Performance

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA features a 1/2.8-inch CMOS sensor. The gross pixel count is 5,300,000 and the effective pixel count in Video mode is a much-reduced 2,070,000. The video performance largely depends on the environment in which you’re shooting – this is one of the most charitable things we can say in regards to the camcorder. If you plan on using the DZ-BD7HA exclusively in outdoor settings during the day, you’re all set. If, however, you plan on shooting anywhere that is less brightly lit than a sunny day, you’re in trouble.

The video performance from the DZ-BD7HA is tremendously disappointing, due largely to abysmal auto controls coupled with the lack of manual controls. Indoor video, even in adequate lighting (80 to 300 lux, which is sufficient for reading fine print), is poorly colored, grainy, and extremely prone to motion blur. Auto focus and exposure are among the worst of year.

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](http://images.camcorderinfo.com/images/upload/Image/Hitachi/DZ-BD7HA/Performance/Full-res/Hitachi_DZ-BD7HA_3000_Lux_Auto.bmp)
Click for full-res version.

First, however, let’s look at our standardized testing, in which we shoot a DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde color chart lit at an even 3000 lux. Under these conditions, the DZ-BD7HA showd a sharp but blown-out image. The colors appeared washed-out, and the white and lightest gray color tiles were almost indistinguishable. Other areas of white, including the slim areas in the resolution trumpets, were also blown out. This tendency to blow out did not show itself too often outside the lab, so we wouldn’t consider it to be a major issue.

The other detrimental aspect of the picture, and one that showed itself in all instances, was the compression artifacting. On the chart it’s possible to see it as compression-induced noise along areas of high-density information – in this case, anywhere with text.

For comparison, we looked at the Panasonic HDC-SX5, the Canon HR10, and the Sony HDR-UX7, all camcorders that record in the AVCHD codec in bit rates similar to the DZ-BD7HA. The Panasonic SX5 had a slightly "softer" look, but the colors and exposure were correct, making for an overall better image. It also had less compression noise. The Canon HR10 completely blew away the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA in every aspect – color, sharpness, compression, and motion. The Sony HDR-UX7 produced a much better color and exposure. The UX7 showed a fair amount of noise, even in this light, but the noise was more random and spread out than the concentrated bits of noise in the DZ-BD7HA. In summary, all the competition surpassed it.

Outside of the lab, the Hitachi showed frustratingly mixed results. It would be easier to talk about if the performance were uniformly bad, or even mediocre. That fact is, there is a huge disparity between bright light outdoor shooting and indoor shooting. (We’ll get to full low light testing below.) Outdoors, the image was generally sharp and colored well. There was frequent evidence of compression artifacting in areas of high density, but not an overwhelming amount. We saw the same thing with all AVCHD camcorders. Motion was smoother than the Panasonic and Sony models, and about the same as the Canon HR10 and HG10. The only noticeable flaw in the DZ-BD7HA during daylight shooting was that you could see the scan lines along straight vertical and diagonal lines. However, you’d have to be up close to the screen to see them with any clarity.

Indoor shooting, as described above, was a mess of noise, blur, and poor dynamic range. Overall, we were none too pleased with the world’s first Blu-ray camcorder.

Video Resolution* (18.0)*

The video resolution is determined by shooting a DSC Labs video resolution chart at an even, bright light, then watching the playback footage on an HD monitor. In order to test the resolution in a way that emulates actual video shooting, we don’t hold the shot perfectly still. Instead, we make small pan and tilt movements on the tripod to see how it really handles during motion. At best, the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA produced an approximate horizontal resolution of 600 line widths per picture height (lw/ph), and a vertical resolution of 600 lw/ph. This is a very good score, and comparable with the best of the AVCHD camcorders. The results show, yet again, that the DZ-D7 can do well in perfect, bright light.

**Low Light Performance ***(2.38)*

The low light testing of the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA was performed in multiple stages. The first test involves shooting a DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde color checker chart at an even 60 lux and 15 lux, then comparing the shots to other camcorders under the same conditions.

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](http://images.camcorderinfo.com/images/upload/Image/Hitachi/DZ-BD7HA/Performance/Full-res/Hitachi_DZ-BD7HA_60_Lux_Auto.bmp)
*Click for full-res version. *

At 60 lux, the DZ-BD7HA produced an incredible amount of noise. Most camcorders, even cheap ones, don’t show this much noise until 15 lux. The noise resulted in a tremendous loss of fine detail. No HD video should lack this much resolution at 60 lux, a light at which most people could comfortably read fine print. It’s difficult to determine by the eye what is the fault of a poor imager and what is poor compression. For the consumer, it’s really irrelevant, because you can’t replace the imager or change the compression.

