Canon ZR930 1.07MP MiniDV Camcorder with 48x Optical Zoom
By: Canon Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 13
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 On: 2008-06-22
I just got this recently, so I havent tried editing yet, but this is an extremely easy to use little camcorder. The viewfinder is very clear and controls instinctive. I have a little trouble with the zoom (getting it to move smoothly), but I think thats because Im a lefty and you need to use your right hand for it. Other than that, this is my 4th camcorder (over the course of 20 years) and Im completely satisfied. It was easy to buy accessories at a low price, and the battery seems to last a long time. There are fancier camcorders but odds are you cant do better for the price.
 On: 2008-06-09
This the best video camera Ive seen for under $500. Well made and pretty good image quality. You wont want to be shooting for big screen HDTV, but for the web and viewing on the computer this is the best you can get for the money. The plug-in for an external mic is very useful. So useful in fact that Im still surprised so few cameras offer it. Youll get _much_ better sound quality with a good external mic, so its a good thing to have. The only reason I didnt give this camera five stars is that it could really use a mount for an external mic or a light. That would make this camera perfect for the price. The lack of a mount is annoying, but the only negative to an otherwise fine camera.
On: 2008-05-30
Seems like a good value for the money. Has most of the features you need to take video of the family and on vacation. For serious video you need an HD, but for 95% of the videos most people take this camcorder is fine. I rated it four stars for the value for the dollar, of course high end camcorders will give superior results for those that require it.
 On: 2008-05-29
UPDATE JUNE 23, 2008:
To update my rating, I give 1 star to the condensation sensor design, 5 stars to the rest of the camera.
After 3 weeks turnaround, Canon returned the camcorder to me. They graciously covered cost of shipping when I first called in the issue, and they e-mailed me a UPS slip to sent to the New Jersey facility. Ive done some early tests on the repaired camcorder and it seems the condensation sensor is not as finicky as before. They said it was repaired, but didnt specify whether they dialed down the sensitivity or disabled condensation sensor altogether. Good thing the warranty lasts for a full year. :-)
Outside of this repair issue, this is an excellent camcorder. Has a microphone input, great video quality, and very easy to upload video. I hope to enjoy using it for many years to come. Will continue to test it before arrival of our first child due in September! :-)
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Through casual use, the condensation error has come up more than 75% of the time Ive tried using it. I think the sensor is oversensitive in order to protect the camera, but at at unreasonable cost to the consumer, because it is no longer useful for "convenient" use.
I am not using it in highly humid environments, so this is particularly frustrating. I have missed several important video footage occasions due to uncooperative condensation error. Stay away from this camera. I have emailed Canon about this problem and Ill update here when I get more news from them.
UPDATE JUNE 17, 2008:
The camcorder arrived June 4 in NJ facility, but they havent been able to track the camcorder down (should only have taken 3 to 5 days). I just sent the following email to Canon Support (with minor edits).
---- EXCERPT START ----
Hello Sir/Madam,
Im writing to ask Canon USA to take necessary steps to expedite our camcorder repair issue.
Kelly from NJ service center is looking for our ZR930 that arrived by UPS on June 4 (almost 2 weeks ago). The camcorder still has not been found. We are expecting our first baby very soon, and we are getting extremely anxious!
The camcorder suffers from a hypersensitive condensation fault, and was only 35 days old when I sent it for service. It is practically new, as Ive only taped 3 hours of footage. The condensation fault has appeared almost 80% of the time Ive tried to use it, a very poor performance record. I have asked NJ facility to reduce its sensitivity or disable the condensation sensor altogether.
I cannot rely on this camcorder to tape my new baby given the current condensation warning behavior. We have already missed the taping of my wifes PhD convocation and our last chance to see the space shuttle on the launchpad in Florida due to the condensation warnings. (Outdoor conditions were no different than a regular day at the baseball stadium)
Please let me know what actions will be taken by Canon USA. We simply want a working Canon camcorder that does not give false or conservative condensation errors on a regular basis. While the user manual mentions the issue, it gives no indication to the user that these faults can be so frequent, and if so, on what basis (i.e. specify the exact humidity and temperature fluctuations and conditions necessary to trip the sensor). Otherwise, this camcorder will forever feel like a "hit or miss" recording device. Even cell phone cameras can reliably take low quality images. (The key here being "reliably").
We are deeply disappointed with Canon USA on this particular issue (we are Canon digital camera fans) and desperate to hear from Canon about our camcorder. The cynical side of me feels oversensitive condensation warnings in MiniDV camcorders is the current marketing ploy to encourage consumers to adopt the newer and more expensive hard drive based camcorders which yield larger profit margins. Such condensation issues were not as prevalent with older MiniDV camcorders before flash based camcorders came along. Please prove us wrong, Canon!
I hope to hear from you asap!
