Hitachi DZGX5080A DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom

I bought this camera 2 replace a Sony Digital 8 that went bad. I wanted 2 save the time of putting my tapes on DVD, & figured I'd buy a DVD camera.

I like the compact size of it, & it has a decent optical zoom. You can also film in widescreen mode, which is cool, but you can't switch between 16:9 & 4:3 on the same DVD.

Now 4 the downsides. The main one is that when I try 2 play back a DVD on the camera (whether it is finalized or not) sometimes I get severe pixelation - 2 the point where the camera pauses playback. If I put the finalized DVD in any of my players, it works fine. I don't know if this is expected behavior, but I wouldn't think so. I emailed Hitachi support about it a couple of weeks ago, & I've heard no response.

Another problem is the indoor video. The color & contrast are poor. I even bought this model with the light 2 try 2 avoid that, but it doesn't help much. Actually, it is too direct, & not powerful enough. This results in it being very harsh within about 5 feet, & ineffective past about 10 feet. Outdoor shots look pretty good.

One last comment is on the finalizing. The automatic indexing is nice, but you have 2 have the camera plugged in 2 finalize the DVD. I guess this makes sense, but it is a little inconvenient.

So, overall this purchase has been a bit of a let down.

The DZGX5080A is a DVD Camcorder with a built-in LED light, ensuring proper illumination even in the darkest environments. Also included with this model is USB 2.0 connectivity with PC & Mac software support. Ease of use is taken 2 a whole new level with features like Photo Frame Capture & 1-Second Quick Start. Photo Capture allows users 2 browse video scenes & choose individual frames 2 save as digital stills 2 SD card. 1-second quick start makes recording nearly instantaneous when powering up from sleep mode. 4-Format DVD compatibility, a powerful 30x optical zoom & a 2.7" widescreen LCD display complete the robust feature package.