Performance

 The Canon DC100 showed the same color bleeding, though the color performance was far less impressive in this entry-level model. The DC100’s image was generally flat and washed out. Noise was even more of an issue.  The Panasonic VDR-D200, about $100 less than the DC22, offers little competition. The colors were not nearly so even, lacking decent yellows and reds. The image was far noisier, as well.  Finally, the Sony DCR-DVD305 produced a bright image, but the image was marred by blotchy blue noise. The colors appeared oversaturated and the entire image had a soft look to it.  Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the video performance of the DC22. In a field of poor performers, this mid-line DVD camcorder managed to produce a picture that should satisfy the market.  {column='Video Performance' models='Canon DC22,Canon DC40,Canon DC100,Panasonic VDR-D200,Sony DCR-DVD305'}  **Video Resolution*** (13.0)*We tested the Canon DC22’s video resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running stills from that footage through Imatest imaging software. In 16:9 aspect ratio, the camcorder showed 423.3 lines of horizontal resolution and 307.1 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 129995.43. We did not test this camcorder in 4:3 mode because it is a 16:9 native camcorder. The 16:9 resolution was used to determine the score. The chart below shows how the DC100 fared against similar camcorders. {column='Video Resolution' models='Canon DC22,Canon DC40,Canon DC100,Panasonic VDR-D200,Sony DCR-DVD305'} **Low Light Performance***(3.75)*At 60 lux, the Canon DC22 lost a fair amount of color information. The vividness we saw in bright light is all but a distant memory here. The green-yellow portion of the spectrum seems to be the worst, all blending together. Noise levels, however, are not too bad. Some fine detail was lost. All in all, this is a pretty average performance for its price class.

 The DC100 was much brighter, which certainly counts for some something, but the noise levels were severe. The colors, though brighter, appeared almost neon in some areas. The DC40 was better than both of them, with a cleaner image altogether, stronger, more differentiated colors, and low noise. While the DC40 was not the best performer against camcorders in its own class, it was far better than the DC22.  The Panasonic VDR-D200 was terribly noisy at 60 lux, not surprising given the fact that it was noisy even in bright light. Again, though, the picture was brighter than the DC22, which may win points for users who do not consider noise to the bane that we do. The Sony DCR-DVD305 was even worse, though, with severely overprocessed colors and heaps of blotchy blue noise.

 We also tested the Canon DC22 at 60 lux with two alternate shutter speeds. At 1/30^th of a second, the colors improved immensely. If you’re not shooting high-speed action, the slower frame rate may not have too much of an impact on your video. At 1/15^th of a second, the colors look as bright as they did at 3000 lux. You will notice a sizeable impact on motion at this speed, however. Expect serious trailing to occur.

 At 15 lux, the DC22’s picture is lost. There is no color left, and hardly any image to speak of at all. This is not a useable picture in the least. The DC100 is actually brighter, though the noise is terrible. The DC40 managed to retain a fair amount of detail; however, the image is essentially black and white.  The Panasonic VDR-D200 pushed a few recognizable colors through the avalanche of noise, but nearly all fine detail was lost. The Sony DCR-DVD305 had a few more colors, but the blotchy blue noise is really terrible.

 At 15 lux with a shutter speed of 1/30^th of a second, the DC22 showed a major improvement in color. At 1/15^th of second the picture, naturally, brightened up even more, but as mentioned above, serious trailing will occur.  {column='Low Light Performance' models='Canon DC22,Canon DC40,Canon DC100,Panasonic VDR-D200,Sony DCR-DVD305'} **Wide Angle***(10.0)*The Canon DC22 records natively in16:9, and also offers a cropped 4:3 setting. We tested the Canon DC22 in both widescreen 16:9 mode and 4:3 mode.  As we would expect from a native 16:9 camcorder, the angle of view differed significantly between modes. In 16:9, we measured a wide angle of 50 degrees; in 4:3 mode, the angle was only 39 degrees. This difference is a result of a pillar box 4:3 image, where the sides of the frame – originating on a 16:9 sensor - are cropped to achieve a 4:3 aspect ratio.   

Format

 **Compression***(5.0)*The Canon DC22 uses the same compression method as other DVD camcorders – MPEG2 – and supports three video quality settings: XP, SP, and LP. These qualities correspond to three different maximum bit rates, or the degree to which video is compressed. The highest quality setting is XP, with a max bit rate of 9Mbps. SP mode has a max bit rate of 6Mbps, and LP mode has a max bit rate of 3Mbps. The term "maximum bit rate" refers to the fact that DVD camcorders record video at variable bit rates, modifying the level of compression based on the movement within a given scene. As you might suspect, higher bit rate video requires more disc space, and in XP mode a standard DVD-R or DVD-RW holds a mere 20 minutes of video, while a DVD-DL disc holds only 36 minutes. The figures for SP mode are 30 minutes DVD-R, DVD-RW and  54 minutes DVD-DL; For LP mode, 60 minutes DVD-R, DVD-RW and 108 minutes DVD-DL. DVD MPEG2 video is considerably more compressed than DV video, which has a fixed bit rate of 25Mbps. This less aggressive compression is part of the reason DV video is generally higher in quality than DVD video. **Editing***(3.0)*The Canon DC22 is a DVD camcorder, which means it has some inherent editing difficulties. As with most camcorders, the company offers some rudimentary editing software. What you may not know is that this is virtually the only software that you can use to extract footage off the DVDs. Sony and Panasonic DVD camcorders create .MOD files, which, through an awkward process, can be manually changed to .MPG files. The audio track is lost, but the file can then be imported into quality editing programs like Adobe Premiere. Canon, on the other hand, creates three files for each clip, including .MOB files. These are much harder to import into editing programs, essentially limiting you to the bundled software, which includes The Digital Video Solutions Disc (with Zoom Browser as the chief program) and Roxio MyDVD. These programs offer all the basic editing Functions, but the interface is maddeningly disorganized. Also, you get precious few options for output quality, a problem if you’re just looking to get the best possible footage ready for another, better editing program. If you’re seeking more editing solutions or are an experienced editor, you’re probably already aware that MiniDV tape is the most widely accessible format. Hard drive camcorders are next, but the quality is severely lessened. But the Canon DVD camcorders are problematic in this regard.

