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  • Performance

  • Format

  • Tour

  • Auto/Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio/Playback/Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Comparisons/Conclusion

  • Specs/Ratings

  • Performance
  • Format
  • Tour
  • Auto/Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio/Playback/Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Comparisons/Conclusion
  • Specs/Ratings

Performance

The Hitachi DZ-GX3300 uses a 1/3" CCD with 3.31 gross MP (2.18 effective MP in 4:3 aspect ratio, 1.64 effective MP in 16:9). At 3000 lux, the GX3300 presented an image with very strong colors. Heavy saturation is apparent, even heavier than that in images from the Panasonic VDR-D300 and Sony DVD405. But while the Panasonic and Sony appeared reasonably even in their tones, the Hitachi is practically neon, much like last year’s Sony DVD403 (now replaced by the DVD405).

Also like the DVD403, the GX3300 has overly-bright whites, which seem on the verge of blowing out. And, as with this year’s Sony DVD camcorders, compression artifacts abound in its images. The Hitachi is not quite as bad as the Sonys, but it’s worse than anything else in the upper-end DVD market.

The Sony DCR-DVD405 had a much subtler, truer color balance, though (as stated above) compression artifacting was very bad in curved lines. The Panasonic VDR-D300 had the most apparent sharpness. Its color balance leaned rather heavily on the greens and blues, while the GX3300 had stronger reds, but it was generally the best of the bunch.

Canon’s DC40 had a very similar image to the Hitachi’s in terms of sharpness and artifacting. Its colors appeared better, though, due to less saturation and a better balance. The Canon did not (nor did any other camcorder mentioned here) come anywhere near blowing out whites like the Hitachi did. Finally, the JVC GZ-MG37, a similarly priced hard disk drive camcorder that also compresses video into MPEG2 files, produced a washed out image with a poor color balance. If the Hitachi performed better than anyone in its class, it would be this camcorder. The JVC was also excessively noisy—and one good point about the Hitachi is that it was relatively noise free, probably due to the large imager.

Video Resolution*(20.9)*

We tested the Hitachi DZ-GX3300 for video resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running the resulting stills through Imatest imaging software. In 4:3 aspect ratio, the camcorder produced a horizontal resolution of 589.6 (with an average 1.63% clipping) and a vertical resolution of 354.7 (with an average 1.12% clipping), yielding an approximate total resolution of 209131.12. In 16:9 aspect ratio, the camcorder produced 547.7 lines of horizontal resolution (with an average 0.92% clipping) and 335.0 lines of vertical resolution (with an average 1.9% clipping), yielding an approximate resolution of 183479.5.

Clipping occurs when Imatest cannot read a portion of the image, in this case because some of the black pixels along the edge bottomed out (red, green, and blue channels all registered as zero). This is likely a result of in-camera sharpening. It does have a small impact on the accuracy of the test.

The chart below shows how the Hitachi fared against its competition. The score is high, and it might seem difficult to rectify this with the mediocre video performance. The clipping errors, which proved unavoidable during testing, may have skewed the results somewhat, but in our experience, it's generally a small shift.  But an Imatest resolution score only tells part of the story of image quality. It does not factor in color, or compression, or aethetics (which can never be numerized).

**Low Light Performance ***(4.25)*

At 60 lux, the Hitachi DZ-GX3300 lost a good deal of color information, and overall brightness was surprisingly low – surprising because the camcorder uses a 1/3" CCD, large enough to capture a relatively large amount of light. But the image speaks for itself. Perhaps it is some deficiency of the auto gain function, but the 60 lux performance is not very good, all things considered. Noise, which was virtually absent at 3000 lux, shot through the roof here. The colors, which were over saturated, are now very dull, except for the yellows and light greens, which stay strong. The blacks lost nearly all of their detail, and were very close to dropping off.

The Sony DVD405, which has the same size imager, produced a much brighter picture, with better colors and less noise. The Canon DC40, which has an even larger 1/2.8" CCD, produced a picture that was only slightly brighter. There was far less noise in the DC40, however. The Panasonic VDR-D300, with its smaller 1/6" CCDs, was expected to have a mediocre low light performance, and in that regard it did not fail. And, while it was noisy, the noise was of a very fine grain, and not quite as bad as the Hitachi’s. The Panasonic did have a rather soft look, which might be a focusing issue, something from which the Hitachi did not suffer. Finally, the JVC GZ-MG37 had colors just as washed out at 60 lux as it had at 3000 lux. Noise was much worse, and there were many instances of blue noise, which is a more distracting problem than simple black noise because it really distorts the colors of the picture.

At 15 lux, the GX3300 lost nearly all of its color information. While there is still a modicum of sharpness (you can make out borders and shapes without too much trouble), the overall brightness dropped off considerably. Black areas have completely bottomed out, and the lower ends of the gray scale suffer for it.

