Performance

The Sony DCR-DVD108 offers a truly entry-level imaging set. Inside is a small 1/6" CCD with the standard low-end gross pixel count of 680,000 and an effective pixel count of 340,000 in 4:3, and 260,000 in 16:9. These numbers indicate that you should not shoot in 16:9 (the de facto size of all future video), as you’ll only be using a small portion of the imager.

At 3000 lux, the camcorder looked very similar to its predecessor, the DCR-DVD105. For an entry-level camcorder, the color balance is good. Yes, the colors are heavily saturated, even more so than last year, but that’s just par for the course in pretty much anything under $1000. The only color that looked simply too exaggerated to excuse is blue. What is it with Sony and blue? In years past, blue noise was rampant in Sony images, regardless of the light levels. Last year, blue noise seemed to have been quarantined to low light. This year, at least from what we’ve seen in the low-end models, blue saturation is up, and certainly making a starring role in low light.

The sharpness is a little better that what you see in a lot of camcorders in this price range. There’s definitely a lot of oversharpening going on. Also, in areas of high-density information, like the tight bands of the resolution trumpet, there was a lot of discoloration.

The Canon DC220 sells for $50 more. Under the same light levels, the DC220 produced a far less saturated image, except perhaps for the greens. The apparent sharpness was about equal to the DCR-DVD108. Last year’s entry-level Panasonic VDR-D100 was near-indistinguishable to last year’s DVD105 in terms of color, making it less saturated than the DVD108. The VDR-D100 did have the advantage of a sharper image.

Video Resolution* (3.5)*

In order to determine the video resolution that the camcorder can actually output, we shot a DSC Labs video resolution chart and watched the playback of that footage on an HD monitor. The Sony DCR-DVD108 was able to produce an approximate horizontal resolution of 350 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) and an approximate vertical resolution of 200 lw/ph. The poor vertical resolution was surprising. We also saw a lot of bad discoloration in areas of dense information. Better imagers tend to simply blur the lines as they get too tight. Bad imagers, like this one, create strange yellow and blue overtones that look like a surreal Cub Scout kerchief.

Low Light Performance* (3.64)*

The Sony DCR-DVD108 has a very small imager, as far as camcorder imagers go, though 1/6" is standard for entry-levels. Under an even 60 lux lighting, the CCD shows its limitations quite clearly. The image is considerably darker than it was at 3000 lux. And while most of the color spectrum darkened in commensurate measures, the blue areas exploded with oversaturation and blue noise. It really looks terrible. This may actually stem from the (apparently) boosted resolution this year. Last year’s DCR-DVD105, with the same size imager, had less saturation in bright light, and here in low light, the noise doesn’t look so bad.

The Canon DC220 had a slightly brighter image with different, but not better, color performance. The DC220 had oversaturated greens, but no strong blue noise. Overall, the Canon image looked better. The Panasonic VDR-D100 was probably the best of the four camcorders here. It lacked color differentiation in the yellow-green portion of the spectrum, but the color performance overall was good. There were loads of fine-grain noise, but it was a blackish noise strongly preferable to discoloration.

At 15 lux, the Sony DCR-DVD108 lost nearly all of its color information, veering towards greyscale. Medium grain noise picked up tremendously. Of course, this is all expected for an entry-level camcorder, but it’s never fun to witness. The Sony DCR-DVD105 was essentially the same. The Canon DC200 managed to push through more color information, but the image looked terrible overall due to noise. The Panasonic VDR-D100 once again turned in the best performance, noisy as hell but managing to salvage some color while retaining adequate amounts of fine detail.

The DCR-DVD108 was able to produce 50 IRE at 15 lux. At 60 lux, the camcorder produced a color error of 14.7, according to Imatest imaging software. This is a high number, and one of the indications that you’re working with a lower-end sensor. The noise levels averaged out to 1.995%, with a very high percentage in the blue channel, and a saturation level of 60.75%.

Stabilization* (3.84)
*We tested the DCR-DVD108’s electronic image stabilization (EIS) by recording footage at two speeds while the camcorder was mounted to our custom built shake machine. Speed 1 simulates a shake derived from walking slowly with the camcorder. Speed 2 simulates a shake more like running or shooting from a slow-moving car car. The DCR-DVD108’s EIS produced a 60% shake reduction at speed 1, and a 20% shake reduction at speed 2. Given these scores, the DCR-DVD108’s image stabilization exceeds the capabilities of most comparatively priced camcorders.