  

Tour

 **The Front ***(6.5)*The Canon DC22 has a slimmer appearance than many DVD camcorders, and resembles its close relative in Canon’s DVD camcorder line, the DC100. Like those camcorders, the 10x optical zoom Canon Video Lens appears at the top front of the camcorder body which is rimmed with a silver lens hood. The lens measures 37 mm in diameter, has a focal length of 4.05 mm to 40.5 mm, and a maximum aperture of F/1.8. The lens placement is directly above the onboard microphone which is visible as a microphone screen near the base of the front of the DC22. Onboard mic placements like this are hardly ideal, as they inevitably pick up the whir of the drive, and the sound of any adjustments you make while shooting – but it’s a common plight for consumer camcorders with no microphone jack. To the left of the onboard microphone is a DC-in terminal, which occupies the extreme lower left corner of the body. It’s an unusual position for a DC-in port, but it keeps the power cord out of the way during a shoot. Above the DC-in port and facing forward is a small, round LED video light, and above that is the remote sensor behind a black plastic cover. The remote sensor is compatible with the remote control unit that ships with the DC40, and it’s more useful than most controllers, offering near complete control over the camcorder. A slender, vertical flash sits above the remote sensor, and it is flush with the surface of the lens hood.

 **The Right Side*** (8.0)*The right side of the Canon DC40 doubles as the DVD drive bay and as the main grip area for hand-held shooting. The DVD compartment hinge lies at the front of the body just behind the lens, so that the hatch opens towards the user. The hatch release switch is on the lower back side of the camcorder, and the hatch opens widely enough to make swapping discs easy. When the DC22 is tripod-mounted, the hand strap gets in the way, and the hatch can catch on the tripod head. We managed to open the compartment with the camcorder on a tripod, but an additional millimeter of space between the base of the hatch and the base of the camcorder would have made a huge difference. 

 The hand strap runs along the base of the right side and is low enough to give the hatch plenty of room. This strap is thin in comparison to the Sony straps we love for their generous padding and is not as comfortable against the back of your hand. However, this Canon strap is serviceable, and places the right hand in a good shooting position with controls easily reachable.  **

The Back*** (7.5)*The lion’s share of the Canon DC22’s controls are located on the back side of the camcorder, which forms a rather elegant-looking curve that follows the contours of the DVD drive bay. While that curve gives this camcorder a stylish appearance, it’s not entirely helpful when it comes to usability; the two switches at the base of the curve are practically hidden from view. These switches are the DVD compartment release, at right, and the movies/still images switch at left.  Moving up the left side of the back is the Power switch, which has three positions, and is both used to power the DC22 on and off, and to toggle between record and playback modes. At the center of the switch is a tiny green release button that lets the switch slide up and down. Pressing the Power switch down toggles between playback and record modes. Above the Power switch is the joystick, labelled the Multiselector in Canon’s DC22 Instruction Manual. The Multiselector is used for navigating menu and Function options, and making selections. It’s easy to use, but slightly smaller than the joystick controls found on Panasonic’s consumer camcorders or JVC’s newer Everios. Pressing in on the center of the Multiselector selects a given option, while moving it up, down, left or right moves the user through menus and submenus. Three LED indicator lamps are beneath the Multiselector. At far left is the CARD access indicator, the CAMERA mode indicator is at the lower left corner of the Multiselector, and the PLAY mode indicator is at its lower right corner. A small electronic color viewfinder protrudes slightly from the top of the left side of the camcorder’s back, and its position cannot be extended or adjusted in any way. A dioptric adjustment lever that’s also very small lies on the underside of the eyepiece. Below the viewfinder is another LED indicator lamp that illuminates when the disc is being accessed by the camcorder.  On the right side of the back are two more important controls. To the right of the Multiselector is the slender Start/stop button. It’s easy to reach with your right thumb when shooting hand-held, but is not marked in red or labelled. That omission could result in a few moments of confusion for novices and strikes us a peculiar choice. Above the Start/stop button, to the right of the viewfinder is the 3-position recording mode selector switch, called simply the Mode switch in the DC22 manual. This switch includes settings for P (Programmed Auto Exposure mode), Auto, and SCN (Special Scene Recording Programs). **The Left Side*** (5.5)*The major feature of the left side of the Canon DC22 is the 2.7-inch LCD, which has a resolution of 123,000 pixels, can be opened to 90 degrees from the body, rotated through 270 degrees, and placed screen side out in the LCD cavity for multiple viewing angles. Below the screen on the LCD frame are VCR buttons. It’s certainly a convenience to have these controls external, rather than buried in a touch screen menu (Sony) or set as one of many joystick Functions (Panasonic).  When the LCD is open, the LCD cavity reveals the enclosed battery, which rests in its own compartment. The small battery is not expandable because it fits into a very compact space, so to extend your recording time in the field you’ll need to purchase additional BP-208 battery packs from Canon. The battery release switch is at the lower right corner of the LCD cavity. Just above the battery release switch is a print/share button, and above that is the USB terminal. Needless to say, the location of an important terminal in the LCD cavity is hardly ideal since it means the USB cable will block the screen. Outside the LCD cavity are several other features and controls, with the MiniSD card slot and AV terminal hidden behind a port cover next to the back edge of the LCD frame. This port cover follows the rounded contour of the DC22’s back and is so subtly integrated into the body that it can be difficult to find. The cover is opened by pulling at its inside edge, a task most easily accomplished with the LCD open. Above the port cover are three buttons labeled WIDE SCR/PLAYLIST which toggles between 16:9 and 4:3 in movie mode and activates playlist in playback mode, MENU, and Function which accesses recording options in movie or still photo mode. Ahead of these buttons, the onboard playback speaker is concealed in the body, behind a few indentations that serve as a speaker mesh. **

The Top*** (7.0)*The top of the Canon DC22 has only two controls, both of which are at the right rear side of the top for easy access during hand-held shooting. The zoom toggle has a rocking lever design, and can be reached comfortably with either an index or middle finger. It’s not as sensitive as some zoom levers found on consumer camcorders, notably Sonys which make better levers of a similar design, but it does allow for several zoom speeds in variable zoom mode. The PHOTO button is just down slope from the zoom lever, above the Mode switch.

