Canon ZR10 Digital Camcorder
By: Canon Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 46
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 On: 2007-08-29
Ditto all the other posts. Worked for about 6mths, then started eating tapes. Repaired twice under warrenty, then warranty ran out, then repaired for $120 and then it happened again. No more good money after bad. Worst electronic purchase of my life. Will never buy Canon again.
On: 2007-08-16
There is nothing new I can add to the many posts regarding the Canon ZR10 eating tapes. All I can do is join the chorus of disapointed voices. Unfortunately, the value of my eaten tapes far exceeds the value of the camcorder and I dont know how I will ever recover them. One of the tapes included my grandmothers 100th birthday party. Now that she has passed, the family has no record of that memorable occasion. I have purchased my last Canon product.
On: 2006-01-26
Ive been reading reviews here and it seems clear to me that the problem Im having with my ZR10 is all too common. My camera started acting up and I thought it was just a dirty head. So I cleaned it. That didnt help. Now it too has started eating tapes and wont record or play, at least not consistently. I own a beautiful Canon EOS Elan II which works flawlessly.
Can anyone recommend a DEPENDABLE video camera?
On: 2005-02-19
Mine was great for a while, but now it eats tape too. Its COMPLETELY useless. Canon knows there is a design flaw, and they should fix them for free or provide compensation to users.
On: 2004-10-26
Me to my tape is stuck in the camera. Canon, i will nerver buy your product anymore. The end.
On: 2004-10-25
Me to my tape is stuck in the camera. Canon, i will nerver buy your product anymore. The end.
On: 2004-09-04
Thank goodness I found this problem before the baby was born and after copying tape data to my Mac.
Currently a tape is stuck in my ZR10, a.k.a., paper weight. I spent several HRS copying important wedding videos before encountering this problem. After reading several other message boards and Cannons FAQs this is a widely known and accepted problem with the ZR10. I just hope the stars align and I can recover my current tape. After reading other reviews, it does not sound promising.
Luckily I only paid $100 for my used ZR10, so I definitely wont get it fixed and definitely will not buy another ZR10. The sick thing about this problem is that it sounds like Canon knows about this problem, but are unwilling to offer to fix it. That is a good way to loose this customer.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-04
We bought this camera in 2002 and now it has started eating and rejecting tapes. At first it would only eat the expensive tapes and worked fine with the cheap ones. Now, it does not work at all. I paid close to 700$ for this and now it is useless.
It is obvious that Canon goofed up big time on this one. They should read these reviews and do something about it instead of hiding.
On: 2004-01-10
Just like thousands of others, I too now own this expensive paperweight. I BARELY EVERY used it in the last year, but now it has destroyed several tapes. IT EATS TAPES. DO NOT BUY! DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!DO NOT BUY!
 On: 2004-01-09
I have owned the zr10 for 3 years. Initially, I was thrilled to death over its small form factor, quality of picture (in good light) and fantastic cd quality sound.Now, it just eats tapes, so I can no longer enjoy its small form factor, quality of picture (in good light) and fantastic cd quality sound. Nope, it just eats tapes. It seems to enjoy eating maxell as well as TDK, but will eat just about anything you serve it. I have placed my camcorder on a diet of blank tapes. It is not to be trusted with the task of preserving the memories of my children. It is now, basically, a $600 mistake. My advice to you? Buy from a company that will stand by its product line.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-12-01
All those that wrote great reviews about the camera will be back extolling how their camcorder now eats tapes. Ive had my ZR-10 since Dec 2000 and now just in the last couple of weeks of Nov 2003 it is eating tapes and will not accept a brand new tape.Luckily (maybe) I did buy the extended warranty that the retailer offered and it is still under some sort of warranty. Well see. Note: When I peeked inside it appears that the two fingers/rods that wrap the tape around the head are barely holding on. They move back and forth as you rock the camera in your palm. Based on the other avalanche of reviews I will not ever buy another Canon product.
On: 2003-11-23
My ZR10 also eats tapes now, after only shooting two hour-long tapes. It is out of warranty as I found Im not really a video sort of guy and didnt use it all that much. But its clean as a whistle and hardly used, and now I cant play back the tapes I did make so I have an $800 paperweight.I just spoke to Canon and they still refuse to take responsibility even though a lot of others, as you can see, had the same problem. Its not worth $200 to fix it since Ill probably never use it but I dont know how Ill watch those tapes. My recommendation: dont buy it.
