Digital-Camcorder Reviews

As many camcorder fans, I was excited by the Canon Press Release about Canon Optura 40 Camcorder, pre ordered it and received it late May. After opening the box, the camera looks great: compact, slick, nice looking lens. However, after a couple of time trial shootings, all these nice impressions were gone for good! A few Major disappointments:
1) Poor video image. The video image has too much "digital" jaggies both in regular daylight and lower light environment shooting. When you play back on the TV, you see the "fluttery" effect all the time. When you pause the image, the jaggies are very obvious and horrible. This is even worse when you shoot in the low light environment.
2) Noisy zoom lever. The zoom lever on the top on the camera body was not a well made (or designed) part. When you zoom in & out using the lever, the noise is very obvious and annoying. This noise was clearly recorded heard from the tape when you playback.
3) The still camera quality is less than a regular 2.0 MP digital camera.
4) The strap that holds your hand of video filming is not in the right position to make your hand comfortable.
5) The 2.5" view LCD screen has too much info displayed and this made the small 2.5" LCD very noisy.

I contacted the Canon USA for my questions. No clear answers were given about the image quality. I compared Optura 40 with Panasonic PV-GS200, the Panasonic has far more better video image quality. Big disappointment for me.

Most of the negative comments I read about the camera are from people that don't know how to use the camera. It takes a little time to go through the menus and read the cryptic (non-detailed) manual. And, not all the features are described in the manual.

- The camera does very well in low light indoor situations if you put it in "Indoor" mode.

- I barely noticed the camera motor noise during quiet scenes. I think the only reason I noticed it is because I was listening for it.

- The camera fits very nicely in my hand, with the strap and zoom switch in just the right positions.

- This is my first digital camcorder and it was very easy to learn how to use the basic features. Some of the advanced features took some trial and error to figure out.

- My only disappointments were that it did not come with a tape or firewire, the manual is poor, and the included 8MB card is ridiculous (buy a 256 or 512).

I did a lot of research before selecting this camera, and I am confident I made the right choice. I would have given it 4.5 stars if I had the option.

The Optura 30/40 has two default settings that need to be changed. The first is that in Easy and Auto modes, shutter speed can be a slow as 1/30 second. This causes video to blur, ghosts with fast movement, and blur (grain?) in low light. Go to Auto Slow Shutter (A.SL.Shutter and turn it OFF). The shutter speed will be no slower than 1/60, creating much sharper video.

The second is that audio is defauted to 12 bit. Change this to 16 bit for better audio.

I am extrememly pleased with my Optura 40. It's great in low light, is user friendly, stabilization works well in both 5:4 and 16:9 modes, and the 14X optical is all I'll ever need. The quality of the video and audio is great. It's comfortable in my hand and feels "solid". I like it being a top loader since I use both a monopod and tripod when I can.

Negatives include: In 5:4 mode, tele isn't wide enough (but is fine in 16:9), the cover for the S-video jack seems cheap, and I wish it had optical stabilization. However, it does have better stabilization than my Nikon Hi8 camcorder that has optical stabilization--so it has excellent electronic image stabilization. Also, the 34mm filter/adapter size is unusual. However, step up rings are available (e.g. 34mm to 37mm)and with the fast selling Opturas 30/40 and Eluras 60/65/70 having 34mm filters, I suspect that they're be plenty of 34mm filters available shortly.

This item is a great idea, however it does not install on windows
xp professional, even though the intel faq says it does. The intel customer support says that there are major problmes with the mouse, keyboard and gamepad (they only list the minor problems on there compatibility faq)), they dont bother to tell you that they do not work at all on many peoples xp professional

However if you have 98,me,xp home, or 2000 professional(wow 2000 pro and not xp pro) then buy this product, it is an awesome gamepad and can function as a mouse that doesnt even need a surface to use.