Auto/Manual Controls

 **Picture & Manual Control **Automatic Control*(7.5)*The Canon DC22 performs well in Auto mode. Sonys have a slight edge in the way they handle transitions, and they provide a large Easy button on most of their consumer camcorders to engage their idiot-proof mode. Canons take a similar approach in just about every aspect of auto mode functionality. Engaging Auto on the DC22 is as simple moving your finger over to the Mode switch and selecting "Auto." In Auto mode, many controls are disabled, but you can select video recording quality and options for simultaneous still photo recording in the Function. In Auto mode, manual exposure and manual focus cannot be used. Like other Canons, the DC22 shines in terms of the Special Scene Recording Programs it offers (often called Program AE modes by other manufacturers). These programs are special auto modes tailored for specific shooting situations. To use Special Scene Recording Programs, the Mode switch must be set to SCN. Pressing the Function button calls up the scene selection menu, and the Multiselector is used to cycle through options and make selections. The programs available on the DC22 include Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, and Fireworks. Each program is represented by an icon in the menu, and as you move through the icons, its name is displayed. The situation each program is tailored for are easily intuited from their names – Fireworks is optimized for shooting fireworks, but might work for other very high-contrast situations; Portrait is optimized for static interview-style shots, etc.  A number of Image Effects are available when the Mode switch is set to P in the Function menu. These effects include 4 presets for Vivid (emphasizes contrast and color saturation), NEUTRAL (tones down the contrast and color saturation), Low Sharpening (softens outlines in the recorded image), Soft Skin Detail, and Custom. Soft Skin Detail is a  setting that softens details in "skin toned" areas, which we have found actually means areas that are light-skin toned. There is no setting for "darker" skin tones, and we find such settings a bit offensive. Canon is not alone in offering a skin tone softening feature. We hope manufacturers add the ability to select skin tone in the future, or at least better explain how the system works. The Custom setting allows further control over the elements that make up the presets by setting them to –1, 0, or +1. These elements are brightness, contrast, sharpness, and color depth. Canon also offers a large range of Digital Effects (not to be confused with Image Effects) in the Function menu. These effects are more extensive than those available on most consumer camcorders, and qualify as a virtual library of digital bells and whistles. This

camcorder includes a whopping nine fader selections (Fade-T, Wipe, Corner, Jump, Flip, Puzzle, Zigzag, Beam, and Tide), nine effects (Black & White, Sepia, Art, Mosaic, Ball, Cube, Wave, Color Mask and Mirror) and Multi-Image Screen, which splits the recorded image into 4, 9, or 16 tiles. We regard digital effects like these with skepticism. They can be fun additions to a family video at best, gratuitous gimmicks at worst. For whatever reason, Canon offers up more digital tricks just about any other maker of consumer camcorders.    *Overall Manual Control**(7.0)*Overall, the Canon DC22 has a pretty good set of manual controls for a consumer DVD camcorder. Of course, Canon generally offers a decent control suite – better than Sony, but not as thorough as Panasonic. Nearly all camcorders offer manual focus and exposure compensation, and this is no different. The DC22 ups the ante with Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, which are a boon for users seeking some degree of control but are bereft of expert knowledge. Panasonic definitely takes the edge in this category, granting fully independent aperture and shutter speed on all their consumer models.  All of the controls and menus are operated via a small joystick located on the rear of the body. While we normally praise joysticks for being the best of all possible controls on a consumer camcorder, the one factor that consistently causes our support to waver is size. When a joystick is too small, it can make operation just as difficult as any other poorly designed control. This is far from the worst joystick we’ve seen, but it is awfully small. And for some unforeseeable reason, the designers chose to taper the tip of the stick as it extends out, rather than keeping it straight or broadening it into an easy-to-grip nub. As a result, your finger is more likely to slip. Again, it’s not the worst we’ve seen, but it could be better. And unlike the DC100 and DC40, the joystick is rear-mounted, making one-handed operation possible.  The menu is broken up into two main portions, the Function menu and what we’ll call the Administrative menu. The latter contains most of the controls you would not necessarily need close at hand, including infrequently changed settings like stabilization on/off, LCD brightness, and level markers, as well as settings you would likely never use more than once: menu language, time and date settings, etc. The animated gif below shows you all of the options.  The Function menu contains most of the controls you do want close at hand. Here you can switch between shooting modes (P mode, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority) when you’re in the P setting on the mode switch, or the scene mode (Portrait, Sports, Night, etc.) when the mode switch is in SCN mode. Below that are the white balance submenu, then Image Effects, Digital Effects, recording quality, and still resolution (for shooting stills in video mode only). Navigating the Function menu is quite easy with only a little practice, though it is easy to mix up the button to access the Function menu with the buttons for the Administrative menu and Widescreen on/off. Some size or texture variance could have really helped with no-look operations on this camcorder.  Two manual controls, exposure and focus, do not reside in any menu. To access them, you simply push up on the joystick (for exposure) or down (for focus). Small icons appear onscreen to indicate that these controls are active.  The DC22 also offers a Custom Menu, which gives you some degree of control over features that most consumer camcorders do not. In the Image Effects submenu of the Function menu, there is a choice for a single custom image setting of your design, which allows you to dial in a specific brightness, contrast, sharpness, and color depth. It sounds great, but in reality, you can only adjust each of those factors to a +/-1 degree. Still, it’s not something you’ll find on any other manufacturer’s consumer camcorder.  *

