Hitachi DZ-MV550 Camcorder Review

by Matt Culler
Published on Jun 11, 2004 11:00 AM



With an MSRP of $669.95, the Hitachi DZ-MV550 is a DVD camcorder of remarkably low price, considering what it has to offer when it is compared to other DVD camcorders. With this low-priced, stripped-down machine, Hitachi promotes DVD-RAM technology with SD card compatibility and pushes the envelope of DVD camcorder market price.

Video Performance (6.0)
The Hitachi DZ-MV550’s images are produces by a 1/4-inch CCD with 680K gross pixels located behind a lens with a 2.1mm-37.8mm focal distance and a filter diameter of 37mm. The 1/4-inch CCD is relatively large, considering the cost, and the results are apparent, although perhaps not when looking at the MV550’s horrible LCD screen. With 340K effective pixels for both video and still, the MV550 performs well at 3000 lux and other daylight situations. Hitachi’s MV550 suffers the same automatic exposure and focus problems as the very similar Panasonic VDR-M50 (Review, Specs, $646.99) DVD camcorder – notably, high adjustment times. As far as low light goes, the Hitachi DZ-MV550 performs great, with the best colors yet seen in DVD camcorders and with only minor problems in the crispness of images.


The Front (5.0)
On all accounts, Hitachi’s DZ-MV550 looks remarkably similar to Panasonic’s line of DVD camcorders, specifically the VDR-M50. The end of the lens barrel protrudes almost an inch over the horizontally stretched stereo microphone, followed down the front by a removable panel concealing an external microphone jack and an audio/video jack. Along the left side of the front runs a strip of hard, dark blue plastic where the infrared sensor resides. Below the sensor is the strap loop, jutting out about a quarter inch from the camcorder’s front.

The Right Side (6.5)
The right side of the Hitachi DZ-MV550 houses the DVD mechanism, which sits squarely in the middle of the side and is accentuated with silver plastic. The rest of the side is dark blue. The mechanism opens automatically with a slider, located on the back of the camcorder, and is closed manually. The mechanism juts past the top of the camcorder, conveniently offering a good grip. The memory card port is located on the right side of the mechanism under a hinged panel. On the left side of the DVD mechanism is the mode dial, which offers choices of SD card mode, power-off mode, movie mode, and still-picture mode. The strap is a good size for wide and girthy hands.

The Back (5.5)
On the back of the MV550 is the battery slot. The record button is placed to the right of the top right corner of the battery slot, convenient for the thumb. Above the battery, to the left and center, is the viewfinder. Finally, to the left of the viewfinder, are the disc-eject slider and the PC Access indicator light. When attached, the large and almost square battery protrudes from the back of the camcorder. Additionally, the viewfinder cannot be angled upwards, only drawn directly backward, and even when fully extended the viewfinder is only flush with the battery’s end. The battery charges in an external device, which means that the camcorder cannot be used without the battery in place.

The Left Side (9.0)
Almost mirroring the DVD mechanism, a large light blue ring dominates the left side of the MV550. The 2.5-inch, 120K-pixel LCD screen is set almost entirely on this ring, with command buttons running along the right edge of the left side. These buttons include the disc navigation button, a select button, the menu button, a stop button (used in playback and within the menus), and a four-way directional pad that also functions as a playback controller. Also along the top of the LCD is a slider for the selection of quick mode, which is a full auto mode, without any presets, etc, available. The enormous lens barrel of this camcorder tapers inward from the front, following the curve of the superimposed circular ring and terminating in the viewfinder. Hidden underneath the LCD are buttons for full auto mode, manual focus and exposure adjustment, backlight, volume control (which also handles focal and exposure adjustments), and change of display. The USB port is also located beneath the LCD, meaning that the screen must be open for the camcorder to communicate with a computer.

