Canon DC210 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Dec 26, 2007 6:15 PM
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Ease of Use (7.5)
On the ultimate Point-and-Shoot end of the spectrum sits Sony, while Panasonic resides on the opposite end, catering to advanced manual control freaks. JVC and Canon hover somewhere between, offering a concoction of automatic and manual controls. It doesn’t take an MIT degree to operate the DC210, but a few trial and error runs will be necessary to conquer the learning curve.
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The DVD format is far from convenient, especially with the DC210—there is no USB output! Your only options are to play back via A/V or to pop the disc out and play it in a DVD player. This limits some editing capability, particularly for Macs, which can’t usually accept 8cm DVDs. Unless you have an A/V converter, it’s safe to say you’re down a creek without any importable footage. DVDs also have to be finalized, a process that can take up to 10 minutes. In addition, DVDs are the least reliable form of media, prone to scratches and saddled with the shortest shelf life. On the flipside, it’s easy to throw a DVD into a player—backing up that DVD is another story.
Handling (4.5)
The DC210 is a peculiar camcorder to hold. It follows the nautilus-shaped legacy of Canon’s entire DVD line, specializing in portability while at the cost of neglecting comfort and practicality. The DC210’s snub-nosed viewfinder does not extend or pivot upward. In fact, it doesn’t even extend past the back of the camcorder, causing the shooter to shove their face extra deep into the hard plastic frame. There’s also not much protection from the sun, since the viewfinder is devoid of any sort of eyecup. The DC210’s hand strap is anchored low along the right side, cause the camcorder to flop to the side unless it is held securely. The DC210 was obviously designed for LCD-hungry shooters, but some architectural versatility would have been greatly appreciated.
The DC210’s rear-mounted joystick is one of the superior navigational controls on the market, slaying the ineffectiveness of a side-mounted control panel or greasy touch screen LCD. We have to hand the award to Panasonic, though—their joystick is voluminous, smooth, and rigid. Menu selections are instantaneous and easy to access. Canon’s joystick is wrought with a significant amount of play and selecting menu options takes some practice. Nevertheless, a rear-mounted joystick is always a plus in our book.
In hand, the DC210 feels light, unlike a gargantuan Panasonic or full-sized Sony. The DC210 can be pocketed—as long as your pockets are big enough. Since the camcorder is fairly diminutive, those with large hands will run into walls while attempting to attain a comfortable grip. The zoom toggle, Record Start/Stop button, and top of the disc hatch can easily be overshot, so shift your hand down and ratchet that strap till the cows come home.
Menu (6.5)
The DC210’s rear-mounted Joystick is the steering wheel for the entire menu structure. Panasonic equips all of its camcorders with a rear-mounted Joystick and sleek, intuitive menus, but Canon falls a bit off the mark. The DC210’s Joystick is finicky and provides an awful amount of play. This wobbly little stick will do the job, but shooters will find themselves backtracking at times because of an inadvertent menu selection. Nevertheless, the Joystick and Function menus are located along the perimeter of the shot, rather than smack dab in the middle. This way, you can actually see picture adjustments in action. The Joystick menu consists of the following options:
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Joystick Menu |
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| Joystick 1 | Quick Playback, Digital Image Effects |
| Joystick 2 | Exposure |
| Joystick 3 | Focus |
The Function menu can be accessed by pressing the Function button on the left side of the DC210. Within the Function menu, shooters will find the following options:
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Function Menu |
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| Shooting Mode | Program AE, Shutter-Priority AE, Portrait |
| White Balance | Auto White Balance, Daylight, Tungsten, Set (Manual) |
| Image Effects | Off, Vivid, Neutral, Soft Skin Detail |
| Digital Effects | Off, Fade-T, Wipe, Black and White, Sepia, Art, Mosaic |
| Quality | XP, SP, LP |
| Menu | |
The Function menu in action
The Administrative menu is accessed by selecting “Menu” within the Function menu. The Administrative menu offers the following options:
| Administrative Menu | |
| Camera Setup | Auto Slow Shutter, Digital Zoom, Zoom Speed, Image Stabilization, Widescreen, Self Timer, Wind Screen |
| Disc Operations | Disc Info, Disc Initialize |
| Display Setup | Brightness, LCD Mirror, TV Screen, Markers, Language, Demo Mode |
| System Setup | Beep, Power Save, Standby Off |
| Date/Time Setup | Time Zone/District, Date/Time, Date Format |
| Back | |
The Admin Menu in action
Portability (5.75)
Canon’s entire DVD line excels in the portability department for a couple reasons. The battery chamber is located within the LCD cavity, contributing to the DC210’s rounded, stylish back end. As stated throughout the review, the enclosed battery design only accommodates another BP-208 battery pack—you can’t upgrade to a larger size. So, if you plan on traveling with the DC210, stock up on more than one BP-208 battery pack.
Dimensions are part of the equation as well. The DC210 measures 54mm x 90mm x 128mm (2.2 in. x 3.5 in. x 5.0 in.) and weighs in at 400g (14.1 oz.) excluding the battery pack. The DC210 is the more compact than the Sony DCR-DVD108 and Panasonic VDR-D220. A small camcorder bag will do the trick. Canon doesn’t provide any DVD discs, so be prepared to invest.
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The 2.7-inch LCD |
The tiny viewfinder |
LCD and Viewfinder (5.0)
The DC210 is equipped with a 2.7” LCD screen with a 123,000 pixel resolution. The LCD screen flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. A row of controls lines the bottom of the LCD panel, consisting of Zoom Out/Rewind, Zoom In/Fast Forward, Record Start/Stop/Play/Pause, and Playlist/Stop. For two-handed shooters, this configuration is a gift—most manufacturers offer limited or no LCD panel controls, characterized by the Panasonic DVD line.
It’s worth noting here that the DC210 has an enclosed battery design, residing within the LCD cavity. Although this contributes to the DC210’s compact body, the option to upgrade to a mega-stamina battery is nixed. Only the BP-208 battery pack is compatible with the DC210, which means you’ll have to invest in a small arsenal of BP-208s to accommodate a long day of shooting. You’ll also have to account for more frequent shot interruptions while the small capacity battery is being swapped.
Most of Canon’s viewfinders are pathetic, and the DC210 is another sad victim. Resembling a minute plastic stump, the viewfinder does not extend outward or pivot upward and is not rubberized for comfort. We see where Canon is going with the peculiar design of the DC210, but sacrificing aesthetics for ergonomics only suits the most basic Point-and-Shoot crowd. Those who want a comfortable alternative monitor should seek out a Panasonic or Sony. The DC210’s viewfinder has a 123,000 pixel resolution and the dioptric switch is located underneath the bottom lip of its frame.
Battery Life (11.6)
We tested the life of the DC210’s BP-208 battery pack by placing the camcorder in manual mode, disabling EIS, and shooting continuously with the LCD flipped open until the battery croaked. When a disc needed to be changed and reformatted, the external power supply was connected and the battery was removed during the process. In total, the DC210’s battery lasted 115 minutes and 57 seconds (1 hour, 55 minutes, and 57 seconds). Nearly two hours of continuous recording from such a small battery pack is quite an achievement on Canon’s part. Of course, turning the camcorder on and off, zooming around, and using the playback functions will reduce that battery time.
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