DV camcorder roundup

In a world where new formats arrive every day, it's somehow gratifying to know that, for nearly a decade now, there has been only one real standard for domestic digital video camcorders.

With its noise-free picture and high detail, MiniDV still looks great, particularly in comparison to VHS and previous home movie formats, such as Hi8 and S-VHS.

Because it's digital, the tape format has opened up a whole world of possibilities for post-production. The FireWire outputs found on most DV camcorders correspond neatly with those on a PC or Mac, turning your home setup into a powerful editing studio.

The fact that MiniDV has been around for so long also means that the format has had ample time to mature. Today's digital camcorders come with more features, shoot better pictures and are cheaper than ever before.

We've rounded up six of the latest sub-£700 models to see how they compare.

Canon MVX250I
Image quality will usually rank high on the average shopper's checklist. But remember that digital doesn't automatically mean 'good quality'.

In the case of the Canon MVX250i, the admirable results achieved in our tests are probably down to a number of determining factors, with a healthy-sized (1/4.5in) CCD sensor, a decent lens and Canon's advanced Digic DV image processing all helping things along.

In our indoor tests, colours were slightly muted, although detail was good and there was very little in terms of grain. Outdoors the camera performed much better, with noticeably richer colours and no over-saturation.

Quality is matched by a solid set of features, including a powerful 18x optical zoom, a front-mounted lamp for low-light filming and an 'advanced' accessory shoe that can take attachments, such as external microphones or lamps, without the need for wires. Both still photos and mini m-jpeg movies can be saved to a Secure Digital (SD) memory card (an 8MB one is provided) and, at just over 1megapixel resolution-wise, photo detail is fairly respectable for a camcorder of this price.

In terms of build quality, the MVX250i feels quite masculine. It's heavy, yet tough with a pleasantly designed metallic body and darker grey trim.

A side-loading cassette mechanism gives easy access to tapes, even when mounted on a tripod. Controls are simple enough, with a selection of instant-access buttons tucked away underneath the 2.5in foldout LCD screen.

Further settings are available through the menu button and three-way rocker towards the front of the unit. It's clear that the MVX250i isn't intended for the entry-level user, however. Many of its highlights, such as a 'true' anamorphic widescreen mode, analogue AV input and a DV in/out-enabled FireWire port, are all features that advanced users look out for. And this is reflected in the device's cost: the MVX250i was the most expensive camcorder on test.

That said, if you can stretch to the budget, it's a decent offering with a good range of features.

Price: £568
Contact: www.canon.co.uk

JVC GR-D73
MiniDV camcorders come in many different shapes and sizes, with the 'upright' and 'lengthways' designs proving the most popular in recent years. The JVC GR-D73 doesn't quite fit into either of these categories, however, being almost square in appearance. This slightly ungainly shape is married to an equally unappealing plastic casing and awkward button placement. But the worst design element of all is the bottom-loading cassette mechanism.

Presumably invented to save space somewhere, this method of access to the tape carriage is a notorious design flaw. It's not immediately obvious quite why it's such a bad idea until you get the camera onto a tripod (or similar support device) and try to change a tape. The problem is that you can't, unless you undock your camera from the support and therefore lose your framing. Granted, this probably isn't such a sin on a low-budget model, since frequent tripod work is usually the province of advanced users.

However, it's still a silly oversight and we're frankly surprised cameras that use this loading technique exist at all. There must be a job lot of bottom-loading mechanisms in a huge warehouse somewhere in the Far East, where camcorder manufacturers go when they want to keep costs down.

In the case of JVC's GR-D73, the tape carriage apparatus feels flimsy and its potential for mechanical failure may well have accounted for an error message that we received on several occasions when we attempted to insert a fresh cassette.

Build aside, the GR-D73 is an otherwise unremarkable camera. It offers barely more than a pedestrian performance with fuzzy, grainy image quality indoors and slightly oversaturated colours when used in good, even lighting conditions outdoors.

In its favour, the camera's powerful 16x optical zoom is a bonus at the GR-D73's price point and there are a number of surprising extras. The DV port, for example, works both ways (input as well as output), making it an ideal editing deck when connected to a computer.