By comparison, all other camcorders in its class performed better – amazingly better. The Panasonic HDC-SX5, even with its slightly fuzzy look, appeared much sharper and cleaner than the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA. The Panasonic did help to show that the DZ-BD7HA’s color performance at 60 lux was not terrible – it’s just difficult to appreciate under all the noise. The Canon HR10 had a remarkably sharper picture, though it did not automatically expose as brightly. The Sony HDR-UX7 was the noisiest of Hitachi’s three competitors, but the noise was of fine grain and did not have a major impact on fine detail capture. In summary, every camcorder was much, much better than the Hitachi.

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](http://images.camcorderinfo.com/images/upload/Image/Hitachi/DZ-BD7HA/Performance/Full-res/Hitachi_DZ-BD7HA_15_Lux_Auto.bmp)
Click for full-res version.

At 15 lux, all detail is shot. This is ridiculous – the performance of a $300 camcorder, not a $1,600 camcorder. How a camcorder with a 1/2.8-inch chip can only gather this much light is a complete mystery. Needless to say, the competition did better, even the Panasonic HDC-SX5, which has three 1/6-inch CCDs.

The second part of the low light trials is lighting the DSC Labs Color Checker chart at an even 60 lux, then running frame grabs through Imatest imaging software to determine color accuracy, noise, and saturation. According to Imatest, the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA produced a color error of 14.9, which was on par with the Panasonic HDC-SX5 but significantly worse than the Canon HR10 and the Sony HDR-UX7, both of which use a large, single chip similar to the Hitachi. The noise level measured approximately 1.0625 percent. This score was somewhere in the middle of the competitors, which indicates that some of the "fuzz" that plagued the Hitachi was likely compression artifacting. Finally, the saturation was approximately 60.62 percent, which was on the low end of the scale.

The final test measures sensitivity in low light. We shoot the DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde chart at an even light, then steadily lower the light while monitoring IRE levels (which measure exposure). The sensitivity score is derived from the light level at which the camcorder can produce 50 IRE. At best, the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA was able to produce 50 IRE at 22 lux, which is rather sad compared to camcorders with similarly large imagers.

Stabilization* (3.94)*

The DZ-BD7HA is equipped with electronic image stabilization (EIS), a shake reduction system that operates by creating a digital buffer from pixels on the perimeter of the imaging chip. Optical image stabilization (OIS) typically functions with a gyroscope and does not reduce the effective pixel count, and is therefore superior to EIS. At $1,600, we would expect the DZ-BD7HA to feature OIS, but alas, we expected a lot of things on this camcorder that never materialized.

We tested the capabilities of the DZ-BD7HA’s EIS using our custom-built shake emulator. The camcorder was set to Auto mode and the LCD was flipped open during this test. Two speeds were used to simulate typical recording habits. Speed One is akin to stationary hand-held camcorder operation or a cautious walk on flat ground. Speed Two is more along the lines of shooting from a jerky car or running with the camcorder. The DZ-HB7HA exhibited a 66.7 percent shake reduction at Speed One and a truly pitiful 10 percent shake reduction at Speed Two. For a high-end camcorder, this performance is simply unacceptable.

Wide Angle* (8.6)*

We tested the DZ-BD7HA’s maximum field of view using a vertical laser. The camcorder was mounted to a tripod with the zoom pulled back to its widest angle and EIS disengaged. The DZ-BD7HA showed a wide angle measurement of 43 degrees, which is on the lower end of the scale.

 

 

 

 

Format

Compression* (5.0)*

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA, along with cousin-model DZ-BD7HA0, is the first camcorder to output video to the Blu-ray disc format. Video is actually captured in the AVC/H.264 codec, a variant of MPEG-4. Though similar to AVCHD, Hitachi is using its own version of the codec that makes it incompatible with software that can read AVCHD.

When the AVCHD format was announced last year, many critics derided it as a stop-gap measure created by an industry that had not yet found a way to record video directly to Blu-ray or its competitor, HD DVD. The industry apparently disagreed, releasing a multitude of camcorders using AVCHD, quickly advancing to the point where a few of them were actually worth buying. If the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA is representative of what we were supposed to be waiting for, they can keep it. The compression, as far as our testing shows, is quite bad. Compression artifacts were rampant, particularly compression-induced noise. The camcorder also showed signs of trailing, even in bright light. Granted, a lot the image quality issues we saw were not necessarily due to the compression, but enough of them were that we’re not impressed with this first-generation Blu-ray effort.

