Performance

The Canon DC220 is a baseline DVD camcorder, all told, and the imager matches the price. Inside is a 1/6" CCD with 680,000 gross pixels (450,000 effective pixels in 16:9 with the stabilization off, 360,000 effective pixels in 16:9 with the stabilization on, and 340,000 effective pixels in 4:3).

At 3000 lux (bright light), the image was noisier than a brass band in a school gym. The noise seems to have increased from last year’s Canon DC100, which had similar specs. As a result of noise, in combination with the chips low resolution, a lot of fine detail is getting lost.

On the plus side, the color palette looks good for a camcorder in this price range. What we’re seeing so far this year is that the oft-cited "Canon color" is making its way down from the upper-end to the lower-end models. The greens appear too oversaturated, which was not a problem in the DC100. Overall, the color balance is strong yet balanced. Pro users would surely scoff at the saturation levels, but in the sub-$800 market, this is what you can expect to be "good color." Comparatively, last year’s Sony DCR-DVD105 favored the blue portion of spectrum too much, though fine detail capture was better. The Panasonic VDR-D100, also a 2006 camcorder, had a lot of fine grain noise and pushed the reds too hard, to the detriment of the rest of the spectrum, which appeared washed out.

The Canon DC200 offers some image control settings that affect picture quality. The feature set, dubbed "Image Settings," offers one touch on/off controls for Vivid, Neutral, and Soft Skin looks. Unlike more advanced Canon DVD camcorders like the DC50, there is no custom setting to further tweak picture quality. The Vivid setting, as you might guess, boosted saturation, though frankly, it didn’t boost it that much. The saturation was heavy to begin with.

The Neutral setting, conversely, was pretty useful, and it allows you to reduce saturation. For indoor shooting, this may improve overall image quality. Once you’re outdoors, a little saturation for blue skies and green grass is a good thing.

The Soft Skin just made the image look softer, which it certainly didn’t need any help doing. The image lacks enough resolution – no need to help the cause.

Video Resolution* (4.5)*

In order to test video resolution, we shot a DSC Labs video resolution chart and looked at the playback results on an HD monitor. At best, the Canon DC220 produced a horizontal resolution of 300 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) and a vertical resolution of 300 lw/ph. Certain areas of the chart have a great way of drawing out the moiré issues. In areas that exceed 300 line widths, the camcorder produced a lot of purple discoloration. In other areas, it produced a strange checker board pattern where there should have been only vertical lines.

Low Light Performance* (5.39)*

At 60 lux, the Canon DC220 took on a great deal of thick, blackish noise, that resulted in some loss of fine detail. With saturation levels as high as they were in bright light, the colors managed to stay relatively strong. The biggest problem was color bleed along border areas. This was noticeable in bright light, and it became worse at 60 lux.

Last year’s Canon DC100 looked nearly identical – same noise issues, same color. The Sony DCR-DVD105 was right on par, if not preferable. The Sony produced a finer grain noise, which is less frustrating to watch dance around the screen than thick flakes. The Panasonic VDR-D100 was the weakest of the group in terms of color. Noise issues were about equal.

The Canon DC220 offers shutter speed control, which is a good thing to take advantage of in low light. When we dropped the shutter down to 1/30th, the colors were dramatically boosted. However, it only seemed to make the noise more obvious. Our solution is to buy something else if you want a low light performer.

At 15 lux, the noise has completely devoured the image. New and interesting types of noise, like patches of blue, also begin to appear. This is an unusable image, for all practical purposes.

Shooting 15 lux with the shutter at 1/30th, the image brightens only to make the noise easier to see.

The Canon DC220 proved itself to be reasonably sensitive in low light, producing 50 IRE at 13 lux. At 60 lux, Imatest imaging software found the camcorder to produce a color error of 12.3, with 1.44% noise and 75.95% saturation.

Stabilization* (4.97)*

The Canon DC220 includes an EIS (electronic image stabilization) option that can be engaged to reduce moderate camcorder shake, as when operating the camcorder hand-held. EIS systems like this one are the most common type of stabilization on consumer camcorders, and function by creating a digital buffer zone around the margins of the frame. As a result, some image resolution is lost when EIS is set to on. OIS (optical image stabilization) systems do not reduce image resolution because they stabilize the lens element itself, sometimes through the use of gyroscopes. OIS systems are the superior image stabilization method and are generally seen on higher-end models such as the Canon DC50 – the company’s flagship standard definition DVD camcorder.

To their credit, Canon publishes the resolution difference between an image captured with EIS on (360,000 pixels) and EIS off (450,000 pixels) in their user’s manual. Most manufacturers do not disclose this, in part, because the decrease is dramatic. For this reason, EIS should only be engaged when absolutely necessary.

The DC220’s EIS system was quite effective for countering the effects of moderate shake. At the speed 1 setting of our shake emulator device (roughly equivalent to the motion produced while hand-holding a camcorder and standing still), the DC220 reduced movement by about 81%. At the more aggressive shake speed 2 setting, the DC220 reduced perceived shake by only 21%. At speed 1, the DC220 performed better than average, while at speed 2, it was less effective than most comparable camcorders.

