Canon DC22 2.2MP DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom - HD Video Recording for Family Events, Travel & Home Videos (Discontinued Model)

This is my second DC 22. I bought my first one 5 or 6 years ago, and only had to by another one because my first one quit reading discs recently. I like the dvd format and the ease of use. Great Camcorder!I recently began using this camcorder again to create direct to mini-DVD recordings to leave with folks who can then pop them directly into a DVD player, so I thought I should add a review of this 8 year old technology. This feature is certainly popular among people who don't have good network bandwidth to watch YouTube, Facebook and other digital sites, or are not comfortable replaying digital media videos on PCs, though some newer, inexpensive video players and flat screen monitors/TVs now include a USB/SD card reader.For anyone looking for a mini-DVD camcorder or who likes the idea of recording directly to mini-DVD which can display directly by dropping into a DVD player, this is still a good choice. This refurbished version may be a bit pricey, these are often found in thrift shops these days! You can use mini-DVD-RW or mini-DVD-R media allowing re-recording on the former. The media is still readily available online, though the price per GB is higher than some SD media the primary use is to create an immediately usable DVD. The mini-SD card is ONLY for the 2.2mp still camera (no longer of great value, IMO). If you do NOT want DVD compatibility, then don't bother with this old camcorder!So some of the highlights:* good optics, good stabilizer, decent sensor* has both a monitor screen and eye level "viewfinder" monitor which is increasingly hard to find on low end camcorders & digital palmcorders* direct "finalize" to usable DVD, take care with DVD-RW to finalize as well for use in a DVD-RW capable DVD player (you can "un-finalize" miniDVD-RW media)* palm sized unit, mounts and works well on a tripod* SVideo output as well as composite video + audioI downgrade this to 4 stars for these reasons:* low light performance is not great especially compared to newer camcorders using digital media (SD cards, et al)* battery performance is not great, though getting a spare (or two) allows you to just change batteries every 2-3 mini-DVDs recorded* the included PC and Mac software hasn't been updated for Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you have decent DVD authoring/copying and editing software which is on most Mac or Windows PCs, then this is likely not an issue* camera requires you to plug camera into AC-DC adapter in order to format a DVD-RW and requests you do so to "finalize" a DVDThough Windows 7 and 8 autodiscover and recognize the mini-DVD in the camcorder when attached via USB, you have to remember to use the VIDEO mode on DVD-RW media not the VR mode, and then "finalize" the mini-DVD to directly read in a DVD drive or player. The mini-DVDs are readable on most PC DVD drives that are RW media capable.While I have some reservations about this camcorder, I believe that it is the best mini-DVD recorder for most people.Briefly: this camcorder is easy to use, can take decent pictures and excellent video at a reasonable price.Number one on my list was that it needed to be easy enough for my technophobic wife. Operation is as simple as 1,2,3,4: Turn it on, put in a blank DVD, press record/stop, finalize the disc.There are a plethora of manual controls if you want to go beyond auto mode. You can choose from two manual modes: scn & P. Scn is for an intermediate user who knows what the outside conditions are but isn't ready to control every aspect of shutter speed, white balance & so forth. There are 8 scn settings, including sports, snow, fireworks and night. The expert user can select P mode and can control even the most obscure settings. I prefer to use auto mode most of the time and when appropriate switch to scn.Now, inspite of my 5-star rating, the DC22 isn't perfect. I'm very concerned that one of my kids will get ahold of it and it will be sionara. It is delicate. There is a lot of technology crammed into this small camera. Another gripe is that the joystick is difficult to use. You use the joystick frequently because it is the primary way to navigate the menu screens and change your settings in the function screens. I frequently have to repeatedly press down on the joystick before it will take. While these are major issues, I made my rating based on the competition.Sony gets the ratings in most magazines. I disagree. Sony camcorder use propietary technology such as the Sony memory stick which you don't find at every Walmart & Target. Also, the reviews will tell you that the Sony's that offer still photography aren't much better than a cell phone. When it comes to the lense & the chip technology, Canon holds its own. And, personally the Canon feels better in my hand. But, you can be the judge of that.Briefly, about the still quality: It is as good as you can find on a camcorder. However, the colors often appear more vibrant than they really are and the still detail is not as good as even a 3.2 megapixal Canon camera. I prefer the prints over a disposable, but I would rather have a Canon Powershot model for this duty.Here are some other nice features. It uses mini-SD cards. You should have no trouble finding 1-2 gig cards that will handle 1,000-2,000 stills at one time. It includes a standard usb cable for transferring stills. It includes a cable that does have a proprietary camera end but the other end has standard AV attachments for plugging into a tv or other video device. With this cable you can transfer video data either way. It also has a rechargeable battery that lasts 1 1/2 hours and a power cable that can be used for recharging and for general operation of the camcorder.As far as the media type, DVD-R, it is the standard. Why would anyone get a mini DVD camera that uses other formats? DVD-R is what will play on your home DVD player. If you recorded on DVD+R or even DVD+/-R DL (this recorder can use DVD-R DL) you would be limited to playing your DVD's on this DVD player or loading them onto your pc and editing them. If that's your gig, the editing software is easy to use and can create professional looking event DVD's.I recommend this camcorder for most people. If you prefer to edit your videos and create a final product with the highest quality video possible, it is still no match for mini DV players. But lets face it, my wife wants to point and shoot and play it for friends without having to do a lot of work. And the last thing I want to do is sit at a pc for hours going over raw video footage in order to create semi-professional movies. Also, don't waste an extra $200 getting the DC40. The stills suffer from the same coloration issues so even though it offers 4.3 megapixals, it won't replace your still camera.****Revised 1/30/07****Per request, here is my take on DVD type. I prefer to use DVD-R at the 20 or 30 minute quality. There's very little difference in quality. However, if you attempt to record at the 60 minute/per disk quality, you will notice a difference. It's easy enough to change DVD's during filming. Just open it and stick a new one in. It takes 10-15 seconds before you can begin recording again, so you probably won't miss much. The reasons for choosing DVD-R over DVD-RW and DVD-R/RW DL are cost, durability and universality. DVD-R disks will play in any DVD player... not so with the DL disks. You will need a Dual Layer compatible player. DVD-RW degrades more particularly if you erase and re-record. The surface is softer because it is made to be burned to, erased and re-burned. Therefore there is a greater risk of data loss. Now you might wonder about erasing useless video and/or editing. If I want an edited video (which I usually don't), I would copy the raw footage to a pc and then edit and burn a new (preferably full-size) DVD-R.I am just learning to use this camera. I loaded the supplied Roxio MyDVD for Canon software on my computer and plugged in the USB cable. When you go to the video capture screen it says that this version of the software, MyDVD LE, does not support image capture. After a few phone calls back and forth with the Canon service center (in Virgina, not India which is nice), we found that you should NOT go to video capture. Duh, you have to click on DVD_Video and then on top, "Open Disc". This will read the disc in the camera via the USB cable. Oh, and you should finalize the disc before doing this as it might not work otherwise. It is probably faster to put the mini-disc in your computer's DVD drive if it has one. But don't forget to Finalize the disc in the camera before doing this.The camera itself has been working well. Tonight I'm going to try out the Fireworks mode to see how that works.