Remember when you were in eighth grade? You probably felt like pretty hot stuff--until the next year, when you found yourself demoted to the status of a lowly freshman. Panasonic's PV-GS400 MiniDV camcorder is in the same position: at the pinnacle of Panasonic's consumer camcorder line, just below the professional line, which begins with the AG-DVC30.

What makes the Panasonic PV-GS400 such an advanced consumer camera are its three-chip capture system, 12X optical zoom with optical stabilizer, 3.5-inch LCD screen, and manual control over almost every function. But all these assets don't quite add up to a professional camera. The 1/4.7-inch chips may be large for a consumer camcorder, but they're tiny by pro standards, and there's a fairly strict correlation between chip size and low-light performance. And while you can control all the functions of the PV-GS400 manually, you do it using a multipurpose ring rather than the discrete mechanical controls to which pros are accustomed.

With a street price near $1,000, the Panasonic PV-GS400 is one of the best consumer-camcorder deals available. Just don't mistake it for a pro camera.

Design of Panasonic PV-GS400
The Panasonic PV-GS400 has a classic Handycam-style layout and a high-quality metallic-silver finish. Measuring 3 inches high, 3 inches wide, and 7 inches deep and weighing 1.5 pounds, this is a solid package that lends itself to two-handed operation.

The right of the camera consists primarily of a top-loading, rubber-coated MiniDV cassette door, which serves as a comfortable handgrip. A wrist strap is connected to the bottom of the door, and a zoom slider sits at the door's top, under the operator's forefinger. A large 3.5-inch, 200,000-pixel flip-out LCD dominates the left side of the camera. The more frequently used manual-control buttons reside in front of the LCD, and the less-used effects and VTR buttons sit under it along with a pop-up SD-card (not included) slot for stills.

Protected by a conventional lens cap, a 12X Leica Dicomar zoom makes up the front of the camera. The lens has a 43mm filter ring and is surrounded by a generously sized (by consumer-control standards) Multi Manual Ring. On the camera's back are a viewfinder eyepiece at top, a battery below, and a mode dial and power controls to the right. Finally, from front to back, the top of the camera is covered by a pop-up flash, a built-in stereo mic, and a hotshoe to accommodate optional accessory lights and microphones.

The Panasonic PV-GS400 offers the usual assortment of ports: composite A/V and S-Video, USB, and FireWire. The external-mic jack is essential for recording high-quality audio, and it doubles as a jack for the included MagicWire wired remote, a clever handheld mic that includes buttons to stop and start recording and control the zoom. The A/V port also doubles as a headphone jack.

For a consumer camera, the PV-GS400 offers very well-laid-out controls. They're ergonomically positioned and large enough for real human fingers. They also display a startling lack of gimmickry. A couple of buttons select whether the Multi Manual Ring will control focus, zoom, shutter, or iris--and that's all there is to it!

Features of Panasonic PV-GS400
The heart of the Panasonic PV-GS400 is its three-chip imaging system. Each chip is 1/4.7 inch in size--relatively large for a consumer camera--and has a whopping megapixel of resolution, which accounts for the camera's excellent wide-screen performance and decent still-picture capabilities.

The Leica Dicomar lens offers a 12X zoom range and optical image stabilization, which is superior to the electronic stabilization typical in consumer cameras. (Note that the PV-GS400's optical stabilization is misidentified in the menus as EIS.)

It's safe to say that no camera at the PV-GS400's price point offers more or better manual controls. Focus, iris, shutter, zoom, gain, white balance, and even audio levels can all be controlled quickly and directly. True, the Multi Manual Ring isn't quite as efficient as the separate controls pro cameras have for each function, but this hybrid arrangement is a world beyond that of the typical consumer camera.

Besides the manual controls, the Panasonic PV-GS400 offers several other pro features: zebra stripes (an exposure-setting aid that highlights blown-out areas); color bars for setting up monitors; and a full complement of custom image adjustments that enable the shooter to fine-tune the sharpness, the color, the exposure, and the contrast of the image.

For those who want a cinematic look, the PV-GS400 offers both letterboxed and anamorphic (squeezed) wide-screen modes, as well as Pro Cinema mode, a pseudo-24P look that gives the image a filmlike motion quality. Unfortunately, Pro Cinema is available only when shooting in anamorphic wide-screen format.

For the less ambitious user, the PV-GS400 also features the usual variety of automatic options, including a fully automatic mode and a number of autoexposure modes, such as Sports, Portrait, Low Light, Surf and Snow, and Spotlight.

The PV-GS400 offers a full range of consumer-oriented digital effects, which are mostly tucked out of the way in the easily navigable menus. The effects include 700X and 30X digital zoom, TeleMacro (for extreme close-ups), SoftSkin (which reduces wrinkles), Fader, MultiMode (which takes nine small pictures in a row and saves them to tape), Picture-in-Picture, Strobe, Mix, Mosaic, Mirror, Stretch, Slim, Trailing Effect, Wipe, Negative, Sepia, Black and White, and Solarization. A couple of low-light modes are also offered: MagicPix, in which the shutter speed is slowed down, and Advanced MagicPix, in which the LCD is turned forward to serve as an illuminator.

The Quick Start mode falls into the miscellaneous-features category. It reduces the camera's start-up time from almost five seconds to less than two but exacts a penalty in battery life. Another battery-draining feature is the Power LCD button, which doubles the brightness of the flip-out LCD for viewing in bright conditions.

At least on paper, the PV-GS400 has impressive photo capabilities. Through pixel-shift technology, the three megapixel chips can output stills with up to 4-megapixel resolution. While the camera is recording video to tape, it can simultaneously record stills of up to 1 megapixel to SD card. The PV-GS400 also has several flash modes, a self-timer, red-eye reduction, and burst modes. Finally, it is PictBridge enabled, so you can directly connect it to compatible printers.

The Panasonic PV-GS400 comes with MotionDV Studio LE editing software for Windows and ArcSoft PhotoSuite (both Windows and Mac) for editing stills.

Performance of Panasonic PV-GS400
In general, the Panasonic PV-GS400's automatic systems are adequate but not spectacular. Autofocus performance can be sluggish. Autoexposure and white balance, while accurate, are also a bit slow to respond. On a lower-end camcorder intended for point-and-shoot operation, this mediocre automation would be a serious problem, but the PV-GS400 has clearly been optimized for the more advanced user who wants to take manual control over the camera.

Fortunately, the manual controls exhibit a much greater responsiveness. While the Multi Manual Ring may seem a bit awkward to someone used to pro gear, it's about the best control system I've ever seen on a consumer camera. Similarly, the zoom slider may be small by pro standards, but it's gargantuan compared to some consumer controls. All essential manual adjustments can be made quickly and instinctively, without the need to navigate menus.

The flip-out LCD is big, bright, and sharp. The viewfinder is adequate but will probably be neglected in favor of the LCD.

Sound performance with the built-in mic is typical: good when near the subject in a quiet environment but less acceptable in more challenging conditions. On the plus side, the mic doesn't pick up much camera noise, and the GS400 can accommodate an external mic and headphones--which are the keys to recording high-quality sound.

Image quality of Panasonic PV-GS400
When it comes to capturing video in well-lit situations, the Panasonic PV-GS400 is a consumer MiniDV camera that offers state-of-the-art image quality, approaching professional standards. No doubt due to the PV-GS400's three CCD chips, video is bright, colorful, accurate, and detailed. And because they're megapixel chips, the 16:9 mode is superb, with no noticeable loss in sharpness.

In low light, the images still look good, considering they come from a consumer camera, but by professional quality standards, they're noisy and somewhat muted.

Still-image quality is also middling: good for a video camera but competitive with the quality of only the lowest tier of dedicated still cameras.

Editors' rating
Excellent
8.0 out of 10

Ratings explained
Design: 8
Features: 8
Performance: 8
Image quality: 8

The good: Smart design and excellent manual controls; great three-chip imagery and 16:9 performance; solid optical zoom and stabilizer; big LCD.

The bad: Not the smallest camera; mediocre low-light and still-image performance; not great as a point-and-shoot.

The bottom line: The Panasonic PV-GS400 offers outstanding value in a camcorder for the discriminating consumer.

Source: CNET
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posted by Clint at 4:31 PM - 0 comments

Thursday, January 26, 2006
Sony HDR-HC3
BREAKING NEWS
A manual for the European version of the HDR-HC3 camcorder, a lower-end follow-up to the popular high definition (HD) HCR-HC1, has been released on the internet. The existance of the camcorder has been confirmed by sources close to Sony. That source stated that the camcorder will be announced in the next few months. Sony has refused to offer any official confirmatoin of the new product or indicate whether or not the release manual is accurate. Among the HC3’s features are the ability to record 1080i HD quality video, a 1/3” CMOS sensor, a 2,103,000 gross pixel count, and a 10x optical zoom.

It is unclear if the HDR-HC3 is a replacement for the HDR-HC1 or meant to complement it in the line. It is lighter and has many features taken away including the mic jack and zoom ring according to the released manual. The HDR-HC3, the manual states, will use a Carl Zeiss-Sonnar T* lens, with a 30mm filter diameter with 10x optical and 80x digital zoom, a focal length of 5.1 – 51mm, with a 35mm equivalent of 41.3mm – 485mm in 16:9 aspect ratio, and 50.5 – 594mm in 4:3 aspect ratio.

Sony has clearly been busy with CMOS technology. The DCR-DVD505, which premiered at CES earlier this month, featured their new ClearVID CMOS sensor. The HDR-HC3 also offers a 1/3” CMOS, though there is no indication if it too uses ClearVID technology. ClearVID tilts all the sensor’s pixels at a 45 degree angle, thereby improving picture quality. It also boosts the green pixel count, which is the color which the human eye perceived with the most detail.

The HDR-HC3’s CMOS is confirmed to produce a gross pixel count of 2,103,000; a 1,076,000 effective pixel count in 4:3 mode; a 1,434,000 effective pixel count in 16:9 mode; a 1,991,000 effective pixel count in 4:3 still mode; and a 1,493,000 effective pixel count in 16:9 still mode.

The multi-purpose “CAM CTRL” ring around the lens is certainly one of the most exciting features on this model. The HDR-HC1 had a similar feature, but offered only zoom and focus control. The new HDR-HC3 ring does not allow for zooming, but does offer additional control over exposure, automatic exposure (AE) shift and white balance shift. Switching functions is performed by using a button and toggle switch located on the left side of the lens barrel. The exposure is, unfortunately, the same method that Sony uses for most of their camcorders – a scale with a plus sign on one end and a minus sign on the other. AE shift works has a similar scale, and works in a manner similar to aperture priority. While it does not measure the aperture in f-stops, shifting the AE should function by changing the aperture size, while locking the exposure, thereby allowing for depth of field control. White balance shifting uses the same plus and minus scale, moving across the Kelvin scale from cooler to warmer tones.

Other manual controls include sharpness control, color intensity, both of which also use the plus and minus scale. We are extremely disappointed to report that the HC3 will not offer manual shutter speed control. It does have an Auto Shutter Program, which allows for better automatic adjustment in bright light conditions.

The featured automatic controls are largely the same as the HDR-HC1: color slow shutter, zebra patterns, and a histogram. Sony will also outfit the HC3 with Spot Focus and Spot Meter. Programs modes are in line with the standard Sony set: Auto, Spotlight, Portrait, Beach and Ski, Sunset and Moon, and Landscape.

Sony refused to comment on the leaked manual, however, the manual resembles other ones released by the company on other camcorders. The source close to Sony was unsure if the manual is correct, however, they confirmed the general specs and the existance of the camcorder. It should also be stressed that the released manual was for the European version, and how that differs from a US version is unknown. No information about the model's pricing has been found or released.

While there are a number of ports and jacks, the HC3 does not appear to offer analog-to-digital pass through or conversion. The manual states an A/V out port located on the rear of the body. Also found there is a component-out jack. On the left side, in the LCD cavity, are a Memory Stick Duo slot and USB. In the front of the body are ports for HDMI-out, DV (i.Link), and LANC. There is a hot accessory shoe on top of the HC3's body.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 4:08 PM - 0 comments

Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Panasonic PV-GS180
The PV-GS180, at $599, is the budget model of Panasonic's 3 CCD camcorders in 2006, mixing the GS150's solid imaging system with the GS65's lack of features. The PV-GS180 has no Leica lens, no flash, no A/V-in, no hot accessory shoe, no optical image stabilization, no wired remote, and no widescreen LCD. It does record the GS150's widescreen video with a widened field of view, albeit with no image stabilization in widescreen mode. But praise be to Panasonic; it does have a microphone input and headphone jack. Wonderful!

But the real question for buyers will be: “Are the features on the GS300, the next model up, worth the $100 difference in retail price as opposed to the PV-GS180?” In my opinion, this should be a no-brainer. Optical stabilization alone is worth the difference, not even mentioning the other pluses of the GS300. But for folks looking for the cheapest 3 CCD quality in a widescreen aspect ratio, the PV-GS180 could be the answer.

Video Performance
The PV-GS180 shoots video with three 800K, 1/6” CCDs. It only records interlaced video, but does so in both 4:3 and anamorphic widescreen modes. The PV-GS180's widescreen video, but employs the “crop and zoom” technique in order to get it. Instead of optical image stabilization found on the GS300 and GS500, the PV-GS180 uses electronic stabilization. The PV-GS180 uses the full width of the CCD for creating the widescreen image. Therefore, electronic image stabilization does not work in widescreen mode because there is no sensor territory to spare. Panasonic's electronic stabilization works well in good light, but becomes inactive in light levels below about 100 lux.

The Front
The PV-GS180 exhibits a typical Panasonic face from the front. Clearly in view is the 10X lens with 37mm filter threads. The lens has a focal length of 2.45 to 24.5mm which gives a 35mm equivalent of 44.7 to 447mm in normal video and 41.1 to 411mm in 4:3 stills. Iris can be adjusted from f/1.8 to f/16. Below the lens and to the right bottom of the camcorder body is the standard Panasonic zoom microphone. There is no photoflash on this model.

The Right Side
The right side is clear of features until one reaches the back of the camcorder. At the rear of the right side, just before the ports, is the speaker. The A/V-out / headphones jack port, the microphone jack, and the USB 2.0 high speed port are all located under a gray, rubber cover. All the Panasonic 3 CCD camcorders sport high speed USB this year. The A/V jack features left and right audio and composite video outputs. The PV-GS180 does not support analog inputs. The A/V jack doubles as a headphones jack. Thus, the user can listen to audio being recorded from the internal or an external microphone.

The Back
In the upper left of the PV-GS180’s back is the electronic viewfinder (EVF). The eyepiece for the EVF pulls out from its recess below the accessory shoe but does not tilt up, like it does on GS500. To the right of the EVF eyepiece is the on-off slider. Below the power slider is the 1.7-second quick start button. Below that is the menu button. The menus are viewable on the LCD and EVF. Below and to the right of the menu button is the mode dial. Users can select the standard operating modes of record (video), playback (video), record (stills), playback (stills) and PC for transfer of stills from the SD card to a computer over USB. In the center of the mode dial is the joystick control for selecting options from the menus. To the left and slightly below the menu dial is the record/pause pushbutton for starting and stopping recording to tape. Last, but not least, to the left of the record/pause button, and below the EVF eyepiece, is the battery. Batteries were not available for us to inspect at CES, but they are compatible with the CGA-DU series of batteries from 2005. So, finding a second or backup battery should not be difficult.

The Left Side
The 2.5-inch non-widescreen LCD is the biggest component on the left side of this compact camcorder. When the LCD is opened, it rotates outward 90 degrees and can be further rotated around its horizontal axis about 180 degrees. The rotated-forward position is also used in MagicPix (Panasonic's low light mode) to help illuminate a dimly lighted scene out to about three feet. Inside the LCD recess in the body of the PV-GS180 is the Auto / Manual / Focus switch, the reset pushbutton, the power LCD (for backlighting on the LCD), and a DV (FireWire, iLink) port. On the bottom of the body, underneath a rubber flap, is the recess for the SD card slot. The PV-GS180 supports SD cards up to 2 GB in size.

The Top
The top of the PV-GS180 is very clean. On the right front is the cassette loading dock release lever. A pull backwards on the release allows the user to open the loading dock to the right and activate the tape elevator. The cassette mechanism rises and opens for inserting and extracting a MiniDV tape. Further back in the center of the PV-GS180 is the cold accessory shoe. Immediately behind the accessory shoe is the electronic viewfinder (EVF) eyepiece. To the right of the accessory shoe is the zoom slider which doubles as a volume control in tape playback mode. To the rear of the zoom slider is the Photoshot button.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Automatic controls on the PV-GS180 are similar to those on the GS300 and GS500. The camcorder controls focus, shutter, and iris to maintain exposure. It is good that the automatic controls function very well, as most of the manual controls are buried in the menus.

Automatic focus works pretty well as long as there is light enough to give good contrast to the electronics.

Overall Manual Control
Users have manual control over most frequently adjusted camcorder functions like iris, shutter, focus, zoom, flash brightness, and white balance. Manual functions are adjusted via a menu setting. The joystick control makes adjustments easier than a touch screen, especially if you want to use the EVF instead of the LCD. As on the GS300, folks who like to use manual controls a lot will find this process limiting.

Zoom
The PV-GS180 has a 10x optical zoom and a 700x digital zoom. Digital zoom can also be limited to 25x via a menu option.

Focus
In automatic mode, focus is adjusted by the camcorder's electronic sensors. In manual, the user may adjust focus with the joystick. It’s a good idea to take over manually as the light diminishes. Using the joystick is not a great way to make adjustments. The PV-GS500 has a focus ring, unfortunately absent here.

Exposure (Aperture)
The iris can be adjusted for apertures from f/1.8 to f/16 in both video and stills mode.

Shutter Speed
The shutter is manually adjustable in video mode from 1/60 to 1/8000 of a second. In stills mode, the shutter ranges from 1/30 to 1/2000 of a second.

White Balance
The PV-GS180 uses automatic white balance when in auto mode. In manual mode, the user may select presets for auto, indoor, outdoor, and fluorescent lighting. Also, manual white balance may be selected which can adjust to a wider range of color temperatures.

Gain
In darker, indoor settings when the iris can open no wider, adjustable gain is available to brighten the scene. The PV-GS180 allows the user to set up to 18dB of gain in 1dB increments. The onscreen display registers changes only every 3dB increases.

Still Features
Still pictures are shot to an SD card that can have a capacity of up to 2 Gigabytes. Still pictures in 4:3 mode may be shot in sizes of 1760 x 1320, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480. The PV-GS180 does not shoot widescreen stills. Shutter speeds in still mode range from 1/30 to 1/2000 of a second. All of the manual controls over iris, shutter, white balance, and focus offered in video mode are also available in still picture mode.

Low Light Performance
Last year's GS150 experienced some problems in low light. Due to bad shielding in the internals of the camcorder, three red lines (or four on PAL models) were seen superimposed over a low light image on many units. The red line problem was supposed to have been corrected late in 2005. We could not tell if the problem was carried forward into the PV-GS180. When we get a model for testing, we will verify if the problem has been resolved.

The PV-GS180 has a minimum light sensitivity of 12 lux, like last year's GS150. In MagicPix mode, Panasonic lists a low light sensitivity of 0 lux; however, this is with supplemental light from the LCD screen. In addition, MagicPix slows shutter speed considerably, which creates a frame rate of about 8 frames per second. As a result, any motion in the scene is severely blurred. We wouldn’t recommend using MagicPix mode for anything but an effect or for relatively motionless night shooting.

VCR Mode
Tape playback is the operating mode for viewing the footage on the LCD or TV (via the A/V cable). Users may play, pause, fast forward, fast preview, fast reverse, fast reverse preview, and stop playback using the joystick control. In addition, tape playback mode is used for copying the video to a computer over either DV (FireWire or iLink) or USB cables. All of the Panasonic 3 CCD camcorders implement USB 2.0 high speed this year. The PV-GS180 permits the video (DV Data in the menus) to stream through the USB port. Capture applications that support capture over USB, like Windows Movie Maker, should work with the PV-GS180. There is no included software to facilitate capture like MotionDV Studio, which comes with the GS300 and GS500.

LCD/Viewfinder
The color LCD on the PV-GS180 is a 2.5”, 4:3 display. It rotates away from the body 90 degrees and may also be flipped to the front for self-portrait shooting. The electronic viewfinder is also color. The degree of information displayed during shooting or playback is selectable in the menus. The EVF eyepiece may be withdrawn so that the user’s eye can be positioned away from the battery that protrudes from the back of the camcorder. However, the EVF does not tilt which limits its usefulness for certain shots.

Audio
The stereo microphone system captures audio in either 12 bit or 16 bit resolution. The microphones can be selected to zoom along with the video in the menus. There is a 3.5mm stereo microphone jack for attaching an external unbalanced microphone. When the external microphone jack is used, the internal microphones are disconnected. Comparatively, Sony has begun implementing 5.1 channel Dolby Digital on their upper-end DVD camcorders, which uses an external microphone in conjunction with the onboard mics. There is a small speaker on the right rear of the GS180 for listening to the recorded audio. Audio volume during playback is controlled with the zoom slider control on the top rear of the camcorder.

Handling
The PV-GS180 is an even smaller camcorder than the GS300, and Panasonic touts it as the smallest 3 CCD MiniDV camcorder being manufactured. It’s not uncomfortably small, however; users that appreciate a small format camcorder will be happy with the PV-GS180. When grasped with the right hand inserted through the hand strap, the PV-GS180 sits comfortably in the right palm. This positions the zoom slider and photoshot button directly under the index finger. The right thumb can easily access the joystick control for setting menu functions and for manual focus adjustments. The record/pause button is right next to the joystick control and is also easily accessible with the right thumb.

Compression
The PV-GS180 records video using the DV codec. DV is a 25 Mbps interleaved audio and video stream that is compressed about 500 percent (5:1).

Media
The PV-GS180 uses MiniDV tapes for recording video and SD media for recording stills. No media, MiniDV tape or SD card, is included with the camcorder.

Editing
Users will have to select an application for editing video as Panasonic does not supply one with the PV-GS180. Windows Movie Maker on the PC platform or iMovie on the Macintosh will work with footage from the PV-GS180.

Ports
The PV-GS180 has ports for DV, USB 2.0 high speed, A/V / headphones, and a microphone. It was nice seeing the headphone jack since Panasonic chose to not include it on the upscale 3 CCD models. The A/V jack supports composite analog video and audio out only.

Other Features
The PV-GS180 has no other remarkable features.

Conclusion
The PV-GS180 is a no-frills, small format MiniDV camcorder. Priced only $100 less than the GS300, which has many more features, it is hard to imagine that it will sell very well. Since it has Panasonic 3 CCD technology, it could be used as a second camcorder alongside one of its brothers or as a backup cam. It also might be a good choice for underwater shooting; a dive housing cannot limit access to features because this camcorder doesn’t really have many. Clearly, this is a bargain basement camcorder for point-and-shooters who know enough about image quality to want good specs, but prefer to avoid manual controls. There is a market for this type of camcorder, but considering that the GS300 is only $100 away, it’s probably a smaller market than Panasonic hopes.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 6:39 PM - 0 comments

Saturday, January 21, 2006
Canon ZR500
At CES, Canon announced the release of three new ZR MiniDV camcorders. The budget-line series has received significant overhaul in the areas of zoom, reductions in size and weight, a 2.7” widescreen LCD, and some design changes – most notably a new menu navigation control. The prices have also been reduced. The ZR500 is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of these changes. Replacing the ZR100, the ZR500 has an MSRP only $299 – meaning that in a few months you might be able to pick this up for as little as $200.

With a 1/6” 340K (effective) pixel CCD, decent automatic control, an acceptable amount of manual control (for the price), and, get this… a microphone jack. In fact, the ZR500 is the only ZR cam with a mic jack. This is already shaping up to be the budget camcorder of the year. Have a look.

Video Performance
As stated above, the ZR500 comes equipped with a 1/6” CCD and 680K gross pixels. In 4:3, it yields 340K effective pixels, in 16:9 with the electronic image stabilization (EIS) engaged, it yields 400K effective pixels; in 16:9 with the EIS disengaged, 450K effective pixels. All ZR models, like last year, feature the DigicDV processor. Last year’s ZR100 had a video performance that was somewhat dull and didn’t display the more brilliant tones found on higher-end models. The same imaging system is found in all 2006 ZRs, so don’t expect a jump in performance. Add-ons and extra features are what make up most of the price differences.

The Front
The front of the Canon ZR500 has a very minimalist design, an aesthetic which isn’t surprising considering the camcorder’s slender frame, and the fact that it’s the cheapest camcorder in their entire camcorder line. At the top of the camera body is the 25x optical / 800x digital zoom lens. It has a focal length of 2.6 – 65mm, which in a 35mm equivalent gives 49.8 – 1245mm in 4:3, 43.8 – 1095mm in 16:9 with EIS, and 41.0 – 1025,, in 16:9 with the EIS off. Below this lens, at the bottom of the camcorder, is the in-camera stereo microphone.

The Right Side
This tape compartment is bottom-loading, and faces the right side. Long-time MiniDV users will know this is a less than ideal design. Bottom-loading compartments force users to remove camcorders from tripods and disturb shots when switching tapes, while top-loading models allow for quick tape changes without hassle. Running across the lower portion, just along the hatch door, is an adjustable gray hand strap for more secure shooting. The mode dial is on the right rear of the body. Above the MiniDV compartment is a rubber port cover which conceals an A/V port, mic-in port, and FireWire port. There is no SD memory card slot or USB port on the ZR500. You’ll have to step up to the ZR600 for that luxury.

The Back
The back of the Canon ZR500 is a slender 1.9 inches and is predominately consumed by the camcorder’s battery. Above the battery users will find the 0.3-inch 123K pixel viewfinder, which unfortunately neither pivots nor extends. Taken in conjunction with control panel having been relocated to the LCD panel, Canon doesn’t expect you to get too much use out of the viewfinder. Lastly, the DC in port is located at the bottom of the camcorder beneath the battery.

The Left Side
The ZR500 features a 2.7-inch, 112K pixel widescreen LCD that is opened via a tab located on the back edge of the monitor. Last year, controls were administered between buttons in the LCD cavity and a jog dial on the left side of the body. This year, the controls have been relocated to the bottom of the LCD panel. Controls include a four-way control pad, Function menu button, Digital Effects button, and Widescreen / Data Code button. This placement still means that users won’t be able to navigate and enter manual controls without opening the LCD screen, and also won’t be able to use the viewfinder for focus adjustment – an unfortunate loss, but still a better design than last year’s models. A lot people seem to complain about jog dials, and Canon must have heard. But if conserving batteries or shooting with the viewfinder are high priorities, this camcorder will probably disappoint.

The Top
The slender frame of the is very sparse indeed. There are only two controls found here: a raised zoom toggle, which is both well-placed and easily controllable, and a sliding switch to select between P (manual) and Easy modes.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Canon, like Sony, knows the allure of the Easy Mode to most consumers. They advertise the setting prominently on the upper-right side of the camcorder. In Easy Mode, users needn’t concern themselves with adjustments pertaining to focus, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, or other settings. Automatic controls on Canons are usually good. In fact, we recommend leaving a low-budget camcorder like this in auto mode most of the time. The manual controls are too limited.

There are some pre-set auto exposure modes to choose from on the ZR500, which can be selected from Recording Programs in the Function menu. They include: Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, and Fireworks.

Overall Manual Control
Bottom line: This is a the cheapest camcorder of the year from a manufacturer who withholds independent aperture and shutter speed control on all but their pro-cams. Don’t expect much, and you might be surprised with what you get. In terms of overall manual control, the ZR500 does manage to provide users with control options in Program Mode, although the control layout is less than stellar (a rear-mounted control is preferable). The ZR500 lets users manipulate zoom, exposure, focus, shutter speed, and white balance. There is no control over manual gain. There are also a handful of preset shooting modes (described above) which allow users who are less comfortable with manual controls to make some simple image adjustments.

Zoom
The ZR500, like all of the new ZRs, features 25x optical zoom. This model and the next up have 800x digital zoom. A step up to the ZR700 yields a 1000x digital zoom. Last year’s ZR100 only had a 20x optical zoom. Also, all the ZRs now feature a zoom control, accessed through the menu. This sets the zoom at a fixed speed regardless of how much pressure you put on the toggle. Speed 1 crawls quite slowly. Speed 2 is moderate. Speed 3 is quite fast. The Variable setting turns the speed limit control off.

Focus
You will find a manual focus setting on the ZR500, but we can’t recommend its use accept in extreme circumstances. The ZR500’s auto focus tends to struggle when forced to function in lower light conditions. Instead of settling on the correct subject, the camcorder will “breathe,” a term which refers to its fluctuating in-and-out of focus and the inability for the camera to settle on one subject and distance. Although the inclusion of a manual focus is welcome, the focus is digitally controlled through four-way controller. There is no numerical value attached to focal adjustments, and you have only your eyes and the LCD to gauge precision. Because of the control placement on the LCD panel, you can’t even use the viewfinder to make adjustments. Our advice: leave it in auto and stay in well-lit places.

Exposure (Aperture)
There is manual control for exposure compensation setting on the Canon ZR500. It allows users to select among +/-11 EV steps, giving you a total of +/-2.75 EV. This is a rather limited approach to exposure control, whereas independent aperture and shutter speed controls might be applied. In fact, the ZR500’s manual only mentions exposure adjustment as a means of correcting for backlighting problems.

Shutter Speed
This camcorder, like all those present in the ZR line, provide users with manual control over shutter speed. The manual shutter speed options on the ZR500 are: 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, and 1/2000 of a second. There is also a Slow Shutter speed setting for night shooting, accessed through the menu. It is fixed at 1/30 of a second.

White Balance
Manual white balance settings for the Canon ZR500 include Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, and Set (manual) . This isn’t exactly an extensive list and situations like indoor lighting or shade will call for either the Auto or Manual settings. It’s too bad; white balance is one simple adjustment that can make a dramatic difference in the quality of a shot, and users who rely on presets will think less of this cam for its lack of options.

Gain
There is no manual gain setting on any camcorders in the Canon ZR series.

Still Features
The Canon ZR500 does not have the ability to capture stills, even to MiniDV tape. The next model up, the ZR600, does feature an SD card capacity and shoots at a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768.

Low Light Performance
Last year, the ZR line did well with low light tests, considering the price range and relatively small 1/6” CCDs, producing results that made these camcorders a viable option for the budget consumer. The ZR100, the predecessor to the ZR500, produced colors at 15 lux that were acceptable and somewhat impressive considering the price range, though they were fairly noisy. Since the ZR100 and ZR500 share the same imager, we can probably expect similar low light results.

VCR Mode
The VCR mode for the ZR500 is entered when the user switches the mode is set on “Play.” Once the camcorder is in playback mode users can navigate the MiniDV tape through the use of the four-way control pad. As we are now awash in a market of DVD and solid state camcorders, playback on a MiniDV can seem slow and tedious – all that tape to wind back and forth. It’s like the Stone Age! Seriously though, playback on the ZR500 is straightforward and perfectly serviceable. The big hassle is the bottom loading tape mechanism. If the camcorder is in a tripod, changing tapes can become time-consuming.

LCD/Viewfinder
The LCD screen on the Canon ZR500 provides a large viewing surface of 2.7 inches, which is great when capturing in 16:9 aspect ratio. When shooting in standard 4:3, the image will appear pillar-boxed. The 112K pixel count is a little low. There is no increase in LCD resolution through the rest of the ZR series. Only a step up to the Elura 100 will boost the pixel count to 123K. As stated above, the LCD panel is also where the control panel is located.

The camcorder also comes with an Electronic Color Viewfinder that has 123,000 pixels packed onto a 0.3-inch screen. But it has its own limitations and restrictions; it is unfortunately unable to extend or rotate away from the camera body. This means users will need to press a face into the battery pack to really get close enough for an accurate image reading. Also, because the control panel is located on the LCD panel, changes to image quality, such a focus, cannot be gauged with the viewfinder.

Audio
Strange as it may seem, the ZR500 is only model in the ZR series to include a microphone input. Evidently, the decision to equip less expensive camcorders with more audio options was in direct reaction to the demands of educators who need inexpensive camcorders as well as expanded audio options. While certainly not wishing to disrespect this evidently key sector of Canon’s market, I think that camcorder manufacturers would find that users who are willing to pay more are also after more features, not less.

Not only do they include the option for an external mic, but the jack is well-placed on the right side of the body, reducing the possibility that a dangling wire will not get in the way of a shot. Unfortunately, there is no accessory shoe on top in which to place a mic.

A built-in stereo microphone is located in the lower front of the body, under the lens. Audio quality can be set at 12bit or 16bit. A Wind Screen feature is available, which cuts the low end of the audio signal to reduce wind noise. There is no manual control of audio levels.