Wide Angle* (10.0)*

We tested the Canon DC220 in16:9 recording mode to determine its maximum field of view. To run this test, pulled the zoom all the way back, disabled OIS, and manually focused the camcorder to ensure a stable shot. This DC220 produced a maximum field of view of 50 degrees, placing it in the average range among comparable consumer camcorders.

 

 

 

 

 

Format

Compression* (4.0)*

The Canon DC220 records standard definition video using MPEG-2 compression to 3.5" DVDs at three quality settings. XP produces the highest-quality video, at an average bit rate of about 9Mbps. The SP setting compresses video at a lower average bit rate of 6Mbps and produces lower quality video, while LP reduces the average bit rate to 3Mbps. The benefit of the lower bit rate settings is that they extend the maximum recording time available on a DVD, roughly in proportion to their bit rate. When the XP mode is selected, a single-layer DVD-RW or DVD-R can store only about 20 minutes of video. A dual-layer DVD-R DL holds about 36 minutes of XP footage. SP increases recording time to 30 and 54 minutes for single and dual layer discs respectively. LP mode offers the longest recording times, at 60 minutes for single layer and 108 minutes for dual-layer discs.

MPEG-2 compression is used in all standard definition DVD camcorders, while DV compression is used in standard definition camcorders that record video to MiniDV tape. MiniDV camcorders consistently perform better than DVD camcorders with otherwise identical specifications, in part due to the higher bit rate of DV, which, at 25Mbps is nearly three times the bit rate of MPEG-2. The performance gap has narrowed in recent years as manufacturers have improved their compression algorithms and image processors, but standard definition MPEG-2 remains a consumer technology.

Media* (5.0)*

Canon’s entire 2007 DVD camcorder line, including the DC220, is compatible with 3.5" (8cm) single-layer DVD-R and DVD-RW discs, and dual-layer DVD-R DL discs. Single-layer discs are relatively inexpensive, and have been around since the introduction of DVD-based camcorders. DL, or dual-layer DVDs debuted in mid-2006, and offer a dramatic increase in recording time over single-layer discs – i.e. from 20 to 36 minutes in the DC220’s XP recording mode. DVD-R DL discs cost more than single-layer discs, and are less widely available.

Single-layer DVDs are compatible with most home DVD players and non-slot-loading DVD drives for PCs because the discs are well-established in the market. DL discs can be played on many newer DVD players, but you should check your device’s compatibility if you plan on using DVD-R DL discs.

Editing* (5.0)*

The Canon DC220 ships with the Digital Video Solution Disc for Windows & Macintosh, but it does not include MyDVD, a basic NLE and disc authoring application for Windows users that ships only with the Canon DC50. To actually edit DC220 MPEG-2 footage, you’ll need to search out your own solution, and there are many consumer applications available including Avid Liquid and Adobe Premiere Elements for PC. We are not aware of any full-featured Mac MPEG-2 editors, but MPEG Streamclip is a freeware OS X solution that converts from and to nearly any video format.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (4.0)

Canons usually perform solidly in auto mode, and the DC220 upholds that consistent standard. Placing the camcorder in full Auto is done by switching the two-position Mode Switch on top of the DVD mechanism from P (AE) mode to Auto. It is also possible to select automatic adjustments on an a la carte basis while in P Mode. When the DC220 is in full Auto mode, you will retain the ability to review the last recorded clip using the joystick, select video and photo settings, and control Auto Slow Shutter, Digital Zoom, Zoom Speed, and Widescreen select. The camcorder takes care of all the other image parameters, from white balance to focus.

Automatic adjustments are smooth, though not quite as quick as some other consumer camcorders (Sonys are particularly fast and seamless in making automatic adjustments). Focus is accurate and fast in good lighting, and it holds up reasonably well in low light. Retaining good auto focus in low light is a trouble area for Sonys, while Canons often do this better. The DC220 also deals with exposure adequately, though this adjustment can take several seconds to stabilize. The overall color balance, controlled via auto white balance, is relatively accurate, and this is a strength of the DC220’s Auto Mode. Despite the fact that Auto Mode does not make all its adjustments with the refined seamlessness of a Sony, they delivered a balanced and good-looking picture under "normal" lighting condition.

In conditions that are notorious for surpassing the limits of full Auto Mode, such as low-contrast, backlit, or low light, the DC220’s ability to deliver a usable image flagged. This is inevitable given the fact that Auto Mode is calibrated to deal well only with a narrow range of common shooting conditions. The camcorder’s Scene Modes, often known as "Program AE" modes, are designed to optimize automatic controls to suit specific lighting situations that Auto Mode cannot deal with adequately.

Scene Modes can only be used by setting the Mode Switch is set to P, entering the Function Menu, and choosing the Set Scene icon. The Scene Modes include Canon’s standard suite: Portrait (for recording portraits or still lifes), Landscape (for distant scenes), Sports (for fast action in bright light), Night (very low lighting), Snow (for subjects against a snowy backdrop), Beach (for subjects on a brightly lit beach), Sunset (also works for sunrise…), Spotlight (for subjects against a dark backdrop), and Fireworks (very bright light against a black sky).

