Canon ZR45MC MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Digital Still Mode & MMC Card Slot
By: Canon Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 47
More Information
 On: 2007-08-25
Giving my unbiased opinion: I am an adult and i know my way around technology. I owned other canon products before from powershot cameras to this ZR45MC. Ive had this since early 2002 and Ive used it for many things, graduations etc.... I just recently had problems.
first, GOOD: If youre not going for pro quality, technically superior lines this and pixels that....the video is pretty good in my honest opinion. I just used it on a trip to Boston and used it for whale watching and I was quite satisfied. The video was clear, crisp and colorful. It was cloudy and darker when we were out at sea and the video was still good, even after the whale spit out on us... yum. The aqaurium was even darker, still good. I avg anywhere from 1+hr to 2hrs on tapes. I read many reviews on the buzzing noise and Ive yet to hear it. Perhaps i wasnt in a super quiet room but even though my videos had some quiet time in them i really didnt notice. The sound it does record is pretty clear. I bought a DVD-R recorder and transfered them immediately over to DVD and they transfer beautifully. It has many features like an adjustment lever by the eye piece to better meet with your eye (which is a plus since i have an extended battery and it sticks out a bit more but no struggles with the eyepiece extended-comfy). You can use the supplied AV cables or the not included S-cable but the supplied AV transfers just fine. Its been good with power consumption on my extended battery (digital concepts lithium BP-522CL 2400mAh)and i keep the stock one as back up but ive never had to switch to it yet. The software is pretty straightforward and I do use either the software from my powershot camera or the camcorder to load pics so they are compatible with each other in this case (zoombrowser EX).
The not so Bad: nowadays with the pixel/resolutions quality of the cameras the 640x480 is not up to snuff anymore. Its better than nothing in a pinch when set to Fine quality. I really wouldnt use standard unless you using it for quick loading pic via internet i.e. ebay pics....
Now the BAD! I really am surprised at Canons response to this. I began having tape issues which also seems to be a fairly common complain. Now i really dont know if this would be a common issue with age and usage with all miniDV tape camcorders or just particularly Canons but it began asking me to "eject" tapes more often but i noted it was related to when rewinding. Of all my taped it crimpled 3 and ate 1 (older tapes) during fast rewind. In other words, press stop, then rewind then it seems to be more riskier. HOWEVER, If the tape is playing and i hold my finger on rewind it doesnt have any problems eat/crimping. I contacted canon and they said it may need service. I keep my stuff meticulous....the cost of whatever the probably BS repair is quite high considering it may range from a simple yet $125 - $175 service to a much more costly and not worth the $$ problem. They did offer me to be a member of the canon loyalty progam which they send you an access code to their loyalty website and basically give you credit and a discount towards other items for your product. Think of it as trading in a car for a new one (and yes you still do get somewhat of the shaft but if you want to avoid the headaches of selling and getting something for the item then just bite the bullet). I still think if canon had a decent amount of concern regarding this tape issue they would be a little more proactive about it. It just seemed like he was saying an indirect but courteous "its old so tough luck". I do note most of my problems have been with the FUJI tapes. I just switched to PANASONIC tapes so its still early but no problems so far using my rewind method. TDK seem to work well with it too but it seems hard to find now. Too bad, i liked the TDK tapes. Anyone else come across another compatible bard lemme know. Reading some stuff on this, some say it is the type of coating or tape used that may make it more or less compatible but thats internet reading so take it with a grain of salt.
Accesories: aside from the extended lith battery i mentioned, I also have crystal optics 3 lens filter kit (UV, PL and flourescent filter) which i recommend lens filters for any cam for 2 reasons, #1 and priority- God forbid if you dirty or scratch the lens, its the filter lens thats much cheaper to replace vs. replacing the actual cam lens itself. #2 it does enhance taping if used correctly...it can minimize glare, tone down the brightness if youre taping on a super bright environment or give a more natural look to recording if taping under flourescent lighting....
I guess Im still keeping mine for now. THANKS FOR READING - I HOPE THIS HELPS ALOT!