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA offers three quality settings in high definition: The highest, HX, records in 1920 x 1080 at 15 Mbps. The next two qualities, HF and HS, record 1440 x 1080 at 11 Mbps and 7 Mbps, respectively.

The HDD media records on high definition video. However, the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA can record standard definition video to DVD if standard definition media is inserted. There are two quality settings: SX (9 Mbps) and SF (6 Mbps).

Media* (7.0)*

Like several camcorders this year, the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA is a hybrid camcorder, meaning it records video to two primary media, DVD and an internal 30 GB hard disk drive (HDD). Hybrid camcorders typically retail for more than a single-medium camcorder, but the flexibility it offers makes them worthy of consideration. Depending on your shooting or post-production requirements, one medium or another may be the most appropriate at the time. Also, if one breaks, you’ll have the other to fall back on.

The DVD media will prove the most tricky, as the camcorder uses special 8 centimeter DVDs (sometimes called miniDVDs) in the Blu-ray format, which are rather thin on the ground. For part of our testing, we used a "BD-RE" disc with a 7.5 GB capacity. Also compatible is the BD-R format. Just make sure before you order them online that they are the 8 centimeter size and not the 12 centimeter size.

By comparison, AVCHD camcorders recording to DVD use standard miniDVDs that can be purchased at almost any convenient store. The advantage of Blu-ray discs is capacity. Standard miniDVDs only hold about 20 minutes of AVCHD video in the highest quality. A Blu-ray miniDVD holds 60 minutes of video from the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA in the highest quality (HX). In the HF quality, it holds 80 minutes, and in HS quality, it holds 120 minutes.

The 30 GB internal HDD may have to be the medium of choice for the time being, which is not a problem. At that capacity, the DZ-BD7HA holds 4 hours in HX quality, 5 hours in HF quality, and 8 hours in HS quality.

Standard definition recording is only possible through DVD recording. Compatible formats include DVD-R/-RW/-RAM.

Editing* (4.0)*

As with most new formats, the Blu-Ray video from the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA is a complete pain to work with. As the new formats keep rolling in, we’re going to make a general recommendation of giving the industry a full year to catch up. Otherwise, you’re just setting yourself up for hours of frustration and research on message boards.

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA outputs files in the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, with a .m2ts file extension. Though this is the same extension you’ll see from AVCHD camcorders, don’t expect the same software compatibility. Just for kicks, every manufacturer puts its own spin on file types. What fun would it be if your editing software always worked with new products?

The DZ-BD7HA includes a mediocre editing program in the box, standard for most camcorders: Image Mixer 3 HD Edition for BDCAM. The software allows you to import clips from the camcorder and output them as H.264 files in 1440 x 1080 or 1920 x 1080 in three quality settings, or down-converted to standard definition MPEG-2 files in 720 x 480. The software-outputted H.264 files don’t have any more compatibility than files dragged straight from the camcorder, not even the H.264 lovin’ QuickTime Pro. Of course, everything can read standard definition MPEG-2, but if you wanted that you wouldn’t have spent $1,600 on the DZ-BD7HA.

In summary, the support is not in place.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (2.75)

The auto controls on the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA leave a lot to be desired. The shooting experience can only be described as sitting as a passenger in a Porches with a student driver behind the wheel. We know the camcorder has potential (if the $1,600 price tag is any indication), and that Blu-ray compression could be great, but the systems designed by Hitachi to perform the basic responses to changes in light are abysmal.

The problem is multifold. First and foremost, the typical auto exposure response lags, then suddenly leaps into action as if someone has snapped their fingers. The camcorder shows a complete inability to transition smoothly from one setting to another. It’s terribly distracting to watch. If you’re panning across a scene with multiple highlights and shadows, the camcorder leaps jarringly from bright to dark and back.

Second, the DZ-BD7HA seems to have a poor metering method for its auto exposure. For instance, the camcorder overexposes a bright object in a shot, even if that object is taking up 70 percent of the frame. A better camcorder would give you the option to change the Metering mode or understand that if an object is taking up that much space, it’s probably the subject of the shot and should be exposed accordingly.

