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Canon Elura 100 MiniDV Camcorder
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 122
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 On: 2008-05-15
This camera is everything I hoped it would be. I wanted a mini-dv tape format, and there is a dwindling number of those available. I wanted it to include a port for converting my analog videos to digital, and I wanted an external-mic port. Few current camcorders in the under-$400 price range contain these options. The Elura met all these criteria, but I had concerns about its low-light capabilities, since I film a lot of family events indoors. I also had concerns from reviews that slammed it for having a high amount of motor noise.
Im pleased with the quality of the Eluras low-light images. As for motor noise, my experience for comparison was only with a large VHS format camcorder; it had no problem with motor noise. The motor sound of the Elura 100, while alarmingly noticeable next to my ear when recording in quiet settings, is not a significant problem on the recordings. It might be a factor if it were recording a silent scene in a still room, but it has not hurt the sound in any of the situations I have yet used it.
The manual is organized pretty well, and is usually quite clear in giving instructions.
CONS:
Reviewers sometimes mentioned the flimsy port covers, and I have to agree. Everyone who handles my camcorder is instructed to deal very gently with the port covers, and they have held up so far.
The toggle switch for selecting menu options is quite short; it takes a more precise touch than others I tried, but after extra time practicing with it, the user can navigate quickly among the options.
The hand strap is positioned so that the camera flops sideways in the hand if I release my grip on it. It should rest more stably in the hand.
On: 2008-01-14
I purchased this camera for work and have been satisfied with the results. I interview members of the community for our oral history project and video tape them to record it. The camera is not professional quality, but on our small museums budget it does the trick. The images are clear, the camera is easy to use and small enough to haul around when doing interviews at peoples homes. I purchased a firewire connection so I can upload the images onto the computer and make DVDs of the oral histories. They might not be movie quality, but they are good enough for displaying in exhibits and for researchers to access.
If you want this camera for home use or other small events I recommend it.
 On: 2008-01-02
We have had this camera for a year, and have been very pleased with how it has worked. It is easy to operate, and gives great results. Have noticed only a bit of background motor noise when we have recorded in a very quiet setting (interior locations without any conversation.) While we were somewhat concerned about noise because of other reviews, it has not been a problem. Great battery life.
On: 2007-11-27
I was deciding what type of camcorder to get and didnt want to spend more than $600 on the good stuff nor $200 on some cheap miniDV. I read about the Canon elura 100 many times but the camcorder was out for 1yr already. I wanted to get the latest and greatest thus I purchasing a basic Panasonic DVD camcorder(D230)...boy was that a mistake...I thought I can record onto dvd, pop it in my dvd player and start watching it, or copy the dvd video(vob) onto my desktop for editing, but NOoo, it doesnt work like that. After you finish recording the DVD you have to finalize within your camcorder while it is plugged in (wont finalize if not plugged in), the process takes about 10-15min for a 30min footage, and the finalized DVD is not recognizable by the PC, so youll end up with tons of DVD-Rs. (no sure if this is true for all dvd camcorder or just the panasonic one I got)
Anyhow, I decided to go back to miniDV (can transfer to the PC, easier to edit, superior video quality compared to DVD and HD camcorders and more compact) I wanted to get the Elura but it was discounted, and all the new Canon MiniDVs had worst video performance than the Elura (based on numerous reviews). Also, none of them had 2 LED(dont do much but better than nothing) and built in lenses cover. I was torn. After researching some more I found out about the new Sony DCR-HC48. It is about the same price point as the Elura, about the same size, similar CCD, got a sliding lense cover and it can record in infrared (which I thought was pretty cool)!
I end up buying a refurbished Elura online and a brand new HC48 at local store. First thing I did was to test for motor noise since so many people complain about it. I took both camcorder to the bathroom where the echo is loudest and recorded 1 min footage on each. I then played it back on both camcorder with volume turned to the highest, to my surprise the Sony camcorder actually had much louder motor noise than the Canon. The Sony had a loud motor noise while the Canon had a light whirling noise.
The canons video performance was also better, with more accurate color and auto focus. The infrared on the Sony was fun for 5min, but I dont see any particle use for it (unless you either want to create some Pariz Hiltxn video with glowing green eyes, or if you want to record someone in the dark without the person knowing, but keep in mind the range of the infrared LED is about the same as a regular white LED, the camcorder needs to be 3feet away from the subject in order to illuminate it in infrared) Anyhow, I kept the refurbished Canon and am happy with the decision. Oh did I also mention that the Elura is the most compact miniDV camcorder in the market? the major downside of the Elura is that is has been discontinued and only refurbished units are available online now.
 On: 2007-09-07
I am sorely disappointed with this camcorder. Its lighting is not only poor -its erratic !! Sometimes at whatever angle I record, even in bright light, the resulting picture has unpredictable dark and bright lighting. This camera is just not worth it. The rewind and forward operations are plain frustrating. JVC wins hands down anyday!
On: 2007-08-29
First, I did not have any issues with the motor noise. Its present but I did not find it noticeable. Any ambient noise where you are filming masks the sound.
Love the size. It literally fits in the pockets of most of my pants and shorts, so you can forget about carrying around a bulky case.
I find the joy stick controls a little annoying because theyre small, but its not a big issue. One thing that does bug me is I have a lot of dust trapped in the viewfinder and I cannot get it out of there, even with an air compressor. Tempted to take that apart but its probably a bad idea. I convert all my movies to DVDs and Im happy with the quality. I miss my old Sonys nightshot capability, but this is a great replacement unit.
On: 2007-08-25
This a value priced camera, which would serve very well to those wanting to keep family memories. Easy to handle, very small size. Great quality images.
Best I could get in its price range.
On: 2007-07-06
I have gotten a lot of use out of this video camera. It is not a fancy design, yet it has worked well. Audio with the internal mic is acceptable, but better with an external mic. (This is one of the only small camcorders I could find with an input for an external mic.) It is very good considering the price. I have used it with Adobe Primere Elements with good success.
On: 2007-06-27
Purchased this camcorder for my daughters family. She finds it very easy to use and lightweight so she can carry it to school functions easily. The tapes are readily available and easy to find. However, as time goes by, this format will become obsolete so dont buy it for the long haul. Nothing lasts that long these days anyway. I would recommend this camcorder as my daughter is taking nice movies of my grandchildren!
 On: 2007-06-15
I just returned a refurbished Elura 100 to B&H. I think I have the bad luck. I got one with huge whining motor noise recorded on the tape. Even my wife cant live with it. Other than this motor noise, this is a perfect camcorder for me. It seems the refurbished elura 100 on the market got a very high rate of motor noise (refurbished from the motor noise return :) ). I dont think canon will fix the motor noise when they recondition the "motor noise" returns. The label on the refurbished box claimed that it passed Canons test for new elura 100. So I guess there is a lousy audio noise test at Canon. Wish you are not the next victim for the "motor noise".
Note: the "motor noise" is not the running motor singing you heard while you are recording (I can live with that). "motor noise" is the sound that acturally got recorded to the tape that you can hear during play back. I think a better directional mic will solve this problem for canon. Maybe it is not that simple cause there are still good numbers of canon camcorder got ruined by the recorded "motor noise" regardless of which level. I think this is a pretty serious issue to canon. e.g. Ill not try canon camcorders for at least 5 years. Most people had similar experiment will probably have the same thinking.
Now I have to pay 200 dollars more for a sony HC96 :). I just hope HC96s audio can match my sony trv608. Sometimes I see sony is unbeatable or my last hope for the quality and feature, though I am not 100% satisfied with sony products.
On: 2007-06-01
Theres been a lot of reviews of this camera online. A lot of praise from websites such as camcorder info and then user reviews that slam it because of noise. I tested this camera against an older Sony Digital8 which is a much larger camera that originally cost over $1000. My point with this review is not to go over what all the other reviews can tell you (good and bad), but to offer my comparison and findings.
I edited the footage side by side and watched it a few times. Firstly, the noise on the Sony was WORSE. I was concerened about buying this camera because of the reports on noise. I noticed a noise in very quiet environments (NO other noise in the indoor rooms). Then I heard my Sony (which never bothered me in terms of noise before) and it was WAY louder.
What I am getting at here is when you listen for it, it could bother you, but other cameras are much worse. Thats not to say some other cameras arent better, but for the price and tiny size of the camera and the overall picture quality, this is a really great camera.
Its VERY important to note, however, that some folks DO have a real noise problem. Do a search on you tube and youll hear some bad examples. Check those examples out and if you get one like that return it. Interestingly, when I place my hand or finger over the microphone on the camera, the noise is terrible, and sounds like what the bad you tube examples sound like. Almost as if the YouTubers had their hand over the mic. There are also good examples there so listen to both, that way youll know when you get it if you have a problem or not. But the basic low level, "have to listen for it to hear it" noise is very much within the bounds of what can be expected of consumer mini dv cams, if not actually better. In my case, way better than my old Sony.
When writing this, I knocked off one star, because in low light the picture is a bit dark and a little grainy. Compared to my old Sony, although the Canon footage came out a lot darker in LOW light, it was actually far more accurate (in terms of darkness and colors) wheras the Sony brightened it more automatically, and added lots of saturation to the colors. The Canon was actually more accurate and true to life. So considering that, I decided to give it back the 5th star.
Worth mentioning is this camera is SMALL!! Smaller than anything youll see in stores right now (in the minidv range). That is extremely handy for travel, and as someone once said, the best camera is the ONE YOU TAKE WITH YOU.
On: 2007-05-26
So after having this camera a couple months and filling up my first video cassette, I have been pretty happy with the performance. However, I come to learn that I have to purchase a seperate cable in order to transfer video to my computer...how cheap can you be, canon? I paid $400 for a camera, give me a d*mn dv cord to put this thing to work. I will be returning this, my first ever canon, and going back to sony. Ill stick with the brand I can trust
On: 2007-05-09
This is an amazing camera for the money, still pictures are just above cell phones quality but with better optics, but when it comes to video... it outperforms many other more expensive camera...
On: 2007-04-19
I have now owned this camera for 7 months and have used it extensively. From the previous reviews you can see that while some cameras may have some sound issues this is hardly standard. I for one have had absolutely no sound issues. The picture quailty is very good outside or in a brightly lit room. As with any camera in this price range it will struggle in low light situations. For the price you will not find a better more compact camera. Amazon has a great return policy...if you end up with one that is too "noisy"...return it.
On: 2007-04-15
Terrific camcorder for use with a Mac computer. Downloads easily, also has a great zoom. Seems easy to operate.