On: 2003-03-23
Canon has a reputation for excellent optics, but my recent experience with manufacturing or design problems is causing me to have serious doubt about Canons quality. I have a 35 mm Elan IIE that has a well documented defect with the battery compartment. This ZR10 has an excellent feature set and input/output ports for the price. While the camcorder was still very new, I experienced intermittent problems with mosaic patterns occurring over part of the picture. It did not always occur in the same place, so I dont believe it was tape damage. Canon recognizes this problem in their FAQs, but they blame it on recording over a used tape.The camcorder was out of warranty but relatively lightly used when the worst problem occurred. It pulled out and chewed up two tapes. Searches on the internet reveal that this is a common problem. A local independent repair shop spent hours on it and was unable to repair it. Im not sure if I want to throw any more money at a camcorder that I was never fully satisfied with. This camcorder received very good reviews as a new product when the reliability was unknown. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend it.
On: 2003-03-01
I have owned a ZR10 since June of 2000, and as others have indicated, it definitely has a problem eating up and failing to eject tapes 2 out of 3 times it is used.This problem began after using the camera for only two or three hours. I have been a high school media production teacher for 10 years and have worked with many Canons... GL-1s, XL-1S, ZR-45s, ZR-20...etc. I have never had a problem with any of them in regards to tape ejections issues. No matter how good the bells and whistles are or how good the camcorder records the digital image and sound, it is all moot if the tape is ruined. I agree that Canon owes those of us who bought this camera a free fix or a refund, but I doubt we will ever see it. Dont buy one...new or used.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-02-22
I bought a ZR-10 in Dec. 2000. It wont eject a brand new tape which
I just inserted.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-19
I bought mine in May or June 2000. I and many other ZR-10 owners are having the same problem. The problem is that not only will this thing not eject tape. It ripples the tape while recording, and [damages] your existing tape during playback.Just found out today. Unfortunatly I only found out about this problem after this camera [damaged] several tapes that I taped on my new born baby. My wife and I are very disappointed. We though we will have some great memories that we can share with my baby after she grows up. I never expected this 900.00 [item] will fail after I only gone through about 10 tapes. ... Ranging from 150 to 250 dollars to fix. Canon is [taking advantage of] us by on recognizing it as a manufacture defect. ... I will not repair this junk and I will never buy another Canon product again. ... Not only will this thing not eject tape. I never have a near 1000.00 equipment fail after couple of uses. This is insane!!! I will give this camera a big "0".
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-19
I bought mine in May or June 2000. I and many other ZR-10 owners are having the same problem. The problem is that not only will this thing not eject tape. It ripples the tape while recording, and [messes] up your existing tape during playback.Just found out today. Unfortunatly I only found out about this problem after this camera [ruined] up several tapes that I taped on my new born baby. My wife and I are very disappointed. We though we will have some great memories that we can share with my baby after she grows up. I never expected this [camera] will fail after I only gone through about 10 tapes. I found three forums with people having the same... problem... Canon is totally screwing us by on recognizing it as a manufacture defect...I will not repair this junk and I will never buy another Canon product again. Other are saying going to BBB. I don\\t know what BBB will do. We will need more people to prove that this is a defective product and we want our money back or give us a new product. Not only will this thing not eject tape.insane... I will give this camera a big "0".
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-02
Ive had this MiniDV Camcorder for about a year and so far, it has had to be sent back to Canon to be repaired 3 times. Each time, they say they had fixed it and listed the parts that they supposedly replaced, but after a few minutes, the problem returned. This camcorder is very compact, but has low video and photo quality with a small LCD.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-20
Mine too has started to eat tapes. I am not sure what to do with it now. Probably not cost effective to have it repaired and I dont want to risk losing video. Until it started eating tapes, I loved it. As I see others having this problem ... I cant recommend it.
