Canon DC330 Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on Dec 18, 2008 11:00 AM
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Ease of Use (6.50)
Canon took a page out of Sony's book and implemented an "Easy" mode on the DC330. The mode isn't quite as simple as Sony's, but it does provide a good experience for novice users. With Easy mode engaged, all controls are set to automatic and most options are no longer available in the function menu (except for video quality and LCD light). Strangely, the administrative menu is still accessible, which means important features can still be fiddled with by unaware users.
The joystick on the DC330 isn't very accurate and it doesn't have a solid construction. The joystick on the Canon FS100, also far from perfect, feels stronger and better in your hand. Joysticks by their very nature have numerous limitations—they're jerky, small, and can require many clicks or pushes to obtain a desired setting—but the one on the Canon DC330 is worse than most. The fact that the joystick is used to manipulate all manual controls and menu options simply exacerbates its poor performance.
Recording to DVD is relatively simply and many are familiar with the media, but there are a few added steps involved with capturing to disc that can be confusing. Certain discs must be initialized before they can record and finalized before they'll work on external DVD players. This process can be time consuming (as well as power-hungry if you're doing it on the fly) and confusing for users who aren't accustomed to DVD recording.
The DC330 isn't comfortable against the palm.
Handling (5.00)
The Canon DC330 is plagued with an awkward body design, which makes the camcorder uncomfortable to grip. Just as we saw with the Sony DCR-DVD810, the DC330's DVD hatch isn't shaped to fit a palm well, and its tall height makes it difficult to wrap your hands around the camcorder's body. On a positive note, the start/stop record button and the zoom toggle do line up well with your fingertips and the button placement on the DC330 is decent overall.
Canon implements a unique hand strap on the DC330. It isn't the black, padded leather we're accustomed to seeing on consumer camcorders—instead, it's made up of a soft, thin, gray material. The strap feels smooth and is very soft to the touch, but it doesn't add more comfort than a traditional hand strap. In fact, the lack of padding may put off some users, but we didn't notice too much of a difference (the Canon DC220 implemented a black, padded hand strap). The strap does, however, offer a different, stylish look, and it reminds us of the sleek hand strap used by Samsung on the SC-HMX20.
The navigation joystick is a disappointment on the Canon DC330. It simply doesn't feel well-built or solid, and using it to make manual adjustments doesn't provide accuracy or sturdiness. The joystick is even a step-down from the one on the Canon FS100, which wasn't a terrific performer in its own right. Also, while the placement of the joystick on the LCD panel is good for handling, it doesn't help if you want to make adjustments while using the viewfinder (the panel must be closed for the viewfinder to function).
Overall, the DC330 seems to be a worse handler than what we're used to seeing from Canon. Its construction feels cheap and flimsy—something clearly noticeable by the lack of port covers—and it doesn't have the durable feel of the Sony DCR-DVD810 (or the Canon FS100 and FS11 for that matter).
Menu (6.50)
The menu system can be difficult on the Canon DC330. Everything is accessed by pressing the Function button on the LCD panel and then navigating through options using the joystick. Canon hides features in strange places and it will take some time before you're fully comfortable with the system. Also, and we must mention this again, it is impossible to access the menu system when using the viewfinder. The LCD panel must be closed for the finder to function, thus sealing away the function button and navigation joystick into an unaccessible location.
In the Function Menu, accessed by pressing the Function button, you'll find most of the basic manual controls—shutter speed, scene modes, white balance, video quality, effects, etc. Navigating here is relatively simple, but Canon embeds options (like scene selection and still image quality), which can make them difficult to find if you don't know what you're looking for. There also isn't much information on the screen telling you what each feature actually does. This is an area where Sony excels, as its camcorders offer a help menu as well as an information box at the bottom of the screen. The menu structure on the DC330 is very similar, although not identical, to that on the Canon FS100.
The Function Menu on the DC330
The Function Menu contains the following options:
| Function Menu |
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| Mode | Program AE, Shutter-Priority, Scene Modes |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Manual |
| Image Effect | Off, Vivid, Neutral, Soft Skin Detail |
| LCD light | Off, On |
| Digital Effect | Fade-T, Wipe, Black and White, Sepia, Art, Mosaic |
| Image Quality | High Quality, Standard Play, Long Play |
| Menu | (Opens Admin Menu) |
Selecting the last option from the Function Menu will open the Administrative Menu, which has more of the camcorders setup and management controls. The Admin Menu is a bit easier to navigate and features aren't embedded or hidden like they are on the Function Menu. Even so, there are some confusing controls down here—like formatting options and disc initialization. This is where Canon could truly use an information box or help feature. To Canon's credit, however, the instruction manual for the DC330 is quite informative and well organized.