This game pad is not only beautiful to look at and hold but is very functional as well. The mouse function is perfect for playing 3D video games such as American Mcgee's Alice and Clive Barkers Undying. It can be programmed to be both a mouse and a keyboard at the same time! The response rate is fantastic and the wireless freedom is outstanding! This pad is very durable and should last for years as long as you don't abuse it to badly.

This item is super-cool and works perfectly for me. This is one of the few devices where I just inserted the CD, pushed a button, and it worked. The software that configures the gamepad to push various key combinations on your keyboard worked perfectly and was easy to understand and operate. The gamepads feel good, respond quickly, and are studded with lots of buttons. Only when playing MAME Joust did I have a problem, the gamepad trigger was not fast enough to flap the wings. I just changed to button A and everything worked fine. I went out and bought a four player race car game and am trying to buy two more controllers now!

I bought this camera in 2002, about 2 months after my son was born. Within the 2 years we have had the camera it has been in the shop 3 times, the 3rd time just last week. The problem is when we fold out the LCD to take some video there is no picture, if you flip the LCD monitor over to the front the picture will work fine, but flip it back to normal and there is no picture. It takes great video when it's working and now that I have XP it works great uploading video to the computer. Unfortunately it has been in the shop about half the time we have owned it. I'm waiting for it to come back and stop working again so I can trade it in under Best Buy's warranty.

I've had this camcorder for a two years now. Gotta say that it works very well. It has good focus even when you're at max zoom, but when you're zoomed in that much, you need to put the camcorder on a tripod, otherwise the recording will be very shaky.

The one feature that I don't like about the camcorder is the Night Alive technology for shooting during nightime. You get a golden/yellow picture and things get really blurry as the target moves. It's really annoying and I NEVER use it. So if you're looking for a camcorder that will give you great night time recording, don't get this one. Get something with an infrared emitter, it will let you shoot good video even with NO light present.

JVC products have always been a favorite of mine and have always proven to have outstanding products. the JVC GRDVL720U is no exception. This Camera is inexpensive, and has all the bells and whistles you could ask for from a lower-end camcorder. You can transfer Digital Video to your PC by Firewire, and easily transfer Digital Stills through USB. Great quality and design. The unit fits in your hand with all buttons readily available.

I bought this camera after seeing the reviews on amazon.com, in particular that it was durable. I enjoyed doing videos with it. But very soon after the warranty expired, the video stopped working. It still worked as a VCR, but not as a camera. When I sent it for repair at one of the Sharp partners, the bill to repair would have been higher than the cost of the camera!!! So be aware that this is not in fact a durable camera, and Sharp USA did nothing to help the confidence of this ex-customer.

I bought my camera 2 month ago and i am deligthted.
As the product is discontinued by sharp is a little difficult to find accessories.

Lens cap broke, but other than that, I love this camera, It handles well while accompanying me all around the globe

I have been using this camcorder little over than 1 year. This has great features especially optical and digital zoom. Never used EIS, MagicVu features but I am sure I will someday. Easy accessibility to the DV cassette (to remove and replace). Ergonomic features like zoom, record buttons. Blank search is really helpful. Memory card that comes with the cam is useless and also the pictures are not that good. Have to buy i.Link interface cable to transfer videos to Pc as its taking too long with USB cable. Battety life is less but you have to buy a spare one. Overall this camcorder is a good one and worth to buy than a Sony which has less features for the same price.

