Canon DC50 Camcorder Review
By David Kender
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
August 12, 2007
For a company developing some of the best camcorders on the market, the Canon DC50 is a bit of a letdown. It’s not that the camcorder doesn’t deliver great looking video, but at an MSRP of $800, more is expected. The DC50 is Canon’s top standard definition DVD camcorder, yet it lacks a solid feel, good construction, and vital features like a mic input.
The video quality is surely the most compelling reason to consider the Canon DC50. It comes equipped with a large 1/2.7-inch CCD with 5.39 megapixels. Color performance is the camcorder’s strong suit; it walks that fine line between accuracy and saturation. The picture is very sharp, though not as sharp as last year’s championing Panasonic VDR-D310.
The Canon DC50 has a fantastic array of manual controls that should appeal to both beginners and advanced users. For novices, the camcorder offers easy to understand controls like exposure compensation, and a whole series of one-touch color correction tools (Vivid, Soft Skin Detail, Neutral, and Low Sharpening modes), all with a great joystick interface and straightforward menu design. For those who like the nitty-gritty of camera work, the DC50 has Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, grid markers, and a host of white balance settings.
Point-and-shooters should have little problem picking up the DC50 and shooting within minutes. A small switch on top shifts the camcorder into full Auto mode, leaving you little to do but point and zoom. The auto responses are good, particularly the white balance.
For all the above praise, the construction of the DC50 invites criticism. The hand strap is cheap and poorly placed. If not gripped at the top, the camcorder flops to the left at a near-90 degree angle. The viewfinder is very small, with a hard plastic eyecup, and it can't extend out or pivot up to meet you. The camcorder has an enclosed battery design, placed inside the LCD cavity, which means you won’t be able to upgrade to a higher-capacity battery. On the whole, the DC50 is designed for occasional use only. Avid videographers are almost guaranteed frustration.
The Canon DC50 records to 8-centimeter DVDs, sometimes called miniDVDs, in the following formats: DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-R DL (dual layer). The single use DVDs, those ending in “R,” are cheap and widely available. Rewritable discs (RW) are more expensive, but can be cost effective over time. Be aware that these types of DVDs are generally not stable enough for very long shelf lives. After 10 or more years, even dry climates can cause corrosion. Unlike tape, where wrinkled or damaged portions can be snipped away, any corrupted part of a DVD can lead to the total loss of the disc. Be sure to back up footage to a hard drive, as well.
The DC50 is an easy to use camcorder that produces pleasing video. If that’s enough reason to run off and buy it, so be it. However, there are relevant grievances. The sound quality is lacking, and the camcorder lacks an audio input or accessory shoe to improve upon it. Also, the design and construction limit its appeal to casual use only. Power users may be more interested in the Panasonic VDR-D310, which offers some minor improvements.
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