Way better than a Sony anything ...
Written: Jun 10 '04
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Pros: -quality stills, lightweight, BIG SCREEN
Cons: -no green "nightshot" mode
The Bottom Line: I recommend Canon in general over Sony. This camera is next to perfect.
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| joel0104sarah's Full Review: Canon Optura 20 Mini DV Camcorder |
... After much deliberation I recently decided on the Canon Optura 20 and it has been everything I wanted. I've been pleasantly surprised by many of the features. When I first went exploring the menu, one of the first things I found that ticked the techie in me was a menu screen that allows you to customize the sounds to some extent. You know that generic “bing” sound most cameras make when you turn it on? Well, there are four different settings from which to choose. When you tire of one you can switch to another and rotate to you hearts content. This camera will really impress the average vacationer on your flight when you fire this baby up. People will think you are turning on your laptop when they hear a “Intel inside” style sound bleep.
What sold me on this camera was the 1.4 mega pixel pictures that can be taken and stored on its internal memory chip (an 8MB chip comes with it, you can upgrade for a few bucks). The pictures can be downloaded completely separate from your Mini DV film capture. This saves time and its pretty darn cool. Yeah 1.4 isn’t that great when you are talking just a digital camera, but the quality is top notch for 4”-7” prints and lower. Plus it’s all in one camera: You got your digital quality video footage, and flick a switch and you’re snapping great stills on the BIG LCD screen. None of Canon’s claims are hot air. Take it from this media communications major, it walks the walk as an affordable consumer Mini DV with built in digital camera.
My experience with Sony in general is that Sony is junk. Two cameras bit the dust due to nothing more than normal wear and tear. (In other words, they didn’t get dropped.) Four years ago, I have had one 8mm analog camera jam beyond repair. This year, a digital Sony 8mm bugged out by not playing back footage I’ve shot it is still a.w.o.l. while Sony “gets back to us about repairs.” The 8mm cameras are heaver and bulkier than Mini DV. This makes a difference when filming with your arm extended.
In general, I’ve been disappointed with Sony products. I know of a Sony DVD player that just stopped working one day. A stereo of mine had major problems when I first got it costing me money in the end to have it fixed. The screen qualities and adjustment options of the huge HD TVs they sell are disappointing.
The night shot function of the Sony 8mm's is one feature I liked that the Canon does not have. It's designed for extreme low light shooting, and it gives the film the look of green tinted night vision goggles. The comparable feature on the Canon is a somewhat jumpy, extreme low light image when built-in light comes on. I don't see any applicable usage of the night shot for my projects, but it’s fun to play with.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 479.95
Recommended for: Budget Buyers - Best Values to Fit the Budget
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Epinions.com ID:
joel0104sarah
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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