Hitachi DZ-MV580 Camcorder Reviewby Matt CullerPublished on Jul 2, 2004 9:00 AM 
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Boasting an MSRP of $749.95, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 is the industry’s second least expensive DVD camcorder, falling short only of its less advanced sibling, Hitachi’s DZ-MV550. With added features and the largest imager of any DVD camcorder so far, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 is giving other DVD camcorders of its caliber a run for their money.
Video Performance (6.5)
Hitachi’s DZ-MV580 includes a 1/3.8" CCD, slightly bigger than the DZ-MV550’s 1/4-inch imager. Its CCD houses 400K effective pixels for video and 960K effective for stills. (The MV550 has 340K effective for both video and stills.) Hitachi has increased the focal length from the MV550 to the MV580 from 37.8 to 38, and it shows.
At 3000 lux and other equivalent bright light levels, the DZ-MV580 shines. It reproduces very crisp, balanced colors, without the washing and slight over-saturation that usually occurs at 3000 lux. (Indeed, it does so on the DZ-MV550.) The crispness of color is especially apparent in the DZ-MV580’s presentation of the grayscale, where the each gradation is self-contained and very distinct.
The Hitachi DZ-MV580 has the same slight problems with automatic exposure adjustment as the MV550 and Panasonic’s line of DVD camcorders; however, these problems are nominal at best.
The Front (5.0)
Spatially, Hitachi’s line of DVD camcorders looks remarkably similar to Panasonic’s line. Riding high and jutting out from the camcorder, the DZ-MV580’s lens barrel takes a prominent spot on the machine’s front. A slender stereo microphone stretches its lanky form in the shade under the lens barrel, with the A/V and mic input jacks resting snuggly beneath a port cover under this. To the left of the microphone is the infrared sensor. Located below the sensor, the strap loop juts out approximately a quarter inch from the camcorder’s front.
The Right Side (6.5)
The DVD mechanism occupies the middle of the right side, and is highlighted with silver plastic. The rest of the side is dark gray. Protruding past the top of the camcorder, the upper lip of the DVD mechanism provides a good grip. The slider to open the mechanism is located on the back of the camcorder. Under a hinged panel on the right side of the DVD mechanism is the SD card slot. 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 nice and wide, distinguishing itself from the narrow devices found on Panasonic’s other lines.
The Back (5.5)
The back of the camcorder contains the battery slot, from which the incredibly square, garish, and monolithic battery protrudes. Considering the camcorder’s immobile viewfinder, battery shape is a major weakness for the camcorder, as it strongly discourages viewfinder usage. To the right of the top right corner of the battery slot is the record button. A bit left of center and above the battery is the viewfinder. To the right of the viewfinder are the DVD mechanism opening device and the PC access indicator light.
It should be noted that Panasonic’s DVD camcorder line suffers from the same problems as Hitachi’s and, while I personally prefer Hitachi’s color scheme and strap, these are minor concerns.
The Left Side (9.0)
As with the right side of the camcorder, the left side of the Hitachi MV580 contains a large superimposed circle. While not as protrusive as the right side’s ring, this circle is definitely meant to lend some aesthetic unity to the machine. The 2.5-inch, 120K-pixel LCD screen is set almost totally within this circle. Command buttons that run along the right edge of the left side 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. Above the LCD is a slider that puts the camcorder in easy, or “quick,” mode. 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 unfortunately located beneath the LCD.
The Top (7.0)
Atop the MV580 are the upper panels of the lens and viewfinder and the upper edge of the DVD mechanism. A nice upgrade from the MV550 is the addition of an intelligent accessory shoe to the MV580. Located directly to the right of the viewfinder, the zoom toggle is convenient for index finger access, and extended enough away from the camcorder’s body to allow easy control.
Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.0)
The settings for exposure, focus, white balance, and shutter speed for the MV580 are accessible via the quick mode slider above the LCD. Also, when not in quick mode, automatic settings for white balance, exposure, shutter speed, and focus exist as well but with the option to be individually controlled manually. Automatic focal adjustments are made quickly especially at 0x, which is a nice improvement over the MV550, which was slower. The automatic white balance of the M50 (Review, Specs, $646.99) is relatively quick, taking approximately fifteen seconds to make adjustments in color temperature. When placed in quick mode, many of these settings cannot be accessed at all.
Preset AE settings of Spotlight, Portrait, Sports, Sand & Snow, and Low Light are available to help with quick adjustment to specific environments. These setting do a nice job of bracketing certain camcorder functions like shutter speed and exposure, tailoring to specific environments.
Overall Manual Control (4.5)
Manual control for exposure, focus, and white balance exist within the Hitachi’s menus systems. Unfortunately, these menu screens avoid traditional shutter speed and exposure measurements in favor of more user-friendly meters, buttons, symbols, and presets. Preset AE settings, digital zoom, EIS (electronic image stabilization) and other options are found within the electronic menu system, accessed by the menu key on the left side of the camcorder. When in quick mode, however, these options don’t exist; while in full auto mode, they exist, but are all set to auto and cannot be changed. Unlike Sony’s DVD camcorder line, Hitachi’s and Panasonic’s all seem to have some useful buttons located outside the LCD. In the case of the MV580 this is true as well; however, buttons for exposure and focus are still underneath the LCD, and are altered by the volume buttons also beneath the LCD.
Zoom (8.0)
When compared with the DZ-MV550, the DZ-MV580 has a decreased optical and digital zoom, from 18x optical, 500x digital on the MV550 to 10x optical, 240x digital on the MV580. This is probably due to increased lens quality. The zoom toggle is small but well placed and available for variant speed zooms. It is identical to Panasonic’s zoom toggle, and I do prefer these toggles over those included on Sony’s DVD camcorder line, which are small and hard to control.
Focus (4.5)
When the manual focus is pressed, ‘MF’ appears in the upper left-hand corner of the display. Focus is then unfortunately altered with the volume buttons, which is cumbersome; it would be nice to use a jog dial. Furthermore, there is no indication other than the visual representation in the viewfinder/LCD of where the focus falls within the focal spectrum. It would be nice to see a little mountain or a hand to indicate this, icons which many other machines display.
Exposure (Aperture) (4.5)
Pressing the exposure button displays a +/- meter on the LCD. Exposure can then be adjusted using the volume buttons underneath the LCD. This can be cumbersome; it would be nice to see a jog dial. Manual exposure adjustment works well; the adjustment process itself is its biggest drawback.
Shutter Speed (0.0)
Although no true manual shutter speed adjustment is available on the MV580, preset AE 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 has a set window of performance for both exposure and shutter speed.
White Balance (6.5)
It is possible to calibrate the MV550’s white balance manually to more accurately present a particular environment's grayscale and color temperature gradient. The white balance menu is available in the camcorder’s menu system and includes 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 and Set (manual). The Hitachi DVD camcorders offer 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”. This sets the white balance for a particular place, and applies those conditions and measurements to all others; automatic white balance adjusts to frequently changing environments, although this takes about fifteen seconds.
Gain (0.0)
The Hitachi DZ-MV580 has no manual Gain controls.
Still Performance (6.5)
With its ability to record JPEG stills to DVD-RAM disc and SD card at 1280 x 960, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 is a step above its predecessor, the MV550, which could only capture at 640 x 480. The MV580’s mode dial contains two setting for the capturing of JPEG stills: Photo and Card Photo. In Photo mode, stills are taken to disc, while in Card Photo, stills are taken to SD card. Accessible in the menu system, options for quality settings of Fine, Normal, and Economy are available when recording to the SD card; when recording to disc, stills are solely taken at the Fine setting. Using the DVD-RAM disc, the MV580 records a maximum of 999 stills (at Economy quality) per side and 220 Fine quality photographs to a 32MB SD card.
