Canon DC20 DVD Camcorder
Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 0751B001
- CNET Editor rating: Not yet rated
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 11 reviews
- More product information:
- Product brief
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Description:
- The super-stylish, ultra-slim 2.2 Megapixel DC20 shoots superb digital stills and impressive video direct-to-DVD, with a mini video light and stills flash to keep you shooting well into the night. At just 47mm wide, the DC20 is delightfully slim. The casing's solid construction adds durability to a surprisingly lightweight body. Key controls are easy to locate and operate. ... Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/08/2009 |
Product brief
Intro: The Canon DC20 is a DVD-RW (8 cm) and DVD-R (8cm)-based, home-movie camcorder.Compared to other home-movie camcorders on the market, it is midpriced at around $620.This product weighs 0.9 pounds and has a sensor resolution of about 2 megapixels.
Noteworthy Features: Supports manual focus, which helps intermediate users to shoot in hard-to-focus situations.
Weaker Features: None noted, given available product data.
Suitability: Suited for taping important family events.The manufacturer estimates that a fully charged battery will provide 80 minutes of power, though this will vary depending on your usage.This camera's built-in light will make it easier to film in dim environments.
Value: In general, this camcorder's features seem a bit weak for its price, compared to most other camcorders.
Suggestions: For more help selecting the right digital camcorder, visit CNET Reviews' buying guide.
User reviews
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Great Cameracorder!
by ericthai on December 7, 2005
Pros: Great still pics, stylish small semi-metal body, one touch dvd dubbing function with WinXP, Made in japan built quality
Cons: Average indoor video quality, no accessory shoes or mic port, should do mpg or webcam
Summary: Got it for 2 weeks now, love it! Small/just the right size, it actually fit perfectly into most of my coats pocket. Canon hide their battery in the LCD ...
Summary: Got it for 2 weeks now, love it! Small/just the right size, it actually fit perfectly into most of my coats pocket. Canon hide their battery in the LCD compartment(couldnt find it for a while) which make the camcorder the same small size with or without the battery. Very well built device with solid half metal/half plastic body and Made in Japan manufacturing quality(cross fingers).
Great still picture capability, with or without the built in flash, you wont need to bring a separate digital camera with this 2 mega-pixels cameracorder(on most occassion) Great sound quality with excellent wind noise reduction capability. Video quality in daylight is excellent, abit underexpose at times though. Average indoor quality though but the built in vdo light helps alot. Nightmode helps alot with illumination, pitch dark rooms seem like midmorning lol but the picture is rather grainy and you need to have stone steady hands.
You can dub your dvd easily with a dvd burner equipped Windows XP computer with a touch of a button. When you take pictures and store them on the dvd, you can fish it out with the pc like the cam was an external harddrive!(wonder if it stores files...) Come with easy to use roxio dvd editing program. Overall its a great cam I got it for only $649 at Crutchfield with free shipping and no tax! J&R had it for the same price, just print the ad and bring it to Best buy they will match it.
Wish it have an accessory shoe and ext mic input, I guess Canon meant it to be an all inclusive package lol Not much accessories although this is a very new product and canon's first real attempt at dvd camcorders. Controls are abit tricky and need some getting use to. btw this baby heats up quite abit after a while of usage. Compare to my friend's Sony DVD92 and DVD201 that i had played with, this camera kick *ss.
Overall for general consumer use this camera rocks! but not quite up to the pro-sumer status yet, then again it is only $649!(you get more than what you pay for trust me!) and the dvd camcorder technology is still new.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not as good as I thought
by walkman88us on December 16, 2005
Pros: compact, features
Cons: software is lousy
Summary: O.K. I know I am new to the camcorder game so I did a lot of research and decided on the DC20. The camera itself is pretty good but ...
Summary: O.K. I know I am new to the camcorder game so I did a lot of research and decided on the DC20. The camera itself is pretty good but the darn software sucks. Movies are segmented each time you start and stop but the softward only allows you to view the first segment on computer. Keeps telling me I need the Deluxe software package at $99.00. Give me a break! $800 bucks for a camera and they don't include the software you need to view your work. Also, will not allow me to view stills off of the media card. Mines on a one way trip back to the store!
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Camcorder for DVDs
by HercDriver on November 23, 2005
Pros: DVD playback on any DVD player without having the camera around. Lightweight and small.
Cons: Price is a little high, picture quality is ok, recording length is short.
Summary: I bought this camera before going to Iraq so that I could send DVDs home to my wife and she could watch them without having the camera aviable. For that ...