The Top (7.0) On the top of the MV550 are the upper panels of the lens and viewfinder and the upper edge of the DVD mechanism. An unfortunately positioned cold accessory shoe sits towards the middle of the lens barrel, directly in front of the viewfinder. Located directly to the right of the viewfinder, the zoom toggle is convenient for index finger access.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.0)
Automatic settings for exposure, focus, white balance, and shutter speed are present in the MV550’s full auto mode, which can be selected by pressing the “auto” button beneath the LCD. As mentioned earlier, automatic adjustments to focus are relatively slow and, as expected, perform worse as zoom is increased, while automatic exposure adjustments are quick but significantly delayed. The automatic white balance of the M50 is relatively quick, taking approximately fifteen seconds to make adjustments in color temperature. The MV550 offers AE settings of Spotlight, Portrait, Sports, Sand & Snow, and Low Light, which function as presets to help with quick adjustment to specific environments. These settings are fairly accurate for exposure settings in extremely varied conditions, and while there are no true manual shutter speed (or AE) controls, these presets provide some variation on auto.

Overall Manual Control (4.5)
Hitachi MV550’s menu screens avoid traditional shutter speed and exposure measurements in favor of more user-friendly meters, buttons, symbols, and presets. Shutter speed, white balance, EIS (electronic image stabilization) and other options can be found by pressing the menu button to the right of the LCD, and navigating the menu using the directional pad. Nearly all of these options are unavailable when in quick mode. The manual focus and exposure buttons and the full auto mode button on the VDR-M50 are unfortunately located beneath the LCD. They are adjusted by the volume buttons. However, the menu button and the navigation dial are located outside the LCD, which is a plus.

Zoom (8.0)
An 18x optical zoom, and digital zoom up to 500x. The zoom toggle is small but effective and convenient; it allows for variant speed zoom of relatively good quality for a camcorder this size. I was able to achieve three variable zoom speeds. The zoom controller is well placed and easy to use. It should really be noted how much larger the zoom on the Hitachi is when compared to Sony and Panasonic DVD camcorders.

Focus (4.5)
“MF” appears on the LCD when the manual focus option is accessed beneath the LCD. Focus is then adjusted manually with the volume buttons. The MV550 doesn’t offer a display of the focal spectrum, which can be annoying in manual mode. It is not unsurprising that the MV550 doesn’t have a focus ring, although this addition would be nice.

Exposure (Aperture) (4.5)
By pressing the exposure button, the MV550’s exposure can be adjusted manually, using the navigation dial to alter the aperture. This is visualized with a +/- meter on the LCD. Unfortunately, the exposure button is below the LCD. However, with the MV550’s problems in automatic exposure adjustment, manual exposure changes may be a good option.

Shutter Speed (0.0)
Instead of true manual adjustment of shutter speed, various presets are available on the MV550. These settings can be found in the Program AE section, accessible by pressing the menu button to the right of the LCD. They include: Spotlight, Portrait, Sports, Sand & Snow, and Low Light. Each preset contains predetermined levels for exposure, white balance, shutter speed, etc.

White Balance (6.5)
It is possible to calculate the MV550’s white balance manually to more accurately present the gray scale. By pressing the menu button to the right of the LCD, the white balance menu can be accessed. Navigable by using the directional pad, this menu offers automatic settings for outdoor and indoor lighting, in which the camcorder estimates dominant color temperatures of outdoor and indoor lighting respectively, and options for Auto (the default automatic setting) and Set (manual set). The MV550 offers two indoor white balance functions (indoor 1 and 2). Indoor 1 is used for recording under incandescent light, halogen, or bulb-color type fluorescent light, and Indoor 2 is used under fluorescent light. When captured in Indoor 2, incandescent bulb light appears naturally (i.e. if you’re using a yellow bulb, it is yellow). When captured in Indoor 1, incandescent light looks white. For full manual control press select “set”. If the white balance is set manually, it will remain adjusted to a particular environment, even when moved to another.

Gain (0.0)
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 has no manual Gain controls.

Still Performance (5.5)
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 records JPEG stills at 640x480 on DVD-RAM disc or SD card. With the dial mode set to PHOTO, the user can record stills to the DVD-RAM disc. To take photos to the SD card, the mode dial must be set to CARD. Quality settings of Fine, Normal, and Economy are available when recording to the SD card--accessible by pressing the menu button; when recording to disc, stills are solely taken at the Fine setting. Manual adjustments for white Balance, exposure, focus, and all shutter speed (AE) presets are available when recording stills to card or disc. Using the DVD-RAM disc, the MV550 records 999 stills per side and 220 Fine quality photographs to a 32 MB SD card - that's a lot of pictures.

