Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I was looking for some very specific features when I bought this camera (I actually bought an Elura 90, used it for a week, and switched to the Optura 50 for the S-video I/O.) I'm a strictly family documentary person -- most of my videos are done at home in poor light and using the widest angle settings.
This was my list:
mac iMovie compatible
light sensitivity (good images in dim home lighting at night)
analog to digital conversion w/ S-video I/O
reliable, tough - ideally made in Japan
wide-angle for images taken from 4-12 feet
quiet motor
warranty & service (1 yr base, 2 yr when extended by my AMEX card)
price comparisons include travel charger & extended life battery
image quality
focus capability - ideally a manual focus ring
16/9 ratio playback ok
sensor: 2mpix, 1/3.6 ccd
external mike jack
top loading
Overall the Optura 50 meets most of the items quite well. I think the indoor image quality is pretty good; better than the Elura 90. Not as light sensitive as my old SONY Hi-8, but it's far smaller and lighter. This was my biggest concern, but I think the camera passes this one. The best results come with 3 CCD cameras with larger sensors -- typically costing $3,000 or so.
Canon includes a ridiculous, worthless, still image camera. Sigh. (I have two fine Canon still cameras.) What a waste. They do, however, also include an S-video for higher quality analog I/O (you have to buy your own S-video cable though!). The 2005 Eluras now lack this feature (arghh).
The Optura 50 doesn't have enough wide-angle range for my tastes (I still do 3/4 capture as my iMovie s/w expects that) but it does better than the Elura 90. It's probably as good as one will get nowadays.
Mac OS X compatibilty is excellent. The manual is sparse but adequate. Digital passthrough is tricky to figure out (read the manual carefully) but it works well.
The camera is indeed made in Japan and it feels reasonably robust -- as much as any competing device. The charger is compact, but I bought the reasonably priced very nice travel charger and an extended life battery.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon Optura 50 MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
The Canon Optura 50 Digital Camcorder combines 2.2 Megapixel performance with advanced controls. Multiple exposure modes give you more control for a variety of settings, compensating for different lighting conditions and different subjects. Image stabilization captures that shot clearly - no more unsteady, out of focus images. Built-in memory slot let you transfer and share files with ease. Record movie clips to your memory cards multiple resolutions. Night Mode boosts shutter speed for brighter pictures in dim lighting. Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority settings let you control the depth of field while giving you fast-moving, dynamic shots. Movie resolutions -320 x 240, 160 x 120 pixels, 15 frames/sec. Maximum Recording Time -SP -80 min, LP -120 min (with an 80-min. cassette) Fast Forward/Rewind time -2 min. 20 sec 6 new Scene Modes -Foliage, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Sunset and Spotlight Auto Exposure Bracketing takes 3 shots at once -1 normal, 1 over, 1 underexposed Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, Soft Skin Detail settings Continuous Shooting Mode for sports and action Aperture Priority selects lens aperture for controlling depth of field Shutter Priority selects faster shutter speedsNight Mode 16 bit PCM digital sound Captures still video in JPEG and video in Motion JPEG Built-in flashInputs -Audio inOutputs -1 IEEE1394 DV, 1 Video, 1 S-VideoStereo microphoneAccepts SD & MMC cards for still image capture Supports Exif Print 2.2Dimensions -2.8 x 3.2 x 5.2 in. (70 x 82 x 133 mm)Weight -1.2 lb. (530 g)
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