---- EXCERPT END ----
On: 2008-05-29
Through casual use, the condensation error has come up more than 75% of the time Ive tried using it. I think the sensor is oversensitive in order to protect the camera, but at at unreasonable cost to the consumer, because it is no longer useful for "convenient" use.
I am not using it in highly humid environments, so this is particularly frustrating. I have missed several important video footage occasions due to uncooperative condensation error. Stay away from this camera. I have emailed Canon about this problem and Ill update here when I get more news from them.
I purchased this 40 days, and I am exploring how I can return this product to Amazon.
On: 2008-05-28
I recently purchased the zr830 and found a number of issues with it. If you wish to compare that review you can read it on my profile rather than me re-hashing it here.
The zr930 is a step forward though and is certainly worth the price quoted here. They changed the interior configuration to a more box like shape allowing them to maximize the space and fit as much technology inside as possible. Due to this not only have they included a mic port but they have been able to adjust the AV output to double as a headphone jack so you can monitor sound. Both of these features are necessary as they have failed to fix the sound problem that has dogged this line of cameras for a number of years. The motor noise can still be heard on playback if you use the built in mic and thats really the only area that this camera loses a star. The 35x zoom of last year has been increased to 48x and the picture quality is sharper and brighter than previous models.
Ive never had any issues with connecting it to my PC. I did not use any of the software that was included as its usually junk they just want to force you to use. I hooked it up to my PC, my computer immediately recognized it and then I used one of my other programs to start it up.
Extra info:
If you are new to camcorders there are some things you should take into consideration.
Name brand BATTERIES are expensive. While there are cheap ones that you can get for around $10 online these are cheaply made chinese generic versions. They take A LOT longer to recharge and generally only last about 6 - 10 months. The name brand usually lasts around 18 months but as I found out the other week can cost $100. Theres is no reason that the battery on an item like this should cost nearly half of the original item price. I would expect a battery to cost $30 at most.
Another unexpected experience youll come across is the sheer amount of space that will be taken up on your computers hard drive by a video transfer. Only yesterday I went to transfer 20 minutes of tape and it used up 5 gigs yes thats GIGS of space. If you are like me and you need to have all of your video accessible and on your computer then make sure you have a hard drive with the necessary capacity or at least prepare to invest in a new external one for video storage.
In conclusion. This is a great budget cam and if you invest in a good external mic I dont think you could do much better.
4 out of 5 Satisfied.
On: 2008-05-24
I bought this camera a few weeks ago and I am very pleased with it so far. First, its very light to hold and easy to use. Video quality is good in average light. Low light is so-so but that is true with most consumer level camcorders. Audio is fine with the built in microphone but great with an external mic plugged in (which is the main reason I bought this model from Canon). My Windows Vista computers firewire port recognized the camera and had no problem at all importing video from it. You can control the camera via the firewire connection and import the parts you want too, etc. Only complaint is the battery is very weak and runs out after about 30 minutes or so of record time. Buy an extra battery and you will be very happy with this nice little camcorder.
On: 2008-05-22
I ordered a Camcorder, and was given the opportunity to order recording tapes at a "buy together" price - which I did. The camera came yesterday from AMAZON, but apparently the tapes are coming from a 3rd vendor and havent even shipped yet. A person ordering a Camcorder expects to use it when received, so one expects the "buy together" items to arrive together - right? I had to go to a store today and buy recording tapes because the "buy together" turned out NOT to be a "buy together". When AMAZON makes this offering it should be only for items Amazon can ship directly and together. Dont you agree?
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Better Together
Buy this item with Panasonic MiniDV Tapes (Pack of 5) by Panasonic today!
Total List Price: $294.98
Buy Together Today: Our price is too low to display. Add both items to your shopping cart to see the price. No purchase required. Why dont we show the price?
On: 2008-05-01
I got this camcorder for my birthday last month, and I have to say that it is great. It takes awesome video, and has multiple setting for every situation. I took this camcorder skiing and the snow setting keeps the snow from being blow out, which really pleased me. The other settings also work great, including the automatic setting which is great to just film something quickly.
The internal microphone works well, but if you want you can also use an external microphone. This camcorder has a microphone jack which is becoming an increasingly rare feature on budget camcorders. While it doesnt have an accessory shoe which would be nice you can use a cheap flash bracket to mount a mic.
As an all around camcorder this one is great. I am using it as a secondary camcorder with my Sony VX2000, and the video is comparable. It is hard to tell between cuts which video came from which camera.
Overall, I would recommend this camcorder if your looking for a good all around camcorder that takes great video!
Pros:
Light
Cheap
Great Video
External Microphone Jack
Multiple Settings
Works Great with my Mac
Cons
Slight Motor Noise but only in very quiet situations.
And I cant think of anything else.