Handling
The handling on the ZR500 seems to have improved over last year. The body has slimmed down by 16% in size and 12% in weight. The jog dial, which received a lot of complaints, has been replaced with a four-way navigation pad – a type of control you’ll also find on most JVCs this year. But you cant please everyone. Some people have already complained about the placement of the navigation pad. Certainly, it raises some issues. If the navigation controls are located on the LCD, Canon has essentially negated the viewfinder as anything but a secondary viewing device. You can’t use it to make adjustments, because the viewfinder shuts off when the LCD panel is opened. Also, we have to question whether the ZRs shrunk in “the right way.” Panasonic claims that shorter, fatter camcorders actually lay better in the hand. Conversely, Canon has squeezed their camcorders thin. Which is better? It’s a matter of personal preference. The Canons certainly win in aesthetics, but the Panasonics sure felt right. We need a little bit more time with this one – and we need camcorders that are not tethered to the manufacturer’s booth.

Compression
Video on the ZR500 is captured at the standard DV compression rate of 25 Mbps per second. There is no still capture capacity on this camcorder.

Media
The Canon ZR500 records video directly onto standard MiniDV tape.

Editing
The ZR500 uses MiniDV tape, which can be captured and imported into every major editing program. Though the transfer time to a computer is much longer than DVD and solid state camcorders, those formats can experience sound drop-off when imported into certain programs, and are often limited to editing with the manufacturer’s proprietary software bundles.

Ports
There are several ports available on the ZR500, most found on the right side of the ZR500’s body, underneath a rubber port cover: DV (FireWire), composite A/V-out, and mic-in ports which are positioned so as to not be blocked or compromised by either the tape compartment or the right-hand grip, a common mistake on camcorders with ports on this side. On the back of the ZR500, below the battery and right near the bottom, users will find a DC-in port. This camcorder does not support analog-to-digital conversion or pass through. With the cut in price from the ZR600 to the ZR500, you lose the USB port and the SD card slot; however, you do gain the mic input.

Other Features
Electronic Image Stabilization - The Canon ZR500 comes with Electronic Image Stabilization, and while this will help slightly during jittery shooting and handling,

Digital Effects - The ZR500 includes effects for Black and White, Sepia, Art, Mosaic, Ball, Cube, Wave, Color Mask, and Mirror. There are Fade effect for: Fade to Black. Wipe, Corner Wipe, Jump, Flip, Puzzle, Zigzag, Beam, and Tide.

Conclusion
The ZR500 (MSRP $299) features several controls which help to separate itself from the older ZR100. The largest immediate change is in the physical design of the camcorder itself. This model features a slimmer, more slender silhouette which permits greater portability and handling. There is also a slight increase in LCD size to 2.7 inches, and an increase in optical zoom to 25x. Although this model doesn’t have the USB port and SD card slot found on the ZR600 and ZR700, it does have a mic-in jack, a great feature that doesn’t appear on either. This inclusion may make this camcorder an edge over other ZR cams, depending on your priorities. What else do you miss out on by not stepping up? The ZR600 ($349) offers an improved 9-Point AiAF auto focus, a remote control, and some software. The ZR700 ($399) has an increased 1000x digital zoom (a red herring of a feature), a vide light, and analog to digital pass through. This last feature is perhaps the only worthwhile one, and it will cost you $100 extra dollars. It will be interesting to test this new camcorder against the results garnered with the ZR100 and ZR200 reviewed during 2005. With the visual emphasis on a sleeker, more slender style-conscious design, it will be interesting to see if Canon too has submitted to the trend of offering style over substance. Only full testing will tell, so check back for our in-depth review.

Source CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 5:45 PM - 0 comments

Friday, January 20, 2006
Panasonic AG-DVX100B
The Panasonic AG-DVX100B may well be the last and best semipro DV camcorder ever built. No, I'm not predicting an imminent apocalypse, but rather the approaching obsolescence of high-end standard-definition (SD) video cameras. Sony, Canon, and JVC have all released HD cameras in the sub-$10,000 price range, and Panasonic has introduced its long-anticipated HD version of the DVX, the HDX200.

So why did Panasonic bother updating the groundbreaking and still category-leading DVX camera? Apparently, new manufacturing regulations dictated a redesign to eliminate lead-containing components; while they were at it, the Panasonic engineers decided to implement about 20 improvements, ultimately earning the redesign its B designation. If you own the earlier AG-DVX100 or AG-DVX100A, you probably won't opt to upgrade to get the relatively modest set of improvements the new model offers. However, if you're looking for a new or additional standard-def camera, the Panasonic AG-DVX100B represents perhaps the greatest value to date.

Design of Panasonic AG-DVX100B
The Panasonic AG-DVX100B looks almost identical to its predecessor; its most noticeable change is its darker Black Sapphire color. That's a good thing, as the AG-DVX100 camera has an extremely well thought-out design.

In essence, the AG-DVX100 series combines a handycam form factor with the full complement of external professional controls and connections usually found only on bigger, shoulder-mounted cameras. In many respects, the AG-DVX100B offers the best of both worlds: the light weight and easy handling of a home-video camera and the sophisticated controls of a pro rig.

As is typical of a consumer-oriented camera, the AG-DVX100B locates its viewfinder on the back, with the battery underneath. On the left is a flip-out 3.5-inch LCD monitor; on the right are the tape compartment, the zoom rocker, and most of the audio and video connections. Up front is the 72mm-diameter lens, with zoom and focus rings and a removable lens shade. On top, there's a full-size carrying handle with its own zoom and record controls and a stereo mic sprouting from the front. The camera feels well balanced in the hand, and its solidly constructed magnesium chassis is built to last.

The professional controls on this model are almost identical to those on cameras costing 10 times as much: The Panasonic AG-DVX100B offers discrete and logically positioned buttons, switches, and wheels for iris, shutter speed, white balance, two built-in neutral-density filters, gain, zoom, focus, left and right audio levels, audio monitor level, phantom power, image stabilizer, zebra stripes, frame rate, and more. You can control each of these functions quickly and directly without needing to explore time-wasting menus or automation. The camera even offers three user-assignable buttons, enabling you to directly control three functions that you could otherwise access only through menus. Very smart!

Besides the usual complement of audio and video connectors, the AG-DVX100B offers a pair of balanced XLR audio jacks. These are a necessity for working with professional mics and mixers, but most MiniDV cameras require accessories or jury-rigged adapters to interface with this gear.

The Panasonic AG-DVX100B shares its predecessor's excellent Leica Dicomar 10X zoom lens. The lens is particularly notable because it is quite wide, eliminating the common need for a wide-angle lens adapter. The lens can be zoomed manually and has focal-length markings on the barrel. You can also focus it precisely using the focus numbers displayed in the viewfinder. Those doing event or nature videography may find this lens a bit short for their needs, but telephoto adapters are available to extend the focal length.

Now for what's new with the camera's layout. Panasonic has made subtle but significant improvements to the already excellent viewfinder and flip-out monitor. Both are now slightly higher in resolution (increased from 200K to 210K pixels in the LCD, 180K to 230K in the viewfinder), and both now show the full overscanned image. The ability to see the overscan is particularly useful for Web video, which lacks television's slight underscan (cropping). Under the flip-out LCD, a new Display button makes it easy to toggle the onscreen graphics on and off. Perhaps to enable audio playback when the flip-out LCD is closed, the speaker and VCR-record buttons have switched places. A new 1/8-inch Focus/Iris port lets you connect an optional wired control--a major convenience for studio shooting.

The only other change to the camera's controls is a general ruggedizing. The audio-level and scene-file knobs are surrounded by bumpers even more prominent than those on the Panasonic AG-DVX100A, making them almost impossible to accidentally adjust. The tripod socket has been beefed up with a replaceable metal plate, but I wouldn't mind seeing it further professionalized with a pair of 3/8-inch holes. The flip-out LCD hinge has been reinforced and stiffened.

Though barely visible from the outside, the entire tape-transport mechanism has been strengthened. This last feature comes at a slight loss in convenience: while the older versions of the DVX had only a single cassette door, the Panasonic AG-DVX100B incorporates the more common double-door system, in which the user must close the inner door and wait for the tape to retract before closing the outer door.

My only lingering complaint about the design--albeit a minor one--is that the clever joystick used to control menu and VCR functions is a bit too tiny, making it difficult to control accurately.

Features of Panasonic AG-DVX100B
The Panasonic AG-DVX100B retains all the features that made the original AG-DVX100 such a revolutionary camera. First on the list are the great progressive-video modes: 30p and two types of 24p, in addition to standard 60i (interlaced video). Without getting too technical, the important thing to know is that 24p video goes a long way toward giving digital productions a cinematic look as opposed to the look of a soap opera; it also makes for a superior film transfer. These are especially important issues for producers doing narrative projects on DV, and the Canon XL2 is presently the only other competitively priced standard-definition camera offering this capability.

The other two other areas in which the AG-DVX100 broke new ground were audio and image control. No other camera in this price range offers cleaner sound or easier interfacing with pro audio gear, reducing the need for separate audio-recording devices such as DAT or MiniDisc recorders. The AG-DVX100B still provides state-of-the-art image control with its array of six Scene Files, each of which includes rich, user-customizable menu settings for gamma, color matrix, detail, chroma, pedestal, setup, and other parameters.

With the AG-DVX100B, Panasonic improves on the features of the AG-DVX100 and the later AG-DVX100A. In addition to the overscan and the increased resolution described in the Design section, the viewfinder and the LCD can now display an anamorphic (squeezed) 16:9 image in the correct letterboxed proportions. This feature is essential when shooting anamorphic material, as it is very difficult to properly compose shots when they appear vertically distorted. And with wide-screen content becoming increasingly popular, this feature will only become more important. It is worth noting that while the Panasonic AG-DVX100B does not have chips optimized for 16:9 shooting, it can nonetheless capture excellent wide-screen content.

While on the subject of viewfinders, I'd like to request a pro feature that hasn't yet trickled its way down to the DVX; namely, adjustable guidelines. These are very helpful for the situation many videographers find themselves in these days: having to shoot one aspect ratio while "protecting" for another. Now that the AG-DVX100B shows the full overscanned image, guidelines would also be very helpful in delineating a typical underscanned area.

Because of its echoing sound when you're shooting progressive, the headphone-monitoring circuit has been an area of considerable frustration for users of the AG-DVX100A. Panasonic has addressed this weakness in the B model with a new menu option: the monitoring circuit can now be switched to either live (no delay) or tape (delayed, echoing sound).

There's good news for those involved with multicamera productions. The Panasonic AG-DVX100B enables the transfer of scene-file settings and time code over FireWire. Formerly difficult, if not impossible, syncing up and matching multiple cameras is now easy.

Miscellaneous improvements include a slower middle-zoom speed, more colorful menus, and an end-search function that now works in camera mode as well as VTR.

Finally, one feature present in earlier versions of the DVX has been lost in the AG-DVX100B: interval recording, used for time-lapse photography. Apparently, this feature is incompatible with the new tape transport.

Performance of Panasonic AG-DVX100B
In almost every regard, the Panasonic AG-DVX100B performs identically to its capable predecessor. It has particularly responsive zoom and focus controls for a MiniDV camera. No other camera in this category offers a real mechanical zoom control or such precise mechanical focusing.

The automatic focus, the white balance, and the exposure work very well, although this camera deserves to have its functions controlled manually. It is worth noting that the autofocus mode is so sluggish in the progressive modes that it is only marginally useful with fast-moving subjects or rapid camera movement.

The Panasonic AG-DVX100B's audio quality is as good as it gets in a MiniDV camera. Though the built-in stereo mic is said to be twice as sensitive as the one on the AG-DVX100A, experienced users know not to rely on camera mics for critical sound. If it is necessary to attach a higher-end mic, the camera can easily accommodate this addition with its supplied mount.

Image quality of Panasonic AG-DVX100B
Due to an improved signal-to-noise ratio, the Panasonic AG-DVX100B offers slightly cleaner (less noisy) low-light video than that of its predecessor. This is significant, as it's only in low light that the DVX's image quality trails the competition's.

In producing standard interlaced video in reasonably well-lit conditions, this camera does as well as any standard-def prosumer camera, capturing sharp video with accurate colors and good latitude.

When it comes to cinematic imagery, the AG-DVX100B offers the best available value in a standard-definition camera. In this reviewer's opinion, the 24p mode can produce video--and video transferred to film--rivaling that of projects originated on 16mm film. If you're looking for a better 24p SD camera, the next significant step up is Panasonic's 24p SDX900, which costs seven times as much!

Beyond these general comments, the Panasonic AG-DVX100B's sophisticated image controls make the usual remarks about image quality irrelevant. Want a cold image? Dial it in. Rather warm it up? No problem. More or less detail in the highlights or the shadows? More or less sharpness? You name it--this camera can give it to you.

Editors' rating
Excellent
8.4
out of 10

Ratings explained
Design: 9
Features: 8
Performance: 9
Image quality: 8

Source: CNET
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posted by Clint at 6:59 PM - 0 comments

Thursday, January 19, 2006
Hitachi DZ-GX3300A
Last year Hitachi set itself apart from the rest of the market by providing some of the best video performance from a low end DVD camcorder. Hitachi was the first to manufacturer a DVD camcorder, and it is the first in line once again in presenting a DVD camcorder capable of recording in all four popular formats: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM. The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A is equipped with a huge 1/3-inch 3.3MP CCD, active (hot) accessory shoe, built-in flash, a new sleeker body design, and a $799 MSRP.

The camera emphasizes automatic control; navigation controls are small and placed in a less than functional arrangement. The camcorder has a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD with true 16:9 recording. It also has a 0.2-inch 200K electronic color viewfinder. Overall, the DZ-GX3300A promises a lot, though the competition in the DVD market is getting stiffer each year, and we expect most manufacturers will be hard-pressed to top Sony’s DCR-DVD505.

Video Performance
An informal assessment of the LCD yielded images that were had a good color balance, though overall the picture was a tad dull. A full testing in the coming months will be the only way to tell whether this camcorder was able to improve upon last year’s Hitachis. Last year Hitachi camcorders produced video quality that matched or surpassed much of the competition in the middle and lower-end. However, at $799, this camcorder will have to match up with Panasonic’s VDR-D250, Sony’s DCR-DVD305, and Canon’s DC20 (or whatever they choose to release as updates later this year), all of which are likely to produce some pretty impressive looking video.

The Front
The DZ-GX3300A’s front face features an Aspherical Video Lens, set off-center to the right. The lens has a fake metal focal ring surrounding it, grooved and polished to further the charade. Beneath the 10x zoom lens, the stereo microphones are set in the center of the narrow camera body. Positioned to the left of the lens and the microphone, the in-camera flash is vertically positioned below the center point of the lens. This should produce intriguingly unflattering results; subjects might end up being illuminated with harsh shadows cast from odd angles. We’ll get to the bottom of this, too. The flash is actually built out from the camera body, which creates an odd, narrow void between the flash and the zoom lens.

Moving towards the bottom of the camera, the user will find a port cover positioned beneath the in-camera stereo microphone and spanning the width of the front face. This port cover flips down from a tab placed at the cover’s top edge, and once opened, the hard plastic cover remains hinged via a rubber connection attached to the bottom edge of the camera. Once opened, the port cover will reveal three ports: USB, composite A/V, and external microphone. The external microphone is a great addition, allowing for audio flexibility, but placing the port directly beneath the camcorder’s lens is just asking for accidental recording of mic cables to occur.

The Right Side
When viewing the right side of the Hitachi DZ-GX3300A, the predominant feature would have to be the DVD loading mechanism. The sleek, “gun metal” colored exterior, which lays in an uninterrupted expanse on this side, excellently displays all finger marks, smears, and evidence of other handling. The loading mechanism opens from the top of the camera and will not be impeded by the right-hand strap, which spans the lower section of the camcorder. The wrist strap is connected to the DZ-GX3300A via two eyelets, one located at the front edge and one at the back of the frame. The wrist strap is horizontal in orientation and is adjustable for varying hand sizes.

The Back
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A features an electronic color viewfinder placed in the upper left corner of the back face. This feature may be extended out from the camera body when in use, allowing for the user to comfortably view the image while avoiding the thick battery which rests directly below it. The electronic color viewfinder has a hard rubber eyepiece surrounding the glass, and while it’s not the most form-fitting or comfortable structure, it should be sufficient for casual shooters. As mentioned above, the camera battery rests directly below the viewfinder.

Between the viewfinder and the battery and slightly to the right, the battery release button is placed for fairly comfortable access. Further to the right from this button, users will find the mode dial.

The mode dial settings allow the user to move between Still on DVD-RAM, Video, Off, and Stills on Memory Card. At the center of the mode dial is the camcorder’s record button. Above the mode dial is the controller which opens the DVD loading mechanism. There is space enough between the mode dial and release mechanism to prevent the mechanism from accidentally opening during handling. And finally, above these controls is a smaller Access PC indicator light that signals when data is being transferred to a computer via the USB 2.0 cable.

The Left Side
The left side of the camcorder features a gleaming polished silver exterior, which like the gun-metal tone found on the rest of the camera, shows every fingerprint and smear. Positioned on the bottom half of the left side, the 2.7-inch, 16:9 formatted LCD screen is opened via a tab located on the bottom edge of the screen. Once opened, the LCD screen may be rotated, left open, or closed facing outward. Inside the LCD cavity are controls for shooting settings and LCD parameters. Since these controls are positioned in the cavity, users will not be able to control settings manually if using the electronic color viewfinder. As opposed to a rear-mounted navigation control, this type of design defeats the purpose of viewfinder-as-battery conservation method.

The buttons located underneath the LCD control backlighting, exposure, focus, finalize, display, and + / -. These controls are tightly positioned and slightly raised from the surface of the camcorder. The raised position helps; the tight spacing does not and encourages inadvertent activation. Above these controls and outside of the LCD cavity are another set of controls, even smaller in size and also poorly positioned. There is a VCR control set closer to the back of the camcorder’s left side; this silver and gold control pad features a ring with a button in the center. The inner button controls Play/Pause, while the controls on the outside ring engage the Rewind and Fast Forward action in two speeds. In front of these buttons, the user will find four buttons which control Disc Navigation, Stop/Exit, Menu, and Select. These four buttons are particularly undersized and will leave less dexterous videographers very frustrated.

The Top
There are three notable features on the top of the Hitachi DZ-GX3300A: a zoom toggle, hot shoe, and still image capture button. The zoom toggle is of the sliding switch-variety, placed comfortably to the right side of the camcorder’s top, and the hot shoe is positioned to the left upon the top of the lens barrel. The zoom toggle was easy to use and access. Located behind the zoom toggle, users will find a convenient button for still image capture.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
The automatic controls on the DZ-GX3300A provide are fairly good. While the exposure levels produced good quality images when used during shooting, the auto focus was sub par, and frequently chose to focus on subjects in the background rather than foreground, regardless of what was in the center of the frame. The camcorder does offer backlight compensation when shooting in auto mode, a feature which allows the camera to readjust itself to scenes with subjects against an overly strong backlight, when they might otherwise appear as silhouettes.

The DZ-GX3300Z offers a series of preset exposure mode which are tailored to specific motion and lighting parameters. These modes, often referred to as AE or Program AE by other manufacturers, are adequate, though not expansive. They include Sport, Portrait, Spotlight, Sand/Snow, and Low Light modes.

Overall Manual Control
The manual controls provided with the DZ-GX3300A are white balance, zoom, exposure, and digital control over manual focus - a minimal number of manual controls which are greatly impeded by the physical design of the camcorder. The buttons for focus and exposure are positioned inside the LCD cavity. While perhaps merely uncomfortably placed when shooting with the LCD open, they are entirely inaccessible when using the viewfinder. This disregard to control functionality is irritating. We must concede the fact, however, that most users will rarely, if ever, exercise these controls; automatic controls are far more likely a choice. However, if the auto focus is as bad as it appeared on the show floor, I would certainly try and learn the manual adjustments.

The Menu button and four-way navigation pad are also on the left side, though thankfully not in the LCD panel. As with most navigation controls, these could stand to be a little larger, but they do the job. The menu layout is intuitive, though operating a four-way navigation pad sideways (if you’re holding the camcorder with the back facing you) can get tricky. The cardinal directions seem to get all mixed up.

Zoom
The zoom control for the DZ-GX3300A is located on the top of the lens barrel and is easily manipulated by the right hand. The zoom lens for this camera is 10x optical and 500x digital. Digital zoom can be capped at 40x through the menu.

Focus
Manual focus settings for the Hitachi DZ-GX3300A are controlled by pressing the Focus button placed behind the LCD screen, in the cavity of the left side. Once the Manual Focus mode is entered, users are able to manipulate focal distance by pressing the +/- buttons located beneath the Focus button. These controls will be hard to alter due to their small size and spacing, and are not accessible at all when using the camcorder’s viewfinder. Also detracting from usability is the lack of a numerical range indicating where in the zoom you are. An “MF” appears on screen to let you know the manual focus is engaged, and you’re left with nothing but the LCD or viewfinder and your eyes to gauge focus.

Exposure (Aperture)
The exposure settings for the Hitachi DZ-GX3300A are a mixed blessing. The camcorder allows manual manipulation over an exposure scale, but it displays no numerical value for the settings engaged. The user can bump up or down 6 steps in either direction, making 13 total steps in total (including “zero,” or the auto setting). Exposure control is accessed through the Exposure button, located in the LCD cavity. Like the Focal control, the Exposure button is poorly positioned if you prefer using the viewfinder. Even if you don’t, trying to locate the Exposure button without turning the camcorder on its side and upsetting the shot is almost impossible.

Shutter Speed
There is no shutter speed control on the DZ-GX3300A.

White Balance
There are five white balance options on the DZ-GX3300A: Auto white balance, a manual Set mode, and preset modes of Outdoor and Indoor 1 and 2 (slightly offset color temperatures). While certainly better than no options at all, presets have a tendency to give less than perfect results. It’s worth the time to learn the manual white balance adjustment.

Gain
There is no manual gain control on the Hitachi DZ-GX3300A, which is unfortunate considering the MSRP of $799. This is not an inexpensive camcorder. However, Sony routinely ignores this feature, and they charge even more for some of their consumer cams. You’ll only find good gain control on Panasonics.

Still Features
According to the specs sheet, the DZ-GX3300A allows the user to record almost 2000 JPEG images at a fixed resolution of 2016 x 1512 onto a DVD-RAM. Stills cannot be recorded to DVD-R, DVD-RW, or DVD+RW. which is certainly a setback because these are the more popular formats This number, of course, varies depending on the capacity of the disc. It is also possible to record stills to SD cards. Again, the maximum resolution is fixed at 2016 x 1512, but there are three quality setting: FINE, NORM, and ECO. To aid in still capture, the DZ-GX3300A has an in-camera flash; however, it is poorly positioned slightly below and to the right of the lens. This will likely lead to unflattering shadows and sharp uneven lighting when shooting with this feature.

Low Light Performance
Last year’s DZ-MV780 produced decent color results in low light, but the real treat was the image’s sharpness. Images were still crisp and clean at only 15 lux (very low light, by camcorder standards), but the color suffered, yielding footage that was nearly black and white. With the 1 1/4.5-inch CCD of the DZ-MV780 producing these results, we look to the DZ-GX3300A (and its larger 1/3 inch chip) to improve this already solid performance.

VCR Mode
The VCR mode on the DZ-GX3300A allows users to scan playback using the four-way navigation pad, which doubles as the VCR controls. Thankfully, these controls are positioned so that users may view video either with viewfinder or LCD. It is possible to scan DVDs with Rewind, Fast Forward, Stop, and Play/Pause controls like those found on MiniDV machines, or users may choose to skim and select from thumbnail images displayed in succession, a design which is much more conducive to locating footage, and one of the primary advantages DVD has over MiniDV This camera does provide basic in-camera editing opportunities; however, more complicated editing would be better done on a computer with editing software.

LCD/Viewfinder
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A has a 0.2-inch extendable viewfinder with 200K pixels, which does not pivot upward. In addition to this electronic color viewfinder, the 2.7-inch widescreen LCD provides users with a larger, and more likely viewing alternative. We say likely because many of the manual control buttons have been hidden in the LCD cavity, so you’re going to have the LCD open anyway.

Audio
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A comes with an in-camera stereo microphone positioned on the front of the camcorder, directly below the lens. This positioning should make the capturing of frontal audio a simple affair. Users will also find a Mic input located beneath the on-camera microphone. It is, however, unfortunately placed so that cables can be easily swung in front of the lens when recording. Frankly, at this point, the microphone input is extinct and, we'll take it whenver we can get it. The active (hot) accessory shoe, on top of the camcorder, is another place additional microphones can be attached, and a means of skipping a cable altogether.

Handling
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A has almost exactly the same body as last year’s Panasonic DVD cams. Maybe Panasonic sold them the design, because all of Panasonic’s 2006 DVD cams have been received massive redesigns, and now feature the great handling of their MiniDV counterparts. So did Hitachi get stuck with a outmoded turkey of a design?

Handling is certainly not stellar. The focus and exposure buttons, along with their corresponding adjustment buttons, are hidden inside the LCD cavity. Also in this tucked away corner are the Backlight Compensation (BLC) and Display buttons – features you might want access to without losing your shot.

Handling is even worse when you compare it to the new Panasonics. It becomes apparent how much better a rear-mounted navigation control is, compared to the control pad found on the left side of the DZ-GX3300A. Side-mounting the controls negates the possibility of one-handed operation. Also, as stated previously, you tend to lose your sense of orientation when a four-way directional pad is not facing you. The “left” and “right” buttons can incorrectly feel more like “forward” and “backward,” making navigation a frustrating process.

These problems are not insurmountable, just frustrating. In time, users tend to adapt themselves to any design. And if manual controls are not a top priority, maybe navigating the menu is an infrequent occurrence.

One more note on the design – placing controls inside the LCD cavity means keeping the LCD open more frequently, which in turn means a shorter battery life. Just something to consider.

Compression
Video is recorded in MPEG-2 formatting at three quality levels: XTRA, FINE, and STD. Quality levels typically equate to data transfer rates, the maximum data transfer rate on a DVD camcorder being 8.5 Mbps, which is likely the XTRA setting. Hitachi does not list the rates for the other quality settings.

On a standard 4.7 GB DVD disc, shooting in XTRA will yield 20 minutes of video, FINE for 30 minutes, and STD for 60 minutes.

Stills photos are saved in the JPEG format. While the resolution size is fixed 2016 x 1512, there are three qualities to choose from: FINE, NORM, and ECO.

Media
Video can be recorded to four different types of DVD media: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM. Hitachi is the first manufacturer to allow this flexibility in media choice. Each type of DVD has it’s own strengths. Compatibility across all the different electronics that accept DVD is always an issue. You should also know what kind of DVD media your computer and home DVD player will accept before making a bulk media purchase.

DVD-R plays in most machines, and is cheap, but can only be used once. DVD-RW can be used multiple times. Both this and DVD-R must undergo a sometimes-lengthy finalization process in the camcorder before you can play it on anything else. DVD-RAM offers better in-camera editing capability, as data can move around more freely. It can also be rewritten. These benefits come at the cost of compatibility – most DVD players and computer disc drives have trouble reading this format. Finally, DVD+RW is rewritable and does not require finalization, but discs are more expensive.

Editing
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A comes with PC & Mac video editing software. It should be noted that a conversion program or other multi-step importation process is needed if users intend to exercise some editing muscle and use a more advanced program like Premiere or Final Cut. DVD files have a bad habit of dropping the audio channel when imported into anything but the software bundles manufacturers provide with the camcorders. We did not get a chance to try out the editing software during CES, but we’ll let you know as soon as a test model arrives at the CamcorderInfo.com door.

Ports
Once the port cover on the front face is opened, users will find a composite A/V port, USB High Speed 2.0 port, and microphone-in port. There is an active (hot) accessory shoe for an external flash or microphone placed on the top of the camera, and an SD memory card slot located in the LCD cavity along the bottom lip of the camcorder. The camera comes with an included S-Video / composite A/V cable.

Other Features
Backlight Compensation- Backlight Compensation is provided when shooting with the Hitachi DZ-GX3300A. Users can select this feature without entering the in-camera menu, using the Backlight Compensation button located beneath the LCD screen (labeled “BLC.”) This feature works by boosting exposure levels when a subject is too strongly backlit. The result – a brightened subject, though it will likely blow-out the background detail.

Mic Filter- There is a wind cut filter setting provided for audio recording, which, while eliminating some wind noise, will also eliminate the lower end of your audio frequency. Just keep that in mind if you’re trying to capture the irritating whine of adolescents.

Conclusion
There are several features which make the Hitachi GZ-GX3300A noteworthy: true 16:9 recording, multi-format DVD compatibility(DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM), a hot accessory shoe, and a mic input.

Handling is not particularly great on this camcorder. The buttons might have been better placed on the rear of the body rather than the left, as in the newly redesigned Panasonic DVD camcorders. There are some opportunities for manual settings, but since functions like manual focus and exposure are activated through controls hidden behind the LCD, you are more likely to rely entirely on less than stellar auto mode options. Check back for the full review and see how this camera manages to stand up to competition from the Panasonic VDR-D250, Sony DVD305, and Canon DC20.

Source: Camcorder Info
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posted by Clint at 10:49 PM - 0 comments

Panasonic VDR-D250
Since its inception, we have qualified the DVD format as one offering ease of use at the expense of image quality. While Sony has made major strides last year and this year in the DVD market, Panasonic has quick to push the boundaries. The Panasonic VDR-D250 and its more advanced sibling, the VDR-D300, made an entrance at CES as the first 3 CCD DVD camcorders available to the public. Along with the benefits of a 3 CCD imager, you can now use three DVD formats: DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW. All this for $899.

Video Performance
CES, with its uncontrolled lighting conditions, crowds, and space constraints, is not a good environment for precisely testing a camcorder’s performance. However, one can at least make an educated guess as to the VDR-D250’s video performance, based on its innovative imager. Last year’s most celebrated DVD camcorder, the DCR-DVD403, was armed with a 1/3” CCD and 3.3 MP. It produced bright images with superior color representation. The DCR-DVD250 has three 1/6” CCD and 440K effective pixels per CCD – specs which promise an excellent images. In a 3 chip configuration, the incoming spectrum is split into red, green, and blue light, each striking a CCD dedicated to that color. The result – better color performance. Of course, one big chip has its benefits, as well, typically a greater light sensitivity and better low light performance. We have no examples of a 3 CCD DVD camcorder, but you can see the approximate difference in 1 chip vs. 3 chip MiniDV camcorders by comparing the Panasonic PV-GS35 and GS65, or the JVC GR-DF550 and GR-X5.

The Front
This camcorder’s front is an exercise in simplicity. It houses a 10x optical zoom lens and a stereo microphone underneath it. The lens has a 37mm filter diameter, with a focal length of 2.45 to 24.5mm. The Panasonic VDR-D300 possesses a built-in flash to the left of the lens, but the D250 lacks this feature. Below the stereo microphone, along the bottom of the body, is a gray port cover housing the USB, composite A/V, and microphone-in / wired remote jack.

The Right
Visually, the most striking feature on the right side of the gray VDR-D250 is the pale silver DVD mechanism. It draws attention to the bits of text within the lighter circle (“RAM,” “DVD,” “DVD Video Camera,”) which was probably the intent of the designers. Also notable is the considerable bulge from the casing around the mode dial, probably designed that way in an attempt to create some type of undulating visual cohesion. On top of that protrusion sits a light gray Open switch for the camcorder’s DVD mechanism.

The Back
The rear of the VDR-D250 is only part of the camcorder we might consider “densely populated,” and even here the design is sensible and functional. The VDR-D250 has inherited the joystick navigation system from previous Panasonics; the joystick protrudes from the mode dial that sits at the far right edge of the camcorder’s rear. A silver Record button sits to the immediate left of the mode dial with a menu button underneath it.

The camcorder’s battery slot commands most of the space on the left side of the camcorders rear. A color viewfinder rests above the battery slot. The power On/Off switch rests to the right of the viewfinder.

The Left
The 2.7” LCD, when closed, occupies all of the visible space on the left side of the VDR-D250. When the LCD is open, within the cavity the user can find the power LCD button, beneath the Manual/Auto/ Manual Focus switch. To the left of these is a small speaker, for monitoring audio from captured footage.

The Top
Sticking out of the VDR-D250’s crown is the top curve of the DVD mechanism. This protrusion serves as a great handgrip. A silver zoom toggle and photo button rest atop the mechanism. The camcorder’s cold accessory shoe sits forward and left of these buttons, atop the adjacent lens barrel.

Automatic Control
Panasonics typically have moderate-to-good automatic controls. On the showroom floor at CES, most of the camcorder’s automatic adjustments performed fairly well and reacted relatively quickly. The VDR-D250 is capable of making automatic adjustment to exposure, focus, white balance, and shutter speed. This model made adequate and intelligent modifications to exposure. The camcorder’s automatic focus responded seamlessly to quick zooming, but seems to lag a bit when reaching full zoom capacity. This is not unheard of; most camcorders suffer such minor hindrances at full zooms.

