Easy Light Digital

What do you call a camcorder that's part computer? Sony calls it the Network Handycam IP. You can call it state of the art. Thanks to leading-edge Bluetooth technology and Sony Memory Stick it's the world's first camcorder that lets you e-mail and surf the net. With 1.5-megapixel, Carl Zeiss 'T' Coating lens and 14-bit DXP the DCR-PC120BT give you the most exceptional picture quality.With the DCR-PC120BT digital camcorder, you are able to access the Internet via the Bluetooth compatible modem adaptor without using a PC. You can simply capture digital video and still picture with the Handycam, and send image files to friends through e-mail anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, you can also browse Web sites with the Bluetooth wireless Internet connection.
Sony has taken the time to combine an enormously disparate set of functions into one startlingly potent package: the DCR-PC120BT. Not only do you get the high-resolution still mode (the images top out at about 1.4 megapixels, good for a camcorder), you also get an MPEG movie mode, Bluetooth wireless networking, and an MPEG movie mode. Beyond these extras, you do get the standard set of digital camcorder amenities, such as the 10x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, and IEEE 1394 port.

The extras that Sony has packed into the PC120BT are mostly the standard set of extras. However, it's the addition of Bluetooth that truly sets this camcorder apart. With Bluetooth, you can wirelessly connect to any PC equipped with its own Bluetooth adapter, and upload photos, MPEG movie clips, send e-mails, and even--although we're not sure we see the utility of this--surf the Web. Both the digital stills and MPEG movie clips are recorded onto the included 8 MB Memory Stick.

The standard accoutrements play out fairly well with a 10x optical zoom with Super SteadyShot image stabilization. The 2.5-inch LCD is not terribly impressive except when you remember that this is a small camcorder (very small), and the 2.5 inches actually fit quite well with the overall package. You also get Sony's NightShot shooting mode--it's an infrared mode. The PC120BT also includes a few nice ports, including: USB, mic input, IEEE 1394, mini-AV, and S-video.