The Canon DC40, on the other hand, managed to maintain a brighter picture, which provided more detail in dark areas. The color performance was just as bad as the Hitachi – virtually grayscale. JVC’s MG37 was overwrought with noise, which effectively destroyed the boundaries between subjects. The Sony DVD405 held on at 15 lux, however, with a strong saturation that, while a detriment in stronger light, becomes a boon here. Nearly all of the colors manage to shine through the darkness, though, of course, color differentiation is not at its peak. Finally, the Panasonic D300 maintained a little color, but hardly any more than the Hitachi. Noise levels were about the same, as well.

All in all, the Hitachi GX3300 was a surprisingly poor performer in low light. It has the chip size to collect the incoming light, but must fail somewhere in the processing, since it produces these dark, noisy images.

Wide Angle* (7.4)*

We took wide angle measurements of the Hitachi DZ-GX3300 at both its standard 4:3 and widescreen mode. In standard aspect ratio, the camcorder had a wide angle measurement of 37 degrees. The 16:9 widescreen aspect also measured 37 degrees. The camcorder employs what is sometimes referred to as cropping, which crops the top and bottom of the 4:3 image in order to create a 16:9 frame. In this process, the picture actually has less information in widescreen mode than it does in 4:3. Unfortunately, this is common in DVD camcorders.

 

Format

Compression* (5.0)*

The GX3300 compresses video onto DVDs in the MPEG2 format, which all DVD camcorders use. There are three quality settings available: STD, FINE, and XTRA, each of which corresponds to a data bit rate. The maximum bit rate of MPEG2 DVD camcorders is 9Mbps. By comparison, MiniDV has a bit rate of 25Mbps. On the average DVD, you will get 60 minutes of standard video, 30 minutes of fine quality, and 18 minutes of extra fine.

Media* (5.5)*

One of the GX3300’s main selling points is its ability to accept all the major DVD formats: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM. Each of these formats has its own small merits and distinctions. While this might simplify your media purchase when you're faced with a wall of choices at Radio Shack, the real question is what formats your computer and home DVD player will accept. Chances are you’ll want to pop the DVD straight into some other device to watch the footage, and some formats have a harder time than others finding compatibility. DVD-R has the widest acceptance, but is one-time-use only. DVD-RW and DVD+RW are reusable, but older devices might not read them. DVD-RAM offers the most in-camera editing flexibility (a greatly exaggerated benefit, given the plentitude of cheap or free editing software), but is probably the least compatible with other devices. Know your options before you buy.

Editing* (3.0)*

The GX3300 ships with the ImageMixer 3 editing software suite, a rudimentary program that allows you to import footage from the DVDs, perform simple editing, and export to full size DVDs for universal playback.

*A screenshot of the first page of the ImageMixer 3 software. *

Using the software to obtain footage off of a DVD-RAM proved less than simple. Even after finalizing, the computer drive couldn't read most DVD. Instead, we had to import footage from the camcorder via USB. In all, the program proved to be rudimentary even for beginning editors, running slow, prone to crashing, and lacking a lot of tools that a program like iMovie or Avid FreeDV might offer.

Still, the multi-format DVD compatibility of the GX3000 gives you a few more editing options than exist on most camcorders. Reusable formats like DVD-RW, +RW, and –RAM are always useful and economical. DVD-RAM, in particular, gives you more in-camera editing capability, allowing you to delete scenes and stills and play the disc back on acceptable devices without finalizing.

*ImageMixer's editing page. *

 

Tour

**The Front ***(7.5)*

In front, the boxy DZ-GX3300 is capped by a prominent 10x optical zoom lens with a filter diameter of 37 mm and a focal length of 6.1 mm to 61 mm.. The lens is fronted by what looks like a metal focus ring but, is in fact, a removable plastic lens hood with a finger-friendly studded surface--yet another example of this camcorder’s lack of substance beneath the surface. Underneath the lens is the stereo microphone and an inconspicuous and flimsy plastic port cover, which conceals the A/V, USB and external microphone ports. This is a sound design; you'd never be able to block the flash or lens with a stray finger.

**The Right Side ***(7.5)*

The right side of the DZ-GX3300 is the territory of the camcorder's large top-loading DVD mechanism. It’s made of the same metalesque plastic as the rest of the camcorder, this time with a graphite-like appearance. Five readily visible metal screws securing the exterior right panel to the camcorder frame further detract from the DVD bay’s aesthetic appeal. Most manufacturers would have done something to hide the hobby shop look of these screws – but for some reason, Hitachi did not.

