Image quality
Indeed, the DC50's still pictures look
surprisingly good. Details come out quite clean for 5-megapixel stills,
noise remains generally low, and colours render accurately.
While the DC50's 5-megapixel stills look puny compared with many still cameras' 8 and 10-megapixel photos, they're large enough to email, post to Web sites and make small prints.
You can't realistically crop them down a great deal or blow them up for large prints, but if you just want a simple way to take decent snapshots to share with your friends and family, the DC50 provides a viable alternative to a dedicated still camera.
For a single-sensor, standard-definition camcorder, the DC50 also produces very nice-looking video, in both bright and dim lighting. Fine details render sharply, even on larger screens, and colours look accurate. The image stabiliser works well under most conditions, though you should still use a tripod if you want to use the full 10x magnification.
As expected, low-light video looks a bit softer than footage shot in brighter conditions, but it's not overtly noisy, and there's sufficient tonal range. The camcorder's video doesn't look significantly better than the less expensive DC230's, but that speaks more to the DC230's fine video quality than any deficiency in the DC50.
Conclusion
If you must buy a DVD-based camcorder, the DC50 definitely belongs on your short list, along with the
Its rather hefty £450 price tag might give you pause, though. If you don't mind carrying around multiple gadgets, you might want to instead consider pairing the much cheaper DC230 camcorder with a budget snapshot camera.
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday
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