5 comments about Canon ZR600 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom.

1. Warning, this camcorder may not work with windows XP. I got this camcorder back in in November of 2006, I hooked it up to my PC, useing the firewire, my PC keeps saying it could not find any camcorder with 4 different programs that I tried. I got looking in the disk that came with it, and the disk is only for windows 2000, windows ME or a MAC. so I called Canon and they said they could not send me any other solution disk, there was nothing I could download for XP,they where of no help and with the disk, the programs keep poping up "OS?". other then that it takes great video, bad pictures, just don't hook it up to an old TV, you well get a really bad picture, you need a new TV or VCR that works with digital. the other bad thing is, if your camcorder breaks, and you have not found a way to download your tapes, then you have no way of watching them. so If yours work on XP your lucky.



2. This camera will satisfy most folks that read Amazon reviews! DV-ing can be an uphill climb for newbies, but with the proper expectations, you can be happy with your purchase and your future use.
   
   I have used this camera for 4 months, and here are my observations:
   
   A few assumptions:
   1. Firewire BABY! With almost ALL DV camcorders you will need a 1394 Firewire port on your computer, and a cable (about 10-20 dollars online)
   Workaround: none, this is DV! USB is too slow. The SR600 has two ports...make sure you use the port labeled DV. If you want to shell out $200-300 more, go with DVDcamcorder.
   
   2. For Transfer or Editing, Look in your Windows! If you have Windows XP, use the FREE Windows Movie Maker program which copies your movie footage from camera to PC, and allows a little editing. Vista has even more you can do, like copy to a DVD!
   
   3. Don't expect long shoot times... My battery that the camera came with lasts only about 35 minutes, even when I'm not using the LCD screen.
   Workaround: buy a $15 dollar 1700mWh battery(larger) on EBAY to have as your main battery, and use the stock one as a backup.
   
   4. Don't get left in the Dark. Reviews state that the camera shoots poorly in poorly lit rooms. This is common with DV cameras.
   
   Workaround: Move camera into P mode, from EASY on the switch near the zoom, and choose NIGHT as option on the LCD (using easy to use Joystick) when you are shooting in lowlight scenes.
   
   AS long as you know the 4 assumptions, this camera is perfect for newbies in DV, right on the money with price, and with good features, like 16:9 WS, Toggle button, and excellent OPTICAL zoom. Wish my sony digital camera had this zoom. IF they had a better battery and included the Firewire cable, I'd give it 5 stars.
   
   I would buy it again, but would opt for the ZR500 for price, or the ZR700 if I wanted to use it to bridge the copying from my VCR to the computer for moviemaker.
   
   OS: Windows XP sp2
   PC: 4 yr old DELL Dimension, with Creative lab card with Firewire
   Software:
   Windows Movie Maker to pull clips from camera, and to Edit movies
   DVDFlick (opensource and free) to copy my edited movies to DVD for playing on my home DVD player or computer (moviemaker only copies the .WMV file on a CD or DVD)
   Panasonic AY-DVM63PQ Professional DV tapes



3. This was a gift for my daughter and she loves it.
   Service and quick shipping are super.



4. Nice product but not available as new models have replaced it. New isn't always better!



5. Nice camcorder, a little hard to use. dont understand all the instructions. Probably my fault for not being able to read well. there is a lot to remember without looking at the instruction book. The book might be better organized. I like the camcorder.

5 comments about Canon Elura 85 MiniDV Camcorder w/18x Optical Zoom.

1. I bought this camcorder recently and I am satisfied with its performace. The only reason I am taking off a few ** (stars) from this product is due to the reason that you cannot transfer videos from MiniDV to your computer using USB port. It required IEEE 1394 firewire cable (Cannon does not supply this cable with the camcorder) and a computer which has compatible port (not common in many computers and so you end up buying a suitable card for your computer if you wish to transfer the videos).