On: 2002-12-13
I got this camera almost 2 years ago. I was very pleased with its simplicity and quality, which suited my weekend-homemovie-making needs. I have used it in Florida humidity and Nevada dusty desert with no problems. I had taped and watched well over 100 hours of footage, and then began to have occasional problems like a tape being eaten. However, now that my warranty has run out, I am encoutering more frequent problems with loading tapes, both for viewing and recording. I am lucky to have made backups of any improtant video, since some of my source tapes have been damaged beyond repair. Be careful when deciding whether to buy this camera- it can be frustrating.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-28
Nice camera with great features, but eats tapes frequently. Has been back for factory repair twice. Not recommended.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-09-07
This camera is very nice. We use it all the time! Its small and easy to use and the picture is awesome. The only downside to it is that you have to buy another accessory to get the stills off of the camera and on to your computer. Other than that...its great!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-04
Compact, light, user friendly, easy menu, but playback stopped working after 3 hours of filming (showed grey lines) and had to be returned.
 On: 2002-03-22
Ive never had a camcorder before--never even used one, not even the old VHS ones. But this babys a cake walk. The manual takes a little shuffling through, and the buttons and menus need careful looking over (sorta that "Oooh, I get it" thing). But overall the camcorder is great. The picture quality is amazing (for the price). My living room is fairly dark (no overhead lighting), but I didnt have any problem with gloomy images; I went in and manually upped the brightness a little, and objects and people show up almost crystal clear. And the color balance is great--Ive got a red plaid sofa in that living room, and the camera picked it up nicely. I ended up turning off the extra zoom power, though, since the image stablizer goes wonko when you zoom in tight (with the extra power). The 10x optical zoom is just fine for most things. All in all, Im quite happy with my purchase--a nice camcorder, on sale, with free shipping...what more can you ask?
On: 2002-03-07
I used the camera once and when I tried to use it again it started giving horizontal lines on the recordings and then a CONDENSATION ERROR after that! I need to use it this weekend because my wife is having a baby and it does not work! Canon says I have to send it back to get it repaired. Do not buy this! Save the Hassle.
On: 2002-02-11
I bought this camcorder last year. It was good for taking video, but I dont like the way it keeps still images. The way it works is keeping the same screen for 5 sec, and is recorded on the tape. To transfer to a computer, you need another device, which only save into floopy disk. But overall, its a good camcorder if you need something cheap and only need to make movies.
On: 2002-01-15
This is my first camcorder. Im the kind of person who cant figure out how to set the clock on the VCR, yet I was able to take good video after just a quick review of the owners manual. I am really surprised at the excellent quality of both picture and sound - even when the lighting isnt the best. This camera was a great bargain through Amazon. Im really glad I bought it. I highly recommend it.
On: 2002-01-02
I bought my camera about 18 months ago and it has worked flawlessly the entire time. Back in summer of 2000 I paid [a lot of money] and thought I got a deal. Now [the] prices [are] a true bargain.I bought the camera for shooting outdoor sports and the new baby. The camera is totaly awesome. At less than 2 lbs it is easy to carry anywhere and it works perfectly in a wide range of tempratures and conditions, 20 degrees up to 112 degrees. Worked perfectly every time. Some peopel have complained about poor perfromace in the dark, well buy the light, duh! The lens is small so it will not collect too much light in dim conditions. Apature, apature, apature. The controls are a snap and the all of the accesories are great. For the prices you are buying a great camera in the superior Mini DV format.
On: 2001-12-24
Ive had this product a month and was very pleased with it. We had recorded about 20 minutes of video, part of which my wife had viewed once successfully. We then went to watch the whole tape again, and found that there were thick grey horizontal lines across the picture in playback mode. Based on the manual we used a cleaning tape which resolved the problem although after a further 10 - 15 minutes of viewing the problem re-occurred. A further cleaning again resolved the issue. I dont know if the heads were dirty when we got the camera or if the issue was the brand new TDK tapes we were using. We have bought some Panasonic tapes now which we will use for a week of two before deciding whether there is something more seriously wrong with the camera that needs to be checked out under warranty.
