Canon DC100 Camcorder Review

Compression (5.0)
The DC100 records video to mini DVDs in the MPEG2 format at a variable bit rate (VBR). This method allows the camcorder to process less information when there is less motion (and fewer pixels to refresh), thereby decreasing the power consumption and recorded data. When motion increases, so does the data rate. There are three quality settings for video – XP, SP, and LP – each of which corresponds to a maximum bit rate. XP has a max data rate of 9Mbps, SP of 6Mbps, and LP of 3Mbps. All DVD camcorders and hard disk drive camcorders that record to MPEG2 have the same 9Mbps max rate. MiniDV, on the other hand, has a fixed (non-variable) data rate of 25Mbps, over twice the max rate of a DVD camcorder.

Media (5.0)
The Canon DC100 records video to 8cm mini DVDs in the DVD-R and DVD-RW disc formats. These are readily available in most stores that sell blank CDs and audio cassettes. The camcorder does not accept DVD+R, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM discs.

Editing (3.0)
The DC100 does not ship with any editing software. This is rare, even among entry-level models, and will likely mean a small investment towards software for beginning users. The DC10, the next model up, ships with Canon’s ol’ standby software, the Digital Video Solutions disk.