Canon ZR850 1MP MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

I did a lot of research before I settled on this camera. I was prepared to spend a fair amount of money on a better model, but I came to the conclusion that it was a better idea to spend less money and wait a couple of years for the HD technology to come down in price and the hard drive storage format to become more established. So this was, in my opinion, the best mixture of quality and price. There are certainly cheaper models out there but beware. There are three major bugaboos camcorders have to face: internal noise, image stabalization, and low lighting conditions. You can expect cheaper machines not to excell in these and to pay dearly for those that do. Canon's real selling point is its optics, but like most lower-end models, they don't "shine" in low light. They put external mike jacks only on their chapest models so they can sell to schools (the education market likes low prices and external mikes). Personally, I have a pocket digital recorder with a lavalier mike and I edit in a separate digital soundtrack to get around the noise problem, but not everyone wants to do that. Canon's image stabalization seems improved from the previous model that I've had, although while 35X zoom seems impressive, I've not yet tested it to see what the vibration reduction is like at the etxreme end. My biggest problem is the low lighting, so I bought a portable utility light at a home improvement store for ten bucks to help with that.

The reality is that even though you don't care to spend a couple hundred bucks every year on new ccamcorders, you should consider this a disposable camera. It costs almost as much to buy a new model as to fix them. I bought this to replace a ZR85. Which leads me to another pointif you have the option, you might consider an extended warantee. The earlier generations of camcorders seem to have had a habit of blowing out.

You will want to buy an extended life battery as wellthe battery that this model came with was good for only a short while.

I wouldn't bother much with still photography camcorders don't have great snapshot capabilities just as camera's don't generally have good video capabilities. It's tempting to try to kill two birds with one stone, but none of the models I've seen do both eaqually well. Even my cheapo point and shoot digital camera takes better pictures (but not nearly as good video). Also, copying video to the SDram card is a quick and easy way to slap a short video clip on your website or email it to friends, but you will get a compressed file with significantly poorer quality than the miniDV tape. On a PC you can use Windows Movie Maker (free download if you don't already have it) but it only saves in WMV format. To burn in DVD format you will need authoring software (that's another review, but I use Adobe premiere elements).

MiniDV is on its way out, but will probably still be around for a while. It has great qualitymuch better than a DVD, although you can certainly create DVDs from a miniDV tape. As far as storage goes, the tapes are pretty cheap13 gigs or so for a couple of bucks is pretty good. In the future though I think the hard drives are going to be the next big thing.

Copying your tapes to a DVD via a Mac is a breeze with imovie and iDVD (no, I don't work for Mac) although I generally do my editing on a PC. It is a bit of a pain (less so when you finally get the hang of it) but I don't have regular access to a Mac.

This is a really great starter camera if you are just getting into digital video and a real easy, convient, point and shoot workhorse. That being said, it is sophistocated enough that you can grow into it. My guess is that by the time you grow out of it the prices for more advanced technology will have come down and this camera will have reached the end of its lifespan anyway. I found mine brand new online for 260 bucks, and I got what I paid for and then some.

The following camcorder is the first camcorder I have ever owned. I purchase it because I am interested in taking home movies as keepsake. For that purpose, this digital camera will work perfect for anyone, However, if you keep your expectations too high, you will probably be disappointed.

Many people have complaned about motor noise on camera's along this line, if you purchase the zr 800, you can use an external mike of as high quality as possible, and avoid this background noise. If you are like me, and wanted the higher offered pixel ratio, then you can get the zr 850, which lacks the external mike and the possibility of preventing that noise. The noise, I might add, appears to me little more than a suddle white noise in the background, which can easily be filtered out with most video editing software.

When recording to the sd card (the plus of the 850), the movies shot are rather low resolution and appear a bit blurry for me. Part of this could be the videos I have shot this way consisted of a lot of close ups. This camera does not seem designed for doing much in the lines of close ups. The night vision does a very good job in pitch black. A small led on the front of the camera adds extra light. Unfortunately this is the only light you get, since any high powered light isn't available to attach to this camcoder. The led doesn't add very much light, and with any low light area, the picture resolution is severly hindered, but still seeable considering how dark it is.

