3 comments about Canon ZR400 MiniDV Camcorder w/14x Optical Zoom (Dark Metal).

1. My intention when I was finally ready to purchase a camcorder was the Optura 85. I had picked it over the ZR 400 for the accessory shoe and flash. However, given that our vacation was a week away, the Optura would not have been shipped until well after we returned.
   
   We took the ZR 400 on our trip to Disney World and it performed very well. Outdoor video was great. Indoors it performed quite well. In the Playhouse Disney show it adjusted well and captured the show with great resolution and focus.
   
   I was also looking for a camcorder that could do analog-digital conversion and this function has been excellent.
   
   It only looses a star for a touchy on/off switch. I had it in a camera bag with my digital camera and somehow it got turned on in the bag. I captured great audio of the "It's a Small World Ride," but no video.



2. ZR400 is a good miniDV camera with many options. It's not overloaded with too many manual control options, but it has just enough feature tweak (such as shutter speed, aperture size tweak) and a variety of automated modes to satisfy those few who would like a bit more refinement on casual vacation videos. It does not have mic input or hotshoe for external lighting connections, so it is definitely for casual vacation video and good lighting shooting.
   The size of the camera is one of its major attractions for me. The camera is just the right size to be held with one hand without feeling too small, while it's small enough to fit in large pockets and easily slips into any kind of bag of decent size. Under normal day light and indoor lighting conditions, the colors and video quality are excellent. Under candle lighting or lighting with shaded lamps, the noise is visible in the video, but not overwhelming. The color tones are still good even under poor lighting. At this price range for video cameras, the noise performance is about average. However, for casual viwers, this is not an issue.
   The only draw back maybe the bottom loading mechnism for the miniDV tape. Like almost all the miniDV loading mechnisms, the system works a bit finicky. But not too distracting as long as you follow the instruction in the manual. Bottom loading on the camera makes changing tape while using tripods a bit more complicated than need to, but that's not a big deal.
   Image stablizing works well even at the very long end of the zoom, I think the zoom range and the electronic stablizing in ZR400 works well as a combination, the long end is long enough for almost all cases while stablization is still good. Camera with longer zoom will suffer from dizzying camera shake even with digital stablization. So the ZR400 has just the right zoom ragne for its electronic stablization capabilities. Wide angle adaptor make the field of view acceptable for wide angle shots, but it's a bit cumbersome to have to put on a wide angle adaptor. It's no big deal, but I just wish the optical zoom lens would be wide enough on its own.
   ZR400 takes SD cards for digital still photos and digital M-jpeg vidoes. I see little merit in using the jerky M-jpeg video when the high quality miniDV is readily available at hand. The still pictures are capture at about 1 meg pixels. It's OK for quick snap shot. Any cheap dedicated point and shoot digital still camera will put the still images to shame, but this feature is more of a bonus anyway. DO NOT BUY THIS for still image use, you will be disappointed.
   Note, there're NO (note NONE) DV editing software that comes with the camera, so you will need something like Adobe Premiere Element or Ulead Video Studio and firewire on your PC to transfer the DV from the camera to your computer. Photo organizing and editing software comes in the package. Since I have photoshop, I never really paid too much attention to those. Mac guys are lucky they have iMovie, the windows movie maker is really too simplistic for most uses.
   Canon should included a battery charger with this model instead forcing the battery charging be done with the camcorder plugged in. A separate battery charger is available for a charge from Canon. Battery life is not a problem, since I normally use video very sparingly. The battery came with the camera last about 1.5 hours shooting time, enough to shoot a full miniDV tape in SP with reviewing and tweaking or a full tape in LP (which I never use). Many high capacity batteries are available for Canon ZR models from a variety of vendors for reasonable prices. I have one that will last 4 hours for about $50.



3. This cannon ZR-400 is a great choice. The new CCD has an excelent performance with very good quality.
   If You buy this, think in a second battery (same size)

5 comments about Panasonic PV-GS9 MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom.

1. For the price this Camera Rocks !! I've had it for close to 2 years and for the price it's awesome.. I've used it to video tape Basketball and Football games .. Just an outstanding value.. The battery last at least over an hour .. Picture quality is great .. Check out some of my video at www.pleasantgrovesports.com .. Go to either Basketball or Football links .. click J.V. and then one of the kids last name for a short video clip..
   