Auto focus is also an issue. It’s not very good. When shooting objects in Macro, the band of focus is very small, and because there is no aperture adjustment, there’s no great way to correct for it. When shooting objects that are farther away, the camcorder has a hard time finding the proper focus. Typically, the camcorder uses contrast to find the focal point, but when the image is as noisy as this, the contrast can be hard to determine.

Even the auto shutter has problems, which is something we hardly ever notice on camcorders. It appears – and we have no way to verify this – that the auto shutter is permitted to dip as low as 1/30 of a second, rather than the standard 1/60. While many camcorders allow you to engage or disengage a feature like this, the DZ-BD7HA gives you no choice. The shutter speed is completely determined by the camcorder. And as with the exposure, you’ll see a jarring shift between the camcorder using "slow shutter" and "normal shutter" – the entire look and feel of the video changes, often from one second to the next.

The camcorder also includes a few one-touch controls for simple image correction. In the Main menu are four Program AE modes: Portrait, Spotlight, Sand & Snow, and Low Light. A button labeled "BLC" in the LCD cavity activates the Backlight Compensation, which boosts exposure to bring out the detail in subjects that are too strongly backlit.

We could find it in our hearts to forgive the poor auto responses, even a little, if the manual control package was more substantial. Unfortunately, there is very little in that regard, making this camcorder a real turkey.

*

Overall Manual Control (3.0)*

The manual control package on the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA is slim – terrifically slim considering the hefty price tag. By comparison, the nearest in price, the JVC GZ-HD7 ($1,700 MSRP), at least tried to justify itself by offering the most substantial manual control suite of the year.

The DZ-BD7HA offers exposure control, basic manual focus, a few white balance options, and zoom. There is no shutter speed, no aperture, no focus assist tools, no gain, no color correction, and no zebra stripes. There is, however, an option for guidelines on the LCD screen, so it’s not all bad, right?

Our disappointment in the control set would be greater were we not so underwhelmed by everything else regarding the camcorder.

Zoom (5.0)

The zoom toggle on the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA is comfortable and well placed for the index finger. When zooming, a scale appears in the upper left corner to tell you where in the zoom range you are. However, the actual numerical value is not given. Depending on finger pressure, it’s possible to get about four zoom speeds, from a slow crawl to a quick run. This is possibly, and sadly, the best manual control on the camcorder.

*

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)*

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA features a 10x optical zoom, which is on par with most HD camcorders currently on the market. The digital zoom, activated in the menu, can be extended to either 40x or 500x. The 40x, while sure to infringe on image quality to some extent, is certainly favorable to 500x, an outlandish feature that holds little real-world use.

Focus (4.0)

The manual focus control is pitiful, considering the price, the fact it’s HD, and that the auto focus is not very good. Manual focus is activated by pushing the focus button in the LCD cavity. Once activated, a small orange icon appears on screen directing you to push the joystick left and right. There is no scale or numerical values to tell you where in the focal range you are. Also, most manufacturers figured out that LCDs are typically too small or too low-res to make the proper adjustment by eye alone, and therefore included helpful focusing tools. Hitachi thought otherwise, and neglected to include anything of the sort.

Exposure & Aperture (5.0)

The only exposure control is a simple exposure compensation tool, activated by pushing the exposure button in the LCD cavity. Once engaged, a small orange scale appears on-screen with a range of +/-6. The actual effects on aperture and shutter speed are unknown. On the whole, the exposure control is simple and effective, but does not offer much range. The darkest setting is not all that dark, nor is the +6 setting completely blown out.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA offers no shutter speed control. All the other DVD and HDD-based HD camcorders have shutter control, except Sony.

White Balance (6.25)

The white balance controls, unlike the other major manual controls, do not merit an external button in the LCD cavity. Rather, they are found in the menu. Options include Auto, Set (Manual), Outdoor, Indoor 1 (incandescent or halogen), and Indoor 2 (fluorescent). Making a manual adjustment is easy – just select the Set option, then push in the joystick. You will be exited from the menu, then asked to push in on the joystick again. The list of presets compares favorably to Panasonic and Sony camcorders, which give you a shorter set of options. Canon’s is better.

Gain (0.0)

There is no gain control. Only Panasonic camcorders offer gain control in the consumer class.

Other Manual Controls (1.0)

Auxiliary Line - In a confusing bit of nomenclature, Hitachi uses the term "Auxiliary Line" to mean a guidelines feature – four thin lines in a grid pattern across the screen to help you set up a shot.

