Sony NSC-GC1
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: NSCGC1
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With a dearth of features and middling video quality, the otherwise stylish Sony NSC-GC1 pocket camcorder fails to justify its premium price.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Sony NSC-GC1 price range: $299.94
- Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
- Reviewed on: 09/21/2007
The good: Stylish black design; 2.4-inch pivoting LCD screen.
The bad: Awkward controls; flash gets blocked easily; disappointing video quality; no included or onboard memory.
The bottom line: With a dearth of features and middling video quality, the otherwise stylish Sony NSC-GC1 pocket camcorder fails to justify its premium price.
Every company wants to get a taste of YouTube's popularity, and Sony's no exception. In a jarring change from the company's Cyber-shot and Handycam lines of digital cameras and camcorders, Sony released the NSC-GC1, a pocket camera/camcorder designed specifically for YouTube and its myriad Web video analogs. At just $200, the GC1 aims squarely at casual users with more interest in style and simplicity than complex photography or video production. As such, Sony clearly designed its black pocketcam for form more than function.
Closed, the GC1 looks more than a little like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Its rectangular black form features a glossy finish on one side and a matte finish on the other, giving its all-black color scheme a two-tone appearance. It appears quite dapper, especially when held up against its drab white competitors, the RCA Small Wonder EZ201 and the Pure Digital Flip Video. Its 2.4-inch LCD screen flips open, and can pivot around 270 degrees, providing some much-appreciated flexibility when shooting at odd angles, like over crowds.
Besides its flip-out screen, the brick-shaped GC1 offers few ergonomic considerations and feels uncomfortable in the hand. A small plastic ridge on the front of the camera gives you a place to rest your forefinger while shooting, but at the cost of flash photography; if you hold the GC1 with the plastic ridge between your forefinger and middle finger, your forefinger can easily obscure or outright block the camera's tiny flash. If you want to take photos in anything less than direct sunlight, you need to remember to choke your hand down to keep the flash visible.
The GC1's control scheme takes a similar misstep, with an unintuitive, confusing layout. A tiny joystick navigates the camera's sparse menu system, sitting in the middle of a circular grouping of four buttons. The little control nub alone feels awkward enough for large thumbs, and the cluster of buttons surrounding it only further hurt the interface. The two controls together feel like a standard four-way-plus-OK joypad, and you'll probably spend a bit of time training yourself to use the joystick in the center for both confirmation and navigation of the camera's menus, instead of uselessly tapping the buttons around the stick while trying to select menu options. The joystick and buttons also sit too high on the camera, forcing you to shift your hand up and causing your fingers to block the flash, as mentioned before.
Conversely, the photo and video record buttons sit too low on the camera, below both the joystick and zoom rocker. The buttons feel far too small and shallow and can be difficult for large thumbs to press. Their small design and low placement combine to make the cameras' two most oft-used controls doubly awkward to access. Sony should have made the photo/video buttons larger, and set them higher to better rest under the thumb. Likewise, Sony should have turned the joystick into a full-fledged joypad and set it lower on the camera's back.
Though intended for casual and budget users, the GC1 offers a few manual controls and scene presets for still photography. You can't adjust exposure or focus, but a Program mode gives you access to white balance and ISO sensitivity, two settings found increasingly rarely on budget pocket cameras. While the GC1 lacks a dedicated macro mode, a toggle switch next to the lens lets you physically flip between close-up (0.6 to 1 meter) and normal (1 meter or farther) focus modes.
The camera includes a fixed f/3.5 lens at the equivalent of 42 millimeters for still photos and 48 millimeters for video. You can use digital zoom while shooting, but that function only crops and enlarges the picture to the point that, when you "zoom" in the full 4x, you're looking at 1/4 the picture you should be getting. A cheap 3x optical zoom lens would have been preferable to this nigh-useless system.
Even worse, this pocket camcorder comes with neither internal memory nor a memory card. On top of the $200 price tag for the device itself, you can expect to sink at least another $30 into a 1GB or larger Memory Stick Duo before you can even start shooting photos and videos. Similar pocket camcorders like the Small Wonder and Flip Video include 512MB to 2GB of onboard memory, and retail for far less than the GC1. Though they let you pull stills from video, those competitors lack the GC1's still photo capabilities, but their significantly lower prices make them far more tempting choices for inexpensive YouTube video capture.
At heart, this video camera aims solely at casual users who want to post their videos up on YouTube. While its QVGA and VGA clips look acceptable for the Web, they just aren't very good for much else. Its fixed-length lens forces you to either shoot at one distance, or let your video become notably pixelated and blurry as you digitally zoom in and out. Without a microphone jack, the GC1's tiny onboard microphone presents your only audio recording option, and even when pointed directly at the audio source the recorded sound comes out tinny and muffled. Any sort of motion further degrades the video, filling clips with blur, camera shake, and poor focus. While the GC1's movies might look decent in a tiny YouTube window, don't expect them to hold up well in any other medium.