Zoom (7.0) The Canon DC22 offers 10x optical zoom and 200x digital zoom, controlled by a small raised toggle on the rear of the top. This is the type of toggle we like to see on a consumer camcorder – sticking out high and proud above the profile of the body – unlike the sliding switch that Panasonic tends to employ on their models.  The switch has a good feel to it, not super-sensitive, and it is capable of about three zoom speeds depending on finger pressure. Also available is a feature Canon has begun loading on all their recent consumer camcorders – manual zoom speed. With this option, you can fix the zoom to Speed 1 (the fastest), Speed 2, and Speed 3 (the slowest), or plain ol’ Variable speed. Personally, we prefer the variable speed. *Zoom Power/Ratio*(10.0)*The Canon DC22 features a 10x optical zoom, and a digital zoom option that can be set to off, 40x, or 400x. Compared to many consumer camcorders with 1/6" imagers that feature optical zooms as high as 33x, 10x is relatively modest. The reason the DC22 has a lower zoom power is the direct result of  a much larger imager, measuring 1/3.9", and producing more than double the effective pixels of a 1/6" chip. In other words, a high zoom power on a consumer camcorder generally indicates a small imager while a lower zoom power generally indicates a larger and often superior imager. We’ll take the larger imager over a low-quality 1/6"camcorder with a 33x zoom any day since you can usually get closer to your subject, but you can’t improve a shoddy image. The digital zoom option should be used with caution, or set to off because the digitally zoomed image quality on this camcorder plummets above 20x. *Focus (5.5)*Manual focus on the Canon DC22 is performed by pushing down on the joystick (which is labeled "Focus"). A small "MF" icon appears onscreen. Toggle the joystick left and right to adjust focus. There is no indicator or scale to gauge where in the focal range you are; there is only the quality of the image on the screen to guide you. Because a 2.7-inch LCD screen is hardly large enough to inform you adequately with this information, it’s recommended you stick with the auto focus in all but dire circumstances.  *Exposure (Aperture) (4.75)*Exposure can be controlled in two ways on the Canon DC22. The first, and the simpler, is the exposure control, sometimes called exposure compensation by other manufacturers. To access this control, push up on the joystick. A small scale appears in the upper right corner of the screen. Pushing the joystick left and right moves the icon along the scale at a maximum range of +/-11. The scale is context-sensitive to your shooting environment, however, and the scale can shorten. For instance, if you were to point the camcorder into a dark corner and then activate the exposure, the auto exposure has probably already opened up the iris as far as it will go. Calling up the exposure compensation now would allow you to only push it up to +1 or +2. Exposure compensation is nice to have for a quick fix, but thankfully, the DC22 gives you more advanced controls, as well.  In Aperture Priority mode, you can select the exact aperture while the camcorder automatically sets the shutter speed (this works vice versa in Shutter Priority mode). Aperture values range include: f/1.8, f/2.2, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.7, f/8.0, 9.5, f/11, f/14, and f/16. This is a great range of settings, and should allow you to get the depth of field you want. It’s a shame you can’t have manual shutter speed control at the same time, but Canon withholds that feature for their top consumer models.  *Shutter Speed (5.0) *The Canon DC22 offers shutter control in Shutter Priority mode. Settings include 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, and 1/2000. In Shutter Priority mode, the camcorder automatically adjusts the aperture. When the camcorder disagrees with your shutter speed setting, the numeric icon in the upper left corner will flash. You can choose to heed or ignore the warning.  *White Balance (7.5)*Making a manual white balance on the DC22 is easy. Enter the Function Menu, scroll down to white balance and chose Set, and then push the joystick inwards until the icon stops blinking (about 4 seconds). The manual white balance appears to be accurate, and is located in a fairly convenient spot. It’s not as though most consumers will be changing white balance so frequently that they need an exterior button.  Automatic white balance settings include Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Fluorescent H. This is a great set of auto settings. Canon typically has the best range of options in the category.  *Gain (0.0)*There is no manual gain on the Canon DC22. Only Panasonic offers gain control in its consumer-class camcorders.  *Other Manual Control(2.0)**Level Marker* – The DC22 comes equipped with a Level Marker Feature which creates a thin, horizontal line across the middle of the screen. In the center is a short vertical line forming a target in the center.

The Level Marker as it appears on screen 

Still Features

 **

Still Features***(7.0)*The Canon DC22 shoots still photos in three resolutions: 1632 x 1224 (about 2MP), 1280 x 960 (about 1.3MP), and 640 x 480 (about 0.3MP). Each size can be recorded in Normal, Fine, or Super Fine quality. Stills can be captured to MiniSD card, as well as DVD. The latter is a pretty useful option considering that the camcorder does not ship with a MiniSD card, and they’re so rarely used that most places stock them in small quantities, if at all. We’ve yet to see a benefit of MiniSD over SD, save for the size, which cuts the shoulder-aching weight of 0.07 ounces down by about half.  Canon claims that their Digic DV processor is capable of shifting to the correct color space when shooting stills, rather than trying to process it under the same color space as video, as some camcorders have done in the past. For full results on our testing, see the Still Performance section below. In short, they look good, for a camcorder. Canon was a camera company first, and the fact that they created this sort of technology indicates that they consider hybrid capability an important feature.  

Most of the manual controls available in video mode are also available here: aperture and shutter priority modes, white balance, Program AE scene modes, focus, exposure adjustment, and the image effects. The shutter speed range is slightly different from video. Settings include: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, and 1/500. In addition, the camcorder offers automatic meter modes of Evaluative, which looks at the entire frame, Center Weight Average, which gives more credence to the center of the frame, and Spot, which focuses on just the center. You can also select the auto focus method, either 9-point AiAF or center point. Also in the list of focus options is a Focus Priority, which can be turned on and off. When on, the shutter will not snap until focus has been achieved. This is a good failsafe for beginning shooters.  The DC22 allows for continuous shooting and high speed continuous shooting at varying speeds depending on the resolution. At 1632 x 1224m, it can shoot up to 2.5 frames per second and 3.8 frames per second in high speed. Using the flash, it slows to 2.1 frames per second. There is a cap of 10 stills total. At 640 x 480, you can take up to 5 stills per second in high speed, with a cap of 60 stills total. In Auto Exposure Bracketing mode, the camcorder takes three different stills in succession: one at 0EV, one -1/2EV and one at +1/2EV. This way, you can choose the best photo after the shoot.  Shooting stills while simultaneously shooting video is also possible, but only at a 640 x 480 resolution. In this situation, you cannot use the DVD as the still recording medium. A flash comes built-in on the DC22, and can be adjusted for auto firing, forced on, forced off, and red-eye reduction.  **Still Resolution*** (7.4)*The DC22’s 1632 x 1224 stills were tested for their resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running stills of that chart through Imatest imaging software. In all, the DC22 produced a resolution of 739089.97. The chart below shows how the still resolution compared to other camcorders in its class. {column='Still Resolution' models='Canon DC22,Canon DC40,Canon DC100,Panasonic VDR-D200,Sony DCR-DVD305'}  **Still Performance***(5.0)*Canon’s claim that the Digic DV processor shifts to the appropriate color space for stills seemed to prove true. The colors were fairly even, except for a rather flat green portion of the spectrum. But even the proper gamma levels can’t do much for noise, and the stills were noisy. They also showed ghosting along high contrast areas like the resolution trumpets.