It also has an analogue AV input socket that can be used to plug in an external source, such as a Hi8 camcorder or VHS deck, in order to make new, shiny DV copies of old analogue recordings. For standard use, though, there are much better cameras on the market.

Price: £382
Contact: www.jvc.co.uk

Panasonic NV-GS120
As with digital stills cameras, one of the crucial elements governing the quality of a camcorder's recorded image is the CCD. While megapixels are ever multiplying in stills photography devices, DV video has a fixed resolution (720 x 576 pixels in Pal territories).

There are other ways of improving a digital video recording, however. One such method is to employ more sophisticated image-processing systems, such as those used in many professional video devices. Another way of improving colour reproduction and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is to use a physically larger CCD or, better still, three separate image sensor chips, each taking on a primary colour (red, green or blue) on its own.

Until recently, it's been rare to see three-chip camcorders for less than £1,000. It's a modern miracle, then, that Panasonic has managed to include a holy triumvirate of image sensors in a camcorder as small and cheap as the NV-GS120. The improvement in picture quality is instantly noticeable, with vivid colours, sharp lines, no fuzziness or grain both indoors and in natural light. It's at the point where it's almost embarrassing to compare the camera's performance with any of the other models on test.

The Leica Dicomar 10x optical zoom lens almost certainly colludes with the sensor array to aid quality even further and the NV-GS120 is no wimp when it comes to taking stills. Its 1.7megapixel top setting was the best of all the camcorders on test.

There are, of course, a handful of disappointments, many of which have the faint whiff of compromise about them. What looks promisingly like a focus ring, for example, is just a bit of decoration. Those wanting to focus manually will need to faff about with the control buttons normally used for fast forwarding and rewinding, which most enthusiasts will find very unsatisfactory.

Meanwhile, an equally encouraging 'cinema mode' turns out to be a dodgy letterbox setting that simply crops the top and bottom off the image rather than reshaping it to a 16:9 ratio suitable for widescreen TVs. A final crushing blow is the absence of an analogue input something that will put many advanced users off an otherwise excellent camcorder.

Price: £540
Contact: www.panasonic.co.uk

Sharp Viewcam VL-Z5
Style isn't everything, but when you're spending several hundred pounds on a new toy, it's a consideration that may well influence your final decision, however mildly.

Sharp's brave decision to eschew current camcorder design trends and go for something completely different with its Viewcam VL-Z5 is likely to split opinion violently.

For reasons that are not entirely clear, the VL-Z5's body is divided into two segments: the cassette housing and the lens/LCD screen/battery compartment. These two sections are connected in the middle by a joint that allows rotation of the two parts just over 180 deg vertically. It's a distinctive design, but we're at a complete loss as to how it would ever truly benefit anyone other than those keen to film their own shoes without bending over.

Whether as a direct result of its quirky construction or some other unrelated issue, the VL-Z5 is a very noisy little brute. Ejecting a tape raises an embarrassingly loud series of mechanical squeals as the cassette carriage spews out. Much worse is the buzzing sound/vibration combo that accompanies standard operation. This low-level noise can be heard faintly on recordings, since it is clearly picked up by the front-mounted microphone.

But these faults pale into insignificance next to the VL-Z5's most obvious problem: its poor image quality. When we ran our tests, the image in the VL-Z5's LCD screen appeared inordinately fuzzy, which we initially put down to the screen itself. While this may have been partially true, we were genuinely surprised by the overall low quality of the recorded image.

Both indoor and outdoor tests gave us grainy pictures and oversaturated colours. There was even some bleeding, the likes of which we hadn't seen since the glory days of analogue camcorders.

Despite the VL-Z5's undeniably unique design and some useful features, the camera's poor picture quality alone means that we would find it difficult to recommend, even when it is the second cheapest model in our round-up.

Price: £359
Contact: www.sharp.co.uk

Sony Handycam DCR-HC18E
Cheap and cheerful, Sony's budget MiniDV camcorder has got a lot going for it, not least the Easy button on the side, which simplifies menus, settings and operation to the point that it really is just a case of aiming and shooting. Indeed, there are barely any buttons on the DCR-HC18E's body at all. This is because the camera uses a touchscreen allowing access to most of the unit's controls via the foldout LCD panel.