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (4.5)*

The DZ-BD7HA offers one of the most sparse sets of still features on the market, and for a $1,600 camcorder with three different forms of recording media, this is a shame. The DZ-BD7HA can only record still images to an SD/SDHC card in one size, 2400 x 1800. There is no quality setting and images cannot be saved to the HDD. We’re not entirely sure what Hitachi was thinking here. The Sony HDR-UX7 and Canon HR10 offer a slew of still feature options and retail for significantly lower prices. You can save a frame from a recorded video clip at 1920 x 1080 on the DZ-BD7HA, but the quality will be questionable because the video doesn’t typically look that good.

The DZ-BD7HA does offer a flash, which can be set to Auto, On, or Off, and a 10-second Self-Timer, but that’s it. Poor form.

 

In Photo mode, the menu offers the following options:

In Photo Playback mode, the menu offers the following options:

Still Performance* (9.2)*

The still photos of the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA were tested by shooting a GretagMacBeth Color Checker chart at a bright, even light, then running the photos through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder was able to produce a color error of 6.52, on par with other camcorders in its class. The noise levels measured 1.175 percent, also average. The saturation was 107.6 percent.

Typically, a camcorder slightly overexposes its stills, which negatively skews the color accuracy. The Hitachi did so more than usual. To get this best score, we lowered the exposure by three increments. As is common, the camcorder does not tell you what the aperture, shutter speed, or EV values actually are. What’s less normal is that the camcorder does not export any relevant EXIF data along with the stills – you’ll never know what settings the camcorder used.

In practical shooting, the DZ-BD7HA produced noisy stills. We frequently saw ghosting along high contrast areas, both on the charts and out of the labs. Like the video, shooting in anything but strong light resulted in a lot of noise. The camcorder is not a strong still performer.

Still Resolution* (22.33)*

The still resolution of the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA was tested by shooting an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart and running the stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder was able to produce an approximate horizontal resolution of 1294 line widths per picture height (lw/ph), with a 1.94 percent clipping and an oversharpening of 11.3 percent - and an approximate vertical resolution of 972.4 lw/ph, with a 2.30 percent clipping and an undersharpening of 6.43 percent.

In order to get this best score, we raised the exposure by two increments. As stated previously, the DZ-BD7HA does not offer any EXIF data as to what those increments mean.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (8.0)*

To any point-and-shooter, three different forms of recording media means three different menus and thus, three different playback methods. Fortunately, the DZ-BD7HA utilizes an intuitive menu structure that is virtually identical in appearance and function whether you record to HDD, Blu-ray, or an SD/SDHC card (for stills). Manual controls are simple – primarily because there are so few of them. Without shutter speed and gain, users only need to focus on exposure and white balance. We’re not saying this is an optimal system by any means (the more manual controls, the merrier), but it narrows down the amount of choices for beginners.

There is, in fact, a "Full Auto" button that places the DZ-BD7HA in a state of autopilot, but it’s no match for Sony’s Easy mode. After all, an Auto mode is only as good as the camcorder’s ability to field constantly changing light conditions. On the plus side, the DZ-BD7HA’s joystick operates quickly and accurately, whether in Recording mode or Playback. The DZ-BD7HA includes a Quick Start button that saves the camcorder’s individual settings and powers on in an instant to catch the action.

Now let’s discuss the most daunting part of the DZ-BD7HA - the Blu-ray format. In order to play back footage recorded to a Blu-ray disc, you need a Blu-ray player, which will generally run you hundreds of dollars. If you opt to shoot to the HDD, which we recommend, you still have to deal with the DZ-BD7HA’s stubborn compression format — newer and therefore even more obstinate than AVCHD. You can only export movies via the provided HD Writer software as 1920 x 1080 H.264 files or 720 x 480 MPEG2 files. These particular H.264 files are not compatible with a lot of playback software. So much for editing "Full HD" video without jumping through significant hoops. In addition, stills can only be captured to an SD card and not the HDD.

Handling* (6.25)*

Hitachi clearly chose style over performance for the DZ-BD7HA. The camcorder contains curves and shapes reminiscent of a Jaguar XKR convertible, but it sure doesn’t perform like one. With clandestine ports, shiny buttons, and a silver metallic finish, the DZ-BD7HA is one of the hottest-looking camcorders on the market. However, we found its video performance and manual/automatic controls to be abysmal. Can the DZ-BD7HA make up for it in the handling department?