 

Wide Angle* (10.4)
*In order to obtain the DCR-DVD108’s maximum field of view, we perform a wide angle test by pulling the zoom out and disabling EIS. The DCR-DVD108’s maximum field of view is 52 degrees, which is slightly above average for a consumer camcorder.

 

 

 

Format

Compression* (4.0)*

The Sony DCR-DVD108 outputs video in the MPEG-2 format in three qualities. These quality settings correspond to the speed of the data transfer. The highest quality, HQ, captures at approximately 9Mbps, then SP at 6Mbps, and LP at 3Mbps. The difference between the settings is obvious. Almost invariably, you’ll want to record in HQ. Even at its best, standard definition MPEG-2 found in most camcorders is but a fraction of the quality that MiniDV camcorder compression uses. MPEG-2 of this variety is generally highly compressed. Compression artifacts – blocky chunks and other aberrations – are common, and worsen when paired with a low-end imager like the 1/6" CCD in the DCR-DVD108.

Media* (4.5)*

The Sony DCR-DVD108 uses DVD-R/+R/-RW/+RW and + DL 8cm discs to capture video. DVDs have gained incredible popularity, but among the experts, the jury is still out on DVD versus other media. Many people seem to like having a physical record in their hand, particularly a non-tape media that can pop right into their computer or DVD player and offer random-access. However, the archivability of DVDs has been attacked in recent years, and manufacturers were forced to seriously overhaul their shelf-life estimations, down from 100 years (in some cases) to a much more dire 3-10 years, depending on construction materials and environment. If you own a DVD camcorder, you’ll probably want to back-up your footage to a storage drive.

Editing* (6.0)
*The Sony DCR-DVD108 records its video in the standard DVD file structure system, with three component files for each video clip. This means that you most likely will not be able to drag and drop footage. As a first step, you’ll have to use the included software or another intermediary software to create a unified file. This middle-step creates a stumbling block in the editing process that most serious videographers can do without, which is why DVD camcorders are better suited for the point-and-shoot crowd.

Included in the box is the Picture Motion Browser 2.0 software, a rinky-dink bit of a program that allows you to work with still photos, primarily. For any real video work, you’ll want a true non-linear editing (NLE) program.

The summary: DVD camcorders are not designed with editing in mind, particularly not a low-end camcorder like this.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (7.0)

Sony camcorders typically exceed in automatic controls and ease of use. In addition to their absolute market saturation and name recognition, this is the reason Sony does so well in the consumer market. Nearly every Sony camcorder has a little Easy button on the side of the body. Once in Easy mode, the camcorder goes into idiot-proof lockdown. The menu is abbreviated, and the buttons get bigger and friendlier. There are surely some people out there owning a Sony camcorder that have never taken it out of Easy mode and gotten along just fine through backyard barbeques and their children’s baseball games.

The auto exposure is quick, yet smooth. Moving from dark to light, the DVD108 shows a slight tendency to overexpose, particularly if you’re zoomed in too close to a subject. This usually corrects after a few seconds or if you zoom out a little, indicating that the camera system may be doing a little center-weighted metering. (You do not have a choice of metering options with the DVD108.)

The auto white balance is more gradual than the exposure. It takes up to 8-9 seconds for the DCR-DVD108 to shift from an indoor fluorescent to an outdoor overcast temperature. The auto shutter and auto gain (more difficult to assess visually) worked well. They can be monitored during playback, but not while recording. Because the imager is small, it did not take much for the camcorder to max out the 15dB gain range.

Once you leave the safety of Easy mode, there are several other one-touch features that can make your shots better looking while remaining simple to operate. In the function menu (accessed by tapping the button in the lower-right corner), on the second tab, you’ll find the Scene Selection options (often called "AE" or "Program AE" modes by other manufacturers. These are one-touch buttons that customized for optimum shooting under difficult lighting conditions. They include Twilight, Candle, Sunrise & Sunset, Fireworks, Portrait, Spotlight, Sports, Beach, and Snow. The range of choices here is really good. Only a select couple of Canon camcorders can top that list. Scene modes are convenient, especially in a pinch, and often beloved by point-and-shooters.

Also available for the slightly more advanced user is Auto Slow Shutter and Color Slow Shutter. The first, Auto Slow Shutter, allows extends the slowest possible auto shutter speed from 1/60th of a second down to 1/30th of a second. It’s not a bad feature to activate if you plan on doing a lot of indoor or low light shooting. At 1/30th, you’re not going to see much motion blur. However, you’ll want to be more wary of Color Slow Shutter. This feature, once activated, allows the shutter to slow down considerably, as low as 1/4 of a second. At that speed, any motion whatsoever, even the tiniest hand wobble, would render an image blurry past comprehension.