   I shot all of the football video from the stands .. outstanding zoom !!
   
   If you can still find this video camera ... buy it .. especially if it's around $ 200 dollars ..
   
   I use pinnacle 9 and adobe for video editing ..
   
   My camera came with the standard A.V. cables .. and i expected to have to buy, or have , the other cables needed to connect to my computer ..
   
   Thanks Panasonic !!



2. I've had this camera for 2 years now and for the price it has done alright. Recently though, just as someone had mentioned in an earlier review, it stopped connecting to my PC via the firewire. I plugged in a friends JVC and it worked fine, so I know it's not the computer or the cable. Its past warranty obviously... I don't think I'll pay to have it fixed. I just wish this would have lasted longer. Time for a better one - this time made in America !



3. Well, I just read other reviews and I was surprised! First of all, I had a USB cable that fit the camera and plugged into my computer, so I didn't have that issue. I'm sure I would've been frustrated as well if I had to go purchase one. Personally, I was able to edit and create movies on my computer with no problem, using the free software that came with my computer (Sony VAIO, 3 years old). So I guess maybe I was lucky, but I have had a very good experience with this camera. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the picture quality on my movies isn't the greatest. This camera is a little outdated though, so I can't complain. Plus, for the price, it has been outstanding.



4. Yo uso esta camara para montarla en motocicletas deportivas expuesta a mucha vibracion, somplemente nunca ha fallado, segue trabajando como nueva a pesar de ya tener mas de 20 horas grabadas bajo estas duras condiciones.



5. beware of the low price, panasonic has managed to make the price so low ($350) because they don't give you any software for the computer (to transfer or to edit), and no cables for the computer. I can't believe they would neglet to put them in the box. Your better of with PVGS 15 as it comes with the software and a USB cable, the price is $500, but the software, cable, and still picture on sd make up the $150 price difference.

No comments about SVP HDDV-2600-Bu 12MP Max. Multi-Functional Camcorder with Rare 3.0 Inch Huge Flip LCD! (8GB SDHC Memory Card & Tripod Included).

No comments about VHS C Analog Camcorder, 20x Hi Definition/750x Digital Zoom (PANPVL454).

No comments about Hitachi DZ-BD70A BluRay 5.3MP DVD High Definition Camcorder 10x Optical Zoom.

5 comments about Samsung SC-MX10 Flash Memory Camcorder with 34x Optical Zoom (Pink).

1. Got it yesterday, brought for my fried. I like this camcorder for the value of money. It is very light and easy to use. It looks good too, the battery is not very heavy. Only thing is you have to spend atleast $50 to get a SD card of 16 Gig atleast (Maybe you can look for some deal and buy it cheaper). It comes with Power Director software for video editing.
   
   Overall i liked it.



2. Shame on folks complaining about this camera. For its price, it's darn near perfect. Small, light, expandable memory, holds a charge, and does what it should. Set the anti-shake to "on" and you're good to go. If your videos are junk, blame the person behind the camera. We just took it, fresh out of the box, to catch precious memories in Memphis, for Elvis Week. I got more than I expected, especially after reading these reviews prior to our trip. I took videos while driving, and they look just fine! Night time, while walking down Beale at night was a little rough, but it was MY fault. I knew enough to slow down. But even those aren't awful. 99% were what I expected or better. If you spend any time on YouTube, you know what junk looks like. This isn't it. If you want a vacation camera, you can't go wrong with this one. It's so light and small, and is priced quite nicely. Just make certain that you set the anti-shake and buy a large memory card. (But don't try to bring your vacation home with you. Be in the moment. Use it to get moving snapshots or folks talking. Don't try to keep it rolling 75% of the time, otherwise you'll personally miss the moment as it happens, plus you'll bore the crap out of your friends and family.) Love it!!!



3. Specs: (Not in Amazon's description)
   720x480p
   Normal - ~1200kbps 30FPS SDEG AVI w/ 22kHz Stereo ADPCM
   Fine - ~1800kbps 30FPS SDEG AVI w/ 22kHz Stereo ADPCM
   Super Fine - ~4000kbps 30FPS SDEG AVI w/ 22kHz Stereo ADPCM
   *Determined with Winamp and Media Player Classic.
   
