soboyle www.oboylephoto.co Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 My Canon Elura 40 MC mini DV camcorder is on the fritz again, and I'm sick of sending it in for repairs, can anyone comment on a brand that tends to be more reliable than the others, Canon is normally good quality, but perhaps their consumer video gear isn't up to the standard of their still cameras? I'm looking to spend as lttle as possible on a replacement, and was considering the Canon ZR-80MC Mini DV Camcorder since B&H has it for $279.00, the price is right, but will I end up with a repair nightmare as I have with the Elura? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blake_abbott Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 I have a Panasonic GS-12 that is about $350? that has worked well for me. In fact I have had several panasonic items that have served me well and better than the sony products I have owned. The Gs-12 is very light and easy to operate and I am sure that there are others as well. Personally, if a brand doesn't serve me well, I don't repeat the bad experience, I just buy another brand. However, statistics on the object in question are a much better way of choosing (vs. anecdotal evidence), so I would consult Consumer Reports or some such publication to find the brand requiring least repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_khalil Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 I have owned a Canon ZR-45(what the ZR-80 replaced) and I have not had any problems with it, even under intense usage which was more suited to a professional camcorder. I would say it's a great camcorder for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_tuthill Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Do you want to stick with mini DV, or would you buy a direct-to-DVD model? According to Consumer Reports, Sony and Panasonic are most reliable, Canon and especially JVC less reliable. In November 2004, the Panasonic RM-70 was top-rated but expensive; the Sony TRV-260 was a best buy. Personally I'd get the GS55 for 16:9 format, but its picture quality is rated lower than the RM-70. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl photography Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 I've owned four Sony camcorders and don't plan to buy any other brand. They are the professional standard at the high end. You can save money by buying a different brand. Picture quality isn't really important with video, since the resolution is as low as the original digital cameras (480 pixels high) and the contrast range is also low. Mini-DV is editable, whereas DVD is not so editable; DVD was designed as a delivery format, not a production format. (All movies need editing, or they are just too long and boring to ever be watched!) "Brandon's Dad" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soboyle www.oboylephoto.co Posted January 4, 2005 Author Share Posted January 4, 2005 I went with another canon, this time a ZR-80 mini dv camcorder, price is dictating my decision, at $279 it's pretty cheap, and the fact that I have many Mini DV casettes I need to read in the future means I need another of the Mini DV format, otherwise I might have considered the Sony that was recommended. Hopefully I don't regret going with Canon a second time, their still cameras have treated me well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w. Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 My first camcorder, back in the '80's, was a Hi8 Canon. Ergonomically, I liked it better than its Sony replacement, but the Sony has a better picture (evolution of the technology over time, not necessarily attributable to brand). The few extra features my Canon had were actually useful to a videographer. The extra features of my Sony are mostly useless; most of the special effects modes it offers are better done in post, anyway, but my Sony lacks the "matte" effect and stop-motion animation that the Canon had. Canon has a legacy of understanding products targetted to photographers; Sony has a legacy of quality consumer electronics, but seem to lack the traditional photography orientation. This is changing, of course, but you'll have to choose what's more important. For me, a camcorder that actually works, although lacking some ergonomics ideal to a videographer, is more essential than one that's broken. Which is why I currently have a Sony. I should also mention that back in the late-1980's/early 1990's, when I was working full time in the consumer electronics field, Sony camcorders were much easier to service than Canon. I've recenly worked on newer Sony and Canons, and that seems to still hold true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted January 8, 2005 Share Posted January 8, 2005 Any comments on the low light performance of the ZR-80? I've been thinking of getting a small, cheap digicam and the ZR-80 seems like a good buy, not least because it can use the same battery pack as my EOS 20D which is a significant plus. However I see a bunch of comments on other sites that the low light performance really sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emre Posted January 8, 2005 Share Posted January 8, 2005 The low light performance of all of them suck, so do not dwell on that. Plus, they all use a lot of battery power. I say go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soboyle www.oboylephoto.co Posted January 8, 2005 Author Share Posted January 8, 2005 I bought the ZR-80, and like it so far, @ $279 its as cheap as it gets for a digital video camera, and I'm glad to hear it takes the same batteries as the 20D, that will be handy. Will report on it once I'm back from Hawaii, which is why we bought it. Seems better than the Elura 40 I have, which needs repair again; quieter, not much bigger, better zoom, and I figure they have worked most of the bugs out of these ZR models by now since they have been in production for some time. I'm only sticking Canon tapes in this one, I suspect some of the tapes I used in the Elura have caused some of the problems. At least I can wag that in Canon's face it this camera has problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted January 9, 2005 Share Posted January 9, 2005 Note that Canon have just announced a bunch of new mini DV camcorders. Models seem to be replaced faster than DSLRs... <p> <a href="http://www.canonusa.com/templatedata/pressrelease/20050105_camcorders.html">http://www.canonusa.com/templatedata/pressrelease/20050105_camcorders.html</a> <p> Now there's a ZR100, ZR200 and ZR300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank granovski Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Why not look at Panasonic's 3-chip PV-GS200. It's a great little cam for the price. Now that Pana has announced a model to replace it, You might get even a better deal. Check with B&H and onecall.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_R1664876643 Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 The Canon Optura 30 and Panasonic GS120 are two excellent mini DV camcorders in the $500 range. I believe the 30 even has a $100 rebate on it right now. Unlike digital SLRs, consumer level camcorders to seem to get replaced by a new model annually, as does most electronic equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbs Posted February 7, 2005 Share Posted February 7, 2005 Owned and used the Canon ZR-40 for several years. Never a problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_kelly4 Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 There seems to be a rash of CCD failures for the Canon ZR series of camcorders. My ZR70 died after less than 18 months of very light usage. It is hitting several of the models, not just the ZR70. There have been several messages posted at: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/forumdisplay.php?f=9 Look for the "black screen" message threads. The cost to repair the out of warranty units is approximately $165-175. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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