Overall, the DCR-DVD108 has great auto responses. We expect it to be the best in its class in this category.

Overall Manual Control (4.0)

The manual control set on the Sony DCR-DVD108 is pretty sparse. In fact, you may want to avoid Sony altogether in the sub-$800 range if manual controls are your interest. The DVD018 offers basic control of focus, exposure, and white balance… and that’s it. As described above, there are a host of one-touch automatic features that can lend a hand, but they’re not quite manual controls.

All of the controls are operated via a touch screen, which has its adherents and detractors. While access to controls is relatively fast, especially with Sony’s new menu system, the constantly greasy screen is annoying. When adjusting focus, the smudges are downright detrimental. Another problem is that the screen on the DVD108 is particularly small, only 2.5". The next model up, the DCR-DVD308, and every camcorder above that, have a 2.7" screen, and we were complaining about *that *being a downgrade from the 3" screens of yore. Pushing the touch screen buttons on the DVD108 is genuinely more difficult that it should be. We found ourselves pushing three or four times before the camcorder reacted. You can read more about the menu here.

The manual controls are described in detail below. As a synopsis, we can say that the zoom is the only satisfactory one.

Zoom (5.0)

You have to hand it to Sony. Even on their entry-level camcorder, they managed to include a pretty good zoom toggle. With the stubby, bumpy grip, you can get about three separate zoom speeds. The slowest gives you a good crawl. The fastest zoom takes about five seconds to traverse from one end to the other. When it reaches towards the end of the 40x zoom, the speed slows down noticeably.

Unfortunately, the figuring out where you are in the zoom is near-impossible. As you shift zoom, a scale appears in the upper-left corner, but there is no numerical indicator as to what the actual zoom power is.

Like nearly all Sonys, there is a secondary set of controls on the LCD panel. The "T" and "W" are not touch sensitive. They move the zoom at a fixed speed that corresponds to the medium speed from the toggle.

Zoom Power Ratio (40.0)

The Sony DCR-DVD108 has one of the largest optical zooms to date in a consumer camcorder, 40x. It’s clear that inflated zoom numbers work well on the minds of consumers, because they get bigger every year as manufacturers try to best each other. A 40x zoom is one the DCR-DVD108’s biggest selling points. But it’s not necessarily working to the consumers’ advantage. Here’s the paradoxical problem with big zooms. Because of the way optics work, you’ll generally find small zooms on camcorders with large sensors. Conversely, you’ll find large zooms paired with small chips (not because they have to be, but because it’s possible, and because it’s a relatively cheap upgrade for a manufacturer to include). But these small chip, entry-level camcorders tend to have bad stabilization, making for poor, shaky video the farther you extend the zoom. Meanwhile, expensive camcorders with small zooms often have great stabilization systems. The quick solution: don’t use the zoom past 10x – 15x without a tripod.

The digital zoom (as if you actually need it past 40x), can be extended to 80x and 2000x. This is located in the home menu.

Focus (3.5)

Very few consumer camcorders provide satisfactory manual focus, least of all Sonys. Touch screen interface, by definition, is the worst for focusing, because as you interact with the menu, you’re smudging up the very screen that you need to properly gauge focus. The focus controls are located on the first tab of the function menu. When manual focus is engaged, two little icons appear on either side of the screen: a person and a mountain. To shift focus, tap the buttons. Another icon in the center actually gives you the focal length (in metric), which is great. But did they have to put the measurement right in the center of the screen – right where you’re trying to focus? It seems as if they’ve done everything they could think of to obscure the screen. In addition to the person icon, the numeric measurement, and the mountain icon, there’s the return-to-menu icon, the disc information, an Auto button, a Manual button, and a big lower-third graphic that runs along the bottom explaining the focus control. On a 2.5" screen, this is simply too much. Overall, it’s a terrible, terrible control.

In order, perhaps, to circumvent this flaw, Sony offers a Spot Focus control. Simple by definition, you point at what you want to focus on, and the camcorder adjusts to the that general region. On a 2.5" screen, you can maybe get 4 independent quadrants to select from. This would not work on a very complicated, multi-plane shot.

Finally, the camcorder offers a one-touch tele macro feature which never seems to work. Once activated, the camcorder extends the zoom all the way to 40x and blurs up the picture entirely. "Less than useful" was our final verdict.

