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Choosing a Camcorder

As camcorder prices have fallen from the stratosphere, more people have begun to realize the benefits of digital video over its analog predecessor; DV captures sharper pictures, and the images don't degrade when you copy tapes or transfer footage to a PC for editing. According to Ron Glaz, an analyst with International Data Corporation, around 4 million digital camcorders will be sold in 2002. Furthermore, he predicts, mini-DV camcorders will outsell analog models by 2004.

Camcorder vendors certainly offer plenty of variety to address the DV market. We found models in a range of shapes, sizes, and prices--from $500 to $1499. Our test units included the Canon Elura 20MC ($1299), the JVC GR-DVL815U ($799), the Panasonic PV-DV701 ($899), the RCA CC9390 ($1499), the Samsung SC-D67 ($500), the Sharp VL-NZ10U ($1200), and the Sony DCR-TRV17 ($1100).

Like most DV camcorders, all of the models we tested use tiny mini-DV tapes, but some camcorders record on other media. Hitachi's new DZMV100A, for instance, records to a DVD-RAM disc (see our review in this month's New Products). If you already have video that was shot with an analog camcorder, many DV models can bring your old footage into the digital age. Five of these camcorders (all except the JVC and the Samsung) can record from an external composite or S-Video source, allowing you to copy your old analog videos onto mini-DV tapes.

For comparison purposes (not as part of our review)--to put the image quality of our seven camcorders in perspective--we also tested an analog unit and a high-end digital model. The $320 Canon ES420V uses 8mm analog tapes; the $3500 Canon XL1, a semiprofessional digital camcorder, has a built-in sound mixer, interchangeable lenses, far better audio capabilities than the units in our roundup, and greater control over video adjustments. (Canon recently launched an updated version, the XL1S, but it was not available in time for our testing.) The XL1 uses separate charge-coupled devices to convert light in each of the three primary colors into electrical signals. Less expensive models, in contrast, rely on a single CCD.

A Good View?

We tested video quality by mounting each camera on a tripod and shooting an identical scene--a colorful toy train running in a loop--first inside the PC World Test Center and then outside on a sunny day. We used Fujifilm DV tape in each camera (except the analog model), and a panel of judges compared the video clips on identical color televisions. We also conducted some informal tests by asking several PC World editors to shoot several outdoor scenes simultaneously. Our image-quality impressions depended on three factors: color, image stability, and the camcorder's ability to capture motion.

Camcorders adjust their color settings depending on the lighting. In a process called white balancing, the camcorder analyzes all the colors in an image, then interprets them to best match what the human eye would see. All camcorders handle this automatically; some more-expensive models, like the Canon XL1, let you make manual adjustments as well. Each of the seven models we reviewed captured realistic colors both indoors and outdoors. They also did a good job of transitioning from one lighting situation to another.

We encountered one minor problem with the Sony: Whereas the other camcorders use the entire field of view to determine the white balance, the Sony reads only the center of the image. In our lab tests with the Sony, that caused colors to shift whenever a brightly colored boxcar on our model train passed through the center of the frame.

Image stability wasn't a problem in our lab tests, where the devices were mounted on tripods, but once you put a camcorder in your hand, some degree of shakiness is inevitable. Fortunately, all the cameras include some form of digital image stabilization: They adjust for small movements that could create blurry video, by shifting the image on the CCD slightly to compensate. Image stabilization worked pretty well on all the camcorders, but you won't get the rock-steady images you could achieve by using a tripod.

In our tests, we found relatively little difference in image quality among all the digital camcorders--including the semi-pro Canon XL1. The JVC and the Sharp models did produce the weakest images, which we rated Average and Good, respectively. But even these two units provided noticeably better footage than the analog model could. All the other DV camcorders earned a score of Very good, but in our judgment, the Panasonic's especially sharp images and accurate colors were the best of the bunch. We also liked the unit's bright LCD screen, which made it easy to frame our subjects.

With the exception of the RCA and the Samsung, all of the camcorders also double as digital cameras for taking snapshots. But don't toss out your digital still camera: Our test models could capture images at a resolution of only 640 by 480 pixels, considerably less than today's digital cameras can muster.

