Reviews for Canon Digital Camcorder - 2.4" LCD - CCD

okay basic video/camera for price

Strengths: good ergonomics/functionality

Weakness: telephoto vignetting (stills) and exposure range (again stills suffer most)

Got mine while on sale at DELL for $466 shipped 8/21/05. Wanted camcorder with moderate zoom (long reach usually need telephotos tripod) and I guessed right about this one, at 14X I can hold steady enough using the image stabilizer. As it is I must be careful to not look like I'm in a boat bobbing around.
Main features I like are the external VCR buttons which double as Focus and Night mode. Focus is very useful to press and hold to set on infinity distance, and no doubt that the Night modes are a help also (one of two chosen in menu and then switched on/off via Night/Stop button).
Not mentioned much, it seems, is the Card Mix. Apparently disliked by videophiles but I like it. Makes it possible to merge live video with memory card stored images. I suppose a lot of camcorders do this but my last camcorder was VHS-C from 1987!
The included wide angle lens was a definite 'must have'. These camcorders all start off zoomed in by comparison to most digital cameras. Good for close spaces, yet zooming+focus is impossible so it's really only for when wider picture is needed.
A word on photos: at approx. 1 megapixel these are certainly worthy of 4"X6" prints, resolution-wise anyhow, but exposure metering is limited (blown out highlights).
A word on video: likewise about photos, the 2/3 megapixel for tape is fine but highlights and shadows could be problematic in some situations. This might be inherent to most camcorders of this calibur, I wouldn't know. I just know digital cameras handle it via more dynamic range (image bits processed) and better options for exposure metering (spot, center-weighted, evaluative or matrix, etc.).
All in all I really like this camcorder for its type and price.

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Canon Digital Camcorder - 2.4" LCD - CCD

Strengths: Small, Light, Easy to use, Excellent still image quality, Plenty of features

Weakness: Menu scroll takes a bit of getting used to. Light is fairly ineffective. Bottom loading is a problem when using a tripod.

I used a ZR85 for a while, and decided to get a igital camera to replace my old VHS-C camera. Since the ZR85 was out of production, I looked around for a similar, and decided on this one, as it had better resolution. I was really suprised at the improvement in low light performance, and image quality of photos with this camera. The still pictures do not compare to a real still camera (Mine is a canon 4 Mpixel) but at 1.3 Mpixel, they are great for emails. The true strength of this camera is the widescreen, with the enhanced pixels. It looke really great on an LCD TV. The size is very small, and the controls are really easy to use.
It took me a while to get used to the scroll wheel, for selecting menu items, as it is very small.
All around this is an excellent camera for the price, and will please all but the most advanced users. I would highly recommend this as an upgrade to an analog VHS type camera.

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So far so good

Strengths: Easy to use, lightweight with most the advance feature. Good Camcorder within $500 range.

Weakness: Light no good, takes time in auto focus mode, Bottom tape load is a pain while its on tripod.

So far the camcorder is good. I brought it because of its small size and Wide screen feature with 1 CCD.
Color are good and its very light and easy to use but in Easy mode it take time to focus and most important it need light in the night mode. The

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ReviewGist for Canon ZR400 Mini DV Digital Camcorder

Video is Good according to 7 Camcorder experts. -- "Colors were accurate, but somewhat pale."-macworld.com -- "Colors were accurate and detail was good."-macworld.com -- "very good color"-macworld.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Optics, Battery, Interface, etc.

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Canon ZR400

Canon ZR400 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.52 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #79 MiniDV camcorder of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a product's...

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Quick Review Camcorder : Canon ZR400

The Canon ZR400 is this year’s leading ZR model, and it pays to be on top. This camcorder features a much improved imager compared to the rest of the ZR series – a step up from a 1/6” CCD to 1/4.5”, and an impressive effective video pixel increase from 450K to 690K. All this spells a better image for you, for only a little bit more money than the ZR300.

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Canon ZR400 Camcorder Review

The ZR400 is Canon’s top of the heap ZR model this year, and it shows. The ZR400 includes everything the ZR300 does, including an improved imager and better still performance. For Elura performance in a ZR body, check the ZR400 out.

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Canon ZR400

The Canon ZR400 is compact and simple to operate, making it a good choice for recording family fun, but don’t expect the still images to take the place of a dedicated digital camera.

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