It’s a common misconception that recordable DVD-based camcorders like the Canon DC100 produce a better-quality image than traditional miniDV tape equivalents.

While the format is not without its benefits, actual picture quality is usually less good than miniDV, largely due to the mpeg2 compression used by DVD camcorders.

This is certainly the case with the DC100 from Canon. Put side by side with recordings made by similarly priced DVD camcorders and the DC100 compares pretty favourably, aside from demonstrating a little graininess when shooting in low light conditions.

Next to footage shot on a cheaper miniDV camcorder (such as the Sony Handycam DCR-HC35E), the DC100’s picture quality is noticeably poorer, even at the highest bit-rate setting.

Edges can suffer from a strange halo effect, for example, and occasional compression artefacts are visible in moments of camera movement. MiniDV’s constant data rate of 3.6MB per second means that it has much more information at its disposal than recordable DVD.

That said, the DC100 is ideal for someone who just wants to make home videos without any of the hassle. Pop a blank disc in, point and shoot. It’s that easy. And, once a disc is filled it can be finalised and played back in most set-top DVD players.

Don’t expect much in the way of bells and whistles, however. DVD camcorders still tend to be more expensive than miniDV ones and the DC100 is no exception. In order to meet its budget price point the model’s feature set has been severely stunted. A decent-sized LCD screen and a 25x zoom are the highlights.

The DC100 doesn’t even have any digital outputs. Difficulties associated with transferring and editing mpeg2 format recordings from disc, meanwhile, make the camcorder almost completely unsuitable for use with popular desktop vi d eo-editing applications.

Also consider:
Sony Handycam DCR-HC35E
Small, light and comes with great picture quality

Sanyo VPC-CA6
Looks good, but the awkward design and high price let it down

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