 On: 2006-11-07
This was my first digital camera, and I absolutely love it. Still going strong after 4 years. Ive used it on trips, to record concerts, and just general fun. Its incredibly easy to use.
The complaints I have are geared towards the fact that its outdated. What once was sleek and smaller than the competition is now big and bulky. Its also slow to load up... meaning you may miss a shot turning on the camera. The battery is so-so, but to fix this just carry around spares.
The good have so far outweighed the bad... fast/easy transfer of video & images to a computer. I can use it as a temporary webcam. I also use it for quick digital pictures (but the quality isnt that great). The battery and memory are easy enough to replace if needed (I havent needed to yet). The zoom is amazing!
Its overall versatile, and Ill keep using it until it dies (no signs of it so far).
On: 2006-02-27
one thing to watch out for,when using the zoom button,dont just let it go after you zoom,or it will click and the noise will be recorded. however,if you edit and can dub different audio then it wont matter. that said, we love the camera.
ive been thinking about an off board mic for sterio audio,,just for fun. but since this camera is kinda old now,finding extra parts is kinda tough. when we bought it,they were just comming out and then everything was available,but now,several years later,,, well they arent. ebay or maybe canon outlet in the usa.
in fact i just bid on a remote for it,we lost the other one. man,they come in handy.
id probly also want a clear over lense to protect the main lense from grit and crud. cheaper to get a new cover than new lense.
 On: 2005-04-27
It was a pretty good camera until it stopped working. One day I turned it on and it started beeping and flasshing an eject tape message. But you couldnt eject the tape and the camera would not respond to anything. I had the camera just over two years when this happened. Luckily I purchased an extended warranty at Best Buy. Best Buy sent the camera to Canon for repair. Canon would not repair it because it would be too expensive so, Best Buy gave me a new camera. And I was allowed to get a different brand, so I went with a Sony Handycam.
On: 2005-03-20
As with others, this was a great camera until the remove cassette problem appeared 8 months ago. Now it barely plays or records. Im never buying another Canon and going back to Sony. BTW, the buzzing is the automatic microphone gain. If theres not enough sound to record it cranks up the input volume so much that you hear the tape motor.
On: 2005-01-07
I used this camera for a year untill during a period of a couple weeks of not being turned on, something to do with the light sensor malfunctioned. I think all Canon ZR series cameras are inclined to having buggy hardware and I dont remcomend buying one.
On: 2004-08-20
I have had this camera for 18 months and about 2 months ago, it started beeping at me to eject the tape almost every time I used it. I went on-line and found that this is common with this camera for some reason. I was able to prevent major problems by removing the tape after each use, but that no longer works. Now I cannot record or watch any tape without it forcing me to remove the cassette. I was very fond of this camera until it stopped working. I am very disappointed that I will now have to buy a new camcorder (a local repairman estimated over $200 to fix it). I have a friend who has the exact same camera and he has yet to have a problem, but it isnt worth the risk.
 On: 2004-07-11
This is one great camcorder! I know because I have one, but have lost the software when traveling. Would anyone know how I can get the software? Called Canon, its discontinued. Searched the Web, nothing! Help!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-05
This is not a high-end camera, but was good enough for me. I have recorded 12 tapes on it. Beginning with tapes 11 and 12 a problem has developed with rewinding the cartridge. After about 1 minute (recording time) worth of rewinding, it stops and displays "Remove Cartridge" on the screen. I take out the tape, put it back and get another minute rewound before it happens again. These have all been brand new tapes. A visit to Canons website only reveals that I have to take it to be serviced. Another review here says their estimate to fix the camera was $160. I hope that is wrong :(
On: 2004-04-04
I love the features and optics of this camera. I love everything about it, except that it really doesnt work and their service is terrible. Many people posted about the humming sound -- I didnt have that problem. But the electrical system was intermittent from the time I got the camera. Ive sent it to them three times, and each time they repair it, or claim to. Now it is out of warranty and the battery still doesnt work. So Ill have to buy a new camera and hope that you dont make the same mistake I did -- go with a different camera.