On: 2001-12-09
I just opened the ZR10 today and after reading lots of reviews from different sites, I was a bit wary. However, the ZR10 peforms well in most lighting situations after tweaking with it. However, it does not work in 0 lux, but who needs to record family members in pitch black? Also, I could detect VERY SMALL sounds when I used the zoom when I played back, but they were almost unnoticeable.I have not gotten a chance to test its IEEE 1394 port yet. It should work as well as any other DV camcorder. The Canon ZR10 is a bit old, so dont expect all the latest features and qualities. It doesnt have very many special effects, just the basics (wipes, mosaic, sepia and fades). Of course, you can always add the effects later on your computer. All the camcorders in the ZR family are surprisingly small; I could slip the ZR10 in a large pocket. I bought the ZR10 because I needed an inexpensive solid camcorder that had (1) decent video quality, (2) an IEEE 1394 port for editing on the computer, (3) an image stabilization system, and MOST IMPORTANTLY (4) analog line in for converting my old analog movies to digital format. At first the ZR20 caught my eye, but I realized I would be paying (dollar amount) more for features that werent necessary. I have not had a chance to try the ZR10 "in the real world" yet, but I am confident that it will make me happy.
On: 2001-12-06
This is a great DV camera - loaded I should say, all possible in/out options. I have used it on Win Win ME / Win 2000 / Win XP on my desktop and laptop and results are fantastic and no problem with any system to recognize the new hardware. I was a little apprehensive about the small size, but no regrets - it can do all the stuff the high end 1000+ cameras can (Barring still capture on media card) I have a digital camera anyways for that.I would have given it full 5 but for its poor indoor results and a little not so good battery life. But I still love this camera and which definately beats all cameras any day except I guess SONY...
On: 2001-11-29
Hello people! I know that you must wondering about all the BAD reviews about this camcorder. I just got the camera today and it was great. The resolution is OK for the price (...). I know its not as great as other ZR series but this is actually OK.I like CANON products. Ive been using their Powershot A20 digicam and Rebel2000 SLR camera. The function is easy to understand, nothing hard to learn. Just press this and youre OK. The SOUND is great. It takes 16-bit or 12-bit sound mode. It has 40 or 200x zoom capability. You can actually control the brightness of a dark room just using their jog-dial kind of feature. They make it brighter or darker. The image stab. is great too. The size is small and fits perfectly on any hands. I know its been one day, but Im planning to use this tomorow to take outdoor pics. Gor the price (...), its a great camera. I dont about you, but I dont want to spend (a lot) for a camcorder. Im thankful enough to have this camera. Think about it.....how often you take this camera to record something, i would imagine only only once every 3 months. Its not like Im a cameraman in entertainment biz. Im just a casual user. THis is a perfect one for me. Budget yourself too to buy a camcorder. OK guys.....get this small and stylish camcorder. I know youll love it because I know I do.
On: 2001-11-06
After placing the order for this camcorder, I immediately began second guessing myself. I was particuarly worried about all the posts I had seen about the picture being "grainy in low light". I worried myself to the point of wishing I had just gone with a Sony Hi8. My camera arrived and the first thing I did when I took it out of the box (the battery was already charged and a 3 year old child can learn to operate it in 7 seconds) was to turn off all the lights but a table lamp and begin filming. Man did I feel silly for worrying. The people writing those comments must be used to watching HDTV movies, because I found the picture fine. It wasnt as good as if I was outside in sunlight (WOW does the camera do well outside), but thats because I wasnt in the sunlight, I was in a poorly lit room that was too dark to read a magazine. The image (my Jack Russell, Murphy) was clear and I could easily distinguish her facial features (in fact the camera picked up more light in the room than my "nekkid" eye could). You simply cant expect the same quality picture in poor lighting as in perfect lighting for less than 500 dollars. And unless you are fanatical about high definition, the quality is as good as one would expect. The camera is so small. Any doubts you have about this camera will disappear once you slide your palm around this beauty. Also, the image stabilizer worked nicely. Ultra tight zooms produced some shake (this was almost unoticable if I braced with both hands). No shake was noticable on wide shots. I also looked at the other ZR models, but the best I could tell the main differences revolved around the "digital camera" aspects of the camcorder. I wouldnt suggest the ZR-10 if you are looking for a "digital camera/camcorder combo". The ZR-10 just saves the picture to tape at 6 second increments (basically the same effect as pressing pause). This function is for the most part useless if you have a computer capable of video editing, in which case I would say never use the "photo" button and just capture frames from your video. The ZR-10 has been out for a couple of years and is kind of hard to find new, but if you do find one or are thinking about buying a used one, I would highly reccomend it. I bought mine for just under 500 dollars and am VERY glad I didnt pay the extra dough for any of the newer models (the "extras" were to minimal for the difference in price for me).
