Canon ZR850 Mini DV Digital Camcorder
Canon
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Reviews
(12)
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We purchased this camcorder for our wedding and honeymoon. The camera is great: small size, easy to use, good quality. However, toward the end of the honeymoon, the camera stopped working. We contacted the seller, and they were very nice and asked us to return it for an exchange. We have not received our new camera yet, (I can update this review once we do) but we're looking forward to having it back. The cons of buying this camera were obviously that we did not have it for part of our honeymoon, so we have no footage of my husband parasailing or us swimming with dolphins -- which was the reason for purchasing the camera -- and we had to pay shipping to return the camera only two weeks after purchase.
2 price(s)
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I am a first time camcorder owner and decided to get this camcorder based on reviews on another website. Then, right after I ordered the camera, I began reading the reviews on Amazon and got worried--I should have checked here first. After further research, I decided to also order the Panasonic PV-GS80 to compare the devices.
What I found is that the Canon is just as loud as everyone has reported. When I played back the tape on my TV, you could hear the humming noise it makes while filming plus a clicking noise each time you zoom in or out. My other complaints are that it doesn't fit in the hand as well as the panasonic, it has a bottom tape loader, and the power adapter is only a couple of feet long
In comparison, the Panasonic was quite as a mouse. Images are also more crisp on the 2.7 inch screen and the power adapter is at least 5 feet long which is very helpful.
I am returning the Canon ASAP.
What I found is that the Canon is just as loud as everyone has reported. When I played back the tape on my TV, you could hear the humming noise it makes while filming plus a clicking noise each time you zoom in or out. My other complaints are that it doesn't fit in the hand as well as the panasonic, it has a bottom tape loader, and the power adapter is only a couple of feet long
In comparison, the Panasonic was quite as a mouse. Images are also more crisp on the 2.7 inch screen and the power adapter is at least 5 feet long which is very helpful.
I am returning the Canon ASAP.
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I did a lot of research before I settled on this camera. I was prepared to spend a fair amount of money on a better model, but I came to the conclusion that it was a better idea to spend less money and wait a couple of years for the HD technology to come down in price and the hard drive storage format to become more established. So this was, in my opinion, the best mixture of quality and price. There are certainly cheaper models out there but beware. There are three major bugaboos camcorders have to face: internal noise, image stabalization, and low lighting conditions. You can expect cheaper machines not to excell in these and to pay dearly for those that do. Canon's real selling point is its optics, but like most lower-end models, they don't "shine" in low light. They put external mike jacks only on their chapest models so they can sell to schools (the education market likes low prices and external mikes). Personally, I have a pocket digital recorder with a lavalier mike and
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We purchased a Canon Elura 70 2-years ago but unfortunately the zoom, still photo and tape loader broke recently. We wanted to stick with Canon for our next camera because it is a good brand so we got the Canon ZR850. Instantly the motor noise stood out. It wasn't subtle it was a high pitch whining noise that gets recorded when video tapping. At first I thought I could live with it but when I compared the recorded video from both the Elura70 and the ZR850 there was a big difference. Think about filming on vacation and wanting to capture the crash of the waves and chirping birds - not with the ZR850. Don't go there. We are returning the ZR850 and probably going to get the Panasonic Palmcorder MiniDV 3.1MP.
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The professional reviews sold me on this camera, the experience of buying it through Amazon exceeded my expectations. The camera arrived ahead of schedule and the camera performs great - even after I dropped it once.
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I used to have an Canon Elura 70, which was an excellent camcorder but the firewire transfer didn't work so I decided to replace it with the Elura 100 only to find that Canon had discontinued the Elura line. I really wanted an Elura for the improved video quality over the low-end zr models. So as a compromise I purchased the ZR 850 which has a 1MP CCD, not a good as the Elura (1.3MP) but better than the other ZR's (.640MP). The video quality wasn't bad but the motor noise was so loud I couldn't believe it. I returned the first one but the replacement was just as bad. This isn't a minor hum in the background I'm talking about, its a full-on whine! I also found the ZR camera to be difficult to handle with my small-ish hands and the video stabilisation was a bit disappointing. Luckily I could return both cameras without incurring a restocking fee and found a reconditioned Elura 100 that is much more satisfactory. Its a mystery to me how Canon can produce two markedly different cameras (quality
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I really like the size and weight of the camera. It is very easy to use and the picture quality is pretty good. I had to return the cam because the motor noise is unacceptable. I recorded some scenes while skiing and the whiny noise is very noticeable, even outdoors. All the other reviewers claiming the cam records motor noise are dead on. I will spend a bit more money and get the Sony HCR-DC96 instead.
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The camera is decent. The fact that it doesn't come with the correct cable nor software to transfer video to a computer is unacceptable. What do they expect 90% of consumers are going to do with it?