On: 2004-01-27
I bought the ZR45MC camcorder in Sept 02. I have been using it quite regularly. then all of a sudden I cannot load new or old mini DV cassettes. The moment I load a cassette, a message flashes on the screen REMOVE TAPE and beeping sound is generated together with a flashing EJECT message. Next step, I ship this to the Canon Factory service in NJ. They replied with an estimate of $160(on top of the $654 I pad for this!!).
Also most importantly when I shipped from the Fedex office in Boston, the Fedex person made a remark that she has been seeing quite a number of the Canon camcorders going to NJ for repairs.
To sum, I think this is a racket Canon has devised to rip off customers.
So beware when you buy a Canon camcorder, ask the retailer about the tape loading mechanism, and if they have any maintenance plans that will repair it.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-18
I purchased this camcorder last week through ebay and got a super deal on it. ($225) Before I bought this camera, I read reviews from others here that said there was a loud humming sound. I have been using this camera for a week now, already recording 3 mini DV tapes and have noticed NO humming sound. Maybe it works differently for others cameras, but mine is fine. I do have wind reduction turned on, maybe this is making the microphone not pick up the sound.This camera is so small also! It is the size of my hand, and it weighs so little that one could carry it and not be bothered by it. The optical zoom is also very great -- 18x! That is much more than I could find on other camcorders that were priced similarly. Also, the controls for this camcorder are very easy to understand, and very well organized. The menu scroll, (what one uses most for pulling up menus and selecting) is located in convenient reach of the thumb for easy access. There are also cables to easily connect the camera directly to the TV. I think this camera is a great purchase, and I wouldnt hesitate buying another if I needed to.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-05-07
This is a very easy to use camera with excellent video. Read the reviews and did not hear any humming noise when operating and the low light pictures were very good. The still pictures are good for the internet but are not good enough quality to use as a regular camera.
On: 2003-05-06
I have read a lot of reviews and concluded that Ill give this camcroder a try. I was not really afraid of the motor whining but on the low-light performance much really. Anyway after I bought I did a couple of trial shootage in various lighting conditions and I was satisfied. After it got dark i did a trial under low-light in-house and it was satisfying to me. Because the shutter speed slows you do not have the luxury of moving the camcorder fast but this is a fact of optics not a camcorder flaw or anything. Motor whining is a problem but not a big deal really. If it is buy a mic. With the size of the cam, price i dont think this would be major problem. This is my humble opinion.
On: 2003-03-09
Its light, its convenient, its easy to use. But what does it matter? In the end, the unit produces so much buzzing that it renders itself useless. Its just too annoying, and I would not ever want to watch the footage. Ive been working with this for a year, sending it back and forth to Canon, and they tell me there is some "allowable buzzing." They actually replaced mine, hoping it would appease me, but the second unit was exactly the same.Ive now missed filming the first 19 months of my daughters life because of this. Canon doesnt seem to care much. Time to sell it on ....
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-22
I am a first-time camcorder buyer, so Ive been researching these for the past couple months. I had my choices narrowed down to the Canon ZR45 and the Sony TRV18. The Canon was smaller, lighter, cheaper, and fit better in my hand than the Sony. Canon wins, right? Well, the one thing that bothered me was reading the reviews about the motor whine during playback. I knew this is one thing that would really bother me. Well, since we are taking a trip to Mexico in a few weeks I had to make my choice. I went ahead and took my chances with the Canon. I went to [...] to select a highly rated(and cheap) online seller. I ended up buying from [...]and had the camcorder within a week. After a few weeks of use, I am extremly happy with my decision. It is very easy to use, and best of all, the motor whine is a non-issue. Yeah, its there when watching recordings in quiet settings, but I dont really notice it. As a test, I never mentioned the noise to my wife prior to buying the camcorder. I wanted to see if she would notice it not having not previously known about it. Well, shes probably used it more than I have over the past couple weeks and hasnt mentioned a word about the motor noise. Maybe some units are worse than others, but Im not sure I would even have noticed it either if I wouldnt have read the reviews talking about it. Im definitely glad I made the purchase. One recommendation - buy an extra battery. The one that comes with the camcorder only lasts about 45 minutes using the LCD. I bought a Lenmar LIC-511 that gives you about 2 hours.