I got a good deal on this minidv. I got it from CompUSA for $199 it was a demo and their last model. I compared it to sony trv 19,22, jvc, canon zr series and optura 10. I like the way that the panasonic feels. It feels like consideration of was put into this camcorder as to how it would fit in the hand. The videos look absolutly great, colors are vibrant. The ZOOM MIC works really well and helps the sound too. It has MAGICVU whiich it their version of nightvision. It works wonderful. You can see at night. It is equal if not better than sony's nightvison. Only one problem. The MAGICVU button is on the side of the lense. I thought it was in a akward place.
There are a few accessories that are avaliable for it like, 2x telephoto lense $45, batteries from 75min 9.5 hours. I picked up a 75 min battery for $32 at walmart. The 9.5 hour battery is $95 at walmart and other online stores, additional lighting is avaliable and expensive from $69-$229. Since mine didn't have a charger, I picked that up at best buy for $49.99. The camcorder is awsome. I recommend it to everyone

Batteries,accessories and disks still hard to find. Product works well. Disk and card option neat for quick computer interface. Simple controls, PHd not rquired. Pricey but seems to have the bells to be worth it. Small DVD's a plus. Fast recording speed. No negatives.

i'm looking for a MiniDV camrecorder that will be able to tranfer video to tape or DVD and bilt-in camera still, if anyone know ,please give me an advice

go to havingit.co.uk

there u can order a amlost free sony dcr-ip7bt 1300$ camcorder

it really works belive me...

at this site u can find the camcorder under cameras

so sign up.....

Purchased this Camcorder in January 2003. Did lots of research on comparable Panasonic and Sony models - was totally confused, finally went with the Optura Xi. Am very very happy - yes, it is bigger than the very small models. But I find it very comfortable to work with. The optical stabilizer is great - even video from a moving boat looks good. Another surprise - even though they say you won't use the still camera much on a video camcorder - I found myself using it all the time, so I was happy I had the 2 megapixels on the Optura. Not as high quality as my digital still camera - but great for web and viewing on the laptop screen. As a recent switcher from PCs to Mac - I have also been delighted with the ease of connectivity and use with my new PowerBook.

Emerson evc1595 multisystem video converter My relatives boughtby
last14th to17 april 2003. i you send me in india as 25 february 2004.so Emerson evc1595 multisystem video converter is fail.so
i want to replayes Or Repare to My Emerson evc1595 multisystem video converter.i have Emerson evc1595 multisystem video converter in india.so palese you above this meter. this Product is in india in gujart.

Don't confuse this for the analog converters that sell for $100. I have tried all kinds of converters but this one does the job! The analog converters produce jumpy video. The only way to get rid of the jumpiness is to use the vertical hold of your TV set - the same TV set you used to watch Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, I should add!!! None of the TV sets manufactured over the last 20 years come with a vertical hold. In other words, don't waste your money. Spend a few extra bucks and get the right equipment for the job!

I bought one of these in 1999, through Amazon, and it has been a true performer! When I got assigned to Romania we debated buying a smaller screen multi-systen TV (at great cost) or taking our nice, new, 31" GE (NTSC) set and converting it. I just bought this converter and purchased a Philips VCR locally to act as my cable tuner (PAL). If you have a TV with audio/composite video in jacks, this will enable you to convert and view literally any video format with no problem. The image is sharp and clear, and it comes with plug in transformers for both 110V and 220V operation. It can be used with big-screen TVs of all types, and can output a NTSC or PAL signal for your television. A wonderful alternative to expensive multi-system sets, and as a side benefit you can use it to tranfer tapes from PAL to NTSC and vice versa!

A great camera with many wonderful features. The manual is chocked full of information, all except the most important feature: Format your disc before recording!!!! From the get-go with DVD-R, it prompted me to format the disc. But with DVD-Ram, It did not tell me to format the disc at the start. I took movies of my trip to Europe and was able to view them back through the finder/display. However, when I got to the end of the disc, I was prompted with a notice to "format the disc now" and that all video will be lost if I do format!! I couldn't believe I had to lose all my Europe footage all because I did not format the disc BEFORE I started recording. London Eye - gone! Meusse-Argonne Cemetary in France - gone! Hitachi could not help me. Again, great camera but Format first!!!

