A review of the Canon DC 10 DVD Camcorder
We tend to think of Camcorders as being big on your shoulder jobs that take ridiculously big reels of film to capture those summer days at the park or a family Christmas. Well, how things have changed, as now the average Camcorder is small enough to take with you anywhere and you only need to slip in a teeny DVD to record those special events and Canon are one of the manufacturers that are taking the lead in introducing these bad boys to us. Design |
| The Canon DC10 is a slender and extremely well proportioned piece of kit that just oozes sophistication and will be the envy of all your mates when you get this little beauty out to catch the action. The main body is a light silver colour with the screen and DVD compartment in a dark grey shade that fits in very well in this modern world. Lightweight is the name of the game with the Canon DC10 as it weighs in at a mere 400g and the ultra-compact dimensions are 47mm (w) x 86mm (h) x 122mm (d) making this camcorder a permanent fixture to your days out. The front of the DC10 has the 10x optical zoom lens with built in lens cap and a large microphone section underneath. On the left side is the 2.5” LCD rotating screen, which can be moved to sit next to the body or flapped out to watch whilst filming. There are also a number of shortcut buttons on the left side, which are great to use whilst filming so you don’t need to stop and use the on-screen menu. The right side of the DC10 has the DVD compartment which when closed as a really good hand grip and gives you something to grab hold of without any buttons or dials getting in the way. The switch to open the door to insert or remove a DVD is on top of the compartment and is a motorised function and is very strong in its operation. Overall, the Canon DC10 is a very nice, comfortable camcorder to hold and operate and even for prolonged periods of holding doesn’t really make your arm ache, much. |
| Features |
| The Canon DC10 will record straight to DVD so you can record your movie, take the DVD out, pop it straight into your DVD player and watch it, amazing! Technology today hey! Gone are the days of rewinding and fast-forwarding tapes to get to the best bit. A ¼” 1.33 mega pixel CCD sensor and DIGIC DV processor are on board to ensure that you achieve the best quality and razor sharp still and movie images along with the built in Image Stabilisation feature that will ensure there is no hand shake in your filming and also with your still images. Wide screen 16:9 mode will mean that DVD’s can be transferred and played straight on your Wide screen TV without the need to stretch or crop the image. The Canon DC10 also has the capability to capture still images in many of the ways that a digital camera will. It has special scene modes, 9-point AiAF auto focus system, Auto Exposure, Continuous shooting mode. One of the great features of using the still function is that you can store up to 8,000 images on a single DVD. The DC10 can be connected to a computer via a USB 2.0 hi-speed connection and the camcorder can then be used as an external DVD burner for creating duplicates of your home movies and still images. |
| Performance |
| We received some good quality images, in both movie and still mode, and both were good clear images with true accurate colours that were most impressive. Recordings will depend on the amount of detail that is recorded, for example, if you record a subject with little colour or detail like a white wall with someone standing in front of it, the space used on the DVD will be relatively small, however if you are to record a subject such as a crowd of people with lots of colour and detail, much more space will be used on the DVD. The battery also depends on this, but is mega easy to charge without even taking it out of the camcorder. |
| What's In The Box? |
| DC10 camcorder body Battery Pack BP-208 Compact Power Adapter CA-570 MTC-100 Multi-AV Cable Wireless Controller WL-D86 DVD-R Disc USB Cable IFC-300PCU My DVD Software Digital Video Solution Disc for Windows & Macintosh |
| Overall Opinion |
| The Canon DC10 DVD is a very nice comfortable camcorder, which has good features and good editing possibilities. The image quality produced by the Canon DC10 is superb and we love the fact that you can record directly into DVD. A very good choice for those looking for quality and performance. |
| By Hayley Malyon |
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Pros + Lightweight + Straight to DVD filming + Good still images produced |
Cons - Needs to catch up with MiniDV |
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Picture Quality 8/10
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Battery Life 8/10
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Setup Simplicity 8/10
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Build Quality 8/10
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Ease of Use 8/10
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Overall Rating 
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8/1/2007
at 9:24:18am
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