2. This camcorder has been reviewed by several experts and has received very good recommendations. See for yourself at www.dvspot.com or www.camcorderinfo.com.
   As for the reviewer that complained about the firewire...ALL digital camcorders use firewire for video transfer to a computer since USB only has a transefer rate of 1,1 Mb/s vs Firewire which has a rate of 400Mb/s. 4 minutes of finished video takes up 4 Gb!!
   Nobody would want to transfer video using USB 1. NOBODY, not Sony, JVC, Panasonic, or Canon ships their camcorder with a firewire cable ($14,99 Amazon.com). Please get your facts right before you give a great camcorder 3 stars.



3. I like the features this camcorder has (although I have to confess I didn't buy mine on Amazon). I don't give it full stars because the picture quality just seems average instead of bright and sharp. The analog to digital conversion feature is getting hard to find in camcorders, and lets you run VHS tapes from your VCR through the camcorder and into a PC (or onto the camcorder's digital tape), and that's a major plus with this machine.



4. This is only the second camcorder I have owned. I've had it for about 2 months. So far, it has exceeded my expecations. I haven't gotten into the details of what you can do with it. But, the picture and the sound on the camcorder have been great. I would definitely recommend it.



5. I have not used this camcorder very much at all in the past two years I've had it. I've maybe recorded about 10 tapes with it and watched a few back on playback. Today I was getting it ready to film the birth of our second child and all of a sudden a message came up telling me to "Remove Cassette Immediately". I pushed the eject button and the cassette is totally stuck and will not move. I called Canon and they told me it would be around $150 to fix. I researched other blogs and electronics trouble shooting websites and read several comments from others with this exact same problem. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

5 comments about Canon GL1 MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Lens & Optical Image Stabilization.

1. I just purchased a canon GL1 for use with filming sports (I am a golfer). My overall experience has been good but things are left to be desired. This review gives you the good the bad and the silly, so read on!

   The Good

   The controls on this thing are great, it's almost like having an SLR in a camcorder. The lens on this thing is great! Images come through very bright allowing for high shutter speeds. The zoom is 20X optical and something like 100x digital, and the digital zoom is usable, trust me on this one. You can switch between interlace and progressive scan with the use of one button interlace=60 1/2 frames per second, progressive= 30 full frames per second. The image stabilization is great, and it is very easy to shoot with. Shutter speed is good up to 1/15000 of a second. Oh and did I mention lots of manual controls if you want them.

   The Bad

   The CCD's on this thing have no resolution. I would almsot have to lie to tell you I get 500 lines of horizontal resolution. When displayed on a big screen pixilization is obvious. Still images stink too. You can't even get VGA out of this thing. Also the auto focus is amazingly slow. Terrible for action sequences but not a problem for a normal situation or say filming a golfer tennis player.

   The Silly/trivial

   You need to push a seperate button to eject a tape. Canon could have made this thing smaller to. The camera has an uncomfortable inbetween size. It is by no means small, not even medium sized, but not really one of those huge shoulder mounted things. The LCD screen on this thing could have been bigger too. In all honesty I think cannon wasted a ton of space on this thing. I know some will say the lens head is big, and that is fine, but the tape deck is way too big and the LCD is almost an inch thick, not excusable.

   Overall I am satisfied with it. A very nice piece of machinery. The best camcorder for recording golf hands down.




2. I wasn't so sure about this camera because I had listened to the hype about Sony DV cameras. But let me tell you, I have never seen a mini DV camera pack such a punch for the price. Between the GL-1 and the much more expensive Xl-1, I cannot tell that much difference at all, maybe none at all. This camera captures truly stunning video. From reproducing each and every color vibrantly and crisp to the razor sharp picture quality. And I haven't even gotten to the microphone. It captures the audio very true to life. From soft whispers to loud bangs, the audio never becomes muddled or distorted. The menu buttons and function keys are all very well placed, and it takes a still photograph of a fairly decent quality, although it couldn't compete with a 2 megapixel photo camera. It has many different video modes,including toggling between Video and Frame recording, although most of the time you'll never need to take it off of automatic. Another sleek feature is how it captures video in low light. In low lighting conditions, the picture NEVER becomes the least bit grainy. I am continually impressed, and am impressing others with this camera. It is perfect for the beginner or the pro.



