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Although they're small, they've got big features
By CHRISTOPHER AVE
Published May 30, 2005
If it has been a while since you've picked up a digital videocamera, you're really in for a treat.
Especially if you have small hands.
Today's cameras are much smaller than those offered just a few years ago. They pack in many more features, producing clear, sharp images - even at lower price levels. (Be warned, though: The bodies of some of these cameras are so tiny that you risk covering the lens with an errant pinkie, as I did while trying to film my son's birthday party.)
We decided to sample new digital videocameras at three price levels, hoping to explore a range of features, quality and, well, size.
But first, a bit about videocameras. What's wrong with the tried-and-true, analog 8mm camera you grew up with? Nothing in particular. Analog cameras are cheaper, generally, than digital ones.
The great advantage of digital is that the format allows for better, more precise editing. Why? The information is stored in ones and twos, rather than as a series of picture frames. Using a computer, you don't have to rewind and fast-forward during editing. You simply go right to the spot. Once you're there, you can do much more to your video than you ever could in the analog tape world.
There are other benefits. You can copy your digital video countless times without any loss in picture quality. And you can preserve your video on DVD or other formats that are more durable than tape.
* * *
The first digital videocamera we tried was the entry-level Canon ZR200, available for as little as $306 online.
The ZR200 more closely resembles a traditional videocamera than the other two tested models, with the familiar viewfinder on one end and the camera lens on the other. Controls are well marked, and it is easy to keep a solid hold on the camera with one hand.
Shooting video of my two toddlers was a snap. Controls were very intuitive, and the image was sharp and clear.
Like most consumer-level videocameras, the ZR200 uses the Mini DV format, meaning the video is recorded to a small digital tape. That process is somehow comforting to those of us old enough to remember the clunky old video cameras and those silent "film strips" they produced.
The ZR200 can take still photographs. But I can't imagine that you would want to because even a $100 still camera will take better photographs than the ZR200.
In many ways, the Sony DCR-PC55 is the polar opposite of the Canon ZR200. It's sleek and not much bigger than a deck of cards. It doesn't even have a viewfinder. Instead, you watch what you're shooting through the very bright, flip-out LCD panel.
If you want to rewind, fast-forward, set the time or do many other kinds of adjustments, you don't push buttons. You simply touch that LCD screen.
Operating the little camera took some getting used to, though. My fingers crept into the frame more than once. And at only 10 ounces, the DCR-PC55 proved difficult to keep steady at first.
I was most impressed by the Sony's ability to keep the image from jumping around, even if I was moving as I shot. The images were better than the Canon's. The Sony's still photography was better, although I noticed on auto mode that some images seemed dark, even on a sunny day.
At about $575 online, the Sony isn't cheap, and its learning curve is steeper than the Canon's.
That brings us to the most expensive unit, the JVC GZ-MC200. Although not quite as small, light or sleek as the Sony, the JVC is a little easier to manipulate. Its video quality was razor sharp. And it doesn't use those Mini DV tapes.
All video is saved to a 4-gigabyte hard drive, similar to the iPod Mini. The JVC includes Compact Flash and Secure Digital SD card ports. Such cards hold far less video than the 4 GB drive, but they are more common in other devices, and they can be used to save still photographs.
Speaking of photographs, the JVC is the only videocamera in the test that I would consider a viable still camera. Images are saved at 2 megapixels, which falls below most still cameras but can suffice for snapshot-size prints.
To me, the JVC has the ideal combination of high video quality, utility and balance. But it comes at a price - $708 or more online.
- Christopher Ave is the city editor in the Times' Clearwater bureau.
SNAPSHOTS
Sample of digital video cameras
Canon ZR200
PRICE: As low as $306
FEATURES: Mini DV format (video is recorded to a small digital tape); still photographs
QUICK REVIEW: Controls are well marked; easy to keep a solid hold with one hand
Sony DCR-PC55
PRICE: as low as $575
FEATURES: Sleek, small; view through bright, flip-out LCD panel; touch screen to rewind, fast-forward; still photographs
QUICK REVIEW: Clear images; steep learning curve to operate this small camera
JVC GZ-MC200
PRICE: as low as $708
FEATURES: Video saved to a 4-gigabyte hard drive (similar to the iPod Mini); includes Compact Flash and Secure Digital SD card ports; still photographs
QUICK REVIEW: Video quality razor sharp; easy to manipulate
- CHRISTOPHER AVE, Times Staff Writer
[Last modified May 30, 2005, 09:02:34]
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