Additional automatic options available on the DC220 include Canon’s standard set of Image Effects and faders. Like Scene Modes, these are only available when operating the camcorder in P Mode. Image Effects alter the overall character of the image and include settings for Vivid, to increase color saturation, Neutral, to tone down colors, Low Sharpening, to decrease sharpness, and Soft Skin Detail. Soft Skin detail softens "skin toned" areas in the frame, and it is intended to produce more flattering portrait shots. We find options like Soft Skin Detail troubling because they are inevitably calibrated only for a certain range of skin tones. Adding a few skin tone settings would go a long way towards remedying what amounts to racial bias through exclusion. We will applaud any camcorder manufacturer that addresses this issue.

Overall Manual Control (5.0)

Different manufacturers approach manual controls on entry-level camcorders very differently. Panasonic offers full manual control on even its lowliest models, while Sony adds independent control over more image parameters at the top end of their line. Canon falls somewhere in-between, offering a fairly robust set of manual controls on the DC 220 but adding features (such as aperture priority) on its top-end models, including the DC50. This leaves the DC220 with a pretty good set of manual image control options that should keep most casual users comfortably in the drivers’ seat.

Like last year’s DVD camcorder, the DC220’s main control interface is a joystick, but it has migrated from the left side of the body to the back, just below the viewfinder. This is a welcome change because it enables you to operate the joystick easily with your thumb while hand-holding the camcorder. It also places the control squarely in your field of view, rather than around the corner. The joystick is used to navigate the menu and to make all manual image adjustments, from exposure to white balance setting.

The manual controls are available only in P Mode, and manual control options are grayed-out or invisible when the Mode Switch is set to Auto. Pressing the Function Button (labeled FUNC) brings up the Function Menu display screen, which is rendered as an "L" along the left and base of the LCD screen. Each icon on the left side of the screen contains nested options that "open" along the base of the screen. At the top left of the Function Menu are the camcorder’s primary recording modes: Program AE (P), Shutter Priority (TV), and Scene recording modes. P mode allows you to adjust exposure on a -11 to +11 scale in EV steps, while TV also allows you to select a specific shutter speed. The Scene option includes a wide array of AE recording modes that still allow manual control over focus but place exposure and shutter speed under automatic control.

The Function Menu also includes white balance presets, Image Effects, Digital Effects, video, and photo settings vertically aligned along the left edge of the LCD. The last Function Menu option is the DC220’s Administrative Menu. When this icon is selected, a new menu interface opens up, containing less-used image controls like Auto Slow Shutter and Markers, as well as the bulk of the camcorder’s setup and display options.

The joystick is the only control you’ll need to make adjustments to focus and exposure, review the last recorded clip, or activate an effect. When operating the DC220 in either P or TV mode, depressing the center of the joystick opens a small display in the LCD screen’s lower right corner. Pressing down towards "Next" cycles through the options, and pressing up engages control over a given setting like focus. This amounts to very fast access to a few key manual controls, and it is one of the best aspects of Canon’s control interface. Panasonics take the model a step further, providing instant joystick access to even more parameters including gain, shutter speed, and iris – but novices run the risk of confusion when faced with so many choices. Sony’s entry-level interface is completely touch screen-based. That makes it extremely easy to understand – but as a manual control interface, touch screens offer less precision and speed than joysticks (though dials and rings are better still). For casual shooters, Canon gets the equation right by offering quick access to basic manual controls and an intuitively-designed menu.

Zoom (6.5)

You can control the Canon DC220’s zoom using either the top-mounted primary zoom controller or via the secondary zoom control buttons on the lower edge of the LCD frame. The main zoom control is positioned nicely for index finger operation while hand-holding the camcorder atop the back end of the lens barrel. It has a rocking lever design, which we prefer over slider-type zoom, and it extends out from the body enough to allow for good leverage and control.

The zoom lever defaults to variable speed operation, with increased finger pressure resulting in a faster zoom. The lever can also be set to move at three fixed speeds by selecting the Zoom Speed option from the Camera Setup submenu of the Admin Menu. Speed 1 moves the zoom at a very slow crawl, Speed 2 is a little faster, and Speed 3 is about half the zoom’s maximum speed. Canon’s adjustable zoom speed option can be a useful tool, and it is a rarely seen option at the consumer level.

The Zoom Speed options also control the speed of the secondary zoom control buttons along the lower edge of the LCD frame. They are labeled W and T (think "wide" and "tight"), and are the camcorder’s Rewind and Fast-Forward buttons in playback mode. The buttons are useful when the camcorder is held at a high angle that makes the primary zoom difficult to reach and also allow fixed speed zooms even when the primary is set to variable speed.