VCR Mode (9.0)
On camcorder previews of all recorded data, stills and video alike, are available on the DZ-MV580. Accessible while in SD card mode, movie mode, or Photo mode (to DVD-RAM), playback of any media on the LCD 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 navigate to specific places within the data. On the Hitachi MV580 and the MV550, there is also a disc navigation option, available in playback and for editing movies and still media. When pressed, this button enables a thumbnail menu version of the data on either the disc or card, depending on the setting of 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. The disc navigation system on the Hitachi DVD camcorder line, as well as on the Panasonic line, is one of the pluses of recording to DVD-RAM; these options aren’t available when recording to DVD-R. The Hitachi DZ-MV580 provides rudimentary editing software with which users can connect their camcorders to the computer, edit and splice footage, and burn full-size DVDs.
The Hitachi DZ-MV580 can record to both DVD-R and DVD-RAM, but not DVD-RW. Sony’s DVD camcorder line is the odd man out, recording to DVD-R and DVD-RW, while Panasonic and Hitachi’s lines both record to DVD-RAM and DVD-R. The argument as to whether DVD-RAM or DVD-RW is better is years old and a moot point. However, here are some facts that might aid your choice.
For one, DVD-RAMs cannot be played on many conventional DVD players, while DVD-RWs generally can. While both DVD-RAM and DVD-RW may be recorded and rerecorded numerous times, in general DVD-RAMs last a little longer. DVD-RAMs are usually quicker and easier to access with camcorder navigation menus. Furthermore, with DVD-RAMs, the user can create full-size DVDs of their footage without using a computer. This process necessitates a separate DVD recorder into which a DVD-RAM is placed. The data from the DVD-RAM is easily transferred to the internal hard disc of the DVD recorder, from which it can be burned onto a full-size DVD. With DVD-RWs and DVD-Rs, full-size DVD conversion requires a computer, as their data cannot be transferred as easily to a separate hard disc.
Low Light Performance (5.3)
For a DVD Camcorder, Hitachi’s DZ-MV580 performs great in low light environments. As far as crispness and balance of color, the DZ-MV580 is the leader of the pack, across the board.
At 3000 lux, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 performs grandly, produces very crisp colors with a tremendously high quality balance, when compared to other DVD camcorders.
At 60 lux, the crispness found at 3000 lux still remains. Also, the grain expected at such a light level, and indeed apparent at 60 lux on the MV550, is nominal.
It has been said that problematic over-saturation at 3000 lux or other bright light levels can become helpful at the lower light levels of 60 lux and 15 lux because this over-saturation helps boast color quality in low light, where it is most needed. Indeed, an unbalanced spectrum at 3000 lux can turn into a surprisingly good image at 15 lux. This is readily apparent if one looks at Sony’s DVD camcorders' presentation of the color blue at 3000 lux versus 60 or 15 lux; the unnaturally bright blue at 3000 lux comes across as surprisingly bright at lower light levels, where other colors flounder. Considering the DZ-MV580’s extremely crisp, well-balanced colors at 3000 lux, one could make the argument that at lower light levels the MV580 could fall behind competitors, who showed significant over-saturation at 3000 lux, since this over-saturation would theoretically give them the upper hand in low light. This is true, and it is perhaps the only problem with the MV580’s showing. Colors do lose some of their vibrancy, while over-saturated competitors’ colors seem to retain this quality. However, Hitachi’s remarkable balance remains, and the trade-off makes itself clear: while Hitachi suffers some dullness in low light, it maintains balance in all light levels. The Sony DCR-DVD201 (Review, Specs, $549)'s spectrum is fraught with error, noise, and imbalance, while the DZ-MV580 spectrum is crisp, handsome, and balanced.