The DZ-BD7HA is a large, heavy machine. It’s akin to the JVC GZ-HD7, sporting a massive lens barrel and wide body. The DZ-BD7HA weighs almost as much as the GZ-HD7, but handles a bit differently due to its tall frame and large disc hatch. The Sony HDR-UX7 is approximately 26 percent smaller than the DZ-BD7HA, and the Canon HR10 is 42 percent smaller when stacked up against this monster.

Despite the DZ-BD7HA’s intimidating size, it actually feels great in the hand. Those with larger hands will find their fingers comfortably resting atop their designated locations — the thumb blankets the record start/stop button, and the middle, ring, and pinky fingers have plenty of surface area to grab thanks to the voluminous disc hatch. Most shooters will find they have to shift their index finger back significantly to reach the zoom toggle, which compromises the grip a bit. Once you’ve latched the DZ-BD7HA onto your hand you’ll notice how balanced the camcorder feels, due mostly to its heavy, square-shaped frame.

The LCD-mounted joystick functions as smoothly as any JVC Everio, and allows for rapid menu selection and manual control adjustment. Though the DZ-BD7HA’s joystick does not offer the one-handed camcorder operation of a Panasonic or Canon, it beats Sony’s smudgy touch screen interface any day. The DZ-BD7HA also includes exposure and focus buttons embedded in the LCD cavity. While these may seem like advanced perks, most other camcorders within this price range are equipped with either Cam Control dials or Joystick menus, with most manual controls readily available. For $1,600, the DZ-BD7HA should be offering more manual controls, a Cam Control dial/ring, and additional connectivity.

Menu* (6.5)*

The DZ-BD7HA’s menu structure proves to be one of the camcorder’s few redeeming qualities. The menu is clean, easy to navigate, and responds quickly to joystick operation. Shifting between three different media modes can be overwhelming, but the menu structure is relatively the same across the board. A handful of buttons are embedded within the LCD cavity, which whittles down on-screen menu options. Unlike most camcorders, there is no split between "Main menu" and "Manual Control menu," perhaps because the manual controls are so few that they do not warrant a separate menu.

The HDD and DVD menus are identical and can be accessed by pressing the menu button in the top left corner of the LCD panel. The menu consists of the following options:

Portability* (4.5)*

In terms of dimensions and weight, this hybrid is no mammoth JVC Everio by any stretch, nor is it a petite Sony HDD. The DZ-BD7HA ranks alongside the JVC GZ-HD3 and GZ-HD7 in size, so if you’re hoping that the world’s first Blu-ray camcorder is easy to tote around, think again. The DZ-BD7HA is a large machine, measuring 80 x 87 x 165mm (3 1/8 x 3 7/16 x 6 1/2 inches) and tipping the scale at 705 grams (1 pound, 8.9 ounces). You’ll need a medium or large camera bag with plenty of room for cables, Blu-ray discs, SD cards, and back-up batteries. Fortunately, Blu-ray discs offer an hour of recording time at the highest quality setting, so that should assuage the financial strain a bit. We’re not really sure why you’d want to shoot on Blu-ray when the DZ-BD7HA’s HDD can accommodate more than four hours of footage, anyway.

LCD and Viewfinder* (6.5)*

The DZ-BD7HA is equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD screen that features a 211,200-pixel display. The LCD screen flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. Hitachi has outfitted the LCD panel with a joystick and menu/playback controls that include menu, select, and stop/exit buttons. Most navigational activity takes place within the LCD panel and the placement of the controls is conducive to rapid selections and adjustments. A display button within the LCD cavity allows the shooter to toggle between an icon-free screen and standard screen. We’re pleased with the DZ-BD7HA’s LCD screen, which is unfortunately one of its few redeeming qualities.

The DZ-BD7HA also features a rubberized color viewfinder that telescopes out approximately 3/4-inch from the back of the camcorder. While we appreciate the effort here, 3/4-inch is not a substantial amount of clearance on a camcorder this large — the arced left side of the rear frame battles with the nose. On the plus side, the rubberized gasket is a nice touch. The dioptric adjuster rests along the top of the viewfinder’s shaft for those with prescription glasses.

**

Battery Life*** (10.1)*

We tested the life of the DZ-BD7HA’s battery pack by recording continuously in Manual mode with the LCD flipped open and EIS disabled. The DZ-BP14S Battery Pack lasted a total of 100 minutes and 39 seconds (1 hour, 40 minutes, and 39 seconds). This is a truly average performance. The Panasonic HDC-SX5 lasted well over two hours (153 minutes and 34 seconds) and Sony HDR-UX7 held out for a solid 121 minutes and 19 seconds.

