Canon ZR500 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 38
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 On: 2007-11-06
camera works fine, up to a point. Controls are marginal and youd best have the manual handy to figure them out. However, I recommend you dont bother buying it, it is NOT moisture proof, or even moisture resistant, and the electronic control board will corrode with the slightest dampness such as filming in foggy weather or light rain. And you cannot dry it out inside.
 On: 2007-10-27
I have a full featured Camcorder but needed an inexpensive small camcorder that I could slip into my pocket for a trip to Europe. This had more features than I needed, was cheap and fit easily into my pocket. I didnt want to carry a camcorder over my shoulder while touring. It worked perfectly.
 On: 2007-10-22
Purchased this item at Best Buy in Florida during my vacation but the outcome was so dissapointing. Colors are very washed out, video to a 32 inch LCD TV is so blurry due to low resolution and low light b-day recording is sad as the TV turns dark and you can hear only voices. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to truely cherish their memories to get a higher grade camera. I really dont know what to do with this now... Too light for a door stop... Amazingly i have better results with a Sony Handycam I got as a gift in 1987. If you only have $250 to spend I suggest getting a used 2000-2002 High end model Sony with Night Shot.
On: 2007-05-16
I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. It works perfectly and does everything I could ever ask for and more for the price.
Great buy, Id recommend it to anyone!
 On: 2007-03-26
If you are looking for an entry level MiniDV camcorder, the Canon ZR500 offers excellent value for money.
Pros
1. Very intuitive interface
2. High Optical Zoom
3. Use of joystick reduces number of buttons to just 3
Cons
1. Motor noise
It also lacks a still camera mode, though I dont consider that to be a drawback.
On: 2007-03-14
The look and feel of this camcorder is very good. Unfortunately my camcorder use is limited to low light indoor activities. For example, evening party, indoor school activities, kid drama and orchestra. This camcorder is not at all suitable for these activities. Earlier I had a Sony DCR TRV140, which was way better than this camcorder.
This camcorder has a very small sensor and hence such a low price. One easy guide to evaluate the sensor size is to look at the optical zoom. Most of the camcorders with more than 10x optical zoom has small sensors. These large optical zoom camcorders will perform poorly in low light.
If you are planning to use this camcorder in low indoor light, I do not recommend it.
 On: 2007-03-08
Camera is light in the hand, sometimes too light for security feel of the camera. Camera when charged or used for length of time tends to over heat and feel hot to the hand. Toggle switch for play, stop, rewind, fastforward is difficult to use and flimsy. Down side - no hot shoe for external flash or level which is "so so" for a camcorder not essential; battery included with camera has about a 20 minute life cycle depending on video conditions.
Optics are not as good in night shooting as anticipated.
Postives are that one can video @ 720x480 with minidv tape, allowing for in computer editing in the most common video-editing programs possible - has 12 and 16 bit audio and is not just video destined for the web only! Also has external mic input. This was the main reason I went with this camera and not the ZR600, 700 or 800 (new) series.
by: satgale On: 2007-03-06
After a week of using this I find the motor noise that others talk about is nothing. Mine is a refurbished model from tigerdirect, so maybe the motor was already fixed :-) My mother in law has a camcorder that sounds like a blender. The ZR 500 is OK in low light, but you CAN adjust the exposure manually to correct if it isnt to your liking. You can also adjust the focus too!
My friend who is a mini DV guru said that in this end of the consumer spectrum this camera is on par.
Ive made two practice DVDs (with firewire, no problem at all) with this camera and like what I see.
For those of you that have bad motornoise: try your video software to edit the noise out. Power Director has that feature.
I am happy with this product, but I would rather have a higher end model now that I have a bit more in my budget for a camcorder.
A great camcorder for beginners!
On: 2007-03-05
After a week of using this I find the motor noise that others talk about is nothing. Mine is a refurbished model from tigerdirect, so maybe the motor was already fixed :-) My mother in law has a camcorder that sounds like a blender. The ZR 500 is OK in low light, but you CAN adjust the exposure manually to correct if it isnt to your liking. You can also adjust the focus too!
My friend who is a mini DV guru said that in this end of the consumer spectrum this camera is on par.