On: 2007-04-07
The reason went to the Digital Movie Camera was I had a Analog Camecord that I wanted to but my Movie on DVD but the Dazzel lets you transfer Analog to Digital if you considering that at all do not by a Dazzel the Canon is the best Digital on the market DV tape were great
On: 2007-03-31
I switched from a Hi8 camera to this. It took me a little getting used to. To me, the picture quality of the Hi8 was actually better, especially if you play back to a monitor directly from the camera, but I wanted a digital camera for downloading and editing ease. At first, I did not think the image quality was that good: colors a bit off, too much distortion when moving the camera fast. I think I was able to make a few color adjustments but mostly I think I had to reconsider the way I took shots, trying to not move too fast and, since it is a wide screen format, which I like, I needed to step back to frame a good shot. I have uploaded to my computer and that is much easier and faster than with a Hi8. Overall, I think, for the price, this is a very good entry level digital camera and I am not sorry I bought it, just took a little getting used to.
On: 2007-03-30
The experts had a lot of good things to say about this camera, so I bought one.
I would recommend this camera to anyone who intends to transfer their footage to a computer for (even small amounts of) editing and eventual transfer to DVD.
The still images, while of decent quality (especially with respect to the price of the camera) are not great. The still images appear to be highly sensitive to hand motion.
On: 2007-03-20
DO NOT buy this if camcorder your computer does not have a Firewire/IEEE 1394 DV Terminal. Our computer is only 7 months old and we do not have this Firewire connection, so we went to Best Buy to get a $50 converter cable so we could transfer the videos and burn DVDs. No luck, even with the extra cable, the videos require Firewire connection to transfer to the computer. I have returned the Elura after this discovery and ordered the Sony DCR-DVD108 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom. This one records directly to the mini DVDs and plays perfectly on DVD players and the computer. Plus I can burn extra DVDs to send to family. Highly recommend the Sony, but not this Canon Elura.
On: 2007-03-10
Agree with many comments about how its great, easy, and totally appropriate for home use. I used it for home use and found it just fine. Recently we just finished an overview of the hospital department, and I took over 3 hours of video to edit down to 10 minutes. This little jobby worked great. Battery live was superb. In fact, I had purchased an extra battery out of fear from reading some reviews, but I have yet to use it. It lasted way more than the 1 hour I expected per charge. The joystick control worked fine once I slowed down and read the on-screen directions carefully. Stabilization - probably worked great, but my hand must be way more wobbly than Sherrys, because her video came out smooth, and mine was shaky when I panned. I am way over the age of 50, so that might be it. I got this camera at [...].
On: 2007-03-08
I got this camera to replace my ZR10 which I purchased in 2000
besides the usual canon quality it also had these very important features (to me anyway)
- top load cassette
- audio jack
by: michaelwoodruff_99 On: 2007-03-05
First off this is a pretty good DV camera for the most part but my pet peeve was the design is misleading...
The mic jack is limited...
After my first recoerding I heard the faint motor noise. So to counter act this I thought I could use a wireless mic and that would get rid of the noise...not! the mic jack can only be used in dubbing mode thats a great feature if you are editing film on the camera but for my uses (i use a video editing program) its worthless.
This is the only thing I hate about this camera. Evrything else is great!
p.s. Recording on the SD card feature from the tape is awesome too! especially if you are using the night vision mode I sugest you dont use it directly on SD this will make it record slow.
On: 2007-02-28
My camera was too noisy to handle when I tried to watch it on the computer(my luck?)but was not as noticable on TV; the quality of night shots is just poor, I couldnt understand the purpose of the LED light; after converting the film onto a DVD film, the film was way too fuzzy for my taste (remember that the camera comes with a basic program); I was able to take much better short films on my SD630 than this camera; I had to return it. I guess it was okay for others.
On: 2007-02-22
The camcorder is very portable and easy to use. We shot video at a conference swim meet and the Elura did very well in those light conditions. So far, my main problem has been the joystick on playback. The other controls are very well designed.
On: 2007-02-15
Firts excuse me, i dont speak English, but i try... at the end is in my natural spanish :-)
This camcorder is excelent for home use, easy to use, the quality of de video are very good.
I think the noise mentioned in other reviews is not catastrofic. For me this sensibility of the microphone is and advantage in most of situations.
With this camcorder i can record directly to the sd card but a great advantage is that i can record first in the DV tape and after, in de play mode, i can record from the dv to the sd card only the segment of the video tha i want to save (conservar). It is a great funtion because you can put in the pc and make a DVD easily if you want.
*******************
Esta cámara es excelente para uso doméstico, su calidad de video es muy buena y sus funciones fáciles de usar.
El ruido mencionado en otros reviews es causado pro la gran sensibilidad del micrófono, en algunas ocasiones me ha tocado filmar a msi hijas susurrando y esta sensibilidad del micrófono ha sido de gran ayuda.
Una de las funciones que me encantan de está cámara es la facilidad con la que puedo pasar mis videos de la cinta DV a la tarjeta SD, luego pongo la tarjet aen el lector de mi PC y listo.. puedo hacer un DVD si lo deseo..
Saludos Desde Venezuela
On: 2007-02-12
I did lots of research before I bought this camera and very pleased with the purchase so far. It is a good camera in this price range. Before buying it, I was concerned about motor noise (from other peoples review), however I dont think its that bad. Camera is ergonomically challenged though. Canon could have done better job with button placement. However,its no big deal.
No firewire included in pack...Overall, its a good purchase..recommended.
On: 2007-02-12
We bought this camera right before our son was born and now we are movie making maniacs. We love this camera. It is small (it fits in my husbands jacket pocket) and lightweight and does the job for what we need. It has crisp, clear pictures and great sound. It is quiet when running. It has a slight motor noise (I cant remember the technical name for that) when viewing, but it is very slight and I am very sensitive to sound and from what I understand this is quite typical of video cameras, although some reviews really frown on the louder noises of other cameras. We experimented with the still shot mode and it surprisingly gives really clear pictures; they are just small in size. I dont know much about the quality of high end cameras, but I read a lot of technical reviews on this particular camera before we actually settled on it. In fact, we bought this one after reading other peoples reviews (we had another one originally picked out). We love it and the price was right. And, as always, Amazon was a great place to buy it. We have NO regrets.
On: 2007-02-06
We Love this camcorder very small and easy to handle and manuveur, Im glad I made the choice of listening to my brother in law.
On: 2007-02-06
When I went Camcorder shopping, I looked at all the reviews I could find. My final choices were the Canon Elura 100 and the JVC GRD-650.The reason for this is that these were the only 2 camcorders with 3 ccds that were priced under $500. I never got to actualy see the JVC model in the stores, so I bought the Canon. Im very pleased with it. I have some spectacular images of our cruise ship leaving Aruba at night. My experience with Amazon.com was Fabulous. The camera even came a day before the expected delivery date, and I live in a small town in Puerto Rico. This is a first rate product with first rate service. THANKS!
On: 2007-02-05
After researching the Panasonic DV cams for months, I decided to go with the Canon Elura 100 on impulse. I was looking for three specific features: Widescreen filming, firewire connectivity, and analog/digital pass through. Elura 100 has all three of these features.
Im quite pleased with the picture, especially in low light. And I love the camera (1.1 MP was enough for the casual blog pictures I needed). The zoom is fantastic. Records great sound quality. I find the battery life pretty good.
I do have some gripes though. I wish the firewire port wasnt positioned so high as one of my cable plugs makes a very tight fit to access. Other cables are fine though. The night mode isnt very good. Its too choppy and blurry to be of use. The motor noise is loud when recording in quiet areas (it gets picked up on the tape). However, in outdoor situations and any place without quiet noises, I dont notice a problem. The strap that anchors the camera to your hand is very flimsy and feels rather cheap. In fact, the strap on the test model in store had snapped.
At first, I felt a little buyers remorse after my purchase; definitely after my tests with the loud motor. But I recently took it on a vacation and loved its performance. Its not a perfect camera, but for $350, with its plethora of features, its well worth it. 3.5 - 4 stars
On: 2007-02-05
This is a nice, small camcorder. I was looking for a reasonably priced model that I can carry in my cargo-pant pockets. The camcorder has all the features necessary for casual recording. The program modes work very well. I also like the built-in lens pretector. Only downside is that the image stabilization does not work well for high zoom level.
On: 2007-01-31
After conducting a couple weeks of research for a camera to shoot family events(Holidays, birthday parties, etc.), I decided to purchase this camcorder for 2 main reasons. The size and the picture quality.
If you are looking for a nice small camera this is perfect. Sure the other minidv cameras are small but when I compared the dimensions this one was a bit smaller then the other Canon camcorders I was looking at. And since size really does matter, this was a "huge" factor.
Picture quality in normal light conditions is good, but in lower light the picture is a bit grainy and the LED lights dont do anything to help.
The negatives? In quieter conditions, there is most certainly a hissing noise in playback from the tape motor. Enough to make me return the camera? No, but if I was using this for any other reason then to shoot family events I would more than likely try a different camera.
Another negative is the cheap handstrap, and the plastic covers that cover the different inputs. Im guessing after just a little use those little cheap plastic covers are just going to fall off.
All-in-all Id recommend this camera for people looking to shoot family events. If the hissing noise didnt exist this camera would be 5 stars(for a budget priced camera).
On: 2007-01-29
This is my first digital cam purchase. I researched extensively online and many arrows pointed to the elura 100. I wanted external mic input and analog to digital through port capability---has both. After looking at hard drive models and dvdcams I decided the minidv was for me since I borrow a three chip sony at my school and can take the tapes home.
I purchased locally for a very good price ($288) Of course, they try to sell you an extra battery by telling you it only has 10 minutes (nonsense). I ordered the firewire from amazon so I can download videos to computer. I began using the camera and found its features to be wonderful. The small size is amazing, the powerful ccd (1.33) gives great clarity and wonderful color. Low light doesnt seem bad and I dont think you can do much better unless you get a larger camera with less zoom. The 20x zoom is fantastic and i like the little viewfinder in case I really want to stabilize the camera. The built in mic sounds very clear and has good fidelity. (doesnt pick up much motor noise as some complained). Im a musician and will record my jazz group with built in mic or external stereo condenser mic. Am looking forward to using it much more than my old 8mm tape yashica (though it still works after 14 years).
In this price range, I dont think they come better. My local stores have been blowing out other models for under $200. and they are very good but I wanted something a little better. Good luck.
