Performance

The Sony NSC-CG1 features a 1/2.5" CMOS, with a gross pixel count of approximately 5,000,000 (5MP). This may seem like an incredible chip for such a small camcorder, but the numbers can be deceiving. The chip is likely borrowed from one of Sony’s point and shoot still cameras, which routinely use larger imagers. The NSC-CG1 uses an MPEG4 compression, similar to still cameras that shoot video, which reduces the effective video resolution to a mere fraction of those 5MP.

Though the camcorder on display at the press event was not a production model and cannot be used for final evaluation on video quality, the video we did see can be combined with information about the compression to make an educated guess. Don’t expect much from the NSC-GC1. This is a low quality image, worse than any camcorder in their line. For better or for worse, this has little bearing on the overall value. Uploading to video sharing sites is a death sentence for quality anyway, as an additional layer of compression reduces fine detail down to a pixilated blur. So as to whether the video quality is acceptable, the answer is yes; it’s entirely suited to its purpose. But you must be aware that it cannot perform beyond that purpose. This video should never see the light of your large screen TV.

Low Light Performance

We were surprised to see that, despite the large imager, the low light capabilities of the NSC-CG1 did not appear to be very good. The venue of the press event was unevenly lit, and most of the footage appeared too dark to make out a lot of detail. This is likely due in part to the fixed f/3.5 aperture, which is not letting a whole lot of light in. By chance, we had a loaned JVC GZ-MG255 on hand, which was much better, and that camcorder is hardly a powerhouse in low light. While we can forgive the poor resolution and high compression, not having good low light is detrimental to all video. When you consider that the average YouTuber will probably not put a whole lot of thought into lighting, this may prove to be a serious failing. Once we get one in our labs, we’ll be able to verify this. Sony has not yet announced an expected minimum lux.

 

 

 

 

Format

Compression

The Sony NSC-GC1 compresses video in the MPEG4 format, putting a .mp4 extension on clips that are transferred to the computer. MPEG4 is a widely accepted format that can be edited in nearly any NLE. There are three settings: 640 x 480 at 30fps, 320 x 240 at 30fps, and 320 x 240 at 15fps.

Sony does not state the exact flavor of the compression, but the video we saw indicates that the compression is very high. The compression artifacts appear as blocky chunks, just the kind of thing that you see in video from point and shoot digital still cameras. Viewed on a TV, this video would be unacceptable. However, we’ve all come to accept this from online video, which is exactly where the NSC-GC1’s footage is due to end up. Google Video, YouTube, and all the other sites compress the hell out of video and create the same aberrations. Sony simply beat the middle man to the job.

Media

The NSC-CG1 captures video to MemoryStick Duo and PRO Duo cards, which are available is sizes up to 8 GB. Sony states that the average capacity of a 1GB card in the highest quality (640 x 480 at 30fps) is 44 minutes and 57 seconds. In the lowest quality (320 x 240 at 15fps), it can fit up to 8 hours and 23 minutes. This is not Sony’s first camcorder to shoot exclusively to MemoryStick. The HDR-CX7, which records in the high def AVCHD format, is an entirely different class and price (almost $1000 more), but indicates a shift in Sony’s perception of the market. In at least two demographics, high and low-end, they are responding to a demand for card media. This is of particular value to online video sharing, as speedy transferal has a much higher value than archiving.

Editing

Sony offers several options for editing the video produced by the NSC-GC1. The first, and most interesting, is the Picture Motion Browser (PMB) software pre-loaded in the computer. This requires no installation on your computer itself. The entire operation runs off of the camcorder when it’s connected to a PC (no Mac support). What PMB offers is a very simple upload to YouTube, Crackle and other online video share sites. You can add your preferred sites to your quick upload list if they aren’t already there. Crackle, which Sony Pictures Entertainment Company owns, is the most thoroughly integrated. Every other site requires a few more hoops to jump through, but it’s really quite simple.

Upon connecting the NSC-GC1 to a PC, a screen appears with thumbnails of all the clips. Check off which clips you want to upload, then click on the site to which you want them uploaded. In the case of YouTube, a browser window opens and takes you to the sign-in page. When it’s time to indicate what clips you want to upload, skip the whole "Browse" search where you have to dig through a bunch of folders. Just go to the empty text box and hit CTRL+V. The clip and path names have been automatically copied to your clipboard. Hit Upload and you’re done. We attempted to do this straight from the floor of the venue, and managed to upload our video with almost no hitches.

Also included in the box is a copy of the full-sized Picture Motion Browser, the standard NLE included with all Sony HandyCams. It offers very basic editing capabilities, and is also a PC-only app. Finally, you’ll find a driver that allows the NSC-GC1 to function as a webcam.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
*Automatic Control *

Pretty much everything on this camcorder is automatic, given the lack of controls and overall raison d’être. Don’t expect much in terms of auto response. The NSC-GC1 seemed to have an acceptable lag time for exposure adjustments. The white balance was pretty far off in the poorly lit staging area, but we concede that only many camcorders would have faced the same difficulty here. The auto focus seemed to work reasonably well, though the tremendous compression and artifacting is probably doing the auto focus a favor and masking problems. The fact that this is a fixed lens with a f/3.5 aperture means that objects between 6.95mm and infinity will probably all be on the same plane of focus.

