Camcorders: Shot on the spot

GIZMO GALLERY

A DVD camcorder is a smart choice for those who quickly want to shoot short-length videos, and then pop the DVD out and watch it on the spot. Although a DVD camcorder can’t record as long as a MiniDV, you can always pop another inexpensive disk in when the first fills up. The choices are many.

The Canon DC320, for instance, is a 1.07 megapixel charge-couple-device (CCD) camcorder with a flash card slot to store still photos. The CCD is essentially a chip inside your camcorder that determines the brightness of your camcorder’s picture and the brilliance of the colours it records. With a hefty 37x optical zoom, plenty for getting tight close-ups and bringing distant subjects up close and personal, Canon delivers a good camcorder.

One thing that the buyers need to keep in mind is that while digital zoom does make objects appear bigger, it also decreases resolution, eventually producing a grainy and blurry image. If you were to use the 700x digital zoom advertised with some cameras (a figure derived by multiplying a 10x optical and 70x digital zoom), you would simply end up with a few indistinguishable pixels.

The Panasonic SDR-SW20 comes across as a more rugged camcorder that can be a good rainy day companion than Canon DC320. The SW20 records standard-definition video with the MPEG-2 compression format directly to secure digital high capacity (SDHC) memory cards, giving you one less thing to worry about.

The SW20 features a 10x optical zoom but lacks optical image stabilisation, a much-needed feature in camcorders. You would enjoy SDR-SW20’s audio recording capabilities. The camcorder has a stereo microphone and records in Dolby, and though it doesn’t entirely make up for the fair video quality, it’s a nice bonus.

Canon DC320’s discs are compatible with most DVD players and can store up to 30 minutes of video in standard mode and 60 minutes of video in long play mode. They also record to DVD-R DL (dual layer) discs that can store up to 108 minutes of video.

Besides, the captured footage can be quickly reviewed at a glance, thanks to the DC320’s visual index. Here, one can select shots and arrange them in a playlist, which is like editing video in camcorder. The Canon DC320 camcorder is retailed at Rs 23,995 and promises to be a photophile’s delight.

Seemingly, Panasonic has made SW20 as an ultra-compact digital camcorder that is not only durable, rugged but most-importantly, waterproof. But it does have its own quirks. Buttons are placed at odd angles, a major drawback. A single button doubles up to initiate video recording and to snap a digital still photo, which wouldn’t be a big deal if the dual-use button was located on the top of the camcorder.

However, Panasonic has positioned it in the rear (where one typically expects a ‘record’ button for video). The downside is that when you want to snap a digital photo, pressing the rear button requires a little more movement than it would if it were mounted on the top, leading to some degree of camera shake and movement that can alter your desired shot.

On the other hand, the SDR-SW20’s water resistance is a major positive and a nice feature for those looking to take it to the beach or in rains. Since it’s sealed up nice and tight to prevent water from entering the casing, you don’t have to worry about getting any dust or dirt in their either.

The SDR-SW20 is also shock-resistant, though it can only take drops of about three feet. So if you’re walking along and the camera slips out of your hands, you have a fighting chance of not completely ruining it. It should take the hit and keep on taping. A great beginner’s camcorder, Panasonic SW20 is priced at just around Rs 15,000.