Exposure & Aperture (4.5)

The DCR-DVD108’s exposure controls are only slightly better than the focus controls, if only because a smudgy screen can still be used to evaluate metering. Exposure controls are located in the second tab of the function menu. The manual exposure control looks an awful lot like the focus control. There are two touch screen buttons, a plus and a minus, that you use to brighten and darken the picture. A scale in the middle has 29 increments. There is no numerical indicator to tell you where in the scale you are, but that’s less of a problem here than during focusing. If you look at the LCD, you can generally tell if the image is bright enough.

The manual exposure control

The camcorder offers a Spot Meter function, as most Sonys do. It works just like the Spot Function menu. Once activated, you touch at areas of the screen that you want to be properly exposed.

Also located in the second tab of the function menu are the Scene modes (often called "AE" or "Program AE" modes in other camcorders). These are described in detail above in the Automatic Controls section.

Overall, the exposure controls are limited, but effective. Again, the auto controls will generally suffice.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

The Sony DCR-DVD108 does not offer shutter speed control, nor do most consumer Sony camcorders. Many Canon and JVC models do grant you the privilege, as do all Panasonics.

White Balance (5.5)

The white balance options on the Sony DCR-DVD108 are located in the third tab of the function menu. There is an automatic setting, an indoor present and an outdoor preset, and a manual settings, called One Push. Sony’s white balance adjustments tend to be the fastest in the market, but not always the most accurate. Almost invariably, the image looks a little warm. The control is very quick to access, however, which is always appreciated.

Gain (0.0)

The Sony DCR-DVD108 has no gain control. Only Panasonic offers gain control in their consumer models.

*Other Manual Controls (0.0)
*There are no other manual controls on the Sony DCR-DVD108.

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (3.5)*

In order to access photo mode, simply shift the mode dial to the right. Quality settings can be found in the photo settings within the home menu. The DCR-DVD108 does not have a flash or video light, so be prepared for the most basic snapping experience.

Last year’s DCR-DVD105 was cursed with the stunted ability to record still images solely to a DVD disc. Well, for 2007, things are a bit different. The DCR-DVD108 is blessed with a MemoryStick Duo/PRO slot embedded in the LCD cavity. Wow, did Sony realize this could be a great way to push MemoryStick sales? Nevertheless, offering separate media for video and stills helps organize, and card memory better emulates the experience of shooting with a real still camera (which is about the closest you’ll get to that experience with the DVD108). With a maximum VGA 640 x 480 resolution and only two quality settings—Fine and Standard—most cell phone can produce better images. Overall, don’t expect much.

Still Performance* (9.6)*

In order to test the Sony DCR-DVD108’s still performance, we shot a Gretag McBeth Color Checker chart and ran the results through Imatest imaging software. As you read above in Still Features, this is not – not at all – a camcorder that you should use as a substitute for a digital still camera. This is hardly a stand-in for a cell phone camera. At best, the DVD108 produced a color error of 6.25, with a 1.615% noise and 97.1% saturation. The colors, as it turned out, were pretty accurate. The noise counter-balanced it to some degree. More telling, perhaps, is the still resolution score below.

In order to get this score, we had to lower the exposure by one notch. Only by reading the EXIF data can you actually tell what’s happening to the camcorder when you use this control. The camcorder itself offers no clue. In auto mode at 3000 lux, the camcorder set the aperture to f/4.0 and a shutter of 1/60. Lowering the exposure a notch closed the aperture to F/4.8, and this is where we found the best still color performance.

Still Resolution* (2.03)
*To gauge still resolution, we shot an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart and ran the results through Imatest imaging software. At best, the Sony DCR-DVD108 produced an approximate horizontal resolution of 390.4 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) – with a 2.85% oversharpening – and a vertical resolution of 264.7 lw/ph – with a 2.86% clipping and 15.9% oversharpening. The 640 x 480 image sizes just can’t produce a satisfactory resolution. Sorry, folks.

To get this best score, we had to bump the exposure up one notch from the auto setting. At 3000 lux, this equaled an aperture of f/5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/90th of a second.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (8.0)*

Sony is positioned at the head of the user-friendly camcorder fleet, and their entry level DCR-DVD108 could not be more simplified—unless Sony included a pocket-sized robot that jumps out to press the record start/stop button for you. Sandwiched in between the playback and backlight compensation buttons on the left side of the camcorder is the omniscient Easy button.