Zoom Power Ratio (35.0)

The Canon DC220 is certainly not lacking in the optical zoom power category. At 35x, it is among the most powerful optical zooms on the market, surpassed by only a few entry-level Sonys with 40x zooms. Alas, powerful optical zooms are a fortunate byproduct of the small 1/6" sensors found on these camcorders. Larger sensors found on top-end camcorders produce higher-resolution video, but their optical zooms are much less powerful due to their large scale in relation to the entire lens element.

For all you surveillance junkies out there, the DC220 also sports a digital zoom that can be disabled, capped at 105x, or maxed out at 1000x. In contrast to optical zooms that magnify an image using lenses, digital zooms only create the illusion of increased magnification by blowing up the image at a camcorder’s peak optical zoom power. A digitally zoomed picture is literally a cropped and zoomed section of the frame, so at the 105x setting, the center of a 35x zoom has been digitally enlarged three times. Because digital zooms enlarge pixels, the video resolution and quality degrades quickly upon entering digital territory. If you must use this option, we strongly recommend capping the zoom at 105x to ensure that your video remains somewhat legible. To clue you in to where you are in the camcorder’s zoom range, a horizontal zoom bar near the top left corner of the screen provides a visual indication of where you are and what direction you are moving the zoom. When the digital zoom is engaged, a light blue segment is added to the bar for 40-105x territory and a darker blue segment is added for 105-1000x territory.

Focus (4.0)

The DC220 can be focused manually when P is selected by the Mode Switch but not in Auto mode. Pressing in on the center of the joystick displays a small menu in the lower right corner of the LCD, and by tapping down towards "Next," you can cycle through options until you arrive at the Focus screen. To select Focus, tap the joystick up once to engage the control. The letters MF will appear at the top of the LCD to indicate manual focus mode, and portrait and mountain icons become active. Tapping left towards the portrait icon will move the focal plane closer to the lens and tapping left towards the mountain moves the focal plane further away.

Joysticks are middle-of-the-road manual focus controllers, offering better accuracy and control than a touch screen or buttons but much less than a dial or ring. Dials and rings are only found on a handful of high-end camcorders, however, all of them retail for at least double the cost of the Canon DC220. At this price point, a joystick is the best focal control you can get. In this camcorder’s favor, it’s very easy to engage the manual focus control even while shooting, via the joystick. The location of the joystick also means focus can be adjusted with one hand and without applying pressure to the LCD frame, which is more liable to shake the camcorder. JVC places the joystick on the LCD frame (which has some other handling benefits), while Sony’s focus control is the touch screen itself.

*Pushing in on the joystick brings up the

exposure and focus controls. *

Exposure & Aperture (5.5)

Exposure can be adjusted manually on a -11 to +11 scale in EV steps when the camcorder is set to either P or TV recording modes. In P mode, exposure adjustments affect both shutter speed and aperture, and the actual value of each parameter is not displayed. TV mode offers a bit more control over exposure, though this adjustment also occurs on the same EV scale.

TV mode allows you to assign a fixed value to the camcorder’s shutter speed and then make adjustments to exposure. Even though the exposure setting is not shown in f-stops, moving through the EV scale after the shutter speed has been set will only affect aperture.

Shutter Speed (5.85)

Shutter speed on the DC220 can be manually controlled only when the camcorder is in TV or shutter priority mode and then selecting it from the options at the top of the Function Menu screen. The shutter speed settings include 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, and 1/2000 second. Because exposure can be controlled after selecting shutter speed, TV mode offers the greatest degree of manual image control available on the DC220.

White Balance (5.5)

The DC220 includes basic white balance presets for Auto (labeled AWB), Daylight, Tungsten, and Manual. As befits an important image control, white balance presets are the second option listed on the left side of the Function Menu, making it easy to reach quickly when setting up a shot. It can be accessed after selecting the white balance icon from the list (labeled Set Eval.), and pressing the center of the joystick locks in the manual setting. In bright light, the adjustment works quickly, but in lower light it can take a few seconds for the white balance icon to stop flashing. The DC220’s manual white balance produced very good results and yielded better color accuracy than most comparable DVD camcorders. This seems to hold true for most Canon camcorders. As we stated in the Video Performance section, however, the overall color palette was quite saturated.

Gain (0.0)

The Canon DC220 does not allow manual gain control over gain which is no surprise on an entry level consumer camcorder. Panasonics is the only manufacturer that has implemented manual gain control throughout their camcorder line.

Other Manual Controls (2.0)
*Image Effects - *Image Effects allow you to slightly modify the overall look of your footage by selecting one of four presets from the Function Menu. They include Vivid for more color saturation, Neutral for less color saturation, Low Sharpening for a softer look, and Soft Skin Detail, which softens 'skin toned' areas in the frame.

*Digital Effects - *Digital Effects are also located in the Function Menu and bundles the DC220’s fader and image filter options. These include fade-in/fade-out (labeled Fade T) and Wipe transitions, and Black and White, Sepia, Art, and Mosaic image filters.

*Auto Slow Shutter - *Auto Slow Shutter reduces the lowest automatic shutter speed setting from 1/60 to 1/30. When this setting is enabled, the camcorder will automatically drop the shutter speed as low as 1/30 in low light, effectively doubling the light gathering ability of the camcorder. Auto Slow Shutter can be found the Camera Setup submenu of the Admin Menu, labeled A. Sl Shutter.