 The DC40 stills were largely the same as the DC22’s, with the same noise and ghosting problems. But the much higher resolution of the DC40 (2304 x 1736) created far more fine detail. The DC100’s stills looked to be from a different line of camcorders altogether. The colors are terribly uneven and completely washed over with noise. Comparatively, the DC22’s stills are great.

 The Panasonic VDR-D200’s still features are more of an afterthought than anything. At 640 x 480 with no regard to color or noise management, they’d have been better off not even including the option to capture stills.  Finally, the Sony DCR-DVD305 showed an abysmal still performance, virtually two-toned between blue and yellow with the same blue noise that haunted the video performance. This too is a camcorder whose still function you’d be better off never using.  In all, the still performance of the DC22 is not bad, the same conclusion we came to about the video performance. There are better models out there, but for its price class, this is satisfactory.  {column='Still Performance' models='Canon DC22,Canon DC40,Canon DC100,Panasonic VDR-D200,Sony DCR-DVD305'}  

Handling and Use

 
******Ease of Use***(6.0)*The Canon DC22, like most DVD camcorders, seems to have been designed with ease of use in mind. It’s hard to top Sony’s idiot-proof Easy button equipped on most of their camcorders, but Canon does their best. A small switch to the right of the viewfinder allows the camcorder to be placed in Auto mode which lets the user be free to point and shoot.  The seriously technologically-challenged may still stumble, though. Canon failed to make their record on/off button clearly marked, despite the near-universal consensus that it be marked with a red dot or stripe. Fortunately, navigating the menu is simple, which has a clearly laid out structure. The Function menu, which contains most of the manual controls, can be a little tricky to get a hold of, at first, due to its feature-packed layout, but once you’ve scaled the learning curve, it’s a great feature to have.  The cluttered array of buttons may prove frustrating for some users. The rear of the camcorder has too many items crowded into too small a space: five buttons and switches and one small viewfinder. The left side’s three buttons are all identical in size and shape, which can cause frustration when you’re trying to access the different features quickly.  All in all, this is a generally easy to use camcorder. Handling*(6.5)*At first glance, the DC22 looks like it should be problematic in terms of handling. While it’s a very nice looking camcorder, with a slim profile and flowing lines, some important controls like the joystick and Power switch are packed tightly together. Other controls, like the movie/still image switch are small enough for us to call them undersized for most users’ fingers. As it turns out, the DC22 is not perfect when it comes to handling – but it’s also not the beast we were afraid we’d encounter. The hand strap is thin, and less comfortable than many, but it can be adjusted quickly and easily. More important than comfort is the fact that the strap places your hand in a stable and confident shooting position within easy reach of the start/stop button, photo button, and zoom lever.  The placement of the joystick almost makes one-hand operation of the camcorder possible – a feat only Panasonic has managed to implement with great success. On Panasonics, the joystick is positioned to be easily accessed by a user’s right thumb during hand-held shooting, allowing full access to menus and manual controls. The joystick on the DC22 is to the left of the start/stop button and just out of reach. However, I was able to loosen the strap enough to allow full access to both the start/stop button and the joystick allowing near one-handed operation of the camcorder. Only the placement of the Menu and Function buttons on the left face of the camcorder stymied my efforts. The joystick is small compared to many of those found on 2006 camcorders and feels – there’s not a subtle way to say this – kind of cheap. When it comes to navigating menus, making selections, and operating playback, however, it works as well as others we’ve seen. In combination with an intuitive menu interface, it makes this an easy camcorder to manipulate.   Panasonics, by contrast, sport a better joystick and a highly efficient menu structure that happens to be tricky for novice users to master. While Panasonic’s joystick controller and independent manual controls are better, the DC22’s interface is more accessible and easier to use. The joystick also tapers as it extends out, when keeping it a consistent diameter or even fattening it out would have helped give it some grip.  Another problem we had with the DC22’s brethren, including the DC40, is the crowded back side real estate, where so many controls are located. With several buttons and ports relocated to other areas, the DC22 suffers less from overcrowding, and there is sufficient space between the back side controls to allow most users reasonable access to the controls. Two switches lie on the lower side of the back side curve and are more difficult to reach than we’d like: the movie/still image switch, and the DVD compartment switch.  It is worth making a final observation about the DC22 that will affect some users. We found the socket on the base of this camcorder to be too shallow for our tripod plate screw. It was impossible to secure affix the camcorder to our Bogen tripods without applying several layers of tape to the base, effectively increasing the depth of the tripod socket. This is a problem we encountered with Canon’s DC40, and a few other camcorders this year, and we find it a puzzling design deficiency. An extra millimeter of depth would have corrected the issue in our case, and we hope Canon fixes this problem in future models.**Portability***(6.25)*The Canon DC22 is a shade larger than 2005’s DC20, but it’s also slightly lighter, and compared to the DC40, it is noticeably smaller. Weighing in at 410g (about 0.9lb) and measuring 51mm x 91mm x 126mm (2.0" x 3.6" x 5.0") this camcorder is comparable to most other DVD units in terms of raw size. The DC22 is larger than many compact MiniDV camcorders and downright cumbersome in comparison to devices like Panasonic’s tiny SDR-S150 – but that’s the price you pay for DVD convenience. It’s possible to miniaturize a DVD camcorder only to a certain point given the overhead of a DVD drive bay and motor. The enclosed battery is a double-edged sword when it comes to portability. It allows the DC22 to retain its slim profile, without a protruding battery pack to muck up its lines, and the battery itself is scarcely larger than a memory card. Unfortunately, you’re only option when it comes to adding batteries to your camcorder kit is to buy additional BP-208 battery packs. Longer life batteries are not available, so if you intend to take this camcorder on a hut to hut hike in the mountains, stock up on BP-208s, and make sure they’re fully juiced before you leave!**LCD/Viewfinder***(6.5)*The Canon DC22’s LCD screen is on the left side of the camcorder and is connected to the body by a sturdy hinge. The hinge opens to 90 degrees from the body, and can be rotated through 270degrees or folded LCD-out into the LCD cavity to accommodate multiple viewing angles. The 16:9 screen measures 2.7 inches diagonally in a widescreen format and has a resolution of 123K pixels. Like many consumer camcorder screens, this one solarizes when it’s tipped at a slight angle. The only company that has thoroughly addressed this problem is Sony, which outfits its consumer camcorders with screens that can be viewed at relatively extreme angles without significant solarization.   The brightness and clarity of the screen is good, and it displayed crisp images with balanced colors.  The DC22 is also equipped with an EVF (electronic color viewfinder) on the top back face of the camcorder. The EVF is integrated into the body, and the surface of the eyepiece angles slightly forward. This EVF measures .27" with a resolution of 123K pixels, and like the LCD, produces a crisp, good-looking image. While the quality of the EVF screen is very good, its position cannot be adjusted in any way, and the eyepiece itself is extremely small. This can make using the EVF challenging, as it’s not easy to maintain an ideal viewing distance and position with an eyepiece this tiny.   In its favor, this EVF can be used in tandem with all of the camcorder’s manual controls – something that other camcorders make impossible. Sonys that employ a touch screen menu can only be controlled manually with the LCD screen open, rendering the EVF usable only after all camera settings are established or in auto mode.  A small dioptric adjustment lever is below the eyepiece where it slopes back towards the body of the DC22. The lever is very easy to use despite the fact that it’s extremely small. **

