Zennie 0 #1 September 4, 2002 I'm looking to buy a new video camera and I've been taking a hard look at the PC120. Not really because of the Bluetooth technology, I could care less about that, but rather the 970K pixel video resolution. I can get one at dbuys for around$1350. But I can also get a PC101 at the same place for about $950. I'd get the 101, but I think the video resolution is still around 690K pixels. So my question is, for those of you that are familiar with the 120 & other models, do you notice a significant increase in video quality that would justify plunking down the extra $400 or so? - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #2 September 4, 2002 The 101 is Mega Pixel video also... 1070K. the 120 is 1550K Here are some comparisons... http://www.sonystyle.com/images/charts/mini_dv.gif JoshAll that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #3 September 4, 2002 According to the chart the video actual resolution is 970K for the 120 and 690K for the 101. Still resolution was the same (1M pixel), but I was more interested in video quality. But maybe I misunderstand what video actual means. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #4 September 4, 2002 I missed that line... you are right, the 120 has better resolution... don't know if you will be able to see it on a standard TV though, maybe on HD... I don't know that it is worth the extra $...All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #5 September 4, 2002 My 110 crapped out and since I would have to replace the D-box and re-learn another camera I got a 120. I like it, it has some advantages over the 110. The biggest reason to get it is because it takes stills and can easily convert footage to mpegs (my very lame I haven't read the manual opinion) The 101 is smaller and lighter. That can be a big deal depending on your neck and what you're jumping. If you don't need stills, and the bluetooth stuff seems just silly at this point (like Beta cassettes) probably go with the 101 cause it's smaller and lighter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jose 0 #6 September 4, 2002 look at royalcamera.com. you can get a 101 for $829 and a 120 for $1059. maybe that will help your decision. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #7 September 4, 2002 Hey Zennie..I am in the boat with you. I have been looking at the 120 and the 101. We have decided on the 120 due to the great still photo capability and the higher resolution. My buddies who both graduated college with degrees in communication/video producing recommended the 120 over the 101 for the resolution. They both use the Canon SL1-something-or-another. Either way, I'm going with 120 since the quality will be better. I dont want to get a 101, use it, watch it, and wish I had a better camera. http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #8 September 4, 2002 Quotelook at royalcamera.com. you can get a 101 for $829 and a 120 for $1059. maybe that will help your decision. I just looked them up at resellerratings.com. They got a score of 0.83. Thanks but I think I'll stick with dbuys. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #9 September 4, 2002 Mountainman, what are you doing selling your RW suit with 50 some-odd jumps? You either need to update your profile, or get more belly jumps before you give up your RW suit. Keep it. There's always someone to jump with if you got all three: RW, FF, and Camera. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #10 September 4, 2002 QuoteQuotelook at royalcamera.com. you can get a 101 for $829 and a 120 for $1059. maybe that will help your decision. I just looked them up at resellerratings.com. They got a score of 0.83. Thanks but I think I'll stick with dbuys. Good thinking. I checked out some other places and found good prices with good feedback. Some places are just crappy.http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 #11 September 4, 2002 QuoteQuoteQuotelook at royalcamera.com. you can get a 101 for $829 and a 120 for $1059. maybe that will help your decision. I just looked them up at resellerratings.com. They got a score of 0.83. Thanks but I think I'll stick with dbuys. Good thinking. I checked out some other places and found good prices with good feedback. Some places are just crappy. Please check merchant ratings! I almost was severly screwed (ended up slightly ripped off on accessories)by a company. After I ordered I found out about the ratings, lets just say maybe 3 out of 300 buyers were happy with the company, some were charged but never recieved anything but the runaround. There are some real loosers out there... The 101 is pretty nice I think. I'm not expierenced enough with DV cameras to say how much the differences in the 120's and the 101's video resolution is noticible. It takes nice stills to memory stick in two different image sizes with diffrent resolutions. It's small and light as well. Overall I like it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #12 September 8, 2002 Just an update on the PC101 vs 120 quandry. I went to the Houston Camera Exchange today and saw a 101 and 120 side by side. The 120 is freaking BIG compared to the 101. The ad pictures don't give you that impression. So a 101 it is. Just gotta find the best deal from a reputable vendor. Dbuys had it for around $950. I'll poke around a bit more. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #13 September 8, 2002 There's a bunch of people around here, myself included, who have all had good experiences with dbuys.com _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #14 September 8, 2002 Don't let the size fool you Ted, once mounted on the helmet there is only about an 1/8 inch difference due to the way the Dboxes are designed. The weight difference is nothing after 3 or 4 jumps. I loved my transaction through Dbuys.com. Wildblue was the one that told me about them. The sell hard on the phone when confirming the order, but no issues other then that.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #15 September 8, 2002 Hey Phree...so, are you saying that if you would go with the 120, the size difference really isn't that great and the weight difference is not noticable after a few jumps? Just curious and trying to make an informed decision before going with something. Would you agree that the extra resolution is worth the size/weight increase? Anyone else care to share their opinion? http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #16 September 8, 2002 QuoteHey Phree...so, are you saying that if you would go with the 120, the size difference really isn't that great and the weight difference is not noticable after a few jumps? Here's the dimensions: PC101: 2 1/4" x 4 1/4" x 4" 1lb, 4 oz w/ battery PC120BT: 2 3/8 " x 4 7/8 " x 4 7/8" 1lb, 4oz w/ battery (width,height,depth) taken from www.sonystyle.com Same weight. 2 1/4 inch wide vs 2 3/8 - pretty insignificant difference in terms of width - the most important dimension. QuoteWould you agree that the extra resolution is worth the size/weight increase? The extra resolution applies only to digital stills. Is it important? Well, like any choice in what you buy, it depends on what you're going to use it for. To me, because I take digital stills, the increase in resolution is worth it. The weight has not been an issue for me, even when wingnut packed me a slammer... _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #17 September 8, 2002 Hey Andy...thanks a lot for the opinion! I went to the Sony website and for some reason, their measurements showed up really weird and didn't make any sense. Thanks for the compare. I think we're definetely going to go with the 120. Too bad we are paying for that BlueTooth crap. Have a good one!http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #18 September 8, 2002 QuoteToo bad we are paying for that BlueTooth crap. Actually, once (if) bluetooth phones become more popular, you'll be able to post your stills to dz.com without using a laptop in the middle. Plus, you'll be able to send the stills via email straight from the camera. Kinda cool, if you ask me. I'm just waiting for a bluetooth keyboard to come out, so you can actually type without trying to use the touchscreen. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #19 September 8, 2002 Yeah, that is kind of cool, but now I need a cell phone. Haha! Is there a feature that allows you to transfer photos from the camera to your computer wirelessly?http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #20 September 8, 2002 Yeah, there's an infrared thingie. The pictures from the 120 blow the shit out of the pictures from a 9. I don't know if the 101 is that much different. I sold some video out of my 120 yesterday. The crispness and depth of color were very noticeably better out of my 120 than my fellow rookie's 9. It might have been tape, might have been the converters. but I'm really, really happy with my 120 today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #21 September 8, 2002 Thanks for the info! I am really excited now that I hear someone is actually happy with the 120. I just hear a bunch of people saying "its not worth it", "it's too big", blah blah blah... Glad to hear that the quality is what you pay for. Thanks.http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmfreefly 0 #22 September 9, 2002 Few points of interest: There -is- a difference between the pc 101 (or the pc9 or the pc5) and the pc 120 (and the 110, and 100) in both # of scan lines, and picture quality. CCDs are different sizes (although the 101 has a bigger CCD than the pc9s and 5s I think), but more importantly, the lenses are different sizes. The smaller the lens, the harder (or more costly) it is to grind it to exceptional accuracy. The 101,9, and 5s all use 30mm threads. Throw a wide angle on there, and you have 2 lenses that are smaller, and therefore, harder to get top notch quality out of. I have a PC100, which I love. It has all the controls outside (no need to open the video screen and wear down your battery more by powering the LCD), 37mm lens. I never end up using the still capabilties in the camera (If I need a -real- still picture, I grab my 35mm camera, or my digital still camera), so things like 'flash' on the 110 and 120 are useless to me. If I was doing freefly only, I might consider a PC9/110. But, video quality would suffer. If you saw footage from both back to back, you would be able to tell which is which instantly. One other thing to throw in the mix - PC115. This seems to be only sold overseas, but the apparently do make a NTSC version. It is basically a minor upgrade to the 110, and doesnt have all the Bluetooth baloney in it. I love the Bluetooth concept, but it isn't really there yet, IMHO. Besides, if I need crap off my camera, I do it at home. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