VCR Mode (9.0)
Previews of all digital photo stills and playback of video are available on the VDR-M50. Accessible while in SD card mode, movie mode, or Photo mode (to DVD-RAM), playback of any media on the LCC is available by pressing the navigational pad. Pressing the menu button while viewing any media in this playback mode displays a menu of options to go either to the end, beginning (top), or a specific point (specify) in the list of media.

On the Hitachi MV550, there is also a disc navigation option, available to playback as well as edit movie and still media. When pressed, this button enables a thumbnail menu version of either the disc or card, depending on which is selected on the mode dial. If the menu button is pressed here, further playback options appear for scenes and stills, options to delete, edit (combine, divide, fade, skip) movies or groups of movies, change the thumbnail image of media, organize media by date, time, etc., choose images for printing, etc. One of the perks of recording to DVD-RAM is the quick and easy editing and altering ability of this disc navigation menu. These options aren’t available when recording to DVD-R.

When wired to a computer through its USB port, the DZ-MV550 supports the playback of footage and stills with the included MovieAlbum software. Like all DVD camcorder software so far (Sony, Panasonic (which is identical) included), the Hitachi’s included viewing and editing software is very basic, cumbersome, and elementary. Although, most conventional everyday DVD players can’t play DVD-RAM, both stills and video can be exported from the DVD-RAM disc to the computer, manipulated and edited by the user, and then recorded to a full-size DVD-R for conventional DVD players. DVD-Rs recorded on the MV550 can be played in conventional DVD players after being finalized on the camera.

Another plus to recording on DVD-RAM discs is that the media can be copied to the hard disk of certain DVD recorders, and then rerecorded to a full size DVD-R on the same recorder, thus eliminating the need of a computer. Because most DVD camcorders lack FireWire outputs, this seems the most convenient method to get full size DVD-Rs, especially if you lack a computer. On camcorders incompatible with DVD-RAM technology, this isn’t possible. DVD-RAM discs usually cannot be played on conventional players, unless the player has DVD-RAM technology, in which case it can be popped out of its plastic casing then directly inserted. (The player should have a little sticker letting you know this.) This is why Panasonic requires the transfer from DVD-RAM to DVD-R on the computer.

The M50 can also record directly to DVD-R, but DVD-Rs can only be recorded once, cannot record stills, and cannot be edited like the DVD-RAM can. (In order to play a DVD-R by itself in a conventional DVD player, it must be finalized on the camcorder.) The DZ-MV550 cannot record to DVD-RW discs, which is a shame because DVD-RW are playable on conventional players and editable like DVD-RAM. The positive aspect of using a DVD-RAM instead of a DVD-RW, is that the DVD-RAM works just like a hard disk; the user is able to reorganize, delete, and edit video and stills easily and quickly. With a DVD-RW, it is a question of rewriting specific sections of the disc, and reorganization is less seamless.

Low-Light Performance (5.2)
Like many one-chip camcorders, the Hitachi DZ-MV550 has its problems with low light. At 3000 lux, the MV550 shows very crisp, well balanced, nicely saturated colors with no grain. When looked at side-by-side with similar DVD camcorders, the MV550’s image at 3000 lux is great, with overall superior crispness and great color. At 60 lux, the crispness found at 3000 lux is gone. There is a substantial increase in grain, which muddies up the image. However, the well-saturated colors seen at 3000 lux remain at 60 lux for the MV550, which is not the case with similar machines.

At 15 lux, the Hitachi MV550 makes up for its 60 lux performance. The camcorder’s strength in color saturation follows suit here, and while there is more grain than at 60 lux, colors still show well. This is especially apparent when contrasted with similar camcorders. For instance, the Panasonic VDR-M50, while crisper than the Hitachi at 60 lux, is a little more noisy and grainy at 15 lux, with substantially worse colors. Additionally, when compared with the Sony DCR-DVD101, Hitachi’s colors shine in comparison with the DVD101’s washed out mess. The strength of Hitachi’s color might be attributed to the slightly larger CCD on the MV550, and with an even bigger CCD on the MV580, Hitachi seems to have found a well-performing, better priced DVD camcorder.

