Best Camcorders Under $500 3
The Pocket-Sized HD Camcorder: DXG-569V-HD
What Is It?
The DXG-569V HD camcorder lets you shoot high-definition at 1280x720 video at 30 frames per second for only $169. The camcorder uses SD cards for storage, so you don't need to worry about messing with Mini-DV tape or internal hard drives.
What We Like
Setup and shooting is easy enough -- throw in three of the included AAA batteries and slide in your own SD card, and press the red button to record. The lens comes with a macro switch, which lets you film extreme close-ups without having to worry about unfocused footage. Once you're done shooting, you can hook up the camcorder to your computer via a USB cable or you can just transfer your footage directly from the SD card. The camcorder uses the H.264 format, which will work with your favorite movie editing and viewing applications.
What We Don't
How does the recorded video hold up? Although it is HD resolution, the colors felt a bit washed out, and picture clarity isn't one of the DXG-569V-HD's strong points. As for the interface and build quality, both could be better. The thumb-operated joypad doesn't feel like it's properly mapped to the on-screen interface, so many times we would push one way or another and the camcorder wouldn't respond in a natural way. Similarly, the zoom in and zoom out controls felt like they were mixed up, and we were constantly zooming out when we wanted to zoom in. Although we liked having a 3-inch screen on a pocket-sized camcorder, the display looked blurry when we played back our videos.
Last Word
Yes, the video is compressed and the lens leaves much to be desired, but you are getting HD resolution in a pocket-sized case for under $200. While we wouldn't recommend it as your primary camcorder, it's good to have around for quick and spontaneous shooting. You can find the DXG-569V-HD in stores now.
What Is It?
The DXG-569V HD camcorder lets you shoot high-definition at 1280x720 video at 30 frames per second for only $169. The camcorder uses SD cards for storage, so you don't need to worry about messing with Mini-DV tape or internal hard drives.
What We Like
Setup and shooting is easy enough -- throw in three of the included AAA batteries and slide in your own SD card, and press the red button to record. The lens comes with a macro switch, which lets you film extreme close-ups without having to worry about unfocused footage. Once you're done shooting, you can hook up the camcorder to your computer via a USB cable or you can just transfer your footage directly from the SD card. The camcorder uses the H.264 format, which will work with your favorite movie editing and viewing applications.
What We Don't
How does the recorded video hold up? Although it is HD resolution, the colors felt a bit washed out, and picture clarity isn't one of the DXG-569V-HD's strong points. As for the interface and build quality, both could be better. The thumb-operated joypad doesn't feel like it's properly mapped to the on-screen interface, so many times we would push one way or another and the camcorder wouldn't respond in a natural way. Similarly, the zoom in and zoom out controls felt like they were mixed up, and we were constantly zooming out when we wanted to zoom in. Although we liked having a 3-inch screen on a pocket-sized camcorder, the display looked blurry when we played back our videos.
Last Word
Yes, the video is compressed and the lens leaves much to be desired, but you are getting HD resolution in a pocket-sized case for under $200. While we wouldn't recommend it as your primary camcorder, it's good to have around for quick and spontaneous shooting. You can find the DXG-569V-HD in stores now.
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