Fun little camera

Review of the DXG 506v Digital Camcorder

This is a small lightweight camcorder; it weighs a mere 180 grams or 6.3 ounces. It’s attractive in silver though it available in other colors. The promotional ads I have seen show it in blue and pink. I purchased this camera for $100.00 on sale from a local Shopko store.

The camcorder also functions as a digital camera, MP3 player, and a voice recorder. With optional storage card it can also be used as a mass storage device. The camcorder comes with 32MB of storage and that amounts to about 16 pictures before the memory fills up. I purchased a 1Gig card from Kmart for $24.95. According to the back of the package the card will hold about 996 pictures at 3Mega pixels, or one about hour of video.

There are some definite highs and lows with this little camcorder. There are at least two big drawbacks. First the long shutter lag time, and the second is its ability or inability to render photographs in low light situations even while using the flash. The placement of the flash is one of the reasons for this. The flash is located directly below the lens in a very natural finger placement area. When the camera is opened you naturally grip it below the lens and hence obscure the flash. Still the flash is tiny and underpowered.

The addendum to the manual says not to be closer than 6 feet when using the flash, and yet an object 8-10 feet away does not get adequate flash coverage. Using this camera indoors without sufficient lighting will render dark, murky pictures at best. Forget about taking indoor wedding pictures or video’s most churches are just to dark to get quality pictures.

Sadly, this camcorder is also missing a tripod socket. There are several small portable tripods available and this camera could use one when it’s time to use the self-timer. The camera does not readily stand on it’s own and is subject to falling over when it’s open up. Closing the view panel is one option but this takes time and it’s difficult to do with out disturbing the initial composition.

Out of doors is another matter. This is where the DXG 506V is very capable. I have made still photographs that allow for great enlargement. The camera can be set for 1,3,5, or 12Mega pixels. I usually use 5MP, anything larger is just a waste of storage space and the ability of computer monitors and color printers to render the larger values is not detectable to any great degree.

Other features on this camera include a close up lens setting and the horrid digital zoom 4X zoom. The quality of pictures taken using this and any other digital zoom is so low as to preclude going without. Pictures I have taken using the zoom do not enlarge well, they look grainy, fuzzy and are unpleasant even in small sizes.

I have not used the MP3 player capability, and only once used the voice recorder. With the purchase of the camcorder it comes with headphones, batteries, soft camera case that can be worn on your belt and a wrist strap. The video and picture software does not work with Windows Vista Home Premium operating system, but that doesn’t matter because Vista Home Premium comes with the necessary software to download pictures and video. You may have to change the video settings on the camcorder to one that is supported by Windows to view the video or download the necessary Quick Time viewer. Also included is a USB cable. I use the headphones on my Sony Walkman Remember those?

The user manual for this unit is difficult to navigate. The print is small and difficult to read so have a magnifying glass handy. I can’t say I learned to use this camera from reading the manual rather I guessed and manipulated the controls until had a grasp of what was what. Much later I discovered a help feature on the camera display. By pressing the button atop of the viewing display you get a schematic of sorts of the controls and functions.

Regardless of its low light performance and the long shutter delay, I like this camcorder. When the conditions are favorable, plenty of light, it takes great pictures. You must hold very still and with time you get a feel for the shutter. The downside to having enough light is the inability to see the display to compose your pictures in bright sunlight. This of course is with any video display camera.

Since this is my first digital camcorder I am uncertain as to battery performance. The addendum to the manual says you can expect 15-30 minutes of use with alkaline batteries. The manufacturer recommends using NiMH rechargeable batteries stating that 5 hours of run time is achievable.

One nice picture play back feature on this camera is being able to zoom in on the picture in the display, not only that but you can pan around the image as well. A feature I have not seen on other cameras.

This camera includes features found on many other cameras. It has auto white balance or it can be set manually for sunny, cloudy conditions indoor tungsten or fluorescent lighting. You can take color, black or white or sepia tone images. You are offered a choice of fine or normal detail range.

For a low cost does it all camcorder I recommend the DXG 506V. However, it has shortcomings as described above. If you know how to use photographic editing programs and are prone to edit your compositions I highly recommend this camcorder for you. Nevertheless before you purchase one for yourself do a little research, how much are you willing to spend? What do you want in a camcorder? Are you the type of person that doesn’t mind taking the time necessary to really learn how to use a new device? Taking group pictures indoors around the Christmas tree is may beyond the capabilities of this camera’s flash. Taking landscapes, still life’s, or capturing vacation videos is within the realm of possibility. I am unaware of any other camcorder that can do as much. Camcorder, MP3 player, Flash drive, voice recorder all tied into one tiny attractive package.