A hand strap extends along the length of the camera’s lower right side, occupying the bottom third of the DVD bay. The strap is serviceable, but the ninety-degree edge of the camcorder’s underside makes for uncomfortable hand-holding. Another design flaw is that, when the DVD door is opens fully, it runs into the hand strap. Opening the door all the way causes the camera to pivot up onto its side unless the strap is loose. This design was not fully thought out.

**The Back ***(7.0)*

The back of the DZ-GX3300 is crowded with undersized controls that are plagued by the same cheap plastic feel of the camcorder’s exterior. Starting at the top right is the Access/PC indicator light, and below that the disc eject button. The battery eject button is at seven o’clock relative to that, and the mode dial is to the right. At the top left of the DZ-GX3300’s back is the viewfinder, which can be extended from the camcorder body but does not pivot upwards. The battery bay is located directly beneath the viewfinder.

**The Left Side ***(5.5)*

A large silvery barrel that extends back from the lens defines the GX3300’s left side and gives the camcorder a gun-like appearance that is either militaristic or slightly retro. Primary navigation buttons, including the VCR control/touchpad, form an oblong arrangement where the barrel tapers towards the rear of the unit. The generously sized 2.7" LCD screen occupies the lower right half of the left side, and can be opened to 90 degrees, and then pivoted 270. The LCD can also be flipped and folded into its cavity for picture monitoring.

Several buttons governing manual control, as well as the disc finalize button, are located inside the LCD cavity – an extremely inconvenient location to access during a shoot and one of the camera’s most egregious design flaws. These buttons inset into the camcorder body beneath a flat plastic skin, which means they are impossible to operate by touch, which is a necessity if you need to make adjustments on the fly. This poor implementation renders important manual controls, like focus, practically useless.

The Top* (7.0)*

The gun-barrel leading back from the lens is highly prominent on top of the DZ-GX3300 as well, and is the only feature on the front half of the camcorder when it’s viewed from above. A video flash shoe is located just over halfway down the barrel. Directly behind this, over the viewfinder, is a Sleep/Restart button, which enables you to sleep/restart the camcorder easily. To the right of this button is a small raised zoom toggle, placed awkwardly out of line with your index finger’s natural resting place when holding the camcorder. The photo button is even less convenient: it’s directly behind the zoom toggle, far enough out of reach that it requires an awkward lateral stretch of the index finger to depress. While, at first glance, the GX3300 is not unlike many other DVD camcorders, a little bit of hands-on practice shows its poorly implemented design.




 

 

Auto/Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)

The default mode for the Hitachi DZ-GX3300 is Auto, where exposure, focus, and white balance are automatically controlled. In default mode, EIS is also engaged. There is no Auto or Easy button, enabling a quick and error-proof way of toggling between Auto and Manual settings. That is a liability because it requires users to be diligent about monitoring the on-screen display where manual function icons are shown. One could easily fail to notice the Manual Focus icon indicating that Manual Focus is engaged, and resulting in a poor image.

In order to override full auto mode, the user can press the buttons inside the LCD cavity to engage specific Manual Controls. 

In terms of the camcorder’s performance in Auto mode, the DZ-GX3300 performs adequately but not well. The camcorder can take several seconds to snap to accurate focus, especially in low light, and exposure does not seem as accurate as on competing camcorders. This camcorder struggles especially in telephoto, and tends to "pump" as it searches for focus. Refreshingly, the auto white balance is quick and yields decent colors when, for example, swinging the camcorder from a fluorescent-lit interior to an exterior view through a window.

The camcorder offers a select few automatic controls that you can turn on and off to give it a performance boost. These are not manual controls, per se, and offer little in the way of fine control.

First of all, the GX3300 offers Backlight compensation, initiated by a dedicated button inside the LCD cavity. This function can be used to boost exposure when a subject is too backlit (say, standing in front of a window) and appears silhouetted.

The second major automatic control is a set of Program AE modes (which other manufacturers sometimes call Scene modes). These modes – which include Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Sand & Snow, and Low Light – are one-touch adjustments that you can make in specific shooting environments where exposure may be tricky. Of course, these are only the approximate settings for what the manufacturer anticipates those environments to be like. Your actual shooting situation might vary, so getting to know your manual controls is a good idea. Manual adjustments are almost always more accurate.

There are also a few white balance presets, which may help if the auto white balance is not doing the job properly. White balance settings include Auto, Manual, Outdoor, Indoor 1 (for incandescent or halogen lighting), and Indoor 2 (for fluorescent lighting).

*Overall Manual Control (3.0)
*The suite of manual controls is not very impressive for a top-of-the-line model. The GX3300 offers controls for zoom, exposure, focus, and white balance. There is no shutter speed or manual control, which every other manufacturer but Sony offers on most models and certainly on their top camcorders. The GX3300’s controls are a disappointing set, to be sure.

Pushing the Menu button on the left side of the camcorder will access the menu. It's laid out simply, which is fortunate, because maneuvering through it with the four-way touch pad is extremely awkward (more on that in a moment).