   If you read the manual it will say:
   ""Super Fine (about 12Mbps), Fine (about 10Mbps), Normal (about 8Mbps)""
   I am not sure what happened at Samsung, or who they employ but this is entirely false judging by this devices output. It may be that it is stepping the bitrates down because I am using a 2GB card, but I strongly doubt it. And why won't they tell us ON THE BOX that it records 22kHz audio?
   
   The normal and fine quality settings both look really bad. The super fine quality setting is decent and performs acceptably in low light when the picture gets grainy. I would consider this to be DVD quality, and would look just fine on a normal television.
   
   SDEG is a MPEG-4 DivX/3ivX like codec by Samsung. I assume it costs quite a bit of money to purchase a license to include a genuine MPEG-4 hardware encoder in your camera. In the box, you will find a CD that includes the codec, but I have found that a third-party codec pack I had installed prior to purchasing this camera included a component that was able to play the videos through any media player on my computer without even having to put the CD in!
   
   As for Linux and Mac OS support, I can't comment about compatibility. If your Linux distro contains or you have installed FFMPEG, the videos MAY play on your computer.
   
   The zoom is smooth and quiet in the sense that I did not hear a motor, but I did hear a faint TV-like ~16000Hz noise.
   
   In general, I don't like digital zoom, but this camera seems to have enough pixels to get pretty close before it becomes blocky, but there is a bit of a dip in the speed of the overall zoom when you hit the end of the optical zoom and the beginning of the digital zoom.
   
   Here are some things you can only learn by using the device:
   - You can record with the display closed!
   - There is no startup sound, and you can turn off the menu beeps.
   - Menu navigation can be a bit slow, but is by no means annoying.
   - You can do a slow zoom using the directional pad on the screen.
   
   UPDATE #1
   There is a bit of white noise in the audio, and the STEREO MICs pick up wind every so often.
   
   On automatic exposure, I was unable to pick anything up at night, but results are better with the exposure maxed out in manual mode. An addon IR light solves this problem.
   
   Rewind and fast forward in preview mode are a bit slow and choppy but playback is smooth.
   
   Please stay tuned, I have more to cover! (Expect future updates/edits)



4. This is my first camcorder and was purchased to record a new baby. It is very easy to use and produces nice clips. The Easy-Q button sets up the lighting and other settings great!



5. If you are looking for a camera with "true" 16:9 recording capability **DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA** as the 16:9 format is nothing other than stretched out 4:3. I saw someone make this comment and thought it cannot be that big of deal. But then after I shot my first video (and realized the images being recorded are in many cases things you see in person i.e. Kids, Pets etc) and they look nothing like what you know them to look like (unless of course you want to watch your recorded footage in 4:3 which is a complete waste of your investment into an HDTV). If you do not have a 16:9 TV and never plan to get one, this camera, for the money, is tough to beat.
   
   I sent it back and ordered a Cannon with TRUE 16:9 recording capabilty.

5 comments about Panasonic VDRM50 DVD Camcorder with 2.5-inch LCD w/18x Optical Zoom.

1. PROs: Very easy to operate, even my wife handled it well :). Using DVD-RAM disks saved my budget since I've used a single DVD-RAM disk (app 20CAD$) for the last three years. Software that came bundled ('DVD Movie Album SE' and 'My DVD') is easy to install and easy to learn. Battery life could be better, but it works fine for me (about 1-1.5 hours, screen was on all the time). All cables (TV connection, PC connection, charger) are nicely marked, no confusion here. They even included an S-video cable for TV, so you have a choice of composite or S-video connection. Neat. I like that I can put the small DVD-RAM disk in my laptop, and do all the editing, I don't need to daisy-chain the camera itself to my laptop.
   
   CONs: As you know, DVD-Ram disks need cartridges. For many people this is a hassle, but I'm used to it. I love the additional protection that cartridge offers. Original recordings are in 'raw' DVD format: .vro and they need to be reformated to .mpg. Not a big deal with DVD Movie Album SE, BUT: the size of finished movie in MB is huge. A 2-minute movie takes well above 100MB if you keep the default settings in the software. The price of recordable DVDs keeps dropping, but anyway, the movies could be smaller in size.
   