Battery Life***(8.8)*The Canon DC22 ships with the BP-208 battery pack, a thin rectangle that fits into an enclosed battery port in the LCD cavity. Normally, we dislike enclosed batteries because they bar the use of extended life batteries. Sometimes, as in the case of the Elura 100, the battery happens to give exceptional performance and it’s not so bad. The DC22 was precisely the opposite; this is the rule more often than the exception.  Testing for endurance, we shot video continuously without engaging any manual controls, and replacing the DC power to change DVDs. In total, the battery lasted for only 88 minutes and 19 seconds (1 hour, 28 minutes, 19 seconds).

Audio/Playback/Connectivity

 **Audio***(4.0)*The audio on the Canon DC22 is something to consider very seriously when comparing this DVD camcorder to the competition. The Canon DC22 includes an built-in stereo microphone directly beneath the lens, but it has no way to connect an external mic. This is a fairly standard position for microphones, one which normally results in adequate recording quality that minimizes camcorder noise and handling faux pas which can occur with a top mounted audio unit. Unfortunately for the Canon DC22, these statements do not hold true. The stereo microphone on this camcorder picked up a nearly constant thrumming and chirruping noise as the DVD disc spun inside the compartment. In addition to this obtrusive racket, there was also the fairly constant noise of shifting mechanisms and other intolerable camera-spawned auditory interruptions that compromised recording quality to an absurd level. Although not helpful in overcoming the camcorder noise, a windscreen feature blocks lower frequencies via a high pass filter setting in the Camera Setup menu. A playback speaker is located on the cusp between the lens barrel and the cover for the DVD compartment. **VCR Mode***(8.0)*DVD camcorders have become very popular on the consumer market for one simple reason: convenience. This popularity comes despite the fact that DVD camcorder video quality is generally poorer than video produced by tape-based camcorders. A DVD can be popped right out of a camcorder and into a home DVD player, and disc-based camcorders make clip browsing faster and easier via non-linear clip access. Video tapes can only be played linearly, which can make finding a specific clip time-consuming.

A screen shot from the DC22's playback mode Playback mode on the Canon DC22 takes advantage of the random access nature of DVD media, and is engaged by sliding the Power switch down when the camcorder is powered on. When engaged, up to six thumbnails appear on the screen, with each thumbnail representing one of the clips on the disc. The clips can be navigated and played back using two interfaces. The first interface is the Multicontroller joystick. Pressing in any direction on the joystick jumps from one thumbnail to another, once the end of a page is reached, pressing again will jump to the next page of thumbnails. Pressing in on the center of the joystick plays the currently selected thumbnail, and pressing the joystick left or right while a clip is playing jumps to the previous or next clip on the disc in play mode.