*Markers - *The DC220’s Marker options overlay lines on the image that can be used as guides for framing shots. Markers appear only on the camcorder’s live display, and are not recorded to disc. The Marker options are Level and Grid, both of which can be displayed as white or grey lines. Level overlays a horizontal line across the middle of the display, with a vertical mark indicating the center of the screen. Grid overlays wireframe grid on the LCD that divides the frame into nine equal boxes, and is handy for shot composition according to the rule of thirds. The DC220’s Marker options can be found in the Display Setup submenu of the Admin Menu.

 

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (5.0)*

The Canon DC220 features a ton of still photo options – and a maximum image size of only 1024 x 768. Like most of Canon’s other consumer camcorders, the DC220 records stills to DVD or MiniSD flash memory cards but does not ship with one. MiniSD cards are more difficult to find than their SD counterparts, so you’d be advised to call ahead before hitting a store or to order them online.

In addition to 1024 x 768, stills can also be captured at VGA-quality 640 x 480. Each has three quality options, Normal, Fine, and Superfine. The DC220 only takes stills in the 4:3 aspect ratio.

Most options available during video recording can be applied to still photos as well, including white balance, Image Effects, Auto Slow Shutter, P mode, TV mode, and Scene Modes. Automatic Focus Priority is the default auto focus mode when the Mode Switch is set to Auto, and it only allows the camcorder to record a still after the image is in focus. When the Mode Switch is set to P, you can select either from the AiAF option, which evaluates nine sectors of the frame or the Center option, which uses the center of the frame for auto focus adjustments. It is also possible to disable Automatic Focus Priority (by selecting the Off option) in order to capture a still as soon as the Photo button is pressed.

The DC220 also includes a histogram display option that can be used to check the exposure of still photos. Reading the histogram takes some practice – but for those obsessive enough to strive for perfect 1024 x 768 photos, it’s a handy addition. Finally, it is possible to capture a still during active video recording – but this feature comes with strings attached. Simultaneous Recording of photos can only be done to a MiniSD card (not to DVD), cannot be used when any Digital Effect is enabled, and does not function when the camcorder is set to 16:9 widescreen mode. Cutting some of these encumbering Simultaneous Recording strings requires a big step up to the top-of-the-line DC50, which does include a 16:9 still photo option.

Still Performance* (6.56)*

To determine the Canon DC220’s still performance, we shot a Gretag McBeth Color Checker chart and ran the results through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder produced a color error of 9.14, with a noise of 1.625% and a saturation of 105.9%. In order to get this score, we had to leave auto mode and manually drop the exposure level by -1, which the EXIF data revealed to be -0.50EV. (The camcorder’s onscreen display does not specify the actual EV value, instead giving an arbitrary interval.)

To the eye, the pictures appear rather noisy – not unlike the video. The colors were also oversaturated… again, not unlike the video that we saw under the same lighting conditions. The photos would be good enough to capture the necessary details of a shot – "yes, that is Bigfoot going through our cooler" – but a real still camera would go a long way in convincing them.

Still Resolution* (4.1)
*The Canon DC220’s stills were tested for their resolution by shooting an Applied Image ISO 122233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder produced a horizontal resolution of 553.2 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) – with 1.86% clipping and 1.98% oversharpening – and a vertical resolution of 431.0 lw/ph – with a 2.71% clipping and 5.59% oversharpening. To get this best score, we manually raised the exposure compensation by +2 (an actual increase of +0.50EV).

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (7.5)*

The DC220 is even easier to master than the DC50 because it has less options, including no flash or video light, and limited automatic and manual controls. The menu is less extensive, placing the DC220 within the reach of most novice consumer DVD camcorder crowd. This is strictly a point-and shooter camcorder. Despite its basic offerings, the DC220 sports a rear-mounted joystick, which enables one-handed operation. All the power lies at your thumb, and Canon’s quick menu can be accessed by pressing the center of the joystick for instant adjustment.

Now the DC220’s low strung hand strap is a double edged sword. On one hand, the strap is an example of what camcorder handling should not be. The DC220 will flop to the side if not clenched with a death grip. On the other hand, opening the disc hatch is a lot easier. Most DVD camcorders have a disc hatch that gets tangled up with the hand strap and offers a reduced opening range. In the end, we’d rather have a better hand strap—it’s the only thing connecting you to the camcorder, and the demand for comfort on long day of shooting is quite high.

The manual lens cover switch is a good idea for responsible people, but for most families and amateurs, it will only be used once—to open the lens for the first video recording. It will then never be closed again. Scratches will accumulate, debris will pile up, and you’ll be wondering why the DC220’s already subpar image looks even worse. Remember to close that lens cover! The DC50 features an automatic lens enclosure.

