Canon's second-generation DVD camcorders get off to an auspicious start with the ultra-compact DC22. This replacement of the DC10 and DC20 offers improved daylight video performance and adds a host of enhanced features, including basic manual controls. In addition to standard 3-inch DVD-R/RW, the DC22 can record to DVD-R DL (Dual Layer) that offer nearly double the recording time of single-layer discs. In LP mode, that translates to 108 minutes of recording time.

The DC22 features a 2.2-megapixel CCD sensor with a 10X optical/100X digital zoom capability. In addition to the standard 4:3 mode of the DC20, the DC22 adds a widescreen 16:9 recording mode ideal for display on a wide-format HDTV. The DC22 delivers 1.5 effective megapixels in widescreen mode with the digital image stabilization system off, or 1.38 effective megapixels with stabilization on. To accommodate widescreen recording, Canon has enlarged the DC22's LCD color viewscreen to a wide-format 2-7/10 inches.

In well-lit environments, this camcorder produces sharp, snappy images with accurate and well-saturated colors. The DC22 also shows some improvement over the low-light performance of the older DC10 and DC20 models, and it includes a built-in video light and Canon's generally effective Night Mode. Nevertheless, the DC22 is best suited to bright conditions where shadows are few and far between.

The DC22 offers a variety of exposure modes. In addition to auto and preprogrammed AE modes, this model has aperture priority and shutter priority modes. The former enables you to manually control depth of field via the aperture control, while the latter lets you adjust the shutter speed for optimal recording of high-speed action or sports shots. If you are an amateur camcorder user, these adjustments provide a bridge between the simplicity of point-and-shoot video and the flexibility of full manual control.

The DC22 captures digital still images to disc or miniSD memory card and includes plenty of stills features, such as automatic exposure bracketing, built-in red-eye reduction, burst mode and a built-in flash. The PictBridge function lets you print stills directly to a compatible printer. With the USB 2.0 port, the DC22 can connect to a computer for rapid, one-touch transfers of both stills and video.

The Canon DC22 is an impressive DVD camcorder. While it is notable for its Dual Layer recording ability, the DC22 also crams plenty of other features into its tiny body.


Pros:  Records to Dual Layer discs for almost twice the usual storage capacity, widescreen recording, simple manual controls, compact and lightweight
Cons:  Despite improvement, the low light performance is still somewhat disappointing

Warranty
1 year parts and labor