On: 2007-01-24
I did a great deal of research before purchasing this for Christmas. It cost $329 with free shipping from Amazon. The camera does have some minor motor noise, but nothing the lay person would notice. The camera is feature pack (other reviews have gone into detail) and has a great picture. Most of all, I love the you can easily change the analog out to analog in from any source (old 8MM vids), connect firewire from the camera to my computer and either save on hard drive or burn a dvd of my old videos. Nothing else on the market comes close to this camera for under $500. I would also recommend buying the Cannon bag, as everything fits into it quite nicely.
On: 2007-01-24
This camera was a gift for my daughter, it has met or exceeded all of her needs. She is 17 and creates short films for school and to put on the internet and she is completely satisfied.
On: 2007-01-23
I bought this camcorder after returning the Sony DCR-DVD305 my husband got me for Christmas. I had a lot of issues with the Sony - you can read my review if interested.
Anyhow, I did a lot of research, and although the warnings about motor noise concerned me, I decided to risk making the purchase. I bought mine from B&H Photo & Video for $359. I chose them because of their reputation and they do not absolutely charge a re-stocking fee if you return it, it depends upon the condition of the items upon return.
Overall, I am thrilled with this camera, especially compared to the Sony. The video quality in regular and low light is by far superior on the Canon. I like the idea that I can copy my old VHS tapes through this camera to my computer and burn them to DVD, I LOVE that I can add a wide angle lens, and the firewire port makes transfer to the PC super simple.
To test the camera compared to the Sony, I recorded a video of my son similar to the one I had taken with the Sony - same room, same lighting, same everything. Again, the video quality of the Canon is much better and less grainy. The picture was brighter and more vibrant and it picked up more in low light than the Sony. The sound was very good, picking up all conversation, even some background stuff from another room, and you could actually hear what was being said - it wasnt muffled. The optical zoom is great, but unless you are as steady as a rock, close-in will require the tripod, although the more I used it, the better I got at keeping it from jumping around. I think it takes some practice to understand how the camera reacts.
The noise everyone mentions from the tape motor is there, especially if you are looking for it. My Mom didnt notice it, but I did and so did my husband. That being said, the Sony, which was a DVD camcorder had noise too on video playback. It was slightly less in volume, but higher pictched so it was actually more annoying. The noise from the Canon, when played back on my PC was like the sound of an airplane motor but from far away. Lower but constant. On my TV, after burned to a DVD, it was much less noticeable. At first it bothered me greatly, but when I played both the Sony video and the Canon video back on my TV I realized that its actually not that bad.
If they could reduce the motor noise even by half, this camera would be perfect! I plan on keeping this camera and using it for many years to come.
On: 2007-01-22
I just received the canon elura from Butterfly Photo and am promptly returning it for another. I hope not to have the same issue with the motor noise, but the one they sent was terrible. I recorded for about five minutes and the replay on both the camera and T.V. was very noticable and problematic. I went to Best Buy to hear their floor model and did not hear anything compared to what this cameras motor noise was emitting. Did Butterfly Photo send me a refurbished camera? It seems that there have been various reports of this issue. Obviously, some of the cameras do not have the motor noise problem, while others clearly do. Butterfly promptly sent another camera without the motor noise. Thanks!!
 On: 2007-01-21
I just returned one canon elura 100 camcorder today. The white balance of this products is so bad that it looks like there is a red filter in front of your camcorder. And this defect cannot be solved whether in auto mode, indoor mode or sun light mode. Really bad experience.
On: 2007-01-21
No comment. Everything is OK !
Regards,
Cristian
On: 2007-01-20
i purchased this product as a gift for someone and they really enjoy it. simple to use and compact, yet not too expensive.
On: 2007-01-19
Good value/price. picture colors are good, sound is ok but need an external micro.
On: 2007-01-18
Quite simply you cant touch anything this good for the price. Great picture (real 16:9), great features, good still shooting. If you want a better camcorder (and there are better ones) you will need to spend about $500 to get anything comparable. I did a lot of research. For $500-$600 you can get an quite fablulous camcorder (better than this model) but there is nothing close to Canon Elura 100 in its price range which is why Im giving it 5 stars.
On: 2007-01-18
For this price range, the picture is great. I can also verify the noise from the motor of this camera. But, I also had a similar noise problem with my Canon ZR-20 (which I still own and use). Personally, I dont use MiniDVs for their audio and if I needed to, Id go for some external solution.
Bottom line, I paid $800+ for my ZR-20 in 2001, and now for $349, I got an "upgraded" image, much smaller footprint, AND the ability to use an SD card for additional video.
Nice pocket video camera, but there is some noise....
On: 2007-01-18
The video quality on this camera was great but all that was ruined by a VERY VERY loud tape drive. The sound coming from the MiniDV tape drive was so loud that it was picked up by both the built-in microphone AND an external microphone placed a good 5-6 inches from the unit. The distortion was so bad I returned the camera. Canon needs to address this issue as I have been reading about this a lot lately. Let the buyer beware with this camera.
On: 2007-01-16
This is a fantastic camcorder! Granted, I dont have an extensive frame of reference (this is the first one Ive ever owned) but it performs exactly how I want when I want. I had to opt for less than 5 stars in the interest of integrity as noted below.
Great out of the box and TV setup.
Great battery life.
Great film results, especially outside.
Decent sound.
Its easy to set up and use right out of the box. Im STUNNED by how small and light it is. The controls are easily accessible and fairly intuitive. I had read a few reviews that suggested they were cramped. However, in my experience, Ive been quite comfortable using the camcorder despite my large hands. The "Easy" mode is great, and there are plenty of manual controls to use as I learn more about the camera.
The video quality, especially outside, is incredible. My wife and I were both amazed at how professional it looked on our TV. It should be noted, though, that there is a noticeable difference when you record inside particularly in the evening. I more or less expected this when purchasing the camera, I knew I wasnt purchasing a professional model. I was on a budget, but wanted solid results - and I feel Ive received those results from the Canon Elura 100.
Regarding the motor noise being heard in the film, Im sad to say the rumors are true. I read reviews where the user hated the camcorder because of this, and other reviews that claimed the noise didnt exist. I knew this was the one risk with this camera before purchasing it. However, this should not be a deal breaker. In most situations, the noise is imperceivable except in quiet environments.
All in all, you cant touch a better camcorder with more value in this price range +/- $200. Im thrilled about this product and the moments Ive captured with it, and its been worth every penny Ive spent.
On: 2007-01-15
This camera was fairly easy to use, BUT read the manual first. It is very small, but operates via a joy stick that makes it easy to hold and use for large hands. It has many functions which makes it better than many of the other, more expensive cameras I tried at Best Buy. A good camera for movies, or snap shots.
On: 2007-01-15
I am not a professional camera person. So I can only talk about personal home usage of this camera. It is easy to use, picture is great, battery lasts for a while and we are really happy with it. It is lightweight and easy to operate.
On: 2007-01-15
This is a great camera for an amateur exploring video. I purchased this as a gift for someone very passionate about photography, as a way to experiment with video. It is both small and easy to use,(a rare combination), and the quality of image is excellent for the price. A pro would want more, but for the novice it is fantastic. Canon makes a great product.
The supplier was Wholesale AV, and their packaging and delivery is both timely and efficient.
On: 2007-01-15
Overall the camera is fine. The only complaint, which I had already heard about going into purchasing, was the fact that the images can look dark when shooting inside, even with the light on. The camera would be perfect if the lighting was better or you could add a light. The functions are great and easy to use and undersatnd, especially if you have used other Canon digital cameras before. It is good buy for my first camcorder. I would recommend this camera to others.
On: 2007-01-14
This is a horrible item! Very Noisy!!! Do not recommend!!!
On: 2007-01-11
When I first decided to purchase a camcorder, I didnt know the difference between a MiniDV, DV, digital, etc. So I did a lot of research online and looked at a lot of reviews. I ordered the Elura, and when it came, I didnt open the box for a week because I thought I changed my mind and thought I should get a DV camcorder so I could conveniently put the DVD right into a DVD player, even if the quality wasnt supposed to be as good. But I decided to open it, and when I saw how small it was, I decided to keep it. I figured out how to use it for an event the next day, and then I realized I didnt have a case to carry it in. It turns out that it fit into an old camera (not camcorder) case. I could not believe that I could carry a camcorder in a camera case. Its so convenient. However, I do agree with 2 negative things about the camera. The strap to hold onto the camera could be better, but its not terrible. And the zoom in and zoom out button could be more conveniently placed. But it does take great video.
On: 2007-01-10
I live in the UK but travel extensively around the world. I thought a camcorder would be fun to add to my digital camera but only worth it if the quality of the recordings was high and the price low. The Elura had great write-ups in the US as the Elura 100 and in the UK as the Canon MVX460. MV tape apparently still gives much better quality than HDD or DVD recording. The only difference between them is that the Elura uses NTSC and the MVX460 the PAL standard. However in the UK, at least, most new TVs and recorders are multi-regional so I can show NTSC on my UK set. There is also readily available sotware software to convert between the standards if required.
Now comes the rub. The Elura100 was about $[...] on Amazon.com and about £[...] on Amazon.co.uk. So the Elura product was half the price. However, despite my being a loyal customer on both sites for many years Amazon.com refused to sell me an Elura and ship it to the UK. So I bought one when in the USA and I am very pleased with it.
We Brits call it Rip Off Britain. A land of fat retailers and poverty stricken customers.
On: 2007-01-10
Pros: Compact, many functions/settings yet can "point & shoot", can use both SD or MMC memory cards, many options for playback and recording to VHS or DVD recorder. User manual is very well written and cross-referenced throughout. Really like it. Good value.
Cons: The position of telephoto/wide-angle slide button and other top mounted controls uses index finger (this is a "for right-handed" camera) which for large hands and long fingers is difficult to use while holding cam still. Will not take an SD card greater than 2 Gb, which the manual says has not been tested for more than that. I tried a 4 Gb. Cam saw it, but wouldnt initialize it or record to it.
On: 2007-01-10
Havent had much of an opportunity to use it (new baby in the house) but what I have been able to do has been great. I love the zoom and the wide screen. Its easy to use and I love its size. I just wish I had more time to play with it!
On: 2007-01-10
Bought it as a gift and ended up buying myself one as well. It is easy to use and has good quality videos. Amazon had the best price after checking several sites and stores.
On: 2007-01-10
Really neat product! Works great. Some reviews state sound quality is not great. I believe I have excellent hearing and I have found no flaws thus far.
On: 2007-01-10
The camera is fine for the money you pay, but Im not that happy with it over all. The motor noise in the recording is ridiculously loud. The picture is not nearly as good as the Sony I had before this though. If your looking for a camera under $400, this has some nice features, but if your looking for quality picture, you could do better.
