Photograph: Marc SimonBuyers of still-image cameras have long benefited from manufacturers' cramming high-end features into ever-smaller, less expensive cases. But what if you want to capture moving pictures? Are video cameras also riding the better, smaller, cheaper technology wave?
We're happy to report that the answer is yes. Camcorder makers are producing cameras in more diminutive cases and packing them with features formerly found only on professional models. These bonuses include optical stabilization, in which the lens, not the CCD, compensates for shaky hands; 16:9-mode image capture for wide-screen display; multiple CCDs for better color; surround-sound recording; and still-image resolutions good enough for casual shots. Best of all, these features are now available to amateurs at relatively affordable prices.
For this Spotlight we looked at six of the newest camcorders we could find with street prices below $900. Our lineup: Canon's Optura 60, Hitachi's DZGX20A, JVC's GR-DF550US, Panasonic's PV-GS250, and Sony's DCR-DVD403 and DCR-HC42. Our pick for Best Buy is Sony's DCR-HC42, a $560 camcorder that can fit in a coat pocket, yet took some of the best-looking video in our tests. People who primarily want to record and watch without editing are likely to favor the Sony DCR-DVD403, which records directly to mini-DVDs. Avid videographers might prefer the Panasonic PV-GS250, a three-CCD model with a wider range of manual controls than the others.
All the camcorders here include low-light modes that make the most of existing light and thus take videos in situations such as dimly lit rooms that would have flummoxed most cameras a few years back. Sony's DCR-HC42 and DCR-DVD403 have special modes that can work in near-total darkness by adding a pinch of infrared light, which you can't see but the camcorder can. The Canon Optura 60 and the JVC GR-DF550US have built-in LEDs that illuminate your subject and improve video quality.
Camcorders that can shoot still images to memory cards used to be the exception, but today many models offer this capability. Those we tested take still images at resolutions of up to 3 megapixels and save them to memory cards or, in the DVD units, to disc. Several can take stills that would work well as 4-by-6-inch prints; nevertheless, in spite of their higher resolutions even those models can't match the quality of shots from a dedicated still camera. When we compared the images from the camcorders with those from a 5-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 5900 and an 8-megapixel Olympus C8080, the images from the two still cameras looked much sharper and exhibited better color and exposure, even when the Coolpix was shooting at a lower 3-megapixel setting. So although the still-image option is handy, we'd say not to recycle your favorite still camera just yet.
Wide Screen, Wide Video
If you like wide-screen video, you'll be glad to know that all the camcorders we tested support wide-screen mode. The resulting 16:9 (width to height) aspect-ratio video fits full screen on wide-format TV sets or in letterbox format on standard 4:3 TV screens. The two Sony models reviewed here have the advantage of wide-screen LCDs. No camcorder we tested could record high-definition video; see "Next Up: High-Def Camcorders," for details on one model that can.
Testing the Quality
To evaluate the camcorders, we took videos in a variety of settings, including outdoors, indoors under strong light (such as on an illuminated stage), and indoors under dim lighting (such as at an evening party). We found that although all of the cameras produced acceptable video, their color reproduction varied markedly. The Sony models, in particular, produced great-looking video with strong color and detail. The Sony DCR-DVD403 excelled at recording in normal light (unaided outdoor or indoor), while the Sony DCR-HC42 tied with the Panasonic PV-GS250 in both indoor and outdoor settings. The JVC GR-DF550US recorded the best video in our low-light test. The Hitachi DZGX20A turned in the poorest quality in low indoor light, but its normal-light scores equaled most of the others'. The DCR-DVD403 and the Canon Optura 60 were tops at capturing high-quality sound, with the Sony DCR-HC42 and Hitachi DZGX20A close behind.
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