Canon DC210 Camcorder

If you want a DVD camcorder to shoot videos, make VERY minor edits from the camcorder itself, and then drop in your DVD player -- the DC210 is okay. It's easy to use, despite the poorly written user guide.

After talking with Canon, I found out that they chose not to inform their users, or even their retailers, that the output video format in VR mode is "VRO" -- a new, largely unsupported format.

Users CANNOT edit their videos without conversion software -- which, according to Canon reps, WILL NOT be provided on the Canon site. And, this format is so new, I had difficulty finding conversion software and I was unable to find freeware to convert the VRO video files.

Canon does not provide ANY software for this camcorder -- their reason: the camcorder is ONLY intended for point-shoot-play. Note: Canon didn't even bother addressing 'VRO' in the user manual that came in the box or the PDF file on their site.

During my last conversation with a Canon rep, my message was basically "shame on you." Canon has obviously chosen to ignore rapidly increasing consumer interest in video editing, the credit for this going to Adobe, Pinnacle, and others, who have given us some good, simple tools to do creative editing on home and/or amateur videos.

Canon totally blew this one. They could have packaged the DC210 with, at minimum, some conversion software and a better user-guide.

The DC210 gets 2 stars only because it does do what Canon wants it to do.

Canon gets an 'F-minus' for not shelling out a few extra cents for each camcorder sold to ensure customers have conversion software, and subsequently the capability to easily edit their creations with inexpensive, easy-to-use
movie/video editing software.

Easy to use.

Canon does not provide software to convert VRO output; users will have to search for and pay for shareware in order to edit videos with easy-to-use Microsoft, Adobe, Pinnacle, or other movie/video editors.