While not outstanding, the GC1's 5-megapixel snapshots look surprisingly good for a pocket camcorder. It shoots fairly quickly, and its shutter tends to lag for less than a second in most situations. Even with the flash turned on, I managed to take several shots in a row at a decent clip. Typically, portraits and landscape shots turn out well on the GC1, though it falters at subjects with fine details, like text, artwork, and pets. Its disappointing lens and low-resolution sensor simply don't capture textures or small characters nearly as well as a dedicated camera. Its still photos also suffer from the same motion problems as its videos; the slightest camera shake or subject movement can hurt or ruin your shots. The high-speed shutter mode can help counteract shake, but only when using it in direct sunlight or with the flash; the high-speed shutter fires too fast and its ISO sensitivity can only hit ISO 400, rendering indoor shots without the flash extremely dark. The GC1's pictures are fine for e-mailing, posting to the Web, or even making 4x6 prints. If you want to make larger prints or perform any amount of cropping and editing, however, the GC1 will disappoint.
The Sony NSC-GC1 certainly looks stylish, but looks alone can't save it. With a price tag $50 to $100 higher than competing pocket camcorders and equal or slightly higher than far more feature-rich budget digital cameras like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55, I simply can't recommend this awkwardly designed, low-quality pocket camcorder. If you want to pop up YouTube videos easily and not do much else, the RCA Small Wonder remains your best bet. If you want a solid camera that can also shoot YouTube-worthy video clips, choose a dedicated digital camera instead. If you do choose the digital camera route and already own a decent-size SD card, you might want to try the Canon SD1000, which costs more than this Sony, but is just barely larger in size and delivers comparable video and 7-megapixel stills.
User reviews
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Great Tiny Camcorder!
by GadgetPro2 on October 23, 2007
Pros: Size, 2.4 inch LCD, 5 meg photos
Cons: Battery must be unscrewed for access
Summary: I own this NSC-GC1 sony camcorder. There is a learning curve in dealing with the controls and menu. But this is to be expected with such a tiny device. I ...
Summary: I own this NSC-GC1 sony camcorder. There is a learning curve in dealing with the controls and menu. But this is to be expected with such a tiny device. I take it everywhere. The video quality is just acceptable. Not as great as the Canon HD10! I have not experienced any inverted images when the LCD is rotated 270 degrees. Great Product to own!
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent for the $$
by syrguy on May 28, 2008
Pros: Good video, good stills
Cons: controls need some getting used to
Summary: ran this little gem through its paces on a mini-vacation, and it did a great job as a second still camera, and a primary video cam.....results were more than ...
Summary: ran this little gem through its paces on a mini-vacation, and it did a great job as a second still camera, and a primary video cam.....results were more than acceptable, and a breeze to upload to my computer for printout, email, or viewing.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great for a cheap camcorder.
by Tha_Legend on January 28, 2008
Pros: Small, light, not too expensive.
Cons: Mediocre picture and video quality.
Summary: I bought this for $150 and a 2GB stick impulsivley at WalMart. It works well enough if you don't think of yourself as a semi-proffessional filmographer. Don't expect ...
Summary: I bought this for $150 and a 2GB stick impulsivley at WalMart. It works well enough if you don't think of yourself as a semi-proffessional filmographer. Don't expect it to be comparable to $400+ digital video cams.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Grainy picture
by kinsp on January 13, 2008
Pros: size - pocket
Cons: picture/video quality
Summary: great size...but video quality suffers not worth the price - unviewable - get the Apitek-hd for the same price - a little bigger...but you can view what you ...
Summary: great size...but video quality suffers not worth the price - unviewable - get the Apitek-hd for the same price - a little bigger...but you can view what you shot.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not for supreme moments in life
by HonestShadow on January 4, 2008
Pros: Size, style, easy to use
Cons: location of delete button, sensitive to light,
Summary: First off I would like to say I would not use this cammcorder for taping all the really precious moments in your life, its' picture quality is good but not ...
Summary: First off I would like to say I would not use this cammcorder for taping all the really precious moments in your life, its' picture quality is good but not DVD or MiniDV good. I would use this sony for fun times or just capturing random clips for posting out to relatives or friends. The size feels about right and the shape feels ok in your hands for the first seven minutes or so, after that, you're just asking for an ice bag on your wrist. The location of the delete button is a little bit low on the device, two hands are needed to use the button. Button for recording and taking pictures are in thumbs reach, toggle buttons are slightly more of a stretch. Playback on the device is strong, microphone does not like a lot of wind. I noticed you need a very good amount of light in the room to get a bright picture, there is no option in auto light adjustment in its software, only for pictures. Using this sony for youtube is easy. Once you plug in the sony, a few things pop up and you could just click upload to internet to directly send your video to youtube or any other video site. Honestly, first time is tricky and frustrating, after the second try I got it. All in all, fun cammcorder to have around, its a efinite attention grabber. Plus, it comes charged too! Last complaint, memory card duo costs a lot, I bought 2gb for $50.
Feel free to contact for more information. I'll be happy to answer your questions. SlipCoral@gmail.com1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Another cheap Sony; a day late and a dollar short.
by al_sation on November 27, 2008
Pros: It might be good as a memory stick reader perhaps?