The Administrative Menu on the DC330The Administrative Menu contains the following options:
| Administrative Menu |
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| Camera Setup | A. Sl Shutter, Zoom Type, Zoom Speed, Img Stab, Widescreen, Self Timer, Wind Screen |
| Disc Operations | Disc Info, Initialize Disc |
| Display Setup | Brightness, TV Screen, Markers, Language, Demo Mode |
| System Setup | WL. Remote, Beep, Power Save, Standby Off, TV Type |
| Date/Time Setup | T. Zone/DST, Date/Time, Date Format |
If you take a good look at all the options on the DC330 we've covered so far, you'll notice there are two glaring omissions that aren't found in either the Function or Admin Menus—focus and exposure adjustment. These features are found under a separate menu, which is called the Joystick Menu. The Joystick Menu is similar to a shortcut menu (like we saw on the Sanyo VPC-HD1010), but it isn't entirely programmable. Pressing in on the navigation joystick while you're in regular shooting mode, brings up a little box in the lower right of the LCD screen. Pressing down brings up options for focus and exposure, pressing up will activate a digital effect (if you have one selected), and pressing left allows you to instantly view the last video you've recorded.
The Joystick Menu is used to make certain manual adjustments.
While the Joystick Menu is an interesting idea for making certain features easily accessible, the implementation of the system is awful. It is confusing as to which direction you have to push for each setting and the limitations of the navigation joystick make this an even larger problem. One wrong push and you've accidentally selected Instant Playback, and before you know it you're watching the last video you captured when all you wanted to do was make an exposure adjustment. Putting so many features into the hands of a little joystick is not a good idea—especially a joystick that is so inaccurate and impractical as the one on the DC330.
The Joystick Menu has the following features:
| Joystick Menu |
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| 1 | Instant Playback, Digital Effects |
| 2 | Exposure |
| 3 | Focus |
Overall, the menus on the DC330 are more confusing than they should be. Most users will be looking for an easy-to-use device when they purchase the DC330, and the menu system should reflect that. The Joystick Menu is an interesting idea, but it is too quirky and confusing to actually be a benefit.
Portability (5.75)
Compared with today's standard definition camcorder market, the DC330 is not very portable. While it is thin, the camcorder is tall and long, making it fairly difficult to fit in a large pocket. The minimal recording time on DVDs (20 minutes at highest quality) doesn't help the portability of the DC330 either—you'll likely need to bring a bunch of extra discs with you on vacation. Also, if you want to capture still images, you're going to need to pack an SD/SDHC card because that is the only media on which the camcorder can save photos. The built-in lens is a good feature, and it gives you one less thing you must remember to pack.
The DC330's dimensions are 66 x 90 x 126mm (2.6 x 3.5 x 5 inches) and it weighs 380g without the battery. It is very similar in size and weight to the Sony DCR-DVD810.
LCD and Viewfinder (4.00)
The LCD screen on the DC330 is 2.7-inches in size and has a 112,000 pixel display. It is also capable of the normal, 270-degree rotation we're accustomed to seeing on LCD camcorders. The screen is decent, but not the best for framing your image. Canon added an easy-access display button in the lower-left corner of the LCD panel, which clears the screen of information with one push. This is good if you're playing back video or you simply want to record images without the informative clutter.
Viewfinders are getting less common on consumer camcorders, but the tall size of the DC330 fits a viewfinder with ease. The finder produces a color image and has a slightly better resolution than the LCD (114,000 pixels). Disappointingly, the viewfinder doesn't pivot or extend, it is completely uncomfortable and oddly shaped, and it only works when the LCD door is closed. It is hard to say which of these problems is worse. The lack of an extension makes the viewfinder impossible to use if you have a large battery pack loaded into the camcorder and no pivot means odd-angle shooting won't be much fun. The cheap, plastic shell that surrounds the viewfinder is very uncomfortable and makes it difficult for any glasses-wearing videographer to get a good look at the tiny screen. The fact that you must close the LCD panel to work the viewfinder may sound like it isn't much of a problem, but you're forgetting that all controls and adjustments are selected using the joystick located... on the LCD panel! This means one of the best benefits of using a viewfinder—performing a manual focus or exposure in bright light—isn't even an option. It's poor design on Canon's part, as a simple switch or menu option could have easily avoided this issue.
Battery Life (12.10)
We tested the battery life of the Canon DC330 by putting the camcorder into auto mode and recording continuously with the LCD screen open. No features or buttons are engaged during the duration of the test. The DC330, with its supplied battery pack, lasted 120 minutes and 41 seconds in our test. This is a decent battery performance for a camcorder in this price range and it is approximately nine minutes longer than the Sony DCR-DVD810 lasted. The battery life was far better than last year's Canon DC220, which offered an abysmal 76 minutes, 53 seconds in our test.
The battery pack on the DC330 isn't fully enclosed, which makes upgrading to a larger, longer-lasting battery a possibility. This is one of the big design improvements Canon made over last year.
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