Hitachi DZ-GX3300A Camcorder Review

Audio (6.5)
The DZ-GX3300 includes a microphone jack, an appreciated option for those who are interested in recording sound with external mics, a feature shared by the Panasonic VDR-D300 but absent on the Sony DVD 405 and Canon DC40. Sadly, this camcorder does not include a headphone jack – a rarity on consumer camcorders - so you are out of luck if you want to monitor the quality of your sound. There is a wind cut feature, which helps to reduce the buffeting sounds of wind on the on-board mic, but cannot be used when recording sound via an external mic. There is no live audio monitoring available in the menu.

VCR Mode (6.75)
One of the DZ-GX3300’s few bright spots is its ability to record on DVD-RAM/R as well as DVD-RW/+RW discs. Hitachi was the first company to offer this level of format compatibility. In a camcorder world where each DVD flavor has its own pros and cons, options are good. DVD-RW can be rewritten and immediately played back on most DVD players, while DVD-RAM discs can only be played back on DVD-RAM players. They also can only be written once, but are the cheapest DVD format available, and function more like hard discs, allowing faster data access.

The DZ-GX3300 provides a USB port for digital data transfer to computers and an A/V port enabling analog output and commonly used for television video playback. Using VCR mode is relatively easy, but the touchpad which controls VCR functions is not as user friendly as Panasonic’s joystick or Sony’s touch screen.  DVD camcorders do have the unfortunate tendency to take a long time from start-up to being playback-ready, and the GX3300 is no exception. It's rather slow in drawing up the thumbnails of each clip. Maneuvering through the VCR mode, though, works quite well.

Ports (8.0)
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300 gets very high marks in this area, offering USB, A/V and microphone ports at the front of the camcorder, beneath the stereo microphone. They are accessed by flipping down a port cover made of the same hard plastic material as the rest of the camcorder’s body, a material that seems perfectly adequate for the cover itself. However, the connector securing the cover to the camcorder body appears to be less durable than many we’ve seen, a liability since these connectors frequently snap.

The GX3300's ports, located in the front under the lens. A hot accessory shoe sits on top.

In the Hitachi’s favor, it offers a range of ports. The Hi-Speed USB port is a feature shared by other DVD camcorders in this price range, but absent from many entry level models such as Sony’s DVD-105 and DVD-205. A combo A/V and S-Video connector offers bi-directional data transfer. It’s also possible to toggle between menu inputs and record an analog video signal to DVD via either RCA or S-Video lines in VCR mode. It is to Hitachi’s credit that they included this as a standard feature. The Sony DVD-405 and Canon DC-40 have A/V ports, but do not ship with an S-Video cable.

The Hitachi also includes an external microphone jack that accommodates self-powered mics – a feature that is woefully absent from many DVD camcorders in this price range, including the DC40, while the DVD405’s proprietary hot shoe precludes third party microphone options. The DZ-GX3300 port cover can be opened while the camcorder is on a tripod or sitting on a table. In contrast, you must remove Panasonic’s VDR-D300 from a tripod to access its ports.

The DZ-GX3300’s SD card slot is on the underside of the camcorder, and is accessed via a small flap that opens from the LCD cavity.