Canon Elura 50 Ultra Compact MiniDV Camcorder with 2"LCD and Memory Capability

if you are going to shoot videos with plenty of light and you want a very compact camera, the elura 50 could be for you. however, if you plan on shooting low-light scenes, you'll be disappointed. there's not even an accessory shoe so you can use an external light source.

pros:

very small and lightweight: 1.9"W x 3.4"D x 4.2"H, 13.4 oz.

very good video performance when you have enough light.

uncluttered, easy to use menus.

10x optical zoom.

1 megapixel still capability.

progressive photo mode.

miniDV media is widely supported.

great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.

allows some degree of manual control.

ability to record mpeg videos directly to SD card.

as with most canon products, the printed manual is very good.

digital image stabilization works well.

cons:

a couple of deal breakers for me: poor low light performance, and,

no accessory shoe (to think that you would really need an accessory shoe for an external light given this camcorder's low-light performance).

mic placement is on top of camcorder (most vertical camcorders do) which means it picks up the videographer's voice more readily.

a greater capacity battery protrudes sideways from this camcorder's body, making holding this unit a bit awkward.

the lcd is real small, only 2".

you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80 and trv70 and panasonic's PVDV953 have 2-3 megapixel capability but those camcorders are much more expensive.

don't expect miracles from 1 megapixel stills.

video too choppy with low light modes.

motor noise can be heard when recording a very quiet room.

the included 8MB SD card is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for for more memory (at least 32MB).

at this price point, i would recommend panasonic's gs70 or sony's trv33 or pc-105. although slightly bigger, i believe these camcorders offer a better package than the elura 50. peace.

I bought this 3 weeks ago and have used it in all conditions. I love it. This is my first camcorder and after reading all the reviews for various camcorders, I picked this one. So far, I have only used the auto mode and I have not seen any grainy effects like the other reviewers said. I've shot in low light and sunlight and the picture is perfect. I have already made DVDs with it and my family can't believe the quality from such a small camcorder. My only con would be battery life. It lasts about 45 minutes for me. I am just going to buy a high capacity battery then I'll be set.

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I have had the camera for three weeks and it was the best tool to take on vacation with the family. Its small size makes it easy to fit in a small pack. It takes great outdoor pictures and works well indoor. The auto focus does not work well on all indoor settings. It can be resolved by using the low light or spotlight manual settings.

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I replaced a 7 year old analog Sharp camcorder with this unit last month. I had seen it in a retail shop in the spring, and watched the price come down to a very reasonable $$$$ at an online discounter. My goal was simply to get to the digital age. Boy, was it easy! I had this camera about 10 minutes before I was shooting still photos and within half an hour I had downloaded sharp looking pictures to my PC. The software that accompanies the Elura is very easy to install and use.

I have been shooting the kids' soccer games, apple-picking here in New England, etc., and it seems to work with ease. If I had to nit pick I might say that the record button for video should be up at the forefinger position where the still photo button is, but this is a minor nuance. Dads will appreciate the smallness of the Elura especially as we usually have to tote so much other stuff on almost anything involving the family. The Elura fits in a large pocket.

Battery life at 45 mins to 1 hour is fine! Who the heck wants to go home and watch 2 hours of little Susie's ballet anyway? I don't have a PC that will support the Firewire or IEEE1495 (or whatever) connection for downloading video to edit on a PC, but this is my goal, and it looks to be very easy from the above average (keep in this mind, the bar is low) user manual. I find the camera's balancing features take my "shakes" out of play, and record a steady picture. I think the low light critics must be filming in dark strip joints, because in my exciting "Dad" life I get fine pictures of birthday candle blowouts, etc. Yes, the motor does make a lot of noise, so if Susie is a concert pianist, you might have a concern. For the average soccer Mom or Dad, I recommend this camera with no reservations.

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Many owners of the Elura 50 have eperienced the dreaded "Eject Cassette" error. It seems that MANY of these cameras are failing within the first two years of ownership with said error message. Canon has acknolwedged the problem and is apparently repairing these cameras at no cost (see Canon USA's web site for details). But my problem is different and it seems that a number of others have seen my problem as well.

I've used the camera a total of 1 to 2 hours over the 19 months I have owned it and it has worked reliably with a good quality image and decent low light sensitivity. It's a little awkward to operate because it's so small but when you get used to it, you can get some nice shots. I used it last around a month ago, when my baby daughter was born and it worked fine.

Today I turned it on and while it powered up fine, I get no image on the LCD screen or on the viewfinder. The menus show up fine, but there is no image from the lens/CCD. It's as if the lens cover were on (but it's not). Ths unit has not been dropped or abused in any way.

Checking on camcorderinfo.com, I have found that many others are experiencing this exact same problem and it seems to occur 12 to 24 months into ownership and particularly on units that are infrequently used. I did purchase an extended warranty so I guess the repair will be covered but if it is a design defect (as it may be, considering the frequency of its occurence) then I'd like to get Canon to repair it directly.

Anyone considering purchasing this camcorder today new, used or refurbished, should probably consider a different unit. If I hear more from Canon about this problem, I will update this review accordingly. Consumer Reports 'Best Buy' indeed!

Update: I sent the unit into Canon for repair and they did cover the repair under their current service bulletins at no cost to me and without the hassle of using my extended warranty (even though it was out of warranty).