On: 2003-01-18
I have been in the photography business for 9 years and i must say this is the best digital camcorder (thats small) ever.
I suggest anyone who wants it should get one.
On: 2003-01-11
Was torn between this and the Sony - went for the Canon because its more Mac friendly and a little less expensive. The "buzz" noise is only heard when replaying video in the camcorder. Ive downloaded it and dont hear it from my computer. Ive also copied video back to the tape and played back on the camcorder and the noise is not there. Havent used all the features yet, but for our needs its great and so small! Id definitely recommend it!
On: 2003-01-09
I did extensive research on this model (the whole ZR series) and I must say, a lot of things are positive for this little camera.
* light weight, * small, * bright outdoor pictures, * PRICE.
And some negative points raised by many so far, which of course I have not been able to test as I have not bought this item, is the motor noise being recorded and the night shots being grainy.
I will not discuss anything about it as they have been beaten to death by now.
What I want to talk about is the smaller CCD resolution on the ZR series camcorders.
As we know, the US spec ZR series have the 460K pixels, out of which only 290K pixels are used for video (effective pixels). We need about 420K effective pixels to get a 500 line video resolution on the TV. Most of us know that, the VHS format (video tapes) allow upto 240lines of horizontal resolution. The S-VHS tapes allow upto 400 lines and the Digital Video format goes to 525 lines (really crisp and sharp pictures) on the TV/visual media.So now, with mere 290K effective pixels of video resolution being recorded on the ZR40/45/50, the best lines of resolution would be around 300. Now, not everything is bad. If you intend to transfer your videos into VHS tapes for storage and future viewing, you will not have any complaints as VHS tapes store at 240 lines of resolution. But someone like me, who wants to store the video digitally, by burning them into DVDs or storing them in DV tapes, I would like to get the best resolution that I can, right? In simple words, I want 500 lines of resolution for my video, full stop! Even though ZR40 is a DV camera, its resolution is very poor for real digital quality video. By the way, the resolution has got everything to do with what we call SHARP, crisp and colorful pictures. It is the same difference you see between the movies played from the VHS tape and movies played from the DVD. Oh by the way, if your TV doesnt have a 500 line horizontal resolution capability, you are not getting the moneys worth by renting DVDs. The TV I bought about 4 yrs ago, a proscan 32 inch, has 700 lines of horizontal resolution. So I can assume most TVs in our houses have capable enough TVs. Going slightly off topic, do you know why the picture quality of HDTVs are so sharp? Bcoz their resolutions are almost double than the 500 lines I am talking about.
On: 2003-01-08
I did extensive research on this model (the whole ZR series) and I must say, a lot of things are positive for this little camera.
* light weight, * small, * bright outdoor pictures, * PRICE.
And some negative points raised by many so far, which of course I have not been able to test as I have not bought this item, is the motor noise being recorded and the night shots being grainy.
I will not discuss anything about it as they have been beaten to death by now.
What I want to talk about is the smaller CCD resolution on the ZR series camcorders.
As we know, the US spec ZR series have the 460K pixels, out of which only 290K pixels are used for video (effective pixels). We need about 420K effective pixels to get a 500 line video resolution on the TV. Most of us know that, the VHS format (video tapes) allow upto 240lines of horizontal resolution. The S-VHS tapes allow upto 400 lines and the Digital Video format goes to 525 lines (really crisp and sharp pictures) on the TV/visual media.So now, with mere 290K effective pixels of video resolution being recorded on the ZR40/45/50, the best lines of resolution would be around 300. Now, not everything is bad. If you intend to transfer your videos into VHS tapes for storage and future viewing, you will not have any complaints as VHS tapes store at 240 lines of resolution. But someone like me, who wants to store the video digitally, by burning them into DVDs or storing them in DV tapes, I would like to get the best resolution that I can, right? In simple words, I want 500 lines of resolution for my video, full stop! Even though ZR40 is a DV camera, its resolution is very poor for real digital quality video. By the way, the resolution has got everything to do with what we call SHARP, crisp and colorful pictures. It is the same difference you see between the movies played from the VHS tape and movies played from the DVD. Oh by the way, if your TV doesnt have a 500 line horizontal resolution capability, you are not getting the moneys worth by renting DVDs. The TV I bought about 4 yrs ago, a proscan 32 inch, has 700 lines of horizontal resolution. So I can assume most TVs in our houses have capable enough TVs. Going slightly off topic, do you know why the picture quality of HDTVs are so sharp? Bcoz their resolutions are almost double than the 500 lines I am talking about.