Summary: I bought this camera before going to Iraq so that I could send DVDs home to my wife and she could watch them without having the camera aviable. For that purpose it is an excellent camera. The DVDs are smaller and cheaper than tapes and much easier to playback and edit. This is a small lightweight and somewhat tough camera, I havn't broken it yet.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent camera, I use it with my IMac G4
by fatherofteens on May 29, 2006
Pros: Clear video, light weight, small, tons of options,
Cons: Can only rechage battery while in camera, very easy to accidently hit record button
Summary: First, it has been probably 10 years since I purchased a video camera. Last one was an 8mm, and I really didn't want to have a lot of tapes ...
Summary: First, it has been probably 10 years since I purchased a video camera. Last one was an 8mm, and I really didn't want to have a lot of tapes laying around any more. The mini DVD's are great in that they don't take up much space. As a newbie though, I have made a few mistakes--DVD+RW is not the same as DVD-RW (notice + is not -). This camera can't use the +RW which Walmart has a lot of. Also, this camera is so small and light, I need to use the tripod a lot more than previous cameras. It is very easy to have a little shake in your hands and not even notice it until you sit down to watch the video ("Gosh dad, do you have palsey?")
AS far as the battery goes, it is small and only 1 size will fit the camera as it fits inside of the camera body. It lasts about 25 minutes. As I used the camera on a family vacation, I did not find the battery to be a limiting factor (I did carry a spare). However, if you were going to film a sporting event, this could be a problem. A problem I did experience is that I could only charge the battery while it was in the camera, so if I wanted to charge 2 batteries after a day of filming, I needed to start early, so I could switch out the batteries before going to bed.
AS far as the features of the camera, frankly, it has so many I'm not a good one for comment. It has a detailed manual that leads you through it, but I'm not a special effects guy--just point and record. As you may have guessed, the colors outdoors are spectacular, indoors/low light the colors are washed out. I did have a problem of having the camera in standby and then accidently hitting the record button. Also, the camera does not come with a memory card which seems pretty lame. Supposedly you can record stills to the disc, but I haven't done it yet.
Commenting on its compatibility for the mac--I was frustrated at first. Canon says that it is mac compatible, but that is only for stills i.e. drag and drop from DVD to computer. For video, you can only play the DVD in your computer (after you have finalized the disc in the camera). I talked with Canon rep and said I didn't think they should call that Mac compatible, but he chaffed me off. But here is the solution (after much web surfing) and it is easy and cheap--download Streamclip off the web. It is free. You will also have to buy a Quicktime plug in from apple for $20, part# D2187Z/A. With these 2 peices, open up one VTS.VOB file with Streamclip (the VTS.VOB file can either be opened directly from the DVD, or copied to your hard drive first and then opened). It will give you an error message concerning timebreaks--fix the time breaks wtih control F. Once complete, select file/export to DV. Be sure to select split stream. Streamclip will export a QT file that you can drag into iMovie where you can edit and crop. Repeat for every VTS.VOB file. Sometimes Streamclip will get 98% of the way through converting a .VOB file to DV and say there is a disc error and quit. Luckily it does produce a QT file still that you can edit. If any data is lost, I haven't noticed it. I believe that Toast 7 will do the same thing as Streamclip.Updated
Have used the camera now for about 6 months with no problems. Have even taken it to swim meets and have had no problem with the humidity. Still getting video of my shoes occasionally--that %^#!@#%@ record button is too easy to engage.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Difficult to use
by mr_small144 on June 15, 2007
Pros: Lots of settings to play with means you will get a good shot, eventually
Cons: Very complex
Summary: I bought this for my son's trip to China thinking that it would be a video camera that would take pictures too.
It turned out to be a pretty ...Summary: I bought this for my son's trip to China thinking that it would be a video camera that would take pictures too.
It turned out to be a pretty good camera, that would take video instead.
The power requirement for taking video all the time is so high that you would need a pocket full of charged batteries to go through a day. The batteries are charged only in the camera, and it takes a long time.
In the end, this machine will take hundreds of pictures, transfer them from memory card to disc for storage, and allow you to take more pictures.
Finding the correct set points for a good shot can take a lot of time.
View through the "viewfinder" on the camcorder is difficult, making the LCD panel the only option for framing a shot.
The size of the camera is ok, it will fit into a coat pocket. It is very sturdy too. Mine has been dropped a couple of times, and still works. Mind you, the "joystick" on the left side has broken off now making navigation difficult. -
Terrible Esperience
by wadehowell on March 17, 2007
Pros: Good Day Shot, Great Audio
Cons: Terrible night shot, camer gets hot easily
Summary: This Camera is the worst, I was told that this Camera as a ?GOOD? Buy against the Sony Camera that I originally went in to buy. I think the camera ...