The menu contains five sections (Camera Functions, Record Functions, Date, LCD/EVF, and Initial Setup), each of which contains a submenu. The first two submenus contain most of the manual control functions that don’t have dedicated buttons on the exterior body. The last three menus, as the names imply, contain non-picture quality controls which allow you to set the time or change the menu language.

The first submenu, Camera Functions Setup, offers controls for the Program AE (described in the Automatic Controls section above), white balance, electronic image stabilization on/off, and digital zoom on/off. The second submenu, Record Functions Setup, has controls for video quality, 4:3/16:9 aspect ratio, input source (the GX3300 has analog input), and onscreen display output (if you want the onscreen text to appear on the TV during playback).

*Animated gifs of the main menu (top) and the Camera Function submenu (bottom). *

The Hitachi also offers a "Quick Menu" option: an abridged, easier to read version of the menu, specially designed for technophobes. Of course, you still need to be savvy enough to turn it on in the first place.

Zoom (7.0)

A sliding switch on the top right rear controls the zoom and is well-placed for the index finger. However, its design does not offer as fine control as is available with a raised toggle (like on the Canon ZRs and Eluras) or the rocker control you’ll find on upper-end and prosumer models. The toggle is pressure sensitive, and you can get about three distinct zoom speeds. There are no alternate methods of zooming.

One final note. Many camcorders offer a one-touch "TeleMacro" mode, which helps record small objects in as large a picture as possible. The GX3300’s manual offers a different approach, and we appreciate their candor. If you want to perform "Macro Recording," or shooting a small object up close, they recommend moving the zoom down to 0x, then shoving the camcorder right up in front of the object. It’s that simple. Thanks for clearing it up.

Zoom Power/Ratio (10.0)

The DZ-GX3300 has an optical zoom of 10x: a common range for consumer camcorders in this chip size (1/3"), and adequate for most uses. Many of Hitachi’s lower-priced camcorders with smaller CCDs feature a 16x or 18x zoom. Other manufacturers have optical zooms as high as 33x. The GX3300 also has a digital zoom, which can be capped at 40x or 500x.

Focus (3.5)

Pushing the Focus button inside the LCD cavity engages manual focus. A small "MF" icon appears in the upper left corner of the screen. You then use the + and – buttons to focus. Unfortunately, there is no numerical or visual guide except the rather small image on the LCD screen to tell you where in the focus range you are. If you’ve never seen it happen before, let us warn you that small focus mistakes become much more apparent when you play them back on a larger display (and pretty much everything is larger than a 2.7" screen). As bad as this is, it's not much different than the focus control of other manufacturers.

Exposure (Aperture) (4.0)

As with manual focus, you can adjust the exposure by pushing the Exposure button in the LCD cavity, then using the + and – buttons to make adjustments. Thankfully, unlike with the focus, a sliding scale with a cursor in the middle tells you where in the exposure range you are. The scale measures EV steps, which are a combination of aperture and shutter speed, with 11 steps in total, from -5 to +5. Panasonics and JVCs offer aperture controls in f-stops, which is a finer control and independent from shutter speed. Again, this is something you should expect on a top-end model.

*Shutter Speed (0.0) *

There is no shutter speed control on the GX3300. This is a sorry omission for a top model from any manufacturer. All Panasonics and JVCs offer fully independent manual shutter speed. Sony does not offer any shutter speed control. Canon offers shutter priority mode, which allows you to make shutter speed choices while the camcorder assumes automatic control of the other functions.

White Balance (6.5)

Manual white balance appears in the menu. The adjustment is quite accurate. If you have no white or gray cards to make a manual adjustment, there are also pre-set options for Outdoor, Indoor 1 (incandescent and halogen lighting), and Indoor 2 (fluorescent lighting), as well as an auto setting. This range of pre-sets is on par with other camcorders in this class.

Gain (0.0)

There is no manual gain control on the GX3300. All Panasonic camcorders offer manual gain from 0dB to 18dB in 3dB increments. JVC allows you to turn the auto gain control on and off.

Other Manual Control (0.0)

There is no other manual control on the DZ-GX3300.

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (7.0)*

The DZ-GX3300 captures 2016 x 1512 (3MP) stills in the JPEG format to SD card or any of the accepted DVD formats. There are three quality settings for stills: Fine, Normal, and Economy. Stills can be saved to either the DVD disc or an SD card (not included).

Strangely, the GX3300 cannot capture stills at any size but 2016 x 1512. Typically, a camcorder has a maximum still size and with two or more smaller options; it nearly always has a 640 x 480 size. While most people are likely to opt for the largest still size, our society holds a high regard for choices, which Hitachi denies you.

