Quick Review Camcorders : Hitachi DZ-MV550

It shares a relative lack of manual control found on other DVD camcorders, offering options for Focus, Exposure, and White balance, with preset shutter speed options. Most of these options are hidden underneath the camcorder’s LCD screen or in the menu system, making adjustment tedious. DVD camcorders should not be purchased for their manual control.

The DZ-MV550 features ports similar to other DVD camcorders -- that is, an A/V in/out, S-video in/out, and USB. DVD camcorders lack FireWire ports. Most, including the Hitachi, include rudimentary editing software. In this case, the DZ-MV550 shares editing software with Panasonic’s line of DVD camcorders. Hitachi and Panasonic DVD camcorders share the same body design, and can be indistinguishable from far away.

Hitachi and Panasonic DVD camcorders record to DVD-RAM/R discs while Sony DVD camcorders record onto DVD-R/RW. While there is much debate as to which format is better, we believe it can be said that the DVD-RW/R format offers more convenience, as the DVD-RW disc can be reused and played directly on a conventional DVD player, while DVD-RAM/R offers better ease of use on the camcorder during recording (it’s faster and smoother) and offers a more convenient method of converting footage from the 3.5” DVD discs that the camcorder records upon to the regular size DVD discs played. This is achieved on a Panasonic DVD recorder, and does not require a computer to translate as the DVD-RW/Rs do. As both 3.5” DVD-RAM and DVD-RW discs probably won’t be used as final playable DVDs, the user will want to convert to fullsize DVDs. That said, it’s a choice between the convenience offered by the Sony camcorders (to play directly after on-camcorder finalization, on conventional DVD players) or the transfer options (both on computer and on DVD recorder) and ease of use of the Panasonic or Hitachi Camcorders.

Or is it?

With Hitachi’s excellent low light performance and prices, who could even think of getting another DVD camcorder?

While its upper tier mate, the DZ-MV580, excels past any DVD camcorder this year in the low-light department, the DZ-MV550 does well, performing equal to the VDR-M70, Panasonic’s upper-tier DVD camcorder, and beats the Sonys by a mile. All for a low price. Good job, little guy.

Hitachi DZ-MV550 Compared to the...