The Panasonic VDR-D250 offers five Automatic Exposure modes: Spotlight, Sport, Portrait, Backlight, and Low Light. These features are a set of programmed responses, meant to be used in certain shooting conditions. Users can access these features in both still and video mode. Of course, since life and its environments are not tailored to the modes on a camcorder, we encourage you to explore the manual control options.

Manual Control
Similar to past generations, the VDR-D 3 CCD series is equipped with a slew of manual control options, accessed via the black mode switch found underneath the LCD. Flip it to Manual and you’re in business, with control available over focus, exposure, shutter speed, white balance, and gain. The actual manual control adjustments are made with the joystick navigation system that was borrowed from last year’s Panasonic MiniDV line. We like the joystick system over the previous four-way controller.

Zoom
The VDR-D250 has a 10x optical zoom with 700x digital zoom. The camcorder’s menu does not provide the user with varying zoom speeds, as you’ll find on this year’s Canons, but the user has the option of capping the camcorder’s digital zoom capacity at 25x. While the zoom toggle’s location (directly underneath the user’s thumb) makes it easy to access, its design does not provide optimum control. The sliding switch-type, as opposed to a raised toggle, has a greater tendency to rock the camcorder’s body and upset the picture.

Focus
In the VDR-D series, manual focus is initiated by pulling down on the switch in the LCD cavity, marked Auto / Manual / Focus. Two icons – portrait and a mountain – appear on screen. Adjustments are made with the joystick. The user angles the joystick left or right towards the appropriate icon (portrait or landscape) to push focus closer or further away. Similar to most camcorders on the market, this camcorder does not offer any numerical indicators as to where in the focal range you are. Without actual focal length measurements, users are simply making assumptions based on what they can see on the screen or through the viewfinder. It’s not a perfect system, and worse, it appears to be an industry trend.

Exposure
The VDR-D250 offers manual exposure adjustments with true aperture controls, F-stops and all! The 16 manual exposure steps range from f/1.8 (fully open), f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, and f/16. By providing numerical values, the user is able to make precise manual exposure adjustments, and not guess the correct exposure by looking at an LCD screen that solarizes when viewed at an angle. We aren’t sure why Panasonic elected to favor exposure with numerical indicators and not focus. But we’re thankful for the aperture control. Most manufacturers offer only exposure value (EV) steps, and even then getting a numerical range of stops is spotty; more often it’s just a plus or minus sign.

Shutter Speed
The manual shutter speed feature presents the user with even more autonomy over the quality of the image. The high-end VDR-Ds offer manual shutter speed control from 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, and 1/8000 of a second. Last year’s Panasonic DVD models were not capable of making shutter speed adjustments, so this is a welcome change. The VDR-D series’ top competitors, the Sony DCR-DVD405 and DCR-DV505, do not have manual shutter speed control.

White Balance
The VDR-D250 has manual white balance in theory (at least, it does so according to the specs provided by Panasonic). However, actually locating this option on-camcorder was a different story. At CES on the showroom floor, after several scrupulous searches of the VDR-D250’s manual control menu, there was still no sign of this camcorder’s white balance option. Maybe this was a defect with the model on the show floor, or perhaps the white balance option was put in a highly unintuitive place. It is unfathomable that a Panasonic cam would not include manual white balance. If the VDR-D250 is in fact guilty of this omission, it has failed its lineage and price tag. For fairness, let us (safely) assume that the D250 has the same white balance options as the VDR-D300: manual setting, auto white balance, fluorescent mode, and outdoor mode.

Gain
Manual gain is scarce among DVD camcorders; for example, the Sony DCR-DVD505 has neglected to provide manual gain control. Panasonic, however, has equipped its two high-end VDR-D models with the ability to make manual gain adjustments from 0dB to 18dB in 1dB increments (only every 3 dBs register on the numerical scale). Even though manual gain is a great option—we always like to see as much control available to the user as possible—it has its own pros and cons. Gain amplifies the video signal, making the image brighter, but increasing the noise as well. Use with caution, and experiment before you need to shoot something important.

Still Features
The VDR-D250 has solid digital still capability. This model can capture stills to DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW, or an SD card at resolutions of 2.3 MP, 1 MP, 0.3 MP in the standard aspect ratio (4:3) and 1.7 MP for widescreen capture. In contrast, the VDR-D300 can take stills at maximum resolution of 3.1 MP.

The VDR-D250’s main competition, in terms of price, is the Sony DCR-DVD405, which can capture stills at 3.0 MP. Only testing will tell how these camcorders will match up in quality, but Sony is looking to take the lead.

Low Light Performance
Due to the uncontrolled lighting environment at CES, the VDR-D250 could not be adequately examined for low light performance. One can only consider its innovative imager and hazard a guess. Previous Panasonic DVD models have faltered in low light conditions, capturing noisy images with lackluster color representation. However, their 3 CCD models, whcih are much closer in relation to the VDR-D250's imager have done well. The VDR-M95, last year’s top Panasonic DVD camcorder, had one 1/3.6 CCD with 1.23MP effective pixels. Comparatively, the VDR-D250’s 3 1/6”CCDs with 440K effective pixels may or may not top it. Smaller chip size generally means less space for capturing light, and therefore weaker low light performance. We’re eager to get testing.

VCR Mode
The main appeal of the DVD format is the convenient access to the captured image, and the VDR-D250 does not disappoint. MiniDV and other tape-based formats force users to search through the entire tape to find the desired segment. In playback mode on the Panasonic VDR-D250, users can find the clips simply by scrolling through thumbnail images. Playback mode is initiated with a turn of the mode dial on the back of the camcorder to the Play/VCR icon. The joystick doubles as the VCR controls.

LCD/Viewfinder
Panasonic has outfitted its VDR-D series with a 2.7” widescreen LCD. This is an improvement over last year’s models and this year’s 1 chip DVD camcorders, the D100 and D200. Even though the LCD will surely help when shooting in 16:9, the slight distortion that occurs when viewed at different angles is a hindrance. Solarization at angled viewing means that the user will have trouble seeing from high or low angle shots. The camcorder’s color viewfinder presents a similar issue. The viewfinder only extends out towards the user but does not pivot up. Both of these viewing concerns reduce the camcorder’s mobility and versatility.

Audio
The VDR-D250 can capture audio at 12 to 16 bits with a stereo microphone that is situated below the 10x optical zoom lens. This model’s microphone has a Zoom In feature that allows for recording sound at a moderate distance. This feature can be engaged in the camcorder’s menu system. The VDR-D250 also has an external microphone jack, which it shares with the wired remote control input. We always love to see a mic jack, and consumers have shown an increasing interest in it, too. It makes the camcorder more versatile and lets users have greater control over audio quality. Last year’s Panasonic VDR-M95 and M75 did offer this feature; this year’s Sony DCR-DVD405 does not. An external mic could also be attached at the top via the accessory shoe, but you’ll still need the cord; the shoe is cold. Once the VDR-D250 captures audio, the user can listen to its playback via the small speaker that rests within the LCD cavity.

Handling
At 1.43 lbs., the VDR-D250 and VDR-D300 are bulkier than most DVD camcorders. But a little extra bulk for 3 CCDs might be worth it. And besides, size has its advantages. The VDR-D250’s bulk will provide some stability during hand-held recording, and the top curve of the camcorder’s DVD mechanism, which protrudes upward, serves as stable grip.

This year, Panasonic added a joystick navigation system that it borrowed from its MiniDV line of 2005. The system makes the menu system easier to navigate through; users can engage and adjust manual controls with a thumb. The other buttons on the VDR-D250 can be comfortably utilized with the thumb and index finger as well.

A great feature new on this year’s camcorders is the in-menu information feature (represented by an ‘I’ icon). Selecting the icon provides an explanation of what the other icons mean, and what the feature does. Of course it’s helpful, but be aware of what this means: the menu’s icons can so arcane that they bear immediate explanation. If you’re a new Panasonic user, give yourself a good day or two to play around with the camcorder before you take it on an important shoot.

Compression
Similar to most DVD camcorders, this model captures video in MPEG-2 at a maximum of 8.5 Mbps per second. Stills are captured in the JPEG format. It will be interesting to see how the 3 CCD quality stands up to the heavier compression of DVD.

Media
Media compatibility has been one of the inconveniences plaguing Panasonic DVD camcorders. Past models could only capture onto DVD-RAM and DVD-R. Unlike the latter, DVD-RAM was reusable, but could in turn only be played on DVD-RAM capable Panasonic camcorders or specially designed players. Thankfully, Panasonic has embraced DVD-RW as well – a more popular, cheaper, and more universally accepted reusable format. Not that DVD-RAM is without its benefits: they can be rewritten approximately 100,000 times - 100 times more than DVD-RW - and are more durable.

Editing
Camcorders are not known for their onboard editing prowess. For that, you’ll need a computer and some decent editing software. We can’t wait to play around with this year’s new software bundles from all the manufacturers. No programs were on display a the booth, but we expect major upgrades across the board. People buy DVD camcorders for ease of use, and a big part of that is process by which you get footage from the camcorder to a DVD you can stick in the home DVD player. Last year, most major editing programs could not easily import the file types that DVD camcorders encoded in.

Ports
2.0 High Speed USB , composite A/V, and microphone input / wired remote control jacks are found along the bottom of the camcorder’s front. Unfortunately, the front of a camcorder is a cumbersome place for input jacks. Wires can end up dangling in front of the lens. The A/V port is, unfortunately, an output signal only. This camcorder does not support analog-to-digital conversion.

The VDR-D250 also provides a cold accessory shoe at the top of the lens barrel, towards the back.

Other Features
Electronic Image Stabilization The VDR-D250 offers Electronic Image Stabilization, which differs from the VDR-D300’s Optical Image Stabilization. Optical Image Stabilization will produce better images because the lens itself moves and compensates for unwanted motions and shakes, while Electronic Image Stabilization tries to limit shakes by electronically shifting the image. Electronic Image Stabilization will often degrade the quality of the image in the process.

Wind Cut The 3 CCD VDR-D series offers a Wind Cut feature that will help reduce auditory distortion from gusts of wind by cutting the low-end of the audio signal.

Fade In Users can add black or white fade transitions between each shot. This is one of the few editing options featured on this camcorder.

Conclusion
The VDR-D250 (MSRP $899) shares the legacy, along with the VDR-D300, of being part of the first generation of consumer 3CCD DVD camcorders. The D300 offers optical image stabilization, 16:9 aspect ratio chips (as opposed to the zoom and crop method the D250 employs), and 3.1 MP stills (vs. 2.3 MP). All this for only a hundred dollars more seems like a bargain. If you’re already in the high-end DVD market, why not go all the way and get the top model? Sony gives some serious competition this year with the DVD405 and DVD505. If you’re completely torn, sit tight and wait for our reviews. The DVD405 is due out in February, but the DVD505 and D250 aren’t going to be ready until May 2006.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 5:39 PM - 0 comments

Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Canon ZR700
Thin is in! That’s the theme this year at CES. Manufacturers have not only been slimming down the size of their camcorders, but the breadth of their product lines as well. At least their MiniDV lines. Canon only released four camcorders to cover both their ZR and Elura series this year. That’s four models replacing seven from last year. Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee, MiniDV. The ZR700 is the top of the ZR line, with a frame 16% smaller than last year’s. Unfortunately, the imager has also shrunk; last year’s ZR400’s 1/4.5” CCD has been reduced to the ZR700’s 1/6”. Its predecessor, the ZR400, could also capture stills at higher resolutions (1152 x 664 vs. 1024 x 768).

Although this model lost some important features, it has grown in other areas. The most noteworthy change is the camcorder’s new joystick navigation system, which attempts to make the camcorder more convenient and easier to operate. The camcorder sports a 2.7” widescreen LCD and also ships with a bigger, longer-lasting battery.

Video Performance
One can attempt to assess the ZR700’s vide performance based on its imaging system and the performance of its parent models. Under bright light conditions, past ZR models performed fairly well. The ZR400 had 1/4.5” CCD with 1.33 MP (gross) and produced bright images with good color representation. With a smaller imager of 1/6” CCD with 680K gross pixels, The ZR700 will most likely have less stellar images. Expect low light to take a hit, but a smaller CCD does not necessarily correlate to a worse picture overall. Remember, this is only our best estimate; it is impossible to thoroughly test camcorders at CES. Stay tuned for a more in-depth analysis in the coming months.

The Front
The front of the ZR700 showcases the only noticeable difference in appearance between the new ZR camcorders. This model sports a video light, located in the center of the camcorder’s front. A stereo microphone and 25x optical zoom lens is situated above the video light.

The Right
The biggest and most significant aspect of the ZR700’s right side is the MiniDV loading mechanism, which ejects outward from the body for the tape to slide straight down. The mode dial sits at the rear. Above the loading mechanism is the SD card slot, covered by a gray port cover. An adjacent cover conceals to the right: DV, A/V, and USB. Above these is a mode switch. A adjustable, gray hand strap lies at the bottom of the right side of this model.

The Left
The left side of the ZR series is home to their LCDs. Most control features cannot be operated without opening the 2.7” Widescreen LCD. Unlike last year, when most control buttons were in the LCD cavity, these models have the function buttons on the LCD panel itself, below the screen. This is the bigest change in the ZR line this year. Unfortunately, also like last year, placing the navigation controls inside means opening up the LCD for adjustments, which costs battery life. A rear control panel might have been preferable.

The joystick is followed by the function button, Digital effects button, Widescreen mode, and the light button. This new arrangement is better, because the user doesn’t have to dig into the cavity to make adjustments.

The Back
The back of this camcorder measures 1.9”. Such a thin frame probably explains why the navigation is located on the LCD panel. The battery occupies much of the rear. A silver record button clings to the right edge. The 0.3” color viewfinder (non-extending and non-pivoting) lives above the battery. This camcorder ships with a bigger battery than models from previous years, which is a blessing, but can potentially be an issue. If the battery is bulky it might get in the way of the user’s thumb as he or she tries to press the start and stop button. I can’t say for certain because the ZR700 that I had access to at CES was plugged into a DC adapter; this port is also located on the back.

The Top
Because of its thin frame the top of this camcorder does not have too many features: a zoom toggle and photo button hang along the top-right edge. In front of these buttons are two toggle switches for alternating between P (manual) and Easy mode, and video and tape modes, respectively.

Automatic Control
Canon has followed Sony’s lead and put an Easy mode in place. In Easy mode the camcorder has complete autonomy over the image quality decisions. Adjustments such as white balance, exposure and focus are determined by the camcorder. At CES, the ZR700 made its adjustments swiftly and accurately. The adjustments to exposure were not as seamless as the adjustments made by the Elura 100, but they were satisfactory. Similar to the Elura the ZR100, the ZR700 had trouble making automatic adjustments when nearing full zoom capacity. Most camcorders suffer this at full zoom, reaction but these two models in particular seemed to experience the problem sooner than most.

Manual Control
It is impossible to make manual control adjustments without the LCD being open on the ZR700 because the LCD houses the Function menu button and joystick. This renders the viewfinder virtually obsolete in P mode (manual), unless you want to continually close and reopen the LCD. The menu is laid out with fair clarity, but the user will mostly likely get lost a few times before acclimating. The manual controls are available for shutter speed, exposure, focus, and white balance. They are initiated with a push of the joystick found underneath the LCD screen. A downside to the placing the controls here, which became apparent after only a minute of operation, was that moving the joystick causes the camera to shake and upset the shot.

Zoom
All of this year’s ZR camcorders are outfitted with a 25x optical zoom; however the ZR700 is the only one that has 1000x digital zoom capacity (vs. the 500x and 800x digital zoom on the ZR500 and ZR600, respectively). We do not consider this a selling point, and image quality at even close to 500x zoom is severely compromised. It would be wiser to move the camcorder closer to the object. If zoom is paramount among your concerns, find a model with a higher optical zoom and please, buy a tripod. Panasonic’s entry level MiniDV model this year, the PV-GS29, has a 30x optical zoom capacity.

The ZR700 offers 4 zoom speeds in the menu system. By setting it at a fixed speed, this will prevent the zoom from responding to differing pressures on the zoom toggle. Zoom 3 is the fastest option, Zoom 1 crawls at a snail’s pace. Zoom 2, naturally, is in between. The last option is called Variable, which leaves the user to manage his or her own need for speed.

Focus
The user can manually focus an image by switching the camcorder to P mode with the switch on the right side of the camcorder. Once in manual mode, press down on the joystick, and select manual focus. To achieve the desired adjustment move the joystick towards the portrait or mountain icon. A focus ring would have provided the user more control, but that feature rarely bestowed on lower-end camcorders.

Exposure
Manual exposure adjustments are executed the same way manual focus modifications are made, through the use of the joystick. This is a far better means of implementing manual control adjustments than having to press buttons on the LCD cavity on previous models. The camcorder does not offer any true numerical value (F-stops) for exposure adjustments.

Shutter Speed
This model, in accordance with all the rest of the ZRs and the Elura 100, offers shutter speed control ranging of 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 and 1/2000 when capturing video. In still mode, 1/1000 and 1/2000 are not available. Panasonic offers manual shutter speed ranging from 1/60 to 1/8000, and JVC sets an upper limit of 1/4000.

The ZR700 offers a Slow Shutter feature in the menu. This feature opens the shutter for a longer period of time to allow more light to travel through the lens. The Canon booth workers at CES were unable to confirm whether the shutter speed would be variable and automatically adjust to lighting conditions, or whether it would remain fixed at 1/30 in Slow Shutter mode, as on last year's Canon models. Our bet is with the former.

White Balance
Manual white balance can be accessed in the function menu. The options available for white balance are Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and Manual. In the past, Canon’s white balance has been accurate, though not necessarily a one-touch procedure.

Gain
The ZR700 does not provide manual gain control.

Low Light Performance
Until more rigorous tests are administered to the ZR700, one can only speculate on its potential lowlight performance. This model has a smaller, 1/6” imager than last year’s model, which produced grainy images with well-saturated colors. It is fair to assume that the reduction in imager specs will have a negative affect on its low light performance. The built-in video light will be of some assistance, but ultimately the performance quality of the performance comes from the hardware.

LCD/Viewfinder
By placing the navigation controls on the LCD, Canon has essentially rendered the color viewfinder null. The 2.7” Widescreen LCD also houses a several feature buttons: the Function menu, the LCD Back Light, the Widescreen / Data Code, and the Digital effect. Unless the user is in Easy mode the camcorder cannot be operated effectively unless the LCD is open. In stark contrast, the 0.3” color viewfinder is not in the least versatile. The viewfinder does not extend outward or tilt upward, meaning the user has to press a face against the battery.

The comparably priced PV-GS39 also offers a 2.7” Widescreen LCD. The Sony DCR-HC26 and DCR-HC36 will only have a 2.5” non-widescreen LCD. It is important to note, however, that Sonys are known for the quality of their LCDs, mostly their ability to be viewed at wide angles without solarizing.

Still Features
The ZR700 captures stills on an SD card at a max resolution of 1024 x 768, while its parent model, the ZR400, was capable of taking stills at a higher resolution of 1152 x 864. That maximum performance can only be found by moving up to the Elura-class camcorder this year. The reduction in imager and still resolution will affect the image quality of the stills captured. Beyond the resolution, the new ZR700’s still feature set has not changed much. Both camcorders can take stills at compression levels of Fine, SuperFine and Normal. Most of the same manual controls are available in both video and still mode. Fewer shutter speed options are available in still mode: 1/60, 1/100, 1/250.

VCR Mode
One simply has to turn the mode dial on the right side of the camcorder to the playback icon to view pre-recorded images. With the joystick the user can navigate through the footage with relative ease. The handy Search feature, which is in the menu system, will cue the tape to the last recorded image on the MiniDV. All Canon MiniDV camcorders permit viewing in the standard 4:3 or widescreen mode.

Audio
This model captures audio with a stereo microphone that is located underneath the video light. In the menu system, the user has the option to record audio in 12 bit and 16 bits. The camcorder does not have a microphone jack, which handicaps the use of an external microphone. It is puzzling that Canon has put a microphone-in port on the low-end ZR500, yet omit it from the upper-tier models. They explained that educators are one of the large markets for low-end ZR camcorders. This group also demanded mic inputs. Canon conceded, but why hold out on the other models? Surely it can’t cost more than few cents. Thus is the mystery of pricing.

Handling
The ZR700 is 16% smaller and 12% lighter than its parent model, the ZR400. This thin frame is very portable and can be palmed relatively comfortably. The camcorder’s glossy “Gray Smoke” finish might prove to be a bit slippery, so I wouldn’t advise operating the ZR700 without using the included strap.

While the ZR700’s structural improvements have made the camcorder more convenient, it has created a new set of operating problems. The biggest change in Canon’s remodeling has been moving the function control buttons from the LCD cavity to the LCD panel. The new Joystick provides users with a better means of navigation than the jog dial of lat year. But the problem with this feature is its location. Moving the joystick or pushing the buttons will shake the camcorder. This problem is most noticeable when making manual control adjustments--manual exposure and manual focus. The Elura 100 has wisely positioned the new joystick towards the back, allowing the user to make manual control adjustments virtually with one hand. The other hand can serve as a support anchor by holding the camcorder steady. Also by removing the awkwardly situated external buttons, the ZR700 is now left with a sizable menu. The user needs some time to figure out exactly where the desired features are.

The rear of the ZR700 can prove to be cumbersome to users too. The back of the camcorder is 1.9” wide, which leaves little room for maneuverability. The battery is advertised as being bigger and longer lasting than that of the other ZRs (ZR600, ZR500). At CES the camcorders were plugged into the DC adapter, so my criticism is a calculated assumption, but I’m nearly certain that the user will have trouble getting a thumb around the battery in order to press the record button; the record button clings to the edge of the camcorder’s rear to the right of the battery slot. Another issue with the battery is that the viewfinder that sits on top of it does not extend towards the user. If one chooses to use the viewfinder, a face must be pressed against a battery that might get pretty warm during extended use.

Compression
With the ZR series, stills are captured as JPEGs in Fine, SuperFine and Normal compression modes. The video for the ZR700 is the standard DV compression at 25 Mbps per second.

Media
The ZR700 records video onto MiniDV tapes, and is capable of capturing stills onto an SD card. This year Canon has refrained from shipping its ZRs and Elura with any SD cards.

Editing
The ZR700 offers very little on-camera editing features, but this is typical of entry level models. Some of the limited visual effects available are making the image black and white or sepia, or mirroring the screen. The user can use a fade transition in between shots or scenes. The included Digital Video Solution Disc will provide marginally more intricate editing features.

Ports
This model’s ports are housed on the right side of the camcorder. The A/V, DV, and USB ports are grouped under a gray cover, while the SD card slot sits alone under the adjacent port cover. A DC in port can be located on the back of the camcorder near the battery slot. The entry level camcorder in the ZR series, the ZR500, does not have an SD or USB port. Similar to previous generations, Canon does not offer an accessory shoe with its ZR series.

Other Features
Image Stabilization--The ZR700 features Electronic Image Stabilization. Canon, like most manufacturers, does not offer the preferable Optical Image Stabilization on its low-end models. Windscreen --The Windscreen feature reduces unwanted noise from the wind by cutting low frequencies during outdoor recording. Level Shot Control--The Level Shot Control is a line that appears across the screen of the LCD during recording to aid the user with centering and leveling the shot. A/V-DV The ZR700 can convert old media to comparable digital video with its analog-to-digital pass through capability. The A/V-DV feature is accessed in the menu system.

Conclusion
The evolution of the ZR700 goes beyond the new Gray Smoke paint job and a thinner frame. This model has a 2.7” widescreen LCD, and a bigger, longer lasting battery. The camcorder has a 25x optical zoom capacity, which is larger than the 14x optical zoom from its parent model, the ZR400. The camcorder has also revamped its navigation system, which is an improvement from previous models.

Even though the new navigation system makes it more convenient to access and implement these quality control features; the location of the joystick leaves something to be desired. Placing the joystick and other features on the LCD will sometimes cause the camcorder to shake slightly as these features are being utilized.

In addition to size, Canon has also trimmed some much needed specs from the ZR700. This model’s ancestor, the ZR400, had a bigger imager and was able to capture stills at a higher resolution. Sadly, Canon is not alone in this trend of making camcorders more chic and convenient while regressing image quality. We merely anticipate, mind you, this loss of image quality. Our full review will tell the tale.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 6:55 PM - 0 comments

Panasonic PV-GS300
Panasonic's 2006 3 CCD MiniDV line is down from four to three camcorders since last year. The new 2006 middle model is the PV-GS300, coming to the market at $699. It replaces last year’s GS250. The GS300 is currently the lowest priced 3 CCD camcorder with optical image stabilization (OIS). Since last year, Pansonic added a 2.7 inch, 123K widescreen LCD, and the newly shrunk GS300 is sleeker and more stylish. However, if you are a current GS250 owner and plan to upgrade or buy another GS300, you will find that your 43mm accessories no longer fit. By making a smaller camcorder, Panasonic also chose to decrease the filter thread to 37mm. That doesn't seem to have affected the video that the GS300 will produce, as the chips and lens assembly appear to be unchanged from the GS250, though they have incorporated the integrated lens cap from the GS150.

Video Performance
The new GS300 shoots video in both normal and anamorphic widescreen aspect ratios at 29.97 frames per second (60i) for compatibility with the NTSC standard. For our readers who use the PAL TV standard, you will be able to buy a GS300 that will work with your TV system. The GS300’s widescreen video is cropped from the full width of the 4:3 CCDs and then zoomed to fit a 16:9 aspect ratio before being squeezed into anamorphic pixels. The GS300 does not widen its field of view in widescreen mode. In contrast, the higher-end GS500 widens the footprint it takes from the CCDs to create its widescreen, and thus produces more of the field on either side of a normal frame. Nevertheless, the video quality in both normal and widescreen modes on the GS300 is excellent, just like last year's GS250, which earned itself a CamInfo Select award.

The Front
Looming large on the face of this compact camcorder is its 10x Leica Dicomar lens with 37mm filter threads. Like last year's GS150, the lens has an integrated lens cap. The lens has a focal length of 3.0 to 30mm which gives a 35mm equivalent of 45.6 to 456mm in normal video, 46.7 to 467mm in widescreen, 43.4 to 434mm in 4:3 stills, and 47 to 470mm in 16:9 stills. Iris can be adjusted from f/1.8 to f/16. There is a standard Panasonic zoom microphone below the lens. To the left of the lens is the photoflash which has been molded into the curving lines of the camcorder body.

The Right Side
At the front of the right side, under a rubber cover, is the A/V multi-jack and the wired remote/microphone jack. The A/V multi-jack uses a special connector to combine the left and right audio, composite video, and S-Video inputs and outputs. Although the GS300 supports A/V-in for recording onto tape (analog-to-digital conversion), it will not pass analog video through the DV output to allow you to convert your analog video sources to digital (analog-to-digital pass through) like last year's GS250 did.

Like all the Panasonic 3 CCD camcorders, the microphone jack will accept a low impedance, unbalanced microphone and provides plug-in power for electret (condenser) elements. There is no headphones jack. This will prove to be a difficult problem in using external microphones because their output level is too high and needs to be adjusted downward to avoid distortion. However, with no audio level adjustments like the GS500 and no headphones jack like the GS180, there is no way to monitor the effects of external level controls on the volume of recorded audio. Users will just have to use trial and error to find a compatible setting. Not cool, Panasonic.

The Back
The upper left of the back is home to the GS300’s electronic viewfinder (EVF), situated below the accessory shoe. It does not tilt like the eyepiece on the GS500, though it does pull out about 1 1/2 inches. To the right of the EVF eyepiece is the on-off slider which combines with a menu selection to offer a mode where the camcorder starts up in 1.7 seconds. The menu button is below this. Menus are viewable on both the EVF and LCD.

The mode dial is below and to the right of the menu button. In its center is a joystick control; this is used for menu navigation and selection. The surrounding mode dial itself lets users access the following modes: record (video), record (stills), playback (video), playback (stills), and PC, which permits stills to be transferred from the SD card to a computer over USB. Below the mode dial is the record/pause button for recording video. The back of the GS300 is also home to a speaker, so users may listen to the playback of captured audio.

The battery is to the left of the video recording button and below the eyepiece, which is a traditional and logical spot for it. We could not test batteries at CES. We do know that the GS300 is compatible with the CGA-DU series of batteries from 2005, so it should be relatively easy for users to locate a backup battery.

he Left Side
Panasonic has provided the GS300 and the GS500 with new 2.7-inch, widescreen LCDs. The LCD takes up most of the left side of this compact camcorder. When opened, it can be rotated fully along its horizontal axis, which allows subjects to watch themselves on the LCD screen as they are being taped. The LCD can also be put in the traditional position, flipped out 90 degrees. In the LCD cavity you’ll find the auto / manual focus switch, the reset button, the power LCD button, and ports for USB 2.0 high speed and DV (FireWire, i.Link, or IEEE1394, by other names). Otherwise, the left side is unmarred by buttons or connectors. Underneath the LCD recess is the SD card slot used for capturing still pictures. The GS300 can take SD cards as large as 2GB.

The Top
The top of the GS300 is much like the top of the GS180. Then again, these cams are extremely similar. On the right front of the GS300 is the cassette mechanism release lever; push it forward to unlatch and open the clamshell, and the MiniDV loading dock rises and opens. Moving back, users will find an accessory shoe that is cold, just like the shoe on the GS180. Further back than this is the electronic viewfinder (EVF) eyepiece. The eyepiece can be pulled out to keep the user from resting his or her cheekbone on the battery. The eyepiece does not tilt upwards like the one on the GS500. To the right of the accessory shoe is the zoom slider / volume control. In back of the zoom slider is the photoshot pushbutton.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Automatic controls on the PV-GS300 are similar to the GS180. The camcorder maintains exposure by controlling shutter, focus, and iris. Point-and-shooters will have no problem using this camcorder. Automatic controls are decent on most Panasonics, but rarely do they achieve the speed or precision of a Sony camcorder. Manual control is where Panasonic truly shines in the consumer market.

Overall Manual Control
Like all Panasonics, the GS300 has excellent manual controls. Via navigation and selection with the joystick, users can control iris, shutter, zoom, white balance, focus, and flash brightness. This system is less cumbersome than a touch screen system, but still a little awkward. The joystick has not changed since last year’s models, which received mixed reviews from users.

Zoom
The GS300 has zoom specs identical to its younger sibling: a 10x optical zoom with a 700x digital zoom that can be capped at 25x. The zoom toggle is a sliding switch-type, identical to last year’s. Some users found this an acceptable alternative to a zoom ring; others did not like the way the switch could tilt the camcorder’s body back and forth, upsetting the picture. No Panasonic consumer camcorder this year will feature a zoom ring.

Focus
The camcorder’s electronic sensors control focus in auto mode; the users may adjust focus with the joystick when the GS300 is in manual mode. The loss of the focus ring from last year’s GS250 is a hard blow, however.

Exposure (Aperture)
The aperture on the PV-GS300 ranges from f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, and f/16, in both still and video mode. This is the same range as that on the PV-GS180.

Shutter Speed
In video mode, this camcorder has a good shutter speed range of 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, and 1/8000 of a second. Still mode offers speeds ranging from 1/30 to 1/2000 of a second, which is not as good; dedicated still cameras frequently have shutter speeds of 2 seconds or longer. This camcorder is not a suitable replacement for a good still camera.

White Balance
The PV-GS300 has the standard Panasonic white balance options available: auto, indoor, outdoor, fluorescent lighting, and manual. We would be surprised with anything less. The manual white balance is accurate, and the camcorder makes it obvious to even beginning users when the process is complete.

Gain
Gain, an artificial boost to the video signal, can be tweaked on the PV-GS300. The user can adjust gain in 1dB increments up to 18dB of gain. However, the display doesn’t show a visible change in gain until 3dB have been added or subtracted.

Still Features
Once an SD card is inserted into the appropriate slot, stills can be recorded in 4:3 mode in sizes of 2048 x 1512, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480 pixels. A 1280 x 960 still may be taken while simultaneously recording video. A new feature on this year's camcorders is the ability to shoot widescreen stills as well; the GS3300 shoots widescreen stills in sizes of 2048 x 1152 and 640 x 360. As mentioned earlier, the shutter speed range in this mode is 1/30 to 1/2000 of a second, which could be more expansive. Still picture mode offers all of the manual controls present in video mode: white balance, iris, shutter, and focus. Last year’s PV-GS250 produced beautiful, crisp stills at the same resolution sizes, though the widescreen stills are new.