3. I bought this camera about 10 months back, and at the time made a compromise in choosing it because I couldn't afford the XL1S. What I've learned though after using it for so long now is that Canon didn't compromise on this camera. The GL1 has essentially every feature the aspiring film maker or video professional needs to get underway quickly and easily.

   My favorite feature of this camera is the frame mode ability that allows you to shoot non-interlaced video, with results that are very similar in appearance to film rather than video. After shooting in frame mode and seeing the results, I've yet to shoot interlaced video again.

   The one thing that this camera lacks is any ability to manually control the audio levels for the internal or external mics, which can sometimes give you less than optimal results in situations where the noise volume fluctuates noticably, or where you are trying to achieve a specific audio effect.

   Summary - Excellent camera worth the price tag. Across the board, far more features and better quality than all competitors in its class. Probabaly the only camera that can top the GL1 in this class is the GL2.




4. I purchased my GL-1 almost two years ago with the original intention of using it to create videos of weddings and grandchildren. After comparing numerous available models and brands, I chose the GL-1 for its good reputation, high-end features, lenses, and of course for the more reasonable price.

   It could be said that the GL-1 is among the worst of the best, but that is not a fair way of comparing its features to other camcorders. The GL-1 is top end material, producing similar or equal quality as equipment costing twice as much or more. The lower price mostly reflects the fact that the GL-1 does not have as many features as the more expensive models. It already has more buttons and settings than most of us even want to know exist anyway, so except for professionals and hard-core video fans, we amatures are plenty happy to leave the settings on 'automatic' and simply push the record button.

   What really matters is the end result, and viewing a video on your television recorded with the GL-1 looks no different than a video recorded with more expensive models (well, unless you are one of those hard-core types who are very critical, but then too, every camcorder model produces slightly different results, so any differences noticed would be noticed in all). The major end-result difference will be noticed in audio quality. Recording video in a normal room setting is no problem, it comes out great, but in areas with high noise, winds, or too low of sound, the recording is sometimes less than desired. Too loud of noise causes distortion (avoid sitting directly in front of or even behind a rock group's speaker array, even if 75 feet away!), and when the desired sound to be recorded is too quiet, you may hear a slight humming of the camcorder's motor. Many users have solved the problem by purchasing additional audio recording equipment, which is of course an acceptable solution, but one that new owners should be aware of.

   Every camera of course has it's good points and bad points, and except for the bad points of not-perfect audio, everything else about the GL-1 is good. Good balance, medium weight, easy loading, good battery life (1 hour with the factory battery, other batteries can be bought that will record for over 3 hours), and the appearance does say you are using high-end equipment.

   All things considered, the GL-1 is right about in the middle, giving better results than all known lower-end models, but not quite as good of results as the more expensive models. The Gl-1 is Goldilock's "just right" choice (sorry, I just had to say that).

   The Sony camcorder is said to be a little better, close to that of the Canon XL-1, and I did consider it, but at the time I had just overcome a less than favorable experience with a Sony product and I did not want to make another mistake. If you have the money to spare, get the XL-1 just because it's cooler looking, but for fast, easy, quality video, the GL-1 is a great choice.




5. This is one Great camera! Works great no probs. I am shooting a movie and this camera works great for it. Good for anyone who needs a in the middle camera from customer to pro cameras. I have had this camera for 2 months now and I love it! P.S. The pic of the camera at the top of the page is the pic for the GL2 not the GL1.

5 comments about Canon Optura Xi MiniDV Camcorder w/11x Optical Zoom.

1. I bought my Canon Optura Xi two months ago. I almost bought a Canon GL2, until I studied the spec sheets. Both camcorders have the same features: 16-bit stereo recording; f/1.6 lens; 11x zoom; Av, Tv, and manual exposure control, etc. What stands out as different in their spec sheets is their CCDs (the chips that record the image). Digital video (DV) is 640 x 480 pixels, or 307,200 pixels, or one-third of a megapixel. NTSC broadcast video is 525 lines with a 4:3 aspect ratio, or 367,500 pixels. To get color you need three times that number of pixels (for red, green, and blue), or about one megapixel. In the past, CCDs had far fewer pixels, so camcorders had three chips to get enough pixels. The GL2 has three 1/4" chips, each with 380,000 pixels. Three chips demands a lens three times bigger. Splitting the light three ways requires a big, heavy prism. 3-chip camcorders are big, heavy, and expensive.
   