Ive made two practice DVDs (with firewire, no problem at all) with this camera and like what I see.
For those of you that have bad motornoise: try your video software to edit the noise out. Power Director has that feature.
I am happy with this product, but I would rather have a higher end model now that I have a bit more in my budget for a camcorder.
A great camcorder for beginners!
On: 2007-02-25
This wont matter to anyone that is not planning to transfer movies from the camera to their computer, but I have not had any success hooking the camera up to my computer. The guy at canon tech support says that their cameras dont work on combo cards that have both USB and Firewire ports on them, which sounds silly to me.
When i did have brief success transferring movies over there was a lot of motor noise, which to me is a huge distraction. But got it as a gift more than a month after it was purchased and are stuck with it.
On: 2007-02-21
The ZR500 and other low-end Canon camcorders appear to be very fine products, well worth their price -- but if what you want is the simplest and easiest way to make perfectly acceptable amateur-level home videos, have a look at the RCA Small Wonder.
Simple, rugged, totally easy to learn and operate, no frills but still some very neat features, takes perfectly adequate videos of your children, your dog, whatever -- and about half the price. Bought one; totally satisfied.
On: 2007-02-17
I got this camera and love it, except for one thing. The microphone input jack does not work. So I am sending it back as I need this for an external mic. Everything else was better than expected. This zr500 has dropping prices right now,so now is a good time to buy. I can now get the zr830 for only a few dollars more than I did for the zr500.
The zr500 does not have an usb connector so youll have to use firewire, which cost me a few extra dollars. The zr600 I "believe" has the usb connection direct to your computer so I would say buy the zr600.
On: 2007-02-11
Bought for my son and daughter-in-law as they just had a baby...EASY to use and the videos are clear and easy to take...so simple to use and such a great way to have a record of the baby!! For the price it cant be beat!
On: 2007-02-08
We bought this camera to film our new baby. It is perfect, easy to use and a great price. I researched a lot before I decided on this one and I am very glad I did. The picture quality is great.
On: 2007-01-10
I feel that I got a lot of camera for the price and have been very happy with how well it works with iMac and iMovie. For example, after attaching the firewire cable, all the playback controls are available through the iMovie panel. Also I like that the video is automatically separated into individual clips (based on when I started and stopped recording a scene).
On: 2007-01-10
I am very, very pleased with this camcorder. It produces great photos and videos. It is small and compact. The price is appropriate and the optical zoom and numerous advanced options makes it one of the best options on the market. Well done, Canon. Thanks for this great product.
On: 2007-01-10
This camera was bought to replace a JVC MiniDV that suffered from mysterious condensation errors that would reliably take the camera out of service for key events like my sons birthday and the holidays. The JVC also took a lot of dark or washed out videos unless the setting was in direct sunlight.
That said, I was blown away by how well this camera does in low light. For a low end camera it provides a great picture. From my review searching before I bought the camera, I learned that Canon skimps on extra features, but not quality for their low end cameras. This is nice because sony and JVC seem to skimp on quality but offer more features on their cheaper models. I dont really care about a zillion and one features, I just want to capture good memories on film with a picture that isnt painful to watch.
This is a great point and shoot video camera. Definately not pro-grade, but for home use its perfect.
If you want a camera that can double as a digital camera, this is not the product you want. This is fine for me because I have a digital camera that Im quite happy with already. But to some it may matter.
Also, this camera does not offer a USB connection just a ieee1394/Firewire style connection. Again a non-issue for me since I have both USB and firewire, but if your PC only sports USB then you may want to look at newer models.
Ive got to hand it to Canon. Their digital photo and video equipment has left me impressed and didnt eat my wallet to badly either.
Pros: Small, Easy to use, great price, nice picture
Cons (to some): Does not capture stills, no USB interface
On: 2007-01-10
Bought this for my 11 year old daughter to video her dogs and horses -- shes more a wiz at it than I am -- very easy for her to use -- the only draw back -- really cant do night time recording without ALOT of light and the direction manual resembles the thickness of the book War and Peace! But then, what 11 year old will really read a direction manual?
