Sony Handycam DCR-DVD810 Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on Nov 20, 2008 1:30 PM
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Ease of Use (7.25)
For some time now Sony has been marketing itself as the manufacturer for those new to the camcorder universe. The DCR-DVD810 fits this bill on some levels—it has solid automatic controls and it implements Sony's acclaimed Easy button—but its three different options for recording media can make life a little complex. Sticking to one media will make things simpler for beginners, but it will also limit the camcorder's versatility as a recording device.
The aforementioned Easy button is a blessing for people who want to point and shoot and let the camcorder do the rest. Settings are automated and manual controls aren't even accessible when Easy mode is activated. Even the icons get larger in Easy mode, making them more visible and easier to read. The problem is, if you want to make any manual adjustments, you have to venture outside of the safe confinement Easy mode provides.
Many users may see DVDs as an easy-to-use storage media. People are familiar with recordable discs and they provide a tangible, portable object that contains your footage. The ability to watch your videos by putting discs right into a DVD player is also convenient. Even with all these benefits, however, we find recording to DVDs to be more of a hassle than using internal memory or Memory Stick cards. DVDs must be formatted and finalized or they won't work in many players, videos cannot be deleted after you've recorded them, each disc fits only 20 minutes of footage at the highest quality, and they are very prone to scratching. Even if it is something you're familiar with, recording to DVDs can be more of a headache than anything else.
We found using the 8GB of internal memory on the DCR-DVD810 was by far the easiest and most convenient method for capturing video and recording to Memory Stick Pro Duo cards was also a simple effort. DVD-based camcorders are truly a dying breed and the DVD810 would be a better, simpler product without its disc recording capabilities.
The DCR-DVD810 is an awkward handler.
Handling (5.00)
Being over three and a half inches tall, the DCR-DVD810 is a lot of body to grip and holding it is generally uncomfortable. We liked the bulkiness the Sony DCR-SR85 provided, but the DVD810 doesn't fit as well to the palm and the shape of the DVD hatch is rigid and uncomfortable. There is very little curve at the bottom and top of the right side, which makes it feel like you're wrapping your fingers around a box rather than a $450 camcorder. The slimness of the camcorder also poses problems—there isn't anywhere convenient to place your fingertips and they easily rub noses with the built-in microphone above the lens. A front mounted microphone would have been a better idea.
Sony's hand strap offers a tight grip, even if it isn't a very comfortable one. The strap does get in the way of the DVD hatch, however, and it can be a nuisance if you are trying to swap DVDs on the fly. There's also the problem with the DC-input placement on the right side of the camcorder. The input is placed exactly where your index finger rests when you grip the camcorder, which means an annoying, obtrusive cable is directly in your path whenever the camcorder is connected to its power source.
The right side of the camcorder is uncomfortable to grip.
The viewfinder on the DVD810 will surely be a delight for those shooting outside on a bright, sunny day, but a few little improvements would have made using the viewfinder much more enjoyable. The finder does extend approximately 3/4-inch from the body of the camcorder, but it doesn't pivot or rotate at all. This makes it almost unusable when larger battery packs are installed on the back of the camcorder and it makes it difficult to use the viewfinder to capture images at odd angles. A rubberized eyepiece would have added more comfort to the viewfinder, as well as providing better use for glasses-wearing videographers.
We must mention Sony's cumbersome touchscreen interface that is used to make manual adjustments and select settings. Many people accustomed to the interface will use it with confidence, but it can be an uncompromising annoyance for those who don't like touchscreens or who aren't familiar with Sony's system.
Menu (6.50)
Sony doesn't change its menu system around very often, so anyone who's familiar with another Sony camcorder should adjust quickly to the DCR-DVD810. It isn't the easiest menu structure in the world, but Sony does a relatively good job at keeping things simple. Settings are spread out amongst two menus, the Home Menu and the Camera Menu, and both are accessible via the LCD touchscreen. There is a playback menu on the touchscreen as well.
The DVD810 can be a bit more difficult to navigate because of its three options for recording media. The menus are stuffed with a few extra settings—like media format, finalize, unfinalize, disc select guide, media set—all of which are used to make changes and adjust the various recording media.
