CANON ZR20 Make professional looking movies.
Pros:
Great picture. Small and light weight. Easy to use.
Cons:
Batteries and tapes are not cheap.
The Bottom Line:
Buy it. You won't be sorry.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I noticed the retail price of this item was $700 at most stores. If you are going to buy one, search the Net, because I paid $510, and they included video editing software worth $140. If you have a computer and children, a digital camera is the way to go, and this one is very good.
You can take wonderful video with this. This is the first camera I have owned that has the flip-out screen. I would never go back. It is much easier to video through the LCD screen than looking through a view finder. There are too many features to list with this camera, so I will just mention my favorites.
I think what I like the most about this camera is its ability to take great footage night or day. We took it out on Halloween and came home with great pictures even though there is no flash. I don't know how it works, but you do not need a flash to shoot at night.
The size is also a nice feature, compared to the large cameras of yesterday. This one can easily fit into a woman's purse. It feels very comfortable in your hand, and all the controls are easy to reach and operate.
Battery life is pretty good, though only one is included so you will want to get a back-up. I would recommend a larger size. The one that is included lasts about an hour-and-a-half. The larger one I bought lasts 5 hours. Buy from Ebay to save big bucks!
Having digital tapes means you can record over footage as often as you like, and you will not lose any resolution. The tapes cost about $10 a piece in stores, but if you buy in bulk on Ebay, you can get them for about $4 each.
The camera has a 40X optical zoom, and a 200X digital zoom. There are settings for snow, the beach, low-light, sports, and portrait. There is also a still picture button, but I have found that it is better to just shoot the video. When you push the still button, it freezes the tape for six seconds. If you happen to have a bad shot, you are stuck with six seconds of it, where as if you are filming, odds are there will be something better to choose from when editing.
I highly recommend this camera. It is a great way of taking movies that will last a lot longer than a VHS movie. If you have video editing software, you can create your own DVD movies. Considering that some digital cameras are going for up to $1500, it is nice to get something that is digital and works great for half the price.
