Canon DC50 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Jan 22, 2007 6:00 AM
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The Front
The Canon DC50 (Review, Specs, $649.99)’s chief element on the front in the lens, with an aperture range of f/1.8 – f/3.0, and a focal range of 6.1 – 61mm (35mm equivalent in 4:3 is 44.7 – 447mm, and in 16:9 equals 43.8 – 438mm), with a 37mm filter diameter. The 10x optical zoom is enhanced for usability by an optical image stabilization, a highly sought-after feature in consumer camcorders.
To the right of the lens is a flash, which can be used when in still photo mode. Below the flash is the video light, a mildly handy tool during low light conditions. Generally, however, the pinpoint of the luminance that an on-camera light provides is unflattering to your subject. Underneath the lens is the stereo microphone.
The Right Side
The right side of the Canon DC50 is taken up mostly by the DVD loading bay. DVD camcorders tend to provide a very good grip, as the rounded lip on top makes for a convenient finger-hold. The hand strap, however, is on the thin side and low slung, which causes the camcorder to careen to the left. This is not a problem if you’re just pointing and shooting, but it can make one-handed operation with the joystick difficult.
The Back
The back of the Canon DC50 contains a lot of the interface, although not quite as much as the DC40 (Review, Specs, $539.99). Most notably, the Function button has migrated over to the left side (and the Menu button has been removed entirely, more on that in the Menu section below).
Starting at the top of the DC50, there is a color EVF (123K resolution). The EVF is small, made of hard plastic, and neither telescopes nor pivots up or down. Below that is the video/still mode switch. Below that is the joystick, a tiny plastic nub that nonetheless manages to function very well as the main navigation tool, and is positioned well for the thumb. Clearly, they want to pitch this as camcorder as having one-hand operation. For simple one or two-movement joystick operations, you could probably manage it one handed. But for a lot of menu navigation, you’re going to want your left hand to keep it steady, as the poor balance the hand strap creates will keep your right hand busy just holding it steady.
To the left of the joystick is the record on/off button. There is no label for this button, and no universally recognized “red dot” on the record button, so it could have been made clearer. But it’s well-placed for the thumb. Underneath the joystick is the switch for powering the camcorder off and on, as well as toggling between record and playback modes. Finally, the slider switch to open the DVD mechanism is located towards the very bottom, well out of the way of accidental brushes.
The Left Side
The left side of the Canon DC50 is quite different from last year. Gone is the mode-dial borrowed from their still cameras – all those scene modes are now inside the menu. The VCR controls has wisely been shifted from a messy configuration on top to a neat row under the screen on the LCD panel. The LCD itself is the same as last year: 2.7” and 123K resolution. The image is bright and clear, though the resolution is not particularly high. Anything under 211K and you can see the pixels clearly.
Along the top, above the LCD cavity, are the Function menu, Display, and Quick Start buttons. The Function button has replaced the Menu/Function tag team of buttons, which used to direct you towards a administrative menu (Menu) and a shorter manual control menu (Function). Now you get the Function menu first, and access the admin menu from there.
The battery cavity, while still an enclosed design, is now deep enough to allow an expanded life battery. The battery that ships with it, the BP-208, only takes up about 1/2 the depth. Currently, the Canon store does not currently have a longer-life battery for sale, but we hope it’s forthcoming. To the right of battery slot is the USB 2.0 port and PictBridge button. The MiniSD card slot and AV-out port are located behind hard plastic flap just to the right of this. It appears that the rubber tether on the port cover has been lengthened since last year, which should eliminate a minor frustration.
The Top
The top of the DC50 is quite simple. The zoom toggle, well-sized, is position on the right rear for the index finger. Behind that, necessitating a small reach, is the photo button. The other major button on top is the Auto/Manual switch, located in front of the zoom toggle. On the DC40, the easy mode was found on the mode dial. Now that the dial has been removed, this switch works just as well.