On: 2007-01-09
I bought this camera to replace a similiar model from Panasonic that had quit working. I had looked at a lot of the newer technology available and did not believe most was quite ready for prime time (price and functionality). For the price, I am very pleased with this camera, it does everything the Panasonic did and a little more. The joystick and the display showing how much tape is left are improvements over earlier models. For folks looking for a good, family type videocamera I dont think you can beat this for pice and performance.
On: 2007-01-04
The Canon ZR500 delivers superior quality sound and video, even in low light situations, when compared to other cameras in this price range. When covering an outdoor event, in a crowded situation, the compact size is a big plus. But I do wish they had provided a cold shoe mount for an add-on video light, I had to attach a special bracket to the tripod mount which was quite a handfull. And the tiny viewfinder that does not swivel can also be a negative. Full screen/wide screen is a great option, with more and more people owning wide screen TVs. Menu navigation is very simple using their new mini joy stick. 25x Optical Zoom is amazing!
On: 2007-01-01
Like the widescreen capture, looks great on a widescreen tv. There is some tape noise as described in other posts but not as loud relative to the voices in video. Had a problem with firewire not recognizing it, but turns out it was my airnet card, replaced it with a belkin card and all is good now. Windows movie maker 2 wont handle the widescreen and does a terrible job of resizing it, so I am on the premiere elements trial and I love it.
On: 2006-12-30
Just average. Im not a video expert, but I can tell you that the camera does not handle the interlaced video very well (opposed to other cameras I use). You can clearly see the even/odd rows against each other... On low light, the quality is fair, as you can expect on a camera at this price.
On: 2006-12-12
I did some research before buying this camera. I think within this price range this camera is among the best. There were some reviews that complained about recording of motor noise and that was the biggest concern for me before making the purchase. In fact, I have been recording for a month now and never experienced any motor noise in the recorded video.
This camera does not have still pictures capturing feature, but anyway that does not matter to me because I have noticed that still pictures taken by video cameras are in no way comparable to those taken by a digital still camera. I would strongly recommend this camera to anyone interested in making home video within this budget amount.
On: 2006-12-03
You are better off spending the extra money and buying the Elura 100. After trying 2 ZR500 we finally purchased the Elura 100. We discovered the following with the ZR500:
Performs poorly under low light conditions
and Picture quality is very grainy
On: 2006-11-25
Since the repair shop wont give me back my primary camcorder, I bought a Canon ZR500 to finish a project. After working with the TRX series of Sony Handycams, it took a bit of perspective-adjustment to accurately rate this camcorder. I read all of the reviews I could find on the camcorder before purchasing it, and I can now agree that the ZR500 is a nice place for those serious about getting into video but new to the field to start at. My biggest complaint is the noise that appears in lower light settings, but I find that to be a problem common to entry level camcorders. (So far as Ive seen, the cheapest camcorder that really begins to get past that problem is the Canon ZR700.)
This is a great little camera for someone who wants something small and compact to keep on hand for experimentation or as a back-up for amateur video production. Its not much bigger than my still camera--and I love that about it! It fits into a side compartment of my camera case just right. One review I read complained that the size led to fingers getting in front of the lense. Well, I *tried* to get a finger in the picture, and I couldnt even *reach* the lense! Im not sure how that user could get even a pinky in the picture while holding the camera!
Another complaint Ive come across is one concerning settings. Im not sure where that complaint arose from either, since the ZR500 has the nice little feature of a button battery that provides extra power to the camcorder, ensuring that it saves your settings. Ive never lost any settings, including "wind screen off," after powering down. The only way you could lose your settings is if you let the back-up battery die, and one lasts about a year.
However, if you prefer to use the viewfinder, this may not be the camera for you. The viewfinder on the ZR500 does not extend away from the body, so youhave to press your face against the back of the camcorder. If you want to use a larger (longer-lasting battery), then the viewfinder is pretty much unavailable. However, I never use the viewfinder on any of my camcorders, so its all a moot point to me. The LCD panel works great. It has a back-lit option to help you see it better under a variety of conditions. The menu buttons and "joy stick" are set into the edge of the LCD panel frame. Once you get used to them, theyre extremely convenient.