   The Optura Xi takes a different approach. It uses one chip with 1,230,000 pixels. The CCD is between 1/3" and 1.4"; in other words, bigger than the GL2's 1/4" chips, but smaller than the XL1S's 1/3" chips. (Pro video cameras have three 1/2" or 2/3" chips, making them much bigger and heavier.) The Optura Xi has more pixels than the GL2, yet doesn't need the prism. The lens and body are smaller and lighter, and the Optura Xi is half the price.
   
   I've found that my Optura Xi has accurate colors (unlike my old Canon Optura 200MC), and it performs well in low light conditions. The GL2's colors look a little better (more saturated) but only a little. The Optura Xi looks much better than previous one-chip camcorders.
   
   Apparently the size of the pixels make a difference. Imagine a CCD with tiny pixels the size of one photon. The state of such a pixel could be described with a one or a zero (either a photon hits the pixel, or no photon hits it). Imagine a CCD with pixels one million times bigger. You'd need a number between one and a million to describe how many photons hit each pixel. This illustrates that a camcorder with bigger CCDs (and a bigger lens) should produce more color detail, especially in very bright or very dark parts of your picture.
   
   The GL2 is only slightly better than the Optura Xi, and costs twice as much. To get a camcorder substantially better than the Optura Xi you'll have to pay many times more, such as for a Panasonic AG-DVX100A or a Canon XL2. I'm saving my money until HD camcorders are available. (I don't consider the JVC GR-HD1 to be high-def, as it has one 1/3" CCD with 880,000 pixels trying to fill a 1280x720 one-megapixel format!)
   
   My advice is to buy the Optura Xi, then spend your money on microphones, and good tripod, lights, video editing software, etc. You'll make better videos than people that blew their budget on a GL2.
   
   Another word of advice. I did a "price search" on the web and found various places advertising prices lower than Amazon (and lower than eBay prices). When I ordered from them, they were "out of stock" and tried to bait-and-switch me to other camcorders. I found that the lowest prices for camcorders that really existed are on Amazon.
   --
   Review by Thomas David Kehoe, author of "Hearts and Minds: How Our Brains Are Hardwired for Relationships"



2. I recently purchased this camera for $1000 (with the $200 rebate) this was a steal. I had a Canon ZR65 earlier and I wasn't too happy with it's low light performance and hence decided to buy this camera. The other thing I didn't like about the ZR65 was it's inability to reproduce true colors.
   
   This camera is amazing. We took a helicopter ride recently and the pictures of the sky , the terain was stunning. Once we played it back on our TV, the quality was was as good as broadcast quality playback. It was truly amazing!!! I highly recommend this camera.



3. This cameras amazing one of the best canon has to offer (for the price anyways) this camera has great zoom features not to mention it takes great pictures which is half the reason I bought it. I recomend buying this if you have nice video editing software...I dont think imovie will cut it but vegas 5.0 is very compatible with this camera..I have not had a problem yet...



4. Nice features which are included because Canon saved money by using a cheap tape transport. Within very little time expect to be continually exposed to the "Remove the Cassette" which can, apparently, only temporarily fixed at the Canon Repair Center. It appears that the cheap transport is not model specific. Caveat Emptor



5. I've owned the Optura Xi since June 2004 and my experience has been wonderful. I am a novice user in that I have not spent a lot of time learning the intricacies of the many, many features on this camcorder, such as the aperture settings and things of that nature and outside of using the zoom feature, I let the camcorder figure out the best options for what I am filming.
   