When pressed, the Easy button slips the DCR-DVD108 into a trance, enabling it to perform in full auto mode. The menu icons and fonts grow twice as large and the function menu takes a hike. In addition, the home menu is drastically stripped down to include only the bare essentials, such as clock/language and playback. All you have to do is press record—that’s why Sony is so popular amongst point-and-shooters.

Even when the DCR-DVD108 is not in Easy mode, camcorder operation is highly effortless. Sony’s magical menu is undemanding and provides soothing sounds, should you wish to keep the beeps on. The automatic controls work fairly well and it is a breeze to toggle between auto and manual settings. The only issue we had was with selecting a manual setting. Once chosen, you are required to press the OK button, which brings you right back to the main screen instead of the function menu. As a result, you must set each manual control independently, which gobbles up time.

Consumers love Sony’s touch screen menu for the instant power it brings to the fingertips. No joysticks to deal with, so side-mounted menu button messes. However, the touch screen does have its shortcomings. You’ll hear this in every one of our Sony reviews, so here it is again: the touch screen is susceptible to fingerprint smudges, which obstruct the view of a clean image. Try using spot focus when you can’t tell the difference between an unfocused portion of the screen and a cloudy mass of oil-induced haze. In addition, the touch screen makes sense on models with a bigger LCD screen, such as the Sony HDR-UX1 and HDR-SR1—both flaunt massive 3.5 inch screens. However, on the DCR-DVD108’s puny 2.5" LCD screen, anyone without chopsticks for fingers will find it difficult to press the onscreen buttons.

Now let’s get physical. The disc hatch takes way too long to open—expect an estimated wait time of 10 seconds. Also, the manual lens enclosure eliminates the need for an external lens cap, but relies on the user to remember to flip the switch after each shoot—the likelihood of that happening is almost nonexistent. Most moms and dads will chuck the DCR-DVD108 into their free PBS tote bags without even shutting it off.

Handling* (5.0)*

The Sony DCR-DVD108 feels great in the hand. The tall stature of DVD camcorder bodies provides a solid grip. Coupled with this is a very nice, padded grip. The result is that rare camcorder that does not tip over to the left as soon as you let go. Once in hand, the zoom toggle and shutter button are perfectly located. Too often, the zoom toggle falls under the middle finger. Here, it’s placed under the index finger, as it should be.

Aside from the touch screen (which we’ll get into in a minute), the only other possible construction problem is the placement of the top-mounted microphone. Unless you have incredibly long fingers, you won’t actually make contact with it, but the mic is likely to pick up fingers scraping across the plastic.

The solid grip is belied by the touch screen, which, for all its ease of use, is ripe with problems that you might not realize right away. Touch screens are magnets for the natural oils in your fingers. After only a few minutes, you’ll have difficulty gauging if the picture is in focus in intricate, multi-plane shots. Also, as you interact with touch screens, you’ll inevitably bump the body around, upsetting the shot. Joysticks manage to avoid all of these problems, and most of the other manufacturers are migrating towards them.

A minor handling problem is the overall cheap construction of the DVD108. Of course, you get what you pay for, and we wouldn’t count on this camcorder surviving a drop onto concrete. The two port covers are probably the cheapest plastic we’ve ever seen. It’s pretty amazing. Sticks of gum are tougher than these flimsy, flapping bits of detritus, and you should anticipate breaking them very soon.

Menu* (6.5)*

The DCR-DVD108 features the new-ish "home menu" seen before on Sony’s DCR-SR300, HDR-UX1, SR1, and brand new AVCHD models, the HDR-SR5, SR7, and CX7. It’s the magical mystery menu—no other camcorder comes equipped with such a therapeutic sound scheme. Aside from that, it’s probably the most straightforward menu on the market. If you can look beyond the folly of the minute, smudge-prone touch screen interface—most consumers will—you will find that Sony’s menu layout induces a user-friendly shooting experience. The main screen is comprised of three buttons—home (top left corner), function (bottom right corner), and playback (bottom left corner). There is also a permanent, real, plastic home button located on the edge of the LCD panel.