*The DZ-GX3300 offers a flash and SD card slot. No card comes included. *

Also, unlike the case with many camcorders, not all of the manual controls available in video mode are also available in still mode. Manual focus, white balance, and exposure are offered, as is backlight compensation, but the Program AE modes are no longer an option. Sony, Canon, and Panasonic all carry over the Program AE modes as a quick and dirty alternative to manual adjustments.

The GX3300 offers a flash, which no other Hitachi in the DVD line has. The flash can be turned on and off, but has no brightness. The Hitachi also has a self-timer, fixed at 10 seconds.

The GX3300's maximum still size compares favorably with that of the competition. The DVD405 has the same 2016 x 1512. and the Panasonic D300 is only marginally larger. However, the Canon DC40 has a much larger still option: 2304 x 1736. Nearly all of these camcorders have more manual and automatic controls in still mode.

Still Resolution* (21.0)*

We tested the Hitachi DZ-GX3300's still resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and sending those stills through Imatest imaging software. In total, the GX3300’s stills yielded an approximate resolution of 2099196.8. As we said in the video resolution section, an Imatest resolution score does not tell the whole story of still performance. It only tells the story of the resolution. Yes, the pictures are sharp, but as you'll read below, the colors are terrible.

Still Performance* (5.5)*

The DZ-GX3300 is the top of the Hitachi DVD line, with the largest imager and largest still size – 2016 x 1512. This also happens to be the only still size it can capture. All these facts might lead you to believe that the stills are of some quality.

In fact, they are not. Most of the colors that were over saturated in the video are completely under-saturated here. There is a good deal of greyish noise undercutting the overall image quality.

More detrimental to image quality are the strange patterns in areas of dense information. Likely due to compression, the patterns create information where it should not exist – solid blocks of black and white running perpendicular to correct information. Neither we nor the camera experts at DigitalCameraInfo.com have seen this particular image defect before. This is a poor image all around.

*Crops (100%) of the color chart and resolution chart show the strange patterns that appear in areas of dense information. *

The Canon DC40 produced an image the nearly polar opposite of that from the Hitachi, with strong saturation--too strong in the blues and yellows. The max resolution, 2304 x 1736, yielded a naturally sharper image. Even so, we saw nothing close to the Hitachi’s artifacts, and less intense in-camera sharpening as well.

The Panasonic VDR-D300’s stills were more saturated, but with poor color balance. Whites tended to be very bright and blacks very dark, creating a contrasty image overall. While the Hitachi had gray noise to deal with, the D300 had a fair amount of blackish noise.

Like the GX3300, the Sony DCR-DVD405 had an under-saturated image, also in contrast to its over-saturated video. The Sony perhaps had a slightly better color balance than the Hitachi, as the Sony was under-saturated all around, while the Hitachi had some intense looking magentas. The DVD405 had a sharp, clean image with relatively little noise.

The JVC GZ-MG37 is hardly a competitor in this arena, with a maximum still resolution of 640 x 480 (0.3MP). Noise, color balance, and sharpness were all inferior to every other model in its class.

Overall, this was another area of poor performance for the Hitachi GX3300.

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (4.5)*

The GX3300 is not an easy camcorder to use--we can assure you of that! Part of the problem stems from the atrocious handling – poorly placed buttons along the left side of the body, particularly those inside the LCD cavity, cripple any hopes you may have of on-the-go focus and exposure adjustments (see the Handling section below for more detail).

Even aside from handling, the camcorder is just not an intuitive device. Its menu is lengthy, with lots of little submenus that take an inordinately long time to load. The mode dial that wraps around the record button has four options: a camera icon, a video icon, OFF, and CARD. It is not clear, though, what the difference between CARD and the camera icon is. (It turns out the this determines which media you save the stills to, but we had to play around with it before we found out.)

Every other camcorder we compared this to has better ease of use, with Sony in the lead. This area has historically been Sony’s strong suit, and Hitachi doesn’t look like it’s stealing the crown any time soon.

Handling* (6.0)*

Handling is perhaps the weakest area on what has proven to be a rather poor camcorder all around. The main issue stems from the fact that all of the controls are located on the left side of the camcorder. Above the LCD are the menu / VCR buttons and the four-way touchpad navigation control (among the weakest possible controls in camcorderdom). The touchpad is too small for you to get a good feel for it, and its unresponsiveness means you have to push down extra hard every time you want to move through the menu. This is the same type of control found on some JVCs, and we didn’t like it any better there. Canon and Panasonic have both adopted joysticks across most of their line. Sony is sticking with touch screen LCDs; although we're not fond of them, we must admit that they're easier to use to use than this Hitachi.