   Overall, this is an excellent camera if you are an average computer user and know how to get around with movie encoding/decoding.



2. The camera functioned well, but is in no way compatiable with Vista or and newer systems. Drivers are not available, so thusly this camera is an peice of junk. Would never recommend it or Panasonic to any one.



3. I bought this camcorder back in September of 2004 for the birth of my daughter and this is one technology that just didn't pay to be an early adopter. Here's a quick summary of my experience
   
   Pros:
   1. Navigating thru recordings is significantly easier (and timelier) than MiniDv or tape.
   2. Camera size is nice
   3. Outdoor recordings have good quality (not great)
   
   Cons:
   1. Have to use Panasonic DVDs for recording. We tried buying other brands which were significantly cheaper and the camera started rattling. Customer service thru Panasonic was horrible and after sending in the unit for repair, they sent it back saying nothing was wrong and we just have to use Panasonic DVDs (why didn't they just say that on the phone????)
   2. Inside recordings are poor quality due to low light limitations. We purchased an external light which helps, but adds to the cost and also makes it more of a hassle to use
   3. DVD-ROM software is proprietary and not readable on most DVD drives. We actually had to purchase an external DVD-Rom burner
   4. Actual time to create a DVD can be as long as 4 or 5 hours for a 1-hour DVD. It only takes about 10 minutes if you record with a DVD-r disk but that also comes with problems (many of my files didn't transfer properly and you have to deal with the format and finalize process).
   
   Overall not a total disaster but definitely not a good technology experience. Hopefully Hard Drive based units will be better but I'll wait it out a little while to let them work out the kinks.



4. The VDR-M50 was an average camera around 2005, but is now obsolete. If you are buying this second hand then be warned that Panasonic supply no drivers or tools for Vista, so you need third party tools such as Roxio Creator to extract your movies from the DVD-RAM disks - probably not worth the trouble. Picture quality is just OK even on the highest quality setting. The VDR-M50 has some nice features including in-camera editing facilities but these are not enough to redeem it.



5. I have had this camera for about two years. I have gone through about 20 CDs and today the second one errored out and lost the data. No more video of my son's birthday. Just like that. The discs are working fine and then they come up with an error and that's it. Throw away your disc and your memories. I have used two kinds of media and both have had the same problem. Go to Panasonic's support web and site and there is NOTHING. Their FAQ on camcorders is a short marketing piece, so you're basically on your own. There must be a thousand better products than this one. Don't buy it unless you don't mind losing your video.

3 comments about Vivitar DVR-530 5MP DV Camcorder.

1. I purchased this camcorder because it was very small, i never expected it to have such a great picture quailty, but it has turned out to be a great investment. I took it to Las Vegas and i have returned with very crisp beautiful pictures still and video. if you are not an professinal i would highly recommend it.



2. I just bought camera about a month ago and have used it during my wedding and honeymoon. This camera is Great if you want to take outside shots. It stores everything to a 2GB sd card which gives you about 1hr of record time. I bought 3 cards but only used 1 card for the whole honeymoon etc... and to off load it to a PC is so easy. I love it but my only complain is it's poor capturing in low light. Inside buildings with low light come out even darker than normal and u can forget about recording anything at night but for the price it's great.



3. Has a nice big bright LCD screen.
   Zoom occurs in eight rapid "click-stop" stages, not smoothly like more expensive camcorders.
   After pushing the "ON" button, this camcorder is ready to go in about four seconds.
   There's a threaded hole on the bottom for tripod placement.
   There's no lens cover included, and since the lens is almost flush with the body of the unit, there's no way to use one.
   Unit has a flat bottom, but with the LCD screen pivoted open, unit become "left-heavy" and will tip over.

No comments about SVP HDDV-3000 12MP Max. 6-in-1 Multi-Functional Camcorder with Rare Huge Flip LCD! (Tripod Included).

No comments about SVP HDDV T200-Black 1280x720p True HD Camcorder with 2.5" Flip LCD (2GB SVP High Speed SD Memory Card & Tripod Included).