This retention is especially obvious at 15 lux. If one compares the MV580’s performance to similar camcorders, it becomes apparent that while the MV580 does not produce as vibrant and bright colors, their crispness and balance are unmatched. This can be seen if one looks at 15 lux results for the MV580, MV550, and Sony’s DCR-DVD201 side-by-side-by-side. The reds or the greenish blues on either of these camcorders are virtually non-existent, while on the MV580, all colors show equally, although perhaps a little dull. I’m choosing to attribute this to the camcorder’s CCD size (the largest of any DVD camcorder). The Sony DCR-DVD201's nuclear color scheme really weighs the camcorder's performance down here, and the Hitachi DZ-MV580 really excels.
LCD/ Viewfinder(6.5)
Like the DZ-MV550, the DZ-MV580 has a 2.5-inch color LCD screen (≈120K pixels). Hitachis have horrible LCD screens, and it doesn’t look like they’ve improved from the MV550 to the MV580. They are grainy and they solarize to extremes.
The viewfinder on the DZ-MV580 is small, produces a color display, and can only be pulled straight back, where, at full extension, it is merely flush with the end of the square battery jutting out from the back of the camcorder. This is incredibly bad placement and virtually renders the viewfinder obsolete.
Audio (6.0)
The DZ-MV580 supports 12 bit and 16 bit audio recording and records with a stereo microphone located immediately below (some might say ‘in the shade of’) the lens barrel. It is an aesthetically pleasing microphone, very slender and dull gray, and protrudes a little bit from the body.
Handling (5.5)
The DZ-MV580 handles similarly to the DZ-MV550 and in turn, Panasonic’s VDR-M50 (Review, Specs, $646.99) and VDR-M70 (Review, Specs, $703.99). Hitachi’s straps are notably more comfortable, if not as nice to look at as Panasonic’s slender straps.
One major drawback to the Hitachi and, logically, Panasonic design is that the battery jutting out from the back is intrusive, and coupled with the immobile viewfinder, quite annoying because it makes it hard for the user to access the viewfinder. The camcorder’s LCD is horrible; it solarizes and is grainy. It would also be nice to see an S-video port on the Hitachi, or any DVD camcorder for that matter.
Ports (5.5)
A protective panel on the front of the MV580 covers the A/V input/output port as well as the external Microphone input port. The addition of an intelligent accessory shoe on the top of the MV580 is a nice upgrade from the cold shoe on the MV550. There is no DC input port as the battery is charged on an external devise. The USB port is unfortunately located beneath the LCD.
Other Features (6.0)
Electronic Image Stabilizer (EIS)
This reduces fuzziness resulting from camera-shake, which is particularly when the camcorder is at or near its maximum zoom and not mounted on a tripod.
MIC filter: This reduces unwanted noise from the audio track during video recording; it does this by cutting very low frequency signals during recording. The Disc Navigation provides options to edit, splice and divide, and fade video footage directly on the camcorder, when recording on DVD-RAM. Quick Mode offers a fundamental, stripped-down menu with little blurbs explaining different functions, for convenience's sake.
16:9 widescreen mode
The Hitachi DZ-MV580 supports a digitally manipulated 16:9 “cinema” mode, available in the menu system.
Analog to Digital Pass-Through
The Hitachi DZ-MV580 is equipped for analog to digital pass-through. A proprietary A/V cable is supplied for A/V output.
Comparisons
There are several camcorders in a price range comparable to the Hitachi DZ-MV580: the Panasonic PV-GS120 (Review, Specs, $479) and VDR-M70PP, the Hitachi DZ-MV550, and the Sony DCR-DVD201.
At a list price of $899.95, but available at $699.99 (fifty dollars less than the MV580) Panasonic’s DVD camcorder, the VDR-M70, is almost completely identical to the MV580, except for the fact that the MV580 houses a 1/3.8-inch CCD, while the M70 contains a 1/4-inch CCD. This seemingly small difference affords the Hitachi slightly better colors at 3000 lux, with better crispness and more balanced saturation. Otherwise these camcorders are very similar.