The still pictures look decent, but obvious static that you would easily not see on any modern digital camera are very evident, so definately don't purchase this as a digital camera replacement. The battery lasts about 45 minutes, the guide suggestions you can buy larger batteries that will increase the life.

Since I kept my expectations so high, I expected the resolution to be a little better on the camcorder in general. It is decent enough, and so is the sound. I just expected more than I should have with a small handheld camera. The camera feels great though, it is easy to carry, easy to use. You run pretty much no risk of getting your fingers in the way of the view finder. It is very comfortable and easy to use. Very little instruction is needed to figure out just about everything you can do with it.

My biggest beef with this product, which really has nothing to do with the product itself, is that it didn't come with a firewire cable or capturing software. This means you can't transfer stuff to your compuer out of the box. Rather, you need to get a firewire cable (presuming you have a firewire port) for up to $35 as the price at best buy. You probably should order a cable with the camera. The capturing software is available from the canon website, just requiring you to register your product. After trying several programs, roxio seemed to work the best for me trying to capture video. At that capturing video is a breeze, although that has more to do with software than the camcorder itself.

Besides that, its a good product, it comes with a remote control if you happen to be filming yourself, and av cables so you can put the image on the television. Not the best on the market, but a pretty decent camcorder, especially at the discounted price.

Buy Canon ZR850 1MP MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Now

I am a first time camcorder owner and decided to get this camcorder based on reviews on another website. Then, right after I ordered the camera, I began reading the reviews on Amazon and got worried--I should have checked here first. After further research, I decided to also order the Panasonic PV-GS80 to compare the devices.

What I found is that the Canon is just as loud as everyone has reported. When I played back the tape on my TV, you could hear the humming noise it makes while filming plus a clicking noise each time you zoom in or out. My other complaints are that it doesn't fit in the hand as well as the panasonic, it has a bottom tape loader, and the power adapter is only a couple of feet long

In comparison, the Panasonic was quite as a mouse. Images are also more crisp on the 2.7 inch screen and the power adapter is at least 5 feet long which is very helpful.

I am returning the Canon ASAP.

Read Best Reviews of Canon ZR850 1MP MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Here

By reading Canon's description of this new line of miniDV cameras, you would think you were getting a lot more than you actually are. Motor noise is once again an issue with this Canon. Not a problem in noisy situations, but definitely noticeable at home in quieter scenes.

I find the camera a bit awkward to hold and operate, due to the placement of some of the controls. My hand tends to cramp up because of it. The strap is on an angle, and is very thin, making the camera seem unstable in one's hand.

Before using, I charged the battery overnight. It lasted a big 25 minutes on the first use only half of what Canon claims for typical use.

The absence of necessary accessories is also a problem. So far, I have had to purchase a firewire card for my computer (which was my problem), a firewire cable for the computer, a separate one for the DVD recorder, and an extra battery. Suddenly my lower-priced camera seems more expensive.

It's not all bad news, though. The video and audio quality (minus the motor whine)are fair enough. The menu and features are nice, and easy to use. It will do for basic home movies, but don't expect much more than that.

Want Canon ZR850 1MP MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Discount?

I did a lot of research on camcorders, and I mean A LOT!! I spent weeks reading all of the professional and user reviews, which left me even more undecided then when I started the search. I finally narrowed it down to the Canon Elura 100 and the ZR 850. The Elura was being discontinued and was therefore difficult to find as a reasonable price, so I chose this one!

First of all, the zoom works well on this camcorder. It is very powerful, and the image stays fairly clear until you reach about 80% of the zoom. The motor noise is not that bad, and it not noticable at all if there is other background noise. The image quality is good, just steer clear of low light situations. The image gets very grainy in low light.

The size of this camera is very nice. The available features suit me very well. Overall, this is a good camera for the money.

Update***

I have had this camera for a while, and still love it. It serves its purpose well and I have not had any problems with it at all.