While its only equipped with a 1 megapixel sensor, the DC230 has other assets to attract and help the amateur video movie maker in recording on DVD : 35x optical zoom, 16/9 compatible LCD screen, a new generation DIGIC DV II image processor, and recording on dual layer DVD.

Ergonomics

This Canon DVD model, is very compact and easily fits in your hand. The reduced size is due in part to integration of the battery to the LCD screen housing. On the other hand, it's impossible to extend capacity with a larger battery. The DC230 is robust and even has an electronic viewfinder (non-rotating). Most commands are found on the back of the camera and are easily adjusted with the thumb. We especially liked the joystick, which allows you rapid access to menus, as well as a switch on the underside that allows you to go between manual and automatic modes in a single move. The rotating LCD screen is of good quality and displays colors correctly. Buttons along the edges allow you to control the zoom and are especially handy for reviewing video. For an entry level camera, the DC230 has several manual adjustments that are very appreciable, such as shutter speed for filming in low light conditions. Focus, exposure as well as colors can also be manually adjusted and of course there are different scene modes. The finalization of a DVD requires plugging in to a power source and this varies for 3 to 10 minutes depending on the amount recorded.

Image quality

Canon’s technical data for the DC230 specifies that the camera has a "real" 16/9 mode. Our tests show, however, that it’s a 16/9 which vertically increases the size of the video and then is stretched horizontally. The DC230’s MPEG-2 compression slightly degrades the images precision and compared to the Sony DVD-406E, Canon’s sharpness is not quite as good. The DIGIC DV II image processor strongly accentuates video. The result is that colors are very saturated and images very contrasted. Whether indoors or out-, white balance is just right. Stabilisation, although numeric, is quite good and allows proper use of the 35x optical zoom. We did, however, notice a few jumps in images while playing videos. In the dark the DC230 isn’t really too at ease, sensitivity is very low and the image has a lot of noise. In this case, avoid the automatic mode and opt for a manual adjustment of shutter speed. The photo mode doesn’t make any miracles, but with a 1 mega pixel sensor, we couldn’t expect much more.