Canon DC330 Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on Dec 18, 2008 11:00 AM
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Still Features (6.00)
The Canon DC330 captures still images in three sizes: 1152 x 648 (Widescreen), 1152 x 864, and 640 x 480. There are also three quality options: Super Fine, Fine, and Normal. The biggest problem with the DC330 is the fact that you need to buy an SD/SDHC card to store photographs—still images cannot be saved to DVD. So, if you want to use your camcorder as a hybrid, make sure to account the price of a memory card into the total cost of the product. There's also no flash on the DC330, and without an accessory shoe, an external flash cannot be mounted onto the camcorder.
SD/SDHC cards are only good for storing still images on the DC330.
While the camcorder doesn't come close to matching the quality of a dedicated still camera, it does have an adequate number of options for taking photographs. Shutter speed is adjustable, there are two continuous shooting modes (regular and "Hispeed"), and there is an Auto Exposure Bracketing option. Image effects, scene modes, white balance presets, and a few digital effects (sepia and black & white) are also all available in still picture mode. There are two autofocus modes in still mode—one that focuses on the center of the image, and the default mode, which uses nine separate points within the frame to autofocus the image. Lastly, there's a 10-second self-timer, which is good for setting up the camcorder to take a group photograph.
Photo mode has its own function menu.
The Photo Function Menu contains the following items:
| Photo 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 |
| Shooting Modes | Single, Continuous, Hispeed Continuous, Auto Exposure Bracketing |
| Image Quality | LW (1152 x 648), L (1152 x 864), S (640 x 480) |
| Menu | (Opens Admin Menu) |
Photo mode, which is accessed by flipping the mode switch on the top of the camcorder, has its own Function and Administrative menus. Both have some of the same options you'll see in video mode, but there are a few that are unique to photographs (mainly Image Quality, Shooting Mode, and Camera Setup options).
The Photo Administrative Menu
The Photo Administrative Menu contains the following options:
| Photo Administrative Menu |
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| Camera Setup | Auto Slow Shutter, Zoom Speed, Focus Priority, Review, Self Timer |
| Display Setup | Brightness, TV Screen, Markers, Language, Demo Mode |
| System Setup | WL. Remote, Beep, Power Save, Standby Off, File Nos. TV Type |
| Date/Time Setup | T. Zone/DST, Date/Time, Date Format |
To view still images you must switch the camcorder to still image mode (using the toggle on the top of the device). The process is just like viewing video clips—you navigate through thumbnails and select the images. Pressing the function button in this mode gives you a few unique options—slideshow, protect, print order, and transfer order—all features that are associated with still image playback only. Pressing the display button while reviewing your photos brings up a good deal of information about your images: image size, a histogram, white balance, image effect setting, file size, aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, quality, date, and time are all displayed. This is a wonderful amount of information and it matches the display settings available on some digital SLR cameras.
| Photo Playback Menu |
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| Still Image Operations | Erase All Print Orders, Erase All Transfer Orders, Erase All Images, Initialize Card |
| Display Setup | Brightness, Language |
| System Setup | WL. Remote, Beep, Power Save, TV Type, Firmware |
| Date/Time Setup | T. Zone/DST, Date/Time, Date Format |
Canon's standard definition line of camcorders usually contain a good deal of still features, and the DC330 follows this trend. The information display for still photos is one of the best we've seen on a camcorder in this price range (the Canon FS100 has the same display). Unfortunately, the image quality isn't nearly good enough for the camcorder to replace even a low-end digital camera.
Still Performance (6.79)
The still performance of the Canon DC330 was tested by shooting an X-Rite Color Checker chart at an even, bright light. The stills were then run through Imatest imaging system to determine color accuracy, noise, and saturation. At best, the DC330 produced a color error of 8.84, a noise score of 1.6575%, and a saturation level of 101%.
These scores are consistent with other Canon camcorders. The Sony DCR-DVD810, another DVD camcorder, produced a less accurate color score and slightly more noise. Another DVD camcorder, the Panasonic VDR-D230 produced about the same color accuracy, but much less noise.
Still Resolution (6.78)
The still resolution of the Canon DC330 was tested by shooting an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart at an even, bright light, and then run the stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder produced a horizontal resolution of 713 line widths per picture height (lw/ph), with a 16.4% oversharpening. The vertical resolution measured 545.7 lw/ph, with a 10.4% oversharpening.
These scores are good for a camcorder in this price range.
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