On: 2001-11-03
Watch out this Mini-DV Camcorders lens! The Maximum CCD resolution only 460,000 pixels. Its only slightly higher than Digital8 camcorders resolution. Most Mini-DV has CCD 680,000 pixels. Like the Panasonic PV-DV51, for similar price, got 680,000 pixels better lens but bigger body. Both Canon and Panasonic models have pretty good performance rated by Consumer Report.
If you dont care the lens resolution, just go for ZR10! Beside that, the optical zoom (the most important part for zoom feature) lens only 10X. PV-DV51 has 18X.
On: 2001-04-10
I own pro digital cameras, but I get an awful lot of use from this little Cannon. Scouting locations, special events, vacations, you name it Ive used it. The picture quality is superb, though dont expect the same results as a $10,000 pro cam. It does not work well in low light situations, using the low light setting the camera must be held perfectly still, as in tripod, even then the results are not very good. But thats what camera lights are for. That short comming aside, buy this camera and you will want to take it with you every where you go. It will far exceed your expectations. Its easy to handle, fits snug in the palm of your hand. Well worth the price.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-02-26
I was very pleased with this camera when I first got it. I have a couple of issues that would have made me go with another camera had I known from the start... 1. Low light quality is very bad! I dont mean candle light. Im talking about indoor night shots with all of the lights on. Picture comes out very grainy. Camera definitly needs a light. Daytime shots are great, crystal clear. 2. Still pictures go on tape. You then have to capture that picture to your computer. The quality is only a little better than capturing motion video. Pictures are scattered through out the tape. Could really use a flash for low light (see 1).These things may not be a big to you, but it has me regretting buying this camera. On the plus side, 1. The camera has a firewire hook up for connecting to a computer. 2. Has audio/video RCA hook ups for connecting to a VCR. You can record old tapes in DV, then edit on the computer and record back to DV tape and VHS if needed. 3. Has S-video out. 4. One of the smallest and lightest ive seen. 5. Battery last a long time. Camera may work for you, but shop around
On: 2001-02-23
This is my first digital camcorder and I am very impressed. It is easy to use, shoots excellent video and has great battery life. We visited Thailand late last year and the camcorder behaved flawlessly. It coped very well with lighting extremes, switching from bright, midday sun to deep shadow without missing a beat. Add the excellent steady shot feature and I was able to capture footage of the Jade Buddha from 200 feet away, shooting from bright sunlight, through a door into deep shadow. The best single feature is how small and light it is. We travel often and we like to use the cancorder to capture our journey and get candid shots of our surroundings. With larger camcorders, this is impossible, With this one, most people did not even notice I was shooting. We got some excellent street scene footage in Bangkok and almost nobody noticed I was shooting. It may not match the picture quality of a high end 3CCD camcorder but a highend camcorder would not fit confortably in the palm of my hand and the battery would not last through two hours of taping.
On: 2001-02-20
The size is perfect. Its easy to use, once you figure it out. Also the special effects are cool. But when it comes to video quality--what a disappointment and the still pictures are terrible as well. Who wants a camcorder that looks good but doesnt perform well? I returned it not even a week after I bought it. If you want good video quality dont buy this camera.
On: 2001-02-09
This miniDV camcorder I bought is the best piece of video equiptment I own, its so small and light its crazy. And to top it off the image quailty is just plain amazing. I am just an film student and it is perfect for making my movies and doing my small projects with.