The other set of the controls, located inside the LCD cavity, have all the grace and usability of a concrete sailboat. The "buttons" (if you can call them that) are little more circles painted on a flat surface. If anything, they resemble the decal stickers on toy cars, which appeared like speedometers, odometers, etc. There is almost no responsiveness, no "give" to the buttons to tell you if you pushed them correctly or not. You just have to keep an eye on the LCD screen and wait for an icon to appear. And it’s not as if these buttons don't control important functions: the exposure and focus controls are here, and the abysmal handling renders them  effectively null.

Aside from these areas, actually holding the GX3300 and shooting with it are not particularly bad. The zoom toggle is well placed, though we would have preferred a proper raised toggle over this sliding switch design. The record button is also well located. The image stabilization also works well, preventing jitters.

Portability* (6.0)*

The Hitachi DZ-GX-3300 measures 48 mm x 91 mm x 132 mm (1-7/8" x 3-9/16" x 5-5/16") and weighs in at about 545 g (1.2 lb) when loaded with a disc and battery. In the realm of DVD camcorders, this unit is pretty average in terms of its dimensions: too big to fit into a pants pocket comfortably, but easily slipped into a backpack or purse. Due largely to the size of a DVD, camcorders using this media cannot be miniaturized to the same degree as MiniDV cameras or HDD camcorders. When choosing a camcorder, there are some tradeoffs between the convenience of DVD and the improved portability of  formats like MiniDV. Also, DVDs are far more prone to damage from scratches: if you drop a MiniDV cassette on the floor, it will probably be just fine.

*The battery juts out pretty far. Luckily, so does the viewfinder. *

LCD/Viewfinder*****(6.5)*

The DZ-GX3300’s LCD is standard sized, with a 2.7" LCD screen at a 120k pixel resolution, and the camcorder includes a 0.2" color viewfinder. The LCD screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and can be rotated through 270 degrees or flipped and nested, screen side out, into the LCD cavity. Due to the unfortunate placement of many important controls inside the cavity, monitoring video with the LCD nested prevents you from using features like manual focus. The LCD also suffers from unusually severe solarization – when tipped at even a minor angle, its image degrades, and it becomes unreadable at about a 45 degree tilt.


Battery Life* (10.0)*

The Hitachi DZ-GX3300 ships with the DZ-BP14S battery, which the manual estimates will last for 95 minutes of continuous shooting at the highest video quality, with the LCD open. For good measure, we tested the battery on our own. We left the LCD open and the backlight on, but didn't engage zoom or manual controls. When the disc ran out of space, we plugged in the DC power to change discs, then recommenced the test. In total, the battery lasted 100 minutes and 53 seconds (1 hour, 40 minutes, 52 seconds).

Audio/Playback/Connectivity

Audio* (6.5)*

The DZ-GX3300 includes a microphone jack, an appreciated option for those who are interested in recording sound with external mics, a feature shared by the Panasonic VDR-D300 but absent on the Sony DVD 405 and Canon DC40. Sadly, this camcorder does not include a headphone jack – a rarity on consumer camcorders - so you are out of luck if you want to monitor the quality of your sound. There is a wind cut feature, which helps to reduce the buffeting sounds of wind on the on-board mic, but cannot be used when recording sound via an external mic. There is no live audio monitoring available in the menu.

VCR Mode* (6.75)*

One of the DZ-GX3300’s few bright spots is its ability to record on DVD-RAM/R as well as DVD-RW/+RW discs. Hitachi was the first company to offer this level of format compatibility. In a camcorder world where each DVD flavor has its own pros and cons, options are good. DVD-RW can be rewritten and immediately played back on most DVD players, while DVD-RAM discs can only be played back on DVD-RAM players. They also can only be written once, but are the cheapest DVD format available, and function more like hard discs, allowing faster data access.

The DZ-GX3300 provides a USB port for digital data transfer to computers and an A/V port enabling analog output and commonly used for television video playback. Using VCR mode is relatively easy, but the touchpad which controls VCR functions is not as user friendly as Panasonic’s joystick or Sony’s touch screen.  DVD camcorders do have the unfortunate tendency to take a long time from start-up to being playback-ready, and the GX3300 is no exception. It's rather slow in drawing up the thumbnails of each clip. Maneuvering through the VCR mode, though, works quite well.

Ports* (8.0)*

The Hitachi DZ-GX3300 gets very high marks in this area, offering USB, A/V and microphone ports at the front of the camcorder, beneath the stereo microphone. They are accessed by flipping down a port cover made of the same hard plastic material as the rest of the camcorder’s body, a material that seems perfectly adequate for the cover itself. However, the connector securing the cover to the camcorder body appears to be less durable than many we’ve seen, a liability since these connectors frequently snap.

