Canon ZR80 MiniDV Camcorder w/18x Optical Zoom

There are lots of things you look for in a camcorder. Features, quality construction, and something easy to use are all things to consider. In the lower price range a lot of camcorders are alike and you have to look at some small specifics to figure out what's the best buy.

The ZR80 is a good camcorder, but it has one major flaw that its predecessors did not it has no mike input.

The built in microphones on almost all camcorders, certainly those selling for less than $1000, are notoriously bad. They generally pick up 180 degrees of sound. In a group situation, at a party for example, the audio sounds like utter chaos. Canons also seem to be especially prone to picking up motor noise from the camera itself. Thus, if you're interested in good sound you need to have a camcorder with a mike input.

Unfortunately, Canon chose to reduce the features on their 2004 ZR line by taking away the mike input. Why they did this is astonishing because it makes no sense.

If you want a Canon camcorder with good sound you really need to either get an older model almost any of the older ZRs including the 45, 50, 60, 65 and 70, all of which have mike inputs or forget the ZR completely and go for an Elura or any of their other product lines that have this necessary feature. If you're accustomed to the typical sound one gets from an on-camera mike (or you plan to never use it in situations with lots of sounds), maybe this model will be fine for you.

I purchased the ZR80 mini DV camcorder online, and received it today... one thing I was disappointed about is that this camcorder has no SD card slot like some of the other ZR series camcorders do... still shots go directly on your DV tape (one tape holds about 700 shots) It's not that big of an issue for me because I own a fantastic digital camera, and would prefer my pictures to be taken with that... but it might be an issue for someone who was planning on getting it all in one package (and it can be a big convenience that way!)

The special effects on this camcorder are great, and the video I have taken so far is wonderful... Two suggestion though: PLAY with the settings and READ the book!! I have seen so many reviews of Canon camcorders that say they are no good in low light (BTW the nightshot is simple to use and highly effective)

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Optics, the ability to deal with lighting conditions, and hand-held stability were the important factors in my buying decision. I edit my works on the computer, so effects were not important (and should be used sparingly!) The Canon ZR-80 is lightweight and well-balanced. The ability to return to 'easy' mode with the flick of a switch from anywhere in custom settings is a great feature. The camera turns out nice-looking video with practice. Another plus: I was able to train a cameraman for a family event in less than one minute. I showed him the zoom and the pause, and off he went. As with most digital cameras, there is no video noise between pause and record. If you don't want to edit on a computer, the pause-record method makes for clean segues. Finally, as a previous reviewer writes, you'll need to purchase a firewire cable separately a $20 to $40 item!

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After reading the reviews, I was a bit leery of purchasing this camera. Because it fit my needs without paying for a lot of features that I didn't need (memory stick, S-video output, etc.), I decided to get one anyway to try it out. The result is that I will keep it. One concern was image quality under low light conditions. It's OK. The depth of field is not great under low light which might account for reports of fuzzy images, but I found that it did focus on the item of interest pretty well. For low light, regardless of the camera, if you want good images, you should consider supplemental lighting. The night mode works reasonably well. Audio quality is fine. I had no problem at all with picking up sounds and voices from 15-20 feet away without them having to raise their voices. It doesn't have a mic input which wasn't a drawback for my purposes, but is, nevertheless, something that this camera should have. The biggest disapointment, for me, is that the image stabilization is a long way from what my old Sony Handycam was capable of. Even so, it's adequate for the purposes that I will be using this camera. All in all, this camera will suit most people's needs.

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I scoured the net for a camera (my first). I looked at many brands and moodels, all price ranges (price wasn't really a big factor, but why pay more if you don't have to?) I have had my camera for less than a week, but have been testing it non-stop. I need to make sure I understand it by the time I go on my vacation.

I have read all of the reviews, both good and bad comments. It seems to me that some of the people who are rating this camera are looking ffor some professional heavy duty unit that has every feature on the planet. I really like this cam. It's easy to use, has great features and boasts a pretty great price.

The night mode works pretty good. Does everyone here think they are getting a piece of military equipment or something from StarTrek? It picks up a good picture, and it's in color, unlike many other cams that have a green hue. The zoom (both optical and digital) works great! You can get very close up with the digital zoom, and as long as you are not trying to see an ant from an airplane, it's clear (not much quality degredation). I have hooked the cam up to my TV to see what the footage looks like on something other than the LCD, and it's GREAT! I can't wait to see what I can do with my MAC and iMovie!!

The only CON for now is the power switch. It's a little harrd to manipulate with just your thumb (I'm getting better though).

If you want a great cam for a vacation, or to shoot family footage, this cam is a good choice. Try to take what others say about this cam with a grain of salt. They expect too much.