Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on Jan 9, 2009 1:50 PM
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Ease of UseThe Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD isn't as easy to use as other pocket-sized camcorders like the Flip MinoHD, Creative Vado, or Kodak Zi6. This doesn't mean it's difficult to use by any means, it simply has more settings and options than its competitors. If you want to keep the MHS-PM1 simple, just stay away from the menu button. There are a number of settings found there that aren't very useful and will likely confuse novice videographers. Features like Flicker Cancel, which reduces interference associated with monitors and screens when you shoot them, doesn't make much sense to include on the MHS-PM1 and simply makes the menu more difficult to understand.
The MHS-PM1 also offers 3 video settings and 5 still image settings, which are adjusted using the format/trash button on the right side of the camcorder. Spreading out these options into a separate menu doesn't make sense. It seems Sony wanted to make things like size and quality easier to access, but having two menus on this tiny camcorder doesn't boost its simplicity.
As far as actually shooting video and snapping photos goes, the MHS-PM1 is easy to use and handle. There are separate buttons for taking still images and recording video and both are labeled with large text stating exactly what they're for. The rotating lens doesn't have any motorized controls and is moved in the simplest way possible—with your fingers. The zoom toggle is easy to manipulate, although the camcorder only has a 4x digital zoom.
Uploading footage to the internet and quick access to YouTube is an integral part of Sony's Webbie HD lineup. We didn't get a chance to test how easy the uploading system is, but from what Sony tells us it sounds like the process should be fairly hassle free. Sony's pre-installed software allows the user to quickly connect to YouTube, Picasa, Shutterfly, Daily Motion, as well as a number of your own "favorite" sites that the camcorder will save information about for quick repeated use.
Overall, it appears the MHS-PM1 is Sony's easiest to use HD camcorder ever. It doesn't offer the absolute limited simplicity of the Flip MinoHD, but the few added features give the camcorder more power and depth as a recording device—as well as instituting a bit of an increased learning curve.
Handling
Right off the bat we noticed the MHS-PM1 is capable of standing upright on its own—something Sony's higher-end HDR-TG1 was not able to do with its LCD panel open. We're happy to see the MHS-PM1 knows how to stand up straight without any help as it is something every camcorder should be capable of.
Holding the camcorder is comfortable for the most part. Users who dislike pistol grip models probably won't enjoy shooting with the MHS-PM1, which is why Sony released the horizontal MHS-CM1 Webbie HD camcorder as well. The camcorder generally felt sturdy and reliable, although the port cover on the left side was a tad too flimsy. The bottom cover, that houses the battery pack and Memory Stick slot, felt strong and well-built.
The rotating lens, which can appear gimmicky at first, is actually quite well implemented. It can be a useful tool for recording video or taking photos at tough angles. It also makes the stationary LCD screen on the back of the camcorder easier to use because you don't have to position the device at odd angles to get your shot. The screen generally reproduced a solid image and its 1.8-inch size gives you a good view of what's going on without taking up too much space on the camcorder. We did notice a slight delay between what the lens pointed at and what showed up on the LCD screen.
We're happy to see Sony decided not to use a touchscreen interface on the MHS-PM1, as it would have painstakingly annoying to use. All menu settings are navigated using a joystick on the back of the camcorder, which, while not perfect, does a suitable job.
The MHS-PM1 is a good handler and its swivel-lens design represents an impressive leap for pocket-sized camcorders everywhere. Yes, the menu structure and design could be a bit simpler, but the device doesn't appear to have any major handling flaws we could think of. We didn't get a chance to see what the provided hand strap looks like on the MHS-PM1, but it loops through the two small holes at the bottom of the camcorder.
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| Holding the MHS-PM1 |
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| The MHS-PM1 in use |
Portability
The Sony MHS-PM1 weighs 120g fully loaded (including the battery pack and memory stick). This is a good chunk heavier than the Flip MinoHD, which comes in at 93.5g. Still, the 120g weight of the MHS-PM1 is extremely light (it's less than half the weight of Sony's higher-end ultra-compact HDR-TG1). The camcorder's dimensions are 103 x 55 x 24mm including protrusions. This means it's a bit taller, wider, and deeper than the Flip MinoHD (100 x 50 x 16mm), but the dimensions of the two camcorders are very similar. The MHS-PM1 is also lighter and smaller than it's traditionally-shaped sister model, the MHS-CM1 (Sony's other Webbie HD).
Portability is clearly one of the strong assets the MHS-PM1 offers—its upright shape will easily slide into a pocket, slip into a purse, or rest gently in your hand. Keep in mind, the MHS-PM1 will definitely get scratched-up if you constantly transport it in a pocket, purse, or backpack. We also must mention the lack of usable internal memory on the camcorder—something that will impact the product's portability in the long run.
Battery
Unlike the Flip Mino, the MHS-PM1 has a removable lithium ion battery that slides into a compartment at the base of the camcorder. The battery is rechargeable (via the DC-input on the camcorder) and Sony touts the battery life at roughly 80 minutes per charge. Having a removable battery on such a small camcorder is quite impressive and it's something the MHS-CM1 (Sony's horizontal Webbie HD model) doesn't feature.
The rechargeable battery on the MHS-PM1
LCD & Viewfinder
The LCD screen on the back of the MHS-PM1 is 1.8-inches in size. This is a bit larger than the 1.5-inch screen found on the Flip MinoHD and slightly smaller than the 2-inch LCD on the Creative Vado. Setting the MHS-PM1 apart, however, is the 230,000 pixel resolution of the screen, which is more than triple the resolution on the MinoHD's LCD. Sony's LCD also has two brightness settings (normal and bright) to give you an extra light-boost when you need it.
There is no viewfinder on the MHS-PM1.
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| The 1.8-inch LCD screen |
Menus
The menu is rather simple on the MHS-PM1, but compared to the menu structure of Pure Digital's Flip series (which really has no menu), it can feel like you're navigating a pro camcorder. Pressing the menu button on the right side of the camcorder brings up mostly setup features, like LCD brightness, memory card initialization, date/time settings, digital zoom on/off, etc. The Flicker Cancel feature is also located here for some reason. Another menu, accessed by pressing a completely different button (the trash/format button on the right side), brings up the video and still image size options. While it is good Sony made these more important settings easy to access, it seems confusing for the MHS-PM1 to have two completely separate menus.
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| The Movie Size menu |
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| The Playback Menu |
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