Sony is taking another leap forward in miniaturization with today's introduction of the DCR-IP1 MICROMV Handycam camcorder -- the smallest and lightest tape-based camcorder in the world.
Weighing just 8 ounces with pint-size measurements of 1 9/16 inches x 3 5/8 inches x 2 3/4 inches, the new camcorder is about the size of a deck of cards and slips into a shirt pocket with ease.
"The IP1 looks so good and feels so light, you can't resist picking it up and taking it with you wherever you go," said Steve Haber, senior vice president of the Personal Mobile Imaging Division at Sony Electronics.
The camcorder's streamlined design still finds room for high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, a 10X optical/120X precision digital zoom and a one-megapixel Advanced HADTM CCD imager. The imager can capture stills at 1152 x 864 resolution and produce video with 520 lines of horizontal video resolution.
To protect this optics package so every video experience is as good as the first, the DCR-IP1 model is the first Sony Handycam camcorder to incorporate an automatic, retractable lens cover that opens and closes when the camcorder is powered on or off. And to help minimize camera shake, the camcorder adds Super SteadyShot picture stabilization.
Like a cell phone or handheld cradle, the accompanying Handycam Station charges the DCR-IP1 camcorder and connects it to a TV or PC, while keeping the camcorder easily accessible. The Handycam Station comes fully loaded with all the necessary inputs, including S-Video and an audio/video terminal for hooking the unit up to a TV as well as a USB 1.1 port and an i.LINK (IEEE-1394) interface for connection to compatible PCs.
"Making videos is easy and fun but finding where you put your camcorder can be the biggest challenge," said Steve Haber. "By having the camcorder within sight and fully charged at all times, the new IP1 is always ready to go when you are."
Another way users can share video moments with the aid of the Handycam Station is by enabling the USB Streaming feature that turns the camcorder into a web cam. It can stream live and recorded video via a USB connection and video conferencing software like the Microsoft NetMeeting application directly from the docking station.
The Handycam Station is slightly angled and rotates to 90 degrees so users can effortlessly rotate the camcorder into a comfortable shooting position. And when the camcorder is not at home, users can benefit from having power and A/V connections embedded directly into the unit as well.
Additional features include:
i.LINK Interface -- The i.LINK MICROMV interface allows for high-speed, bi-directional digital communication between two MICROMV Handycam camcorders or with compatible Microsoft Windows ME/2000 operating system (and later) PCs loaded with compatible software.
2.0" Precision SwivelScreen Hybrid Touch Panel LCD Display -- The LCD provides excellent viewing clarity with 211,000 pixels and touch screen technology transforms the LCD into a convenient control pad with the supplied stylus. The hybrid system allows for increased visibility in challenging lighting situations such as bright sunlight. And a new 3-D menu system uses bit-mat technology for animation and special effects to offer more user-friendliness.
MPEG Movie AX Mode -- Through the MPEG Movie AX Mode, the DCR-IP1 camcorder allow users to capture MPEG1 compressed video and audio directly to the Memory Stick Duo media or Memory Stick PRO Duo media for up to the capacity of the media. In addition, this mode captures high quality MPEG1 (352 x 240) at 30 frames per second.
MICROMV tape is 70 percent smaller than MiniDV tape and provides up to 60 minutes of high-quality digital video footage. It also has a 64K memory chip that allows for a multi-search function to access different recorded sections of the tape as one would a DVD, creating a thumbnail image of each recorded scene on the tape.
To complement the minute camcorder body, the model accepts both Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo flash media. About one-third the size of standard-size Memory Stick media, users can capture 900 one-megapixel digital images on a 512MB Memory Stick PRO Duo media card. The DCR-IP1 model with the Handycam Station will be available in November for about $1,200. Other supplied accessories include an 8MB Memory Stick Duo media with adapter, MovieShaker video editing software, A/V and USB cables.