LCD/ Viewfinder (6.5)
The DZ-MV550 has a 2.5 in. color LCD screen (120K pixels). The screen rotates 270 degrees, but solarizes the image when viewed from an angle. This LCD is one of the worst out there; the noise is plentiful and obstructing, especially in low light areas. The DZ-MV550 is equipped with a 1/3 inch viewfinder (110K pixels). The viewfinder cannot be angled at all; it can only be pulled straight back, and even at full extension is merely flush with the battery. There is an adjustment slider on the viewfinder to adjust to the viewer’s eye.

Audio (6.0)
The VDR-M50 supports 12-bit and 16-bit audio recording. Located beneath the lens, the stereo microphone rides high on the front, providing ample room for gripping. While there is no headphone jack, there is a cold accessory shoe atop the lens barrel for accessories. Ports for audio/video and mic in are located under the microphone.

Handling (5.5)
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 looks almost identical to the Panasonic VDR-M50. it includes the same software, with only a minor adjustment in features, as the MV550 offers an additional quick mode. The strap is well placed and fits big hands, and includes, unlike the M50, a large cushioned pad. The downsides to both the M50 and the MV550 are the shape and placement of the battery and the immobility of the viewfinder. Before too many praises are sung about the MV550, the camcorder’s horrible LCD must be mentioned. It is bad; perhaps one of the worst. It solarizes and adds tremendous amounts of grain and noise in low light areas. Luckily, this doesn’t reappear on disc. The zoom toggle is well placed, and the mode dial falls naturally under the thumb. The buttons on the left side are raised enough to be easily found, and the playback/menu toggle is easy enough to use.

Ports (5.5)
Under a protective panel on the front of the camcorder are the mic input jack and an audio/video input/output. A cold accessory shoe is located on top of the machine, and USB hides beneath the LCD. A hinged panel on the right side of the DVD mechanism protects the SD card slot.

Other Features (6.0)
Electronic Image Stabilizer (EIS) reduces fuzziness when the camcorder has zoomed in on something. WindCut reduces unwanted audio noise in windy environments. The Disc Navigation provides options to edit, splice and divide, and fade video footage directly on the camcorder. When recording to DVD-R, editing on the computer would be necessary.Quick Mode offers a fundamental, stripped-down menu with little blurbs explaining different functions, for convenience sake.


16:9 widescreen mode
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 supports a digitally manipulated 16:9 “cinema” mode.

Analog-to-Digital Pass Through
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 is equipped for analog-to-digital pass through. A proprietary AV cable is supplied for S-Video and AV output.

Comparisons
There are several camcorders in a price range comparable to the Hitachi DZ-MV550: the Panasonic PV-GS120 and VDR-M50PP, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 (Specs, $549), and the Sony DCR-DVD101.

Panasonic VDR-M50PP For $130 more, Panasonic’s entry level DVD camcorder, the VDR-M50, houses a 1/6-inch CCD with 340K effective pixels for video and 340K for stills. (The MV550 has 340K for both video and still as well, with a 1/4-inch CCD.) The M50 has comparable zoom, resolution, and options; in fact, the Hitachi MV550 and VDR-M50 look and feel almost identical. As far as video performance goes, the Hitachi MV550 performs well in the face of the VDR-M50. Colors are more saturated overall, with an increase in grain at 60 lux, compared to the M50.

Panasonic PV-GS120 For $30 more, Panasonic’s PV-GS120, a cheaper, stripped down version of the PV-GS200 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1299), is available, with three CCDs at 1/6 inch with 290K pixels each, 10x optical zoom (700x digital zoom), still resolution of 1280x960, and lots of manual control, including gain. The Panasonic PV-GS120 records to Mini DV tape, which is harder to transfer to DVD, and cannot hold as many stills as the Hitachi MV550. However, those stills will be recorded at better resolution. Video performance of the Panasonic PV-GS120 is far superior to the MV550, especially in the color quality. For the money, the GS120 is a great camcorder, factoring in the amount of manual control offered and its three CCDs. However, if you’d like a DVD camcorder with a lot of convenient features, the MV550 might be a better choice.