My wife bought me this camera for Christmas. After experiencing video cameras for the better part of 2 decades (remember the gigantic, tv-camera-looking VHS cameras?!), I am elated that technology has come to this. So refreshingly simple, and so integral to one's peace-of-mind in knowing that the clips will endure until our sun burns-out (hope my descendants hang-on to my dear, recorded memories!). I find myself using the RAM disks more, since I can transfer the individual clips to my computer, and edit or arrange as I see fit; the -R disks are a 1-shot deal----what you tape is what you finalize at the end is what you watch on your DVD player. But even those are handy, if you want to simply move seamlessly from taking the disk out of the camera and straight into the DVD player. And even with the -R disks, you'll still get "menu chapter points" on the finished product---separated by each start and stop of the recording, and by date of the recording session. I find the quality great---even the "standard" quality (lowest setting) was great, when we recorded a gig that my band played at (low-light conditions and all). The RAM is great because you can record over and over and over---just buy 1 or 2 $20 disks, and if you transfer to computer, and thence to regular DVD disk, you don't need to buy too many additional. The only real problem has been stocking-up on some of these blank mini-disks----all the cold, unfriendly mega stores (circuit city, best buy, compUSA) always seem to be out, or low on supply. I resorted to ordering them from a company on-line.

this camcorder is phenominal. i was skeptical about buying something other than sony but i'm glad the hitachi salesman told me why this camera is better. let me explain.

sony dvd cameras are on there first generation (they are just coming to the market). This hitachi camera is a third generation model. this basically means that what consumers didnt like in the past has been implemented into the newer models. anyway, the price is a steal if you ask me. you can buy a digital camera for a few hundred bucks or you can spend a little more and get this wonderful toy.

okay now the nitty gritty. this camera can take pictures onto sd memory cars or onto dvd-r disc themselves. you can insert dvd-r media into this camera, record your movie, finalize it and then pop it into a dvd player to watch it all in a few minutes. talk about convient. you can also upload your movies to a PC and do special effects or whatever, then copy it back to the camera so you do not need a dvd burner on your computer!

The camera is very light weight and very portable. It is such a breeze to use. you can record a bunch of different shots and easily replay them on your camera. its like changing tracks on a cd player vs a tape player (other cameras) where you must fast foward or rewind to find the right scene. Its almost instant on this camera.

I bought this camera so i could take videos of my family and mail it back home to relatives so they can just pop it into there dvd players and enjoy! it does the above wonderfully. Keep in mind what you are getting when you buy this camcorder. You are getting THE LATEST in technology at an affordable price, it has a digital camera function (so to speak), dvd recording for very crisp pictures and sound, very small and portable for travelling and basically all the features you want in a camcorder. Did i mention it has a color view finder? This is very useful when trying to determine what to focus the camera on, if you arent using the color swivel screen of course.

i would recommend this camera to all of my friends, relatives and all of you! the picture quality is remarkable, dolby digital sound (awesome) and its just a great camera. Never again will i buy a sony camcorder while these are on the market :) dont waste your money on other crappy camcorders, get this!

I bought this camcorder and I took it home and tested it before I wrapped it. ... ..
Why I was unhappy:

1st.. The night alive feature is a total scam.. There is such a strobe effect due to the slow shutter speed.. Your targets have to be totally still or it is so distored.. And it does not work in total darkness.. (like said)

2nd.. the video interface S-Video had pixel distortion when veiwed throw TV..

3rd.. Don't be fooled by the still picture.. The resolution is down right crummy.. And will not capture movement well..

finally.. Digital zoom is nothing more than a sales pitch..
Optical zoom is were it is at for quality..
With Digital.. All it is doing is blowing up the pixels..
Very much like viewing a pdf file (Adobe) What happens when you magnify a picture?? It looks [bad].. So, stick to a quality optical zoom and don't be fooled by a hugh digital zoom..

I forgot the digital EIS is [bad] too.. Optical EIS is much more stable..

On the good side.. very nice design.. And great optical close ups.. ...