For $50 less, Panasonic’s PV-GS120, a cheaper, stripped-down version of the PV-GS200 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1299), is available, with 3 CCDs at 1/6 inch with 290K pixels each, 10x optical zoom (700x digital zoom), a still resolution of 1280 x 960, and lots of manual control, including control over gain. The PV-GS120 records to MiniDV tape, which is harder to transfer to DVD, and cannot hold as many stills as the MV580. Video performance of the GS120 is far superior to the MV580, 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 MV580 might be a better choice.
For $100 less, the MV580’s older sibling is available, the DZ-MV550. It has a slightly smaller CCD than the MV580, at 1/4 inches with only 340K effective pixels for both video and stills (the MV580 has 400K and 960K respectively). It has a bigger optical zoom than the MV580, but a smaller resolution at 640 x 480 (MV580 records at 1280 x 960). The MV580’s larger imager creates more balanced and crisper colors than the MV550; however, the MV550’s over-saturated, unbalanced colors at 3000 lux afford it slightly more vibrancy (albeit unbalanced) colors at lower light levels. The MV580 also includes an intelligent accessory shoe.
Available at a list price of over $200 more than the DZ-MV580, but currently available for only fifty dollars more, Sony’s DVD camcorder, the DCR-DVD201, is available. The DVD201 has a smaller CCD at 1/5 to the MV580’s 1/3.8, with a smaller resolution at 1152 x 864. The DVD201’s edge on the Hitachi MV580 comes with effective pixels, the DVD201 boasting 690K effective for video and 1 megapixel effective for stills. The DVD201, like all Sony DVD camcorders, lacks an SD card which is a shame, although the DVD201 still offers a tremendous amount of still storage space.
The most expensive DVD camcorder on the market should perform the best in low light, but between the Hitachi DZ-MV580 and the Sony DCR-DVD201, the Hitachi is superior. The Hitachi offers a substantially more balanced spectrum and crisper colors. As far as recording ability goes, the DVD201 records to DVD-R and DVD-RW discs, while the MV580 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.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters (6.0)
Like its older, less-advanced sibling, the HV580 includes both a quick and a full auto mode for those of us who don’t want or don’t care to read the manual. These provide good options for the on-the-go videographer. Also, for convenience's sake, recording ability directly to DVD is unbeatable.
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 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 high desire, or whether or not the user desires quality over quantity.
Gadget Freaks (7.0)
Happy to provide some state-of-the-art recording features in a small size, the Hitachi DZ-MV550 gives every gadget freak something to plug into their iPods (no, it’s not really compatible). The MV550 offers the option to record to DVD-R, which is playable on conventional players after finalization on the camcorder, DVD-RAM recording capabilities, 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 about with this one. While the automatic focus and exposure of the MV550 may be improved if the user handled them manually, buttons that 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 the 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-MV580 exists in a great price range for DVD camcorders. Like its older sibling, the MV550, it performs on par with many more expensive camcorders, and is available for the budget consumer. The MV580 offers the bigger CCD, better still resolution, and a few more options that the MV550, for $100 dollars more. Formally the MV580, like all Hitachi DVD camcorders, looks and feels almost exactly like Panasonic’s line. All of these machines function and perform very similarly. While Hitachi may have a slight advantage on Panasonic color-wise (due to a bigger CCD), the difference is very subtle. For a less subtle difference, consider the price. The Panasonic VDR-M70 lists for US $899.99 while the Hitachi DZ-MV580 lists for US $749.99. It should be noted that I have found the M70 available for $699.99.
There is always the question of the format with more recording flexibility. 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 wanting faster, easier to access footage, with an option to transfer to full-size DVD-Rs without a computer, might prefer the DZ-MV580 or a VDR-M70. However, a user who wants to directly play DVDs on conventional DVD players would probably enjoy a Sony, for their DVD-RW option.
In the light performance, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 produces the most balanced spectrum and crispest colors of any DVD camcorder I’ve seen. It suffers some dullness at low light levels. However, it should be made clear that the MV580 retains an even, equal, and balanced spectrum at all light levels, something that many other DVD camcorders cannot do. So if you’re considering DVD camcorders, don’t necessarily count Hitachi out.