On: 2007-01-10
The first thing I noticed it how small it is. It is so easy to use and the clarity is awesome. I love the fact that you can take still shot photos (like a digital camera) as you are taping video. And the photo quality is great. I only wish it had an exterior light. So far, it has not been a problem, but I wonder if it will be an issue in the future.
On: 2007-01-10
Pros: It is easy to operate. Small and light. It takes great video. Fireworks setting was awesome. I like the pictures I took with it. It was a great dollar value. There is no way I will buy an expensive camcorder, because in 4 years when it craps out, Ill need to buy another
Reviews that made me hesitate to buy this: The controls on the back; they worked for me because I like to use both hands. The joystick is tricky, I plan on gluing a ball bearing to it to make it fit my finger better. The minimal viewfinder hasnt bothered me, I havent even thought about using it. Handling was no problem for me, it fit well and I liked how it felt. I added a neck strap from an old canon, so maybe that made the feeling better. Battery is not a problem to remove or charge with OEM charger. You need an extra battery. I can hear it run, but not on the videos when I play them back.
On: 2007-01-10
Bought this camcorder mainly for its compact size and picture quality. I was not disappointed in either case. Has a lot of functions for the more advances photographer, but for a novice like myself, the automatic functions work extememly well. Instruction manual provides detail operational procedures. Well worth the $300+ price tag.
On: 2007-01-10
Before getting this camcorder I asked my wife: Do you prefer great low light performance or great portability?, and the answer proved that SIZE MATTERS! The images are great outdoors, and ever indoors are good. I would say that having a great indoors camera requires a BIG LENS, thus BIGGER SIZE, but for a small camera like this you get a SMALL LENS, and just good indoor quality. When played in a 42" LCD TV is looks incredibly good, it is VERY VERY GOOD. I took this camera to Six Flags and I kept it in my khakis pocket, really! It was not uncomfortable. It also fits in any jacket pocket, and in some "wide" shirt pockets. So if you want to record your family moments this is the best camera for the size, quality and price.
On: 2007-01-10
Im really happy with the Elura. Ive never owned a camcorder before and was surprised at how easy it is to operate. Now, I just need to figure out how to get it on my computer and then onto a dvd!
On: 2007-01-09
After researching the digital camcorder field for three years, I decided this camera looked like the best in the less-than-$400 market. The camcorder performed magnificently for me for the three weeks I had it and it has an extraordinary feature set for the money. However, the motor emits an extremely annoying noise which is captured on the tape and sounds like you were recording everything in a machine shop. On going back to the Internet and researching other reviews, I found that this is a very common problem with this camera. So sad! I loved this camera, but the recorded motor whine killed what was otherwise a 5-star camcorder.
On: 2007-01-09
I like this machine, its better than any other camcorder that Iv used(of course in terms of the value and pirce relationship) and the function is easy and useful. One think is that the noise is a little bit louder. However, its a very good machine. I like it.
On: 2007-01-09
This camera works great during the day but night shots arent that great. There is a little motor noise but hardly noticeable. This camera has great features but some are hard to get to or use them when you need it.
On: 2007-01-09
I did a lot of research on camcorders and decided on this one because of the extra 10,000 pixels -- which means a clearer picture (the standard is 680,000 for 1 CCD camcorder).
When it arrived I was thrilled by its compact size and light weight. I recorded a lot and soon learned that you can hear the "clicking" noise when you use the special effects button; or try to manage a zoom (a bit of an awkward reach for my small hand).
I was most disappointed with the focus. I pretty much kept it in automatic and noticed that it struggled to find its focal point for focusing. When it finally did, the picture was clear. However, I did try other cameras and noticed they did not perform this way.
Low light is grainy -- and I think they will all be. I never did figure out how to manually correct that.
EIS -- Electronic stablizer -- terrible. I had it on the whole time and if I walked or even moved my hand slightly it showed a "bumpy" picture.
I really did like the remote control for setting up self shots with the family and the wipe options were very fun.
All in all, I had to return it for what I thought was a malfunctioning focus and EIS. I was pretty bummed too, because I really liked its convenient travel size.
On: 2007-01-09
Product performed as expected. A good entry level device, and there were no surprises. Low light filming could be better, but overall Ive been able to achieve excellent results. I like the snap shot capability, and the fact that my TV (An LG LCD TV)has a slot on the side where I can insert the memory card from the camcorder and view contents on the TV screen. Camera is compact, and battery life so far has been exceptional. Camera has more features than I will probably ever use.
On: 2007-01-06
I have relitively small hands for a man and yet they dont fit the camera well, making it ackward to reach the zoom button. Although video cameras are getting smaller and smaller, this camera has gone a little too far. Pictures are good, but the stabilazation doesnt seem to be as good as my older Hi8 Sony. Also not a 0Lux like my Sony was.
The menus are very intuitive; the still camera portion is ok.
Not a great camera but certainly a good camera.
I would buy it again because of the good picture quality (filming), its a Canon and the $300 price makes for a good Middle Income family camera.
On: 2007-01-04
After reading a lot of good reviews, I decided to buy an Elura 100. I was really glad to see that the image quality is really good and probably better than the others in the same price range. However, the engine noise is really loud during playback. It is not noticeable during the recording, but as the microphone is placed too close to the motor, it is really evident during playback.
After doing some more research, I found that this is a very common problem with this model and Canon standard answer is that it should not be noticeable if there is some background noise (TV, radio, people talking), but that was not true in my case.
I returned the camera and got a new one (same model), hoping that the new one would not have any problem. Unfortunately the noise was the same, so I returned it again and got a Panasonic GS-59 instead. The picture quality is not as good as the Canon Elura 100, but at least there is NO noise.
You may read in some reviews that some levels of motor noise should be present in modern mini-DV cameras, due to its compact size (mic too close to motor). In my experience that is not true, as my new Panasonic does not present any noise.
If you are looking for a camera to use for images only (editing the sound or including soundtrack), the Canon Elura 100 is still a great option due to its superior picture quality (larger sensor 1/5"), but if sound is important to you, think twice before buying it.
On: 2007-01-04
The Canon Elura is a great 1st camcorder. Its very small and portable (a big bonus), lightweight, and very user friendly. Im sure there are other camcorders with better sound and picture quality, but this is great for the price.
On: 2007-01-03
Its a good camera but takes a while to focus on objects.
On: 2006-12-25
The Canon Elura 100 is my first venture into MiniDV camcorders. I had previously used Hi8. Compared to Hi8 equipment, the Elura 100 is an absolute gem. It is amazingly compact and easily fits into one hand. My hands are relatively large and the controls are relatively small. I was concerned that I might find it difficult to operate. Happy surprise: all the controls come naturally to hand (or more literally, finger) and are easy to operate without error. The joystick control, however, is a mixed blessing for controlling playback. It is far too easy to slip out of playback mode. Not a big deal, but an occasional irritant. Slipping out of playback mode simply means you might have to rewind or fast forward to get to the point you want.
Video quality in daylight situations is excellent. For the casual user, the Elura 100 will be more than adequate, though comparison with video from a 3ccd camera will show significant difference. Considering that 3ccd cameras are available for less than $200 more, potential buyers who feel passionate about video quality might want to carefully compare the Elura 100 with 3ccd models and the capacity of their wallets. 3ccd models seem to run a little larger than the Elura 100 which may also be a consideration for travelers and those who prize low bulk.
Handholding the Elura 100, with the optical stabilization enabled, produces excellent results. Battery life is adequate, though I would suggest investing in one or two extra batteries just to be on the safe side.
There are some negatives to the Canon Elura 100.
Low-light performance is poor, which should not be unexpected. Videos made in low-light - and by that I mean subdued indoor lighting - are very noisy (grainy). Because the Elura has no accessory shoe, mounting an auxillary light source will require you to use a third-party handle with an accessory shoe which detracts from the convenience of the compact form factor.
The built-in LED intended to provide illumination is a bit of a joke. It is too weak to make a substantial difference and its overly blue hue adds an unfortunate cast to your video.
Motor hum can also be bothersome under some circumstances. The automatic gain control is, I think, a bit too aggressive. When recording ordinary conversation, the auto gain is turned high, capturing the motor noise. In my unit it wasnt horrible, but it was noticeable. Another reviewer has noted that Canon suggests introducing "white noise" such as a radio or television in the background. That isnt really white noise, its just plain old noise that will compete with the audio you actually want. The Elura does have an external microphone jack. An external directional microphone is always a better idea, but once again the lack of an accessory shoe creates a problem.
For those shooting scenics and outdoor or even most indoor activities (i.e., parties) the motor noise wont make much of a difference. For those who are truly finicky or recording low voices without background noise, the hum may drive one up a wall.
Overall, the Canon Elura 100 has more in the plus column than in the minus. Its compact size and overall high performance make it a keeper. But for those who really want the highest possible quality in video and audio without going to truly professional equipment, they may choose to spend more and get a 3ccd camcorder.
A couple of other neutral points worth mentioning. The Elura has a still photo capability which is not particularly useful, but might come in handy under some unusual circumstance. The 16:9 aspect ratio is nice for those who like it.
Jerry
On: 2006-12-24
I cannot believe this product is on the market. Apparently the motor noise is either much worse on some units than others, or those who have given the Elura 100 more than one star dont mind a constant and very loud hum during playback. I was elated when I pulled the Elura 100 out of the box. It is the smallest camcorder I have ever seen, and the features are fantastic. However, every great feature in the world is worthless if you cant bear watching the video because of the horrific motor noise. I tried everything I could to eliminate it, but it does not go away. The only thing I could do to eliminate the motor noise was to shoot very low quality video and store it on the SD card, which doesnt require the tape motor drive to function since it stores the video directly to the flash card. But that is completely worthless as well. I didnt pay much attention to the other reviews that complained of the motor noise because so many other reviews did not mention it. Do yourself a favor and find a different camcorder.
On: 2006-12-21
Unfortunately I chose not to heed the words of several on this site and many on other sites and I decided to roll the dice and order the Elura 100 from Amazon. They had a great price and free super saver shipping.
I got the camera, powered it up and sure enough the motor noise was very loud. I am not a video junkie either. I video my family and kids, probably 3-4 tapes per year. I have an attention to detail but I would not consider myself a fussy photographer. I just want to get the picture/video. I dont even understand what color saturation is. I want a legible picture and sound track that can be heard.
