dkozin's Full Review: Canon ZR40 Mini DV Camcorder
The Canon ZR40 is a relatively inexpensive (at $599) MiniDV Digital camcorder with ability to take still picture.
Picture Quality
The most important feature of the camcorder is its ability to produce excellent picture quality. The digital camcorders usually do this with ZR40 not being an exception. There is no color bleeding and the video noise is virtually absent. If you make sure to use the right programmed AE, the picture will be exposed properly (you can also manually adjust the exposure) and video noise in low-light areas will be minimized.
Still Pictures
The camcorder can take still pictures and store them on a MiniDV tape.
Features
The camcorder features 18x optical / 360x digital zoom with digital electronic image stabilizer as well as auto/manual focus. There is a 2.5” color LCD screen and a color viewfinder. The ZR40 has IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link) port with ability to do analog-digital pass-through (feed the analog signal through the analog input and convert it to digital form with FireWire out without recording it on a MiniDV tape).
There are auto white balance and exposure controls as well as manual ones. There are several fader modes and digital special effects. The ZR40 comes with a built-in speaker with volume control that allows you to replay your footage with sound. The built-in microphone is stereo and the sound can be recorded in 12- or 16-bit mode, the former giving you flexibility of having another set of stereo signal in addition to the primary one.
There are several programmed AE modes. The camcorder can operate in the standard SP mode as well as Long Play LP mode (increases running time 50%, e.g. 90 minutes can be recorded on a 60-minute tape). The ZR40 also has a timer and manual shutter mode.
In addition to a FireWire port, there is an A/V in/out.
The power consumption is substantially les sin the LCD-off mode, so you can turn the LCD screen off and use a viewfinder to prolong the battery life.
What’s Included
The camcorder comes with a BP508 Li-Ion battery, power adapter, shoulder strap, remote control, stereo A/V cable.
Remote
The IR remote is included to simplify the reviewing as well as control the shooting functions of the camcorder.
MiniDV camcorder 18x optical, 360x digital, zoom with image stabilization 2.5 inch color LCD and color EVF Digital photo mode records onto MiniDV tape...More at Amazon Marketplace
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