I bought this model after I have done quite sometime researching for this range of camcorders. This one was picked because it provides the most of the features for the money. Also, because I don't care much for the still picture quality since digital camera is what you should get if you are in for still pictures. In term of video quality, this one offers the same par with a much higher cost models. I have used it for over 9 months now, and over all, I'm very happy with it. Here some not quite good features that I observed:
1) Like other reviewers, still pictures are not that good. In good light condition, they are ok but it seems to be a little too white and not have very good details. In lower light condition, it is just too dull. However, again, if you are for still pictures, go for the digital camera. Otherwise, it's ok for the web but it could be better.
2) It does not automatically position itself to where you were left off the last time you video so you have to manually do that yourself everytime. Sometimes it takes the spontanuity out of you.
3) The light is not enough if you video someone 6-7 feet out. But then don't all the built in lights are like that!

Again, overall, I'm a satisfied customer...

My husband and I bought this camcorder to make short films for competition and we were very happy with it. The picture quality is excellent both indoors and out. The sound is good but it tends to pick up a lot of echo in large indoor spaces. It doesn't eat up battery power (which was a concern) and is very easy to use. The night-alive feature was a disappointment though... as the others have said it makes your subjects blurry and appear in slow motion. Overall, we love this camera and are very pleased with its performance.

PROS: Timely Hitachi support response to all 4 of my emails. CONS: Impossible to edit/transfer w/ leading software, Limited edit/media transfer with bundled Ulead Movie Factory SE. OPINION: Buy for top quality recording of 30 min. DVD-R/DVD-RAM with playback limited to use of camera cabled to PC or TV. If you want to do anything more, the software is not available to help you without 3rd party program to convert .vob files to MPEG2 (which most software programs can import).

SPECIFICS: No easy way to do burn to VCD. After 3 weeks of patience, 4 bundled software programs, 5 downloaded demo versions, and 3 purchased programs I have 2 poor quality VCDs and one AVI upload. All leading software (Pinnacle, Ulead Movie 2, DVD Movie Factory, Power DVD, Instant Write, Video Explosion) requires a Firewire connection to "capture" directly from the camcorder. Hitachi does not make a Firewire cable to the camera- only a "PC Kit" wire connection via USB. Hitachi support said the ONLY software capable of grecognizingh the camera is the bundled Ulead Movie Factory SE (not the full featured, powerful version). The output is VERY poor. Final results on 3 different files had dropped frames, loss of audio in some frames, and loss of quality (fuzziness). The process was time consuming. First, connect & transfer the files via USB. The process of powering, accessing the disc, safe connection to PC, and reading the files took about 5 minutes (another 5 to reverse the process using "safe disabling of hardware feature"). Then was 40 minutes to transfer a 30 min side onto my Dell Pentium 4. I then launched the bundled program and imported the file (another 20-30 minutes depending on file size.) Once I was interrupted and used the save command. A mistake. None of my efforts were saved. I had to start over with importing the file (20 more minutes) and reconstructing the product. The software default is DVD (not VCD) and it cannot be changed. Once I forgot to manually select this on the first screen and I had to start my project again from the beginning. The SE version comes with NO user manual and no help screen in the program. I am headed back to return everything and await the next generation with smooth software capture interface.

I'm currently own this particular model. I truly enjoy using my DVD cam and find it very appealing, but I'm overly regret ever buying the particular brand name. My main criticism comes from not being able to located Hitachi PC kit for this particular model and it has prevented me from making my own DVD videos. Therefore, for the money spends on the particular brand it's a total lost--Thanks Hitacti for your excellent! Overall, If you're not interested in using your PC to make DVD home movies, then perhaps it's right for you.

Just a note for people who buy this camera. Takes great images and easy to use however if you plan on importing your video to your PC, you won't be able to edit it with any normal video software. The ONLY program that currently is able to edit the .VRO files that this uses is ULEAD personal edition. This adds... to the price of the camera.