The ZR500 provides a nice introduction to the world of manual controls. It offers a lot of presets for the newbie, but also allows for manual adjustment of focus and exposure, amoungst other things. I was particularly impressed by the high-end exposure, and the background focus options. One problem Ive frequently encountered is an inability to move from focus of a foreground object to focus on a background object. (And visa versa.) The ZR500 allows me to do so while recording. Though this results in a clicking sound occuring on the sound track (the actual sound of the button being clicked), I almost never use the original audio from a video, and so havent found it to be any kind of a problem. As for the exposure, I tried both the presets (including Night Mode) and manually adjusting the exposure. Night Mode creates the delightful blurring of movement that allows you to create wonderful light effects against a dark background. For those of you interested in captureing natural motion in a dark space, I suggest manually changing the exposure. That will give you a brighter image without any blurring.
The plugs are well-placed and the mic input is a welcome addition. Ive had no trouble uploading video through a firewire onto my PC. The camera doeant come with software, but thats fine, since I use only Adobe Premeire Pro and Final Cut, anyway.
All in all, the ZR500 is a nice point-and-click camcorder for new videographers, or as a back-up. My only fault is the somewhat grainy quality in low light settings, but as the grain doesnt obscure the image, I can deal with it. The only extra feature I could ask for is a still camera function.
On: 2006-11-05
Has all the basic reqd features, very light & compact, ease to carry & record for long duration, good video quality.
On: 2006-11-04
Bought this to take vids of our new baby -- we are not disappointed at all. It is light and easy to use. The battery lasts about an hour - the same as a standard tape. The camera has lots of white balance options that you definitely want to learn about and use to maintain high quality. Also, you may want to use a tripod on the low-light settings, as the picture can sometimes be choppy with camera movement in low-light. Still not bad, though, considering there is no spotlight on the camera.
You can get tapes for about $5 each (or better) if you shop around. We got ours at Circuit City on sale.
The biggest disappointment was the software that came with the camera to download and burn our fine video productions to DVD. They didnt quite work at first (and we have pretty powerful computer equipment). Make sure to seek out and download any patches, drivers, or software updates you might need.
I own a lot of Canon equipment, and this camera lives up to the fine reputation Canon has built up over the years.
On: 2006-09-25
For the money, this camcorder is a best buy. It covers all the basics and then some. Battery life is good, plus you can snag plenty of deals on aftermarket batteries for this puppy. It uses the same battery as the Canon Rebel Digital XT (350).
The effects are fun to play with, and the true WideScreen really makes for some nice video. The external mic port is a nice plus considering most camcorders dont offer this.
For the money you cant go wrong. But if you need ALL the bells & whistles, be prepared to shell out over $1000. For $250 this was a much better deal.
On: 2006-09-21
Ive owned my ZR 500 now for about two weeks, so I have yet to really delve deeply into all that it can do. It is my first digital camcorder Ive ever owned.
So far, I am very impressed with this camera. It is so small it fits in the palm of your hand. It is also very light weight. Makes my Sony analog camcorder look and feel like a monster!
The "play", "rewind", etc. functions are located ON the viewing screen itself in the form of a tiny "joy stick" - theyre not actual buttons on the outside of the body. This took me about a minute to get accustomed to. I am used to having these buttons ON the camera itself. This tiny joy stick handles ALL actions and menu functions on the camera - except for "record", of course.
Another thing I like about this camera is that the lense cap is not attached by a string. The "cap" opens and shuts over the lense via a slider located near the lense. No more annoying lense cap dangling all over the place while you are recording!
The battery that comes with the camera is ok. It doesnt hold a charge for very long before you need to re-charge it. But, it does re-charge very quickly.
All in all, I feel that I made an excellent choice for my first digital camcorder! Although there are a few things youll need to get used to coming off of a typical analog camcorder, you will not be disappointed. I am giving it four stars and not five as Id have to assume there are better cameras out there... but Id have had to spend a lot more for them.
Added on 10/27/06: Upon using this camcorder a little more, and transfering video to iMovie, etc., I find that there is a bit of motor noise audible during playback. This is the one negative I have to say about this camera. I believe this issue has been addressed with the newer ZR600(?). Still, all in all, a good Mini DV camcorder.