Handling* (4.5)*

Overall the DC220 handles well, thanks to its rear-mounted joystick, light weight, and simplified control layout—but there are a few sticks in the spokes. For one, the hand strap is cheap and inefficient, certain buttons are inconveniently placed, and the viewfinder is a sorry sight.

The rear-mounted joystick reigns supreme amongst consumer camcorders—most Canons and all Panasonics feature them. The best thing about a rear-mounted joystick is that you can control everything with one hand. Panasonic takes it a step further by placing the menu button within the immediate vicinity of the joystick to ensure a rapid adjustment. The DC220 is not quite as gifted. Its menu button is located in the ring of controls embedded on the left side of the camcorder. Because of this, the shooter is forced to reach around and tilt the DC220 at an angle in order to press the menu button. This diverts the camcorder from its subject and eats up time. Manual control freaks will find this most vexing.

The DC220 is not a tank. You can haul it around all day and not suffer from arthritis or a dislocated shoulder. It makes those trips all the way out to Grandma’s house in the Poconos all the more worthwhile. 

One thing you’ll notice about the DC220’s architecture is that it is highly simplified and minimalistic. The battery engulfs the LCD cavity, which is usually home to most of the menu controls and the memory card slot. Your only option is a ring of buttons located at the top right of the LCD cavity. For most point-and-shooters, this is a dream. Fewer bells and whistles means reduced bewilderment.  

Now let’s talk about that infamous Canon hand strap. It’s thin, it’s cheap, it cuts into your hand, an it’s strung pretty low, contributing to the DC220’s tendency to flop to the side of your palm at a 90 degree angle. Canon should take notes from Sony—the HDR-HC7 is a great example with its breathable mesh construction and pillow-like padding. The DC220’s hand strap will diminish your tolerance for longer shoots.

Lastly, it’s time to mention another Canon classic—the non-extendable, miniscule hard plastic knob they call the DC220’s viewfinder. What is it with Canon? Between their hand straps, record start/stop buttons, and lame viewfinders, you’d think you were buying a prototype. This "viewfinder" is highly uninviting. Most shooters will use the LCD screen, but those looking to save battery will pretty much get the shaft.

Menu* (6.5)*

The DC220’s menu structure is classic Canon. The rear-mounted joystick is the sole control, allowing you to scroll and select, all in one touch. Finagling the joystick will take a little while to get the hang of, but once you do, you’ll never want a touch screen or touchpad again. Canon and Panasonic are at the forefront of sensible handling design, and you’ll notice that with the DC220.

Pressing the center of the joystick brings up a small submenu that consists of quick playback, digital image effects on/off, exposure, and focus. Pressing down on the joystick toggles between the three pages and shifting the joystick in the direction of the option selects that option. Pressing the center of the joystick again does away with the quick menu, so you can adjust on the fly.

The function button located in the ring of controls on the left side of the DC220 brings up the function menu. Here, you have your program AEs: Auto, Shutter-Priority AE, and Portrait. Next is the white balance: Auto, daylight, tungsten, and manual set. Image effects come after and include vivid, neutral, and soft skin detail. The DC220 has a wealth of digital effects also: fade-t, wipe, black and white, sepia, art, and mosaic. You can choose between quality settings in the next row: XP, SP, and LP. The DC220’s still image recording sizes are listed next and are composed of fine and superfine settings. Lastly, the administrative menu can be selected at the bottom of the list.

The DC220’s administrative menu is identical to the DC50’s except for the remote control option found in the system setup screen. From the top, the camera setup encompasses auto slow shutter, digital zoom, zoom speed, image stabilization, widescreen, self timer, and wind screen settings. Next is disc operations which includes disc info and disc initialize. The display setup follows and offers brightness, LCD monitor, TV screen, markers, language, and demo mode settings. System setup is next and includes controls for camera beep, power save, standby, and file numbers. You can set the date and time within the date and time tab that follows the system setup.

The digital still menu is essentially the same, aside from a few minor changes. The joystick menu is missing the quick playback feature; the function menu offers two different still sizes—1024 x 768 and 640 x 480; and the administrative menu includes focus priority, review, and media selection.

Portability* (5.75)*

For the tourist on the go, the DC220 is highly portable, measuring in at 54 x 90 x 128mm (2.1 x 3.5 x 5.0 in.) with a weight of 405g (14.3 oz.). Not only will the DC220 fit in a small camcorder bag with room to spare, but it will fit in most oversized cargo pockets—for those who dare to wear cargo pants. The only issue you’ll run into involves the cell phone-sized battery found within the DC220’s shallow LCD cavity. The DC220’s wafer of a battery is flush with the LCD screen, eliminating the possibility for an extended shooting session. This means you have to stock up on batteries just for a good half day of shooting. Canon’s battery design is not the best. During transport, the DC220 should stand its ground as long as you cover the lens. Remember to cover the lens! Make it a mantra because all it takes is one grain of sand in a cluttered beach bag to render your DVD memory machine an injured shelf dweller.