   But what I can share is that the video is clear, crisp, and I give it very high ratings. The image stabilization is great and the zoom feature is awesome. The audio is so-so and if you are filming something that requires adequate audio, you may want to invest in one of those boom microphones that can be attached to the camcorder. The low light limitation is also pretty frustrating and the filming in my house did not have very good results more than half the time. I had to turn on way too many lights to get a halfway decent video. I have actually broke down an ordered the VLF-1 auxilary light to combat this limitation. I haven't received yet, but I am pretty sure it will vastly improve my problems when filming indoors.
   
   All in all, it has been almost a year and I still get a thrill when I play back something that I have taped and see the clarity and resolution. I have also made some great DVD's of home videos, with music, cut scenes and narration...pretty cool, indeed!!

5 comments about Canon ZR80 MiniDV Camcorder w/18x Optical Zoom.

1. I took it to europe thinking I would get great video, instead I arrive at London and it says SORRY NO LIGHT SOURCE FOUND. Ever since then it has been pitch black vido and picture. Even though it says it has a warranty, they say I broke it no refunds. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY, GET JVC!!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. Canon recalled this item for a faulty CCD, the symptoms of which are static or no image at all recording to the tape. After about 15 hours of use I ran into this problem and was pretty bummed out, but after checking the Canon website I noticed that they had recalled the product and were offering free repairs (and free shipping). So, if it breaks, check the site, and send it in!
   
   I've used this camcorder for home movies, school projects, and short video profiles. I now use a more professional 3CCD camcorder for my projects, but I keep this little one around as a backup, or use it for situations where portability is important. It has served me very well in the 4+ years I have owned it, but does have a few drawbacks.
   
   Pro's:
   -Good picture for a 1-chip portable camcorder
   -Decent audio for an internal microphone (zoom out and get as close to your subject as possible for better audio, or get a wide-angle lens for best results)
   -Feels solid
   -Manual modes; white balance, focus, shutter speed
   -Decent night shot
   -Syncs and imports perfectly with editing software (like iMovie)
   
   Con's
   -No external mic input (this is my only "real" complaint)
   -Loud bass records static (doesn't do concerts very well)
   -Lens cap falls off way too easily
   -Faulty CCD, but free repair
   
   They sell on eBay for about 50 bucks, and even 4 or 5 years after its release, it's an overall good buy.



3. We got this camera 3-years ago as a baby shower gift. The camera does not have high quality video indoors, the battery life is really short (lasts only about 30 minutes after being fully charged), and we ended up with the black screen of death (see reviews for Samsung SCD23 MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5 LCD). I would expect a video camera to last much longer than 3-years. I'm very disapointed with this camera and would not recommend it to anyone.



4. I bought a ZR80 about 3 years ago. It really seemed the perfect camera for me, new mommy who wants to record all the baby stuff. I got lovely videos and everything worked perfectly for almost 2 years. Suddenly, the screen started to appear black. It would record only the sound but not the image. It worked randomly, sometimes it would record the image, sometimes it just wouldn't..... very frustrating and disappointing! I have read other reviews stating similar problems. I will never get another Canon camera, as I don't plan to replace it every 2 years!!



5. I purchesed this camcorder 5 years ago. Haven't used it a lot but when I have I have bee happy with it. The only thing is the batterry. It only last 25-30 minutes. It sopose to last an hour. The tapes are 1 hour so you have to find a plug that you can use and are not in the way while shouting. The quality is great.

5 comments about Canon Elura 80 MiniDV Camcorder w/18x Optical Zoom.

1. This is my first digital camcorder and so far so good. I'm very happy with it. Easy mode is great for beginners like my husband and kids. I love the auto mode where I have control of special effects etc..... I highly recommend and the price is pretty good.



2. It was a great little camera until it broke. On it's forth tape, about midway through it beeped with an error and then wouldn't eject the tape. Luckily we still had 2 months left in the warranty. Warranty repair was fast!
   
   It was fixed and returned stating "Replaced capstan motor assy, fuse. Cleaned and adjusted tape path and torqued".
   
   I researched the net after it happened and found it's a pretty common problem with canon camcorders. Not sure why I didn't find that info before I bought it with as much research as I did then. From what I've read, the cost to repair this problem once it's out of warranty is around two hundred.
   