On: 2002-12-27
Canon did its homework with this camera. There are endless perks to spicing up your video recordings. Everything is very easily accessible. The buttons are no problem for my fat fingers. Any buyer would be very impressed with this setup and completely satisfied with the video quality. However if you are buying the ZR45MC for the option of digital picture taking, forget it. The photo quality is very low even on the "fine" setting. I couldnt believe how granulated a 4 X 6 inch photo gets. Im still stuck with carrying both a video and photo camera.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-17
We decided on the zr45 because of the value period. We purchased the Sony DVR18 and were not impressed by the color the first couple of times we played back the taped movie. We even tried a different tape in the Sony to no avail. We took the Sony back to the store and even the salesman was surprised that the Sonys performance was subpar. After looking around the store my wife really like the smaller size and ergonomics of the Cannon. It is also much easier to operate in my opinion. The Sony is feature laden, but sometimes that just make the operation that more difficult. The honest salesman said that we would never use some of the options on the Sony that we were paying extra for. We chose the Cannon and have not been happier. Not to mention the $$$ cheaper price.
On: 2002-12-17
So many of the reviews Ive read about this camera complained about motor noise. After purchasing this camera and using it in mulitiple settings, I havent had a bad experience. While there is indeed a small level of motor noise, I found that using the Wind Screen shooting mode reduced what little noise there was to nearly 0 detectable db. If youre an amateur home movie maker, the features and ease of use make this camera well worth the money.
On: 2002-12-09
The high pitched motor noise is present in recordings, not only in very quiet situations (as my prvious review indicated, based on CanonDV site), but is also present when the camera is placed in front of speakers playing music.The above info is based on my playing two sample sound clips posted in a review at dvspot website by Jeff Keller. The persistant motor whine was VERY irritating and definately unacceptable. Since I love everything else about the ZR45/ZR50, I am now debating whether to buy it with the Canon DM-50 external mic for my upcoming vacation, or to wait until Spring/Summer 2003 and see if Canon fixes this problem in an upgraded model. Decisions, decisions, decisions!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-04
Let me preface this review by saying that I really, really wanted to like this camcorder. I did a lot of research before buying this camcorder, including reading a lot of on-line reviews. Many reviews mentioned that the motor noise was picked up by the microphone and was audible on recordings. Some reviewers said it wasnt noticable. Well, against my better judgment I purchased this camcorder. Within the first 10 seconds of recording I could tell the motor noise was going to be a problem. Sure enough - it was quite annoying for me. I dont want to discount the other reviewers who said they didnt have a problem with the motor noise, but for me it was untolerable. Im thinking that maybe some of the Canons might be louder than others, but the one I had was LOUD! I went out and payed the extra money for a Sony DCR-TRV18 (there is/was a ... rebate going so it wasnt too much more than the Canon) and it is MUCH quieter. It also seems a little better built, too. For me it was totally worth the extra money. Heres the skinny on the Canon ZR45MC: Pros:
* Relatively inexpensive.
* Fantastic optics and optical zoom. Cons:
* Motor noise - its audible while recording and on the recording.
On: 2002-11-26
I got this camcorder for a few reasons. First, Consumer Reports loved it in their 2002 buying guide, and second, the size and capabilities.The zoom lens on this is incredible, but obviously shouldnt be moved too quickly if you are zoomed in on something. I took it to an airshow and was able to zoom in on things other people were missing, and the digital recording allowed us to clearly pick out details when we paused a recording that were surprisingly sharp. The camera is easy to use, and having the LCD screen and onboard speaker is heplful when playing back. The still camera will do the job, but it isnt as sharp as a normal digital camera, although the memory card in this camcorder is separate (the newer, smaller type) from the tapes used to record the movies. Also, the lower resolution still images can be stored in greater numbers, though, with an estimated 300 pictures possible on my 36 MB card. The included software, USB cables, and cables to attach the camera to the VCR/TV are all easy to use, and I have had no problems. Those folks who have seen my videos thus far have been very impressed, and I have been very happy.
