ZR600 Bargain

I just bought the ZR600 to capture family moments as I'm expecting my first child in a few months. I wanted something easy to use, with a good point and shoot capability. The widescreen recording was also a feature I was looking for since I have a 46" widescreen TV at home.

I spent just a few hours researching value MiniDV camcorders, and came down to three: The ZR600, the Sony HC32, and the Panasonic GS59. The Sony seemed to dissapoint in the reviews, and the cost was higher. The panasonic was comparable, but slightly bulkier to handle, and didn't come with a remote. It did have slightly higher zoom (30x vs Canon 25x) but over the years I've learned that Canon makes quality and dependable imaging products.

I went to test it in my shaded backyard and taped the dog running around with his toys. I was impressed with the colors it picked up even in the shade, and upon reviewing on my television there was no motion blur or shaking as I tracked the dog running around the yard. The image stabilization surely did a good job. The microphone is very sensitive and picked up the slightest noises. I'm not sure if this is adjustable but I did notice that when I zoomed in one time and released the zoom lever, the microphone picked up the faint *click* of the zoom lever being released so abruptly.

All in all, I am VERY pleased with this purchase. It was much cheaper than most MiniDV camcorders and it will serve my point and shoot purposes very well. I should mention that you can take the camcorder out of "Easy" mode and make manual adjustments to your liking, but I'm not familiar with advanced settings like those and I doubt I'll ever take it out of Easy mode.