Low Light Performance
Since the GS300 is essentially a body update to the GS250, the CCD sensitivity stays the same. According to Panasonic, the minimum light sensitivity of the GS300 is 12 lux. For MagicPix mode, a low light sensitivity of 0 lux is listed, but this of course takes into account additional light from the LCD; in this mode the LCD is supposed to be swiveled away from the videographers and towards the subject as a makeshift video light. This mode also slows the frame rate to a crawling 8 fps, which causes severe blurring if any subjects are moving.

We could not convince everyone the trade show floor to shut off the lights, so we couldn’t get in a quick test of the GS300’s low light ability.

VCR Mode
Panasonic’s VCR mode can be used for reviewing footage in-camera, controlling footage seen on a TV when connected to the cam via A/V cable, or for copying the video to a computer over either DV (FireWire or i.Link) or USB cables. Users may play, pause, fast forward, and stop playback using the joystick; they may also fast preview, fast reverse, and fast reverse preview.

LCD/Viewfinder
The color LCD on the PV-GS300 is the same 2.7 inch 123,000 pixel screen as that used on the GS500. The PV-GS180, on the other hand, offers only 2.5 inches on LCD. The GS300’s LCD displays widescreen video in the correct 16:9 aspect ratio. Normal aspect ratio video (4:3) is pillar boxed (meaning vertical black bars are placed on either side) when displayed. This means that the LCD display offers the user a visual indication of which aspect ratio the camcorder is currently shooting in - a nice bit of engineering.

Panasonic has always provided a lot of information on its screens; the GS300 continues that tradition. The degree of information displayed is selectable in the menus. The EVF is also in color and functions similarly to the EVF on the GS500. User can withdraw the EVF eyepiece so the eye can be positioned away from the protruding battery. However, it does not tilt upwards, which may cause problems if you want to use the EVF while the camcorder is on a tripod.

Audio
Panasonic's standard zoom stereo microphone system is used to capture audio in either 12 bit or 16 bit resolution. Users can also attach an external unbalanced microphone with the 3.5mm microphone jack; once it’s attached, the camcorder’s internal microphones are automatically disconnected. Audio can be played back and assessed through the small speaker on the GS300’s rear. The zoom slider control towards the top of the rear controls the volume.

Handling
The GS300 is a sub-compact camcorder and feels that way in the hand. It is very similar to the GS150 in size and weight. People with small hands will find it a comfortable fit. The next model down, the GS180, is even smaller.

Like all Panasonic 3 CCD camcorders, the GS300 is designed to be held cradled in the palm of the right hand with the forearm raised vertically. In the shooting position, the zoom slider and photoshot button are directly under the index finger. The right thumb can easily access the joystick control for setting functions like fade, and the record/pause button is nearby and also readily accessible. Manual focus adjust is accomplished by using the right thumb on the joystick. Not only is the joystick a touch awkward for most of us, but southpaws in particular are going to find this joystick setup a little inconvenient.

Compression
The PV-GS300 is a MiniDV cam, so it records video using the DV codec. Digital Video is compressed in a 5:1 ratio (or about 500 percent) and provides a 25 Mbps interleaved audio and video stream. Both SP and LP modes are offered. Stills are captured as JPEGs and saved to an SD card.

Media
A MiniDV cam, by definition, uses MiniDV tapes. The GS300 can also record stills to an SD (Secure Digital) card, which currently range is capacity from 32MB to 2GB.

Editing
For editing, Panasonic supplies two different applications. MotionDV Studio 5.6LE permits capture and editing of DV. MotionDV studio can capture video over DV (FireWire/i.Link) or USB 2.0 high speed and edit it in either normal or widescreen aspect ratios. A new application for beginners called Quick Movie Magic (Sweet Movie Life outside North America) makes it easy to edit using onscreen guidance. The software is compatible with Windows XP SP2.

Ports
Like the PV-GS500, the GS300 has DV, USB 2.0 high speed, A/V, and a shared microphone/wired remote port.

Other Features
AGS - Panasonic has included a new feature on this year's 3 CCD camcorders with OIS, called AGS (the acronym is never explicitly decrypted, despite our questioning). Basically, AGS is an intelligent sensor that detects, from the camcorder's position or from a prolonged period of no motion, when a user forgets to stop recording. At this point, AGS places the camcorder in standby. This detection minimizes wastage of tape and battery charge. AGS is turned off by default but may be activated via a menu selection.

Conclusion
A 2005 CamInfo Select camcorder, the PV-GS250 has been shrunk into a smaller body to create the new PV-GS300. This seems to have occurred without decreasing any of the video quality that made it a winner last year. The new size and optical image stabilization will appeal to many. It certainly sets a new price point for camcorders with OIS at $699. The lack of a headphone jack, however, is a significant omission in what is otherwise a nicely configured 3 CCD camcorder. Yet even without the headphone jack, this camcorder will likely be in competition again for the top choice in its price range. I expect the PV-GS300 to be a popular selection for users who want OIS stability and 3 CCD quality at a budget price.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 6:20 PM - 0 comments

Sony DCR-DVD305
At CES this year, Sony released the DCR-DVD305, a brand new camcorder in their DVD line. This middle-of-the-road model has the DCR-DVD205 below it and DCR-DVD405 above. The DVD305 has a number of selling points that Sony hopes to make it a standout in an increasingly cluttered market. Most notably, the DVD305 ships with a center channel microphone that fits into the special, Sony-sized accessory shoe. Use of the mic allows for Dolby Digital 5.1 channel Surround Sound. But are the selling points enough to make this cam a worthy purchase?

Video Performance
The DVD305 uses a 1.0 MP (690K effective) 1/5.5-inch Advanced HAD CCD. The Advanced HAD technology, Sony claims, improved signal-to-noise ratio up to 6dB. Further investigating by the CamcorderInfo.com staff will put this claim to the test in our upcoming full review.

This chip is significantly smaller than the chip on the step-up model, the DVD405, which has a 1/3-inch CCD (2048K effective pixels). The DVD305’s CCD does appear to be the same as last year’s DVD203.

The picture, in informal testing, appeared to be similar to the picture from last year’s model. The colors were a bit dull, though lighting is less than ideal at the booth where the camcorders were being displayed. The image was particularly noisy.

The Front
This year’s Sony DVD camcorders are very slim, measuring just over 2 inches across. Unlike the DVD405 and DVD505, the DVD305 has no built-in lens cap. There are also no ports in the front. The microphone is smartly placed at the bottom of the body, which would seem to prevent the accidental pick-up of heavy breathing or scraping fingers across the top of the camcorder.

The Right Side
The right side of the DVD305 is used primarily for loading the DVDs and MemoryStick, and for holding the camcorder. The hand strap is placed low for easy handling, and to not block the DVD loading bay, which opens from the top. The MemoryStick bay has been cleverly placed on the right side, as well – a pop-out door that opens by pulling at the top of the loading bay.

Towards the rear of the right side is a hard plastic-covered port concealing a composite A/V jack and a port for a remote control (called a LANC jack on some camcorders).

The Back
The rear of the DVD305 is used primarily for storing the battery. Fortunately, this rear-mounted design allows for an expanded battery pack, an option that many manufacturers have forgotten in the race to shrink camcorder bodies down. Also on the back are the video record Start/Stop button and the DC power input, and the mode dial for video/still and on/off.

The Left Side
The left side of the DVD305 is dominated by the 2.7-inch Hybrid SwivelScreen widescreen LCD. All Sony DVD models, except the lowest-end DVD105, have been upgraded to widescreen LCDs this year. The LCD is also a touch screen, making it the primary navigation device for manual control and menu interface. On the left side, behind the LCD, you’ll find buttons for Easy mode, Wide Select (to switch between 4:3 and 16:9), and Display. Zoom control and record Stop/Start buttons have also been placed on the LCD panel just below the screen.

The Top
The top of the DVD305 holds its most distinctive feature, the included center channel microphone, which allows for Dolby Digital 5.1 channel Surround Sound. The mic fits into the Advanced Accessory Shoe, Sony’s proprietary-fit shoe. The top of the cam also has the still shutter button, the DVD loading bay open switch, and the NightShot button.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Automatic control on Sony camcorders is generally very good. The DVD305 appeared to have decent response to quick changes in lighting and focus. The popular Spot Focus and Spot Meter features have returned, as well as all the standard Program AE modes (Portrait, Sports, Spotlight, Beach & Ski, Sunset & Moon, and Landscape).

The DCR-DVD305 also includes Sony’s Easy mode, accessible by way of a button on the left side of the camcorder above the LCD panel. This mode basically puts everything in automatic mode (amusingly enough, it’s called “baby mode” in Sony board rooms). With the lack of manual controls on this camcorder, this mode may be the way to go.

Overall Manual Control
Manual control on most Sonys is poor, and the DVD305 is no exception. This camcorder has little control; you can control zoom, white balance, exposure, and focus, though the last two are very cumbersome to adjust.

Zoom
The DCR-DVD305 features a zoom toggle similar to all of the company’s new DVD camcorders this year. And by similar, I mean pretty dang good. You get smooth, unobstructed zooms with variable speeds to a certain extent. I just wish it were better placed under my index finger during handheld use.

Focus
The DCR-DVD305 has the misfortune of including manual focus controlled from the camcorder’s touch screen menu system, like all of Sony’s camcorders with a touch screen and no focus ring. This involves tapping through the camcorder’s byzantine menu system to get to the focus feature and then, when you reach it, you must tap away like a determined lab rat after a food pellet in order to adjust it—and you must do this by eyeballing it (because no numerical indicator is given).

Exposure (Aperture)
Exposure is also controlled through the camcorder’s touch screen menu. As in many Sony camcorders, it is operated by tapping your way across a +/- meter, from light to dark. The tapping aspect of adjustment in this case isn’t such a big deal because it doesn’t necessarily have to be done on the fly; however, it would be nice to see some F-stops and other things. Just put a number on the screen, Sony! I would feel so much better. But what can I expect? They’ve never been good on manual control.

Shutter Speed
There is no manual adjustment of shutter speed offered on the DCR-DVD305.

White Balance
The DCR-DVD305 features the same white balance options as the other DVD camcorders this year, and they are pretty standard (Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, One Push). These options can be accessed in the camcorder’s touch screen review. This is also not so much a problem as it is usually done before recording. It’s nice of Sony to include three automatic modes for white balance (though this is certainly nothing new for them or any other manufacturer), and the manual white balance is a decently smooth, subtle adjustment.

Gain
There are no manual gain adjustments available on the DCR-DVD305.

Still Features
Stills can be captured onto a MemoryStick Duo, which is loaded on the right side of the camcorder. Stills can be recorded at a max resolution of 1152 x 864. As they seem to have done on almost their entire line this year, Sony has switched in the camcorder’s touch screen menu system to listing still dimensions as MP levels (1MP and 3MP in this case) instead of actual A x B dimensions. That’s fine with me.

Low Light Performance
With a similar imager to this year’s DCR-DVD205, the DCR-DVD305 should perform about the same. We expect the DCR-DVD405, with its larger CCD, to perform the best out of them all, but we’ll see. Low light has always been a problem with DVD camcorders, as manufacturers often try to keep costs down with imagers of lesser size and/or quality. That said, the performance of DVD cams has continued to improve. Check out the Panasonic DVD lineup this year as well, as they are contenders in this category too. And who knows, we’ve seen good things from Hitachi as well over the years. Even Samsung has joined the race. Stay tuned for actual testing in this department.

VCR Mode
Sony has overhauled the VCR modes from last year and improved their graphics. The new Play/Edit mode, conveniently accessed on the right side of the camcorder, presents thumbnails of stills and video on the LCD screen. The user can tap their way through this system as video clips play like chapter selections on a DVD menu. This is more of a cosmetic upgrade, but still a welcome one.

LCD/Viewfinder
The DCR-DVD305 features a widescreen LCD screen (2.7” diagonal) identical to that of the DCR-DVD405. This is a step up from the DCR-DVD205. The screen has 123K pixels, the same amount as the camcorder’s color viewfinder. The camcorder’s viewfinder can pulled directly out, but not angled up for viewing.

Audio
The DCR-DVD305 ships with a center-channel microphone which fits snugly in the company’s custom accessory shoe. Using this mic allows for Dolby Digital 5.1 channel Surround Sound, which Sony touts as able to reproduce the environment recorded in during playback (though isn’t this always the goal). This audio is one of the biggest selling points for Sony over the past two years, and while it’s nice (I guess), please don’t buy the camcorder solely because of this. On paper, getting useful true Surround Sound out of this microphone configuration seems dubious. Four of the five microphones are placed within millimeters of each other in the front of the camcorder's body. The fifth channel, if you use the included mic, will only capture sounds in front of you. Technically, this is 5 channels, but don't expect anything close the Dolby sound you associate with big budget Hollywood movies. We'll get the full skinny on this in our full review. And can you believe it? The DCR-DVD305 includes no microphone input or headphone out jacks.

Handling
The handling of the DCR-DVD305 is adequate. For better handling in a Sony DVD camcorder, look to the DCR-DVD505 and DCR-DVD405. One thing that all the new Sony DVD camcorders have is an extremely smooth zoom toggle which allows for easier handheld use; its placement could be better though (more “under-the-finger”). Also, as cool as the new MemoryStick slot is, its placement almost directly under the strap can be cumbersome. This is the same design as the DCR-DVD205, so bear that in mind if you’re shopping them against each other. The DCR-DVD405 offers a body type more in line with the DCR-DVD505, and, in doing so, provides more of a lip for grip as the DVD mechanism rises to meet your digits. The DCR-DVD505 also features a enormous LCD screen (3.5”) which certainly aids in handheld visualization.

Compression
Using standard MPEG-2 video compression and JPEG still images, the DCR-DVD305 is par for the course for a DVD camcorder. Compression has always been one of the major drawbacks to the DVD format: you use tons of compression and end up with less quality and more convenience (when compared to the MiniDV format). Oh—and audio is Dolby Digital 5.1, which is particularly special if you’re in the PR department.

Media
This year Panasonic DVD camcorders are compatible with DVD-RW discs for the first time since their inception (only a couple years, actually). This seems to be trumping Sony who, until this point, had been the only manufacture of DVD camcorders able to record to this format. Now, Sony camcorders not only have nothing new format-wise on anyone, but they lack the ability to record to the DVD-RAM format, a staple of Panasonic and Hitachi DVD camcorders. Bottom line, the Sony DCR-DVD305 does not have the same recording versatility. Just DVD-R and -RW for Sony.

Editing
Editing capabilities of the DCR-DVD305 are limited, as they are on every DVD camcorder. Many manufactures, including Sony, include their own rudimentary editing software, which unfortunately is generally pretty bad. The DVD format certainly doesn’t have the versatility, or established, bigger-name editing systems of the MiniDV format. Let’s face it: when you buy this camcorder, or any DVD camcorder, you’re paying for primarily convenience, not editing.

Ports
The DCR-DVD305 features a LANC jack and a composite port (S-Video / A/V input/output) on the right side of the camcorder, under an ovoid port cover. Nearby is the camcorder’s nifty new MemoryStick Duo port, which folds out from the camcorder body. On the top of the camcorder is Sony’s custom accessory shoe (only holding Sony products) which functions as a mic port. There is a USB port as well.

Other Features
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Mic -This included mic, mentioned above, is pretty much the main, and only, perk of the DCR-DVD305. Frankly, I think it’s a gimmick. That and the widescreen LCD are really the only special things about this camcorder.

Conclusion
The DCR-DVD305 camcorder is the mid-point of Sony’s DVD camcorder line this year. It's advantages over the DVD205 include an accessory shoe, MemoryStick Duo capability, analog-to-digital conversion, USB, and the supplied external microphone. The DVD305 will run you about $100 more than the DVD205. Stepping up to the DVD405 for an additional $200 buys you a bigger imager (1/3" versus 1/5.5"), 3.0MP stills versus 1.0MP stills, a larger lens (25mm versus 30mm), and a built-in flash. Personally, I would shell out the extra bones and pick up the DCR-DVD405. Everything about it promises better image quality, and frankly, we think the 5.1 Dolby Sound is a bit of a red herring.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 5:59 PM - 0 comments

Thursday, January 12, 2006
Panasonic VDR-D100
The VDR-D100 is Panasonic’s lowest-end DVD camcorder this year. It doesn’t feature many of the amenities found on Panasonic’s other DVD camcorders, such as widescreen LCD, card media, microphone port, or re-designed body, and the camcorder features the same imager as last year’s comparable model. The upside: it’s cheaper, and might be a better bet than the other one-chip Panasonic DVD camcorder, the VDR-D200.

Video Performance
The Panasonic VDR-D100 ships with a measly 1/6” 680K (340K). This is probably the lowest quality, least-advanced CCD you’re going to get on a DVD camcorder this year, from this or any other manufacturer. The good news is the VDR-D100 is one of the cheaper DVD camcorders from a major manufacturer this year as well. Its MSRP is around $500. The Sony DCR-DVD105 also sells for $500. The Hitachi DZ-BX35 retails for just $400.

This is the same imager as last year’s VDR-M53, and the good news for the VDR-D100 is that the VDR-M53 featured surprisingly good colors and video quality in bright light. There was a different story as far as low light was concerned, but no cam bats a thousand. Stay tuned for our test results.

The Front
The front of the VDR-D100 features the camcorder’s lens towards the top. Below this is the camcorder’s built-in stereo microphone. This is the only microphone you’ll get to capture audio, as there is no audio input. Below the microphone is a video light, which seems like an odd inclusion on such a stripped-down camcorder. I would gladly trade this out for a microphone jack. On the bottom of the front is a port cover revealing the camcorder’s A/V output ports and USB port.

The Right Side
The right side of the camcorder contains its DVD loading mechanism. To its left is the slider to open the DVD compartment. The camcorder’s strap runs along the bottom of this side.

The Back
In addition to the viewfinder and battery, the back of the VDR-D100 contains the main control center for the camcorder. It is largely the same design as last year’s re-designed Panasonics. The main inclusion there was the joystick navigational control that offered the new Panasonics excellent menu navigation, allowing for easy one-handed operation. Next to this joystick is a record button that is just the right size, and in a perfect location related to the joystick control: both can be operated by the user’s thumb. Below the record button is the camcorder’s menu button, allowing access to the camcorder’s menu system.

The Left Side
The left side of the VDR-D100 most prominently features the camcorder’s LCD panel. This is only a 2.5” LCD screen, unlike the widescreen panels found on many of the other new camcorders this year. Underneath the panel is a small speaker as well as the switch that controls the manual and auto modes on the camcorder and the manual focus as well. This is a common switch on Panasonic camcorders.

The Top
The top of the VDR-D100 features nothing except the camcorder’s zoom toggle and photo capture button towards the back of the camcorder.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Automatic controls on Panasonics are always somewhat mediocre, and this camcorder is no exception. There is an automatic mode, which locks everything that can be controlled manually (shutter speed, white balance, aperture, gain, and focus) and makes automatic adjustments itself. This mode can be turned on using the switch underneath the camcorder’s LCD screen. While such a cheap camcorder might scream “use my auto mode!” to some, you might actually miss out by not using manual mode. After all, you should be able to learn from your camcorder, and this is a great entry-level teacher.

Program AE presets for specific environments are found in the camcorder’s menu system. They include Sports, Portrait, Night, Spotlight, and Snow & Surf. These are standard options.

Overall Manual Control
Panasonics have famously offered tons of manual control even on their lowest-end models, and the VDR-D100 is a case in point. The camcorder offers manual control over focus, aperture, shutter speed, gain, and white balance, and even offers a pretty easy way to access them. However, on such a cheap, visually uninteresting camcorder, these manual options may go to waste depending on who buys such a machine.

Zoom
One of the best things about this model is that Panasonic has incorporated the enormous optical zooms of last year’s MiniDV Panasonics on this year’s DVD camcorders. The VDR-D100 features a whopping 30x optical zoom, which is certainly something, and perhaps the main selling point for such a cheap camcorder. The bad thing is zoom control - still the traditional Panasonic zoom toggle, and is frankly not my favorite as far as zoom controls go. The design is a sliding switch that shifts left and right, rather than a raised knob. Look at the new toggles on Panasonic’s MiniDV models for an example of the company putting their R&D money to good use.

Focus
Manual focus on the VDR-D100 is controlled using the switch under the camcorder’s LCD panel in conjunction with the camcorder’s joystick. This is a pretty standard adjustment for a Panasonic camcorder. First the user must pull down the switch under the LCD screen from auto (at the top) past manual (in the middle) to focus (at the bottom). At focus the switch will spring back to manual mode, and an “MF” icon will show up on the LCD screen. Now the user can use the joystick to move through the focal field, pressing either left or right. Unfortunately, all you have to gauge the focus with is your own eyes.

Exposure (Aperture)
Manual adjustment of exposure is done using the camcorder’s joystick as well. Pressing down on the joystick enters the camcorder’s manual control menu system, a system introduced last year. In this system, the user sees the recorded image on the LCD screen, but there is also a superimposed circle, manipulated by the joystick, with different options corresponding to different directions of joystick push. Pressing directly down on the joystick again will move to a different section of the menu. Manual exposure on the VDR-D100, as well as every manual option except for manual focus and zoom, is located on the second section of the manual control. The user presses down on the joystick and once exposure is accessed, can press left and right to move to the desired F-stop. F-stop options from f/2.0 to f/16 and Open are available.

Shutter Speed
Shutter speed on the VDR-D100 is adjusted in a similar fashion as exposure: by using the camcorder’s joystick. One of the beauties of the joystick system is that you have everything you need right under your thumb, making for a centralized, organized experience. Shutter speed options exist from 1/60 to 1/8000 of a second. It would be nice to have some slower shutter speeds, but this is a stripped-down camcorder.

White Balance
White balance options are also available using the same manual control menu system and camcorder’s joystick. In fact, the system is set up so that you really end up adjusting every manual control at once, which, though sometimes cumbersome, makes organizational sense. White balance options include standard presets for indoors and outdoors, an auto mode, and a manual mode. The joystick is used to set the balance.

Gain
One of the special things about Panasonic camcorders is that nearly all of their cams offer manual gain control, even the least-advanced models like the VDR-D100. Gain options are accessible in the same manner as the exposure options and white balance. They run from 0dB to 18dB.

Still Features
The VDR-D100 can only capture stills to DVD disc. It would be nice to have been able to capture them onto card media instead. In fact, this is one of the main upgrades between the VDR-D100 and the VDR-D200. Regardless, the VDR-D100 can capture stills at a resolution of 640 x 480 onto DVD disc. To do this, press the photo button on the top of the camcorder. There is no separate still photo mode, only playback and record.

Low Light Performance
With such a small CCD, the VDR-D100 probably won’t have the best low light capabilities. But what are you expecting from such a cheap camcorder, and a DVD camcorder at that? A camcorder with a comparable imager, last year’s VDR-M53, did pretty disappointingly in low light, so we’re not expecting much. If you’re buying this camcorder for its low light abilities in the first place, back off. You took a very wrong turn somewhere.

VCR Mode
The playback mode of the VDR-D100 functions very similarly to the playback mode on the VDR-M53 of last year, and similar to many camcorders of last year. Footage can be reviewed on the camcorder as well as on a TV, via the camcorder’s A/V output, located on the camcorder’s front. Footage is navigated using the camcorder’s joystick, and as such, can be manipulated easily using one hand. Still images and video are all navigated together.

LCD/Viewfinder
The VDR-D100, as Panasonic’s lowest-end DVD camcorder this year, was not included in the widescreen LCD upgrade enjoyed by many of their MiniDV and DVD camcorders in their 2006 line. The VDR-D200 doesn’t include a widescreen LCD either. The VR-D100 does feature a color viewfinder.

Audio
The lowest-end VDR-D100 lacks an external microphone port. It does ship with a built-in stereo microphone. The VDR-D200 doesn’t ship with an external microphone port either, so the D200 is another option to look into if you need to save money on your DVD cam purchase.

Handling
Unlike many of the other Panasonic camcorders this year, the VDR-D100 doesn’t feature much by way of design enhancements. Any aids to handling have been adopted from last year’s mode design changes, particularly in the joystick department. The good news is that those aids were major, and VDR-D100 can be operated extremely easily with one hand indeed. The bad news is that even further advancements were made to some of Panasonic’s MiniDV camcorders, making handheld use a tad more smooth and zooming easier. On the VDR-D100, the zoom toggle is still the old cumbersome Panasonic ones. Also, the camcorder’s viewfinder feels extremely cheap. Just pull it out and you’ll see what I mean.

Compression
The Panasonic VDR-D100 uses MPEG-2 video compression, as all of Panasonic’s DVD camcorders used last year.

Media
One of the main upgrades to all Panasonic DVD camcorders this year was their ability to record onto DVD-RW discs as well as the DVD-R and DVD-RAM discs they’ve always been able to record to previously. This gives them a one-up on Sony camcorders, which can only record on DVD-R/-RW/+R. Originally, Sonys were the only DVD camcorders to record onto DVD-RW, and now Panasonic can too.

Editing
Editing on the VDR-D100, as on any DVD camcorder, isn’t the easiest thing in the world. The camcorder will most likely ship with some proprietary, rudimentary editing software, which won’t offer much. The industry is still waiting for a worthy system for these camcorders. This Panasonic doesn’t offer any nifty feature to export footage directly to DVD or anything like that, as on some Sony camcorders.

Ports
The VDR-D100 has a big battery port in its back end, and when the battery is taken out of the camcorder, the DC input port is revealed. Under a small port cover on the front of the camcorder are the USB and A/V output ports.

Other Features
The VDR-D100 doesn’t offer much by way of other features, but a few amenities are available.

Wind Cut--This feature, available in the camcorder’s menu system, reduces the low end in the recorded audio track to help compensate for the popping static picked up in a windy environment’s. This might be more useful than you think if there is no microphone port on this camcorder.

Fader--This feature, available in the manual control menu, fades from the recorded image as you hit the stop button to black or white.

Webcam - The VDR-D100 has webcam functionality, accessed via a USB cable.

Conclusion
There haven’t been many improvements over last year’s single chip DVD camcorders from Panasonic, which is evidence enough that perhaps they, like Sony, are pushing money into higher and higher-end DVD and hard disc camcorders--the difference being that Sony still puts some money into their lower-end DVD camcorders. To Panasonic’s credit, they have increased the zoom of last year’s low-end DVD camcorder to 30x which is a whopping upgrade. Too bad they haven’t done similarly where the imager and the handling are concerned. Some more drawbacks: no microphone port and no card media. The upside: if you’re just looking for a cheap camcorder to record DVD video, the VDR-D100 should probably give you the same quality video as the VDR-D200, and for less money.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 6:49 PM - 0 comments

Sony DCR-HC96
he DCR-HC96 is Sony’s top MiniDV camcorder, and looking at its almost complete lack of advancement, we can see where Sony is putting its energies these days—namely into DVD discs and hard discs, both of which are featured on Sony’s most advanced, newly-announced camcorders, the DCR-DVD505 and the DCR-SR100. The new DCR-HC96 does feature a more compact body design, which allows for the extremely convenient top-loading tape mechanism, Click-to-DVD technology, and a welcomed built-in lens cover.

Video Performance
The DCR-HC96, Sony’s most advanced MiniDV camcorder this year, features a 1/3” 3000K (2050K effective) Advanced HAD CCD, the same as last year’s DCR-HC90. The DCR-HC96 also includes a Primary Color Filter, a special feature also found on the DCR-DVD405 and DCR-DVD505, Sony’s new DVD camcorders, and their top-billed, new hard disc camcorder, the DCR-SR100. The DCR-HC96 also features a 30mm Carl-Zeiss lens, and offers a 10x optical zoom with 120x digital capabilities. The next model down in price, the DCR-HC46, includes a smaller 1000K (690K effective) 1/5.5-inch CCD and only a 25mm lens, features similar to last year’s DCR-HC42.

Last year’s DCR-HC90 featured a similar 1/3” CCD with 3000K gross (2050K effective) for video. The fact that Sony hasn’t upgraded their MiniDV imagers is clear evidence of the industry shift from tape-based media to alternative, previously fringe and gimmick media such as DVD discs and hard discs. Usually, their new MiniDV camcorders topped the list of hype as well as imager advancement, but it seems those days are over. We can expect performance results similar to their ancestors, as these new MiniDV camcorders share the imagers of their progenitors.

The Front
The front of the DCR-HC96 features the camcorder’s 30mm lens located in the top right corner. To the left of the lens is the camcorder’s built-in flash with the infrared sensor and built-in stereo microphone below. This is a slightly more compact design than last year’s DCR-HC90.

The Right Side
On the right side of the DCR-HC96, the camcorder features a tremendous blank gray space largely covered by the user’s hand during handheld recording. To the right of this space the camcorder features a slender, vertically oriented port cover revealing the camcorder’s LANC and A/V/ S-Video ports. This design reminds me of some of the smaller, lower-end MiniDV Sonys of last year, which is a decent step-up from the design of the DCR-HC90, the DCR-HC96’s predecessor, which felt somewhat cheap and plastic-y.

The Back
The DCR-HC96 features a handsome backside. The most obvious feature is the camcorder’s battery pack, vertically oriented. above this is the camcorder’s color viewfinder, with a slender panel running alongside. This panel is accented by the camcorder’s flash option button, its “charge” LED, and the NightShot activation switch. To the right of the battery pack is an annoyingly small record button, featured on many of Sony’s more compact (and not so compact) models this year. Above this is a handsome mode selector, similar to that of the DCR-SR100. Flipping this guy switches among the camcorder’s tape, card, and playback modes.

The Left Side
The left side of the DCR-HC96 features the camcorders 2.7” widescreen LCD screen, among other features. The LCD panel runs along the bottom area of the camcorder, and there are buttons for Easy mode, battery info/display, and the backlight buttons. Except for the Easy mode, I don’t these functions merit dedicated buttons, but their placement is unobtrusive.

The Top
The top of the DCR-HC96 is pretty barren except for Sony’s custom-sized accessory shoe, located towards the midsection of the camcorder. A silver port cover protects this shoe when it’s not in use, and provides an aesthetically pleasing transition along the smoothed top surface as it tapers towards the rear.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
The DCR-HC96 features the same top-notch Sony automatic controls found on last year’s DCR-HC90. How can we stop praising Sony’s automatic controls? They are the best, and considering Sony’s apparent push away from the MiniDV media, we can expect these automatic controls as a staple on all future Sony camcorders, offering good, smooth, easy adjustments for the consumer who doesn’t have to buy the top of the line and doesn’t really care to adjust much of anything.

The DCR-HC96 features, like its predecessor, Sony’s Easy mode, accessible through a button located on the left side of the camcorder.

Overall Manual Control
We’ve always had issues with the manual controls on MiniDV Sony camcorders. Sony cams have always been comparable in price and imager to the top of the line Panasonic, Canon, and JVC consumer camcorders, but have notoriously offered less manual control. What manual control they had was located within a cumbersome touch screen menu system that rendered them virtually useless.

However, now that Sony has made the move away from tape-based media, virtually doing nothing to last year’s MiniDV models, their lack of manual control is less of a problem. When a camcorder isn’t marketed as a machine for the serious consumer, our expectations can slacken. I say we should concentrate on the problems with the DCR-DVD505 and DCR-SR100, both of which are similarly lacking in manual control. But even so, there still aren’t any good editing solutions for DVD and hard disc, meaning that this MiniDV cam is as professional as it gets. And in that light, its lack of manual control is a disappointment.

The camcorder does include Sony’s common Spot Metering and Spot Focusing features.

Zoom
The DCR-HC96 features a 10x optical zoom, less than the camcorder immediately inferior to it, the DCR-HC46 (which provides 12x optical). This is a trend we see a lot, and we’re not sure what to make of it. Well, aside from the fact that it doesn’t make sense and should be stopped. That said, the actual zoom toggle featured on the DCR-HC96, and on nearly all the new Sonys this year, is welcomed as extremely easy and smooth to use.

Focus
Manual focus on the DCR-HC96 is the same as last year, and is accessible in the camcorder’s touch screen menu system. Unfortunately, this is where the lack of quality manual controls and the cumbersome nature of the touch screen menu of Sonys comes to a head. The user must enter the touch screen system, find the focus adjuster, and then tap the cursor along a horizontal meter representing the focus field, as focus adjusts. At least they include some numbers to give you some idea of focal length.

Exposure (Aperture)
Though perhaps less of a problem to adjust than manual focus, manual exposure is still sub-par on the DCR-HC96, and no improvements have been made since last year either. Like focus, exposure is adjusted within the touch screen menu system and along a horizontal meter. However, instead of showing some digits as focus does, exposure shows us—guess what—nothing. No F-stops, no shutter speeds, nothing. The exposure shifts are in EV stops, but their increments and value are not displayed.

Shutter Speed
There is no manual shutter speed adjustment on the DCR-HC96.

White Balance
Standard white balance options are available on the DCR-HC96. They are located within the camcorder’s touch screen menu system, but perhaps suffer even less than exposure because of it. Options include: Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and One Push (manual). Indoor and Outdoor are limited automatic modes.