I filmed a sample in a quiet room then a sample of my kids talking to me. I couldlnt tell if the noise made onto the sound track because it was also there when I put it in VCR mode. So I pulled the video off the tape and onto my PC. I played the raw .avi file and the motor noise was there and was surprisingly loud. I played it for my wife and daughter and they both were equally shocked.
I have owned the Canon Elura 65 (which broke after just 2.5 years) and a sony DCR-PC9. Both had a typical low motor noise but nothing like the Elura 100. So the camera went back to Amazon. I am only sorry that I will have to pay shipping both directions to have learned my lesson.
It appears that the motor noise issue is hit and miss so I e-mailed Canon to see if they would exchange the camera for one with no motor noise. I was surprised and disappointed by their response. Here are their words exactly: "Unfortunately, your warranty does not cover an exchange with Canon.The new Elura 100 series camcorders have an audio gain feature to pick up spoken conversation. The gain automatically increases in an attempt to pick up your subjects conversation if it is at low volume. This 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. If the recorded motor noise still persists, or if it overrides other sound in the video, the camcorder should be examined by our service personnel".
So their main recommendation is to cover up the motor noise with white noise. I wonder if they expect me to carry a radio around in my Camera bag so that each time I want to film the kids I can ask them to wait while I get the radio out to create some background noise.
Needless to say I am done with Canon. I was quite disappointed when the Elura 65 died after just 2.5 years. Thought I would give them another chance. Strike 2 and I am done. I just ordered a Sony DCR-HC46. A little more money but hopefully it will be as bullet proof as my PC9 was.
On: 2006-12-20
I just purchased this camcorder and I will make two observations supporting what many others have stated- both here and in other reviews. The motor noise is for real. The noise I am getting is a high pitched motor/ tape transport noise that is annoying while shooting and a major problem on playback. There is also a lower pitched constant rumble that combines with the high pitched noise to really ruin the playback experience. I tested this in different environments, and it is clearly the camcorder and not any surrounding noises.
The only other negative thing that other reviews mention and that I will confirm is that it is, for me, an uncomfortable camcorder to hold. Try before you buy. If it were not for the motor noise I could live with the way it is held.
Other than that, this is a great little camcorder. Too bad about the noise.
On: 2006-12-20
Unfortunately I chose not to heed the words of several on this site and many on other sites and I decided to roll the dice and order the Elura 100 from Amazon. They had a great price and free super saver shipping.
I got the camera, powered it up and sure enough the motor noise was very loud. I am not a video junkie either. I video my family and kids, probably 3-4 tapes per year. I have an attention to detail but I would not consider myself a fussy photographer. I just want to get the picture/video. I dont even understand what color saturation is. I want a legible picture and sound track that can be heard.
I filmed a sample in a quiet room then a sample of my kids talking to me. I couldlnt tell if the noise made onto the sound track because it was also there when I put it in VCR mode. So I pulled the video off the tape and onto my PC. I played the raw .avi file and the motor noise was there and was surprisingly loud. I played it for my wife and daughter and they both were equally shocked.
I have owned the Canon Elura 65 (which broke after just 2.5 years) and a sony DCR-PC9. Both had a typical low motor noise but nothing like the Elura 100. So the camera went back to Amazon. I am only sorry that I will have to pay shipping both directions to have learned my lesson.
It appears that the motor noise issue is hit and miss so I e-mailed Canon to see if they would exchange the camera for one with no motor noise. I was surprised and disappointed by their response. Here are their words exactly: "Unfortunately, your warranty does not cover an exchange with Canon.The new Elura 100 series camcorders have an audio gain feature to pick up spoken conversation. The gain automatically increases in an attempt to pick up your subjects conversation if it is at low volume. This 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. If the recorded motor noise still persists, or if it overrides other sound in the video, the camcorder should be examined by our service personnel".
So their main recommendation is to cover up the motor noise with white noise. I wonder if they expect me to carry a radio around in my Camera bag so that each time I want to film the kids I can ask them to wait while I get the radio out to create some background noise.
Needless to say I am done with Canon. I was quite disappointed when the Elura 65 died after just 2.5 years. Thought I would give them another chance. Strike 2 and I am done. I just ordered a Sony DCR-HC46. A little more money but hopefully it will be as bullet proof as my PC9 was.
On: 2006-12-19
The motor noise that is picked up when recording is absolutely unbearable. Unless you plan on watching the video muted, dont bother with this camcorder.
On: 2006-12-16
My six year-old JVC miniDV had recently died, so I had to pick up a new camcorder for the holidays. I initially purchased a Canon that records onto mini DVDs - WHAT A MISTAKE! The technology simply isnt there. The data rate of mini DVDs vs. MiniDV tapes is much lower, resulting in an unacceptable amount of compression. I immediately returned the DVD camcorder and purchased this one.
I was initally VERY WORRIED by reports of loud tape drive motors being picked up by the onboard mic. After a series of tests and playback on my hifi surround, I detected zero tape noise. I had expected to hear a little hum. Sound quality was shockingly good from the onboard mic. I can only suspect (as other readers have suggested) that there was either a bad batch of cameras or that Canon has addressed the design issue. I also like the option of adding an external mic if I ever get the urge.
I have only had the camcorder for about a week, but I am extremely happy. Firewire/1394 performance with my computer has been exceptional, with zero dropped frames. USB connectivity was a snap. Still photos saved to the SD card are very, very good for a camcorder, but my dedicated Canon digital still camera still blows it away in that regard. Widescreen recording is wonderful. Navigation of menus is easy with the well-functioning joystick. People with huge hands might have a problem, but I think its unlikely.
Minor quibbles:
The tape door feels flimsy. Ive seen this problem on most miniDV camcorders.
The LED light is weak and has too much of a blue hue. Most people probably wouldnt use it anyway.
On: 2006-12-14
I got this because cnet recommended it as the best budget camcorder. Unfortunately, the microphone picks up the whirring of the tape drive while it records. During playback the whirring on the tape is so loud it makes the video unwatchable. If youve ever watched an old silent movie on a projector and can remember all of the noise that the projector makes, well thats the level of noise that gets recorded to your tape.
I returned mine and would not recommend this one.
On: 2006-12-13
I got this because cnet recommended it as the best budget camcorder. Unfortunately, the microphone picks up the whirring of the tape drive while it records. During playback the whirring on the tape is so loud it makes the video unwatchable. If youve ever watched an old silent movie on a projector and can remember all of the noise that the projector makes, well thats the level of noise that gets recorded to your tape.
I returned mine and would not recommend this one.
On: 2006-12-13
This camcorder delivers on everything promised: great picture, impressive widescreen mode, ease of operation with optional limited manual controls. Works well with iMovie. Transferring analog tape (VHS, VHS-C, 8mm) to either DV or computer is very easy with minimal quality loss. Still shots are easy to capture with decent quality.
Shipped UPS from JR Computer/Music World. Packaging and all components in excellent condition. Shipping was fast.
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There does exist an underlying motor noise. The noise is especially noticeable indoors. Battery life could be longer. I would definitely recomend a spare battery. Youll also need a firewire cable (not included) to transfer your DV tapes to a computer.
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I would highly recomend this to anyone wanting a quality, user-friendly camcorder. However, the bells and whistles are found elsewhere.
On: 2006-12-12
Got it a couple weeks ago, have used it a few times.
First real outing with it, recorded about 75 minutes of video, never ran out of battery.
SD card capability is just about worthless. Pictures are low resolution, videos are low resolution. Videos are so low they dont even look all that good when posted to Youtube (Ive already put videos of the kids up there). I have a Canon S3 that takes much better quality SD videos (though Im limited to 3 to 4 ~8 minute videos with the S3 on my 4GB card). FWIW, the 4GB card worked fine in the Elura. The poor digital resolution makes it lose a star in the rating.
Transferring to PC was effortless, though Canon didnt bother to include anything to help you transfer MiniDV recordings via firewire. That software is included with XP, or can be found with an inexpensive firewire card (I found a firewire card, cable, and video software bundle for under ten dollars).
But I love the ability to grab the camera and go - and throw it in my pocket if necessary (admittedly, I wear loose clothes). It is very small... smallest camcorder Ive ever owned. I dont find the controls hard to manage at all. Its going to be a lot of fun to own, I can tell. Ive had it for just under 2 weeks and Ive already made my first DVDs.
On: 2006-11-29
I am currently deployed to an undisclosed location and I ordered this camera, but had it sent to my wife back home. She recorded a full tape of my son, my parents, her parents, and herself before sending it my way. It was such a good surprise and what a blessing. The picture quality is amazing and it is also so easy to use.
On: 2006-11-18
This camcorder is the best Ive had. Very small and lightweight. Takes great video. Image stabilization is a HUGE plus with me I just wish it worked when taking still photos, but if you dont have a shaky hand from too much caffeine like me, you should be fine. When I dont jiggle the camcorder the pictures are AMAZING!!!
Very impressed.
On: 2006-11-11
I received camcorder really quickly and Im happy that I bought it! Its small, handy and cute! You can shoot very good quality films! Im impressed!
I highly recommend!
On: 2006-11-08
I spent a bit of time researching MiniDV recorders and felt that the Canon Elura was best suited for our needs. We wanted a recorder that would convert VHS to DV and one that would work easily with a Mac and a PC. We have not been disappointed.
Our first run was a recording of each of us reading a childrens book to our grandchild who lives in Germany. The recording was done indoors and the results were excellent. The raw footage was transferred to a Mac, edited and made into a DVD.
The second trial was a recording of golfing buddies on the golf course in action. This recording took several weeks and was filmed on sunny days, cloudy days and foggy days. The recording was great. It was transfered to a Mac edited and converted to a DVD.
If I have one complaint about the Canon it would be that the zoom button is located in a spot that is difficult to operate easily with one hand.
If you are looking for a recorder that is priced right and easy to use, you cant go wrong with the Canon Elura 100.
On: 2006-10-23
I purchased this camera to start a videography business. I know I know you need to have the $1000+ Canon GLs and XLs for that! But, I just could not afford so I started hunting.
The #1 thing that drew me to this camera was the single LARGER ccd. It seemed that most other cameras in this price range/category were smaller and had some poorer reviews.
The second item that drew me was the price point. I needed something within my budget that would offer what I needed.
Third, I use this to film in foreign countries. There are times that having a small descreate camera allows for capture of other wise uncaptured footage. Its size tucks away nicely in almost any shoulder bag and well...there is not much weight.
I have used this camera for two weddings and two documentaries. In my most recent wedding I borrowed a pv-gs150 and shot from the wedding from two different angles. Ready for the cool part...When editing and viewing the video there is NO difference to the average person which video came from which camera.