*The GX3300's ports, located in the front under the lens. A hot accessory shoe sits on top. *

In the Hitachi’s favor, it offers a range of ports. The Hi-Speed USB port is a feature shared by other DVD camcorders in this price range, but absent from many entry level models such as Sony’s DVD-105 and DVD-205. A combo A/V and S-Video connector offers bi-directional data transfer. It’s also possible to toggle between menu inputs and record an analog video signal to DVD via either RCA or S-Video lines in VCR mode. It is to Hitachi’s credit that they included this as a standard feature. The Sony DVD-405 and Canon DC-40 have A/V ports, but do not ship with an S-Video cable.

The Hitachi also includes an external microphone jack that accommodates self-powered mics – a feature that is woefully absent from many DVD camcorders in this price range, including the DC40, while the DVD405’s proprietary hot shoe precludes third party microphone options. The DZ-GX3300 port cover can be opened while the camcorder is on a tripod or sitting on a table. In contrast, you must remove Panasonic’s VDR-D300 from a tripod to access its ports.

The DZ-GX3300’s SD card slot is on the underside of the camcorder, and is accessed via a small flap that opens from the LCD cavity.

 

 

 

Other Features

 

**

Widescreen/16:9 Mode* (6.0)*

The GX3300 offers a 16:9 mode, which crops the top and bottom of the 4:3 image to create a widescreen aspect ratio. With this method, you actually end up with less information in the picture than in 4:3, precisely the opposite intention of "widescreen." This is a rather poor showing for a top of the line camcorder from any manufacturer. Also frustrating is the means of switching aspect ratios,  which is buried in the menu and not terribly accessible.

 

The Canon DC40 also uses this crop technique, but at least makes it easier to switch with an external button, as does the Sony DVD405. The Panasonic VDR-D300 also uses the crop method, leaving the Hitachi in familiar, if disappointing company.

Scan Rates/24p* (0.0)*

The Hitachi DZ-GX3300 uses a 60i scan rate alone, and does not offer 24p or any other rate. No other DVD camcorder in its class offers these options.

Other Features* (2.5)*
DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R and DVD+RW Compatibility - Hitachi has chosen to differentiate their DVD camcorder line by making compatible with a wide range of DVD formats, and the DZ-GX3300 supports DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R and DVD+RW discs.

Swift Restart- The DZ-GX3300 includes a sleep mode, which can be engaged by pressing the prominent Sleep/Restart button on the top of the camcorder’s body. Entering sleep mode causes the button to glow blue, and pressing the button again starts up the camcorder in about one second. Placing a camcorder in sleep mode generally draws battery power at half the rate of paused record mode, but Hitachi does not specify power use during this mode.

Menu Flow - It is possible to toggle between the DZ-GX3300’s default full menu and a quick menu that displays only fundamental menu items. Point-and-shoot users who have no interest in accessing the camcorder’s full feature set may find the quick menu option useful.

Wind Cut - The DZ-GX3300 includes a wind cut feature that reduces the buffeting effects of wind when recording sound via the on-board microphone. This feature is called Mic Filter, and is available from the Camera Functions Setup menu within the main Menu. The Mic Filter does not work when recording sound through an external mic.

 

 

 

Comparisons/Conclusion

Comparison
Sony DCR-DVD405*
*These camcorders are similar on paper, but you only need pick up and hold them to begin to understand why we feel the advantage rests squarely with the Sony DVD405. The Hitachi simply feels like a cheaply made product, while the Sony is a pleasure to handle. Both share a 1/3" CCD imager, a 2.7" LCD, and a 10x optical zoom. The Hitachi does add a microphone in jack and the ability to record to DVD-RAM, but these are negligible additions to the plus column. Neither camcorder excels in overall manual control, but the Hitachi comes up shorter by virtue of its terrible handling and performance.

The starkest contrast between these two camcorders may be in their ease of use. Sony has a well-deserved reputation for producing camcorders that are exceptionally easy to use, partly because of their extensive use of touch screens. The DVD405 is no exception, and it is a much more user-friendly camcorder than the Hitachi, which suffers from poorly placed buttons, marginally functional manual controls, and slower menu access. The Hitachi may have an MSRP $100 below the Sony, but, given the steep difference in quality and performance, there is no good reason to choose the DZ-GX3300 over the DVD405.

Panasonic VDR-D300
The Panasonic VDR-D300 offers the Hitachi even stiffer competition, and racked up the highest scores of any camcorder in this comparison, albeit at a higher price - $1000 vs. $800 for the DZ-GX3300. As one might expect, the most obvious difference between the Hitachi and the Panasonic is in manual control features, an area in which Panasonic leads the consumer camcorder industry. The most vital manual controls on the Hitachi – focus and exposure – are nearly useless due to their poor placement and interface. The Panasonic’s manual controls are easier to use and notably include shutter speed and gain, which the DZ-GX3300 lacks.