Gain
There is no manual gain on the DCR-HC96.

Still Features
The DCR-HC96 features nearly identical still photo recording specs as last year’s DCR-HC90. Still can be captured in 4:3 and 16:9 mode, at resolutions of 2016 x 1512 and 2016 x 1134, respectively. They are captured using 3310K gross pixels and 3000K effective pixels, yielding a maximum of 3MP stills, though options of 1.9MP and 0.3MP are available. This year Sony displays these options instead of actual dimensions in the touch screen display (I’m not sure if this is good or bad or both). The DCR-HC96 includes similar still capture effects and features as last year, including normal and high speed burst modes and exposure bracketing. Stills can be captured in standard and fine qualities.

One the main perks of the DCR-HC96’s still features is that it is Sony’s only MiniDV camcorder this year to ship with an included MemoryStick Duo. It also features better imaging options than the DCR-HC46, the next-most-advanced Sony MiniDV camcorder this year. The DCR-HC46 captures 1 MP stills at 1162 x 864; it doesn’t ship with the MemoryStick either. Or MemoryStick Duo?

Low Light Performance
As far as low light performance goes with this cam, we can pretty much expect similar results to last year’s DCR-HC90 - results that were substantially better than the infamous DCR-HC85, but still not spectacular. This will probably average out to be a decent camcorder which, if cheap enough, should be a solid buy. However, our tests will surely reveal some subtleties that may illuminate this camcorder’s unique nature.

VCR Mode
The DCR-HC96 provides a playback/editing mode accessible using the same mode selector as used for both recording modes, to card and tape. This mode is similar to the one on last year’s model, and features Click-to-DVD technology. This allows the user who buys a Sony Vaio Computer to export his captured footage directly to DVD using the included software.

LCD/Viewfinder
The DCR-HC96 features the same widescreen LCD featured on many Sony camcorders this year. The LCD is 2.7” in diagonal, and the widescreen feature can be switched on and off using the wide select button located on the LCD’s margin along with a secondary record button. The camcorder also features a 123K pixel color viewfinder. Unfortunately, the viewfinder only pulls directly back, instead of angling upwards.

Audio
The DCR-HC96 records 12 and 16 bit audio on its built-in stereo microphone located on the front of the camcorder. It lacks a microphone input, like so many other Sonys, which severely hinders the versatility of the camcorder’s audio functionality and means that any adjustment to the audio will have to happen after recording.

Handling
The DCR-HC96 has gone on a diet, as have all the update models from Sony this year. The design makes all the new MiniDV models (the DCR-HC26, DCR-HC36, DCR-HC46, and DCR-HC96) more portable than last year; however, handheld use might suffer, depending on the size of your hands. They will have to cram in and around the camcorder and might have problems reaching the zoom toggle comfortably.

There are two big pluses to the new body design of the DCR-HC96. One is the inclusion of a built-in lens cover, now making things less clumsy and more convenient; it’s one less thing to lug around or lose or choke on. Also, MiniDV tapes now load from the top which is a big step in convenience. Now, to change tapes during tripod use, the user no longer needs to take the camcorder off of the tripod.

Compression
The DCR-HC96, like the DCR-HC90 before it, uses DV compression, storing video on MiniDV tape at 29.97 frames per second. For still photos, the camcorder uses JPEG compression.

Media
The Sony DCR-HC96 accepts MiniDV tape and MemoryStick Duo media.

Editing
The DCR-HC96’s MiniDV format, as a well-established video media, can be edited more easily, that is to say “more universally,” than all of the emerging media (hard disc, DVD disc). This is made possible using the FireWire port located on the camcorder’s docking station.

Ports
The DCR-HC96 features the same ports as last year’s DCR-HC90. These include a LANC jack and an A/V output port located on the right side of the camcorder under a long slender port cover near the front of the body. There is no S-Video, headphone ports, or audio inputs. The camcorder’s Handycam docking station features a USB port, a FireWire port, a DC input, and an A/V Output.

Other Features
Built-in flash --The DCR-HC96 features a built-in flash that is operated by a button located on the back of the camcorder and is itself located on the front of the camcorder to the left of the lens.

Zebra Patterning - As found on last year’s DCR-HC90, zebra patterning is available on the DCR-HC96. This feature, able to be set on two levels of intensity (70 and 100), shows zebra strips on areas of overexposure during on-camcorder visualization via either the LCD or the viewfinder.

Guideframes - Another feature carried over from last year’s DCR-HC90, Guideframes places a tic-tac-toe design, in white, over the screen during on-camcorder visualization. This allows the user to line up their composition more precisely.

Handycam Docking Station - Like some of the other Sony MiniDV camcorders this year, the DCR-HC96 ships with a Handycam docking station which allows for easy support during connection to either a VCR/DVD player or computer. The station itself plugs into a strip on the underside of the DCR-HC96 and features duplicates of all the camcorder’s ports, making for easier connectivity.

Telemacro - The Telemacro feature, also found on last year’s DCR-HC90, among other Sony camcorders, extends the zoom to its fullest extent. The user adjusts the zoom toggle and the cam locks focus onto an extremely close object, making macro recording easier and more convenient to achieve. This is good for recording bugs on flowers, as advertised in the manual.

Conclusion
If you buy the new DCR-HC96 instead of last year’s HC90, you’ll get a more compact camcorder (for better or worse), Click-to-DVD technology, and a built-in automatic lens cover. But that’s about it. The camcorder features the same imager as last year’s model, the same mediocre manual control options, and the same other features.

The lack of upgrades on this camcorder is surely a sign that Sony is moving in the direction of the more fringe media of DVD and hard disc camcorders. That’s where the money is going, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see less and less of these MiniDV camcorders next year. The good thing is that these MiniDV camcorders still offer the best editing compatibility and better compression (or lack thereof) than either DVD or hard disc camcorders. However, this year, their video quality, due to un-upgraded imagers, may fall by the wayside if DVD and hard disk continue to receive all the innovation.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 6:47 PM - 0 comments

Monday, January 09, 2006
Sony DCR-SR100
Sony’s new DCR-SR100 is a big step for the company, signifying its entrance into the hard disk camcorder market. Usually at the forefront of innovation, Sony has lagged in this department, as Panasonic and JVC have already released media camcorders. While most hard disk camcorders so far have been obsessed with portability and cosmetic sparkle, neglecting of more practical things like video quality and good handling, the DCR-SR100 seems to address these concerns well and convincingly, at least in the handling department. We’ll have to wait and see if the video performance stacks up.

Video Performance
The DCR-SR100 is equipped with a 1/3” 3000K Advanced HAD CCD with a Primary Color Filter, with slightly less pixels than last year’s DCR-PC1000 and DCR-HC90. We don’t know what to think about this Primary Color Filter business, but it will probably improve things a bit, which would be a welcomed effect considering the testing results of the PC1000 and HC90. At the same time, this imager is also close to that of the DCR-DVD405 in scope. It will be interesting to see how all these cams compare.

Compared to other hard disk camcorders, such as the Panasonic SDR-S100 and the JVC GZ-MG70, the DCR-SR100 seems like it can hold its own quite well. While it lacks the three CCDs of the Panasonic, it has more pixels than the JVC and takes comparable stills with the best of ’em. Unfortunately, it lacks the S-Video and headphone ports of the Panasonic, but it includes analog inputs. For a hard disk camcorder, the DCR-SR100 is extremely large, compared to JVC’s Everios. This could be a double-edged sword, especially if you’re into portability; however, the DCR-SR100 has a handsome sturdy feel, in my opinion, making it perfect for handheld use. Stay tuned for testing of its actual video.

The Front
The front of the DCR-SR100 features the end of its monstrous lens barrel. The body of the camcorder has much in common with the body type of the DCR-DVD405 and DCR-DVD505, which basically means that is a horizontal, barrel-oriented camcorder, similar to, the Panasonic PV-GS400. In fact, the DCR-SR100 may feature the same lens featured on the new DCR-DVD405. The specs look similar. The camcorder also features a similar flash to that featured on the DCR-DVD405 and last year’s DCR-PC1000.

The Right Side
The right side of the DCR-SR100 is pretty handsome, if I may say so. Because this is where the hands rests during recording, it is largely bare of any function controls, other than the camcorder’s remote jack. This large slab is striped with a large path of lighter gray on which the intense lettering “HDD” rests. The camcorder’s strap runs along the bottom of the right side, as well.

The Back
The back of the DCR-SR100 is unique in its square shape. The camcorder’s battery pack, usually vertically placed, is horizontal here. The camcorder’s color viewfinder is located above this, but can only extend directly backwards, not upwards. But guys, guys, at least it has a viewfinder. JVC’s Everios do not. To the right of the battery is an unfortunately slender record button. Nearby are the recognizable LED buttons indicating whether you are recording to card or hard disc, or playing back. Above these is a handsome mode dial, whose good looks make up for a certain flimsiness. One bump and you might switch to a mode you’re not too happy about.

The Left Side
The left side of the DCR-SR100 features the camcorder’s widescreen LCD screen (2.7”)—not quite as big as the DCR-DVD505’s, but still quite impressive. Below the LCD panel is a narrow port cover revealing the camcorder’s A/V, USB, and DC input. The NightShot switch and backlight button are located to the left of this panel. Under the LCD screen are a number of buttons including the Wide Select (which switches between 4:3 and 16:9 on the LCD), Easy mode, display/battery info, and DVD Burn, a button which allows for quick burning from the hard disc to DVD using the supplied software.

The Top
The top of the DCR-SR100 features the camcorder’s four channel built-in microphone. Behind this is Sony’s custom accessory shoe, into which can fit another optional microphone allowing for Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Behind this shoe is the camcorder’s NightShot switch. On the top of the camcorder there is also the DVD mechanism opening switch, the camcorder’s zoom toggle, and photo button.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Automatic control on Sonys is notoriously good, though always at the sacrifice of available manual control. On the DCR-SR100, these trends remain in place. The camcorder shows a fine ability to focus and adjust shutter speed and exposure accurately. The camcorder also features an Easy mode, accessible within its touch screen menu system. This basically puts the camcorder on auto pilot.

Overall Manual Control
Overall, manual control on the Sony DCR-SR100 is poor, though just as poor as the other upper-end Sony camcorders this year, the DCR-DVD505 and the DCR-HC96. All three camcorders, while containing quality imagers and solid audio, still suffer from the same lack of manual control as last year’s camcorders. Sony’s spot metering and spot focusing options are available on the camcorder as well.

Zoom
The DCR-SR100 has a 10x optical 120x digital zoom, similar to that of its two main competitors, the Panasonic SDR-S100 and the JVC GZ-MG70. The best part about the zoom on the DCR-SR100, however, is its toggle. Smooth and unobstructed zooms are readily available using this little guy, so much so that it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up in tiny quivering waves. Similar excellent toggles are found on most new Sony camcorders this year.

Focus
Manual focus on the DCR-SD100 is similar to that found on the other two high-end Sony camcorders this year, the DCR-DVD505 and the DCR-HC96. While Sony has included actual focal length measurements during adjustment, the adjustment itself is still cumbersome, annoying, and ultimately flawed. This is primarily due to Sony’s continuing insistent that their touch screen menu is the best thing since sliced bread. I for one am not of that opinion, and I’m sure plenty of others aren’t either.

To adjust focus, the user must tap their way to access it as an option (a process little aided by the customization of the menu) and then tap the cursor along a horizontal meter, shaking the image. Bad news; it would be nice to be able to adjust focus during recording without immediately screwing up the recorded image.

Exposure (Aperture)
The same problems with the touch screen menu system plague manual exposure adjustment on the DCR-SR100, and while this is perhaps less of a problem with exposure than with focus, this subtle positive is immediately negated by the fact that again neither shutter speed rates or F-stops are displayed. Rather, we are left with a horizontal meter and cursor. Humbug.

Shutter Speed
There is no manual shutter speed on the DCR-SR100, continuing the trend this year of Sony concentrating on the cosmetic and imaging specifications on their camcorders rather than control.

White Balance
Standard Sony white balance options (auto, indoor, outdoor, and one push) are available on the DCR-SR100 through its touch screen menu system.

Gain
There are no manual gain options on the DCR-SR100.

Still Features
The DCR-SR100 is sure to capture tons of stills on the 30GB disc space. They can be captured at up to 3MP in both 4:3 and widescreen modes. The maximum resolution for a 3MP still is 2016 x 1134. This is better than the JVC GZ-MG70 which captures stills at 2.12 MP. Other still options include 1.9 MP stills and 0.3 MP stills. All of the manual controls available in video mode are available in still photo mode.

Low Light Performance
With an imager similar to that of the DCR-DVD405, we’re expecting good things from this guy. Certainly, the DCR-DVD403 of last year offered good video, and with a suspected better imager this year, both the DCR-DVD405 and the DCR-SR100 top the list for Sony’s new camcorders as far as imaging specs go. We’ll see if they compare to similarly-priced 3 CCD results. This could be the breaking point for video performance on non-MiniDV cams. Stay tuned for a barrage of testing results.

VCR Mode
The playback mode on the DCR-SR100 is accessible through the camcorder’s mode dial, which is adjusted on the back of the camcorder. Sony has overhauled the design of their playback modes this year, making them cosmetically more appealing with improved graphics and whatnot. Stills and video clips, which play like clips in a DVD player menu, are thumbnailed, and you must tap on the screen to navigate among them. The camcorder can be connected to a computer using its USB port, and to a VCR or DVD player using the A/V outputs.

LCD/Viewfinder
The DCR-SR100 features the same 2.7” widescreen LCD found on the DCR-DVD505 and many of Sony’s more expensive camcorders of this year and last year. The widescreen function can be turned on and off with the wide select button found under the LCD screen. When deselected this feature places black bars on the left and right of the LCD image, called pillar boxing, which adjusts the screen for an image in 4:3 form. The LCD itself is Sony’s best, barring the 3.5” screens found on the HDR-FX1, last year’s DCR-PC55, and this year’s DCR-DVD505. Sonys in general are known for their quality LCD screens which minimize solarization, and this year that trend continues as no other manufacturer seems to match them.

Audio
The DCR-SR100 features the same Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound capability found on other Sony camcorders this year (DCR-DVD505, DCR-DVD405) and last year’s DCR-DVD403. Note that this is cam is 5.1-ready, not built-in. The included mic is a four-channel; the fifth channel is added when you attach the optional microphone to Sony’s custom accessory shoe on the top of the camcorder. Users can monitor the four-channel mic on the LCD. I recommend not buying this camcorder for the surround sound feature alone; it’s gimmicky and bound to be less quality than what you’re thinking. An important point on the SDR-SR100 is that it doesn't include a microphone input or a headphone out jack - a bit setback when it comes to audio options.

Handling
The handling on the DCR-SR100 is perhaps one of its best qualities, and certainly one that sets it drastically apart from JVC’s Everio series, and other more portable hard drive based camcorders. There has been a binary existing in the camcorder market between handling and portability that doesn’t seem to produce a mid-range, neutral solution. The DCR-SR100 certainly falls more on the handling side of things; its certainly less portable than the Everio series, though with much better handling. Its handling is similar to that of the lens barrel-oriented Sony camcorders this year, namely the more expensive DCR-DVD505 and DCR-DVD405. This orientation, and overhauled design, provides a lot of room for the hand to wrap, offering a snugger, sturdier, more confident handling experience. It’s wonderful.

The zoom toggle on the DCR-SR100 is also top-notch, though its placement remains the only serious detriment to the camcorder’s handling. The fact that this toggle doesn’t fall directly under the index finger reduces the user’s ability to comfortably and confidently adjust zoom on the fly.

Compression
Compression, media, and editing ability have notoriously caused problem in the recently-arrived hard disk camcorder genre. I have a feeling similar problems have always reared their grizzly mugs following recent ground-breaking technologies. The DCR-SR100 does makes steps towards fixing problems of compatibility in formatting video files. Sony creates files with an .MPG extension rather than JVC’s obtuse .MOD files, but complications still exist in the audio sphere. Some audio/video playback programs may lose the audio portion of a clip. Hopefully, these problems will be corrected as Microsoft, RealMedia, and other companies update their players with codecs that support the video shot by the SDR-S100.

The DCR-SR100 includes the same compression engine as the DCR-DVD403, with variable bit rates of 9 Mbps at top quality, 6 Mbps in SP mode, and 3 Mbps in LP mode. The automatic adjustment of the bit rate allows for the maximum amount of recorded footage and a longer battery life.

Media
The DCR-SR100 captures data onto MemoryStick Duo PRO and a 30GB built-in (non-removable) hard disk. This hard disk allows seven hours of the highest quality video to be captured, a great improvement on past hard disk camcorders, though one made at the sacrifice of portability.

Editing
Sony completes the DCR-SR100 with an included DVD burning and software package which might offer some rudimentary editing programs, though we didn’t chance to investigate it; we’re not expecting anything spectacular, however. The camcorder does include a specific button designed for burning straight to DVD from the camcorder itself. This button is located underneath the LCD screen.

Ports
The ports of the DCR-SR100 are primarily located on a panel below the LCD panel on the left side of the camcorder. They include from left to right: A/V input/output, USB, and DC input. There is a remote jack on the right side of the camcorder, and Sony’s custom accessory shoe on its top.

Other Features
PictBridge --This technology makes for easier transfer from camcorder to printer directly, in case you don’t have a computer handy, but you happen to have a printer.

Super NightShot Sony’s infrared NightShot mode is available using a switch located on the left side of the camcorder.

Video Stream Buffer Protection --This feature protects from footage loss, during a shake-up for instance. Footage is saved on buffer memory, then restored to the original file in its proper place .

Primary Color Filter Don’t really know what to make of this one. It could aid still performance definitely, but how and to what extent, we can only find out through testing. I can say though that it’s extremely common on digital still cameras.

Conclusion
It is interesting indeed that one of the highest camcorders both in price and in imager quality this year for Sony is the DCR-SR100, a hard disc camcorder. Are they trying to usher in a newer technology, more state-of-the-art than MiniDV tape, and yet more practical and professional than mini DVD disc? Will it catch on? Are they testing the waters with this one? Perhaps we can make some more conclusive predictions once the video performance of this bad boy is tested. After all, video performance is the deal breaker. Still performance, handling, manual control, and gimmicky audio aside, video is the main priority of any camcorder, and ultimate judgment will be ultimately dependent on it.

The DCR-SR100 is the first competitor to JVC's Everio hard drive camcorders which have been available for almost a year. Those new hard drive camcorders are where JVC sees the future of the industry, much like the audio industry has gone the way of hard drives with the iPod. Sony seems to be testing the waters of this new market with their DCR-SR100. Sony's entrance into the format will certainly boost it up, much like they did with their entrance to the DVD camcorder market. The quality specs point to the Sony possibly beating the JVC high end Everios in performance, however we'll have to see how the test results look. Lastly, the biggest problem with hard drive camcorders is where you put your video once you've filled up the hard drive. JVCs has solved this problem with a direct to DVD burner, and it might be the critical piece in the hard drive camcorder puzzle that will shuttle the format forward. Sony doesn't have that same support, but, as a big DVD company it doesn't seem that far away.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 8:45 PM - 0 comments

Sanyo VPC-HD1
This camcorder made quite a splash at CES. All I can say is that it’s fitting for such a gimmicky camcorder to win an award at a convention. Seas of advertising, models in stringy things, and men with the cameras to capture them. Sound good?

Maybe not. This camcorder comes from the line of portable, SD-recording camcorders put out by Sanyo/Fisher, and if this new guy, HD or not, follows in the footsteps of the Fisher FC1, of which it looks remarkably similar, we’re in for a disappointment. Maybe even a return of the award. Or just the camcorders. We’ll see, but the signs don’t bode well for the Xacti HD1. We know that the marketing and legal departments call this thing HD, but it's MPEG4 and 9 Megabits per second data rate turn that into more of a technicality than fact.

Video Performance
This is really what it all comes down to, and it's coming first. The Xacti, the smallest camcorder ever to shoot HD, seems too perfect, not necessarily as a device as much as a marketing ploy for Sanyo this year, to be true. It certainly doesn’t hurt the company to put out the smallest HD camcorder ever, but we’ll see if the video is worth a darn. Otherwise, this might be a one-hit wonder, similar to the Fisher FC1 that proceeded it.

The Xacti HD1 includes a 1/2.5” CCD. It houses 5.36 megapixels, and captures video at variety of different levels. The user can toggle between HD and SD capture by way of a button under the LCD of the camcorder. In HD mode, the camcorder can capture video at 1280 x 720 (30 fps, 9 Mbps) and 1280 x 720 (30 fps, 6 Mbps) at Super High Quality and High Quality HD video, respectively. In SD mode, the camcorder can capture video at 640 x 480 (60 fps, 6 Mbps), 640 x 480 (30 fps, 3 Mbps), 640 x 480 (30 fps, 2 Mbps), and 320 x 240 (15 fps).

For a frame of reference, Sony’s HDR-HC1, their lowest-priced HD camcorder designed for consumers, features a 4:3-aspect, 1/3-inch CCD and features 1.49 effective megapixels in legacy 4:3 MiniDV video mode and 1.98 effective megapixels in 16:9 HDV video mode. The Xacti HD1 doesn’t shoot in widescreen mode or feature an effect for such a feat either. The Sony HDR-HC1 has a datarate of 25 Megabits per second while the Sanyo has a data rate of 9 Megabits per second. Which one do you think is better?

It’s really hard to know how this camcorder is going to perform, but all the signs point to poorly. Its great-great-great-grandfather, the Fisher FC1, which also sold for eight hundred bones back in the day, shipped with a 1/2.7” CCD with 3.2 gross MP, which was tremendous for a camcorder at the time, but its video performance was for the birds. We’ll never really know until we get it in the testing room. Stay tuned.

The Front
The front of the Xacti HD is pretty barren. It features the termination of the camcorder’s lens barrel, which is tilted upwards, as on the Fisher FC1. The camcorder’s infrared sensor is located below the termination of the lens barrel.

The Right Side
The right side of the Xacti HD1 features the camcorder’s battery slot, a slider-opened panel. The camcorder’s speaker is located above this panel. Above this and inching towards the side of the flash are the silver button for popping up the flash, and the rubber port cover.

The Back
The back of the Xacti HD1 is the main control panel for the camcorder. It features the main controlling device, the camcorder’s joystick and the button to enter the camcorder’s menu system. Below these buttons is the switch to toggle between record and playback modes. Below this switch, the user will finder the camcorder’s SD media port, covered by a small panel door. Towards the top of the back of the Xacti HD1 are the camcorder’s two capture buttons, one for still photos and one for video. In the middle of these buttons is the camcorder’s zoom toggle.

The Left Side
The left side of the Xacti HD1 features the camcorder’s LCD screen which folds up and away from the bottom half of the left side. Featuring nothing besides the screen on the folding panel itself, the Xacti HD1 features three buttons underneath this panel. They include the camcorder’s on/off button, the button to toggle between normal and HD shooting, and a button to switch to burst mode if capturing photos.

The Top
The top of the Xacti HD1 features the camcorder’s pop-up flash along with the button to pop it up. Along with this is the camcorder’s external microphone port covered by a small, round rubber port cover. All of the camcorder is covered in quality, sturdy gray metal, which is accentuated with streaks of silver and grayer metal portions. Overall, the camcorder is much sturdier than the earlier Fisher FC1; it has the feel of a top shelf camcorder in the body of the lowest of the low.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
The Xacti features automatic options for every manual option it has and usually a few preset options as well. Auto Exposure (AE) presets include: auto, sports, portrait, nightview, landscape, fireworks, and lamp, and can be selected in the menu system. Whichever mode you chose is linked to the Program option for manual exposure control on the camcorder; when one of the other exposure modes (explained below) such as Aperture or Shutter is selected, the Program AE feature deactivates.

There are automatic controls for both shutter speed and aperture as well as white balance available in the menu system, and these automatic adjustments seems okay, though not quite as good as Sony’s automatic controls. On such a small camcorder, adjustments aren’t expected to be stellar, but for an HD camcorder, I was hoping for something a little better.

Three Spot metering options exist for exposure in order to help guide the camcorder in its automatic adjustments, which is kinda nice. They include Multi-point, central-area, and Single-spot metering, and are available in the menu system. Also in the menu system are focal metering options of 5-point auto focus and spot auto-focus. Automatic options for ISO also exist.

Overall Manual Control
For such a small camcorder, the manual control options are impressive. When we get this bad boy into the testing tent, we’ll be able to give you a better estimate as to exactly how good these options are, but as of right now they seem comparable in scope to those of the JVC Everio series, though perhaps slightly more expansive.

The Xacti HD1 offers manual control over focus, exposure (both shutter and aperture), and white balance, and while it is amazing for such a small camcorder to feature such a wealth of control, it also wouldn't be taken seriously as an HD camcorder if it didn’t.

Zoom
With 10x optical and 100x digital, you can really feel the zoom in this little guy. I can’t say whether the motor noise will show up on the audio track, but we had a huge problem with motor noise on Fisher’s FC1 (made by the same company) a couple years ago; that camcorder had a design remarkably similar to this Sanyo’s. Our testing should reveal whether or not this is the case. Fortunately, if motor noise is a problem because of the optical zoom, at least you can purchase an external microphone and hook it up to the microphone jack on this little beast. Perhaps anticipation of this motor noise problem prompted the jack’s inclusion; after all, I think this is the smallest camcorder to feature an external microphone.

Focus
The Xacti HD1 features a variety of focusing modes, both auto and manual. Inside the camcorder’s menu system are four manual focus options. They include: standard range, full range, “MF”—manual focus, and macro. Standard, full, and macro options function almost as presets, or windows to govern the automatic and manual focus ranges of the camcorder. MF allows users to manually adjust focus using the joystick. It has 22 steps.

When not in the menu system, users can press down on the joystick, towards the little flower icon, in order to engage manual focus. This appears as a horizontal meter on the bottom of the LCD screen. While a bit cumbersome to use, especially with only the LCD screen for “eye-balling” adjustment, it is nice to have manual focus so close at hand. Such a small joystick with so much control…

For still capture, the Xacti features two auto focus modes, 5 point and Spot, switchable in the menu system.

Exposure (Aperture)
There are multiple exposure adjustments available on the Xacti HD1. The first is a simple exposure offset system, easily accessible using the camcorder’s joystick. To engage the offset system, the user presses to the right on the joystick, and then can toggle, either left or right, moving a cursor across a meter from lighter to darker. The offset system range is from +/-1.8 EV at 0.3 EV increments.

The camcorder also features typical manual exposure with standard F-stop steps. To engage manual F-stop adjustment, the user must set the manual exposure mode in the menu system. Four modes are available: Program, which adjusts exposure according to Program AE; Shutter, which allows for manual adjustment of the shutter with F-stop automatically compensating; Aperture, which allows for F-Stop manual adjustment with shutter automatically compensating; and Manual, which allows for manual adjustment of both shutter and aperture. The F-stop range is from f/6.8 to f/3.5.

The Xacti HD1 also features three exposure measuring modes, so you can select how you want the camcorder to adjust exposure. It then does so automatically. These modes include multi (for metering across the entire frame), center (for central metering), and spot (for single spot metering).

Shutter Speed
Manual shutter speed rates for still photographs include 1/2-1/2000 of a second. In the burst shooting mode, rates from 1/15-1/2000 exist when the flash is not used, and from 1/30-1/2000 when it is used. A maximum four second shutter speed is available, which is what Sanyo calls “lamp” mode. For video recording, manual shutter speed levels from 1/30-1/10000 exist. Shutter speed is adjusted using the camcorder’s joystick to select manual shutter speed in the camcorder’s menu system. Users then adjust the rate by moving the joystick, as in exposure adjustment. To manually control the shutter the user must be in either the Shutter or the Manual exposure modes.

White Balance
A number of white balance options exist on the Xacti HD1, as on the JVC Everio camcorders. These options include a number of automatic modes, some of which act like exposure presets in that they anticipate certain environments and light temperatures. Presets and Automatic modes include: Auto (full auto TTL), Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, and Incandescent. Full manual white balance adjustment is available as the Sampling option.

White balance must be searched out and adjusted in the camcorder’s menu system using the joystick.

Gain
There is no manual gain option on the Xacti HD1, though a number of ISO features exist (see other features).

Still Features
With its 5.36 MP CCD, the Xacti HD1 can apparently capture ten megapixel stills (10MP--3680 x 2760). There has got to be some interpolation going on here. More believable are the five megapixel stills (5MP--2595 x 1944), the two megapixel stills (2MP--1600 x 1200), the one point two megapixel stills (1.2MP--1280 x 960), and the point three megapixel stills (0.3MP--640 x 480). To be frank, this camcorder’s still performance may be able to pull it out of the garbage if its video performance and low light performance sucks. The camcorder is small enough to provide excellent portability, like any five megapixel point-and-shoot digital camera, and with the added bonus of taking (albeit possibly mediocre) HD video on the side, it might be a decent buy as a hybrid. That said, eight hundred dollars is quite a lot for a hybrid, especially after the charm of having the world’s smallest HD camcorder wears off.

The Xacti HD1 does feature some still features worth noting however. It offers manual ISO adjustment, with options of 50, 100, 200, 400, and when in lamp mode, 3600. When video is being captured ISO levels of 200-800 are available when it is adjusted automatically and 200-1600 when it is adjusted manually. There are different flash modes, too; auto, forced, off, and red-eye, with a slow synchro mode possible in Night View mode. All of the other manual controls used in video mode are available during still capture, especially because there is no difference between still and video capture modes.

One last big downside, however. No card is included with the camcorder.

Low Light Performance
As with video performance, it’s hard to know what to make out of this bad boy. If we take the Fisher FC1 as a precedent, the Xacti HD1’s low light performance should be horrendous. But, then again, we’ll never know until we try. And rest assured, we will.

Either way, this could be the camcorder’s biggest weakness, even taking motor noise and storage space into consideration. It’s hard to believe that this camcorder will be able to top the HDR-HC1’s low light performance, to say nothing of the Sony’s other features, and it’s really not all that more expensive; I mean, if you can shell out $800 for something smaller than your own hand. I know that’s a bad analogy, but you get the point. We’ll just have to wait and see, but I’m not holding out much hope.

VCR Mode
The playback mode of the Xacti HD is pretty handsome. The mode is accessed by a switch on the back of the camcorder, which switches between record and playback. When switched to playback mode, captured footage of both still images and movie fill the LCD screen. And while they are not laid out in a thumbnail grid for your visual pleasure, there is a nifty playback visualization option which is used to play, pause, fast forward, or rewind each segment.

LCD/Viewfinder
The Xacti HD1 features a 2.2-inch Organic Light-Emitting Diode Display (210K pixels). It has four levels of brightness and can rotate 285 degrees. This is a slightly bigger display than the Fisher FC1's (1.5”). This new verbiage ("Organic") surrounding the screen is hard to place. They’re saying it offers a clearer picture and that “Trademark features of OLED display technology are expanded viewing angles and up to 5,000 times faster response speed when compared with conventional display technologies, enabling smooth playback of rapid movements.” We’ll see. There is no viewfinder.

Audio
The Xacti HD1 features a built-in stereo mic located on the front side of the LCD screen, and a built-in mono speaker located on the right side of the camcorder. Fortunately, the camcorder also features an external microphone port located on the top of the camcorder behind the flash. There is no shoe, but an external microphone might be the saving grace for this camcorder’s salability, as the noise of the camcorder’s optical zoom engine could be diverted from its path toward your audio track. We found extreme motor noise in the similarly-designed Fisher FC1.

Handling
The handling of the Xacti HD1 suffers from the same problems that the Fisher FC1 did, though it’s not quite as bad. The Xacti HD1 largely features an identical design to the Fisher, which may contribute to some gnarly motor noise; however, some alterations have been made. The main one is the move of the flash from a built-in place on the front of the camcorder to a flip-out compartment on the top. Overall, the Xacti HD1 feels a lot sturdier than the Fisher too, featuring a lot less plastic and a lot more metal. The zoom toggle is than the Fisher, a lot worse than many much much much cheaper camcorders.

Compression
The Xacti HD1 captures still photos in the JPEG (DCFI, DPOF2, and Exif Ver 2.23) format. Video is captured in standard MPEG-4 compression, and JPEG (DCF, DPOF, Exif Ver 2.2). This video is compressed much more than that of MiniDV tape, which will no doubt affect its quality. MPEG4 camcorders traditionally over compress video to make it look really bad. The decent flash and hard drive camcorders on the market, including Panasonic's SDR-S100, use MPEG2, not MPEG4. Also, the next-most-expensive HD camcorder, Sony’s recent HDR-HC1, captures video with MPEG-2 compression to fit onto MiniDV tape. We've also mentioned that the data rate is a third of the Sony. After watching some of Sanyo's booth demo video, although it's not a formal test, it confirms that the video doesn't look great and is highly compressed.