 The second playback interface is the set of VCR buttons that are arranged along the lower edge of the LCD frame. The VCR controls add the ability to jump from one page of thumbnails to the next by pressing the rewind and fast forward buttons, while the play/pause button plays the currently selected thumbnail. Pressing the rewind and fast-forward buttons while a clip is playing will rewind or fast-forward the clip. Pressing those buttons repeatedly cycles through 5x, 15x, and 25x speeds. Pressing the play/pause button during playback pauses a clip, and pressing the stop button returns to thumbnail view. These buttons certainly work, but they lend a cheap appearance to the camcorder.  The playback features available on the Canon DC22 are quite easy to use, and the only confusing aspect of the interface is that some controls are located on the VCR control strip below the LCD, and some on the joystick. A third playback option is the remote control, which features a full complement of playback buttons.**Ports***(4.0)*The Canon DC22 is hardly replete with ports. At the extreme bottom front corner of the camcorder is the requisite DC-in power terminal. It’s an odd placement for a power port, but does keep the power cable out of the fray more successfully than a more centrally located terminal. The other ports are located on the camcorder’s left side near the back edge. The MiniSD card slot and AV input/output terminal are both hidden behind a protective port cover that blends seamlessly into the body. The cover matches the matte silver surface of the DC22’s left side and fits snugly in place when closed. The cover is opened by pulling on a tab where it’s inside edge meets the edge of the LCD frame, and is easier to accomplish when the LCD screen is open. Inside the port compartment, the MiniSD slot sits vertically above the AV terminal. Interestingly, the DC22 is the only DVD camcorder in Canon line to offer analog input. Not even the top-of-the-line DC40 offers this option. Why Canon decided to give the DC22 the big upgrade is a mystery, but we’re not complaining. The USB port is adjacent to the port compartment inside the LCD cavity. This is an ill-conceived placement because it both necessitates keeping the LCD open and blocks the screen when the USB port is in use. Many camcorders have adopted this design in an effort to save space, but we believe users are better served by ports on the exterior of a camcorder’s body.

Other Features

  **Widescreen/16:9 Mode***(6.5)*An external button on the left side of the Canon DC22 makes switching between widescreen 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios very easy. Pressing the button while in movie mode instantly toggles between aspect ratios. Unlike most other consumer camcorders, the DC22 employs a native 16:9 sensor which means video recorded in widescreen mode will have the highest resolution the camcorder is capable of producing. To produce 4:3 video, the DC22 uses a pillarboxing technique, where the sides of the image are cropped out of the picture. Camcorders with native 4:3 sensors often use a letterboxing technique to produce widescreen video where the top and bottom of the picture are cropped. Letterboxing reduces the resolution of widescreen footage, because a good deal of information is discarded. All things being equal, a native 16:9 sensor such as the one on the Canon DC22 should produce much better widescreen video than a letterboxed widescreen image captured with a 4:3 sensor. Our only question is this: why did Canon bother to create an external button for switching aspect ratios? Most people are generally going to shoot in one or the other and stick with it. Making it an external button only increases the chances of someone bumping it accidentally.  **Scan Rates/24p***(0.0)*The Canon DC22 records standard definition 60i video, a scan rate that is on par with all currently available consumer camcorders. The term 60i references the rate and manner in which video is captured, i.e. at 60 fields of interlaced video per-second. Many prosumer camcorders support additional scan rates, such as 24p, where 24 progressive frames per-second are captured. 24p and other progressive formats like 24F and 30p have gained popularity in recent years for their film-like look. **Other Features***(4.0)*
Digital Effects and Faders - The Canon DC22 is unusually replete with digital image effects and faders, at least in comparison to camcorders from other manufacturers. The digital effects and fader options on this camcorder are similar to those found on other Canons, and can be found in the Function Menu. We question the value of in-camera effects like "cube," and faders like "puzzle" and "wave" but we can’t fault Canon for ponying up on bizarre consumer demands; some people still love them. The only digital effect available when shooting still images is the Black and White effect. *Electronic Image Stabilization - *Canon’s DC22 includes an EIS (electronic image stabilization) system, which reduces the effects of camera shake on the recorded image. EIS systems reduce camera shake by using a portion of the frame as a buffer zone. The camcorder then uses digital processing to stabilize the remainder of the image at the cost of the sacrificial buffer zone. As a result, some image information is lost, and video shot with EIS set to on will have a slightly lower resolution than non-stabilized video. OIS (optical image stabilization), found on some higher-priced consumer camcorders and standard on prosumer models, are superior to EIS because they do not compromise video resolution when enabled. Level Marker - *The level marker feature is a shot framing aid found the in Display Setup sub-menu. When level marker is enabled, a horizontal line is superimposed over the center of the video image. The level marker is not recorded to disc. Auto Slow Shutter - *Auto slow shutter is found in the Camera Setup sub-menu, and is an optional low-light setting. When Auto Slow Shutter is enabled, the DC22 allows the shutter speed to drop as low as 1/30 of a second in lower light environments. Normally, the shutter speed does not drop below 1/60 in order to maintain a TV-like appearance because shutter speeds below 1/60 can appear stuttered. Auto Slow Shutter is available in Auto or P modes for video. In still image mode, Auto Slow Shutter will drop the shutter speed as low as 1/15 second, and the flash must be disabled.  *Closed Battery Design - *The enclosed battery of the DC22 keeps the external appearance of the camcorder very clean. It also makes the camcorder more portable and self-contained since the battery is so small, and is charged in the body of the camcorder. Unfortunately, closed battery designs come at a significant cost. Unlike external battery slots that can accommodate larger longer life batteries, closed battery slots can only accommodate batteries of a specific size. This means there are no long-life battery options available for the DC22, reducing flexibility.