Summary: This Camera is the worst, I was told that this Camera as a ?GOOD? Buy against the Sony Camera that I originally went in to buy. I think the camera itself is crappy and Canon should never sell this camera .
The day shot is good but THAT?s IT. The night shot is TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, it gets hot to the point that I sometimes canner use it and have to resort to the tripod stand. The video editing software looks to have been developed by a school child with no value to the user what so ever. I?ve been trying to get the darn thing to do simple things and it takes an hour to upload an 8 minute video from the camera to my PC. Don?t even entertain the though of me not knowing what I?m doing, I?ve been in telecoms and the IT world for 6 years, bringing a network up and down seems to be easier.
If it did what the manual says it should do as easy as it says it should, I would be fine
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I would recommend this camcorder
by zepharis on December 27, 2006
Pros: Attractive, well made, lightweight, easy to understand, good sound quality and clear pictures. The DVD easily played on my computer and I copied it to my files and then made extra DVD's for family.
Cons: It is hard to keep steady, despite the image stabilizer feature when you walk with it.
Summary: Great camcorder for the price. I bought it on Ebay from Panwebi electronics for 399. and it came with quality carrying case, 4 sets of lenses, cleaner, wipes, an extra ...
Summary: Great camcorder for the price. I bought it on Ebay from Panwebi electronics for 399. and it came with quality carrying case, 4 sets of lenses, cleaner, wipes, an extra battery, two tripods, small and large and all the connection devices and adapters. A great deal. Also got a 4 year warranty for 100 bucks.
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It's good camcorder. but there is some complaints.
by tomlin1 on August 3, 2006
Pros: small and light, easy to use.
Cons: Lights are too bright, battery charge is very short, hard to get video out of camcorder.
Summary: I like this camcorder overall. I like that idea of able to take picture or video anytime. I like the camera part of it, except that bright flash cause everyone ...
Summary: I like this camcorder overall. I like that idea of able to take picture or video anytime. I like the camera part of it, except that bright flash cause everyone to complain. Also video lighting is very blinding. Also battery last only very short time and video is very hard to get it out of camera. DVD does not play very well on my laptop and have to use cable.
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Very nice quality and video
by Ronldjn on July 7, 2006
Pros: Very crisp movies, easy to use
Cons: A little to expensive
Summary: I like this camcorder alot but the price is a little high for what you get. But the price is my fault for going to Dell and buying it. I ...
Summary: I like this camcorder alot but the price is a little high for what you get. But the price is my fault for going to Dell and buying it. I like the features and the resolution of the movies are fantastic.
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Canon DC20 DVD Camcorder won't download on iMac G5
by faelnar on March 27, 2006
Pros: Clear Video DVD Quality, Audio is great for taking video outdoors awesome
Cons: Won't Download on iMac G5, Cannot Download using Final Cut Pro, iMovie and Quicktime not compatible No Driver available on the net
Summary: Bought a Canon DC20 DVD Camcorder last month the video is crisp and clear interface is simple. Still photos are good. But the one thing I'm disappointed is that ...
Summary: Bought a Canon DC20 DVD Camcorder last month the video is crisp and clear interface is simple. Still photos are good. But the one thing I'm disappointed is that i can't download my videos on my iMac G5 i tried upgrading my OS to 10.3.9 and still iMac won't recognize the device. It said that it's compatible with Quicktime and iMovie but i was wrong. If canon can provide a driver for iMac and other apple computers that would be great if not many patron will not be very happy. I've tried everything on the net but still no particular solution to this so far.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon USA
- Part number: 0751B001
- Description: The super-stylish, ultra-slim 2.2 Megapixel DC20 shoots superb digital stills and impressive video direct-to-DVD, with a mini video light and stills flash to keep you shooting well into the night. At just 47mm wide, the DC20 is delightfully slim. The casing's solid construction adds durability to a surprisingly lightweight body. Key controls are easy to locate and operate. Shoot straight-to-DVD without the need to rewind or fast-forward tape. Thumbnails of each scene let you see at a glance which footage to share or quickly delete. Create playlists and group together favorite scenes and digital stills. Play back on your home cinema after finalizing the disc in-camera. A 1/3, 9" 2.2 Megapixel CCD sensor captures great quality video and provides enough resolution for detailed photo prints of your digital stills. The DC20's RGB Primary Color Filter eliminates signal conversion to ensure rich and true color reproduction. True split path DIGIC DV processing then renders stills and video according to each format's specific requirements for uncompromised quality. The DC20 has a digital still camera built in. Special Scene Modes and a flash deliver great photos in tricky lighting conditions. 9-point AiAF auto focus keeps even off-center subjects clear and sharp. Auto exposure bracketing helps ensure perfect exposures. Capture the pace of action events with Continuous Shooting mode. Put an end to storage worries by writing up to 8,000 images to a single DVD. Connect direct to any PictBridge compatible photo printer and push the Print/Share button for quality photo prints without a computer. True 16:9 Widescreen Mode means images will naturally fill a widescreen TV without cropping or stretching. Canon's precision all-glass 10x zoom lens produces sharp, crystal clear results free of ghosting and smear. A built-in lens cap protects against dust and scratches. Super Night Mode and a Mini Video Light let you record natural colors in low light conditions. USB 2.0 Hi-Speed provides a direct connection to computers for fast transfer of video and still images. You can even use the DC20 as an external DVD burner for making duplicates of home movies.