On: 2001-02-01
I was so excited when I bought this compact and beautifully made machine. With its color viewfinder, I was able to conserve quite a bit of battery power and still see the colors and moods I was shooting. Of course with its more than ample battery, you can still get a lot of use out of it even using the viewing screen. I was suprised to see that somebody complained about the optical steady shot because though it doesnt get rid of all the shakes, it does help quite a bit. This is in comparison to the digital steady shot that most other cameras use. The difference is optical uses a prism inside the actual camera to sense movement, instead of using digital algorithms which dont work when filming something that is moving. I took the camera with me on a weekend trip to the San Juan Islands, and I got a lot of great footage on one single charge. Also, the ZR-10 works great with Macs software imovie and iDVD software. I couldnt find a better software for beginners.
On: 2000-12-27
I just got it for Christmas. Its wonderful! Its small, has a great zoom (200X), has image stabilizer (and we all need that!), is easy to carry and easy to use. The VCR portion lets you play back what youve taped, and its easy to upload everything to your computer. I have a Mac, and Ive had no problem whatsoever! Its useable for PCs and Macs (with no bias... wait, they dont have minds, nevermind...). Anyway, I recommend it for anyone wanting to shoot great videos (and pictures, which you can take). Of course, I wouldnt suggest it to proffesionals, but its priced great and works well for the average user. Well, gotta go. Bye!
On: 2000-12-13
This is an absolutely amazing little camera... and boy is it little! The only (minor) complaint I have is video quality in low light. Otherwise, this little camera is perfect for everything a normal person needs a camcorder for. I was using it out of the box in a few seconds (the battery came well charged). It is remarkably sturdy, easy to handle, and has a great selection of features. Add that to what I can do with my iMac and iMovie, and I have everything I need, and then some!
by: Anonymous On: 2000-11-20
I bought mine to replace a 5 year old Sony Hi-8. I was very impressed with the small size, recording quality, and the amount of bells and whistles that came with it. I was a little displeased with the zoom range of the lens. It dose not wide enough and shooting in tight spaces is difficult. It does however zoom to 200 with pretty good quality. Other complants are: *The 2" viewing screen in not brigh enough to be seen clearly in daylight.
*The steady shot feature was barely works at all- If you are the type with shaky hands, this camera is not for you.
*The built in humidity sensor alarm is constantly going off. When this happenes you must shut off the camera, eject the tape and reinsert/ restart. This process takes nearly a minute and has caused me to miss several shots.
Besides the complaits I found it to be a very nice camera with dependable battery life- the supplied manufactures battery has never left me stranded, and cameras small compact size makes it easy to record in forbidon places- like rollercoasters.
On: 2000-11-19
I bought this camera a month ago and absolutely love it. My 2-year-old daughter loves to look at the videos weve made on the camera itself. What a great distraction at resturants impatiently waiting on dinner to arrive. Its lightweight which is great when your on the go with a toddler and associated gear. Excellent quality of video. Extremely easy to operate. Im so glad I bought it!
by: Anonymous On: 2000-11-13
I have had this camcorder for about 4 months and think it was one of the best electronics purchases I ever made. I considered a larger, less expensive Sony but after about one day I was glad I went with the Canon and the new format. The size of the camera is much closer to a point and shoot camera than a camcorder, and thus, it is used much more often. Besides the price, I cant think of anything negative.
On: 2000-11-11
...we use the camera with digital editing software on the PC and Mac and have had no problems with the computers communicating with or controlling the camera. Makes it incredibly simple to shoot a short training video or video for the internet. Picture and sound are professional grade. Tape transport mechanism is much more reliable than the JVC we replaced. The analog input is convenient to take existing analog (S-VHS) footage in and convert to digital for use in our latest projects.
On: 2000-10-24
The camera is an all around great camera: compact, light weight,versitle-able to take video and able to talk still shots. have use the camera with excellent results for backpacking, a wedding, bicycling, home movies, photographing a night time live concert,photographing nature, scenery and people. Operating the camera is not complex i.e., you dont need to be an electronic engineer or video specialist. It is easy to physically operate the camera i.e., turn it on and off, switch from program or mode to program or mode. The camera is able to film in a broad range i.e., light to dark, slow to fast wide andle to max telephoto with fading, wiping,sepia, mosiac and paint features to create professional style videos. I am pleased with all these features as the have met my expectations and exceeded them. This makes it possible to take the camera with me wherever I go and thus be able to capture any moment or moments at any time. This is why I wanted a digital video camera.
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