LCD and Viewfinder* (5.0)*

The DC220 is equipped with a 2.7" wide LCD screen with a 123,000 pixel display. The image is crisp, although this is not in any way an accurate representation of what you’ll end up with during playback. Along the bottom of the LCD screen is a horizontal panel consisting of four buttons: zoom in, zoom out, record start/stop, and playlist. During playback, the buttons double as rewind, fast forward, play/pause, and stop. The flattened buttons are similar to a mini BOSE sound system remote control. The LCD hinge is feeble but what else do you expect in this price range? Even the Canon HV20’s LCD is lacking in the sturdiness department.

Canon has a knack for designing cheap, uncomfortable viewfinders, and the DC220 is a prime example. Is it better than not including one at all? Perhaps, but only in the way that getting coal for Christmas is better than getting nothing. The small, hard plastic stub does not extend or feature a rubberized eyecup, much like the entry-level ZR camcorder line. The screen is 0.27" wide and has the same 123,000 pixel resolution as the LCD screen. The DC220’s viewfinder is 3/4 the size of the DC50’s, and it features the dioptric adjuster underneath the bottom ridge. Very cheap, Canon, very, very cheap.

Battery Life* (7.7)*

The DC220 ships with the BP-208 battery pack, a slim battery that slips into the LCD cavity. This is a severely limiting portability issue, as the camcorder can take an expanded battery pack. You're stuck with the life capacity of this battery or a second one, if you choose to purchase it. We tested the BP-208 for its life during continuous recording. The LCD was open and the backlight on. No manual control or zoom was engaged. When the disc needed to be changed, the DC power was plugged in. In total, the battery lasted a total of 76 minutes and 53 seconds (1 hour, 6 minutes, and 53 seconds) - a truly sorry performance.

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (3.0)*

Let’s just start off with the catch or catches. The DC220 does not feature a microphone jack, headphone jack, or accessory shoe—hot or cold. Therefore, you’re stuck with the onboard built-in stereo microphone, which is nothing special. The DC220’s recorded audio is accompanied by a flourish of background noise. It records every mechanical click, buzz, or zoom is picked up, especially the whirring DVD hatch. Audio levels are not available, and your only sound control is a wind screen, which amounts to nothing. It’s almost impossible to tell which audio was recorded with the windscreen on and with the windscreen off. This spells low-end consumer in every which way.

Playback* (4.75)*

Playback can be engaged by shifting the mode switch down once to bring up a screen filled with icons. The icons represent recorded video clips and up to six icons can be displayed at a time. Using the joystick, you can scroll through clips and select them by pressing the center. When a clip is selected, you can press the center of the joystick again to cue a small submenu consisting of volume control and next/last clip toggle. A horizontal strip of flattened buttons runs along the bottoms of the LCD panel containing the rewind, fast forward, play/pause, and stop controls. Unfortunately, these controls are not available when viewing clips through the viewfinder because the LCD must remain closed. Audio is not available either, and the DC220’s lack of a headphone jack ensures that. Regardless, the viewfinder is so minute that it would only make sense to view your video clips through its .27" display to save battery power.

Usually, video and still image playback are almost identical, but things are a bit different on the DC220. Shifting the mode switch once brings up a full image with an elaborate histogram and information including image size, digital effect used, white balance used, aperture, shutter speed, exposure, quality setting, date, and time. Wow. You don’t get this level of treatment from most camcorders. Pressing the display button once makes the histogram disappear and pressing it once more clears the screen entirely. By pressing the center of the joystick, a small submenu pops up, allowing you to scroll through each picture and jump to the next 10 or 100 pictures if you’re an amateur Ansel Adams. The playback function menu is drastically different as well. Here you have the option to convert to scene, copy from disc to MiniSD card, view images in a slideshow, protect an image, print, or transfer. The administrative menu provides the options to erase all images or copy all to a MiniSD card in the still image operations screen. You can also configure disc operations, display setup, system setup, and date and time setup.

Connectivity* (4.0)
*The DC220 is highly minimalistic, so don’t expect to see a cluster of ports and terminals. With no headphone or mic jack, the DC220 offers only a USB terminal embedded in the LCD cavity and an A/V out jack located beneath the MiniSD card slot found underneath a stealthy silver plastic port cover. The cover is relatively sturdy, but it’s held on by those infamous thin plastic strips that will snap under a medium amount of applied tension. Aside from the awkwardly placed DC input jack on the bottom right of the DC220 that just about sums up your connectivity options here. Don’t be surprised, though—this is exactly the case with the DC50.

 

 

 

Other Features

**What’s in the Box?
**When it comes to supplies, the DC220 gets the shaft:

-CA-570 Compact Power Adapter (with cord)

-BP-208 Battery Pack

-STV-250N Stereo Video Cable

-IFC-300PCU USB Cable

-Digital Video Solution Disc

No DVD-R or DVD-RW disc, no remote, and no DVD editing software. Point and shooters unite!

Other Features* (2.0)
**Markers - *For those who like even composition in their shooting, the DC220 offers screen markers. Canon offers a single horizontal center line or a nine pane grid screen. Both are available in either gray or white to match the brightness or darkness of the shot.

