Product Description

With the affordable and easy-to-operate Canon DC 210, you get all the performance of DVD technology, along with the brilliance and power of a Genuine Canon 35x Optical Zoom. You also get an impressive array of features found on more expensive models. With the Canon DC 210, you'll enjoy capturing the precious moments of your life and sharing them with everyone.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3210 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Canon
• Model: DC210
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Display size: 2.7

Features

• Genuine Canon Optics with 35x optical zoom/1000x digital zoom lens
• DIGIC DV II image processor; image stabilizer
• 2.7-inch widescreen LCD monitor; widescreen HR recording
• Smooth zoom control; level shot control
• DVD-R/-RW Dual Layer recording format

Manufacturer Description
Canon DVD camcorders offer the perfect blend of performance and features. Enjoy a wide variety of advanced, yet easy-to-use features in compact and lightweight style. Canon camcorders are perfect for capturing all of your life's most precious moments, for beginners and advanced users alike, and make it easy to share your video with family and friends.

DC-210 Highlights

DVD-R/-RW/-R DL format Only 8 centimeters (3 inches) in diameter, these discs can store up to 80 minutes of video (up to 108 minutes on a dual layer disc), and are compatible with most old and new DVD players.

Genuine Canon Optics with 35x optical zoom/1000x digital zoom lens Canon’s longest optical zoom ever. Genuine Canon Optics ensure that video and photos are clear and rich with color and detail. Canon’s expertise in designing lenses for photography and broadcast television goes into every camcorder we make.

Quick Start Instead of powering off your camcorder between shots, simply press the Quick Start button to put the camcorder in stand-by mode. Quick Start considerably reduces the power consumption of the battery and allows the user to return to recording mode in approximately .9 seconds, so you’ll never have to miss another special moment.

Widescreen HR recording The DC210 records true widescreen for picture-perfect video. Canon’s image processing system uses the entire width of the image sensor, capturing a big picture in true 16:9 widescreen so no one and nothing is left unseen. And Canon camcorders take advantage of more pixels to give you amazing quality.

2.7-inch widescreen LCD A 2.7-inch widescreen LCD lets you see exactly what your camcorder is recording, and what your TV will display later.

Joystick The joystick makes using the camcorder easier than ever. Extra buttons have been eliminated, allowing you to control playback, focusing, exposure, and menu options from one convenient place.

Image stabilizer Shoot rock-steady video -- even when you’re at maximum telephoto without a tripod. It is even effective while panning or zooming.

Lower battery consumption The DC230 consumes less battery power giving you longer operation time.

DIGIC DV II image processor DIGIC DV II is the next generation of Canon's exclusive DIGIC DV signal processing technology.. Even though video and still images have different color requirements, DIGIC DV II digital signal processing ensures optimal image quality for both video and still images. Thanks to DIGIC DV II image processing, the D121 produces video with improved color reproduction -- especially in skin tones, and dark and light scenes. It also uses a hybrid noise reduction system that employs two types of noise reduction -- for images that are crystal clear.

Smooth zoom control Want to shoot like the pros? Three fixed zoom speeds allow you to produce smooth video that will be enjoyable for everyone to watch.

Level shot control Even if you are a first time camcorder user, you’ll never have to worry about shooting crooked video. A horizontal marker and center indicator always keeps you on track.

Grid display It's easy to compose your shots for more professional looking video. The Grid marker is very convenient for setting up the special balance in your shots. Since background colors vary, you can select from two line colors to make the lines easily visible.

Built-in lens cover A built-in lens cover means no dangling lens cover to lose.

Advanced photo features A variety of features allow you to capture great photos.

• 9-point AiAF: Bring off-center subjects into sharp focus.
• Histogram display: With just one push of a button, the brightness information of a still image is revealed. This allows you to monitor image quality, so you can make adjustments to improve the next shots.
• Image effects: Choose from the following effects to add a creative flare to your photos: Vivid, Neutral, Low-Sharpening, and Soft Skin Detail.
• Special Scene modes: A wide selection of automatic exposure modes makes it easy to capture great video or photos under any condition. Choose from: Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, or Fireworks.

  17 selectable languages English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Persian, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

Customer Reviews

Good for point, shoot, play but...
July 18, 2007: Read my response in the comments section to a question from Jason G regarding VRO.

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If you want a DVD camcorder to shoot videos, make VERY minor edits from the camcorder itself, and then drop in your DVD player -- the DC210 is okay. It's easy to use, despite the poorly written user guide. As to its features -- it doesn't really stand out in the crowd of similar (less expensive) models.

The audio recording isn't great. From a distance of about 5-6 feet, you'll have difficulty hearing someone who is not projecting their voice.

Regardless, after a weekend of significant frustration, this camcorder is going back.

After talking with Canon, I found out that they chose not to inform their users, or even their retailers, that the output video format in VR mode is "VRO" -- a new, largely unsupported format.

Users CANNOT edit their videos without conversion software -- which, according to Canon reps, WILL NOT be provided on the Canon site. And, this format is so new, I had difficulty finding conversion software and I was unable to find freeware to convert the VRO video files (get ready to pay between $15-$25 for conversion shareware -- in addition to DC210'S $340-$400 pricetag).

Canon does not provide ANY software for this camcorder -- their reason: the camcorder is ONLY intended for point-shoot-play. Note: Canon didn't even bother addressing the new "VRO" format in the user manual that came in the box or the PDF file on their site (the term itself isn't in their documentation).

Finally, if you need decent audio via use of an external mic, forget it -- Canon also didn't put an external mic jack on the DC210 (Canon's ZR800 does have an external jack).

During my last conversation with a Canon rep, my message was basically "shame on you." Canon has obviously chosen to ignore rapidly increasing consumer interest in video editing, the credit for this going to Microsoft, Pinnacle, and others, who have given us some good, simple tools to do creative editing on home and/or amature videos.

Canon totally missed the boat on this one. They could have been packaged a decent camcorder with, at minimum, some conversion software and a better user-guide, thus encouraging their customers to get out there and shoot lots and lots of video for sharing, presentations, and so on, which I intend to do -- with a Sony, JVC, or other camcorder.

I'm giving 2 stars to Canon only because the DC210 does do what they wanted it to do.

Canon gets an "F-" for not shelling out a few extra cents for each camcorder sold to ensure customers have conversion software, and subsequently the capability to easily edit their creations with inexpensive, easy-to-use movie/video editing software.

For FRUSTRATION only
The very worst available. I spent half of our summer vacation trying to find discs that my pretentious Canon would accept. Only Sony, and only sometimes. Ugh. I used to trust Canon. Now, I will read and write reviews more often.

Excellent point and shoot camcorder
I am very satisfied with this camcorder. Picture quality is very good for a standard definition camera and operating it is about as easy as it can get. On-camera editing capabilities are not extensive so if you need those you may want to look at the cameras higher in the lineup.

The only complaint may be with finalizing disks. You have to read the manual carefully as the charger must be plugged in and you have to be in play mode before it will even give you the option to finalize a disk. Fortunately you can change disks then go back and finalize them later.

I have had absolutely zero problems playing back finalized disks. Just put the disk in a DVD player and press play.