General
- Product Type Camcorder
- Digital Zoom 200 x
- Effective Sensor Resolution 2 megapixels
- Total Pixels 2.2 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Size 1/3.9"
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Min Illumination 0 lux
- Digital Video Format MPEG-2
- Special Effects Art, Ball, Cube, Wave, Sepia, Mirror, Mosaic, Color Mask, Black & White
- Image Stabilizer Electronic
- Digital Scene Transition Beam, Flip, Jump, Tide, Puzzle, Zigzag, Wipe fader, Black fader, Corner wipe
- Min Shutter Speed 1/2 sec
- Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
- Shooting Modes Digital photo mode
- Shooting Programs Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Spotlight, Night mode, Sports mode, Portrait mode, Stitch assist, Super night mode
- White Balance Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Shade, Daylight, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (warm white)
- Exposure Modes Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
- Exposure Metering Spot, Evaluative, Center-weighted
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Flash OFF mode, Red-eye reduction
- Widescreen Video Capture Yes
Main Features
- Camcorder Sensor Resolution 2.2 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Video Resolution 1.2 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 2 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps
- Still Image Format JPEG
- Remote Control Standard remote control
- Media Included Qty 1
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage Super-fine JPEG 1632 x 1224 : 9 - With 16MB card, Fine JPEG 1632 x 1224 : 14 - With 16MB card, Normal JPEG 1632 x 1224 : 25 - With 16MB card, Super-fine JPEG 1280 x 960 : 15 - With 16MB card, Fine JPEG 1280 x 960 : 20 - With 16MB card, Normal JPEG 1280 x 960 : 40 - With 16MB card, Super-fine JPEG 640 x 480 : 75 - With 16MB card, Fine JPEG 640 x 480 : 105 - With 16MB card, Normal JPEG 640 x 480 : 170 - With 16MB card
- Media Type DVD-R (8cm), DVD-RW (8 cm)
- Recording Speed LP, SP, XP
Camera Flash
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 4.05 mm - 40.5 mm - F/1.8-2.8
- Focal Length 4.05 mm - 40.5 mm
- Lens Aperture F/1.8-2.8
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 9
- Optical Zoom 10 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Lens Construction 9 group(s) / 11 element(s)
- Min focal length 4.05 mm
- Max focal length 40.5 mm
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Features Aspherical lens, Built-in lens shield
- Filter Size 27 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 40.6 - 406 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Min Focus Range 0.4 in
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
- Digital Still Camera Function Yes
- Additional Features AE lock, AF lock, DPOF support, Direct print, Auto power save, Date/time stamp, PictBridge support, USB 2.0 compatibility, RGB primary color filter
- Built-in Light Yes
- Remote control Standard remote control
- Software Drivers & Utilities
- Included Accessories Battery pack, Remote control, Lens cap, Hand strap
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type LCD
- Viewfinder Diagonal Size 0.33 in
- Viewfinder Resolution 113,000 pixels
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
- Microphone Features Wind noise reduction
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x S-Video output, 1 x DC power input
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x miniSD
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
- Microphone Technology Electret condenser
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1, 1 x USB cable, A/V cable
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Battery type - Lithium ion
- Run Time (Up To) 80 min
Battery
- Supported Battery Canon BP-208
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Form Factor Rotating
- Display Format 123,000 pixels
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
Physical Characteristics
- Width 1.9 in
- Depth 4.8 in
- Height 3.4 in
- Weight 0.9 lbs
Manufacturer info
- Canon USA
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon USA products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://estore.usa.canon.com/
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com