On: 2002-11-22
.
1) Solution from Canons online tech supt website: CanonDvQ. In quiet situations, I can hear the noise of the motor being recorded. What can I do about this? A. Automatic audio gain will set the volume to capture any available noise. In a very quiet setting, this may be the sound of the camcorder motor. To correct for this, provide some white background noise, such as a radio or television. 2) Solution from another user:
Open the mic housing and stuff sound dampening material b/w the mic and the motor. This user said that it works great. 3) Solution from yet another user:
Buy a generic external mic, or Canons DM-50 Microphone. This completely eliminates the motor noice and improves audio recording, but adds size to the camcorder. Hope this helps.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-17
All these complaints about hum . We have recorded hours of video and have yet to hear any noise that wasnt on our old sony camcorder. The video quality is super crisp, sound is great and still photo is great providing that you dont increase the size of your pictures. But we use a olympus 460 for stills so we dont use the still shot mode. Overall this camera is a great choice for digital vdeo and will be with us for some time to come. Dont think twice about getting one, you wont be sorry.
On: 2002-11-13
I agree with most of the reviews. I bought the big battery, and found that it lasts long enough for a weekend trip without recharging. Operation is simple, and fairly self explanatory. Downloading stills (via USB) and video (via IEEE) is a snap. Bundled software is adequate. This is a great product all around, and I have only a few minor gripes.1. The one thing that people have not mentioned so far is the "color night mode" feature is a little misleading. This is NOT the infrared NiteShot found on the Sony products which uses a built-in infrared headlight to take video in total darkness. The disadvantage to this is that the captured video is an eerie green, and you need to be fairly close to the subject. The Canon feature, on the other hand, is simply a very low shutter speed. This allows you to capture video in color, but it is rather grainy and your subject (and your hand) needs to be very still to prevent blurring. It also requires some ambient light. Again, this is not a big deal. 2. The hum everyone talks about. It is a little noticeable during long silences. The internal mic picks up on vibrations from the motor. Just about every recording device with a built-in mic has this problem. Use a wireless external mic if you are a fanatic. 3. Still image quality is pretty poor, but I dont use it very often. 4. FYI, Photo mode (records 5 seconds of still image to video tape) is handy, but it continues to record audio!
On: 2002-11-08
I love this camcorder. First of all, I am going to start this review by telling you about the biggest concern I had when I bought this camera. Many people say that there was a lot of motor hum, this may be the case when the room is TOTALLY silent, however an external mic fixes this. ALL MINIDV CAMERAS HAVE THIS PROBLEM!! People complain that the mic adds extra size, but if you want to spend the same amount of money on a digital 8, with less resolution, much bigger, and heavier, than get a Mic for your MiniDV, then you have some problems. However since I usually overlap music onto my videos, its not such a big probelm for me. The size is great (any bigger and it wouldnt be comfortable, and any smaller it would be difficult to hold). I had [another] Camera and then returned for only one reason, it was heavy and big (it cut off circulation in my hand when I was filming, and would have to take it out every 5 minutes or it would become numb). The picture quality is pretty much the same as all other minidvs which are better than digital 8s but not enough to make a big difference. Pretty much, this is a good camera at a great price. If you want a MiniDV, go with this no doubt, however if you have hi 8 or 8mm tapes you should probably go with a digital 8. They are pretty good for the price, but big and bulky.