Media
The Xacti HD1 records all of its data onto SD Memory Card, which is perhaps one of the biggest drawbacks to the camcorder. We all know how expensive 2GB SD cards are, and a full 2GB SD card can only hold 28 minutes and 45 sec of highest quality HD video. Recording to SD also seems to be what is limiting it's data rate to such a slow speed.

Editing
A highly successful method of editing HDV footage is certainly still in the works, though progress is being made every day. Unfortunately, for a camcorder that records HD video to SD card, your footage might be a bit harder to be easily incorporated into the editing scene. Editing capabilities for camcorders capturing HD footage onto tape will probably be tackled first. And also, though the video and manual control are pushing the limits, this cam is designed for point-and-shooters (read: those who won't edit their video) which makes it even more unlikely that a good workable editing solution will soon be found.

Ports
The Sanyo HD1 has ports for S-Video and composite out, and can handle both NTSC and PAL. There is also a stereo audio out. The Sanyo doesn't have a USB port on its body, but there is a USB 2.0 port on the docking station.

Other Features
Digital Filter: The FC1 also offers a few digital filter effects, such as standard, cosmetic, monochrome, and sepia.

Conclusion
If I had to say yes or no without having any official testing results, I’m thinking... no. Much of this conclusion is based on my estimate of the horrible video performance, and then noticing other glaring flaws on the periphery. All I can say is, thank you for the external microphone port, because I’m expecting some bad motor noise from the optical zoom. That means you’ll have to buy an external microphone with this critter, which cuts down on the portability that this camcorder flaunts. Add to the list of extra purchases an SD card--better make that a 2GB SD card-- wait, better yet, make that as many SD cards as your budget can afford, because you’re going to need them for the amount of video this thing can record. But then again, if you can shell out eight hundred dollars for such a gimmicky camcorder maybe you can afford so many cards and an extra microphone anyway. Advice for the less financially fortunate among us: save up and buy the HDR-HC1. In six months it will be cheaper than it is now, and that's a safer bet than the Xacti HD1.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 8:42 PM - 0 comments

Canon Elura 100
Since Canon only released one camcorder in the Elura series this year to replace the entire line (of three models from last year), one has to wonder if its not just the Eluras nearing extinction, but Canon MiniDV camcorders themselves. This camcorder is thinner than last year’s models. Unfortunately, Canon also scaled back the size of the CCD, as well as its still resolution capabilities. These losses will undoubtedly affect the Elura 100’s performance. Still, it’s not all bad news. The most significant improvement is an easy navigable menu system rather than a slew of external buttons cluttering the frame. But will this lone camcorder sufficiently represent for the whole Elura title?

Video Performance
The conditions at CES do not allow for a thorough examination of camcorder performance, but we can deduce potential performance results from the camcorder’s specs and the history of the series itself. The Elura 100 has a 1/5” CCD with 1.3 MP gross and a 690K effective pixel count. This model sports an even smaller imager than last year’s lowest-end Elura 80, which had a 1.4/5” CCD. The pixel count is the same, at 1.3 MP gross pixels, but the physical chip size will certainly have to affect the performance, particularly in low light. The parent models performed relatively well in bright light settings. On the CES floor this camcorder displayed bright, and sharp images. It seemed to present fairly accurate and potent colors.

This model’s imager is superior to the imagers on its entry level competitors, the Sony DCR-HC36 and the Panasonic PV-GS59. These two only offer a 1/6” CCD with 680K gross pixels. It will be interesting to see how they perform under more rigorous tests.

The Front
The front of the camcorder has a slim 2.2” frame. A 20x optical zoom lens sits at the front of the Elura 100, with the Mega Video light to its immediate left. (The Mega Video light is simply two small LED lights.) A stereo microphone adorned in silver rests below the lens at the camcorder’s foot.

The Back
A small and immobile viewfinder rests at the back of the Elura 100. Canon has removed the battery from the back in order to cram as many features and buttons as possible here. The most significant feature is a small, gray joystick that protrudes from out of the back of the camcorder. Below the joystick is a tiny function menu button. A light gray switch, that transitions the camcorder from Easy mode to P mode (The Manual option for Canon Camcorders), rests at the very bottom of this model’s rear. The camcorder’s mode dial is stationed on the right of the rear, with a metallic silver button protruding from its center. Another switch (this one for video/card), Widescreen and LCD Backlight buttons rest underneath the mode dial. It looks as crowded as it sounds.

The Right
With the exception of an SD card slot that is clinging to the edge near the front, the MiniDV mechanism occupies most of the available real estate on the right side of this model’s shrunken body. A small gray hand strap envelopes the entire right side.

The Left
The 2.7” widescreen LCD provides shelter to most of the functions on the left side of the Elura 100. This year, the camcorder’s battery has been thinned and flattened to fit into the LCD cavity. While this battery occupies less space, its location heats up the camcorder and causes slight discomfort. The FireWire and USB ports are housed to the right of the battery. Near the left side of the lens barrel sits the built-in lens cover switch.

The Top
The top of the camcorder consists of the lens barrel and the DVD mechanisms to its right with a small cluster of features resting on its surface. The eject button is embedded on the top of the DVD mechanism towards the front, and group of features, decorated in metallic silver, assemble towards the back Elura’s top: the Pict Bridge button, Zoom Toggle, Light button, and Photo button.

Automatic Control
Canon has offered an Easy mode which allows the camcorder to make all control decisions over the quality of the image. This feature is ideal for beginners and point-and-shooters, who wish the cam to take over on exposure, shutter speed, white balance, and 9-Point AiAF Auto focus. The Easy mode is activated by a small switch beneath the joystick on the back of the camcorder. On the CES floor, the camcorder made adequate adjustments. The only noticeable issue with the Easy mode was its inability to swiftly adjust focus when the camcorder was near full zoom capacity. The Elura 100 lagged for several agonizing seconds, straining to achieve the correct focal adjustments.

Manual Control
All manual control adjustments are initiated through the menu and utilized with a small joystick protruding on the back of the camcorder. With the Elura 100, the user can manually control white balance, shutter speed, exposure and focus with greater ease than with previous models. In the past manual control options had to be made through external buttons. This year’s implementation of the joystick makes it easier achieve manual control adjustments. Unfortunately the elimination of these external buttons has created an extensive menu. Locating and utilizing the desired manual control is a very time consuming process.

The Elura 100 features two menus; the function menu and the general, administrative menu. The function menu is accessed by pressing the Function button underneath the joystick at the back of the camcorder. This menu will bring features such as White balance, Image Quality, Image effect. A general menu lies at the bottom of the function menu, which will bring up overall camera features. It will take some time before one can figure out the where, and the how of these menu options.

Zoom
The camcorder is equipped with a 20x optical zoom and 800x digital zoom. Its Sony competitors, the DCR-HC26 and HC36, share similar zoom specs. The Elura 100 has four options for controlling zoom speeds. Found in the menu, this allows you to select the speed and fix it, no matter how hard you push the zoom toggle. Speed 3 allows for fast zooms that can leap from one side of the room to the next in a single bound, while Speed 1 let you take nice slow zooms where the image leisurely crawls from point A to point B. Speed 2 is, as you might guess, is right in between. One can also disable this mode and choose the variable speed that lets you have complete autonomy on zoom.

Focus
Like all manual control functions, manual focus adjustments are made with the joystick: however the means of accessing this feature is different. Instead of going through the menu system by pressing the function key and scrolling to that menu, the user just presses down on the joystick. Adjustments are made by angling the joystick towards the portrait or landscape icon for the desired modification. This will cause some unwanted movement of the camcorder during these adjustments. The Elura 100 does not offer any true numerical value which prevents the user from making precise modifications. The user has eyeball whether the focal changes are accurate. This is a problem that plagues most entry to mid-level camcorders.

Exposure
Similar to focus, manual exposure is initiated by pressing down on the joystick. Exposure adjustments are made in EV stops, but no numerical system is provided. Adjusting the aperture in F-stops is not available. One must simply toggle between Exp+ and Exp– icons superimposed at the bottom left corner of the screen.

Shutter Speed
The Elura 100 offers these manual shutter speeds: 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, and 1/2000. To access the shutter speeds, one must press the small function button, scroll down the function menu into the general menu, choose camera setup, choose Shutter Speed, and finally scroll down to the desired shutter speed. The adjustments will surely take up some time. By the time you’ve made the adjustment, your subject may have long since left the frame.

A Slow Shutter Speed feature is also available. This function will set a slow shutter speed that will allow more time for light to pass through the aperture, therefore making a brighter image. No numerical value is offered for the Slow Shutter feature. Last year’s Elura 80 had its Slow Shutter Speed was fixed at 1/30. Canon was unable to confirm if this year’s model had a fixed or variable shutter speed in this mode.

White Balance
In the function menu of the Elura 100, users can set the white balance to Daylight, Tungsten, and Evaluative (manual). Once you toggle to the desired setting, press down on the joystick to initiate the adjustments.

Gain
One cannot adjust manual gain with the Elura 100, as is the case with most entry level camcorders. The Panasonic PV-GS59, the top Panasonic cam in their 2006 MiniDV series, offers manual gain ranging from 0dB to 18dB.

Low Light Performance
The show floors at CES limit one’s ability to truly test a camcorder in varying lighting conditions. Based on the camcorder’s imaging arsenal, one can at least speculate to its possibilities.

One of the frustrations with the low-end Eluras has been that their low light performance leaves something to be desired. In dim lighting conditions the Elura 80 produced fairly bright images with good color representation. Unfortunately, the image was plagued by a significant amount of noise. The new Elura 100, which has an inferior imager to its predecessors, will most likely share the similar problems in low light. The camcorder’s Mega Video Light (2 LED lights on the front of the camcorder) will offer some help in undesirable lighting conditions, but how much remains yet to be seen.

Still Features
The Elura 100 can capture stills at a maximum resolution of 1152 x 864 onto an SD/MMC card. The Eluras of CES past were able to capture stills at higher resolutions. This model offers greater still resolutions than other camcorders in the same price range. The Panasonic PV-GS59 and the Sony equivalent the DCR-HC36 captures still at the standard 640 x 480 still resolution on their respective media. Canon has decided to omit an SD card or MMC card slot with its low-end camcorders.

While the Elura 100 is lacking certain attributes from its parent models, it has acquired some new features as well. A new Motor Drive mode has been installed in this camcorder that allows it to capture up to 5 stills per second. The camcorder has a bracketing mode that takes 3 pictures, all with slight changes in exposure. The same manual control options are offered in both video and still mode.

VCR Mode
Users of the Elura 100 can view their recorded images by turning the light gray mode dial to the playback icon. The joystick allows for quick and easy navigation through the captured footage. This is an improvement from the petite navigation buttons that were buried underneath the LCD in past years. Users had to fumble with the camcorder to achieve simple tasks (forward, rewind, etc.) Through the menu one can choose to view the image in either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio. One feature that is small in significance but equally appreciated is the volume control functions. You can adjust the levels on the speaker that sits atop the lens barrel.

LCD/Viewfinder
The Elura 100 has a 2.7” widescreen LCD with 123,000 pixels and a 0.3” color viewfinder displaying the same number of pixels. The LCD can rotate about 270 degrees. While the LCD’s mobility aids the user in making smooth transitions between high and low angle shots, one is limited by the slight distortion that occurs when the image is viewed at an angle. The viewfinder is the biggest hindrance to this model’s flexibility; it does not extend out towards the user, forcing the user to press his or her face against the back of the camcorder. It is difficult to access the menu or make adjustments over the quality of the image when your face is being nuzzled by the very buttons and joystick you need to use. The immobile color viewfinder plagues this year’s ZR series as well.

Audio
Audio is captured with a stereo microphone that rests underneath the lens on the front of the camcorder. The consumer can choose between 12 bit and 16 bit audio within the general menu system under Camera Set Up. A Microphone In port on top of the Elura 100 provides the option of recording audio with an external microphone. This petite camcorder does not have an accessory shoe, which means users will have to find an external bracket to hook the microphone to.

Handling
While the camcorder’s small frame makes it very portable, the thin design makes the camcorder a bit cumbersome to handle. The small buttons are huddled together in clusters throughout the camcorder’s body. The average adult will fumble with the miniature buttons as they do not fall directly underneath the thumb and index finger.

Although relatively cumbersome, the Elura 100’s design makes it easier to handle than past Eluras (e.g the Elura 90) because of the reduction in external buttons and the implementation of the joystick. In the past, one would have to juggle with the camcorder engage manual features, but now most of these adjustments can be made with the flick of ones thumb. Panasonic offers a similar joystick feature that sticks out further towards the user making it easier navigate with. Both options are more user friendly than the Sony Touch Screen menu system. Having to constantly tap on an LCD screen that is littered with menu options can be discouraging.

Compression
The Elura 100 has the standard MiniDV compression rate of 25 Mbps per second. The camcorder captures stills using JPEG compression in Superfine, Fine, and Normal qualities.

Media
Stills and video are recorded onto MiniDV tapes and SD cards, but that’s all we can tell you for now. Check back later for our full review, which will have an analysis of the Elura 100’s still performance as well.

Editing
The Elura 100 offers rudimentary on-camera editing features. Users can add black and white fades when transitioning between shots. The camcorder is shipped with a Video Digital Solution Disc that provides more elaborate editing options.

Ports
This model’s ports are scattered throughout its thin frame. The USB and FireWire ports are found underneath the LCD; while the Microphone In and AV ports sit on top of the camcorder. The SD card slot dwells beneath a gray port cover on the edge of the camcorder’s right side.

Other Features
Windscreen Mode - When shooting in windy conditions, the Windscreen Mode lowers audio frequencies and diminishes distortion. AV To DV The Elura 100 offers an AV to DV mode that allows users to dub and edit footage between two camcorders. Wide Mode With a push of a button on the back of the camcorder, the user can capture video in 16:9 aspect ratio.

Conclusion
The Elura 100 is the sole survivor of the Elura series. It has placed more emphasis on convenience and ease of use, and regressed in imager specs. Canon’s gamble is that the chic design, user-friendly joystick navigation system, and shiny new coating will appeal to you more than the need for great performance.

But this model’s navigation system is only easy in comparison’s to last year’s cumbersome design. Trimming the imager size and lowering the still resolution will most likely produce images that are not up to par with images from last year’s camcorders. Even though this model’s imager specs are not comparable to last year, the camcorder admittedly provides a bigger imager than its competitors. Both Panasonic and Sony’s entry level camcorders offer the standard 1/6-inch CCD with 680K gross pixels, while Canon has a 1/5” CCD with 1.3 gross MP. Budget-minded consumers will gravitate towards this camcorder. While the $399 price tag is the strongest selling point in this rapidly dwindling series, one must ask whether it is wise to invest in a camcorder that the manufacturer seems so ready to turn its back on.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 8:38 PM - 0 comments

Panasonic VDR-D300
With its VDR-D series, Panasonic has introduced the first ever 3 CCD DVD camcorders. The VDR-D300 is at the helm of this new innovation. Panasonic has provided the user with a plethora of options for recording and viewing footage. The user can choose to capture on DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW. Aside from its imager, the camcorder tries to draw serious hobbyists in with its wealth of manual controls in both still and video modes. It retails for $999 and is available in March.

Video Performance
The VDR-D300 is equipped with 3 1/6” CCDs with 680K gross video pixels. Last year’s best DVD performer, the Sony DCR-DVD403, was armed with a 1/6” CCD and 3.3 MP. The DCR-DVD403 produced high quality video that was bright and sharp that rivaled video from some MiniDV camcorders. This Panasonic camcorder might be able to compete with and trump other 2006 high-end camcorders, regardless of the respective format.

Due to the hectic and confined nature of CES it is impossible to thoroughly test the performance of the display models. It is even tougher to make an extensive evaluation, though with its innovative imager one can speculate high quality video in bright light conditions from this model. On the CES show floor, parts of which are a fairly lit environment, the camcorder produced bright and sharp images with accurate color representation.

The Front
The 10x Leica lens protrudes from the front of the camcorder, eclipsing the stereo microphone and port cover that lay beneath it. The lens is adorned in metallic silver, with ridges on the side resembling a focus ring. Unfortunately Panasonic chose décor over function, as few things irk us more than the false tease of a focus ring. Hanging on the edge of the camcorder is the built-in flash to the right of the lens.

The Right
The DVD mechanism occupies all of the real estate on the right side of the VDR-D300. The mode dial bulges out of the rear onto the DVD mechanism. The DVD mechanism opens by sliding a small gray switch above the protruding mode dial.

The Back
This model’s rear has inherited the familiar design from previous Panasonic DVD camcorders. The battery slot governs the back of the camcorder, with a color viewfinder above it. The familiar record button and mode dial, with the joystick protruding from its center, are to the right of the battery slot. The Mode dial bulges out of the camcorder’s side. A gray Delete button and a Silver On/Off switch rest above the mode dial, while a small Menu button lies beneath it.

The Left
The entire left side of camcorder is governed by the 2.7” swiveling LCD. The Auto/Manual and Manual Focus switches rests underneath the wide LCD. Audio can be monitored with a small speaker that also dwells within the LCD cavity.

The Top
The top of the VDR-D300 is fairly barren. Towards the front, the bulging Leica lens is fused with the protruding DVD mechanism. The protruding mechanism provides the user with a firm grip. The cold accessory shoe sits atop the lens barrel. A silver zoom toggle and petite photo button are to the right of the cold accessory shoe.

Picture & Manual Control
In Auto mode the VDR-D300 has jurisdiction over white balance, focus, gain, exposure and shutter speed. The camcorder performs most of these functions fairly well. The model’s automatic focus made swift and seamless adjustments to varying focal lengths. At full zoom, the camcorder’s automatic focus takes a little longer to adjust. The slight delay in focus is noticeable but acceptable. At CES the camcorders are confined to the display table, limiting ones ability to test response to different shooting conditions, but the VDR-D300’s other automatic controls responded well to CES conditions. A more detailed analysis of these features will be given in the upcoming full review.

Most DVD camcorders offer Automatic Exposure settings to help the user cope with varying shooting conditions. These presets are calibrated responses to predetermined lighting conditions. The VDR-D300 offers the same AE features as last year’s DVD models: Spotlight, Sport, Portrait, Backlight, and Low Light. These presets are nestled within the menus of both the movie and still modes.

Automatic Control
Panasonic has equipped the VDR-D300 with a wealth of manual control options. Users will have autonomy over Exposure, Gain, Shutter Speed, Focus and White balance. This model’s little sister, the VDR-D250, does not offer manual control over white balance. The Panasonic representatives claim that all their camcorders provide such control, but were unable to demonstrate this in my presence. We’ll have to chalk this up to either a glaring oversight on the VDR-D250 or merely ill-informed booth attendants.

The VDR-D300’s manual controls are engaged by switching the camera to manual mode with the mode switch that is hidden underneath the 2.7” LCD. Similar to last year’s models, adjustments are made with the small joystick protruding out of the camcorder’s rear. A slight push on the joystick displays a superimposed wheel, with the manual control options, at the bottom right corner of the screen. A very welcome addition on this year’s models is an Info feature, which provides a detailed description of the plethora of icons displayed on the wheel. A camcorder’s menu iconography is often the most perplexing thing a new user must face, and any help the manufacturer can provide is immensely helpful.

Zoom
High-end DVD camcorders almost seem to have a uniform 10x optical zoom capacity, and the VDR-D300 and its little sister the VDR-250 are no exception. Like the VDR-D250, the D300 has a 700x digital zoom with the option of capping it at 25x.

Focus
Using the mode switch within the LCD cavity, one can engage the manual focus feature. Manual focus adjustments are made by angling the joystick towards MF+ or MF- icons superimposed on the onscreen icon wheel. By not providing numerical measurements, Panasonic has hindered the user from making precise focal adjustments. One has to eyeball the LCD to determine the correct modification, and LCD screens are prone to some distortion. While Panasonic is right in line with the industry’s tendency to omit this immensely helpful feature, we’re hoping they, or any manufacturer, will break rank and add it to next year’s models.

Exposure (Aperture)
This model’s exposure value can be expressed with 16 F-stops. The camcorder’s exposure ranges from f/1.8 to f/16. Numerical value provides the user with more optimum control over the quality of the image, which is something that was lacking from the celebrated DCR-DVD403.

Shutter Speed
Another rare treat for DVD users is the option to manually control shutter speed. Panasonic is unique in that it provides manual shutter speeds from 1/60 to 1/8000 in all of its DVD camcorders.

White Balance
The VDR-D300’s white balance options are manual, auto, fluorescent, and outdoor. These options are within the manual control menu at the bottom right corner of the screen.

Gain
Both models in the VDR-D series have manual gain options ranging from 0db to 18db, which is rare in most DVD camcorders. While it is nice to have manual gain as part of ones arsenal it should only be used in the most dire and desperate low light situations. Gain will brighten the image but increase the noise level as well.

Still Features
The VDR-D300 captures stills on DVD disc or an SD card at 3.1MP, 1MP, and 0.3MP in 4:3 mode and 2MP in 16:9 aspect ratio. The D250, by comparison, has a maximum still resolution of 2.3 megapixels. The VDR-D300 has a built-in flash, which is something that the D300 lacks. Both camcorders have the same manual control options available in their respective still and video modes. While the still pixel resolutions offered by the VDR-D series are impressive, Sony’s high-end DVD camcorder, the DCR-DVD505, with its 2MP CMOS chip, is able to capture stills up to 4.0 MP.

VCR Mode
Playback mode can be accessed by turning the mode dial at the camcorder’s rear. In Playback mode, captured footage is represented by thumbnail images onscreen, allowing you to jump to the desired part of the footage.

Low Light Performance
This model displayed fairly accurate color representation but was plagued with noticeable amounts of noise in the low light conditions on the darker parts of the show floors at CES. (Keep in mind that due to the uncontrolled environment, the VDR-D300’s low light performance could not truly be evaluated at CES. A more extensive assessment will be showcased in the upcoming full review.) The camcorder has an impressive imager which should affect its low light performance for the better, but this is merely an educated conclusion. The best DVD camcorder last year, the DVD403, had respectable low light performance. This model has a far better imager than the DVD403, and we therefore expect great things of this camcorder.

LCD/Viewfinder
This camcorder has a 2.7” swiveling LCD and color viewfinder. The wider LCD makes recording 16:9 images more convenient by allowing the user to see the full spectrum of what is being captured. The LCD solarizes terribly when viewed at an angle, hindering the user from effectively shooting at varied angles and positions. In the DVD market, only Sonys provide hybrid LCDs that can perform adequately at all angles.

The Color Viewfinder extends about an inch towards the user but does swivel up. This lack of mobility limits one from taking low angle shots using the viewfinder, but it’s good to see that they have not dropped them entirely. Sometimes only a viewfinder will do the job.

Audio
The VDR-D series features stereo microphones housed underneath the lens on the front of the camcorders. The VDR-D300’s advantage over the VDR-D250 is a microphone input port found in the front of the camcorder. This model offers a Zoom In feature that allows the user to turn the built-in microphone from a multi directional mic to an omni directional mic. This convergence works the same way the optical zoom does; it magnifies the audio signal from a specific direction. The Wind Cut feature reduces audio noise when shooting in unfavorable weather.

Handling
This camcorder can be handled with relative comfort. The DVD mechanism protrusion at the top of the camcorder provides the user with a firm and secure grip. This model is bigger than most DVD camcorders. While the size limits the camcorder’s portability, its evenly distributed weight provides more stability. The buttons are situated directly underneath the user’s thumbs and index finger for easy access. The most important handling feature is the joystick at the back of the camcorder. This allows users to access and adjust nearly all control functions with one’s thumb. The joystick can be cumbersome, but it is a far better navigational option than the touch screen menu, because the camcorder can be operated with one hand and the user doesn’t have to fumble around just to access the functions.

A small but priceless addition to this year’s menu is the Info icon that will provide the user with a brief description of what each icon represents. This helps the users that are new to Panasonic understand and better utilize the menu system.

Compression
The Panasonic VDR-D300 records standard MPEG-2 video and JPEG stills. The camcorder captures video at a rate of 8.5 Mbps at its highest quality and 6.5 Mbps in standard mode. In comparison, a MiniDV camcorders offer capture at 25 Mbps, providing better quality video. It comes at the cost, however, of convenience, and this simple trade off is spelling the end of MiniDV as a video medium.

Media
This year, all of the Panasonic DVD camcorders can record on DVD-R and DVD-RW, in addition to DVD-RAM. By allowing the use of multiple formats, the camcorder makes recording and viewing even more convenient to the user. Panasonic camcorders have caught up to the leading competitors in the market by providing media that is universally compatible.

Editing
The VDR-D300 offers very little on-camcorder editing options, which is common to the DVD medium. Only Fade In transitions are offered in the menu systems. Users wishing to be remotely creative in postproduction will have to do so with the supplied DVD Album software.

Ports
Most of this camcorder’s ports are huddled under a gray port cover at the bottom of the camcorder’s front; USB, A/V in and out (for analog-to-digital conversion), and a microphone-in port. An SD card slot rests at the bottom of the camcorder. The VDR-D250 only offers an SD card, slot stripping away the camcorder’s flexibility. Both camcorders have a cold accessory shoe atop the lens barrel. A cold accessory shoe means that an external mic cannot draw power from the camcorder. A hot accessory shoe would of further justify the $999 price tag.

With the all the vacant space on both these camcorders, more ports could have been offered, or the existing ports could have been made more accessible. Too often the user has to juggle with the camcorder to access the ports.

Other features
OIS - Unlike the VDR-D250, the VDR-D300 offers Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) as oppose to Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). OIS will produce better results of the two.

Fade In - This feature allows the user to add black or white fade transitions between shots. Wind Cut The Wind Cut feature will reduce wind noise by reducing low audio frequencies when shooting outside.

Zoom In - This function allows the user to focus the microphone on a specific direction.

Conclusion
In 2006, the VDR-D300 carries both the promise and the burden of the DVD camcorder format. This camcorder’s 3 CCD imager gives the hope of providing high quality video with the ease of the DVD format. Of course, like all DVD cams, it lives under the shadow of MiniDV camcorders in terms of video quality. We realize that the writing is on the wall for MiniDV, but the image quality is so clearly superior that we will continue to sing its praises until the ship has sunk.

In short, the spec sheet only talks the talk, and the D300 has yet to show us what it can do. The camcorder performed adequately at CES, but this is clearly not an ideal environment to make confirmed assessments.

With a wealth of manual controls, this model should quench the thirst of those who seek to tinker with the inner workings of image quality. This model can be handled and operated with relative ease. The inclusion of an Info feature, which explains what each icon in the menu represents, will help beginners quickly acclimate themselves to the navigational system. Its new ability to record on DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM will make capturing and viewing immensely more convenient, as DVD-RAM alone was receiving many complaints from the public. At a few dollars shy of a grand, is it worth it to buy a camcorder that could be unmatched in its field but merely adequate against MiniDV? The answer rests with its performance under more rigorous testing, and whether or not it can provide both quality as well as convenience. We’ll do our best to get you those answers first.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 8:33 PM - 0 comments

Saturday, January 07, 2006
Panasonic PV-GS500
It has been a long 18 months since Panasonic released one of the best 3 CCD consumer camcorders of all time... the GS400. The video enthusiast community has been eagerly awaiting its successor, hoping that somehow Panasonic would work its miracle again with unexpected, expanded features on the next model. Well, the time has come and Panasonic has released the new model, the PV-GS500. But unfortunately for the enthusiast, the GS500 is only a shadow of its older brother.

It is missing certain GS400 features like a headphone jack, A/V pass-through, frame mode, a 3.5” LCD, picture adjust, zebras, program automatic exposure modes, and now only has a focus ring instead of a multi-manual ring. Some of the user convenience features such as external buttons to select functions like ProCinema mode are now relegated to the menus.

On the bright side, the PV-GS500 does retain a lot of the top features that made the GS400 so popular, such as 1/4.7 inch CCDs, ProCinema and widescreen modes, audio level adjust, DV and USB 2.0 high speed ports, 4 megapixel stills, and 1.2 megapixel stills during video recording. New features on the GS500 include the highly regarded joystick menu controls, a widescreen 2.7-in. LCD, and a new AGS mode that is supposed to keep inexperienced shooters from wasting battery and tape by failing to pause the recording. To reduce user confusion, Panasonic has removed the fake cinema mode and now identifies the optical stabilization as OIS on the LCD/EVF. Finally, the GS500 is more compact and lighter than the GS400, which will please consumers who are looking for a lot of prosumer features in a more compact body. Panasonic has also sweetened the deal by lowering the retail price for the GS500 to $999.

Video Performance
We were not able to do extensive analysis of the GS500 at CES. A more thorough assessment of the technical features will be conducted when we can get a unit to run through our standardized tests. However, because of identical imager specs there is little to indicate that the GS500 would not perform as well as its predecessor, which is to say very, very well. Video in the widescreen mode is now a pleasure to watch on the new 2.7 inch widescreen format LCD. The GS500 widens its field of view in widescreen mode just like the GS400. This differentiates widescreen mode on the GS500 from the next 3 CCD model down, the GS300, which crops and zooms its widescreen image.

The Front
The most prominent feature on the front of the GS500 is the 12x optical and 700x digital zoom, optically image stabilized lens which uses a 43mm filter thread. The lens iris has a range of f/1.6 to f/16 and the shutter ranges from 1/60 to 1/8000 in video. Lens focal length ranges from 3.3 mm at full wide to 39.6 mm at 12X zoom. To the left of the lens is the photoflash, which protrudes forward enough to become a nuisance for anyone who wants to add filters or conversion lenses larger than 52mm. In addition, when the stock hood is removed, the focus ring extends beyond the body of the lens enough so it will interfere with stepup rings or conversion lenses with barrel diameters larger than 52mm. These design decisions will make adding lens accessories more problematic. The zoom microphone has been moved from the top of the camcorder as on the GS400 to directly below the lens. This microphone position can be susceptable to hand noise when cradling the camcorder in the left hand.

The Right Side
The GS500 shoots video to MiniDV tapes and, as typical for Panasonic camcorders, the tape drive is located under the shooter’s right hand when holding the camcorder. Helping secure the shooter's hand is a standard, adjustable Panasonic hand strap. At the front of the right side under a rubber cover are the analog A/V and external microphone/wired remote jacks. Notably missing from these ports is a headphone jack. Users who want to shoot video while recording audio with an external microphone will have to rely on the audio level display on the LCD to ensure that audio is being recorded. Unfortunately, the audio level display does not indicate if both channels of stereo audio are being recorded. So, it is possible to lose an audio channel but not know it, since you can't listen to the audio as you record. Toward the rear of the right side is the speaker.

The Back
At the top of the back is the electronic viewfinder (EVF). The EVF can be pulled back and tilted upward about 60 degrees. To the right of the EVF is a sliding power switch. The quick start mode is still available as a menu option and is activated via the power switch. Below the power switch is the button that activates the menu selections on the LCD. Below and to the right of the menu button is the mode dial and joystick control. The mode dial maintains Panasonic's standard modes of record (video), playback (video), record (stills), playback (stills), and PC (USB mode for transferring stills). The joystick is conveniently located so it can be manipulated with the right thumb. The joystick control has proved to be very convenient as compared to the cruciform rocker that was used on the GS400. Below and to the left of the joystick is the record/pause button. Then, to the left and below the EVF is the battery. Beginning with last year's models, batteries are interchangeable across the entire Panasonic 3 CCD line.

The Left Side
The most prominent feature on the left side is the 2.7-in. LCD. The LCD rotates outward from the body of the camcorder 90 degrees, then can be rotated around its horizontal axis 180 degrees so people in front of the camcorder can see themselves. Also, in MagicPix mode (Panasonic’s low light mode), the LCD can act as a dim light to provide some illumination for darkly lighted scenes. Note that with the LCD docked into its recess, there are no buttons or switches for activating functions, leaving the body very sleek and smooth. When the LCD is opened, the auto-manual-focus switch, power LCD switch, reset pushbutton, and the DV and USB 2.0 high speed ports are revealed. On the bottom of the left side, under the LCD recess, is the SD card slot.

The Top
On the right front of the top of the camcorder is the latch for opening the tape transport clamshell. When the clamshell is opened, the tape transport elevates and opens to permit inserting or removing a MiniDV tape. The speed of the transport mechanism has been enhanced over the GS400's. Further back and just before the EVF eyepiece is the intelligent, powered accessory shoe. To the right of the accessory shoe and a little further toward the rear is the zoom/volume control slider. Right behind the zoom slider is the Photoshot pushbutton.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Automatic controls on the PV-GS500 are the same as the GS400. When shooting video, the shutter is fixed at 1/60 second and iris/gain is adjusted by the camcorder's electronic sensors as necessary to maintain exposure. Although gain can be adjusted manually up to 18dB for extremely low light conditions, the automatic mode limits gain to a maximum of 15dB. White balance is adjusted automatically for most lighting conditions. Focus is also automatic.