On: 2006-09-20
Ive owned my ZR 500 now for about two weeks, so I have yet to really delve deeply into all that it can do. It is my first digital camcorder Ive ever owned.
So far, I am very impressed with this camera. It is so small it fits in the palm of your hand. It is also very light weight. Makes my Sony analog camcorder look and feel like a monster!
The "play", "rewind", etc. functions are located ON the viewing screen itself in the form of a tiny "joy stick" - theyre not actual buttons on the outside of the body. This took me about a minute to get accustomed to. I am used to having these buttons ON the camera itself. This tiny joy stick handles ALL actions and menu functions on the camera - except for "record", of course.
Another thing I like about this camera is that the lense cap is not attached by a string. The "cap" opens and shuts over the lense via a slider located near the lense. No more annoying lense cap dangling all over the place while you are recording!
The battery that comes with the camera is ok. It doesnt hold a charge for very long before you need to re-charge it. But, it does re-charge very quickly.
All in all, I feel that I made an excellent choice for my first digital camcorder! Although there are a few things youll need to get used to coming off of a typical analog camcorder, you will not be disappointed. I am giving it four stars and not five as Id have to assume there are better cameras out there... but Id have had to spend a lot more for them.
Added on 10/27/06: Upon using this camcorder a little more, and transfering video to iMovie, etc., I find that there is a bit of motor noise audible during playback. This is the one negative I have to say about this camera. I believe this issue has been addressed with the newer ZR600(?). Still, all in all, a good Mini DV camcorder.
On: 2006-08-11
I bought this camcorder as a wedding gift for my son & his new bride. I had originally considered a DVD-R/RW camcorder, however after comparing features (recording time per DVD vs miniDV, battery life expectancy, value for $), the miniDV format appeared to be the winner. The Canon ZR500 does not disappoint. The picture is incredibly sharp, the unit is silent in operation... I have found nothing to dislike.
I have noticed no motor noise in this unit. Our use has been somewhat limited, however I think weve used it enough to notice whether or not there was going to be a problem with motor noise.
I cant believe that you can buy such a high quality camcorder at these prices. I paid almost 4X as much for my Sony Video8 14 years ago, and this Canon is so much better! Incredible!
On: 2006-07-31
My wife and I were very impressed with the look and performance of this camcorder. It fits very nice in the palm of your hand. Excellent when you have to carry around for long periods of time, and the quality of the product is outstanding. Will recommend to all my friends.
On: 2006-07-27
This video camera is basic and fairly simple to use, but lacks many features. There is no low light feature, nor is there a built in light. I would suggest spending more on a more feature rich camera.
On: 2006-07-19
We havent had our camera very long, but so far we are totally pleased!
On: 2006-07-18
This little camcorder was exactly what I was looking for. I am not a pro, and the Canon ZR500 is my first camcorder. The picture quality is good, and it picks up sound pretty well. Like some of the other reviewers, I agree that you can hear the motor when you play back what you recorded, but the sound is not as bad as some people make it out to be. I have small hands, so the controls are perfect for me, and the Canon ZR500 is pretty easy to figure out without the manual (though I will admit I did have to flip through it for a few answers). The only real disappointment I felt was when I realized that the camcorder did not come with a miniDV. Overall, I would recommend this product for a beginner.
On: 2006-06-13
I purchased it last friday, and exchange it yesterday. I will find out if the replacement is any better as far as the motor noise goes. The motor noise is not the sound that I heard while using it, its the sound being recorded on the tape. The sound ranges from humming, a fluorescent light post, to jungle.
The RCA output is dull.
I am happy with most of other features. One thing that I like (and I hope I am correct after reading the manual) is that it is electronic anti-shake.
One more item, in easy mode, the anti-shake can not be shutoff.
On: 2006-04-30
Well, Ive done lots of dvds over the past year. Just got this to upgrade to widescreen but the motor noise is really, really noticeable. I got arround it because I tripod mount my cameras and so I tested a little RadioShack 3.5mm mic (9.95) and it solves the problem. The mic is on the tripod as is the camera.
