Canon Offers Four New DVD Camcorders for 2007by David KenderPublished on Jan 5, 2007 6:00 AM 
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Canon DC50 |
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January 5, 2006 – Canon enters 2007 with a thoroughly revamped DVD camcorder line, announcing four new models today, only days before CES. The line-up reflects the company’s increased focus on DVD versus MiniDV. The DC210 ($279 MSRP), DC220 ($299 MSRP), and DC230 ($329 MSRP) comprise the company’s entry and mid-level lineup. The significantly more expensive DC50 ($799 MSRP) debuts as the new flagship DVD camcorder, thus replacing the DC40.
It’s no coincidence that today’s announcements were an expansion of DVD camcorders and a simultaneous reduction of MiniDV models. MiniDV has been an area of almost no growth in the past two years as the public turns to formats like DVD and hard disk drive (HDD) that offer more convenience. The new entry and mid-level DVD camcorders are a natural place for growth. “If you can picture it with the thousand-foot view, these are the new ZR models with a DVD drive,” said Mitchell Glick, assistant manager Product Marketing, Consumer Division for Canon USA, referencing the popular entry-level ZR series of MiniDV camcorders.
All three entry and mid-level DVD camcorders feature a 1/6” CCD and the DigicDV II processor. Optical zoom has increased from last year to 35x, a new high for Canon camcorders. A 1000x digital zoom is also available. All three models are equipped with a widescreen 2.7” LCD (123K resolution) and 0.27” color EVFs (also a 123K resolution). Available DVD formats include DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-R DL. All include the same lens (f/2.8 – 5.0), with no thread for filters. All also offer manual shutter speed from 1/60 – 1/2000, electronic image stabilization, and Quick Start, a new feature this year that reduces start-up time from sleep mode to record mode in 0.9 seconds.
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Canon DC210 |
Canon DC220 |
The DC210’s 1/6” CCD has a gross pixel count of 680K. This becomes a 340K effective pixel count in 4:3, a 450K effective pixel count in 16:9 with the EIS off, and a 360K effective pixel count in 16:9 with EIS on. Stills up to 1024 x 768 are captured to DVD disc only.
The DC220 is essentially the same camcorder with the addition of a MiniSD card slot. unfortunately, the DC220 does not feature an included SD card . MiniSD has proved a slow medium to catch on. So far, Canon is the only camcorder manufacturer to use them and only on certain Canon models.
Canon DC230
However the DC230, also a 1/6” CCD, increases the resolution to a gross pixel count of 1.07MP. In 4:3, the effective pixel count becomes 690K, in 16:9 with the EIS off it becomes 710K, and in 16:9 with the EIS on, the effective pixel count is 550K. The higher resolution of the chip increases the maximum still size to 1152 x 864. Zoom levels remain 35x optical / 1000x digital. The DC230 is upgraded with a wireless remote control. The DC220 and DC230 ship with the Digital Video Solutions software.
The new flagship DVD camcorder, the DC50, is markedly different from the entry and mid-level models. Inside is a very large 1/2.7” CCD, with a gross pixel count of 5.39MP and an effective pixel count of 3.69MP in 16:9 and 3.98MP in 4:3. The DC50 features Super Range Optical Image Stabilization and a 10x optical / 200x digital zoom. Also recording to MiniSD, the maximum still resolution is increased to 2581 x 1936.
| Canon 2007 DVD Camcorders | DC210 | DC220 | DC230 | DC50 |
| Spec Sheet | Canon DC210 Specs | Canon DC220 Specs | Canon DC230 Specs | Canon DC50 Specs |
| MSRP | $399 | $449 | $499 | $799 |
| Release Date | Early March 2007 | Early March 2007 | Late March 2007 | Late Feb 2007 |
| Imager | 1/6" 680K Pixel CCD | 1/6" 680K Pixel CCD | 1/6" 1007K Pixel CCD | 1/2.7" 5390K Pixel CCD |
| Optical Zoom | 35x | 35x | 35x | 10x |
| Image Stabilization | EIS | EIS | EIS | Super Range OIS |
| Media | DVD-R/-RW/-R DL | DVD-R/-RW/-R DL, MiniSD Memory Card | DVD-R/-RW/-R DL, MiniSD Memory Card | DVD-R/-RW/-R DL, MiniSD Memory Card |
| Still Resolution | 1024 x 768 | 1024 x 768 | 1152 x 864 | 2581 x 1936 |
| Native 16:9 | No | No | No | No |
| LCD/EVF | LCD: 2.7" 123k pixel16:9 EVF: 16:9 123K pixel |
LCD: 2.7" 123k pixel16:9 EVF: 16:9 123K pixel |
LCD: 2.7" 123k pixel16:9 EVF: 16:9 123K pixel |
LCD: 2.7" 123k pixel16:9 EVF: 16:9 123K pixel |
| USB Terminal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other Features | - Digic DV II Processor - Manual shuter speed - Level lines & Grid Markers |
- Digic DV II Processor - Manual shuter speed - Level lines & Grid Markers |
- Digic DV II Processor - Manual shuter speed - Level lines & Grid Markers |
- Digic DV II Processor - Manual shuter speed - Level lines & Grid Markers - Video Light |
The lens on the DC50 offers a 37mm filter diameter with an aperture range of f/1.8 – 3.0. The LCD is the same as the other DVD camcorders this year (2.7” widescreen), but the VF has also been made widescreen in the DC50. The battery is also upgraded to a higher capacity. The DC50 ships with Roxio MyDVD editing software.
Ports on all four DVD camcorders are essentially the same. A USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connection is used to transfer video and stills. All offer analog composite output and lack analog input. None of the DVD camcorders include mic or headphone jacks.