Hitachi DZ-MV580E review

DVD-RAM discs offer longer recording times (up to 120 mins at standard quality) and are more flexible when it comes to compressing your footage. Unfortunately, DVD-RAM is less likely to be accepted by domestic DVD players -- you'll need to check your DVD player is compatible. If it is, we'd recommend just using DVD-RAM discs with the Hitachi. Because DVD camcorders are a new technology, blank DVDs for the Hitachi are more expensive than blank MiniDV tapes.

We had problems with the DZ-MV580E right out of the box -- we couldn't get it to recognise the blank DVD-R that came bundled in the box. The culprit turned out to be a light smudge across the surface of the DVD, something that all DVD recorders are vulnerable to. It was disappointing that the Hitachi's LCD display didn't suggest cleaning the disc -- we had to figure that out by ourselves.

If you want to transfer footage to your computer, you can use the USB cable provided with the Hitachi. If you're transferring a lot of data, you'll quickly begin to understand why most other camcorders have Firewire ports. When you're used to Firewire, USB 2 is relatively slow -- video data squeezes through like a fat man jammed in the revolving doors of Harvey Nicks.

DVD-MovieAlbumSE is bundled with the DZ-MV580E for editing your footage. It's a very simple editor that even blushes next to the Hitachi's basic on-board editing system.

The in-camera editing ability of the Hitachi is its most impressive feature. Clips are shown as thumbnails on the LCD and you can specify how you'd like to cut between them before saving the edit to disc. For those without any desire to edit their video on computer, this is the perfect solution for cutting out dud scenes. The ease with which you can quickly produce edited footage might also appeal to more advanced camcorder users who require quick and dirty editing in the field without a computer getting in the way.

If you need to take still shots, the Hitachi can take photos at a resolution of 1.2 megapixels (1,280 x 960). These are either written to DVD-RAM or stored in an optional SD card that slots into the side of the camcorder.

Performance
Provided your recordable DVDs are clean, the Hitachi is absolutely painless to operate. The 64mm (2.5-inch) LCD screen is clear and visible in all but the harshest sunlight. It's not a touch screen, but it is easy to navigate menu options using the small pad on the side of the camcorder.

Because the Hitachi takes time to read the contents of a recordable DVD, there's an annoying lag between switching the camera on and being able to record -- this can be as long as 15 seconds. If you're planning on capturing an errant UFO you'll find it’s likely to have hurtled back into space before the Hitachi's DVD drive has even spun into life.

The DZ-MV580E has good image stabilisation. Even tightly zoomed-in, your footage has a steadycam look to it. Hitachi claims a 145-minute shooting time from a fully charged battery, but we found it to be slightly less than this. Your mileage will depend on whether you elect to use the flip-out LCD viewfinder, how trigger happy you are with the zoom control, and whether you extensively edit in camera.

Image quality
The standard of image we achieved with the Hitachi wasn't dramatically different from what we've seen from MiniDV cameras in the same price bracket. We were pleased to find that the Hitachi didn't suffer from any image distortion when we bumped or shook the camera during recording. The DVD drive inside is clearly well protected from shock.

We were particularly impressed with the Hitachi's performance in low-light situations. In a room lit with only one desk lamp in a far corner, the Hitachi could still pick out newspaper print clearly enough to be read, with acceptable contrast and minimal graininess. This is not an environment you should record video in, but it was interesting to see that the DZ-MV580E coped well with this more demanding situation.

Because the Hitachi writes MPEG-2 video straight to DVD and is capable of three increasingly compressed recording modes, you're not going to achieve quite the same clarity of image as you can with miniDV. But given where the Hitachi sits -- at the entry-level end of the camcorder range -- it fares well against similarly priced competition.

Edited by: Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by: Nick Hide