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Quick Review Camcorders : Sony DCR-DVD201

by Matt Culler
Published on November 25, 2004

The Sony DCR-DVD201 is Sony’s most advanced DVD camcorder this year, though that might not be saying much. The DCR-DVD201 is outfoxed in low light performance by all other DVD camcorders this year, except the DCR-DVD201, from which it offers some imager upgrades.

The DCR-DVD201 ships with a 1/5 inch CCD with 1.07MP gross, more than any other DVD camcorder this year, though Hitachi’s DZ-MV580 comes close with 960K. But, something about the DZ-MV580’s 1/3.8 inch CCD yields superior low light performance. The DCR-DVD101 only has a 1/6 inch (680K) CCD. The DCR-DVD201 doesn’t upgrade the 10x optical zoom found on the DCR-DVD101.

On a good note, like the DCR-DVD101, the DCR-DVD201 includes a stellar Sony LCD, records to the relatively convenient format of DVD-R/RW discs, has a hot accessory shoe, and a microphone input.

Manual controls on the machine, while maybe a bit more convenient than Panasonic’s and Hitachi’s placement beneath the LCD screen, are as sparse as the other DVD camcorders. They include white balance, exposure, and focus, with presets for exposure as well, corresponding with the specific environments of sports, sun, etc. Unfortunately, but the norm for DVD camcorder, the DCR-DVD201 doesn’t include true manual adjustment for iris or shutter speed.

Low light performance on the DCR-DVD201, while better than the DCR-DVD101’s horrific, colorless, spectrum, is very nuclear looking, unfortunately, sub-par; it would be nice to have a decent DVD camcorder than can play DVD-RW disc to give some competition to the Hitachi machines. As it is the DCR-DVD201 suffers for strange color balance, and a bunch of blue noise.

All in all, the DCR-DVD201 started as the highest-priced DVD camcorder on the market, and while prices have dropped significantly—from a thousand to a little over $600), the DCR-DVD201 hasn’t changed. In fact, this lowering of price may indicate something. If you are looking to record DVD-RW discs, however, this maybe you best option.

Sony DCR-DVD201 - THE BOTTOM LINE
Rating: 89.28

Likes

- Hot accessory
- Convenience

Dislikes

- Low light performance
- Lack of still media

Sony DCR-DVD201 Compared to the...

Panasonic
VDR-M70
Rating: 90.05 Sony
DCR-DVD101
Rating: 84.38 Panasonic
VDR-M50
Rating: 90.25 Hitachi
DZ-MV580
Rating: 94.25 Hitachi
DZ-MV550
Rating: 91.85

Better Better Better Better Better

- Low light performance
- Still performance
- Price
- CCD Specs None - 18x optical zoom
- Low light performance
- CCD size - Hot accessory shoe
- CCD specs
- Low light performance
- Still performance

- 18x optical zoom
- Low light performance

Equal Equal Equal Equal Equal

- Manual Control
- Ports
- LCD size
- 10x optical zoom - Manual Control
- Ports
- LCD size
- 10x optical zoom - Ports
- CCD pixel count
- Manual Control - Ports
- Manual Control
- 10x optical zoom - Manual Control
- Ports
- Handling
- CCD specs

Worse Worse Worse Worse Worse

- Less convenient format
- Cold accessory shoe - CCD specs
- Still performance
- Low light performance - Cold accessory shoe
- Still performance
None - Cold accessory shoe
- Still performance