When the home button is pressed, a menu screen appears with a set of five tabs running horizontally along the bottom: camera, view images, others, manage disc memory, and settings. The "camera" tab simply allows you to manually toggle between video and camera modes, although this can be done instantly by shifting the mode dial. In "view images" you can access the visual index and the arrange playlists. "Others" is a bit of a free-for-all, composed of delete, edit, playlist edit, print, and computer settings. In "manage disc memory" you have access to the following tabs: finalize, disc select guide, format disc, format MemoryStick, unfinalize, and disc info. The "settings" tab offers more of what you’ll really need—movie settings. In movie settings, you can control the following options: record mode, NightShot light (although there’s a NightShot switch lodged within the crevice of the lens barrel and disc hatch ridge), wide select, digital zoom, steady shot, auto slow shutter, remaining recordable time, and sub-t date. The "settings" tab also offers control over photo settings, view image set, sound/display set, output settings, clock/language, and general settings.

The function menu is framed just like the home menu, only with four tabs running horizontally along the bottom. This menu is a little less involved than the home menu, and contains the manual controls that you’d want at your immediate disposal. The first tab offers control over focus, spot focus, and tele macro, the second tab is composed of exposure, spot meter, and scene selection settings, and the third tab includes white balance, color slow shutter, and Super NightShot Plus. In the fourth tab, you can apply faders, digital effects, and picture effects. The fifth and final tab lets you choose the recording quality and set the microphone level.

Overall, the menu is very simple. We do wish that the processor could generate the menu screens a little more quickly, particularly in the Home menu.

Portability* (5.75)*

The DCR-DVD108’s tall, thin frame will slip into any camera bag with room to spare. It measures a slender 54.5mm x 89mm x 130.5mm (2 1/4" x 3 5/8" x 5 1/4"). It’s also a lightweight, tipping the scale at 440g (15oz.). The DCR-DVD108 uses 8mm DVD discs with a maximum record time of 20 minutes on single layer discs in the highest quality setting (you’ll need the highest quality setting, trust us). Therefore, if you plan on full day’s worth of shooting, you’d better have a bounty of backup in the camera bag. You’ll also want a backup battery, too. The supplied NP-FH40 battery pack will last you a whopping 45 minutes during typical recording time, including starting, stopping, zooming, and using the menu.

LCD and Viewfinder* (6.5)*

The DCR-DVD108 is unfortunately saddled with a scrawny 2.5" 4:3 aspect ratio LCD screen. The screen extends 90 degrees from the body and vertically swivels a full 270 degrees. After the recent HD boom (HD is only 16:9), it is bizarre to see such a square monitor, but we will always hold a place in our hearts for the standard definition era. Nevertheless, the DCR-DVD108’s nostalgia-conjuring charm will not excuse its stunted 123,200 pixel resolution and washed-out picture. Also, tread lightly with the DCR-DVD108’s viewfinder—it’s feebly constructed and revolves on a twig-like LCD hinge. On the bright side, you’ve got a strip of controls running vertically on the left side of the LCD panel, consisting of "home," zoom in, zoom out, and record start/stop.

The DCR-DVD108’s electric color viewfinder is fairly decent for an entry-level camcorder. It quashes Canon’s fixed plastic nub, extending a good inch out from the body. The eyecup is not rubberized though, so keep your distance—it’s hard to shoot with an eye patch. The viewfinder’s image looks crisper and more colorful—it proves to be a worthy alternative for power conservers. The dioptric adjuster is located on the right side of the viewfinder shaft for those with eyeglasses.

Battery Life* (11.0)
*We tested the DCR-DVD108’s battery life by recording continuously in full auto mode. Whenever the DVD-RW disc was full, the power supply was promptly connected to the camcorder and the disc was reformatted. The DCR-DVD108’s battery lasted a total of 110 minutes and 8 seconds, which is 15 minutes beyond the manual’s 95 minute estimation for continuous recording. This is a fairly decent performance for such a small battery pack, but it wouldn't hurt to purchase a backup for longer trips.

 

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (3.5)*

As far as audio goes, your options are minimal. The DCR-DVD108 records 2 channel Dolby Digital sound through its built-in stereo microphone mounted to the top of the camcorder. You won’t find a mic or headphone jack anywhere, so get used to the DCR-DVD108’s recorded audio. The only control you have over audio is setting the microphone level, accessed in the final tab of the function menu. Here you can choose between normal (for recording various surround sounds), and low (for recording loud, exciting noises—as Sony puts it). Either way, you won’t be able to tell a significant difference between modes because the sound quality is highly basic. There’s not even a windscreen on the DCR-DVD108. Overall, don't expect your audio to sound good.

Playback* (4.25)*

Playing back video clips and viewing still images on the DCR-DVD108 is exceedingly user-friendly—it can’t get any easier than this, folks. The playback menu can be accessed three ways: the playback button located on top of the Easy button, the playback tab in the bottom left corner of the main screen, and the visual index button found in the "home" menu. Sony has made it pretty darn difficult to miss the playback screen.

