Good & Reliable DV Camcorder

A few months ago I decided to retire my old trusty first generation DV Camcorder, the Canon Optura. I did some research and looked at Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic and Canon. I chose the Elura series and bought the 70 in the end.

I am very happy with this camcorder as it does everything my old Optura could do, but better, smaller, lighter, and smarter.

Physical Quality:
Within 30 days of purchasing the new unit, I accidentally dropped it on a ceramic floor and busted/jammed the tape-loading mechanism, even though there was no external damage to the unit. We were in the middle of a vacation and I was not able to make repair or to take it to a dealer. Fortunately, I did have a 1GB SD card in the unit so I was able to take some video clips, albeit in a lower resolution.

Upon return, I brought the unit back to the dealer and they promptly replaced it with a brand new one. You cannot really beat that kind of support service!

Otherwise, I have no complaints at all about the quality of the unit. It is well constructed, sturdy and can take a reasonable amount of abuse.

Video Quality:
The video output from either direct connection to the TV or tape playback through the TV is very crisp with vibrant colours. I believe lens quality is the one area that Canon clearly excels over other competitors such as Panasonic and Sony. I was able to make DVD quality movies out of this unit - more on that in the "Connectivity" section.

The 18x Optical Zoom is excellent, and I personally think the 360X Digital Zoom is a bit of an overkill. Combined with the digital stablizer, the image remains very stable in the optical zoom range even when the unit is held by hand.

Contrast and brightness compensations are great in automatic mode. The unit is able to transition and adapt quite seamlessly as the camera tracks an object through different backgrounds (e.g. from in-door to out-door, etc.)

Though the SD Card works well in still photos as well as movies, the resolution and the sampling rate are nowhere comparable to DV tape. I believe the unit was designed to accommodate the original SD Card which is lowest common denominator in the market right now. Despite the fact that I had a "60x" SD Card in the unit, the Elura is just simply not designed to increase sampling rate or resolution to take advantage of the memory access extra speed.

Sound Quality:
I have read complaints that the built-in microphone was too sensitive and it picked up the whirring motor noise of the unit. I do not believe I have ever run across this problem. Using the built-in microphone in 16-bit mode, I was able to get very clear and distinctly stereoscopic recording from the unit. The sound translates well to DVD as well.

View Finder and Built-in View Screen:
I rarely use the view finder but it works well. The view screen is 2.5" in size and it is very clear and crisp. Like most other units of the same type, the view screen pivots and swivels, and it can be turned completely upside down. When the view screen is upside down, the image is automatically, and conveniently, inverted.

All the information you need to operate the unit is on the view screen/view finder. Unfortunately, the symbols could get a little cryptic at times.

Connectivity:
The Elura connects to the PC via Firewire or USB. There is even a "Network" mode where you could turn your camcorder into a "webcam" for PC-controlled operations. I can still remember paying over $500 for a Firewire connectivity kit for my Optura just so I could plug it into my PC almost 7 years ago. The Elura comes with all the necessary ports and a built-in in-line A/D converter.

I like the Firewire connection on this unit. It is reliable and easy to set up. I use WinDVD to capture the output from the unit and turn it into DVD's. Since I did not install the bundled software, I have no way of gauging how well it works or not.

Other good features:
-16:9 mode
-SD Card support (records still photos and movie)
-Special effects (fade, etc.)
-Continuous still photo feature
-Skin-tone "softener" to remove blemishes in close-up
-Supports "Print/Share" and the Picture Transfer Protocol for one-click photo printing.
-Remote control

Cons:
-Low-light performance is not at par with Sony.
-This unit could really use a built-in wide angle lens.
-Some of the menu options and buttons are very hard to access, particularly while you are filming.
-The battery could last a little longer
-Could use a form-fitting case/pouch like the one Sony offers with its HandyCam. Hanging it off your neck could get tiring....