*Digital Picture Effects - *The DC220 is equipped with some wicked awesome digital effects: fade-t, wipe, black and white, sepia, art, and mosaic.

*Quick Start - *The quick start function acts as a brief state of hibernation for the DC220. When Quick Start is pressed, the DC220 immediately shuts the camcorder off. When pressed again, the DC220 springs right into action.

 

 

 

 

Comparisons /Conclusion

Comparison
Canon DC100
Last year’s version of the DC220, the DC100 ($499 MSRP), is just not worth it. Both camcorders share a similar 1/6" imager (though it may not be the exact same chip, given the performance differences). They also share a similar body, menu, and lack of video light and flash. The DC100’s catch is that it does not have a rear-mounted joystick but rather a Hitachi-esque side control panel that forces you to constantly look at the left side of the camcorder. The DC100 also retails for $50 more. In our eyes, the DC220 has slightly diminished performance, but vastly better handling, and therefore takes a small edge.

*Canon DC230 *
For $50 more, the DC220’s step-up sibling, the DC230 ($499 MSRP), will give you a remote, larger stills, and twice the gross pixel count. Although remotes are not essential amongst seasoned intermediates, consumers think they’re "cool," therefore the DC230 might seem more attractive to a slightly more accessory-starved point-and-shooter. The DC220 offers a maximum still size of 1024 x 768, while the DC230 maxes out at 1152 x 864. Okay, so far these are not monumental upgrades. The most notable enhancement on the DC230 is its 1,070,000 pixel count vs. the DC220’s 680,000. Now, we’re talking. Keep in mind that both camcorders have identical 1/6' CCDs. But will increasing the pixel count help in low light? History speaks of camcorders with many tiny pixels accompanied by oodles and oodles of noise. The bigger pixels, the more light gathering capabilities. The DC230 will give better resolution, but don’t be surprised if you’re caught in a torrential downpour of noise. This is a tough one. We recommend trying before buying.

Panasonic VDR-D210
We’re dealing with two standard definition DVD camcorders with the exact same price tag, so the playing field is even. Like the DC220, the Panasonic VDR-D210 ($449 MSRP) has a 1/6" imager with a 680,000 gross pixel count. Therefore, you can expect virtually the same image, save minor color palette differentiations. Both camcorders sport a 2.7" wide LCD screen and rear-mounted joysticks. However, the VDR-D210 has an extendable viewfinder, mic input, optical image stabilization, better manual controls, an accessory shoe, and an upgradable battery. The DC220 answers with a slightly larger 35x zoom, more digital image effects, and a comprehensive still photo feature set. The VDR-D210 has NO DIGITAL STILL FEATURE! Still photo/hybrid freaks beware.

Sony DCR-DVD308
We’ll tell you one thing right now—the Sony DCR-DVD308 ($499 MSRP) certainly looks hotter than the DC220. But will its killer looks match its performance? For one, the DVD308 boasts a 1.07 MP advanced HAD imager, Dolby Digital 5.1 channel built-in stereo microphone, bigger upgradable battery, accessory shoe, and extendable viewfinder. The DC220 answers with a bigger 35x optical zoom, and that’s about it. This is pretty sad. On top of that, Sony camcorders are just easier to use. Touch DVD camcorders with touch screens are all the rage amongst soccer moms and Spielberg wannabe dads. In addition, Sony’s Easy button sets the DVD308 into autopilot, allowing the shooter to sit back and let the camcorder do all the work. The DC220 is definitely not the popular kid when standing next to the DCR-DVD308.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

As a standard definition DVD camcorder with a 1/6" imager, limited connectivity options, and no mic or headphone jacks, the DC220 could possibly be the point-and-shooter to end all point-and-shooters.

Budget Consumers

In this price range, there are too many other camcorders offering more—much more. Salvage your piggy banks, budget consumers.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

Although the maximum still resolution is 1024 x 768, the DC220 provides happy snappers enough still features to make this camcorder a contender. The ability to choose between disc and card recording is a plus, too.

Gadget Freaks

. Gadget freaks are too busy dreaming of the AVCHD format and peanut M&M’s to worry about a standard definition DVD camcorder.

Manual Control Freaks

The DC220 offers a decent selection of manual controls, and the rear-mounted joystick will make it all the more worthwhile. However, manual control freaks will long for a cam control dial, ring, accessory shoe, or increased number of external buttons.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

Not a chance—well, maybe the DC220 could function as a doorstop for loading equipment.

**Conclusion
**The Canon DC220 ($449 MSRP) is targeted towards beginning and casual camcorder users. For ease of use concerns, it’s right on target. We were disappointed with performance overall, which produced decent, saturated colors, but lots of noise. As for low light, an entry-level chip like this is just not going to cut it, so don’t expect to see stellar performance here. The rear-mounted joystick makes handling a treat, and Canon’s menu structure is hard to top for clarity and simplicity. On the downside, battery performance was weak, and the viewfinder is designed for the least possible usability. Overall, it’s suitable for the target audience of indiscriminate camcorder users, but you can certainly find better for a little more money.   

 

 

Specs and Ratings

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