Some of the camcorders (such as the Panasonic and the RCA) come with clip-on lights, and you can buy optional lights for the others. But there are times when you might want to shoot video in dimly lit settings, such as when someone's giving a presentation. The JVC, Panasonic, RCA, and Sony offer low-light modes that use low shutter speeds to capture more available light. The Panasonic, RCA, and Sony units also include an infrared illuminator, which allows you to film in settings with little or no visible light. A camera's CCD can convert the infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, to black-and-white video. None of the camcorders produced images of the same quality in the dark as they produced in daylight, but the best overall was again the Panasonic: It captured the nicest color in low light, and it took the best-looking video when using the infrared illuminator.

Up Close and Personal

Each of the seven camcorders offers both optical zoom (via lens movement) and digital zoom (via software). The Samsung has the longest optical zoom, at 22X; the others offer 10X. All of the optical zooms moved smoothly, and the camcorders yielded good image quality at both ends of their ranges. The JVC, Panasonic, RCA, Samsung, and Sony models all boast incredibly high digital zooms (up to 500X for the Samsung and the Panasonic). But at their higher settings, the cameras are magnifying such a small part of the image that all you can see is a blur. We wouldn't recommend attempting to film at any setting above 50X.

The camcorders have some notable differences in their designs. The Canon Elura 20MC is by far the smallest model. Standing at approximately 2 inches wide by 4 inches tall and weighing less than a pound, it's the only model here that you could comfortably fit into a coat pocket. Its small size does have disadvantages, however: Some of our testers found that their fingers didn't sit comfortably on the tiny controls. Also, you must plug in an included dock in order to use some basic features, such as an external microphone jack or an S-Video or composite output for sending video to a television. Another drawback of the diminutive Elura is its smallish color LCD screen, which measures only 2.5 inches on the diagonal. The Samsung SC-D67 has a 2.5-inch screen too, but all the other camcorder screens here measure 3 or 3.5 inches diagonally.

At the other extreme, the Samsung felt excessively bulky and awkward. And the Sharp, which more closely resembles a digital camera than a camcorder, was difficult to handle because of its unusual design. We found that no matter how firmly we gripped the unit, our fingers were prone to slipping and blocking either the lens or the microphone.

Loud and Clear?

All of the camcorders captured reasonably good sound with their built-in microphones; but in general, models with front-mounted microphones performed better than those that had the mike positioned on top, such as the Canon Elura and the Sharp. In particular, if the person holding the Elura spoke, that person's voice would drown out everything else. Fortunately, all the camcorders except the JVC GR-DVL815U allow you to connect an external mike.

Several of the camcorders suffered other sound problems: The microphones on the Panasonic, Samsung, and Sharp models often picked up the sound of the lens mechanism when we zoomed the optical lens in or out. Speaking of zooming, the Sharp and the RCA each include a good zoom microphone, which consists of several individual mikes that pick up sound from different directions. As the lens zooms in on a subject, the zoom microphone adjusts to pick up more sound from the front and less from the sides.

Going the Distance

Even the best camcorder is just dead weight if the battery gives out. But that doesn't seem to be a problem for the camcorders we reviewed: When we set them to record, with the LCD screen on, all but the Canon Elura ran for well over an hour. In fact, four of them exceeded their rated battery lives. The JVC and the Panasonic had the next shortest battery life, at 1 hour and 13 minutes apiece. The Sharp lasted longest, at 1 hour and 47 minutes.

All of the manufacturers offer bigger batteries. We tried the Canon Elura, for example, with the BP-422 extended battery pack (about $95). Though it was heavier, the BP-422 extended the Elura's battery life from 53 minutes to over 3 hours.

Director's Choice

Of the models we tested, the Panasonic PV-DV701 provides the best overall package, combining a moderate price with the highest ratings in our video quality tests. It also includes plenty of nice features such as a big, bright LCD. Honorable mention goes to the cute Canon Elura 20MC. Its diminutive size makes it the easiest to lug around, but the tiny controls are tricky to handle. The Elura is also one of the most expensive models.

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