Canon DC50 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on May 28, 2007 12:27 PM 
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Audio (4.0)
The DC50 (Review, Specs, $649.99) does not provide you with many options here. The dual channel built-in stereo microphone mounted on the facade is the only sound recording device available. There is no microphone jack or accessory shoe. Canon doesn’t even slap a headphone jack on the DC50, so you’ll have to cross your fingers during playback. Three arched grooves that represent the audio playback speaker are mounted on top of the viewfinder. Playback sound is tinny, amateurish, and even Hi-8esque. Oh, we went there. The DC50 is equipped with a windscreen feature, and after reading the next paragraph, you’ll never want to turn it off.
Recorded audio sounds mediocre and is accompanied by a flourish of background noise. That’s interesting. We had the same problem with the ZR models. The DC50 picked up every miniscule click, thud, and mechanical grind emanated from the whirring DVD-R disc. You can even hear the faint buzz of the DVD winding up for recording at the beginning of each clip. Canon has given us a great video image, but serious revisions must be made to the built-in microphone in order to mark the DC50 as a fierce, versatile contender within the burgeoning realm of DVD camcorders.
Playback (4.75)
Playback on the DC50 is simple. VCR mode is selected via the mode switch located on the back of the camcorder’s nautilus-style crest. This cues a menu screen that encompasses thumbnails representing recorded video clips. Using the joystick, you can scroll though each thumbnail and select clips by pressing the joystick’s center or play button located on the LCD panel. Pressing the joystick’s center during playback brings up a small sub menu that controls clip volume and lets you skip to the next or previous clip. In order to fast forward, rewind, pause, or stop a clip, there is a strip of playback controls located on the LCD panel. Digital still playback mode is accessed by flipping the camera mode switch to the camera icon. Scrolling through images is done using the joystick, and you can skip 10 and 100 pictures at a time. A levels chart accompanies each image along with image size, F-stop, and white balance. Canon really hit one out of the park with the DC50’s playback controls and features.
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A screen full of thumbnails representing each clip |
The playback menu |
The rear-mounted joystick is a dream in conjunction with the LCD-mounted playback controls. Camcorders that rely on side-mounted controls (Hitachi) force the operator to look at the LCD screen at an uncomfortable angle while they are bouncing back and forth between adjusting and viewing. Touch screen controls (Sony) obscure the viewing pane and are generally smudge-ridden, providing a bogus image. The DC50, like most Panasonics, eliminates those problems. Bravo, Canon.
Connectivity (4.0)
The DC50 is lacking in the port department. A concentrated cluster on the left side of the camcorder is home to the USB terminal, MiniSD card slot, and AV in/out jack. Placing the USB terminal inside the LCD cavity requires the LCD screen to be open, and puts an added strain on the battery, so make sure the DC50 is plugged in before importing files. The gray plastic port cover hosting the Mini SD card slot and AV in/out jack fits flush within the camcorder’s body and pulls out to reveal two long, thin strips holding it in place. Be sure not to tug on the port cover too hard—we’ve snapped off a couple on past Canon models. In addition, it is difficult to pry open the port cover from the external edge unless you have fake nails or a miniature crowbar. When accessed from the LCD cavity, it pops open with ease. The DC jack is located in a peculiar location on the bottom right side of the camcorder’s body. Canon went with the round jack, which is more prone to pulling out than rectangular connections.
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