Overall Manual Control
Users have manual control over most frequently adjusted camcorder functions like iris, shutter, focus, zoom, audio level, flash brightness, and white balance. Except for focus, which can be controlled by the manual ring, other functions are adjusted via a menu setting. I found the manual controls to be limiting as compared to the GS400. The GS400 made some manual controls like iris and shutter more accessible through external pushbuttons. While the joystick menus are relatively convenient, I felt constrained by the menu system. If you are one who tends to keep the camcorder in manual so you can tweak the shooting parameters, the GS500 will frustrate. If you are primarily a point and shooter, you may not miss the extra convenience the GS400 offered at all.

Zoom
The GS500 has a 12x optical zoom and a 700x digital zoom. Digital zoom can also be limited to 30X via a menu option.

Focus
In automatic control, focus is adjusted by the camcorder's electronic sensors. In manual, the user may select to adjust focus with the manual ring.

Exposure (Aperture)
The iris can be adjusted for apertures from f/1.6 to f/16 in both video and stills mode.

Shutter Speed
The shutter is manually adjustable in video mode from 1/60 to 1/8000 of a second. In stills mode, the shutter ranges from 1/2 to 1/2000 of a second.

White Balance
The PV-GS500 has automatic white balance when in auto mode. In manual mode, the user may select presets for bright sunlight, incandescent lighting, and auto. Also, manual white balance may be selected which allows compensation for a wider range of color temperatures.

Gain
As light levels drop and the iris can no longer open wider, gain may be employed to brighten the scene. The PV-GS500 allows the user to set up to 18dB of gain in 1dB increments. The display updates changes in gain in 3dB increments.

Still Features
The PV-GS500 shoots stills to an SD card. Still pictures may be shot in sizes of 2288x1728, 1600x1200, 1280x960, and 640x480 pixels. Also, a 1280 x 960 size still may be taken while recording video. A new feature on this year's camcorders is the ability to shoot widescreen stills. The GS500 shoots a 3 and .2 megapixel still in widescreen. Shutter speeds in still mode range from 1/2 to 1/2000 of a second. All of the manual controls over iris, shutter, white balance and focus offered in video mode are also available in still picture mode.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 1:01 PM - 0 comments

Friday, January 06, 2006
Sony-DCR-DVD505
Sony’s DCR-DVD505 is the Japanese behemoth’s most expensive DVD camcorder, and its most advanced to date. The camcorder features a ClearVID CMOS chip, similar to last year’s (now discontinued) DCR-PC1000; however, the DCR-DVD505’s CMOS is much bigger, and contains more pixels. While the camcorder’s imager features less pixels overall than the step-down model, the DCR-DVD405 (2MP vs. 3MP), it captures stills up to 4 MP with the help of ClearVID technology. We’ll see if it’s worth the extra two hundred bones after upcoming testing. Like last year’s line, the cosmetics of all this year’s DVD camcorders, including the DCR-DVD505, have been overhauled. The handling of the DCR-DVD505 shows some noticeable improvements over last year’s models. It remains to be seen what results we can get once testing sheds some light on the interior of this little beast.

Video Performance
The Sony DCR-DVD505 ships with a 2000K (1910K effective) Advanced HAD 1/3-inch ClearVID CMOS sensor, something we haven’t seen on a DVD camcorder thus far. While a CMOS sensor was used on last year’s DCR-PC1000, it has yet to appear on a DVD camcorder in Sony’s, or anyone else’s, product line. Hopefully, the video performance of such a sensor can surpass the performance of the DCR-PC1000. It certainly could, with significantly more pixels and the new ClearVID technology.

According to Sony the ClearVID technology produces a wider dynamic range and higher processing speed than a conventional CCD, as featured on Sony’s other DVD camcorders. It also tilts the pixels at a 45 degree angle, which improves picture quality. In addition, the DCR-DVD505 boosts the number of green pixels, which is the color that registers the most detail to the human eye. However, the reader will note that the DCR-DVD405 features more pixels overall than the DCR-DVD505 (3,310K gross). Similar to the DCR-DVD405, the DCR-DVD505 will use the Primary Color Filter for improved color performance. This guy is a tough one to predict; we’ll have to wait for testing to really discover what’s going on behind the cosmetics.

The Front
The front of the Sony DCR-DVD505 features the camcorder’s large Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with a 30mm filter diameter, similar to that of the DCR-DVD403. In fact, much is similar between the body types of these two camcorders, especially their fronts. Both the DCR-DVD505 and DCR-DVD405 feature a flash above the end of the lens barrel on the front, an interesting placement. Below the barrel’s end, the camcorder’s slopes quickly away from us, with the camcorder’s infrared sensor.

The Right Side
The right side of the DCR-DVD505 contains the camcorder’s DVD disc mechanism, similar to many other DVD camcorders of the past. The user’s hand grasps the camcorder here, and Sony has wisely elevated the upper lip of the disc mechanism to give the right hand’s fingers a conveniently lofty perch.

The Back
The back of the DCR-DVD505 looks impressively stuffed with… well, stuff. Most prominently, it features the camcorder’s battery pack with an opaque plastic MemoryStick DUO slot cover (oddly reminiscent of that on the DCR-HC90—ah, those were the days!) above it, squeezed in between the battery and the camcorder’s color viewfinder. An inconveniently slim record button is located to the right of the battery, with an excellently located flash-option toggle button above. Above this is a slider knob that has unfortunately been appearing more and more on Sony camcorders over the years. This knob, when slid, switches between the camcorder’s video / still modes. This is all well and good, but I’d rather have a more secure device administering my mode selection; one slip of the thumb, and I’m in a whole new reality.

The Left Side
The left side of the DCR-DVD505 is reason enough to buy this camcorder. It contains the camcorder’s enormous widescreen LCD screen (3.5”). This is a welcome sight, as it’s been a few years since a manufacturer has been this generous with an LCD screen on an affordable consumer cam. Below the LCD’s large folding panel, the DCR-DVD505 features a slender panel of buttons for Play/Edit mode and back light.

To the right of these buttons are a series of ports, conveniently located. They include the remote jack, the camcorder’s proprietary A/V input/output port, and the DC input. The camcorder’s USB port is located just above the DC input, though covered by the camcorder’s LCD screen. Other buttons shielded by this panel include Easy mode, Wide Select (to select16:9 or 4:3), and Battery Info./Display. The playback speaker is also located here.

The Top
The top of the DCR-DVD505 comes equipped with the Advanced Accessory Shoe, Sony’s shrunken, proprietary-fit accessories shoe, which is able to accommodate the featured add-on, a Bluetooth wireless microphone and receiver. This mic system does not come included, but if purchased, can take advantage of the 5.1 channel Dolby Digital Surround Sound audio feature. Behind the shoe is the camcorder’s extendable and bendable viewfinder with the camcorder’s photo button and zoom toggle to the left.

Picture & Manual Control
Many of the changes made from last year’s DVD camcorders have taken place in the camcorder’s design and imaging specs rather than automatic and manual controls. Here’s the rundown.

Automatic Control
The DCR-DVD505 features Sony’s Easy mode, accessible by use of a button underneath the camcorder’s LCD screen. This mode drastically simplifies things by reducing nearly every control to an automatic setting. Sony has long been known for ease of use, so buyers of this cam are bound to appreciate this feature. These automatic controls are very much in line with the quality that Sony has been producing over the past couple years. They provide good smooth transitions when you need them; they’re less choppy and more accurate than you’ll find on most manufacturers.

Of course, the obvious "automatic control" or rather, ease of use feature of the DCR-DVD505 is the DVD format, which makes playback and sharing video much easier. In addition, the ease of use features like Spot Focus and Spot Metering which allow you to ocuh an area of the screen and the camcorder will automatically adjust focus or exposure to that area. All around, the DVD505 is an incredibly easy to use camcorder.

Overall Manual Control
The DCR-DVD505 features the same manual controls as last year’s top Sony camcorders. There is manual control over zoom, focus, and exposure, with Sony’s predictable lack of available manual shutter speed adjustment. This has never been Sony’s strong suit, and nothing has changed here. Expect comparable manual control to that on the DCR-HC85, with a few added smoke-and-mirrors perks to distract you from what you could be controlling instead. For example, instead of manual shutter speed adjustment, Sony has graciously provided zebra patterning.

Our other complaint (ubiquitous to Sonys camcorders this year) is the touch screen LCD replacing nearly all dedicated buttons on the body. Touch screens can be beneficial for some situations, such as low light. But generally, you’d rather not get your greasy fingers all over the part of the camcorder that you use to judge image quality. Then there’s the inconvenience of touching button after button instead of a simple scroll bar. But it looks like Sony has no plans to alter their allegiance with this choice, so we welcome comments from touch screen fans explaining why they like it.

Zoom
The DCR-DVD505 features the same zoom specs as the DCR-DVD405, with a 10x optical zoom and 120x digital. While the 10x optical zoom is nothing to write home about, the camcorder’s zoom toggle (featured on most new Sonys this year) is very smooth, though perhaps a placement that’s a little more in line with the index finger would be better. Variable speed zooms are available with a little coordination.

Focus
Manual focus is, unfortunately, only available for adjustment within the camcorder’s touch screen menu. This makes adjustment a more involved and more tedious process than it would be with something like a focus ring. Focus is adjusted along a horizontal meter by tapping the actual LCD screen of the camcorder, which may cause some shaking in the recorded image. At least actual focus length information is given as you tap (18mm-2.5mm)

Exposure (Aperture)
Exposure is also clumsily operated within the camcorder’s touch screen menu. While tapping and shaking of the image might not be too much a problem in this instance, there aren’t any F-stop readings which would have made manual adjustment more fulfilling.

Shutter Speed
There is no manual shutter speed adjustment on the DCR-DVD505.

White Balance
Manual white balance adjustment is fine, and because white balance is generally set before recording rather than during, the necessity of entering the camcorder’s touch screen menu might not be as much of a problem as it is with other manual controls. White balance options include Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and One Push (manual).

Gain
There is no manual gain on the DCR-DVD505. Look to Panasonic’s new camcorders for this.

Still Features
The stills from the DCR-DVD505 could be quite impressive, if the specs are anything to go by. With only 2000K pixels in its CMOS ClearVID sensor, the DCR-DVD505 captures stills at 2304 x 1728 or 2304 x 1296 in widescreen at 4.0 MP apiece. Apparently the ClearVID technology makes this possible. It is unclear how these stills will actually look like— or become—four megapixel images, but we promise to get to the bottom of this in our upcoming full review. Still options include: 4.0MP, 3.0MP, 1.9MP, and 0.3MP. All of the manual controls available in video mode are available in still mode.

Low Light Performance
It is pretty easy to image the DCR-DVD505 performing better in low light than all of Sony’s DVD camcorders of last year and most this year. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up against the DCR-DVD405, a camcorder with more pixels that still lacks the ClearVID CMOS. It will also be interesting to see how it stacks up against the DCR-HC96, Sony’s top-of-the-line MiniDV camcorder this year, which has a 1/3-inch 3000K (2050 effective) CCD. Like the DCR-DVD505, the DCR-HC96 features Sony’s Primary Color Filter, which may yield similar results as far as colors go.

VCR Mode
The DCR-DVD505 features a different playback mode from last year’s DVD camcorders, and frankly, it’s better. Access to this mode is available by pressing the Play/Edit button located under the LCD screen panel. The display on the LCD features a nifty graphic of a disc with a small bubble indicating which type of disc you are recording/playing back from (the Sony DCR-DVD505 records to DVD-R,+R, and -RW discs). You can press the different tabs to view your recorded stills and movies on either disc or memory stick. Display options include deciding whether or not you want the thumbnails of motion pictures to actually play as a thumb (sort of like DVD chapter thumbnails playing in a DVD menu screen).

LCD/Viewfinder
One of the major selling points for the DCR-DVD505 over the DCR-DVD405 is the humongous size of its LCD screen. The camcorder features a 3.5” screen, a size seen only on a few other Sonys, including the HDR-FX1 and the elusive, and discontinued, DCR-PC55. The screen features 211K pixels, and offers a tremendous viewing experience for everyone involved. I for one am thoroughly satisfied. The camcorder also features a color viewfinder with 123K pixels, the same as the DCR-DVD405.

Audio
The DCR-DVD505, like the DCR-DVD405, and the DCR-DVD403 before them, are Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound center microphone-ready, the potency of which can be monitored using the feature of like name in the camcorder’s touch screen menu. I think this is more of a gimmick than the general public needs. (It seems that way—why else would Sony be putting on everything else?) Be that as it may, it can’t hurt; just don’t be suckered into the PR tempest. Many simple playback software programs are not licensed by Dolby and will reduce the sound track to simple stereo. Using Bluetooth technology, you can broadcast this signal a hundred feet too, which is admittedly pretty cool.

The camcorder, unfortunately, features Sony’s proprietary accessory shoe, making it impossible to buy anything other than Sony brand products for this cam. In addition, the DCR-DVD505 features no mircophone input or headphone jack, so you are incredibily limited in your audio options. The camcorder features an A/V input/output just below the LCD screen, which is, guess what, proprietary as well. Cables for this one come included, however; don’t worry. Anyway, this allows for analog to digital conversion as you can run all your old analog tapes into the DCR-DVD505 and archive the footage onto DVD disc.

Handling
The DCR-DVD505 offers decent handling. With the coupling of the DVD mechanism’s overriding of the top of the camcorder and the extreme size of the LCD providing optimal visualization, the camcorder exceeds in it ability to provide handheld operation. However, the zoom toggle could be better placed, more in line with the index finger (maybe my hands are just deformed). This placement isn’t a problem when shooting with a tripod, but really, who uses a tripod with a DVD camcorder?

These new barrel-oriented Sony DVD camcorders, the DCR-DVD405 and DCR-DVD505, handle much better than the other DVD camcorders of lower price put out by Sony this year, namely the DCR-DVD105, DCR-DVD205, and DCR-DVD305. The raised lip of the DVD mechanism provides an added bonus to the handling not found on others of these DVD camcorders. A similar design is apparent on Sony's new hard disc camcorder as well, the DCR-SR100.

Compression
The DCR-DVD505 features standard DVD compression The DCR-DVD505 uses MPEG-2 video compression with JPEG still images, and audio is Dolby Digital 5.1. This is one of the major drawbacks to the DVD format; you sacrifice quality (extra compression) for convenience and the ability to say that you have the first DVD camcorder on the block. News: it’s not that cool anymore.

Media
Sony DVD cams used to have an edge on Panasonic’s; Sony’s recorded to DVD-RW discs while Panasonic’s only recorded on DVD-R/RAM. This allowed the user to reuse Discs on the Sony, which was nice. But, alas, those halcyon days are over; this year, Panasonic DVD camcorders come with the added bonus are recording on not only DVD-R/RAM disc but, you guessed it, also DVD-RW. The playing field has become increasingly competitive, to be sure.

Editing
The editing capabilities for DVD camcorders have always been extremely limited, and the DCR-DVD505 offers few solutions to this problem. Most serious editing programs cannot yet import DVD footage. Perhaps a better editing system will soon emerge to address these issues. But thus far no improvements have been made in this department over last year’s models.

Ports
The DCR-DVD505 features a number of ports, all located below the LCD panel. These include the camcorder’s A/V input/output as well as a DC input. Also, a USB port is located underneath the LCD screen itself. These are standard DVD camcorder ports with the added bonus of an analog input.

Other Features
Smooth Slow Recording--This is a feature unique to the DCR-DVD505. This feature records at four times the normal rate (240 fps rather than 60 fps). Like a fast shutter speed would, this effects allows for fast moving images (like cars, planes, and trains, and the occasional person) to be recorded with more detail and less blur. While containing no more data than a normal 60 fps segment, the resulting footage recorded with such an effect shows action slowed down and offers a very convincing slow motion look. Smooth Slow Record can only be initiated in 3-second intervals, making 3 seconds of real-time video playback in 12 seconds.

Super SteadyShot--This is Sony’s electronic image stabilization effect featured on many of their camcorders. It is not optical.

Conclusion
The Sony DCR-DVD505 is a hard one to give a concrete judgment. I suppose most of the answer to the riddle lies in the results of the new imaging technology at work in this camcorder. Usually, we’ve seen that CMOS camcorders perform worse than standard CCD camcorders when you look at two chips with similar specs; however, the performance gap is narrowing and that could change. After all, we’ve haven’t seen a CMOS chip with this many pixels used in a camcorder either. Furthermore, it would be interesting to see how those four megapixel stills will turn out, particularly as they are emerging from a 2MP sensor.

Other than the imaging system, the DCR-DVD505 doesn’t really offer much more over any of last year’s Sony DVD camcorder line. As an improvement over the DCR-DVD403, it offers an (expectedly) better imaging system, a few negligible new features, and a new design. However, since the DCR-DVD403 was such a good camcorder there isn't a ton to improve on. What we would like to have seen: more advanced options, audio options, some less compressed video - aren't on this camcorder. The huge, 3.5” LCD is special, and if it’s a really important feature to you, go ahead and dig out that credit card. But the wiser soul would wait to see how the DCR-DVD405 performs and try to save a few bucks. Buy the kids some new shoes instead with your cash, and sit tight while we take a closer look.

Source: CamcorderInfo

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posted by Clint at 6:03 PM - 0 comments

New Camcorders from Sony
Today at CES, Sony announced an assortment of digital Handycams, ten in all, that will be available in the coming months. The collection includes five DVD Handycams, four miniDV camcorders, and a hard drive-based camcorder.

Perhaps the most interesting new camcorder is the DCR-SR100, which uses a hard drive to store video instead of a DVD or MiniDV tape. The DCR-SR100 comes with a 30GB hard disk drive, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens, and built-in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The hard drive can store up to seven hours of DVD movie-quality video or more than 21 hours in long play mode.

The DCR-SR100 uses a 3-megapixel advanced HAD CCD and can take 3-megapixel, digital still images in 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios. DVD burning software is included. The DCR-SR100 will be available in May for a street price of about $1,100.

Sony's new DVD Handycams will come at a variety of price points. The DCR-DVD105 ($500 street) provides the benefits of recording video directly to –R/-RW/+RW DVD media. It comes with a 680K-pixel Advanced HAD CCD, Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, and 2.5-inch hybrid SwivelScreen touch panel LCD. The DCR-DVD205 ($600 Street) includes the above-mentioned features and adds a 1-megapixel Advanced HAD CCD, 1-megapixel digital still images, 2.7-inch wide (16:9) touch panel SwivelScreen LCD. DCR-DVD305 ($700 Street) throws in a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound microphone, USB 2.0, and Memory Stick Duo media slot.

At the top of the line, Sony is offering the DCR-DVD405 ($900 Street), which supports an optional Bluetooth microphone for enhanced center-channel sound. DCR-DVD505 ($1,100 Street) has the above-mentioned capability and adds a 2-megapixel ClearVID CMOS sensor, 4-megapixel digital stills, and a 3.5-inch wide (16:9) touch panel SwivelScreen LCD. This model also comes with a dual record function to capture video and 3-megapixel stills simultaneously.

All of these models will be available in February, except for the DCR-DVD505, which will ship in March.

Sony also announced a number of MiniDV camcorders, including the high-end DCR-HC96. This $800 camcorder offers a 2.7-inch wide (16:9) touch panel SwivelScreen LCD and comes with a 3-megapixel Advanced HAD CCD for shooting stills. It will ship in February.

Source: PCMag
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posted by Clint at 12:25 AM - 0 comments

Sony Retreats from MiniDV Announcing Just 4 Models
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show, Sony announced four new MiniDV camcorders for 2006: the DCR-HC26, DCR-HC36, DCR-HC46, and the DCR-HC96. All models feature a more compact body than Sony MiniDV camcorders of prior years, and all will load MiniDV tapes from the side rather than the bottom. The top two models both ship with HandyCam stations for increased accessibility and data sharing. Retail prices start at $350.

The news from this announcement is in what wasn't announced as much as what was. Sony has scaled back their MiniDV line significantly, dropping all vertical, matchbook-style camcorders and simplifying the line as a whole.

Sony's DCR-PC1000, a 3 CMOS censor model retailing for around $1500, was discontinued and not replaced. The less popular DCR-PC55 which aimed for the more fashionable audience and came in three colors was also discontinued and not replaced.

The MiniDV retreat is also a clear signal of the direction towards DVD the camcorder industry is taking. While Sony has increased their number of DVD models which have surged in popularity, they've pulled away from MiniDV, a format which Sony was an innovator of from the beginning.

The DCR-HC96 will lead this year’s Sony MiniDV line, retailing at around $800. The HC96 features a 1/3-inch 3000K (2050K effective) Advanced HAD CCD. The imaging system will also use Sony’s Primary Color Filter. The HC96 is the only MiniDV to use this color enhancement feature, also found on their new DVD cams, the DCR-DVD405 and DVD505, and the new hard disk drive camcorder, the DCR-SR100. The HC96 uses a 30mm Carl-Zeiss lens (the largest of the MiniDV models) and has 10x optical / 120x digital zoom. Still captures of up to 2016 x 1512 will be possible in 4:3 aspect ratio, and 2016 x 1134 in 16:9 aspect ratio. Stills have a gross pixel count of 3310K, and 3000K effective.

Other features that distinguish the HC96 from the rest of MiniDV line include an active interface shoe, a built-in flash, and analog to digital conversion. The HC96 is the only MiniDV cam to offer zebra patterning, a feature typically reserved for high-end models. A MemoryStick Duo is supplied, making it the only MiniDV camcorder to ship with one in the box. A HandyCam docking station with analog inputs is also included.

The HC96 appears to have the same imager as the model it is replacing, the DCR-HC90. In fact, the differences are few. The new HC96 has a slimmer body, a HandyCam docking station, and Click-to-DVD compatibility. Despite the lack of changes, Sony's top consumer MiniDV camcorder will likely vie for consumer interest with the top Panasonic 1 CCD camcorder. Canon has made no plans to replace their top MiniDV consumer cams, the Optura 60 and Optura 600, the two models closest in features and price to the HC96.

The DCR-HC46, at approximately $500, has a smaller 1000K (690K effective) 1/5.5-inch CCD and only a 25mm lens. The zoom is slightly larger, at 12x optical and 800x digital. The still resolution has a maximum resolution of 1162 x 864 (about 1 megapixel), significantly less than the HC96’s 3 megapixels. The still pixels count is 1070K gross and 1000K effective. It is MemoryStick Duo capable, but a stick does not ship with the cam. The HC46 comes with a HandyCam docking station, but will not have analog inputs for analog to digital pass-through.

The DCR-HC36, selling for around $400, has an even smaller 680K (340K effective) 1/6-inch CCD. The zoom is larger than the HC46's, at 20x optical / 800x digital. It, too, will be MemoryStick Duo compatible, and takes VGA stills at 640 x 480. The effective still pixel count is 340K.

At around $350, the least expensive MiniDV model, the DCR-HC26, will feature the same 680K (340K effective) 1/6-inch CCD and the same 20x / 800x zoom. The HC26 will not have any MemoryStick port or remote control. Stills can be captured only to MiniDV tape, at the same 640 x 480 resolution as the video.

Both the HC96 and HC46 will have a “Click to DVD” feature, which works in conjunction with Sony Vaio (and only Sony Vaio) computers to automatically set up the camcorders for capturing and recording onto a blank DVD. Both models also have 2.7-inch widescreen LCDs; the HC36 and HC26 will have 2.5-inch non-widescreen LCDs. All camcorders will feature Super NightShot mode, except the HC26, which will have the standard NightShot mode. All camcorders except the HC26 will also have a “3D Memory System,” which makes for easier menu navigation with advanced graphics and customizable settings.

All MiniDV camcorders will feature the Advanced HAD CCD, Carl-Zeiss lenses, touch panel screens with SwivelScreen technology, 123K color viewfinders, Super SteadyShot electronic image stabilization, Spot Focus and Spot Metering, Tele Macro, and one-touch Easy mode.

None of the Sony MiniDV line will include audio input jacks or headphone jacks. All four models have analog output. The HC36 and up have S-Video out. The HC96 is the only model to have S-Video in and out, as well as analog input.

Sony also announced that they will continue selling their high-end MiniDV cam, the DCR-VX2100, which retails for around $3000.

All models will be available in February 2006. The HC26 retails for $350, the HC36 for $400, the HC46 for $500, and the HC96 for $800.

Source: CamcorderInf
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posted by Clint at 12:13 AM - 0 comments

Sony Unveils 3 New Low and Middle-End DVD Cams
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today at CES, Sony announced the release of three new mid- and low-end DVD camcorders: the DCR-DVD105, DCR-DVD205, and DCR-DVD305. Sony is continuing their aggressive push in DVD camcorders; however, they have not reduced the prices.

The bottom-of-the-line DVD105 will sell for around $500. As expected on an introductory model, the features are sparse. It uses a 1/6-inch Advanced HAD CCD with 680K gross (340K effective) pixels, the smallest of any of the 2006 Sony DVD cams. The LCD is 2.5 inches, and is the only non-widescreen model. It will have the largest zoom – 20x optical; the DVD205 and DVD305 both have only 12x zoom. Stills can be captured only to DVD, and only in a 640 x 480 resolution. There is no MemoryStick port and no shoe.

The DCR-DVD205, retailing at about $600, features a 1.0 megapixel (1070K gross, 690K effective) Advanced HAD 1/5.5-inch CCD. Like the DVD105, it lacks a dedicated media port, but is capable of capturing stills up to 1 MP (effective) at 1152 x 864. It also lacks a accessory shoe. The DVD205 has a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD and 12x optical zoom.

The DCR-DVD305, selling for about $700, has several distinctions from the DVD205. While is uses the same 1/5.5-inch Advanced HAD CCD, the DVD305 can record stills to a MemoryStick Duo. No card comes included. The DVD305 records stills at a maximum of 1152 x 864, but it can also take stills in the 16:9 aspect ratio at a max of 1152 x 648.

Several audio upgrades are found on the DVD305. It features a hot accessory shoe and Sony’s new 5.1 channel Dolby Surround Sound audio system. This new feature can be taken advantage of with the included external microphone, which fits atop the cam in the accessory shoe. This particular microphone is unique to the DVD305 and cannot be purchased separately for any other model. It works in tandem with the internal 4-channel microphone to create the 5.1 channels of sound. The accessory shoe, it should be noted, is a proprietary size created by Sony, and not universally compatible with all accessories.

The DVD305 is also the only model of this group to offer the Visual Index Screen, which creates a thumbnail page of movies and stills, aiding in the search for individual clips and photos. It uses analog inputs (A/V) to allow for analog to digital conversion. This feature, which differs from analog to digital pass-through, can convert older, analog footage directly to DVD, but cannot pass the analog signal onto a computer.

All three models will feature one-touch Easy mode, Carl-Zeiss lenses, fader effects, battery information, Program AE modes (for Beach & Sky, Landscape, Portrait, Spotlight, Sports, and Sunset & Moon), an array of Picture Effects, manual focus, SteadyShot electronic image stabilization, and SwivelScreen touch screen LCDs. They will also feature 3D menu systems, color viewfinders with 123K resolution, the NightShot Plus Infrared system, Spot Focus, and Spot Metering.

All models will accept DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW media. There are three video quality settings available on all three models: HQ, which records 20 minutes of video, SP, which records 30 minutes, and LP, which records 60 minutes.

None of these models have a dedicated audio input jack or headphone jack. The DVD305 accepts external microphones only through its accessory shoe.

All models will be available in February 2006.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 12:09 AM - 0 comments

Panasonic Forges Ahead on 1 Chip MiniDV Camcorders
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today at CES, Panasonic announced the release of three new 1 CCD MiniDV camcorders, the PV-GS29, the PV-GS39, and the PV-GS59. These models will replace last year’s PV-GS19, PV-GS31, and PV-GS35, respectively. While bucking the trend of the industry and choosing not to truncate its MiniDV line, the changes from last year’s models are few.

Modifications from 2005 focus primarily on form and ease of use. “Better. Smaller. Easier,” said Rudy Vitti, Panasonic Marketing Manager for camcorders. “It’s a good strategy and it’s worked well for us.”

Shrinking camcorders are a strong trend this year. But while most camcorders have slimmed down in width, raising the overall height, Panasonic has chosen to flatten and widen the body. MiniDV tapes now load sideways, from the left side, rather than the top. The rationale, Panasonic claims, is that taller camcorders are more difficult to hold; low and wide is an ergonomic advantage.

The second major improvement from last year’s camcorders is an easier to use menu. Last year’s camcorders, when in manual mode, split the navigation menu into three submenus. The design, some complained, was over-stuffed, and the iconography was confusing. This year’s models have split the menu into five submenus, and added an optional information feature which explains each of the icons and its function.

The top 1 chip model, the PV-GS59, will retail for $379. It uses a 680K (gross) 1/6-inch CCD that uses the entire width of the chip to allow for true 16:9 widescreen capture. It is capable of 30x optical and 1000x digital zoom. The widescreen capture is matched by a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD. The PV-GS59 uses electronic image stabilization.

Manual controls are much the same as last year, including a full array of independent shutter speed, aperture, and gain controls. It has the same four white balance settings, a shutter speed range of 1/60 – 1/8000, an aperture range of f/2.0 – f/16, and a gain range of 0dB to 18dB.

Still features on the PV-GS59 are limited to 640 x 480 resolution. It features a slot for an SD/MMC card, though it does not ship with one. The USB connection is high speed, using a data transfer rate of 480 Mbps.

The next model down, the PV-GS39, retailing at $349, is largely the same. There are some minor cosmetic changes, and the USB is full speed, rather than high speed, at 12 Mbps.

The least-expensive 2006 1 chip model, the PV-GS29, retailing at $299, loses ability to capture at 16:9. It does, however, use a similar 1/6-inch 680K (340K effective) CCD. The LCD is a smaller 2.5 inches. It does not have the SD/MMC card slot, and must shoot stills to the MiniDV tape. It also captures at 640 x 480.

None of the camcorders have microphone inputs, and all use electronic rather than optical stabilization.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 12:08 AM - 0 comments

Panasonic Announces New Low-end DVD Camcorders
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 – Panasonic announced a number of new additions to their DVD camcorder line today, including two new low-cost models. The $499.99 VDR-D100 and $599.95 VDR-D200 can write out video to DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM discs.

The VDR-D100 is the cheapest of the new models at $499.95, and it’s a basic model in a number of ways. The CCD is a single 1.6-inch chip with 640K pixels (340K effective) and a shutter speed of between 1/60 and 1/3000 of a second. It has a long 30x zoom lens which can go up to 1000x in digital mode (although the image quality will suffer significantly). There’s no true 16:9 video mode, although it does have a cinema mode that crops the video for a similar effect. The LCD screen is a 2.5-inch model with 105K pixels, and there’s an S-Video output: a rarity for a budget model. But although it’s a basic model, it’s well priced for a DVD camcorder: Sony’s cheapest DVD camcorder (the DCR-DVD92) is priced at $100 more.

The $599.95 VDR-D200 is based around the same CCD sensor, but adds an SD card slot and the ability to capture still images at a resolution of up to 1640 x 480 pixels. It also includes an LED light and a software package based around DVD Movie Album, and IMX Video CD software for Mac users: a first for Panasonic camcorders.

Neither model comes with an external microphone input: the $899.95 VDR-D250 is the first model to come with one. Both models do come with what Panasonic describes as one-touch navigation; they claim that the onscreen menus can be navigated with a thumb alone through the joystick on the back of the camcorder. We’ll be taking a closer look at both models soon.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 12:06 AM - 0 comments

Canon Shrinks ZR and Elura Lines in Size and Numbers
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today at the Consumer Electronics Show, Canon announced an update and reduction to their MiniDV camcorder line, replacing six models in the ZR and Elura lines with just four. The lower-priced ZR series will feature three new models: the ZR500, the ZR600, and the ZR700. Canon will add only one new camcorder to the middle-of-the-road Elura series, the Elura 100, while discontinuing the other models. Innovations in the MiniDV line have been mostly limited to size reduction and cosmetic alterations while driving down the price. All camcorders will also feature a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD.

"Consumers bought widescreen TVs in droves this past holiday season and the latest ZR and Elura camcorders from Canon are the perfect products for showing off life's precious moments in true widescreen," said Yukiaki Hashimoto of Canon in a company press release.

The New ZR Models
The ZR500, available in late January and retailing at around $299, will be Canon’s lowest priced camcorder on the market. Distinguished by its blue body color, the ZR500 will feature a 680K (340K effective in 4:3 mode, 450K in 16:9 with the image stabilization off and 400K with the image stabilization turned on) 1/6-inch CCD. This same chip, along with the DIGIC DV image processor, is found in all the 2006 ZR models.

