The initial impression you get with the NV-EX21 camera is that its weighty, even though its only 550 grams. One thing is for sure, though, once you get going, you forget that first impression and enjoy working with it. It has a dual purpose, with a clever top section that becomes a still camera when detached from the video camera base.

The digital still camera is a treat to use. It is very small and compact and as light as a feather with a built-in flash. Shooting is limited only by the battery and the capacity of the memory card, with pictures either a resolution of 1,200 x 900 or 640 x 480, and you have a choice of Fine, Normal or Economy quality. At the higher resolution, nine shots can be taken with the 8MB SD Memory Card on the Fine setting, or 16 shots at Normal and 25 shots on Economy. At the lower resolution up to 180 images can be fitted onto a card. The USB connection is used to transfer to the host PC. The SD card can also be used to record short MPEG movies and voice. An optional 64MB card can store up to 65 minutes of MPEG4 video and 1,760 VGA still pictures.

Photos can also be put to tape in the standard configuration that increases the capacity to record a swag of photos as seven second stills. In this mode you have a choice of Progressive and Continuous Photoshot or Digital Still.
There are three modes of operation: camera, VCR and Card PB, and these are selected via a slider switch that doubles as the On/Off switch. Unlike the Sony DCR-IP7 (reviewed January 2002, page 84), menu selection is not via a rocker button but by a small push button on the top of the camera that steps you through the menu selections.

Most basic functions are directly selectable, and the buttons on the casing make this an easy camera to use whether in video or still camera mode. It has a wide range of menus covering the basic camera setup, digital effects, display, recording and more.

Digital effects include Multi Picture, Picture in Picture, Wipe, Mix, Strobe, Tracer, Mosaic and Mirror. In addition, you have Negative Mode, Sepia, Black and White, and Solarisation for that special or upbeat look.

With Strobe you can grab nine consecutive still pictures within one second on a fast setting, or two seconds on slow, and Picture in Picture inserts a small picture from a scene of your choice into the main video recording.

Zoom is a smooth 10:1 power zoom with 25x/100x digital if required. At 1x you can focus down to 30mm, which is a macro setting. Focus can be either manual or automatic as can white balance, shutter speed and aperture if you like to keep control manually.

The camera uses a classy Leica Dicomar lens, and combined with 1.02 megapixel CCD can provide a resolution of up to 520 lines. The 2.5in 200,000 pixel LCD viewing screen provides brilliant and sharp pictures to ensure you dont miss a thing. The screen has a wide viewing angle of 120 degrees vertical and 110 horizontal and can be rotated through 270 degrees, allowing you to participate in the filming. As with the Sony DCR-IP7, Bluetooth expansion will be available in 2002 for short range wireless downloading to PCs. Otherwise, normal FireWire communications with the PC are necessary.

Quite frankly, of the cameras that I have tested lately this is my pick. It has everything you will need in the field and then some and uses a standard DV tape (unlike the Sony), plus digital video and S-Video outputs for editing or downloading. It has excellent low light capability along with backlight compensation and an Image Stabiliser system. It also doubles as a compact still or video camera, and with an optional larger card becomes even more versatile.
Definitely worth checking out.

George Kimpton