are readily available.

[@Raptor50aus]

I recommend not to use the LCD too much if its using the original LCD flex cable. They all snap at the hinge point inside. I have remove mine.

[@WaybackRewind]

Unfortunately, it does not have a viewfinder, meaning not using the screen means not using it at all. Not that I'm going to use it a lot anyway.

[@Zalta-gg4es]

Even iphones makes better videos

[@WaybackRewind]

Modern cellphones are dramatically better. There is no comparison. I like old cameras for nostalgia, but technology has improved tremendously in the past 20 years. But for those of us old enough to remember when a video camera and recorder weighed 20 pounds or didn't even exist, these cameras were life changing. Thanks for watching.

[@samwiseknows]

No shit Sherlock