On: 2002-10-16
I bought this camera after looking at some other brands and this model looked JUST RIGHT for me... The manual states that the ZR45MC requires a 4 to 6 PIN FIREWIRE to hook up to a computer (I have a brand new iBook 14" screen/700/G3..top of the line of the iBook series) Dont you believe it! I couldnt find a 4 to 6 PIN cable anywhere, so I had to order it online via APPLE. I went to put in the cable and presto chango...it wont fit! If you look closely at the SMALL PRINT on the cover of the OWNERS MANUAL youll see the disclaimer. The owners manual is basically for the ZR50MC. So far I have not even been able to use my camera... For the amount of money we have to pay for this camera, youd think the company could provide correct information about the product. The information on Canons technical site... states the same thing as the bogus owners manual. I have 7 days left to return this camera if not satisfied. How do I know if it even works with my computer?... By the way, there are only two FIREWIRE options mentioned at the technical site...4 to 4 PIN, or 4 to 6 PIN.
On: 2002-09-25
This is my first digital camcorder. As a first timer its very easy to use which I liked most. without the tape i hooked to my Sony VIAO PC and within 10 minutes I made a small movie. the setup is so easy. to transfer the video I used IEEE port which comes in Sony VIAO and the Movie Shaker software.the quality is awesome but the quality of the digital still pictures are not excellent, but its ok. for starters and home movie makers its more than enough in a single camcorder
by: Anonymous On: 2002-09-19
The good: Compact, easy to carry, lots of good features (too many to list; read the specifications), excellent playback picture, works great with my iMac, excellent sound reproduction, and straightforward instructions.The bad (kind of): Yes, in an absolutely silent environment you can hear the motor running, but in our first two hours of taping there was only one time, and that was only for less than a minute, where you could hear the motor running. So, I wouldnt call that bad because there is usually enough ambient noise to cancel it out. The wide angle isnt very wide angle, but you do get a lot of great non-digital zoom. The digital zoom gets pixelated pretty quickly but would you expect otherwise? You can only access some of the features with the viewing screen open and in bright outside light the picture is washed out and you cant really see the menus very easily. The fade in and out features were fun but somewhat cumbersome to use.
The ugly: Do not buy this camera if you intend on using it to take still pictures to the MMC. There are two problems. Check out the specifications and you will see that the CCD chip has only about 250,000 or so effective pixels. But, the real killer is the 8-bit color. There are two resolution modes, fine and normal. The instruction manual says the fine mode can be used for taking pictures for printing out and the normal for sending over the Internet. In the fine mode, a perfectly blue sky comes out mottled shades of blue, pink, and purple. For other, less uniform colors, the effect is worse. With the low number of pixels and 8-bit color, this feature is pretty much useless if you are used to using a good film SLR camera or a high pixel digital camera. Overall: I gave it four stars because its a really good minicam with great Canon optics, many useful features, and ease of use, but I was really disappointed with the still picture feature. I cant believe Canon would even include such a poor quality feature. If you want both good digital video and pictures, you probably need to look at different brands with megapixel CCDs, which are available for a comparable price.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-22
We are very pleased with this camera and have not had any of the problems with camera noise being recorded on the tape that other people have mentioned in their reviews here. I havent noticed any particularly loud sounds from the camera at all. It takes excellent pictures and movies. Obviously, the better the lighting where you are shooting, the better the picture quality but this is just common sense. I have compared the picture quality to other brands owned by family and friends and find it comparable, if not better than some. Highly recommend the camera.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-19
This camcorder is good enough for me except for one thing: if you are going to need a light or external microphone you should get the ZR50MC because of its advanced accessory shoe. The lights and microphones that I can find are designed for the advanced accessory shoe. The built-in microphone is too sensitive to use in many cases because it even picks up the sound when I tap the handle of my tripod lightly.
On: 2002-08-07
After an extensive market review, I decided to buy this one. Recording quality is excellent when you have appropriate light conditions, and it works ok with poor light. Excellent zoom, and very good stabilization features. The digital still camera feature takes average pictures (640*480), good enough if you are just sending them to friends/family and the software included is quite easy to use. In order to download your movies, you must have a firewire connection in your PC. Consider to buy an extra battery.The major problem I found is the fact that the microphone records the camera noises, making your movies have an annoying background sound. This is really unacceptable if you want to have good quality audio. If you are concerned about the sound, I would suggest you either to try another camcorder or wait until Canon fix this model or release a new one. Or, if you have the expertise (I dont have it) edit the film with your PC.