The touchscreen is convenient in many ways as it limits the amount of buttons and clutter on the body of the camcorder. Unfortunately, the touch system isn't the most accurate or sensitive method for making manual adjustments and selecting options. If you are familiar with Sony, you'll no doubt be comfortable using the touchscreen system. However, if you're used to a joystick or lens ring, the touchscreen may be a serious annoyance.
The help feature can be a good assistant.
There are lots of options in the Home menu, which houses most of the camcorder's administrative settings. Sony has a wonderful "help" button (represented by a question mark) that will provide you with information about each setting. There is also an information bar at the bottom of the screen that doles out important details.
The Home menu on the DCR-DVD810
The Home menu contains the following options:
| Home Menu |
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| Camera | Movie, Photo |
| View Images | Visual Index, Film Roll Index, Face Index, Playlist |
| Others | Delete, Photo Capture, Movie Dub, Photo Copy, Edit, Playlist Edit, Print, USB Connect |
| Manage Media | Movie Media Set, Photo Media Set, Finalize, Media Info, Media Format, Unfinalize, Disc Select Guide, Repair Img. DB F. |
| Settings | Movie Settings, Photo Settings, View Images Set, Sound/Disp Set, Output Settings, Clock/Lang, General Set |
The Camera menu on the DCR-DVD810 holds most of the manual control options and effects. It is essentially the same group of settings you'll find on every Sony camcorder (plus or minus one or two features).
The Camera menu on the DCR-DVD810
The Camera menu contains the following options:
| Camera Menu |
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| Camera 1 | Focus, Spot Focus, Tele Macro |
| Camera 2 | Exposure, Spot Meter, Scene selection |
| Camera 3 | White Balance, Color Slow Shutter |
| Effects | Fader, Digital Effect, Picture Effect |
| Settings | Record Mode, Built-in Zoom Mic, Microphone Level |
Portability (6.50)
The DCR-DVD810's tall, slim body isn't conducive for pocket portability and it's design is much larger than other standard definition camcorders. However, the three recording media options does make the DVD810 very convenient. Extra DVDs can be purchased on vacation if you fill up the internal memory and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards can always be brought along to maximize storage capacity. The variety of recording options does enough to counteract the bulk of the camcorder when it comes to portability.
The DCR-DVD810 measures 55.0 x 89.0 x 130.0mm (2 1/4 x 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 inches) and weighs 450g (14.9 oz.), which is nearly identical to the size and weight of the Canon DC330.
LCD and Viewfinder (7.50)
The DCR-DVD810 has a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD that also functions as a touchscreen interface. The screen has a 123,000 pixel display, which is not as good as the 211,000 pixel display found on the DVD910. Given the large size of the DCR-DVD810 (mainly due to the DVD hatch), it would have made sense for Sony to tack a slightly larger LCD onto the camcorder—like the 3.2-inch screen on the high definition HDR-SR12. A larger screen does wonders in making the touchscreen interface easier to use and it's always a welcomed feature (as long as it doesn't make the camcorder too bulky).
The DVD810 does offer a viewfinder, which is becoming something of a rarity on consumer camcorders. The viewfinder has a widescreen, color display and also features 123,000 pixels. It's design isn't fantastic as the finder doesn't pivot, but it does extend approximately 3/4 of an inch from the body of the camcorder. The viewfinder also doesn't have a rubberized eyepiece and is instead surrounded by a hard plastic shell. The plastic isn't very comfortable or forgiving to glasses-wearers, but its shape fits well with the naked eye. There is a diopter adjustment dial on the left side of the viewfinder for fine tuning the magnification to match your eye strength.
The Canon DC330 also offers a similar viewfinder as do all of Sony's DVD-based camcorders. To note, the viewfinder only works when the LCD is closed, which is a common feature on camcorders. Not only is the viewfinder a godsend on a sunny day when it's hard to see anything on the LCD display, but it's also an excellent way to conserve battery life.
Battery Life (11.20)
We tested the battery life of the DCR-DVD810 by recording continuously using the camcorder's internal memory. The LCD screen was open the entire time, but no controls or features were engaged for the duration of the recording. In our testing, the DVD810's battery lasted for 111 minutes and 50 seconds. This is an average score for a camcorder in this price range and it is 30 minutes less than the battery life of the Sony DVD910 and roughly 10 minutes longer than the Sony SR85.
Many larger batteries are available from Sony that can provide performance lasting up to 5 times as long as the supplied pack.
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