On: 2008-04-29
Great camera. I shopped around for months and went with the new model over the 800 series. I have had no problems at all connecting it to my computer with firewire using Nero capture software (express?) and a cheap no name firewire card with XP. I havent noticed any motor noise, and it takes crisp high quality video. I got this one becuase of the mic jack, and I plan on buying a bracket to mount a mic and a light. They have brackets that mount to the bottom, you do not need an upper shoe.
The only problem I have noticed is with the 48x zoom you need a really steady hand (or a tripod) or else it will get jumpy.
 On: 2008-04-18
I got a replacement camera of the same model, and the Firewire port now works automatically on Windows and Mac, as it is supposed to. The only criticism I have is that there are no Canon repair centers near me, and otherwise, having a new product like this checked out is a real hassle, and as is the trend, there is not very proactive customer service as a concern for Canon.
But, this is an unbelievable deal.
My Original review follows:
Good camera. Better video quality than the ZR-800 and has a microphone input so that you can really do some nice filming with this camera. No light on the camera, despite advertising. There is NO motor noise at all, despite what others write. Canon haters have been complaining about motor noise on Canon cameras for years, but there is none on this device.
For the price, in decent light, there is probably no better camera.
The down side is--the firewire does not work. I have a Mac and a PC. And a firewire port. The port sees other devices. It will not see this camera, and believe me, I have tried it all. In short, it is VERY difficult to get video onto a computer for editing and movie making, despite Canons claims that it can be done via the firewire port. I even bought 2 different cables to make sure. Instead of plugging in the camera via firewire to my laptop, I have to export the video by plugging in an analog miniplug from the camera into my rca input jacks on my DVD recorder, record the video onto a standalone DVD-Recorder I have in my bedroom, and then put the DVD-r into the computer and input the video into iMovie. Very inelegant and very time consuming, multistep process.
In short, I HATE companies who just out and out LIE to their customers, and, sorry Canon, that is what you have done here. How could they possibly have shipped a camera with a firewire port and not have known that is not functional? Doesnt connect to a Windows XP PC, does not connect to a Mac. Gigantic disappointment
On: 2008-04-18
Good camera. Better video quality than the ZR-800 and has a microphone input so that you can really do some nice filming with this camera. No light on the camera, despite advertising. There is NO motor noise at all, despite what others write. Canon haters have been complaining about motor noise on Canon cameras for years, but there is none on this device.
For the price, in decent light, there is probably no better camera.
The down side is--the firewire does not work. I have a Mac and a PC. And a firewire port. The port sees other devices. It will not see this camera, and believe me, I have tried it all. In short, it is VERY difficult to get video onto a computer for editing and movie making, despite Canons claims that it can be done via the firewire port. I even bought 2 different cables to make sure. Instead of plugging in the camera via firewire to my laptop, I have to export the video by plugging in an analog miniplug from the camera into my rca input jacks on my DVD recorder, record the video onto a standalone DVD-Recorder I have in my bedroom, and then put the DVD-r into the computer and input the video into iMovie. Very inelegant and very time consuming, multistep process.
In short, I HATE companies who just out and out LIE to their customers, and, sorry Canon, that is what you have done here. How could they possibly have shipped a camera with a firewire port and not have known that is not functional? Doesnt connect to a Windows XP PC, does not connect to a Mac. Gigantic disappointment
On: 2008-04-01
I got this camera because it has an external microphone input (the ZR-950 does not) and a 1 megapixel pickup. The picture quality is excellent. The 48x zoom lens is a major plus. I had no problem having either my Toshiba XP or HP Vista PCs recognize it so I could edit the tape. ...and, the price is nice.
There is a down side. Despite claims, the camera has no built in light. You supposedly can flip the monitor and use it as a light, but a cell phone is about as bright and you then lose the monitor for monitoring! For some reason Canon designed the camera with no accessory shoe, so there is no place to mount a real light, or the shotgun microphone that you might otherwise want to plug into the camera.
On: 2008-03-24
I returned the first camera for replacement and I am about to return the second. Neither one would be recognized by my new XP Pro Dell computer or two other XP machines using 2 different firewire cables. Dell says my computer is working properly and Canon says they know of no similar problems with the new ZR930. Im NOT saying its a bad camera. Im saying I know of three totally different XP computers that doesnt see it as an input device.
On: 2008-02-10
zr930 decent camera. dont have any other camcorder to compare it against. video captured to computer is ok. somewhat grainy in darker environments but that might be typical of most camcorders. autofocus seems pretty accurate. too much tape motor noise on audio. will need to use an external mic. hopefully, that will take care of the motor noise. no dv cable included. can shoot in widescreen 16:9 format. battery life seems ok in limited use with included battery. lcd screen is adequate. video quality similar to canon a570is digital camera in preliminary testing.
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