Buyer's guide to Digital Video Cameras

Panasonic PVDV200
Canon ZR
Canon Vistura
JVC GR-DVL9500
Hitachi VM-E555LA
Sony DCR-TRV10 DV

Lights, camera, action! Whether you are an aspiring Martin Scorsese, or you're just looking to record your kid's growing years, digital minicams have you covered. So long as you can afford them as they're still very costly. What you're paying for is super-sharp clarity, CD quality sound, copies that look identical to the original and formats that are easily downloadable to your home computer.

Panasonic PVDV200

The Panasonic PVDV200 camcorder is one of the more affordable. Feature include MiniDV digital video format, 2.5-inch color LCD screen, black and white viewfinder, 8X optical zoom, 300X digital zoom, i.Link IEEE 1394 digital interface, PhotoVu Link RS-232 serial connection, and digital special effects. Special effects include mirror, strobe, mosaic, slim, gain-up, trail stretch and wipe.

Canon ZR

The Canon ZR is also one of the cheapest DV cameras around, and it fine for casual use. Its small shape - little bigger than a point and click camera - makes it a perfect fit for keeping in a jacket pocket. The camera could perform better in low light, but its overall picture and audio are head-and-shoulders above similarly priced analog Hi8 camcorders.

Canon Vistura

A more expensive Canon, the Vistura, has crisp images and a bright LCD screen that looks sharper than more expensive models. A 16X optical zoom lets you jump in close to your subject, and image stabilization keeps your picture smooth even while you're high-fiving with your free hand. Like many other models, you can even hook it up to your PC and turn your computer into a high-end editing machine.

JVC GR-DVL9500

The JVC GR-DVL9500 steps up the scale. This lightweight JVC model offers excellent pictures, even in low light. It does not come cheap, but it outperforms most of the DV cameras in its price range. It also allows you to edit your footage by rearranging your shots and adding cool effects, like fade-to-black or dissolve. You can record audio over the footage you've shot, or shoot in black and white, to please your art school sensibilities.

Hitachi VM-E555LA

The low-light leader, the Hitachi VM-E555LA, leaves its competition in the dark. This humble, entry-level 8mm camcorder has fantastic low-light performance. It also has a nice 22x optical zoom lens and some fun special effects. In most other respects it's a pretty ordinary entry-level camcorder. But if you think you're going to be shooting indoors, at night, in rooms that are not particularly well lit, the VM-E555LA is worth serious consideration. The difference between its stellar low-light performance and most other camcorders can mean the difference between bright clear images and video "mud."

Sony DCR-TRV10 DV

For serious shooters the Sony DCR-TRV10 DV hits the mark. Price tags aside, the TRV10 has virtually every feature you could want in a high-end consumer camcorder, with no compromise in picture or sound quality. The list of features goes on and on and is awesome with a full set of manual options, autoexposure effects, 5 types of fade-in (as well as two fade-out), excellent low-light sensitivity (including NightShot), you could use the TRV10 to shoot and edit a professional-looking video -- all in-camera.

© Copyright 2001. Galt Western Personnel Ltd. Unless otherwise specified, you may reprint this article, quote from it, use it in research or projects, duplicate it or distribute it. Credit of authorship and source MUST be given to galtglobalreview.com. Ownership of Copyright remains with Galt Western Personnel Ltd.

Return to Top

Business News / Business Roundup - Australia / Canada / Europe / United States / Careers / Classified / Information Technology / New Technology / Education News / World Facts / Book Reviews / Archives/Research