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Videocams<br />
MiniDV Camcorders<br />
With their clunky old tape media, MiniDV cams are a<br />
tad on the dowdy side, yet they’re great for breaking<br />
into video without busting the budget. —H.K.<br />
Canon ZR850<br />
$329 • usa.canon.com<br />
Priced slightly higher than the cheapest models,<br />
this Canon captures good detail and accurate<br />
color in close-ups and wide-angle shots. At 10X and<br />
higher magnification, the stabilization technology<br />
produced a jittery picture, but it genuinely improved<br />
our handheld shots at lower zooms. In poor light,<br />
the 850 delivers a dim picture with moderate noise,<br />
yet it’s still brighter and clearer than others tested.<br />
WIRED Good compromise between quality and<br />
price. If you’ve got a tripod, 35X zoom looks great.<br />
Pint-size body easy to carry around.<br />
TIRED Noisy tape drive audible on soundtracks.<br />
0.8-megapixel stills are worse than those taken by<br />
most phonecams. Ineffective onboard video light.<br />
EDITORS’<br />
PICK<br />
JVC GR-D750<br />
$250 • camcorder.jvc.com<br />
The second-cheapest camcorder in our roundup, the<br />
JVC GR-D750 is unfortunately the worst. Its picture<br />
is noticeably fuzzier than other low-priced models,<br />
and its image stabilization is shaky at best. In low light,<br />
it struggles to keep the subject in focus and records<br />
a very dim image with an ugly orange cast. Avoid this<br />
camera unless one shows up under the Christmas<br />
tree for you (and maybe even then).<br />
WIRED Cut-rate price. Built-in mic captures loud<br />
audio. 34X optical-zoom lens works well when<br />
mounted on a tripod. Battery lasts about two hours.<br />
TIRED Worst image quality in its league. Takes grainy<br />
640 x 480 stills. Bottom-mounted tape-release switch<br />
inaccessible when you use a tripod.<br />
Panasonic<br />
PV-GS320<br />
$500 • panasonic.com<br />
The GS320 is about as good as<br />
it gets when it comes to MiniDVs.<br />
With three image sensors, it<br />
delivers an unexpectedly sharp and<br />
colorful picture, matching more<br />
expensive DVD and tapeless models.<br />
Compared to its MiniDV brethren,<br />
its optical image stabilization is<br />
<strong>sm</strong>oother and captures the best<br />
picture in low light. Is the GS320’s<br />
premium price worth it? Despite<br />
tape’s limitations, yes.<br />
WIRED Adjusts focus, exposure,<br />
and white balance about a second<br />
faster than lower-priced competition.<br />
Quiet tape drive doesn’t<br />
affect audio recording (not true<br />
of all MiniDV models). Accessory<br />
shoe for add-on light.<br />
TIRED Gargantuan chassis won’t<br />
fit in a coat pocket. No input for<br />
external mic or headphone jack.<br />
USB and FireWire ports positioned<br />
behind battery; using them means<br />
removing it and plugging in the<br />
included AC power adapter.<br />
Samsung SC-D372<br />
$230 • samsung.com<br />
Rejoice, bargain hunters! The most inexpensive<br />
camcorder in our lineup is perfectly serviceable. The<br />
D372’s image isn’t very sharp or colorful, but it beats<br />
the competition in its price range. Image stabilization<br />
barely works when you’re zoomed in, and in low light<br />
the picture quickly loses color, detail, and focus while<br />
gaining a lot of noise. Still, you can get solid results by<br />
shooting in broad daylight and going easy on the zoom.<br />
WIRED Decent picture quality under right conditions.<br />
Zoomy 34X lens. Bargain-basement price. Palm-size<br />
wall charger no trouble to bring along.<br />
TIRED Tape-drive whirring ends up on recorded<br />
audio. Doesn’t take stills. Playback controls are on<br />
left side, blocking view of LCD.<br />
WIRED TEST<br />
0 6 1
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