The ZR500 will be capable of 25x optical and 500x digital zooms, an upgrade from 20x/400x on last year's ZR100 and ZR200. Unlike the step-up models, the ZR500 will not include a dedicated still media slot, relegating the still captures to MiniDV tape at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. This will also be the only model in either the ZR or Elura series to feature a microphone input jack. Interestingly, Canon explained this seemingly bizarre choice because apparently educators demand a microphone input and also find the price of the low-end ZR attractive. Canon stated that the lack of demand on the higher-end models was their reasoning behind not placing mic jacks upon them.

The ZR600, retailing at around $349, features a number of additions to the ZR500. In a “silver frost” exterior, this camcorder has a card slot for SD/MMC cards and PictBridge compatibility, which allows cameras and printers to easily communicate. Stills of up to 1024 x 768 are possible, and it will use a progressive photo system. This feature, Canon explained, will continue to capture interlaced stills, but will prevent blurring typically associated with camcorder stills.

Last year's ZR200 and ZR300, by comparison, had a slightly reduced zoom of 20x/400x and 22x/440x, respectively. The maximum still resolution was the same, but the ZR300 shipped with an 8MB SD/MMC card in the box. The ZR600 does not ship with a card, nor do any of the new ZR models. The ZR200 and ZR300's original MSRPs ($400 and $500, respectively) reflect the significant price drop that Canon is offering on the 2006 line.

The ZR600 will have an upgraded 9-Point AiAF (Artificial intelligence Auto Focus), a larger range of preset exposure modes and image effects, a remote control, and the Zoom Browser photo software.

The senior ZR model, the ZR700, retailing at $399, has but a few improvements over the ZR600. Its “grey smoke” body features a 1000x digital zoom, though it retains the 25x optical zoom. The ZR700 also has a video light, a slightly longer-life battery and finally, analog inputs for analog to digital pass-through.

The ZR700 replaces last year's ZR400, but a pure specs reading indicates that it will not match up. The ZR400 contained a much larger 1/4.5-inch CCD (over the ZR700's 1/6-inch CCD). The ZR400 also allowed for stills up to 1152 x 864, while the ZR700 captures stills of only 1024 x 768. The ZR700 does offer a much larger zoom, the ZR400 having offered only a 14x/280x zoom power.

All new ZR camcorders are approximately 16% smaller than the previous year’s models, and 12% lighter. They will all sport 2.7-inch LCDs with a 112K resolution. They will feature a redesigned navigation system. The jog dial has been replaced by a four-way joystick found at the base of the LCD panel. Also included is a Smooth Zoom Control, which allows for a choice of 3 preset zoom speeds, regardless of pressure on the zoom toggle control. Other features include a built-in lens cover, electronic image stabilization, and Level Shot Control, which is a line that appears across the LCD during shooting to aid on centering and leveling.

The New Elura Model
The Elura 100, ready for shipping in late February at a price of about $399, will replace all three 2005 Elura models. According to Canon, the Elura 80, the least expensive model, was the best-selling model. They tried, therefore, to put in as many of the popular features as possible in the one model offered this year. The next most affordable MiniDV model now from Canon after the Elura 100 becomes the Optura 50, which has an MSRP of $800. Therefore, having only one Elura model leaves a very big hole in the Canon line from $400 to $800.

On the whole, Canon has taken very few steps forward this year with the ZR and Elura series. While some may argue that this rather minor update product roll-out (by CES standards) denotes an out-and-out lack of innovation, the truncated MiniDV offering may simply indicate a move away from the medium by Canon. This belief is bolstered by the glaring $400 price gap from the Elura 100 to the Optura 50 - a gap that will almost certainly have to be filled relatively soon. It would seem unlikely that an aggressive and popular manufacturer like Canon would have such a large part of the market uncovered.

Earlier this year, Canon announced their first two DVD camcorders, the DC10 and the DC20. Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi all have many more DVD camcorders on the market, although those companies have been producing DVD models for many years. The reduction in MiniDV models could signal that Canon is going to fill that $400 price gap with DVD or camcorders of another format. Canon has no plans to announce an expansion of their DVD or solid state camcorders at CES; both lines were introduced late last year, and the company may wish to postpone announcements until the Photographic Marketing Association (PMA) conference or later.

The lone Elura will feature a 1.33MP (690K effective in 4:3 mode, 880K in 16:9 mode with the image stabilization off, and 750K in 16:9 with the image stabilization on) 1/5-inch CCD, capable of stills up to 1152 x 864. All features described above for the ZR series will also be found on the Elura. Improvements over the ZR models include a Motor Drive mode for stills, capable of taking up to 5 stills per second, and auto bracketing. It will also feature an audio input jack, a “mega” video light (twice as bright as the ZR700’s video light), and the ability to accept lens attachments (27mm), a feature not found on the ZR models. The camcorder will be capable of 20x optical zoom and 800x digital. The LCD resolution will be slightly higher, at 123K (over 112K on the ZR models).

The Elura 100 has undergone cosmetic changes similar to the ZR camcorders. The body has slimmed down even more – it's 35% smaller in size than last year’s Eluras, and 26% lighter. The joystick, found on the LCD panel on the ZR camcorders this year, will be moved to the rear of the body on the Elura 100. The reason for this change is to accommodate the shift from a rear-loading battery on the ZR models to an internal battery on the Elura, a feature likely to discourage consumers looking for long-life battery options.

The Elura 100 most closely matches the retiring Elura 80 in price, which had an MSRP of $550. The Elura 80 had an identical pixel count, but a physically larger CCD (1/4.5-inch vs. the Elura 100's 1/5-inch). The CCD size change will likely affect the video and low light performance. The Elura 80 could take larger stills at a resolution of 1280 x 960, and had a larger lens as well (34mm). The Elura 100 offers an increased zoom, smaller body, improved widescreen LCD, and a lower price.

None of the ZR or Elura camcorders will ship with SD or MMC cards included. All use electronic rather than optical image stabilization.The Elura 100 lacks a flash. Last year's Elura 80 also did not have a flash but the Elura 85 and 90 included one.

All three ZR models, the ZR500, ZR600, and ZR700, will ship to stores in late January for $299, $349, and $399, respectively. The Elura 100 will ship in late February for $399.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 12:04 AM - 0 comments

Sanyo High Def Flash Memory Camcorder: it’s Real
I’ve posted on the rumors and leaks surrounding a Sanyo flash memory camcorder that records high def video, but now the official word is out, and Robin has the scoop. The VPC-HD1 records 720p video to a SD flash memory card at 30 frames per second, and is due for release in March at a price of $800. There's no support for the other HD formats (such as 1080i), though, so don't throw out the HC1 quite yet. It also has a 2.2-inch Organic LED screen and a USB 2.0 connection for copying the video to a PC. The new model isn't listed on the Sanyo site yet, but here's a link to the press release.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 12:02 AM - 0 comments

Thursday, January 05, 2006
Samsung Enters the DVD Market with Six New Camcorders
Las Vegas, CES, January 5th – Today at CES, Samsung announced the release of six new DVD camcorders, a remarkable number considering this is their foray into the DVD market. Three of the models feature 680K (340 effective)1/6 inch CCDs, the SC-DC163, SC-DC164, and the SC-DC165. There are also three 1.1MP CCD cams, the SC-DC563, the SC-DC564, and the SC-DC565.

Samsung now has more current DVD models than any other camcorder manufacturer. However, while they are long on models they are short on information abou them. The upper-tier models all feature 26x optical and 1200x digital zoom. The two top models both have a 2.7 inch widescreen LCD, but the SC-DC563 has only a 2.5 inch non-widescreen LCD. Stills are recorded to a 4-in-1 card reader that accepts SD, MMC, MemoryStick Pro, and MemoryStick cards, at a maximum still resolution of 1152 x 864.

Stepping up from the DC563 to the DC564, the only notable added feature is a built-in flash. Moving up to the top DC565 has the flash and analog-in for analog-to-digital conversion.

On the lower-tier camcorders, the SC-DC146 and DC165 have a 33x optical and 1200x digital zoom, and 2.7 inch widescreen LCD. The lowest-end model, the SC-DC163, has a 30x / 1200x zoom and a 2.5 inch LCD. All models in this tier capture stills at 800 x 600.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 11:58 PM - 0 comments

JVC Announces MiniDV Camcorder Line with 32x Optical Zooms
Las Vegas, CES, January 5, 2005 - JVC today announced an update to its MiniDV line, releasing five new models, each with a 32x optical zoom lens, the largest optical zoom in a consumer camcorder on the market today. Like Sony, Canon, and Panasonic, JVC's announcements today focused more on their non-MiniDV models, indicating the shift in the marketplace.

"JVC’s new MiniDV camcorders are easier to use than ever thanks to a new Auto button – just press the button to switch between manual and automatic operation. And all models feature a new on-screen menu system that sorts menu layers by category, making operation easier," stated the JVC press release.

The entry level GR-D350 replaces last year's GR-D230. The GR-D350 includes a 1/6-in. 680K pixel CCD, with a 2.5-in. LCD screen. JVC is continuing their data battery feature which allows the user to check the remaining battery life without powering up the camcorder. The GR-D350 includes a FireWire port, a color viewfinder, JVC's night mode NightAlive, as well as an auto button for increased ease of use. The GR-D350 also includes a widescreen mode.

The step-up model GR-D370 replaces last year's GR-D250. Over the GR-D350 it adds a "higher quality" widescreen mode although JVC has not explained the difference between the widescreen mode on the GR-D350 and the GR-D370. The GR-D370 also features a built-in camera light, and an SD slot for recording stills. The new GR-D395 is effectively the same as the GR-D370 but with a longer battery and an included remote. JVC is also making a GR-D396 model available which is basically the GR-D370 but with two batteries.

The last MiniDV model which JVC introduced today is the GR-D650. The GR-D650 has a smaller zoom than the other camcorders at 15x optical. However, the GR-D650 does feature an upgraded CCD at 1.33 megapixels, allowing stills of 1280 x 960 pixel resolution. In addition, the GR-D650 features JVC's own Low Light Plus which utilizes an f/1.2 lens and their 3D Noise Reduction to improve shooting in low light conditions.

The GR-D350 and GR-D370 will be available in February for $300 and $330. The GR-D395 and GR-D396 will be available in March for $370 and $380. The GR-D650 will be available in February for $450.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 11:56 PM - 0 comments

JVC Updates Hard Drive Everios Adding Direct DVD Burning
Las Vegas, CES, January 5, 2006 - JVC's Hard Drive based Everio camcorders have been updated by the company. While the four new camcorders have not undergone many changes from last year's models, JVC has announced a Direct to DVD burning system that allows users to copy footage off their Everio camcorder onto a DVD disk without the use of a computer.

“Now, consumers can enjoy the benefits of hard drive recording – hours and hours of video capacity, direct access to scenes, easy re-sequencing of scenes, and instant scene deletion – and a quick and easy way to put their footage onto a DVD,” said Dave Owen of JVC.

The new $200 Everio Share Station CU-VD10 connects to the top three Everio hard drive models. The Share Station connects to the camcorders via USB 2.0. It transfers the .MOD files directly to a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc. The Share Station includes an LCD screen so users can select which clips to transfer to disc. Transferring one hour of footage takes the burner about 45 minutes at 8x write speed.

The Direct to DVD burning may be the missing link in the Everio hard drive based camcorder chain. The major setback of all Hard Drive camcorders has been the difficulty with archiving footage. With a DVD camcorder it is simple to shoot to disc and tuck it away, viewing it when the need arising. However, up until now, it has been difficult to have that same archival ease with a DVD camcorder. Direct to DVD burning offers an easy archive solution for the new camcorder format.

The entry level GZ-MG21 offers a new, large 32x optical zoom and a 1/6-in. 680K pixel CCD, and includes 20GB of hard drive recording capability. The MG27 also features a 20GB hard drive but adds a 2.7-in. widescreen LCD with improved widescreen shooting capability. The MG27 is also able to connect to the Everio Share Station, something which the GZ-MG21 cannot do. The next model up, the GZ-MG37, has the same feature set as the GZ-MG27 but with a 30GB hard drive.

The top model GZ-MG77 also includes a 30GB hard drive but the CCD is upgraded to a 1/3.9-in. 2.2 megapixel CCD capable of stills at 1632 x 1224 pixel resolution. The zoom on the GZ-MG77 is downgraded to a 10x optical. The GZ-MG77 also includes JVC's low light technology which they claim reduces noise by 30%.

All four models feature a four-way joystick controller on the LCD screen, a move which Canon also made this year. The camcorders feature PictBridge compatibility, SD card slots, and JVC's Data Battery which displays battery time and recording time to the second without fully powering up the camcorder.

The GZ-MG21 is replacing last year’s GZ-MG20. The differences are few. It features the same 20GB hard drive and the same imager specs (1/6-inch 680K CCD). The zoom has been increased from 25x optical to 32x. The GZ-MG27, which is closest in specs to last year's GZ-MG30, has a smaller, 20GB hard drive (in comparison to the MG30's 30GB drive).

The GZ-MG37, possibly meant to replace the GZ-MG30, does have a 30GB drive and the same 1/6-inch 680K CCD. Last year's GZ-MG70 has been replaced by the new MG77. It features a smaller CCD, down to 1/3.9-inch from the MG70's 1/3.6-inch. The gross pixel count has remained the same, at 2.2 MP. The maximum still image size has remained the same, at 1632 x 1224. The lens has been modified from an f/1.8 to f/1.2. All other changes to this, and the other models, are largely cosmetic, such as the move of the joystick to the LCD panel.

Yesterday, Sony announced their first hard drive camcorder: the DCR-SR100, which is the first competitor to JVC in the hard drive based camcorder market. The DCR-SR100 is priced significantly higher than the Everios at $1,100. It offers a similar feature set to JVC's top model GZ-MG77, with a 30GB hard drive. However, it produces higher resolution stills with a 3 megapixel imager. The major competitive advantage that JVC offers over Sony now is their direct to DVD transfer.

The GZ-MG21, GZ-MG27, and GZ-MG37 will all be available in February for $600, $700, and $800, respectively. JVC has not announced pricing on the GZ-MG77, but it will be available in March.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 11:54 PM - 0 comments

Panasonic Replaces 3 CCD Line: PV-GS180, PV-GS300, PV-GS500
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - At their press event today Panasonic announced updates to their 3 CCD line of consumer camcorders, including the replacement of their incredibly popular PV-GS400 with a new PV-GS500. The new PV-GS180 features a 10x optical zoom and a 2.5-in. LCD. The PV-GS300 and PV-GS500 use Panasonic's new 2.7-in. LCDs.

The top of the line is the PV-GS500, priced at $999. The PV-GS500 retains many of the features that made its predecessor PV-GS400 popular, but drops some of its prosumer features to bring the price below $1000.

"Well the GS500, based on the success and demand of the GS400, we wanted to take that imaging system and the quality of the 400 and bring it down to a level where more consumers could afford it," said Rudy Vitti, Marketing Manager for Panasonic Camcorders US.

Many enthusiasts who were waiting for a new and improved PV-GS400 will be disappointed because Panasonic has removed many of the advanced features on the camcorder. Rudy Vitti, Panasonic's national marketing manager, was sanguine about the strategy, saying it made little sense for Panasonic to bring out a new MiniDV standard definition camcorder at the $1500 price point.

"We have to look at the market today and whats going to be around at the price point where the GS400 was. Unfortunately, when you introduce a product at a more aggressive price point you have to sacrifice some things. For some consumers, they feel that it is negative but for customers that couldn’t afford those features before but can now enjoy this imaging system it is a positive. It kind of balances out," said Vitti.

Vitti went on to further explain that the $1,500 price point which the PV-GS400 camcorder was announced at is now prime territory for HD camcorders, and Panasonic choose to not attempt to put a MiniDV model up against HD ones.

The PV-GS500 features a Leica Dicomar lens with optical image stabilization, the same 1/4.7” CCDs as the GS400, 4 megapixel stills, 12X optical and 700x digital zoom, 43mm filter thread, and focus and zoom on the multi-manual ring. The camcorder includes a pro-cinema mode, a 2.7” widescreen LCD, and the joystick menu controls introduced with the 2005 3 CCD camcorders.

The PV-GS500 comes with a wireless and wired remote, but the wired remote drops the narrative microphone that was on last year's models. Its external ports for DV, USB, and external microphone/wired remote were retained; the analog audio/video ports were reduced to a single port that uses a multi-function cable for S-video, composite video, and audio inputs. Also included with the PV-GS500 is an updated version of MotionDV Studio which is now compatible with widescreen mode and offers the ability to render to MPEG-4 and to send DV-AVI files back to the camcorder. A new editing application called Quick Movie Magic (Sweet Movie Life outside the US) also comes with the PV-GS500. The package allows beginners to add backgrounds and captions by following on-screen guidance.

An interesting new feature on all the Panasonic 3 CCD camcorders with optical image stabilization is AGS. AGS implements a function that prevents leaving the camcorder in record when it was not intended to be. It detects an abnormal shooting position or extended record without movement and switches the camcorder to standby. AGS is off by default but may be enabled via a menu selection.

PV-GS300 and PV-GS180
"We think the GS300 is going to be a home run. It incorporates 3 CCDs, OIS, and Leica at a price point of $699. In the past you couldn’t find OIS in a cam under 1,500 dollars. Last year the GS250 was at $999 and now this new one is at $699," stated Vitti.

The PV-GS300 does feature a Leica lens along with a 2.7-in. LCD screen. The PV-GS300 has a pop-up flash and records stills to SD cards like the rest of the Panasonic line.

The PV-GS180, which is under the PV-GS300, features a 2.5-in. 4:3 LCD screen and the same 10x optical zoom lens. Both camcorders feature headphone out jacks and microphone in jacks, as well as S-Video out jacks and composite out jacks. Panasonic has removed the analog to digital pass-through on all the models.

The PV-GS180 will be available in March for $599. The PV-GS300 and PV-GS500 will be available in April for $699 and $999, respectively.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 11:53 PM - 0 comments

Introducing the DCR-SR100: Sony’s First HDD Cam
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today Sony introduced its first hard disk drive (HDD) camcorder, the DCR-SR100, following in the 2005 footsteps of Panasonic and JVC. The DCR-SR100, which will not be available until May 2006, offers 30GB of non-removable hard drive storage space, onto which seven hours of high quality video can be recorded. It features a 1/3-inch 3000K Advanced HAD CCD with a Primary Color Filter and 3 megapixel still image capture, measuring up to 2016 x 1512 in 4:3 aspect ratio, and 2016 x 1134 in 16:9. The lens is a 30mm Carl-Zeiss Vario Sonnar T with 10x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom capability.

Veering away from the world of MiniDV and DVD, the DCR-SR100 is Sony’s first step into the burgeoning HDD market. Unlike the Panasonic SDR-S100, which records onto SD cards, the design and recording technology of the SR100 instead seems to closely match the JVC Everio G-series. The GZ-MG70, the top G-series model, also features a 30GB internal HDD. The MG70’s imager is slightly smaller, at 1/3.6 inches (which will probably give the Sony a leg up in low light situations), and is capable of stills only up to 2.12 megapixels (versus the SR100’s 3 megapixel count). They share comparable 10x optical zooms.

It is unknown yet how the SR100 compares in usability to the JVC and Panasonic models. Both competitors tend towards including good manual control options, particularly Panasonic, who designed the SDR-S100 with fully independent shutter speed, aperture, and gain control. Sony typically shies away from manual control options, and focuses instead on automatic controls.

Sony’s new SR100 is equipped with a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD. The LCD is a touch panel, with anti-solarizing SwivelScreen technology, including a 3D Menu system and the additional LCD controls for zoom and record. Unlike JVC’s GZ-MG70 and Panasonic’s S100, Sony has opted to retain a 123K color viewfinder, the use of which instead of the LCD can significantly improve battery life. The inclusion of the viewfinder, as well as the larger horizontal body, gives the SR100 more of a prosumer feel.

The DCR-SR100 uses the same compression engine as Sony's DVD cams, such as the top-selling 2005 camcorder, the DCR-DVD403. The engine uses a variable bit rate system, meaning scenes with less motion will record at a lower megabyte-per-second rate, which therefore extends the total amount of recording time available on the hard drive. At its maximum rate, the SR100 records at 9 Mbps in top quality, 6 Mbps in SP mode, and 3 Mbps in LP mode. This allows for up to 7 hours of DVD-quality video in its highest setting, and more than 21 hours in the lowest quality setting. The SR100 records video in the MPEG-2 format.

By comparison, the Panasonic SDR-S100 records at a slightly higher maximum rate of 10 Mbps. It, too, uses a variable bit rate system. The JVC GZ-MG70 records at a maximum of 8.5 Mbps, with options for 5.5 Mbps, 4.3 Mbps, and 1.5 Mbps.

The SR100 features a Video Stream Buffer Protection. This technology allows for up to seven seconds of lost footage (due to shakes or minor drops) to be saved in the buffer memory, and then later restored to its original place in the recording. Another noteworthy element is the inclusion of analog inputs, which allows for analog to digital conversion. However, because the camcorder has no FireWire out, there is no analog to digital pass-through. The SR100 also offers features such as Super NightShot, to help when recording in low light situations, Super SteadyShot electronic image stabilization, and Spot Focus and Spot Metering to allow for one-touch adjustment of focus and exposure levels in particular areas of the frame.

The 30GB hard disk drive will be protected by physical shock absorbers, as well as G-sensor Shock Protection to help prevent data loss. It is unclear as of yet whether this feature will function the same way as JVC's Drop Detection, which performs an emergency, near-instantaneous shutdown when the camcorder senses a sudden shift in gravity, as with a drop.

In addition to the larger still pixel resolution over the GZ-MG70, Sony also adds a built-in flash for optimizing still image quality in lower light situations. A new addition to the still features is the PictBridge technology, a standardized system which makes it easier to transfer information directly from cameras to printers.

The JVC GZ-MG70, by comparison, takes smaller stills (1600 x 1200) but also has a built-in flash and includes options for ISO setting and EV adjustment. The Panasonic SDR-S100 has a large still feature set, including widescreen (16:9) stills, and all of the same manual control options found on the video mode.

The Sony SR100 is microphone-ready for Dolby Digital 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Recording. While the built-in microphone only records on four channels, the SR100 does have an active interface shoe, into which an attached or wireless microphone can fit, creating 5.1 channel sound.

Sony ships the DCR-SR100 with a rudimentary editing and DVD burning/backup software package. When connected to a Sony Vaio computer, a one-touch system on the body of the SR100 allows for instant backup to a DVD. Archivability is a critical element to hard disk drive camcorders, as relying on the internal drive as the sole storage device is not a decision most users would consider wise.

Some current HDD camcorders’ file formats have proven to be incompatible with most non-linear editing programs by encoding their MPEG-2 files with an .MOD file extension. This has left consumers with no alternative other than the manufacturer’s bundled software, which is generally inferior to an advanced editing programs like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. The SR100 avoids some of these compatibility issues by formatting video files with the .MPG extension, but users will still lack access to the Dolby Surround Sound. Dolby has not licensed their technology to the majority of editing program manufacturers. In order to take advantage of the 5.1 channel sound, users must edit with the included Sony software.

In comparison to the JVC GZ-MG70, the DCR-SR100 will likely offer similar video performance. Sony does include more usability features (such as a hot shoe, a viewfinder, and the capability of analog to digital conversion) than any of the five models in the JVC G-series or the Panasonic SDR-S100. The question is: will Sony, a larger name brand, be able to capitalize on their first steps and grow in the HDD market?

Sony offered no information on their future plans for Hard Drive based camcorders and whether there will be many more models like the DCR-SR100.

The DCR-SR100 will not ship until May, at a retail price of about $1100.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 11:51 PM - 0 comments

Panasonic Announces Two 3 CCD DVD Camcorders
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - At a press event at the 2006 Consumer Electronics show, Panasonic announced updates to almost their entire DVD line, including two DVD camcorders which include 3 CCDs - the first of their kind. The VDR-D250 and the VDR-D300 feature the same 1/6-in. CCDs. The camcorders feature new 16:9 aspect ratio chips which give an enhanced widescreen mode, a push which Panasonic is making this year.

When asked who makes up the target market for these new camcorders, Rudy Vitti, National Marketing Manager for Panasonic camcorders responded: "Customers who want the highest image quality as well as the convenience of DVD. Obviously there's debate over the pixel quality of DV and DVD, and DV offers the highest quality, but some customers want high image quality and the ease of DVD."

Panasonic is clearly competing with the high-end Sony DVD camcorders, last year's DVD403 and this year's DVD405 and DVD505. By comparison, the top of the line Sony DVD camcorder this year, the Sony DCR-DVD505, uses a single CMOS chips and produces higher resolution stills than the Panasonic model.

The VDR-D250's three 800K gross pixel, 440K effective pixel CCDs combine to produce 2.3 megapixel images like past Panasonic camcorders. The VDR-D300 includes an SD card slot for recording stills. The VDR-D250 features a 10x optical zoom, and a widescreen 2.7-in. LCD screen as well as a color viewfinder.

The VDR-D300 features 3.1 megapixel stills with the same CCDs as the VDR-D250 but a higher effective pixel count per CCD of 640K. The camcorder also features Leica optics and optical image stabilization. Like the PV-GS150 MiniDV model, the VDR-D300 includes a built-in lens cap.

The VDR-D250 will be available in May for $899.95 and the VDR-D300 will be available in April for $999.95.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 11:49 PM - 0 comments

Sony Announces Two New High-End DVD Cams
Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today, Sony unveiled two new high-end DVD camcorders: the DCR-DVD405, which will replace the popular DVD403, and a new, top-of-the-line DVD camcorder, the DCR-DVD505. Both models have an improved, sleeker design and the DVD405 includes a larger CCD and higher resolution still image capture.

The DVD405 replaces the DVD403, an extremely popular camcorder that did much to popularize the DVD format for camcorders: in our review, we said that it was “our favorite DVD camcorder yet, one that we certainly recommend for point and shoot users”. We’ll be taking a closer look at the new camcorder soon, but it will no doubt be a strong player in the market if it is as good as the DVD403.

The DVD405, retailing at around $900, features a 3.3 megapixel (3310K gross pixels, 2048K effective pixels) Advanced HAD 1/3-inch CCD with a Primary Color Filter. It can capture stills up to 3 megapixels: a resolution of 2016 x 1512 pixels. Stills in 16:9 aspect ratio will also be available, with a maximum resolution of 2016 x 1134. The DVD405 can achieve zooms of up to 10x optical and 120x digital. The ports will include a hot accessory shoe and a MemoryStick Duo slot (media stick not included). The camcorder does not have a microphone in jack.

With a sleek, silver design, the DVD405 distinguishes itself from the new next model down, the DCR-DVD305, with a larger CCD (1/3-inch versus 1/5.5-inch), a larger, 30mm Carl-Zeiss lens (over the DVD305’s 25mm lens), a built-in flash, and a Super NightShot mode. It also takes a larger maximum still (2016 x 1512 versus 1152 x 864). Both models take 16:9 stills, with the DVD305 reaching a maximum of 1152 x 648. The DVD305 has a larger zoom however (12x/800x). The improvements on the DVD405 from the DVD403 are relatively minor, though: this is more of a tweak to a successful model than a major revision. The new styling for the camcorder makes it sleeker and less bulky.

The DVD505, which will sell for approximately $1100, features a 2000K (1910K effective) Advanced HAD 1/3-inch ClearVID CMOS sensor, an entirely different sensor from the rest of the DVD lineup. Like the 403, it will use the Primary Color Filter for improved color performance. The ClearVID CMOS sensor, in accord with the new enhanced image processor, delivers wider dynamic range and higher processing speed than a conventional CCD.

Unlike traditional CCDs, the pixels on the CMOS sensor are tilted on a 45-degree angle. The ClearVID CMOS will also increase the number of recorded green pixels to increase resolution because the human eye is most sensitive to green. CMOS technology is also more integrated into the processing system, making it more energy efficient. The zoom ratio will remain the same as the DVD405 – 10x optical and 120x digital.

The DVD505’s improvements over the DVD405 are numerous. It will shoot stills up to 4 megapixels, measuring 2304 x 1728, and 2304 x 1296 in 16:9 aspect ratio. In order to capture 4 megapixel stills with a CMOS sensor containing only 2000K pixels, Sony claims that the combination of the alignment of the ClearVID CMOS sensor and the new image processing circuitry allows them to capture images “with the same quality as one captured by a 4MP imager”, but we’ll see when we test it. Camcorders that interpolate the pixels (that is, they create the pixels by deciding what they should look like) typically produce lower quality images than ones with a properly sized image sensor.

The DVD505 also includes “Dual Record Capability,” a new feature that allows for simultaneous recording of video and still images: the camcorder can capture a 3 megapixel still image to the MemoryStick while recording video. Previous designs typically restricted still capture to the resolution of the video when doing simultaneous recording. Four megapixel stills are not possible in video mode, Sony claims, because the camcorder uses those extra pixels for electronic image stabilization. Were the DVD505 to use optical image stabilization, it might have been possible to utilize the entire CMOS sensor for still capture. Currently, no Sony consumer camcorders except the HDR-FX1 include optical stabilization.

The DVD505 also features Smooth Slow Recording at a frame rate of 240 fps. This allows users to record at four times the normal, 60 fps rate, creating a detailed picture for fast moving objects. This is an interlaced image, and not progressive scan. This feature does not capture more data than it would at 60 fps; rather it simply slows the action down for a convincing slow motion look. Smooth Slow Record can only be initiated in 3-second intervals, making 3 seconds of real-time video playback in 12 seconds.

The DVD505 also sports a large widescreen, 3.5-inch LCD screen with 211K pixels. This is the same size LCD found on the prosumer HDR-FX1, which sells for over $2000 more. Sony has not included an LCD screen this large on a consumer camcorder in recent years, other than last year's DCR-PC55.

Both camcorders feature Carl-Zeiss lenses and Sony’s new Dolby Digital 5.1 channel Surround Sound recording. Both are 5.1 channel Center Microphone-Ready. The Center Microphone capability allows for interaction between the built-in 4 channel mic and an attached or wireless mic. The wireless microphone is a new add-on which Sony is selling that works only with the Advanced Accessory Shoe. The mid-priced model of this year’s DVD line, the DCR-DVD305, will ship with an additional, external microphone to take advantage of this feature.

Although it won’t give you Hollywood style surround sound, the option to record Dolby Digital on all of these camcorders has proved to be a popular one. With more people investing in surround sound home theater setups, the ability to record home movies in surround sound can add a new element to home movies.

The DVD405 and DVD505 can accept mics to their accessory shoe, though Sony will continue to use their proprietary accessory shoe size, rather than the more widely accepted larger size. Wireless mics which take advantage of the 5.1 channel Surround Sound will also be available for purchase for both models. Using Bluetooth technology, they will broadcast a signal up to 100 feet.

The DVD405 and DVD505 offer analog to digital conversion. This feature is different from analog to digital pass-through in that it can transfer older, analog footage directly to a DVD. As the camcorders have no FireWire, the data cannot be transferred on to a computer for further editing.

Both camcorders will accept DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW disc formats. They will also feature Super SteadyShot electronic stabilization, 123K color viewfinders, and non-solarizing SwivelScreen touch screen LCDs with 3D menus.

The DCR-DVD405 will be available in February for around $900. The DCR-DVD505 will be available in March for approximately $1100.

Source: CamcorderInfo
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posted by Clint at 11:44 PM - 0 comments

Sunday, January 01, 2006
CES 2006

* Panasonic PV-GS180 Review
* Canon ZR500 Review
* Hitachi DZ-GX3300A Review
* Panasonic VDR-D250 Review
* Canon ZR700 Review
* Panasonic PV-GS300 Review
* Sony DCR-DVD305 Review
* Panasonic VDR-D100 Review
* Sony DCR-HC96 Review
* Sony DCR-SR100 Review
* Sanyo VPC-HD1 Review
* Canon Elura 100 Review
* Panasonic VDR-D300 Review
* Panasonic PV-GS500 Review
* Sony-DCR-DVD505 Review
* New Camcorders from Sony
* Sony Retreats from MiniDV Announcing Just 4 Models
* Sony Unveils 3 New Low and Middle-End DVD Cams
* Panasonic Forges Ahead on 1 Chip MiniDV Camcorders
* Canon Shrinks ZR and Elura Lines in Size and Numbers
* Panasonic Announces New Low-end DVD Camcorders
* Sanyo High Def Flash Memory Camcorder: it’s Real
* JVC Announces MiniDV Camcorder Line with 32x Optical Zooms
* Samsung Enters the DVD Market with Six New Camcorders
* JVC Updates Hard Drive Everios Adding Direct DVD BurningPanasonic Replaces 3 CCD Line: PV-GS180, PV-GS300, PV-GS500
* Panasonic Announces Two 3 CCD DVD Camcorders
* Introducing the DCR-SR100: Sony’s First HDD Cam
* Sony Announces Two New High-End DVD Cams