Comparisons/Conclusion

 **Comparisons***Canon DC40*For a little more cash than the $699 DC22, the Canon DC40 ($899 MSRP) offers the kinds of enhancements we expect to see in a top-of-the-line consumer camcorder – with the exception of an external microphone jack (also absent on the DC22). The DC40 sensor is the largest we’ve seen on a standard definition consumer DVD camcorder, measuring 1/2.8" compared to the 1/3.9" sensor on the DC22, and video performance and resolution were better. The DC40 also boasts a higher maximum still resolution of 2304 x 1736 versus 1632 x 1224 for the DC22. In other respects, the camcorders are nearly identical with similar manual controls and a similar feature set overall that establishes these Canons as nicely equipped camcorders. The two areas where the DC22 edges its big sister are in portability – it’s a touch smaller – and in its control interface, which is a bit less cluttered. Given the roughly $200 price spread, its tough to call a winner here. But, cost difference aside, the DC40 is a stronger performer.** ***Canon DC100*The Canon DC100 is the company’s entry-level camcorder. It serves up a smaller 1/6" sensor and poorer overall video performance than the DC22. The DC100 also lacks still image capability, which is a significant drawback for some users. Given its smaller sensor, the DC100 also manages to turn in a heftier optical zoom power of 25x versus the DC22's 10x – but we’ll take a larger imager over a big zoom any day. All in all, the DC22 is a better camcorder, even with a price spread of over $200. At the entry-level, there are better DVD camcorders than the DC100, like the Panasonic VDR-D100 but the DC22 holds its own amongst mid-weight contenders. *Sony DCR-DVD305*The Sony DCR-DVD305 has a 1/5.5" sensor that’s larger than a run-of-the-mill 1/6" but a good deal smaller than the DC22’s 1/3.9" CCD. The DVD305 also adds some extra image processing firepower with its Advanced HAD CCD technology, which reduces noise levels in bright light – but its video performance falls a bit short of the Canon. Also, the Advanced HAD seemed powerless to erase the blotchy blue noise plaguing the DVD305’s images. In its favor, the Sony includes an Advanced Interface Shoe, and ships the ECM-L100 surround sound microphone. This proprietary hot shoe can also accommodate a range of Sony accessories for expanded audio and flash options, though an non-proprietary microphone input would have been better still. In the end, we have to return to picture quality to make the call, and the DC22 prevails as both a video and still camera. *Panasonic VDR-D200*The Canon DC22’s widescreen 1/3.9" CCD is much larger than the 1/6" chip on Panasonic’s VDR-D200, and that adds up to stronger overall video performance. The DC22 also brings decent still performance to the ring, producing nice1632x1224 images. The VDR-D200 tops out at a measly 640x480 in still mode. In keeping with Panasonic’s strengths, the D200 comes out on top in terms of its manual control feature set, offering full manual control over shutter speed, aperture, and gain. Despite the DC22’s long list of presets, it falls short of the Panasonic in terms of total picture control. Unfortunately, a plethora of manual controls can’t overcome the Panasonic’s inferior sensor, making the DC22 a better performer, and therefore better buy overall. **Who It’s For***Point-and-Shooters (5.0) The Canon DC22 is a solid choice for point-and-shooters, and compared to the step-up DC40, it features a simpler control layout. Setting the DC22 in auto mode is as simple as setting the mode switch to its center position, at which point you’re ready to rock and roll, or point and shoot as the case may be. The only drawback of the DC22 for point-and-shooters may be a menu that’s a little more difficult to navigate than others, especially Sonys. Sony’s touch screen menus are as simple as they come, but they are cursed by drawbacks such as fingerprints on the LCD and the fact that as image control interfaces, they are barely usable. *Budget Consumers (4.5)*For true budget consumers – those buyers who count low price as their number one concern –DVD camcorders simply cannot offer as much value as tape-based DV devices. Across the board, DV camcorders typically outperform DVD camcorders at the same price point. However, for "budget DVD camcorder buyers," Cannon’s DC22 offers a reasonable option. It’s not the cheapest DVD camcorder on the market, but in the middle range, it offers a good value/performance ratio, and street prices will be lower than the $699 MSRP. At the entry level, Panasonic’s VDR-D100 is probably the best DVD model on the market, and it retails for under $400 on the street.  *Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (5.0) For a better still photo/DVD camcorder hybrid, you’ll need to drop more moolah than the $699 MSRP Canon charges for the DC22. The Panasonic VDR-D300 and Sony DCR-DVD505 are both strong contenders with maximum still resolutions of 2048x1512 and 2304 x 1728 respectively. JVC’s GZ-MG505 HDD camcorder does even better, maxing out at 2560x1920. Yet all these hybrid powerhouses cost a good deal more than the DC22, and if you just want the ability to take a nice photo from time to time, its 1632 x 1224 stills should serve you well. *Gadget Freaks (3.0)*There are lots of camcorders that offer the gadget freak more to get excited about, from new format camcorders such as the Sony’s HDR-UX1 to the petite Canon’s HV10. This mid-range DVD cam doesn’t do much that’s new, unique, or unusual. Then again, if you’re a gadget freak, you already know this and wouldn’t be caught dead reading a review of a camcorder made for the masses… Manual Control Freaks (6.0)*Canon has opted for a middle ground between the two poles in the battle for the hearts and minds of the camcorder public, and the DC22 reflects their unique approach to consumer camcorder design. This camcorder is no Panasonic when it comes to independent manual control but it is far more versatile than a Sony. What the DC22 does offer is an impressive suite of image control options (spot focus, shutter priority mode, etc.) that amount to "training wheels" for those who venture beyond auto mode. Although these options don’t amount to fully independent manual control, many users will appreciate settings like color depth and sharpness that aren’t found on most other consumer camcorders. Pros/ Serious Hobbyists (2.5)*The Canon DC22 has little to offer pros or serious hobbyists who have traditionally eschewed DVD camcorders due to their inferior video performance relative to tape-based formats. This camcorder is a consumer-oriented product, pure and simple, and these are the folks who should be looking at the DC22. **Conclusion**The Canon DC22 may be a sign of hopeful things to come. In the past few years, DVD camcorders have struggled to prove themselves worthy successors to MiniDV, at least in terms of performance. And while the medium still has a ways to go, this mid-2006 introduction into the Canon DVD line was better than we were anticipating. It easily topped the comparatively priced DVD camcorders from other manufacturers in bright light video testing. Low light proved to be a problem area – an important flaw to consider for any consumer. But the small form factor of the DC22 and relative simplicity of the DVD medium will be a big draw for some people.  Our big complaints are as follows. DVD camcorders still fail to record as long as MiniDV tapes in highest quality. A single-layer disc can only capture about 20 minutes, and a dual-layer can only capture 36 minutes compared to a 60-minute tape. Secondly, the DC22 has no mic input, and the built-in mic will not cut it for high-quality home movies. Third, the viewfinder is so small and uncomfortable; it’s hard to understand why they included it. The LCD is widescreen, but a 123K resolution is pretty low. The still card media is MiniSD, which is less common than the standard SD. And, as mentioned above, the low light performance was less than satisfying.  The upsides: good bright light performance, a decent manual control array, good still photo quality, and a high degree of portability. We wouldn’t be surprised if this became a very popular model for Canon this holiday season.

Specs/Ratings

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