Hitachi DZ-MV580 The Hitachi DZ-MV550’s better half, the Hitachi DZ-M580, is available for $779.99. The MV580 boasts a 1/3.8 inch CCD with 680K gross pixels, with 400K effective for video, and 960K effective for still. Its zoom has been decreased from the MV550, probably due to increased lens quality. It can record JPEG’s at a resolution of 1280 x 960 and includes a hot shoe, as opposed to the MV550’s cold shoe.

Sony DCR-DVD101 When compared with Sony’s DVD camcorder, the DCR-DVD101, the Hitachi DZ-MV550 offers a bigger CCD (1/4 to the DVD101’s 1/6), and similar resolution. The DVD101 does lack an SD card, although it nevertheless offers a tremendous amount of still storage space. With regard to low light, the MV550 performs substantially better than the DVD101, with more saturated colors and less grain. As far as recordability goes, the DVD101 records to DVD-R and DVD-RW discs, while the MV550 records to DVD-R and DVD-RAM discs. It can be argued either way which one of these formats is better; although the DVD-RAM format is generally faster and easier to access and manipulate. The DVD101 lists at $895, nearly $225 more than the MV550.


Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters (6.0)
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 offers a quick mode as well as a full auto mode for the point-and-shoot crowd’s convenience. While automatic exposure and focus on the MV550 aren’t too good, the DVD recordability can’t be beat for convenience’s sake.

Budget Consumers(3.0)
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 is one of the most modestly priced DVD camcorders for its options. It is nearly identical to Panasonic’s VDR-M50, if not for a bigger CCD and more options, and it’s over $100 cheaper. The sister model of MV550, the MV580–comparable to Panasonic’s VDR-M70 (Review, Specs, $703.99) in features–is even cheaper than the VDR-M50.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid(5.5)
Any DVD camcorder can be considered a good hybrid simply because of the sheer amount of photos available. In the face of cheaper MiniDV hybrids that boast fewer but better images, it’s a tough call. This really depends on whether or not DVD recording is a strong desire, and whether or not the user desires quality over quantity.

Gadget Freaks(7.0)
The Hitachi DZ-MV550 provides some state of the art recording features in a small size. The MV550 offers the option to record to DVD-R (which is playable on conventional players after finalization on the camcorder), DVD-RAM recording capability, and a memory card feature. While the MV550 should record to DVD-RW as well, it’s not a big deal.

Manual Control Freaks(3.0)
Manual control freaks don’t have anything to scream maniacally into the frozen, uncontrollable night for on this one. While the automatic focus and exposure of the MV550 may be improved if the user handled them manually, buttons to do this are hidden under the LCD, and manual shutter speed is unavailable. With a quick mode and a full auto mode, the MV550 does not make manual control a priority.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists(2.5)
This is a decent camcorder for a convenience-hunting serious hobbyist. It is surprisingly cheap for a DVD camcorder, and can therefore act as a nice convenient complement to a professional machine. However, pros shouldn’t plan on using their high-end software for editing, as the format is not supported.

Conclusion
The Hitachi DZ-M550 exists in a great price range for DVD camcorders, it's the least expensive one on the market and includes comparable features to more expensive models by the "big name" camcorder manufacturers. It includes a bigger CCD than comparable camcorders, and because of this provides the best colors yet in the DVD camcorder market, and for a lower price. The MV550 looks and feels almost exactly like Panasonic’s VDR-M50. The two camcorders perform similarly too. The MV550 does offer a bigger CCD and better color when it comes down to it, as well as a quick mode which is a nice convenient feature. If you’re stuck between the two, perhaps the fact that the MV550 is $130 less will affect your decision. There is always the question of recordability format. It is a tough argument as to whether DVD-RAM capability or DVD-RW compatibility is better. It really depends on what kind of user you are. A user who highly desires the power to play directly on conventional DVD players would probably enjoy a Sony for their DVD-RW option. However, a user wanting faster, easier to access footage with an option to transfer to full-size DVD-Rs without a computer might prefer the MV550. With the DZ-MV550 and the DZ-MV580, Hitachi is pushing the envelope of DVD camcorder price and quality. The price difference between the MV550 and similar machines, even machines with inferior low light performance and smaller CCDs, is remarkable. If you’re considering DVD camcorders, don’t count Hitachi out.