BTW, I really, like the joystick but it too is recorded as a click each time you use it with the internal mic. Im doing a live recording tomorrow so Ill see.
On: 2006-03-27
I just bought this camcorder last week and have been using it like crazy, im loving it! Very easy to use, very quiet, no problems at all. The price for it is just right. I hope you enjoy it as much as i am! Hey its June now and the camcorder is still excellent, no problems at all!
On: 2006-03-18
Overall Design
First off let me say that I will be posting the same review for both the ZR 500 and Elura 100 since I found them both to be basically the same in design, video, and audio quality. That being said the first thing to talk about is the overall design and ergonomics of this years ZR and Elura models. The main problem I had with the design is that the camcorder is simply TOO SMALL. It is much smaller than my old Canon ZR85 and almost as small as my Kodak CX7530 digital camera. It is so small that when you try to hold it your pinky finger will sit very close to the lens and will move in front of it occasionally and you will be videotaping your own finger. This also causes video to be shaky since you cant even get your other hand onto the camera to brace it from movement. My hands by the way are not large at all and I cant imagine how somebody with larger hands would be able to use this camcorder.
As for design changes there are a few from the previous models and none of them are to my liking. Canon has decided to make the viewfinder sit in a fixed position flush with the back of the camcorder for some very stupid reason on the three ZR and one Elura model this year. Not only does the viewfinder not extend out and upwards like the old models but also it is smaller and virtually unusable. I would guess that the viewfinder is probably about half as large as the one on older models was. You will have your face pressed against the camcorder when trying to see through the viewfinder. Personally, I choose to use the viewfinder rather than the LCD screen on my digital camera and camcorder and this was a major inconvenience to me. If you get a longer lasting battery on the ZR models I can only imagine that this will be even more of problem for you since they will sit out further than the viewfinder.
The second design change that I did not like was that the lens and body of the lens now sits flush with the front of the camcorder instead of protruding out like it used to. This causes problems when trying to grip this small camcorder and as I said earlier your finger will occasionally slip and cover the lens.
The next questionable design change is that this camcorder does not have an accessory bracket on the top meaning that even if you did choose to get an external microphone or light there is no place to mount it.
Another problem is that while the ZR500 has a plug for an external microphone the ZR600 and ZR700 do not. I have no idea why this is the case but it is pretty stupid.
An Elura specific problem is that the battery sits underneath the LCD screen meaning that you cannot buy a longer lasting battery unlike the ZR models. The Elura battery is about a quarter inch thick and I would imagine does not last very long regardless of what Canon claims.
Controls/Menus
Canon has chosen to go to the joystick for most menu controls and this is not the best system in my opinion. I would rather have the controls on the body of the camera instead of trying to navigate with a clumsy joystick. I found that when trying to push the joystick in to accept a change in the menu I would often nudge it to the side and enter a submenu instead.
The second problem with the ZR and Elura models this year is some of the defaults. By default the sound is set to 12 bit, video is set to widescreen, and the wind screen is on. After changing the sound to 16 bit and video to full screen they stay set to your liking but to keep the windscreen off you must be in manual mode and change it every time you turn on the camcorder. I have never liked the performance of the Canon windscreen since it seems to cut out a lot of lower sounds that you may like to hear and this was a big inconvenience to me. I also found that the widescreen button is too easily hit and can be accidentally turned on very often. Now I know somebody will probably argue here and say that widescreen is better but personally I absolutely hate widescreen and Im surely not the only one with the preference for full screen out there.
Video Performance
Now I will review the filming performance of the camcorder. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the low light brightness of this compared to others that I have tried. Compared to the Panasonic GS120, GS150, Sony HC26, Sony HC21, and Canon ZR85 this was clearly the brightest picture in low light. Under a streetlight outside on Auto mode it looks very bright, even brighter than my old ZR85 was when turned on Night mode. The picture does have a LOT of noise and grain in low light situations but at least you can see something. Night mode however is still absolutely useless since it slows down movement so much that people look like blurry robots.
