A Niche Camera
Written: May 30 '01
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Pros: Small size, sharp video quality with good light source, reasonably priced, interesting shooting modes
Cons: Mike picks up too much wind noise, LCD came with two bad pixels
The Bottom Line: The Elura II is small. If you want to capture life as it happens, but don't want to lug around a huge camcorder, this is the product for you.
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| adamarket's Full Review: Canon Elura 2 Mini DV Camcorder |
I've found that the small the camera, the more I use it. I used to have a small Digital Nikon that slipped into my pocket. I took it everywhere. I captured friends at parties. Walks with my two-year old. Traffic accidents. Anything impromptu. When I upgraded my Nikon to an SLR-style Olympus, I got better shots, but less of them.
I took this experience into account when I finally settled on the Canon Elura II as my next camcorder. Sure enough, this thing is small enough to fit comfortably in a jacket pocket. It even fits in my khakis, although I'm self-conscious about the "bulge" it creates.
As predicted, I've used the camera an awful lot. When I went down to Disneyland with family in tow, I didn't feel like a complete idiot carrying a huge camcorder like so many other people there. Also, I could whip out the camera and film a scene without anyone even realizing I was getting a shot. The camera is so small, it's barely visible in my hand.
The exterior shots are crisp with rich color detail. This thing has an optimal lux of 12, so don't expect decent shots in low light situations. That's part of the price you pay for miniaturization.
I absolutely love some of the shooting modes though. Apart from the decent usual suspects - sport, portrait, etc. - there is a low light mode that gives my video a 16-millimeter feel. The low light effect makes everyone move more slowly, as if underwater. It's a nice change from the standard mode and I've used it to good effect.
On the opposite end of the shooting mode spectrum is the Progressive Scan mode. Remember the dirt flying in 'Saving Private Ryan' or the sand in 'Gladiator'. Progressive scan takes continuous photos of your subject. When filming in daylight, especially a moving object, your film takes on this sharp, highly detailed quality. Looks great.
The size and shooting modes are my primary favorite things about this camera. Now the bad.
1) Don't bother getting the MC card version of this camera. The stills the camera takes look awful when compared to my digital camera. It's nice to be able to snap a photo off for convenience, but the few times I've tried to use the photo the quality has been too poor. The photo mode is a maximum of 680K and just doesn't capture enough information. It really looks like you pull a frame of a paused piece of film.
2) The wonder of miniaturization left the designers with no choice, I guess, but to move the microphone to the top of the camera. This has the effect of exposing the mike to all kinds of wind noise, etc. Inside, the sound is great. The camera uses PCM 16-bit recording technology, but the placement creates problems outside in the elements. On several occasions, I've found myself covering the mike in an attempt to shield it from the wind. A front mike would have been better I feel.
3) My LCD is sharp and bright but came with two damaged pixels. They used to annoy the heck out of me; two little glowing red dots distracting me as I used the LCD to film or review. I decided not to return the camera because I frankly wanted to use it too badly and the price I paid for the camera was about $500 under the MSRP.
4) If you have big hands, the miniaturization might make this camera too "fiddly" for you to use. I have medium hands and have no problem with the controls, but I see how somebody else might.
5) The battery with the camera is sleek and fits snugly into the camera helping keep it wafer thin. Unfortunately, it lasts an hour. I bought the four hour version to go with it and haven't regretted it a day since.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 958.00
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Epinions.com ID:
adamarket
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Member: Adam Carey
Location: California - San Francisco
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 1 member
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