The Panasonic also boasts a stunningly sharp picture, though its color depth and saturation is on the dull side. In terms of handling and feel, the Hitachi feels like a second-tier product.

Canon DC40
Before we reviewed the DZ-GX3300, we thought a comparison between the Hitachi and the Canon DC40 would be close. In fact the Hitachi retails for $100 less ($799 vs. $899 MSRP), includes a microphone jack which is absent on the Canon, and can record in an additional DVD format – DVD-RAM. The Canon also suffers from a closed battery design, precluding the use of a longer-life battery.

In other respects, the Canon scores higher, with better video performance, more manual features, and much better controls and button placement than the Hitachi. Controls that are conveniently placed make it more likely that you’ll take advantage of features that can improve your video image, and that fact seems to have been lost on Hitachi’s engineers, who located vital controls out of sight in the LCD cavity. We can’t recommend the Canon DC40 more highly than other camcorders in this comparison, but for brand loyalists it’s a solid choice. It is also a much better bet than the DZ-GX3300, which suffers from the fatal design flaws referenced throughout this review.

JVC GZ-MG37
Comparing the JVC GZ-MG37 to the Hitachi DZ-GX3300 is a matter of weighing the lesser of two evils: Terrible video quality in a hard disk drive (HDD) camcorder vs. cheap feel and poor handling in a DVD camcorder. But it makes sense to note that each of these camcorders has an MSRP of $800 and that neither of them is worth the price.

The differences between these camcorders are notable, the most obvious of which is recording format. The GZ-MG37 is an HDD camcorder, which means it is highly convenient, because you don’t need to worry about having a blank disc at the ready. On the other hand, you need to make sure that you are constantly deleting clips from the drive, which holds up to seven hours of video at the highest quality setting. There is no DVD loading door on the GZ-MG37, as the camcorder is completely self-contained, and it boasts true widescreen, which the Hitachi does not. In terms of ease of use, the JVC is truly simple, but it falls short of the Hitachi in terms of available manual controls.

The Hitachi has a larger CCD--1/3" vs. 1/6"--allowing it to outperform the JVC in terms of video quality, but it is just not an easy camcorder to handle. As we’ve noted extensively, the user interface design of the Hitachi is terrible, rendering its most vital manual controls practically useless. We recommend buying neither of these camcorders. Look for any of the models above and you’ll avoid the contrasting pitfalls of both the JVC GZ-MG37 and the Hitachi DZ-GX3300.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters *(2.0)*

For the point and shooter – someone who never intends to utilize the horrid manual features of the Hitachi DZ-GX3300 – this camcorder would be a dubious purchase. There are DVD camcorders out there that can do everything this one can better, without the drawbacks of plastic construction.

Budget Consumers* (1.0)*

For its price, this camcorder is a very poor purchase. A true budget consumer could purchase a highly serviceable MiniDV camcorder, such as the Canon ZR500, for a mere $300. For penny pinchers who insist on a DVD camcorder, the Panasonic VDR-D100 is a much better value – for $500, you get a camcorder that does the basics well rather than the DZ-GX3300 which is problematic from every perspective.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid* (1.0)*

The DZ-GX3300 produced stills that are extremely drab and under-saturated, while its compression produced unsightly artifacts. While the maximum resolution of this camcorder’s stills is a respectable 3.1 megapixels, they don’t stand up in comparison to those from other similarly priced DVD camcorders.

Gadget Freaks* (2.0)*

Gadget freaks who insist on having a camcorder that can record in an impressive array of DVD formats (DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R and DVD+RW) may find this camcorder of interest, but that is the DZ-GX3300’s only major draw over other DVD camcorders.

Manual Control Freaks* (1.0)*

The DZ-GX3300 does offer some manual controls, but they’re simply terribly conceived.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists* (0.5)*

The DZ-GX3300 offers nothing for the Professional or serious hobbyist other than an example of what not to look for in a camcorder. As such, it is an interesting camcorder to test drive; in many ways, it is a worst-case scenario for shooters who like to squeeze as much performance out of their equipment as possible.

Conclusion

While the DZ-GX3300 might be the best that Hitachi has to offer, it is easily the worst high-end DVD camcorder we’ve seen this year. We wracked our brains trying to figure out why someone might want to buy this camcorder, and we came up empty. It is not easy to use. It is not particularly cheap, and its image quality does not match the price. It offers few manual controls, and the value of multi-format DVD compatibility is questionable, at best. Every other camcorder we compared it to bested it by a long shot.

Despite the intrigue of the question, we didn’t come here to explain why Hitachi made such a product. We can only try to steer you away from a bad purchase. Consider yourselves warned.

 

 

Specs/Ratings

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Meet the tester

David Kender

David Kender

Editor in Chief

@davekender

David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, CamcorderInfo.com, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count.

See all of David Kender's reviews

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