Once you make your way into the playback screen, you’ll notice a grouping of six thumbnails that represent particular video clips. To the left of the thumbnails is a scrolling navigation bar that shuffles between pages. The bottom of the screen features a horizontal row of tabs: main screen/playback toggle, video clips, still images, and photo options. The good news is that you can switch between videos and stills right in the same screen, without having to change modes. The bad news is that the photo options tab only lets you print, delete, and view images in a slideshow. No other options are available for video.

In order to select a video clip, press the desired thumbnail. The clip encompasses the entire LCD screen and offers an arsenal of playback controls lined on the outer ridges of the frame: previous clip, next clip, stop, rewind, play/pause, fast forward, and options. In the options screen, you can control the clip volume via a horizontal slider and you can also set the camera data code display info, which includes SteadyShot, auto/manual, exposure, white balance, gain, shutter speed, and aperture value. Viewing still images is a bit more limited. Your options are previous clip, start/stop slideshow, next clip, and options.

Connectivity* (5.0)
*The DCR-DVD108 has a total of four ports—AV out, DC in, USB, and a MemoryStick slot. In front, the A/V out jack is housed by one of the flimsiest port covers we’ve seen all year—keep it closed at all times during transport or expect to lose it. On the right side near the mode dial is the DC input, covered by a rubberized strip of plastic. Within the LCD cavity you’ll find an open USB port and rectangular ramp designed to hold Sony MemorySticks. While most manufacturers slap an SD card slot on their camcorders, Sony aims to maximize their brand recognition by herding consumers into buying Sony-specific products. The problem with this is that Memory Sticks are generally more expensive than SD and SDHC cards of the same capacity.

 

 

 

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

It was pretty amusing to open up the DCR-DVD108’s box and find the following items:

-AC Adapter

-Power Cord

-A/V Cable

-USB Cable

-NP-FH40 Battery Pack

-"Handycam Application Software" CD-ROM

That’s all, folks. This is an entry-level camcorder with entry-level offerings. The USB cable was a nice touch, though. Sony wants you to buy your own MemoryStick too—how thoughtful of them!

Other Features* (2.0)
**Faders - *For those who don’t plan on editing their video footage, (most DCR-DVD108 users will not) Sony gives you faders in order to add that essential dramatic tone to your backyard masterpiece. Shots will fade in when the record start/stop button is pressed and fade out when the record start/stop button is pressed again. Choose between black and white.

*Tele Macro - *Sometimes you want to hone in on a small object in the foreground whilst leaving the background blurry, such as a caterpillar inching its way up a wise old Sycamore tree. That’s pretty much what the tele macro feature does.

*Super NightShot Plus - *NightShot—another one of Sony’s names to be tossed onto the consumer. The "Plus" in the title refers to the small infrared light on the front of the body. When shooting in this mode, you’ll get the all-too-familiar greenish video look.

*Battery Info - *This is actually a useful feature. When the DCR-DVD108 is turned off, press the battery info button located in the LCD cavity. A comprehensive screen equipped with a multicolored horizontal battery life meter sits in the middle. You can also see the remaining recordable time using the viewfinder and using the LCD screen. The only downside is that the screen appears for 7 seconds before cutting out, so if you’re one of those people who has to look at their watch a minimum of 5 times before you know what time it is, then this feature will take some getting used to.

*Picture Effects - *The DCR-DVD108 offers sepia, black and white, and pastel picture effects to spice up your shots.

Digital Effect –Drum roll please…Old Movie! This single effect adds a sepia tone and slows the shutter down. Grandma and Grandpa will feel right at home with the only digital effect offered on the DCR-DVD108.

 

 

 

 

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
Sony DCR-DVD105
Last year’s DCR-DVD105 ($499 MSRP) received some major upgrades for 2007, and the DCR-DVD108 flaunts them in all its entry-level glory. First off, nothing has changed as far as imaging goes. Both camcorders utilize a single 1/6" CCD with a 680K gross pixel count, lending to a near identical picture—noisy with loud blues. More shared traits include the lack of a video light and flash, and the stunted ability to snap only VGA-sized images (640 x 480). Here’s where the road forks—the DCR-DVD108 comes equipped with a MemoryStick slot, USB terminal, and whopping 40x zoom (putting the DCR-DVD105’s 20x to shame). You also get Sony’s home menu, rife with user-friendly features. The best part is that the DCR-DVD108 is $100 cheaper than its predecessor. Manufacturers are forced to up the ante in terms of product quality at the sacrifice of a price cut, and the DCR-DVD108 falls under that umbrella.

