Canon DC210 Camcorder Review

by Michael Perlman

Published on Dec 26, 2007 6:15 PM
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Audio (3.0)
The DC210 (Review, Specs, $0.00)’s audio capabilities include only a Wind Screen function. Without a hot accessory shoe, Mic jack, or zoom mic functionality, the DC210 resides at the bottom of the barrel in the sound department. The whirring disc compartment and electronic zoom don’t help matters either, contributing to additional background noise. At least the built-in microphone is mounted to the front of the camcorder instead of on top, where it would be most likely muffled by a finger or two. If quality audio is at the forefront of your top criteria, don’t opt for this camcorder.

Playback (4.75)
In order to access Playback mode on the DC210, shift the mode switch down once while in Record mode. A screen will appear, containing up to six thumbnails that represent individually recorded video clips. In order to play an individual clip or still, press the center of the joystick and the recorded video clip will play within the entirety of the LCD screen. There are two locations that feature playback control—the Joystick and the LCD panel. Joystick controls are Previous Clip, Next Clip, and Volume Control. The LCD Panel contains Rewind, Fast Forward, Play/Pause, and Stop. In Playback mode, the Administrative menu is accessed by pressing the Function button and consists of the following options:

Video Playback
Disc Operations Disc Info, Disc Initialize, Finalize, Unfinalize, Movies All Delete, Disc Protect, Disc Title
Disc Operations Brightness, Data Code, Language
System Setup Beep, Power Save, Standby Off
Date/Time Setup Time Zone/District, Date/Time, Date Format
Back  


Playback mode, as it appears on the screen

 

 
 

The solo port, an AV-out jack
   
Connectivity (1.0)
The DC210 has a total of TWO PORTS! Yes friends, an A/V out jack and DC input. This is as sparse as they come. The DC210 doesn’t even have the luxury of a USB terminal. This means that if you plan on editing but don’t have access to a DVD drive, or if you have a Mac with a slot loading optical drive that can’t accept 8cm DVDs, you’ll be hard-pressed to edit. There’s also no memory card slot, as all still images are recorded to disc. So much for quick, swappable separate media.

The DC input is located on the right side, toward the lens end, and is not protected by a cover of any sort. Its round design is more prone to pulling out than oddly shaped rectangular terminals found on Sony and JVC camcorders. The A/V jack is located on the left side of the camcorder, hidden behind a large arced plastic shield. There’s plenty of room in here, and Canon could have certainly thrown a USB terminal to accompany the lone A/V jack.

 

 

 

 



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