In the menu, you’ll find a selection of Scene Modes (often called AE or Program AE modes) that offer one-touch options for tricky lighting conditions. They include: Beach, Candle, Fireworks, High-Speed Shutter, Landscape, Snow, Soft Snap, Twilight, and Twilight Portrait.

*

Overall Manual Control *

The first thing we noticed is that the Sony NSC-GC1 does not have a touch screen. This is the first Sony in a while to omit the popular feature, a keystone of their ease-of-use ethos. This may have been omitted due to cost, or to the small size of the screen. Frankly, we were surprised that the camcorder had any manual controls, given its nature. We were therefore pleased to see some control handed over to exposure, white balance, focus (just barely), and some Scene Modes. Because the handling is not very good on the NSC-GC1, the overall usefulness of the manual controls is limited, but having options is always appreciated.

Zoom

The NSC-GC1 features a 4x digital zoom, yet the camcorder does not offer an optical zoom. All in all, this is the worst zoom we’ve ever been exposed to. It doesn’t function via a zoom lever or slider, but rather two tiny dome-shaped buttons—the left for wide angle, the right for telephoto. Even the Canon TX1 had a zoom lever. When zooming in or out, the video is not smooth like almost any other camcorder out there. It’s jerkier than a student driver’s car. It can take up to four seconds to fully zoom in or out from either extreme distance, and because it’s a digital rather than optical zoom, the video becomes noticeably pixilated. The resolution on the camcorder is bad enough. It doesn’t need any help from further distortion. Those who aim to create a pocket cinematic masterpiece will want to rely on cuts and pans.

*Focus *

There is no direct manual focus control on the Sony NSC-GC1. However, there is a telemacro / wide angle switch located on the right side of the body. This allows you to limit the focal range or expand it to infinity.

The telemacro / wide angle focus switch

*Exposure (Aperture) *

The video menu offers the ability to adjust the exposure across nine increments.

Shutter Speed

There is no shutter speed on the NSC-GC1. The specs state that the auto shutter ranges from 1/250 – 1/2000.

White Balance

The menu offers several white balance settings: auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent, Incandescent, and One Push (Manual).

Gain

There is no manual gain on the NSC-GC1.

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features

The NSC-GC1captures stills up to 5MP (2592 x 1944), with additional resolutions of 3MP, 2MP, and VGA (640 x 480). The camcorder features a built-in flash that can be set to on, Slow Synchro, or off. In Slow Synchro mode, the shutter speed is automatically dropped for shooting in low light environments. When engaged, a histogram display is visible in the top right corner of the screen, displaying the exposure level. Though histograms are useful, the NSC-GC1 does not have exposure control in still mode. In this case, you are forced to find adequate natural lighting, or take a gamble with the Slow Synchro feature. The NSC-GC1 also offers a red-eye reduction setting and function guide.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use

The NSC-GC1is a total internet video production solution for bloggers and budget consumers. Even those who are brand spanking new to the internet video craze will have no problem uploading their videos online. The NSC-GC1’s built-in Picture Motion Browser software is actually easier and less time consuming than going straight through YouTube. It automatically starts up when the camcorder is connected to a computer via USB. Within Picture Motion Browser you can select the video clips you wish to upload, pick the website to upload them to, and paste the file directory name into the upload bar. There is no need to import footage into an editing program and export, altering the video size and quality. The NSC-GC1 includes a web-ready 320 x 240, 30fps QVGA setting, which is the compression recommended by YouTube for maximum quality. The Sharemark feature expedites the process even further by batch-uploading videos with one press of a button. Though the Samsung VPC-HD2 and Canon TX1 both support quick drag and drop MPEG4 operation, they do not offer an immediate upload solution.

Sony made a valiant attempt to simplify the NSC-GC1’s control interface, but it will take time to acclimate yourself to its randomness. On the plus side, the video/camera record buttons are separate, abolishing the need for a mode dial. The video/camera icons are even assigned to their own half of the LCD screen in a fairly organized configuration. However, the small icons are hard to read and the rear of the NSC-GC1 is cluttered with buttons. It’s easy to accidentally hit mode or self-timer while attempting to navigate with the stunted joystick. You’ll also have to cope with the fact that this Sony does not have a touch screen menu or Easy button, which seems almost inseparable from the Sony name. Thankfully, its simplicity means that the NSC-GC1 shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to learn.

Handling

The Sony NSC-GC1 is the lightest camcorder we’ve seen thus far, weighing a feathery 5 ounces. It’s also exceedingly compact, measuring 1-3/16" x 4-1/8" x 2-1/4". The NSC-GC1 could fit inside the Sanyo VPC-HD2, however it would loom over the Canon TX1 by about an inch. Nevertheless, the NSC-GC1’s dimensions and weight rival many cell phones, and you can easily pocket this bad boy. As ultra-mini camcorders grow in popularity, movie theater and concert security guards will have a new target to occupy themselves with.