There's no stylus, so it's just a case of jabbing away with your fingers, which could be a problem for those with larger digits and tends to leave the screen smeared and greasy. This is a shame, since the DCR-HC18E's LCD screen was one of the clearest in bright conditions.

The most basic of five new additions to Sony's Handycam range, the DCR-HC18E is also the smallest and neatest of the camcorders we looked at. Like the JVC GR-D73, it features that disastrous bottom-loading tape mechanism. But since it's the cheapest model on test, we're more willing to let it pass this time.

Image quality is fair, although colours are slightly muted in even, outdoor light and looked a little washed out in our internal tests, with the slightest touch of grain when filming indoors. That said, the recorded picture is leagues ahead of anything that the JVC and Sharp models could achieve.

In that respect, the DCR-HC18E would be a good choice for a beginner or someone looking for a cheap way into the world of digital video.

What will disappoint many is that this budget model has clearly been stripped of features in order to squeeze it into such a competitive price point. Still photography, for example, isn't well supported here. Photo resolution is low (640 x 480 pixels) and there's no memory card to store your still shots on. They have to sit awkwardly alongside your moving images on tape, instead.

Also sorely missing is DV input. When connected to a computer for editing, a camcorder with a two-way FireWire can record a finished film back to DV cassette, effectively providing the user with a high quality digital master tape. All the camcorders we looked at, bar this one, came with bidirectional FireWire sockets.

The absence of this feature makes Sony's budget option a bad choice for those wanting to reap the benefits of MiniDV's computer connectivity.

Price: £320
Contact: www.sony.co.uk

Sony Handycam DCR-HC40E
Almost identical in outward appearance to the DCR-HC18E, Sony's more expensive DCR-HC40E distinguishes itself physically with a slightly classier dark grey metallic finish and a smidgen of extra weight.

Tragically, the camcorder's anatomical likeness to its cheaper counterpart means it is similarly crippled by a bottom-loading tape mechanism. It's less forgivable in this case, as the DCR-HC40E is obviously intended for advanced users who are more liable to use a tripod.

Similarities to the DCR-HC18E aren't just skin deep, either. Many of the budget camera's positive attributes also make a reappearance including the Carl Zeiss 10x optical zoom lens, Nightshot Plus setting for filming in low-lighting conditions and the convenient touchscreen LCD technology.

But the DCR-HC40E also manages to address many of the points we found lacking in the more basic model. Still photos can be taken at higher resolutions (1,152 x 864 pixels) and are stored on a Memory Stick Duo card rather than on tape.

More importantly, perhaps, for prospective desktop video editors is the inclusion of a bidirectional FireWire socket and analogue input. Interestingly, the DCR-HC40E can be used as a conduit from an analogue video source directly to your computer without having to record to DV tape. This pass-through feature will be useful for anyone looking to digitise large amounts of analogue recordings, since it won't inflict any unnecessary wear on the camcorder's moving parts.

It's not quite up there with the three-chip Panasonic model or the Canon MVX250i, but the DCR-HC40E's picture shows a marked improvement on the DCR-HC18E, with lively colours and sharp edges outdoors and only a negligible loss of detail and colour in lower, artificial lighting.

Price: £475
Contact: www.sony.co.uk

Best on test
MiniDV's continuing popularity and growth means it's still far and away the best platform to opt for when buying a new camcorder at almost any budget or experience level.

The particular models in this round-up prove there has been a enormous amount of development in the lower regions of the market, with features like megapixel-plus still photos and even three-chip CCD sensors becoming available at affordable prices.

In terms of image quality, there really isn't any competition, so the Panasonic NV-GS120 receives our Recommended award. It's just a shame there are a couple of important features missing. For these, Panasonic encourages us to step up our budget for the next model in the range (the NV-GS200 priced at around £750).

If we were to choose any runners-up, then the Canon MVX250i and the Sony DCR-HC40E both offer a diplomatic balance of picture quality and features at competitive prices. And those who are simply looking to get on the digital bandwagon as cheaply as possible could do a lot worse than opting for the frill-free Sony DCR-HC18E.

See also:

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Fed up with fuzzy images, wobbly camerawork and muffled sound? Banish those home movie demons and get the best results from your digital video camera  05 Aug 2004

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