It could have provided a bridge between your basic web-cam and a flash media portable camera.Cons: It is basically a cheap web cam in a plastic black box designed to provide a market for memory stick's. Remember the days when Sony meant innovation and quality? Those days left with the betamax!!
Summary: After setting the camera to its highest possible resolution the results are not what modern buyers have come to expect. Get one of those cheap SD card jobs from Hong ...
Summary: After setting the camera to its highest possible resolution the results are not what modern buyers have come to expect. Get one of those cheap SD card jobs from Hong Kong, because in this case the 'Sony' on the side does not mean much.
This and the cheaply-made Vaio I have are a sore disappointment. A sad reminder that Sony is not what it used to be. -
great to capture cheap video
by sullivanp03 on June 8, 2008
Pros: very easy to use
Cons: price is a little high and awkward design
Summary: Beside the price, this camera is not to bad at all. If your looking to capture quick video and images this is something to look at. Really easy to use, ...
Summary: Beside the price, this camera is not to bad at all. If your looking to capture quick video and images this is something to look at. Really easy to use, just two buttons, movie and picture. With a 4 gigabyte memory card you can get up to 16 hours of video. I took it on vacation and set the camera to 2 gigabyte image quality and was able to take up to 4500 images. I ran out of battery before I filled up the card.
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best bang for your buck
by steve92183 on April 7, 2008
Pros: good qaulity for internet sites, simple, three different video quality settings
Cons: bad lighting
Summary: okay well i use this camera and it is great for youtube and other online video sites. for its size the quality is amazing. the only problem is that it ...
Summary: okay well i use this camera and it is great for youtube and other online video sites. for its size the quality is amazing. the only problem is that it has very poor lighting and doesn't capture much unless your outside or have an external light source but a regular desk lamp works just fine. the built in mic capture acceptable sound. i purchased the camera for $150 USD and for its price it is great. the 2.4in lcd screen is great for seeing your shot. over all i think it is one of the greatest mini-cams on the market for its price.
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Good for the Price.
by Brushfire23 on February 5, 2008
Pros: Small, Sleek Design.
Cons: No built in memory.
Summary: I bought this on close out at a major retail store. It was a bargian for $70.00. I use it for filming stuff while at work and the video ...
Summary: I bought this on close out at a major retail store. It was a bargian for $70.00. I use it for filming stuff while at work and the video quality is not bad outdoors. Indoors is not the greatest but as long as you have Adobe Premiere Video it helps with the editing and enhancement.
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It has very good sound and picture qualiy.
by encore0518 on January 2, 2008
Pros: Simple to use, stylish, easy to upload with a reasonable price.
Cons: You can't make it stand up on its own. For taking videos, you must be in a well-lit environment.
Summary: If you want a small, easy to use cam, this is the one for you.
Summary: If you want a small, easy to use cam, this is the one for you.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: NSCGC1
- Description: Capture high-quality digital video and broadcast it live to your friends and family over the Web with this compact, highly advanced camcorder. Share your world. Shoot crystal clear footage with the NSC-GC1 MPEG4 net sharing camcorder and keep your viewers on the edge of their seats. Thanks to the 2.4" SwivelScreen LCD and SteadyShot Picture Stabilization System, video will be easy to capture and a joy to watch. The long-lasting Lithium Ion battery system lets you enjoy the filming experience longer, while the USB interface enables you to share your memories with the world over the Internet.
General
- Product Type Camcorder
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Optical Sensor Size 1/2.5"
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Analog Video Format NTSC
- Digital Video Format MPEG-4
- Special Effects Sepia, Monotone
- Image Stabilizer Electronic (Steady Shot)
- Min Shutter Speed 1/250 sec
- Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
- Shooting Modes Digital photo mode
- Shooting Programs Snow, Beach, Candle, Fireworks, Landscape, Soft snap, Twilight mode, Hi-speed shutter, Twilight portrait
- White Balance Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent, Incandescent
- Exposure Modes Manual, Program, Automatic
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Webcam Capability Yes
Main Features
- Camcorder Sensor Resolution 5 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 5 megapixels
- Still Image Format JPEG
- Video Capture MPEG-4 - 640 x 480, MPEG-4 - 320 x 240
Memory / Storage
- Image Storage JPEG 2592 x 1944
- Media Type Flash card
Lens System
- Type Lens - 6.95 mm - F/3.5
- Focal Length 6.95 mm
- Lens Aperture F/3.5
- Lens system type Lens
- Min focal length 6.95 mm
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
Additional Features
- Title Generator Yes
- Additional Features USB 2.0 compatibility
- Software Sony Picture Motion Browser
- Included Accessories Shoulder strap
Display
- Type LCD display - 2.4 in - Color
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type USB
- Expansion Slot(s) Memory Stick PRO Duo
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows XP Home Edition, MS Windows XP Professional
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included A/V cable, USB cable
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery
- Supported Battery Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts - 1 year, Limited warranty - Labor - 90 days
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Form Factor Rotating
- Display Format 112,000 pixels
Manufacturer info
- Sony
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sonystyle.com
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