 

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (6.5)*

Onboard audio options are severely lacking on the DZ-BD7HA, consisting of just a Mic Filter to reduce wind interference. The built-in stereo microphone is located on top of the camcorder, just above the lens. Though this placement is usually not conducive to most grips, the DZ-BD7HA is big enough that the hand will not interfere with the microphone. The DZ-BD7HA is equipped with a hot accessory shoe and mic input, but there is no headphone jack. At this price point, a headphone jack should be standard.

The Panasonic HDC-SX5 provides the most advanced audio control for a high-end DVD/Flash hybrid, including gain control, a zoom microphone, and a decibel level meter. At $700 more, the DZ-BD7HA is equipped with low to mid-grade audio options, with only a wind screen to its name. The hot shoe and mic input are nice touches, but is that the least Hitachi could do on a $1,600 camcorder?

Playback* (4.0)*

Like the DZ-BD7HA menu structure, the Playback screen is identical in HDD, Blu-ray, or SD/SDHC card mode (for still capture). Pressing the disc navigation button cues a screen filled with 12 icons representing individually recorded clips or stills. You can scroll through the icons via the joystick and select an option by pressing the center of the joystick. The Playback menu can be accessed by pressing the menu button. You’ll find the following options in HDD mode:

In Blu-ray mode, the menu offers the following options:

When a clip is selected, it fills up the screen and begins playing. Playback controls are governed by the joystick, which features labels on all four sides: up for rewind, down for fast forward, right for next clip, and left for previous clip. The center of the joystick controls play/pause and the zoom toggle adjusts the volume of the clip. While a clip is playing, you can press the menu button, which triggers a menu screen with the following options:

Connectivity* (7.0)*

Almost all of the DZ-BD7HA’s ports are located on the left side of the camcorder, hidden within highly inconspicuous panels without labels. It was guesswork stumbling upon the component-out and AV-out terminals, which are tucked behind a clever, sleek-looking port cover. The cover can be flipped open via a small finger groove along the bottom of the camcorder, and simply dangles by a thin plastic strip when fully extended. The USB and HDMI terminals are slightly easier to locate, seeking refuge behind a large fan-shaped plastic enclosure embedded within the LCD cavity. A small finger groove sits along the right side, and the port cover flips outward from the bottom.

Hitachi gains style points, but not practicality points. Any camcorder that requires you to read the manual in order to locate any connection does not score well in the ease of use department. Furthermore, the DZ-BD7HA’s external power supply situation is far from preferable. Hitachi supplies the shooter with a thin battery-shaped DC adapter that fits in — you guessed it — the battery chamber. You cannot charge the battery while the camcorder is plugged into the external power source, and what happens if you’re in the middle of catching a robbery and the battery is on its last legs? You have to shut the camcorder off, insert the battery, and wait a significant amount of time for the big lumbering bear to spring into action. By that time, your incriminating evidence – and reward money – is long gone.

On the right side, a tiny gray strip is tucked behind the front hand strap grommet, housing the mic jack. It’s almost as if Hitachi doesn’t want its consumers to find any ports on the DZ-BD7HA. Lastly, the SD/SDHC card slot is located underneath the DZ-BD7HA, preventing the shooter from swapping cards while the camcorder is mounted to a tripod. If you actually plan on capturing stills with the DZ-BD7HA, you can only record them to a card — not the HDD or DVD.

 

 

 

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA ships with the following items:

-DZ-BP14S Battery Pack

-DZ-ACS3 AC Adapter/Charger

-DC Power Cord -DZ-RM4W Remote Control

-CR2032 Lithium Battery

-Power Cable

-AV/S Cable

-Component Cable

-Software CD-ROM (Pixela Image Mixer 3 HD Edition)

-USB Cable

-Disc Cleaning Cloth

-8 cm BD-RE Single Sided Disc

The only items worth purchasing after you first unsheathe the DZ-BD7HA are an HDMI cable and a couple backup batteries. Other than that, Hitachi paves the way right out of the box.

Other Features* (2.0)
**Backlight Compensation (BLC)- *When a subject is underexposed within a bright background, Backlight Compensation adjusts the overall exposure so the subject is brought into more even light.

Quick Start- Much like Canon’s Quick Start, Hitachi’s version powers the camcorder on with all saved settings in approximately one second from Standby mode.

Dubbing - The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA is able to transfer video from the HDD onto a blank DVD, entirely within the camcorder.