Sure the Canon does not shoot AS WELL in lower lighting. But how often are you going to shoot in the dark?
Some of the features I have grown to love on my Elura is the effects button and still photos.
First the effects button allows you to on the fly change from your pre-determined effect, my case b/w, without shutting the camera off.
Second, I like to incorporate some still photos into my videos to change things up. This camera will rapid shoot to a sd card and I have gotten some CRAZY good pictures. Here again I like the ability to use the effects button. I have also found out it is not to painfully bad to switch from video to still and back w/o much effort.
Ok...so I do like my Elura. BUT, two main issues leave me on the hunt for another camera. There is NO shoe whatso ever on this camera. I very much want to add a shotgun mike, in an effort to reduce background noise. (I did not mention, but the built-in mikes dont do a horrible job. They just pick up to much like most other mikes.) To work in conjunction with that, the controls for the shotgun mike volume would be better accessible. (Actually I guess to say the input.)
I did add an inexpensive wide angle and filter. (Even though it has a good wide angle w/o) and have plans for a shotgun mike.
On: 2006-10-22
Ive had this camcorder for 2 months now and use it several times a week. I have to say -- coming from the Sony world of camcorders -- that the Elura is far superior. The only thing I miss in my Sony is the touch-screen control, but the joystick of the Canon works just fine. I was in Prague in August when my Sony simply upped and died on me -- and it would have cost more to repair than the camcorder was worth. Very pissed, I used my Canon (Elph) digital camera to take movies (in addition to the stills it was already taking) and came home with some good movie footage that I stitched together using Windows MovieMaker. But thats not what I bargained for.
Now I own the Canon Elura 100, and Ive been using it hard for 60+ days, and have downloaded (via FireWire) tons of footage, and most of it shot at 16:9 widescreen. And its GREAT! Especially for its price, the Elura is a no-brainer. I dont seem to suffer from the motor noise I keep reading about. Ninety percent of my shooting is regular daylight, and I use all the effects and controls available (especially the fun "mirror" effect), and this little thing is a charmer. Kids and excursions, family dinners and high-school outings, flying kites and visiting relatives -- these are the things we use our camcorders for. I am one happy fan of the Elura 100.
While I dont yet own a Mac with iDVD (check in with me next month!), I have been making cool videos with the free Windows MovieMaker and with Adobe Premiere Elements. This is why god made computers -- so we can have some control over our lived lives and depict our roles, families, loves, and travels for the generations to come. The Elura 100 rules.
On: 2006-10-15
This unit has performed well since weve gotten it in June. We love the widescreen format and the compact size. The features seem good.
Indoors, however, we tend to get dark pictures in a normally lighted room. If we are filming we have to turn on more lights if it is dark outside. The other main issue is the sound does pick up the motor noise from the camera so it isnt great for quiet scenes.
It needs a firewire cable for downloading to the PC and you dont need to load software.
Again, overall a good product but with some reservations.
On: 2006-10-03
PROS:
-Excellent price
-Excellent quality in exterior shoots.
-Big zoom at 20x
-Wide screen and 4:3 aspect ratio
-It accepts lenses (.5x, 2x, fisheye, and more)
-Battery life is very good!!!
-Maximum 2 seconds to start up
-Vivid colors
-Can record low quality videos onto SD card to send via email or internet
-Able to digitalize your old VHS
-Can attach a microphone.
-Lens cover included
-The LCD is really REALLY good.
-Love the remote control.
-Did I tell you its really cheap?
CONS:
-No accesory shoe... if you want to add extra light or microphone, it wont let you stick it on it.
-Grainy quality in low light scenes (average).
-The back controls are not so easy to use, at least not for me (I have a big hand... any girl interested?!!!)
-The printed manual doesnt include screen captures to show the user how to choose the options, everything is narrated :s
-The software IS NOT FOR CAPTURING MINIDV VIDEO, its just to capture the SD pictures and SD mpegs. ¿Why would I want to install a mega loaded software with some drivers just to copy pictures that I can load to my pc by just inserting the SD card into my SD reader and acces the files via "My Computer"?
-You CANNOT DIGITALIZE YOUR MINIDV VIDEO USING THE USB. The USB seems to be only to access the SD card. If you are planning to get your pictures with a SD card reader, SELL THE USB CABLE AND DONT BOTHER INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE.
-The kit doesnt include an I-Link (or fireware) cable (used to capture your video to your computer)
-It doesnt include a decent editing studio like ulead
-The menu is easy to use but I would appreciate to have hints or built in help to learn how to use it without the manual book.
Overall, I really like it... These cons dont affect my camcorders performance, thats why Im still giving it a 5 stars, but most important it costed me 320 dlls, shipping included. youll never get a better camera for this price.
My next camcorder will be a Hard Drive or SD based, but Ill wait until they get better..... and cheaper!!!. And for now lets shoot like crazy!!!
On: 2006-10-01
After using an isight for last year for my videoblog, I finally coughed up the coin to buy this little gem. It is performing to my expectations. The true widescreen picture is awesome and very "arty".
The inbuilt light and microphones were surprisingly good.
Recommend it to anyone.
On: 2006-09-29
I just got this camara yesterday. Having never previously owned one I was quite naive in my selection even after having read pages of reviews.
The directions were easy enough to follow and it was up and running in a short time.
The playback noise is not really so bad. It exists, but is only evident if there is no other sound. The ability to attach a microphone that does not need to be held would be beneficial.
Similarly, it would be nice to be able to attach a light. The mega light helps but is not very "mega".
The strap seems hard to adjust. The camera is difficult to hold and I have been using both hands.
On the positive side, the zoom is great, the steady shot feature is very helpful and the videos are good.
Its not a $3,000 camera so why expect it to perform as one. It does a fine job for the price. You need to shop for the features you want most as they wont all be on one machine in this price range.
Good luck!
On: 2006-09-27
What is the story with the motor noise on the Elura 100?! I just dont understand how this product made it through the design/production process with such an obvious defect. Perhaps the annoying noise is louder in some units than others - thats the only explanation I can come up with for how many 5 star reviews are posted here.
I love the features, size and image quality of the Elura 100 and am a huge Canon fan. But, like the people who posted negative reviews here, I just dont think I can live with such a loud hum as background noise to all my videos. Some reviewers say the noise is only audible if you film in a quiet room, but thats not my experience at all. I just made a short video on the sidewalk by a busy street and the noise is too annoying to ignore.
Like another reviewer here, I was impressed by the # of positive reviews and ignored the warnings about the motor noise. If I could find the exact same camera, minus the noise, Id buy it. But this ones no good.
On: 2006-09-19
This was my first home video camera. I purchased after doing much research on cameras less than $400. It is small, thats for sure. The remote control comes in handy when zooming in or during playback on a TV. Three things that I really enjoy about this camera when compared to others within its class are
1) The fact that it has a true 16:9 widescreen mode. Some cameras advertise 16:9, but they will have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when played back on a tv. The ELURA 100 16:9 widescreen takes up the entire screen of a widescreen TV. Cool! OR you may choose the regular 4:3 mode.
2) You can attach an external mic. This is good for doing interviews in which you attach a lapel mic to someone. Cool!
3) You can buy Telephoto and Wide angle Lenses to attach to this camera. You can also buy a fisheye lense for it too. Cool! Not many home video cameras do this.
The video quality is about as good as youll find for a single CCD camera under $400.
Ive already dropped the camera on the ground once and it didnt fall apart. It must be pretty sturdy.
Ive uploaded the video to my PC using Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 through Firewire. The video quality was outstanding.
Great home video camera!
On: 2006-08-31
I am just testing this camcorder and I have no complains at all!
The size is perfect, the price is very competitive, the image quality is great, even the image stills photos are awesomes.
Dont think too much and buy the elura 100
On: 2006-08-29
i bought this great camera like 3 months ago.. but since then i didnt use the DV-PC firewire connection, i bought a cable that works with DVs panasonic and sony on my PC, but it isnt working with my elura.. i dont know if theres a factory problem.
Besides that the camera is great.
On: 2006-08-29
I am very happy with the purchase of the elura 100! This camera work as expected
On: 2006-08-08
Just received this camera a couple of days ago and used it today to film Chicago from the Sears tower skydeck. When played back on my 90 inch home theater projector screen, the sharp, 16:9 widescreen picture is amazing. Color saturation is right on. The sound is great. A very slight, but very normal motor whir is noticable only in a completely quiet room. Buttons, like the zoom control could have been laid out more ergonomically, but overall a great camcorder. 4/5 stars. One point off for button placement. A GREAT camera for the money.
On: 2006-08-06
The Elura 100 is an impressive camcorder for the prices its going for these days. Good low-light performance for a sub four-hundred camcorder (in fact, even good low-light performance for a sub six-hundred camcorder). The video quality is great (hard to believe whats coming from this bargain).
Months ago a few people ran in to problems with bad motor parts making terrible noises on their recordings, but my new Elura 100 doesnt suffer from this problem. Like most other budget MiniDV camcorders, you can hear a soft, high-pitched whirring from the motor in quiet filming, but the Elura 100 has an external mic jack that could eliminate this common MiniDV characteristic when you need to.
The Elura does suffer from some design flaws. The rear controls are a LITTLE awkward at first (the Power/Record/Playback switch can be really hard to activate when holding it at certain angles), and the top mounted zoom buttons are poorly placed. But these are things you can get used to and eventually not notice. Least important to me (must perhaps most important to some), this thing is ugly. There are some nice looking budget MiniDV camcorders out there, but this is not one of them. An excellent camcorder review site said that the Elura 100 is all about function over form, and I have to agree.
All and all though Im very happy with my Elura 100. I would highly recommend it to anyone who cant afford to spend much on a camcorder, and can handle turning in some comfort and style for a better end result.
On: 2006-08-05
I just bought this camera and am very pleased with it. I own a Canon digital camera, and for the money I couldnt find a better camera. So I figured Id stick with Canon for a mini dv and my research brought me to this Elura 100.
I cant say anything bad about this camera considering the price/performance ratio. Its excellent for family usage, shooting kids sporting events, parties, etc.
The motor noise or tape noise is present when recording to tape but I couldnt detect it during playback but it probably can be heard during playback if you shoot a video in a quiet room. I didnt test this so I cannot verify. Just guessing. I will note that throughout my research I noticed that people said this about almost every mini dv in this class/price.
No sound at all while recording to the SD card. I would like to clear up something that one of the other reviewers mentioned. They said "the USB connectivity only works only for images on the SD card. It DOES NOT work for standard MiniDV capture to a computer".
