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If you can't decide whether a hard drive or DVD camcorder is right for you, consider the hybrid Hitachi DZHS300A ($570 as of April 24, 2007). This camcorder comes with both a Mini DVD drive capable of recording in all the now-standard formats (-R, -RW, -RAM, and +RW) and a built-in 8GB hard drive. That combination gives you a number of interesting options for managing your video. At the camcorder's highest quality setting, the hard drive can store 3 hours of video, but it can fit only about 18 minutes of footage on a single Mini DVD disc (the DZHS300A does not support dual-layer discs). Moreover, you can copy video files saved on the hard drive to Mini DVD, in camera, for instant archiving. A hybrid camcorder sounds as though it might be an expensive proposition, but the price is competitive with single-format models.
Hitachi's hybrid may lack sophisticated styling, but it is quite functional. The main power switch lets you select video recording to either the hard drive or a DVD disc, or you can choose to take photos destined for storage on an SD Card. Unfortunately, it's capable of just 640-by-480-resolution still images--which is roughly camera phone quality.
The variable-speed switch for the camera's 25X optical zoom fits comfortably under your forefinger, and next to it is a small still-shot trigger. Viewing options include a bright eye-level viewfinder and a wide-format (16:9) 2.7-inch LCD that's easy to use even in bright sunlight.
This hybrid has more dedicated buttons than most camcorders we've looked at recently. All buttons are relatively large and easy to press. The one awkward aspect of using this camera involves having the four-way menu navigation button on the same side of the body as the LCD; with the LCD folded out at a right angle to the thumbwheel, working the control and reading the on-screen menus at the same time can be a bit tough. (It works better if you flip the LCD around and fold it back against the camera, screen out. But then you have to rotate the screen back when you're ready to record video.)
PC World's Test Center rated the DZHS300A's video quality as Fair overall, with below-average scores for video shot indoors under standard lighting and in low light. Though it wasn't outstanding, video captured informally in an outdoor setting looked attractive enough. Colors seemed a bit oversaturated, and images weren't as sharp as those produced by competing camcorders, but exposure accuracy was quite good.
Dubbing videos from the hard drive to a Mini DVD disc was easy, though hardly speedy--the unit took about 7 minutes to transfer approximately 5 minutes of video. The dedicated dubbing button on the side of the camera only allows you to transfer all of the clips from the hard drive; if you want to limit the transfer to selected clips, you have to work through the main menu system.
Hitachi provides video software suitable for both PCs and Macs. For Windows systems, you get ImageMixer 3, a basic video editor; for Macs, the choice is Pixe VRF Browers EX and ImageMixer VCD/DVD2--two rudimentary apps for downloading and burning video DVDs. The only drawback to using ImageMixer is that you must finalize the Mini DVD in the camcorder before the software will import the video. This step was not necessary with Sony's DVD408 and Canon's DC50.
In the field of bargain camcorders, the DXHS300A may be worth a look--not so much for its dual media support as for its 25X optical zoom and bright, wide-format LCD.
Tracey Capen
