In most shooting environments, the DC220 provides a barely adequate picture. The camcorder’s single 1/6-inch CCD has a 680,000 gross pixel count, which resounds entry-level imaging to the fullest degree. Even in bright shooting environments, the DC220’s image is grainy and oversaturated. In low light settings, such as a dimly lit room, the DC220’s image is overrun with graininess and color bleeding. The DC220 features three image control settings: Vivid, Neutral, and Soft Skin mode. While Vivid blasts the saturation levels higher and Soft Skin mode just attributes to a blurrier image, Neutral proves successful in reducing the saturation levels to a more natural state.

When it comes to manual controls, the DC220 is not as gifted as a Panasonic, but will offer more control than most Sonys within its price range. Focus, exposure, shutter speed, and white balance control are available when not in auto mode via the rear-mounted joystick. Canon also provides manual control presets, such as white balance settings and Scene modes. Beginners who aim to transition into the world of independent manual camcorder adjustment will want to take advantage of these presets.

The DC220 performs solidly in Auto mode. From white balance to focus, the DC220’s automatic adjustments are smooth. The DC220 chokes a bit in more challenging shooting environments, but its palette of instant program adjustments comes to the rescue. The combination of the rear-mounted joystick and instant control menu work well in tandem, and allow for one-handed camcorder operation. Unfortunately, the DC220 features an enclosed battery design, meaning you can’t upgrade to a battery large enough to last a long day of shooting. In addition, the wide array of menu options can be intimidating. On the plus side, the DC220 is comfortable to hold and is highly compact.

The DC220 records video to 3.5-inch (8 centimeter) single-layer DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-R DL (dual-layer) discs. Single-layer discs are cheap, widely available, and compatible with most home DVD players and computer DVD drives. DVD-R DL discs allow about twice the recording time, but are less frequently compatible with older devices. In the highest quality setting, a single layer disc can hold 20 minutes of footage while a dual-layer disc can hold 36 minutes. Editing the DC220’s footage requires a program that is compatible with MPEG-2 files, which have grown significantly in popularity. Unlike some of the upper-end Canon DVD camcorders, the DC220 does not include a decent editing software in the box. Most of the consumer-friendly programs like Adobe Premiere Elements and Apple iMovie will be able to handle it, but factor that into the total cost if you don’t already own one.

The Canon DC220 is aimed at the entry-level market, and it performs like an entry-level camcorder. Its video performance leaves much to be desired. For $50 more, the Sony DCR-DVD308 offers an imager with twice the pixel count, Dolby Digital 5.1 channel sound, a larger, upgradeable battery, an accessory shoe, and an extendable viewfinder. You’ll also be treated to Sony’s touch screen LCD and Easy mode. These are significant upgrades for such a modest price jump.