 

 

 

 

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
Hitachi DZ-BD70HA
The DZ-BD70HA ($1,350 MSRP) is identical to the DZ-BD7HA, except that it lacks a 30 GB HDD and records exclusively to DVD. In Hitachi’s world, it costs $250 to become a hybrid, but neither of these camcorders are worth even half their respective price tags. With deplorable video quality and limited manual controls, no camcorder within this price range could be proud.

Panasonic HDC-SX5
While the Panasonic HDC-SX5 ($899 MSRP) is not a handling champ, it churns out admirable video quality. This is thanks to its three 1/6-inch CCDs, each with a 560,000 gross pixel count. The DZ-BD7HA's 1/2.8-inch CMOS chip just couldn’t cut it in bright or even low light, displaying an image pelted with noise and artifacts. The HDC-SX5 also has optical image stabilization, aperture control, shutter speed control, gain, audio level control, and more still features. The HDC-SX5 is also a hybrid, recording to DVD and SD/SDHC. Since there is no reason to buy the DZ-BD7HA, the HDC-SX5 is the clear winner. It’s also $700 less expensive. However, read the next comparison before you settle on the SX5.

Canon HR10
Canon imaging this year has been the horse to beat, and the HR10 ($1,199 MSRP) keeps a swift pace with the HG10 and HV20. The HR10’s video performance is the best in its class. Like the HG10, the HR10’s 24P mode does not work as advertised, but the HR10 will give you the best video performance a high definition DVD camcorder has to offer. On the downside, the HR10 is fairly stripped down in terms of handling and connectivity. The HR10 lacks an accessory shoe, mic jack, and headphone jack. While these flaws will stunt the shooting experience, the HR10 offers a wealth of manual controls and a rear-mounted joystick. Besides, its video quality alone is enough to blow the DZ-BD7HA out of the water. At $400 less, it would be a joke to opt for the DZ-BD7HA. For the best of Canon, skip the DVD medium all together and look at the HDD-based MG10, or better still, the HV20, an HDV camcorder.

Sony HDR-UX7
We crowned the HDR-UX7 ($1,199.99 MSRP) as 2007's Best High-End DVD camcorder for a reason. The HDR-UX7 exhibits an excellent video performance, stellar handling, and classic Sony ease-of-use. The HDR-UX7 features a Cam Control dial that dictates up to four different manual controls. You also get a whopping 3.5-inch LCD screen, mic and headphone jacks, a hot accessory shoe, and optical image stabilization as part of the deal. Unfortunately, a typical DVD will only hold up to 15 minutes in the highest quality. The DZ-BD7HA offers longer recording times but lacks what all three of its competitors excel in: top-notch video quality. Who wants more than 500 minutes of blocky, maladjusted footage? Save $400 and spring for the HDR-UX7.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

Blu-ray and HDD combined!? The DZ-BD7HA seems like a Point-and-Shooter paradise — if you can look beyond its severely lacking video quality, stubborn Blu-ray format, and foreboding price tag.

Budget Consumers

The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA is by no means a budget camcorder. At $1,600, the DZ-BD7HA doesn’t even offer half the features its competitors offer, and produces truly dreadful video. You could buy four high-end MiniDV camcorders for less than $1,600.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

Still features are exceedingly lacking.

Gadget Freaks

From the exterior, the DZ-BD7HA is a geek’s dream — a camcorder that records to Blu-ray and HDD! Ooh, and check out that futuristic style! Unfortunately, what you’ll find under the DZ-BD7HA’s hood is quite the opposite.

Manual Control Freaks

The DZ-BD7HA includes focus, exposure, and white balance. Shutter speed, gain, and any other form of manual control is nowhere to be found. Even consumer-driven Sonys feature some sort of Shutter control.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

The video quality alone will scare away any pro. Those left standing will bolt when they learn of the DZ-BD7HA’s convoluted compression.

Conclusion

So here it is, the world’s first Blu-ray camcorder. The Hitachi DZ-BD7HA proves that being the first at something does not necessarily warrant you pulling out your wallet to reward it. While Hitachi has surely overcome some technical hurdles to bring the DZ-BD7HA into existence, it’s riddled with so many problems that have been solvable for years that we wonder how gullible or fad-hungry it thought the public would be. Sixteen-hundred dollars for a camcorder that has virtually no manual controls, electronic rather than optical image stabilization, a poor auto response system, and, above all, terrible image quality – that’s a raw deal.

 

 

 

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