Canon DC210
We just spent some time with the Canon DC210’s ($399 MSRP) big brother, the DC220 ($449 MSRP) and found that its image could not even match the likes of last year’s Sony DCR-DVD105. Both sport the same 1/6" imager with a 680K gross pixel count, but the DC220 produced larger heavier noise. Where does that leave the DC210? In a pretty tight spot. Expect the same poor video performance as its older sibling. That said, this year’s DCR-DVD108 will undoubtedly conquer the DC210’s image due to the fact that its chip is identical to that of the DCR-DVD105’s. With that aside, the DC210 does have its charm, sporting a 2.7" widescreen LCD, beloved (by us) rear-mounted joystick, and rapid Quick Start button. The DC210 also has a maximum still size of 1024x768, though it is strapped with a 35x optical zoom while the DCR-DVD108 boasts a massive 40x. Hmm…features or image quality—how does one decide? It will all come down to true brand royalty when you see identical price tags dangling from each hand strap.

Samsung SC-DC173U
Samsung announced a couple new DVD camcorders at CES back in January, one of them being the SC-D173U ($369 MSRP). The SC-DC173U also includes a video light, USB PictBridge support, remote, and an SD/MMC memory card slot. You’ll just have to deal with a dreadful Hitachi-esque menu button cluster and shorter 34x optical zoom. Video quality is unknown. However, it should not be anything too electrifying based on its single 1/6" chip with 680K max pixel count. We suggest trying them both out in the store—if you can find the SC-DC173U.

Panasonic VDR-D210
According to the Beatles, "money can’t buy me love," but an extra $50 will get you optical image stabilization, an accessory shoe (cold), a rear-mounted joystick, and a better manual control set. Whether or not this equates to love, we’re not sure, but we do know that the Panasonic VDR-D210’s ($449.95 MSRP) elimination of still features could possibly lead to a rocky marriage. But think about this—the DCR-DVD108’s maximum still resolution is 640 x 480. We’ve seen cell phones with better cameras. Wouldn’t it be nice to trade off for more useful features shutter speed control? The VDR-D210’s 1/6" 680K gross pixel imager should perform similarly to the DCR-DVD108’s, so don’t expect the price jump to yield a significant difference in image quality. If you can spare the green, the VDR-D210 will sweep you off your feet.

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Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

This is a point-and-shooter camcorder all the way. Cheap image quality. Flimsy construction. Preposterously large zoom. Mom and dad will have a field day with the DCR-DVD108.

Budget Consumers

For $399, you can record cherished memories to DVD instantly. The DCR-DVD108 will offer decent image quality, an easy to use interface, and a reasonable set of auto and manual controls. Budget consumers who are hell-bent on a DVD camcorder should strongly consider.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

640 x 480 is quite a humorous size to a modern photographer. VGA is all you get with the DCR-DVD108. You can throw them on a disc or MemoryStick. They’ll still look terrible no matter where you stick them—we have a few suggestions…

Gadget Freaks

There are no giblets of gadgetry goodness in, on, or around the DCR-DVD108.

Manual Control Freaks

Sony offers a decent manual control suite on the DCR-DVD108, but manual control freaks will long for a control ring, joystick operation, or anything that is not a touch screen. Check out some Panasonics.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

Need not apply.

**Conclusion
**The Sony DCR-DVD108 will satisfy most of the needs of the entry-level user, but only if we make the assumption that that user wants to stay entry-level. Sonys are well-regarded for their ease of use, which the DVD108 delivers in spades. Couple that with a limited feature set and the family-friendly DVD format, and you have yourselves, more or less, the simplest camcorder on the planet, just about. However, if you have any inkling towards manual controls, or wanting to learn manual controls, or raising a kid that might someday want to play with manual controls, this is the wrong camcorder. We just want to make that absolutely clear.

The DVD108 offers decent image quality for its price range, but don't bother with the 640 x 480 stills. Low light was, yet again, a disppointment. Sony has not been able to shake the problem of blue noise fuzzing up the picture. It has a solid grip, which is good, because the construction quality feels cheap and it will probably not survive a fall. Overall, we think the DCR-DVD108 is a good buy for people who want to point, shoot, and move on. More ambitious users should look towards Canon and Panasonic for their DVD camcorders.

 

 

 

Photo Gallery

Specs and Ratings

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