On: 2002-08-06
-Excellent little camcorder.
-Very impressed with its features.
-Easy to transfer your movies
to a computer.
I do not regret spending my money
on it.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-06
Its a very nice camera dont get me wrong. However due to its compact design, the speaker is too close to the tape motor. During quiet and not so quiet areas, you will hear a high pitched humm coming from your camera as well as on what you record. Canon confirmed this as a design flaw. The ZR45, 40 and 50 all do this. I was really disappointed, I returned mine.. I wish there was a way to fix it.
On: 2002-07-24
Basically a nice unit. Loaded with all the features you could ever want: plenty of optical zoom, digital stabilizer, very compact size, reasonable warranty, and good looks too.BUT...this camera has a VERY annoying buzzing/humming sound to it. I called Canon and they said its "normal for that unit." Excuse me? Maybe for some people, the buzz is not annoying. But compared to my cheap, old 8mm, this is much, much noisier. I would recommend you try it before you buy it. Dont get wooed by the display models.
On: 2002-07-08
This is a good DV cam and also can be used as a video capture card. I dont need a video capture card for my computer anymore (a good one cost $200). I use this to convert my old 8mm and VCR tape to NTSC AV and then burn to CD-Rom in VCD format. Good way to archive old 8mm tape. Plan to burn the Star War trilogy next. To convert to Mpeg and burn as VCD, I use the Ulead Video Studio trial version. Waiting for the free Artsoft Showbiz (a rebate when I bought this cam)
On: 2002-06-17
I bought this camera a few months ago and can only say it has met all my expectations. The quality of the video a normal person can shoot with this little gem is unbelievable. The only option I would change if I could do it over would be to purchase a wide angle lens. If you are lucky enough to have Windows XP loaded on your computer then you are all set. Add a Firewire Card to your PC, plug the camera into the card and you are ready. XP recognizes the camera and a few clicks of the mouse later you are cutting and editing like a pro. Other than this I would consider a DVD burner. It makes distributing the finished product easier as I found getting the edited video onto normal tape was a little complex.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-11
this looks like the product i would love to buy. all the free items that come with it make it a complete system.
On: 2002-06-05
First off, this is my first digital camcorder/camera. I purchased this camera only 3 days ago and Im already having too much fun with downloading pictures to and from the cam. Its capable of doing all this (and pretty easy I may add) to do all this even if youre a first timer. It comes with a CD with the necessary software and also a manual on how to install the software and how to use it for downloading/uploading pix. Very easy and informative. The MMC card can take as many as 100 pictures at a time, so its more than enough for me.As for the quality of the camcorder for "regular filming", Im impressed. It has 7 or 8 different settings for different filming situations such as "sports", "portrait", "night mode", and others. Also, the buttons in this camera dont look as intimidating as some of the others Ive seen/used. All buttons are nicely placed on the camera and I have no problems with any of them. Plus, this camera is pretty small for this price. The only ones that Ive seen that are this small (or smaller) are the ones in the [price range](and above) range. I got this one for [price], and Im more than happy with its $ize ;-) So far, I think Ill be enjoying this camera for a long time. Im very happy with it and I recommend this for anyone who is just getting into digital cams/camera. It has more than enough features for someone who is just getting into the world of digital camcorders/cameras. The quality of the pictures are not excellent, but I think its nice enough to even impress some people. I highly recommend this cam/camera. ...
On: 2002-05-22
Just got the zr45 and am amazed at the quality of the video. My kids just had a talent show in a large auditorium and we had seats in the very back of the room (about 23 rows back). It was dark except for the stage lights, but the zoom worked great. I was worried that it only looked good on the LCD screen, but when we hooked it up to the TV for playback, the quality was sharp.
On: 2002-05-17
Wow, was my first word when I opened it up. It is so small. I have not had a chance to explore all its functions yet, but so far it works great and gives high quality video. The picture function is also a great plus. This camcorder is well priced for what it offers
On: 2002-05-15
Im completely happy with every function of this great little gizmo. Performs seamlessly with iMovie. Great image quality, easy to use.
If it came in a left-handed model, Id give it 6 stars.
|
|
