Canon Elura 40MC Mini DV Camcorder

Pros: Size, weight, accessories
Cons: Relatively poor video quality

We looked around a lot, so we thought, read the reviews, and still decided on the Elura 40MC. We own several Canon products, and like them very much. This looked good. I continued to be impressed when it arrived (BuyRiteDigital.com), in that it included...

Pros: Sturdy construction, nice design. Video quality suitable for most family applications.
Cons: Almost too small for big hands. Camera has documented problems with loading and unloading cassettes.

I bought mine late in 2002 without shopping around much. An associate who worked in professional video bought one first, so that was good enough reason for me. My only previous video experience was with a Sony 8mm, so the video quality of the Elura blew ...

Pros: I love the style, the size, and the feel of the camera.
Cons: Audio and video quality problem is bad. Battery life is bad.

When we looked for a compact video camera for our Japan trip a year ago, I looked for features and my wife looked for style. When we saw the Elura 40MC, we both felt in love immediately. It was a great looking camera, felt great, easy to handle, and ...

Pros: Tiny size, easy to hold and work.
Cons: Short battery life, quality of still photos.

I bought the Canon Elura 40MC as a gift for myself this past Christmas, 2002. I did weeks of research on exactly what digital camcorder to buy. I knew it had to do 3 things: -be as small as possible -easy to work, and on moment's notice -be able ...

Pros: Compact size, excellent picture and sound, many features
Cons: Expensive price

The Canon Elura is extremely compact. It is so small it fits in the palm of my hand. But don't think quality is lost in its small design. The picture is truly amazing, it looks like a movie.
This camcorder tapes to mini dv tapes which are...

Pros: Size, build quality, features
Cons: battery life, low light ability

Every point that the previous reviewers mentioned are right on. I purchased this back in late October and have had a while to use it.

My only critiques of the previous reviews are as follows:

Camera/Mic Noise; I did hear and...

Pros: Unbelievably compact, feature rich, can snap image from paused tape, good quality filming.
Cons: Low light colors aren't exact to subject, some controls on remote, auto lighting not great.

My 8yr old fights in taekwondo competitions and I really needed a camcorder small enough to slide in my pocket at a moments notice, instead of having to put a larger camera back into a case, or on the floor where someone could just steal it while I'm...

Pros: Loaded with features, well built, compact size, miniDV format.
Cons: MOTOR NOISE gets recorded and is *very* noticeable on playback.

This review will be short and sweet. Please keep in mind that this is the first camcorder I have ever owned so I have no bias from older technology & larger sized camcorders.

The Elura 40MC is loaded with features and is a novice (maybe pro's...

Pros: Size, Inexpensive Batteries, Excellent Optics,Sexy Form factor, Sturdy Construction
Cons: Mic Picks Up Motor Noise, Camera Doesn't weigh enough to hold it still.

Here's My Take....

First off, Let it be known that every Palm Camera Picks up Motor noise on tape.. The JVC, The Sony, The Canon, The Sharp, etc... It's unavoidable due to the proximity of the two. It's not noticeable unless the background in...

Pros: Size, Ergonomics, Ease of Use
Cons: Battery Life, Mic Picks up Noise, Low Light Conditions, 1/6"CCD

I bought the Elura 40MC because of it's size and portablity. I wanted something small and easy to use. I considered a few other Palm Cams, but

in the end I chose the Canon.

Features
MiniDV with 1394 support (aka...

Pros: Small, lightweight, manual controls, good picture and sound, doubles as digital camera.
Cons: Microphone picks up camera noise.

The Elura 40 MC is very compact, one of the smallest mini-dv camcorders on the market. Its small size makes it very easy to carry around, although the controls can take a little while to get used to.

The picture and sound quality is really...

Pros: n/a
Cons: n/a

Please be advised that Canon U.S.A., Inc. has posted information on the web regarding the Elura 40mc MiniDV camcorder. This information relates to the "Remove the Cassette" message being displayed on the camcorder's LCD screen.

This information can be accessed by visiting Canon's on-line support at the following URL:
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&keycode=2112&fcategoryid=227&modelid=9037

Please note that Canon will not be responding to any inquiries on this site. Further inquiries should be directed to Canon Customer Support at carecenter@cits.canon.com.

Canon USA Consumer Support

Pros: Compact size
Cons: Randomly ejects MiniDV Cassette; Poor quality stills; Noisy zoom motor;

I enjoyed the camera while it was working. The videos were fine and the compact size was just what I was looking for. However, the stills were never very good and the zoom motor noise creeping into the recording was annoying.

After about a year of use the camera would arbitrarily eject the cassette. I thought it might have been weather related (humidity, heat, cold, etc). But the camera simply will not accept the cassette in any condition except on very rare occasions. This is my fourth video camera in 20yrs. All the others lasted much longer.

In the end owning this camera became extremely frustrating and has severely shaken my confidence in Canon products. I will probably not buy another Canon.

Pros: Compact, good picture.
Cons: The EJECT TAPE NOW problem is a frequent pain.

Do not buy the Canon Elura. My camera is a couple of years old, but has only about 12 hours worth of use. I have cleaned the heads and taken very good care of it. Recently it has continued to eject my tapes. It has nearly chewed my recent trip to Samoa and has ruined a tape that I filmed of my students in a science video. I have checked out some forums and it seems as though this is a big problem. I have contacted Canon and they told me it was simply dirty. When I told them I had it cleaned they told me that this is not a big problem but I would have to cover the costs. That would be fine but the minimum costs are outrageous. It would also be fine if it was caused by abuse, negligence or overuse. Thisis a new camcorder! Whatever happened to the customer being right? Canon's representatives have denied that this is a problem. Thanks Canon! You made a very good camcorder, for the first 12 hours of filming. However it is now an even better door stop. I will never buy a Canon product again.

Pros: Small.
Cons: Stopped working as soon as warranty expired. Noisy motor, poor in low light.

Had camera for just over a year - then started getting a "remove cassette" message. It happened more and more frequently - to the point now that it's useless. Canon will not even look at it without a $125 fee. Find more details about this failure and other similar Canon models on some of the other camcorder review sites. Bottom line - I'm not buying another Canon camcorder. This was $900 wasted.
When it was working, the motor was loud enough to alway be heard during playback, the picture quality suffered big time in low light conditions. The mic is oriented such that if someone speaks from behind the camera it's a lot louder than those speaking from in front. Strange - probably due to compact design.