This is not true...well sorta. You can record lower res. video to the SD card, but the max size is 320 x 240, which is actually perfect if you are intending to email it to friends or upload to the internet for viewing.
Im loving this camera and very pleased with my choice. Sure there are higher quality cameras out there, but of course they will cost more coin. The things that most attracted me were the price, the fact it has usb and firewire connections, the ability to transfer video from a vcr or other video camera, (I have a sharp hi-8 that I have been converting footage over from and it works like a champ).
And finally the small size & weight since I plan on getting a mount for my motorcycle so I can shoot video from the bike.
No firewire cable and no firewire card in your computer? No problem:
I purchased a firewire card from newegg that came with a firewire cable and Ulead video editing software all for ten bucks. Hook yourself up with that and you are set. If your research has brought you to this mini dv based on your needs I say grab it. You wont be sorry.
On: 2006-08-03
The Elura 100 had all the features I wanted, but the unit I ordered had unacceptable motor noise. It was always present even when recording video with normal talking. I returned the camera and will look for another brand to purchase.
On: 2006-08-03
So far so good. I like my new Elura 100 MiniDV camcorder. It has a lot of options and is within a good price range. Most of the reviews below covered the important aspects of the camera. I bought this to replace my old RCA, analog camera. In general the quality of the picture is much better on the Elura. This was something I was worried about in switching to the digital format, but the pictures from the Elura have been incredibly crisp and show up well on a large (standard resolution) TV set. The only exception is low light recording, where the RCA seemed to do a little better. Ill break it down to pros and cons:
PROS:
1. Small size--a true palm sized camcorder. By the way, there were some reviews that were critical of the small controls. I have at least average sized hands and the controls, including the joystick, were easy to operate. They do take some getting used to, but they are very straight forward.
2. WIDE SCREEN FORMAT: 16:9 and 4:3 formats are available. One caveat, is you will need capture software for your computer that can handle the 16:9 format to make DVDs from this. The software supplied with the camcorder is barely adequate and very clunky. But it is usable.
3. ZOOM: 20x Optical Zoom--some have larger zooms but stabilization becomes a real problem after 15x or so. This camcorder has electronic stabilization which seems to work well. Ive turned off the digital zoom option. Digital zoom just makes for a grainy and unstable picture. Theoretically, the camera can go up to 800x. This is, of course, completely at the expense of the picture. 20x is a fine Zoom range. The highest zoom range in this class appears to be 30x. As I said before, above 15x it can be a chore to keep the image stable and probably requires a tripod.
4. LOTS OF MANUAL CONTROL if you want it. You can either control Nevertheless theres an automatic mode which most of us will use 99% of the time. Exposure can be totally automatic, you can use pre-determined 9 scene modes, or manually control the exposure. Very nice. Focusing can be done automatically (two different algorhythms to choose from)or manually using the joystick. Im not a fan of the the effects but you have 9 different fading effects and 9 different digital effects to choose from. (This is fine if you like it, but most of this is better done post production on your computer.) Interestingly, the manual makes all of these features appear incredibly complex. In practice I have found the camera to be quite intuitive, and it is far easier to use out of the box than it would appear to be if you look at the manual.
5. ANALOG VIDEO TRANSFER: You can transfer video tapes or old analog video to digital through the camera. You can even record right off your TV. This has been a nice feature to transfer my old Hi8 videos to digital video.
6. LONG BATTERY LIFE: Im getting about two hours from a battery so far. This depends on usage, but is generally good. Others have stated that battery life is poor, but I think about 2 hours is great. I wonder if there is variability in the quality of the batteries supplied.
7. INTEGRATES WELL WITH WINDOWS XP: no problems with firewire capture of the mini-DV. The ease of capture may depend on your software. Mine is pretty straightforward. Windows recognized the camera instantly. (I have a fairly neanderthal set up--right now I am using a 900 mhz Athlon powered laptop. So if my computer can find the camera, I imagine yours can too...)
8. COMES WITH A REMOTE CONTROL: not necessary, but a nice feature.
CONS:
1. NO TRUE USB CONNECTIVITY: One of the reasons I bought this camera was because the hype stated that it has USB connectivity. Well it does. But then again, it doesnt. Being a MiniDV/digital video virgin, I didnt realize that the USB connectivity only works only for images on the SD card. It DOES NOT work for standard MiniDV capture to a computer. For this you need a firewire connection. Once you have the firewire, theres no problem with connectivity.
Some reviews thought there was something wrong with their computer connectivity. Nope. YOU NEED FIREWIRE TO GET VIDEO TO YOUR COMPUTER. So you will have to invest in a firewire cable if you dont have one and make sure you have a firewire port on your computer (or buy a card).
The funny people at Cannon only supply you with a USB cable as if that is all you need. This only suffices to transfer the 1 megapixel and the 320 x 240 (76,800 pixels) video on the SD card. Even if the thing took great still pictures, they would only be 1 megapixel. This is less than most cell phone/cameras nowadays. The video recorded on the card is a joke. It might be fun for a website, but it looks small and grainy even on the flip-out screen on the camera itself. It will look more ridiculous on your computer. Skip the SD Card. Use the MiniDV tape and record at 690,000 pixels or greater depending on the mode. This may not seem like a lot compared to a standard still camera, but this represents far more pixels than can be displayed on a conventional TV and translates into a great picture.
2. "MEGA VIDEO LIGHT": These twin LEDs are supposed to help with illumination indoors. You turn them on using a separeate switch. If you do not manually correct the light balance, however, you will find that all your subjects have an eerie bluish cast. Additionally, these small LEDs dont provide the mega illumination needed for subjects that are beyond a few feet away from you. Theyre better than nothing and a nice try, but not very effective and so they really dont enhance the low light perfromance in a real, palpable way.
3. LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE IS NOT SO GOOD: One area that my old RCA analog recorder did better than this one is in low light performance department. This probably was due to the lens being three times larger in diameter. It was less compact, but captured more light. Still, in this price range, low light performance appears to be universally poor. At times, you have to manually override the automatic exposure as the shutter speed is set so slow that moving objects have small tails like comets flashing through the night. Also subjects become more mono-chromatic and grainy. Once again, this kind of poor low light performance seems to be a class feature. Reading the reviews, the Elura 100 may be one of the better cameras in its class.
4. STILL PICTURES ARE SMALL: Not great still picture capability. This is standard for these kinds of camaras. I guess it would do in pinch, but is absolutely no substitute for a digital still camera. There are a number of features you can use for the pictures, including a burst mode, but given the size of the image, none of this is worth the worry. Given the lack of megapixels, Im not sure why Canon spent a lot of time on a wide feature set here. I played with stills initially, but given the low megapixel count, I dont really use it any more.
5. NOISE: Canon may not be the only camera to have this problem, but the camera generates a soft but significant hum while operating. This IS picked up by the microphone. You can set the camera to eliminate wind noise, and this effectively blocks out the hum. I have my camera set to this and never touch the setting. This is a significant problem with this camcorder (and looking at the reviews) other Canon camcorders. One would think Canon would have thought this through better and made the thing more silent.
CONCLUSION:
All in all, you get a lot of bang for the buck. If you have an extra $200-$300 to spend you might want to try a 3 CCD type camera. But in the under $350 budget range, MiniDV category this one is well worth it. This camera may not be for the amateur cinematographer, but is a great, easy to use, and portable family camera. The picture quality is excellent for a camera in this range and it has a broad feature set as well.
On: 2006-08-02
So far so good. I like my new Elura 100 MiniDV camcorder. It has a lot of options and is within a good price range. Most of the reviews below covered the important aspects of the camera. I bought this to replace my old RCA, analog camera. In general the quality of the picture is much better on the Elura. This was something I was worried about in switching to the digital format, but the pictures from the Elura have been incredibly crisp and show up well on a large (standard resolution) TV set. The only exception is low light recording, where the RCA seemed to do a little better. Ill break it down to pros and cons:
PROS:
1. Small size--a true palm sized camcorder. By the way, there were some reviews that were critical of the small controls. I have at least average sized hands and the controls, including the joystick, were easy to operate. They do take some getting used to, but they are very straight forward.
2. WIDE SCREEN FORMAT: 16:9 and 4:3 formats are available. One caveat, is you will need capture software for your computer that can handle the 16:9 format to make DVDs from this. The software supplied with the camcorder is barely adequate and very clunky. But it is usable.
3. ZOOM: 20x Optical Zoom--some have larger zooms but stabilization becomes a real problem after 15x or so. This camcorder has electronic stabilization which seems to work well. Ive turned off the digital zoom option. Digital zoom just makes for a grainy and unstable picture. Theoretically, the camera can go up to 800x. This is, of course, completely at the expense of the picture. 20x is a fine Zoom range. The highest zoom range in this class appears to be 30x. As I said before, above 15x it can be a chore to keep the image stable and probably requires a tripod.
4. LOTS OF MANUAL CONTROL if you want it. You can either control Nevertheless theres an automatic mode which most of us will use 99% of the time. Exposure can be totally automatic, you can use pre-determined 9 scene modes, or manually control the exposure. Very nice. Focusing can be done automatically (two different algorhythms to choose from)or manually using the joystick. Im not a fan of the the effects but you have 9 different fading effects and 9 different digital effects to choose from. (This is fine if you like it, but most of this is better done post production on your computer.) Interestingly, the manual makes all of these features appear incredibly complex. In practice I have found the camera to be quite intuitive, and it is far easier to use out of the box than it would appear to be if you look at the manual.
5. ANALOG VIDEO TRANSFER: You can transfer video tapes or old analog video to digital through the camera. You can even record right off your TV. This has been a nice feature to transfer my old Hi8 videos to digital video.
6. LONG BATTERY LIFE: Im getting about two hours from a battery so far. This depends on usage, but is generally good. Others have stated that battery life is poor, but I think about 2 hours is great. I wonder if there is variability in the quality of the batteries supplied.
7. INTEGRATES WELL WITH WINDOWS XP: no problems with firewire capture of the mini-DV. The ease of capture may depend on your software. Mine is pretty straightforward. Windows recognized the camera instantly. (I have a fairly neanderthal set up--right now I am using a 900 mhz Athlon powered laptop. So if my computer can find the camera, I imagine yours can too...)
8. COMES WITH A REMOTE CONTROL: not necessary, but a nice feature.
CONS:
1. NO TRUE USB CONNECTIVITY: One of the reasons I bought this camera was because the hype stated that it has USB connectivity. Well it does. But then again, it doesnt. Being a MiniDV/digital video virgin, I didnt realize that the USB connectivity only works only for images on the SD card. It DOES NOT work for standard MiniDV capture to a computer. For this you need a firewire connection. Once you have the firewire, theres no problem with connectivity.