   It's still a great camera, but breaking after less than 4 hours is pretty sad. It also didn't have a rough life, we were using it to film our first child. We would take it out of it's case, film for awhile and it went right back in it's case, never left the house.



3. Great camera, easy to operate and very compact as well as reliable.



4. Consumer Reports recommends the Elura 80. It's a good camera at a great price. It's small, easy to use, light, and functional. It's inexpensive and overall a great buy.
   
   If you plan to transfer content to a computer for editing, however, you should know that you need a FireWire cable that does not come with the camera. That little fact isn't really documented anywhere obvious, so I spent quite a few minutes trying (unsuccessfully) to get the content transferred via USB cable. So, buy one. And Canon, start including one!



5. I owned this camera for a short time. When it was working, it was a nice camcorder that took nice video and was pretty simple to use. However, after a few tapes, the tape started to eject no matter what I did and always displayed an error message "Remove the Cassette". I did some research online and was amazed to find how many people have experienced the same problem. The camera now no longer works because it will not accept any tapes. As soon as you try to put them in, it ejects them out with this error message. It sounds like Canon is not exactly easy to deal with on this issue and the problem is chronic and affects alot of MiniDV camcorders in it's line. This was my 2nd defective Canon DV camcorder in the last 2 years. I think I am staying away from Canon in the future - very bad experiences and the quality is very poor.

5 comments about Canon ZR500 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom.

1. If you are looking for an entry level MiniDV camcorder, the Canon ZR500 offers excellent value for money.
   Pros
   1. Very intuitive interface
   2. High Optical Zoom
   3. Use of joystick reduces number of buttons to just 3
   
   Cons
   1. Motor noise
   
   It also lacks a still camera mode, though I don't consider that to be a drawback.



2. I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. It works perfectly and does everything I could ever ask for and more for the price.
   Great buy, I'd recommend it to anyone!



3. Purchased this item at Best Buy in Florida during my vacation but the outcome was so dissapointing. Colors are very washed out, video to a 32 inch LCD TV is so blurry due to low resolution and low light b-day recording is sad as the TV turns dark and you can hear only voices. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to truely cherish their memories to get a higher grade camera. I really dont know what to do with this now... Too light for a door stop... Amazingly i have better results with a Sony Handycam I got as a gift in 1987. If you only have $250 to spend I suggest getting a used 2000-2002 High end model Sony with Night Shot.



4. I have a full featured Camcorder but needed an inexpensive small camcorder that I could slip into my pocket for a trip to Europe. This had more features than I needed, was cheap and fit easily into my pocket. I didn't want to carry a camcorder over my shoulder while touring. It worked perfectly.



5. camera works fine, up to a point. Controls are marginal and you'd best have the manual handy to figure them out. However, I recommend you don't bother buying it, it is NOT moisture proof, or even moisture resistant, and the electronic control board will corrode with the slightest dampness such as filming in foggy weather or light rain. And you cannot dry it out inside.

No comments about Canon XL-H1A 3CCD HDV High Definition Professional Camcorder with 20x HD Video Zoom Lens III.

5 comments about Canon ZR70MC MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, 22x Optical Zoom, Digital Still Mode, MMC Slot, Image Stabilization and Wide Angle Attachment.

1. As a lot of people mentioned, this product has several good features and drawbacks. The most attractive feature is 22x optical zoom. Video quality is not bad. However, it performs poorly when the light is low. I used it for three years and took a lot of videos. Frankly, I didn't use it with too much care. I was lucky that it didn't die for 3 years.
   
   Then, my LCD went black when I was during a very happy journey last week. My camcorder was bought in China and had a different model name: MV650i, but it is exactlly the same as zr70mc here in US. Hopefully I can also repair it for free here.



2. Canon will repair no questions asked.
   It take 2 weeks total.
   That is great support.
   Talk to anyone else about a 2-3 year old product.
   The funny thing is the part giving the problems is Sony.
   
   I love the camera. It will be around 10 years after the repairs.