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I did a lot of research on camcorders, and I mean A LOT!! I spent weeks reading all of the professional and user reviews, which left me even more undecided then when I started the search. I finally narrowed it down to the Canon Elura 100 and the ZR 850. The Elura was being discontinued and was therefore difficult to find as a reasonable price, so I chose this one!
First of all, the zoom works well on this camcorder. It is very powerful, and the image stays fairly clear until you reach about 80% of the zoom. The motor noise is not that bad, and it not noticable at all if there is other background noise. The image quality is good, just steer clear of low light situations. The image gets very grainy in low light.
The size of this camera is very nice. The available features suit me very well. Overall, this is a good camera for the money.
First of all, the zoom works well on this camcorder. It is very powerful, and the image stays fairly clear until you reach about 80% of the zoom. The motor noise is not that bad, and it not noticable at all if there is other background noise. The image quality is good, just steer clear of low light situations. The image gets very grainy in low light.
The size of this camera is very nice. The available features suit me very well. Overall, this is a good camera for the money.
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I did a lot of research on camcorders, and I mean A LOT!! I spent weeks reading all of the professional and user reviews, which left me even more undecided then when I started the search. I finally narrowed it down to the Canon Elura 100 and the ZR 850. The Elura was being discontinued and was therefore difficult to find as a reasonable price, so I chose this one!
First of all, the zoom works well on this camcorder. It is very powerful, and the image stays fairly clear until you reach about 80% of the zoom. The motor noise is not that bad, and it not noticable at all if there is other background noise. The image quality is good, just steer clear of low light situations. The image gets very grainy in low light.
The size of this camera is very nice. The available features suit me very well. Overall, this is a good camera for the money.
First of all, the zoom works well on this camcorder. It is very powerful, and the image stays fairly clear until you reach about 80% of the zoom. The motor noise is not that bad, and it not noticable at all if there is other background noise. The image quality is good, just steer clear of low light situations. The image gets very grainy in low light.
The size of this camera is very nice. The available features suit me very well. Overall, this is a good camera for the money.
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By reading Canon's description of this new line of miniDV cameras, you would think you were getting a lot more than you actually are. Motor noise is once again an issue with this Canon. Not a problem in noisy situations, but definitely noticeable at home in quieter scenes.
I find the camera a bit awkward to hold and operate, due to the placement of some of the controls. My hand tends to cramp up because of it. The strap is on an angle, and is very thin, making the camera seem unstable in one's hand.
Before using, I charged the battery overnight. It lasted a big 25 minutes on the first use - only half of what Canon claims for typical use.
The absence of necessary accessories is also a problem. So far, I have had to purchase a firewire card for my computer (which was my problem), a firewire cable for the computer, a separate one for the DVD recorder, and an extra battery. Suddenly my lower-priced camera seems more expensive.
It's not all bad news, though. The video and audio quality
I find the camera a bit awkward to hold and operate, due to the placement of some of the controls. My hand tends to cramp up because of it. The strap is on an angle, and is very thin, making the camera seem unstable in one's hand.
Before using, I charged the battery overnight. It lasted a big 25 minutes on the first use - only half of what Canon claims for typical use.
The absence of necessary accessories is also a problem. So far, I have had to purchase a firewire card for my computer (which was my problem), a firewire cable for the computer, a separate one for the DVD recorder, and an extra battery. Suddenly my lower-priced camera seems more expensive.
It's not all bad news, though. The video and audio quality
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The following camcorder is the first camcorder I have ever owned. I purchase it because I am interested in taking home movies as keepsake. For that purpose, this digital camera will work perfect for anyone, However, if you keep your expectations too high, you will probably be disappointed.
Many people have complaned about motor noise on camera's along this line, if you purchase the zr 800, you can use an external mike of as high quality as possible, and avoid this background noise. If you are like me, and wanted the higher offered pixel ratio, then you can get the zr 850, which lacks the external mike and the possibility of preventing that noise. The noise, I might add, appears to me little more than a suddle white noise in the background, which can easily be filtered out with most video editing software.
When recording to the sd card (the plus of the 850), the movies shot are rather low resolution and appear a bit blurry for me. Part of this could be the videos I have shot this way
Many people have complaned about motor noise on camera's along this line, if you purchase the zr 800, you can use an external mike of as high quality as possible, and avoid this background noise. If you are like me, and wanted the higher offered pixel ratio, then you can get the zr 850, which lacks the external mike and the possibility of preventing that noise. The noise, I might add, appears to me little more than a suddle white noise in the background, which can easily be filtered out with most video editing software.
When recording to the sd card (the plus of the 850), the movies shot are rather low resolution and appear a bit blurry for me. Part of this could be the videos I have shot this way
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