Some reviews thought there was something wrong with their computer connectivity. Nope. YOU NEED FIREWIRE TO GET VIDEO TO YOUR COMPUTER. So you will have to invest in a firewire cable if you dont have one and make sure you have a firewire port on your computer (or buy a card).
The funny people at Cannon only supply you with a USB cable as if that is all you need. This only suffices to transfer the 1 megapixel and the 320 x 240 (76,800 pixels) video on the SD card. Even if the thing took great still pictures, they would only be 1 megapixel. This is less than most cell phone/cameras nowadays. The video recorded on the card is a joke. It might be fun for a website, but it looks small and grainy even on the flip-out screen on the camera itself. It will look more ridiculous on your computer. Skip the SD Card. Use the MiniDV tape and record at 690,000 pixels or greater depending on the mode. This may not seem like a lot compared to a standard still camera, but this represents far more pixels than can be displayed on a conventional TV and translates into a great picture.
2. "MEGA VIDEO LIGHT": These twin LEDs are supposed to help with illumination indoors. You turn them on using a separeate switch. If you do not manually correct the light balance, however, you will find that all your subjects have an eerie bluish cast. Additionally, these small LEDs dont provide the mega illumination needed for subjects that are beyond a few feet away from you. Theyre better than nothing and a nice try, but not very effective and so they really dont enhance the low light perfromance in a real, palpable way.
3. LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE IS NOT SO GOOD: One area that my old RCA analog recorder did better than this one is in low light performance department. This probably was due to the lens being three times larger in diameter. It was less compact, but captured more light. Still, in this price range, low light performance appears to be universally poor. At times, you have to manually override the automatic exposure as the shutter speed is set so slow that moving objects have small tails like comets flashing through the night. Also subjects become more mono-chromatic and grainy. Once again, this kind of poor low light performance seems to be a class feature. Reading the reviews, the Elura 100 may be one of the better cameras in its class.
4. STILL PICTURES ARE SMALL: Not great still picture capability. This is standard for these kinds of camaras. I guess it would do in pinch, but is absolutely no substitute for a digital still camera. There are a number of features you can use for the pictures, including a burst mode, but given the size of the image, none of this is worth the worry. Given the lack of megapixels, Im not sure why Canon spent a lot of time on a wide feature set here. I played with stills initially, but given the low megapixel count, I dont really use it any more.
5. NOISE: Canon may not be the only camera to have this problem, but the camera generates a soft but significant hum while operating. This IS picked up by the microphone. You can set the camera to eliminate wind noise, and this effectively blocks out the hum. I have my camera set to this and never touch the setting. This is a significant problem with this camcorder (and looking at the reviews) other Canon camcorders. One would think Canon would have thought this through better and made the thing more silent.
CONCLUSION:
All in all, you get a lot of bang for the buck. If you have an extra $200-$300 to spend you might want to try a 3 CCD type camera. But in the under $350 budget range, MiniDV category this one is well worth it. This camera may not be for the amateur cinematographer, but is a great, easy to use, and portable family camera. The picture quality is excellent for a camera in this range and it has a broad feature set as well.
On: 2006-08-01
I used the camera on a trip to Hawaii and was quite impressed with the results. I did not notice the camera motor noise as others have noted. Even though I purchased an external mike to eliminate the reported noise concern, I never used it. Since most of the photos were outdoors and the pictures were more important to me than hearing other tourists make their ignorant comments, I never hooked up the external mike.
In terms of the battery, I experienced 2 hours out of the standard battery if you use the viewfinder rather than the display screen. Power 2000 sells an extnded life battery for this camera (from 850 mah standard to 1,000 mah). Unfortunately, my Power 2000 battery arrived at home after I had left on my trip so I could not test its added horsepower. Since the mini DV tapes only last an hour anyway, changing batteries with every other tape was not a problem.
I would recommend purchasing a back-up battery and an external battery charger, rather than using the camera to re-charge batteries. Perhaps even better might be a charger with a an optional auto lighter cord so one battery can be replenished in the car while driving. Still two hours is pretty long for a single battery.
Although there is an internal lens cover, I used a UV filter and although this protected the camera lens, shooting ocean photos meant cleaning the filter frequently from the spray. It was easy to remove the filter and clean it rather than touching the camera lens.
The small joystick could be slghtly larger, but it is manageable.
I found that in some cases to steady the camera from rocking or movement, I would use my left hand to block the camera and in this case it was almost more comfortable to operate the zoom with my index finger on the left hand. Again I am using the viewfinder rather than the screen to shoot photos.
In terms of the zoom 20X is just fine; any more and an individual can not hold the camera still enough for reasonably clear photos and a tri-pod is required. If you want more there is a 2X telephoto lens available pushing this camera to a 40X zoom. Similarly there are .5X wide angle lenses available.
I am pleased with the camera and its overall performance for the price. [I was able through Amazon to purchase it for less than $300 with the deals being offered. This left room in the wallet for a camera case, filters, lenses, battery charger, external mic, etc.] I have an older Nikon digital still camera, so the Canon was purchased for the express purrpose of taking videos especially outdoor views and met my expectations. I created a mount on my tri-pod where the Nikon and Elura could share the same three legs with the Nikon having a manual shutter release to minimize bumping the tripod. I was able to capture sunrises and sunsets in both video and still images.
The compact size of the Elura was convenient in that it could be stowed in a pocket in my shorts leaving my hands free when not in picture taking mode.
Each camera has its features and disadvantages; I suggest you give the Elura 100 a test drive and see if it works for you compared to others on the market.
On: 2006-07-10
About every 5 years, I buy a Canon product. Each time, I am pleased by outstanding optics and convenient control layout.
Pluses:
High quality optics, including 20x zoom
Large, easy to see LCD (with normal and bright display modes)
Reasonable battery life (approximately two hours)
Easy to use features (record, playback, photo)
Easy to use recording modes (fully automatic or sports, night, sunset, snow, beach, ...)
Easy to use setup menus
Thick but clear user manual in English, French and Spanish
(want to know how to use the camcorder as a analog to digial converter between your VHS cassette player and your computer?)
Extras:
external mic input
ability to dub a sound track onto a recorded sequence using the external mic or the AV input
AV input and output
analog to digital recording or analog to digital passthrough
wide recording 9:16 mode or standard 4:3 mode
Minuses:
When recording a silent scene, the built-in mic picks up the cassette motor and lens zoom motor. On playback, the sound is a low volume whrrrrr. When recording a normal scene, the motor noises are not audible.
On: 2006-07-10
I am yet another careful shopper who spent a ridiculous number of hours researching the digital camera thing on every inch of the web (the most helpful sites being Amazon.com, camcorderinfo.com, and cnet reviews). I went to Best Buy twice, CompUSA, and Frys Electronics like, three times to talk to the sales people about what type of camera is best (mini DV, DVD, hard drive) and how this specific camera compared to others and blah blah blah. (By the way, NONE of those people gave me good solid advice and most were just kids who didnt seem to really know what they were talking about, so beware). In the end I decided on the Canon Elura 100 because of its price range and the proclaimed performance value. Yes, yes, yes, I had heard about the motor noise problem, but, darn it, I wanted this camera, so I was going to give it a shot. But, yes, yes, yes, I HAD the motor noise problem (it wasnt AS bad as some of the samples of video I had seen from the camera in a forum on camcorderinfo.com if you happen to look, but it WAS still constantly noticable, even outside). The camera I am replacing is a 1998 Sony Hi8 (which was more quiet)and this was supposed to be a big upgrade for me. So I went ahead and gave it another shot and ordered a replacement from Amazon. The next Elura had the same sound (which makes me wonder if it gets any better than that) so I returned it. I didnt want to give it a third shot, so I started OVER in my ridiculous search. I guess the irritation of the whole thing made me care less about cost and more about quality, so I decided to buy a Sony DCR-HC96. A man called "thehickoks" posted a good sample video of its footage at camcorderinfo.com you can check out. Overall, I think it is absolutely worth it to pay more (I paid $592 from another online retailer and that went really well) because it is SO much better in low light and the picture quality is much sharper and more colorful. The Eluras picture quality just wasnt much different than my old Sony Hi8. This is where I was most disappointed because I had read lots of reviews saying it was great. If you KNOW you dont have much of an eye for or arent very picky about crispness, color, or brightness, you very well might not be bothered. BUT, from one mom to another, I bet you would care if you could see the difference. Low light (i.e. regular indoors lighting) is bad. And, as a mom, I film my kids inside a lot. I totally know that the price difference is an issue, but for irreplacable family memories and the use and life you will get out of these things, get a better one--it is worth it.
Heres a few more things: (1) With the Elura, it was tiny and cute, but the hand strap was too low in my hand or something, so if I let go of my grip on the camera, it would flop to the left away from my hand instead of staying in the same place. A handstrap should keep the camera in the right position in your hand. (2) The "motor noise" is like a faint nasally "eeeeee" sound. I know SOME sound is normal because of how close the mic has to be to moving components on these mini camcorders, but, normal or not for the Elura, it is not acceptable. It made my footage seem crappy and very homemade. There are other cameras available with less of a problem. (3) The shape is very boxy and small, but isnt NEARLY as comfortable to me as the Sony HC96. The Sony doesnt feel like you are trying to hold on to something like the Canon Elura does. Its not a terror to hold and use, but it doesnt feel totally natural. The buttons placement on the Sony is perfect. Your fingers are right on them. (4) The viewfinder doesnt move on the Canon. Not much of an issue I suppose, because it has an internal battery so you wont have a battery on the back end to push your face upto to see through the viewfinder. In comparison, Sonys pulls out and accomodates the bigger battery you can put on it (NP-FP70) and brings the viewfinder to where it would be if it was pushed in and you were using the smaller battery (NP-FP50). (5) I felt insecure about the internal battery because you cant put a bigger capacity batter in it. You could of course get one or several replacements though. I just dont like that. I like the control I feel from having longer life batteries. (6) I was glad the thing had a built in lens cap, BUT you have to remember to open and close it manually (unlike the Sony, which does it automatically when you turn it on/off).
Good luck. This is hard stuff. A lot of the reviews, technical or not, still wont help you to exactly know how YOU will use the camera and what YOU will like or dislike. And its hard to tell at the stores if you like the look and feel of certain ones when there is a gigantic security thing attached to it. I would recommend all parents get something with good low lig | | |