3. I presume people had problems with this product (ZR70MC).I guess most of them are CCD related.I owned ZR70MC since 2004 and I noticied CCD problem recently (Camcorder LCD went blank even when lens cap is removed) and one year warranty on product had already expired.Canon customer service was efficient and they repaired it free of cost (they even provided shipping label).When I received camcorder I noticied that record button is not working. Canon customer service or repair center again came to my rescue and they repaired it free of cost (they even provided shipping label).
   I rate their customer service as best.But as some one noted earleir this camcorder doesn't perform well in low light conditions.



4. I've had this camcorder for about 2 years now and have used it for everything from backyard footage to filming corporate events. My kit included the wide angle lens attachment, a standard life battery, software CD and an 8 MB SD card. It performs great. It has great sound through the regular microphone. I even recorded a fireworks display and the fireworks did not overdrive the sound. You could still hear nearby voices even while the fireworks were going off. It has a hot shoe for connecting accessories. Although I always intended to add a microphone to the hot shoe, I never did get around to it. I think the standard mic is sifficient for my needs.
   
   When I recorded for corporate events, I ran the soundboard right into the A/V on the camera using a standard RCA to Headphone jack. This was a handy feature since we were in a warehouse environment and the sound system mixed all the audio. I could film from a long distance and still patch in the audio to make it sound great. The recorded video turned out really superb and my customers were quite pleased. I used the included Studio 8 to edit the video and record onto the DVD.
   
   The still camera is around a megapixel. Not great as far as quality unless you're shooting in good outdoor light. Dark lighting definitely looks grainy on the stills, even with the night shot mode enabled.
   
   The camera model, along with some other Canon DV cameras are affected by a recall. It will freak you out when you don't see any video on your viewfinder or LCD. It just goes black. In short, the cable that connects the CCD (which digitizes the video) gets disconnected. Canon will repair the defect (they will also pay shipping both ways) regardless of warranty status. The process was easy and did not take very long.



5. As others have mentioned, this camera, along with a slew of others from Canon have a CCD problem relating to heat. I just experienced this problem and called Canon per their website.
   
   I made the mistake of referring to the "product recall" to which I was endlessly chastised by the customer service rep because it is really a "product advisory." (I originally bought the camera for over $700, now I'm being treated like trash because I used the wrong words... nice.)
   
   In returning the camera for service, I was told not to use the original packaging and that I should bubble wrap it and place nothing around it in a large box. (so it can fly around inside) They pay for UPS shipping, which she said takes 7-10 days.
   
   Once they receive it, they will determine if heat caused the problem or if the CCD is broken. If it's broken, then I have to pay. Considering that they want it to be flung around inside a large box during shipping, I can see where this is going.
   
   I would not recommend this camera for this problem alone and would not recommend Canon products at all due to their customer service anymore.

5 comments about Canon DC230 1MP DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom.

1. I received the product about one week after purchase. I followed the instrctions and tried to insert a DVD-RW disc for recording. Unfortunately it gave me a message: CANNOT READ THE DISC, CHECK THE DISC.
   I tried three other discs (Memorex miniDVD+RW, bought via Amazon at the same time as I bought this Canon DC230, but none of them worked).
   
   I need technic support ASAP. Any suggestion would be appreciated.



2. If you want a simple way to take decent video and burn it onto a DVD with basically no editing, this is a good choice. If you want to take that video and put it on your computer, this thing is terrible. It doesn't come with any video software, even though the manual has instructions for Roxio MyDVD for Canon. This software comes with a different model, and you can't buy the "for Canon" version separately. The regular MyDVD from Roxio costs $70, and is terrible.
   
   Overall, my old Sony miniDV tape camcorder worked better with my computer. I think the main benefit here will be to capture raw video of the kids on a little DVD, then just mail the DVD to the in-laws.



3. Is a good product, simple to work with and frendliy.
   
   Jose G Sanchez



4. Great Price and nice product. I compared the models on a different web site but made my purchase on Amazon because the price was the best.



5. I purchased the DC230 as a Christmas gift for my wife. It took a couple of times using it to understand the itnitializing and finalizing processes. But now I consider myself an amatuer expert and enjoy the quality pictures and movies from this camcorder. Would recommend to anyone.