Indoor performance is basically the same as older models which is very grainy with a large amount of noise and overall a pretty poor picture. Also I found that whenever you zoom in on something indoors the camera automatically slows the shutter speed down and movement looks about the same as when night mode is turned on. This can cause a problem when taking video of anything moving indoors. Overall, after trying many different camcorders I would say that there is not a single Mini DV camcorder out there that can produce better or even comparable video quality indoors or in low light than VHS-C, Hi8, and even the old VHS camcorders did, sad but true. Perhaps if they stopped trying to make them smaller they would have larger CCDs and take better video but that doesnt seem to be happening.
Outdoor performance is basically the same for the Elura and the ZR models compared to my ZR85, no real improvement there. Its not the best and has some washed out looking areas when viewed on a large TV but overall is pretty good for the price.
The image stabilization that Canon uses is horrible compared to Sony or Panasonic camcorders. The image basically floats around the whole time and is very annoying to watch in slow motion, as I like to do with many videos. I would rather have no image stabilization rather than this garbage; also it takes up pixels that could otherwise be used for sharper video.
Audio
The motor noise of the ZR series camcorders and also the Elura 100 is a problem that cannot be ignored and was the main reason that I returned them both to the store and bought something else. It is a high pitched squealing sound that feels like somebody is scratching a chalkboard in your ears, and makes any video you record unwatchable unless you watch it on mute. There is no way to get around this motor noise. I tired using an external microphone held a few inches away from the camcorder and above as if it were mounted there but it just picked up the noise anyways. Hey, dont take my word for it go ahead and take a look at any Canon forum and see how many people are complaining about this problem. While some may say that the motor noise may be different from one camera to another due to a defect I personally tried two ZR500s and an Elura 100 and all of them had the same problem. I would say overall that the Elura was even louder than the ZR model. This noise is apparent in any recording situation whether there is a lot of background noise filming outside or in a silent room
Overall
Overall I would say that this camcorder is not a good buy unless you can put up with the motor noise constantly grinding in your ear when watching anything you record. Also, have a good look at the design and realize that the viewfinder does not move and see how it feels in your hands. Definitely the low light performance is improved from past models but still falls short of so called old technologies such as VHS-C, Hi8, and VHS camcorders. If you have tiny hands, a small budget, and can put up with the motor noise this may be for you otherwise keep looking, I would recommend any VHS-C camcorder over this though. I would say the Elura 100 is a better buy than any of the ZR models this year since it comes with a brighter video light than the top of the line ZR700 and also allows an external microphone for the same price, other than that they are pretty much the same.
On: 2006-03-06
True hi-resolution widescreen mode, mic input, built-in lens cover, and surprisingly good low light performance make this an outstanding product among the "base models" of the four camcorder brands. The styling in my opinion is quite elegant, and the joystick operation is pretty easy to understand. The widescreen LCD is beautiful and "future-proof". Unlike Panasonic or Sony, Canon doesnt seem to cripple their base model too much to differentiate the pricing. Omitting the SD card slot and having no "photo" button makes it a pure video camera, while desirable features like the LCD and the video processing circuitry has not been downgraded. Made in Japan, the quality shows in every aspect of product, accessories, and packaging (the adapter is a bit bulky, though. I was hoping for the kind that came with the SD series digital cameras, but no).
According to camcorderinfo.com, low light noise has been greatly improved from ZR100, better than any of last years models or brands in the price range (which all share the same sensor dimensions - 1/6" diagonal). Having used a Panasonic 3CCD camcorder, Im pretty satisfied with the performance of this tiny sensor. However, the tape mechanism is a bit loud, compared with the Panasonic GS120 or JVC GR250 I used - I guess every brand has their unique "whine". Connected directly to TV (via composite, no s-video port available) the picture is a little dull, but on the LCD and on the computer monitor (via IEEE1394) its great. If you burn it to a DVD on the computer the colors should retain their accuracy.
The battery is tiny, the same type used in the Canon Rebel XT (another clever cost-saving, cost-sharing idea), but I was able to fill up a 60 minute tape including framing/standby - amazing.
If this is your first camcorder purchase, I fully recommend it! If not, then its a good example of how refined the budget camcorder have become, a very capable replacement or backup.
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