Now let’s talk about the way the NSC-GC1 handles. The verdict? Tolerable. This pistol grip flaunts a tall, thin body that allows the three middle fingers to wrap around the front. Most index fingers will obscure the built-in flash, leading to uneven lighting. The pinky falls underneath the camcorder and the thumb encompasses the entire vicinity of the control panel in back. The NSC-GC1 is significantly more comfortable to hold than the TX1, but you’ll miss the broader real estate found on the VPC-HD2. Most users will brace the LCD screen with their left hand to provide more stability. Luckily, the NSC-GC1 does not mount its built-in microphone to the outside of the LCD screen like the TX1 and VPC-HD2, so two-handed shooters won’t have to worry about inadvertently muffling the recorded audio.

The NSC-GC1 is severely lacking in the joystick department. Their microscopic plastic nub sits almost flush within the circular control panel and is difficult to shift without hitting a surrounding button. We’d even prefer the VPC-HD2’s larger joystick, despite its jittery and inaccurate operation. The zoom controls are equally disappointing. There is only digital zoom, not optical, and rather than mount a zoom lever or slider on the NSC-GC1, Sony chose to outfit the camcorder with a cheap pair of tiny plastic buttons. \

LCD/Viewfinder

The NSC-GC1 features a 2.4" wide LCD screen with a 112,000 pixel resolution. The LCD flips up at a 90 degree angle to the body and rotates up to 270 degrees. There are no controls on the LCD panel, such as zoom or record start/stop, but what would you expect on such a cheap, pocket-size camcorder? In that case, it’s no surprise that the NSC-GC1 is devoid of a viewfinder. An LCD backlight can be applied within the administrative menu.

Unlike nearly every Sony camcorder for the past several years, the NSC-GC1 does not have a touch screen interface. This was likely cut to keep the unit cost down.

 

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio

Not surprisingly, the NSC-GC1does not offer any control over audio. There is no audio jack; you have to rely on the top-mounted built-in mic. We’re not expecting to be impressed by audio quality, but the placement is smarter than some upright camcorders. The Sanyo VPC-HD2 and the Canon TX1 both place the mic on the outside of the LCD panel, which is then often obscured by your left hand.

Playback

In order to play a video clip back on the NSC-GC1, press the mode button located within the round control panel. Unlike most camcorders, there is no main playback menu screen filled with scrollable icons representing individual clips. With the NSC-GC1, the first recorded video clip will automatically consume the full LCD screen, accompanied by its file name, date/time taken, and quality setting. Press the center of the joystick once to begin playing a clip, and a second time to stop playing a clip. Volume is controlled by shifting the joystick up or down, and reverse/cue is dictated by the left and right controls. A horizontal bar located at the bottom of the screen monitors the progress of the clip’s duration. Snapped stills are also thrown into the mix of video clips, and a media count will appear at the top of every video or still, for example: 9/15 (clip/still 9 out of a total of 15 clips/stills).

Connectivity

The NSC-GC1 has a total of three ports located in the back of the camcorder—USB, A/V-out, and DC in. The ports are sheltered by a flimsy plastic rectangle, secured to the body by two slim plastic strips. This is budget to the max, so don’t roughhouse the port cover, let alone breathe on it too hard. A USB cable is the only way to transfer video clips onto a computer, and the NSC-GC1 supports a USB 2.0 connection.

All ports are located in this small area on the back

 

 

 

 

Other Features/Conclusion

Other Features

There are no other features on the Sony NSC-GC1 camcorder.

**Conclusion
**It’s easy to pass judgment on the Sony NSC-GC1. It’s a low-resolution, extremely inexpensive camcorder built with cheap plastic parts. Sony is hardly breaking new ground. YouTube-friendly cameras and camcorders are being announced left and right. The company also has every reason to debut a product like this right now, as they just launched their own video sharing site, Crackle (formerly Grouper). But knocking the NSC-GC1 is a cop-out.

As much as long-time video enthusiasts may wish otherwise, the ways in which we interact with video is changing. No longer is video editing an arcane process. True, high-end production continues to grow in complexity, but the bottom-end of the scale is getting wider (and arguably deeper). YouTube is only the avatar of a much deeper shift in telecommunications. The actual process of democratizing media means putting cheap, easy to use camcorders like the NSC-GC1 in people’s hands.

That said, don’t expect us to get all soft on them. The Sony NSC-GC1 delivers poor quality video. We’ve seen a lot of still cameras over at DigitalCameraInfo.com that offer higher image quality for only a little more money. The Sony’s own DSC-T100 shoots good video, has a larger pixel count, a huge LCD, and optical zoom. The Canon A570IS has all the same benefits, and costs almost exactly the same price as the NSC-GC1. Both at least offer much better handling. No, you don’t get the same instant upload to YouTube, but the benefits of quality are in their favor.

This is a good first attempt from Sony, but the NSC-GC1 needs a little work. If a still camera with video capability feels better in the hand, and offers a number of other great features, why choose the GC1 at all?

 

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