Three week test in Europe
Written: Feb 11 '03
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Pros: Cheap. Compact. Easy to Use.
Cons: Looks. Above Average Video (could be better, though). Poor stills (minor)
The Bottom Line: If you get it for $500, a great deal. Also check out the Panasonic Palmcorders (will cost you a good $100 more, though.)
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| triprey's Full Review: Canon ZR45MC Mini DV Camcorder |
I bought this camera mail-order for less than $500 and got the video editing software free.
I'm not going to delve into the fancy features and other stuff it can do, just the results of our informal and unscientific stress-testing.
Prior to our trip, i had carefully kept a sharp ear out for that loud "humming" motor noise problem that this camera is infamous for--but I can guarantee that is certainly a myth (at least with my specific camera.) I have reviewed many minutes of tape under normal conditions and could not, even faintly, detect any troubling noise at all. Maybe those who complained have bionic ears or something. To the contrary, the audio quality was quite impressive. To my novice ears, I could distinctly hear sounds (no humming, mind you) of peripheral and even distant objects like conversations far behind me as well as rustling leaves.
I took it with us for a punishing three-week 8-city vacation in Iberia where we took 400+ still shots and 180 minutes of video. It rode the trip in a backpack that was repeatedly slammed against xray machines, train luggage carriers, and hardwood floors by a pair of exhausted and unmindful travellers. It had also been rained on numerous times in Portugal and gotten some dirt/sand in the works. Held up very well. No unusual operation sounds and stuck mechanisms at all.
The video is very good but in a sense I expected it to be stellar. Apparently, the CCD is not quite up there with competing cameras in that category. But it's still a marked improvement over Hi8.
It is quite compact and easy to quickly shove in and out of the Canon leather case I got for it. It is still larger than the sleek-looking Panasonic palmcorders I had contemplated buying.
Overall, a better than average piece of equipment that, at least for me, has debunked a lot of the negative comments I heard about it during my research.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 460
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Epinions.com ID:
triprey
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Location: US
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 1 member
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