Rating: 
Summary: No Canon Camera anymore for me
Review: After owning the Elura MC 40 for 10 months and taping not even 6 hours the infamous 'Remove the cassette' error started to apear and the data on the tape was garbled and completely unuseable.
After doing some research on the internet I found out, that many cameras of canon have this problem.
Unfortunatly the local Canon Customer Service refused to even look at the camera as it was purchased in the U.S. - "You don't expect us to order the spare parts for you?" was all they told me.
I really regret spending a lot of money for a camera that can now only be used for taking low quality pics.
Rating: 
Summary: An great camcorder and VERY easy to take with you.
Review: Armed with lots of research and my wife's two criteria for selecting a camcorder (it had to be small and easy to use) we bought the Elura MC 40 for its list of features in a very small and very cool package -- plus the canon quality. This one has all the features of a full-sized DV cam, but fits into a small, padded waist pack with a couple of tapes, batteries, and the charger without a problem. This was key as we are expecting our first child and didn't want to add too much to the extra baggage we'll be carrying.This one doesn't have megapixel stills at 1020x960, but it's still tons better than 640x480 on most compact cams, and we have a 35mm for the serious photography anyway. Lots of great on-camera editing and shooting features, and some basic photo and movie editing software included. If you're going to do some serious movie editing, I'd recommend purchasing a better software package or taking advantage of one of Canon's mail-in rebate deals. Mac users, you'll love this one. We had a pre-USB Powerbook running OS 8.6 and bought USB and Firewire PCMCIA cards for it. It runs just great without spending the extra cash upgrading the OS like the card manufacturers say to. Also, I wouldn't spend the extra cash on the expensive firewire cards that a Mac specific. I picked up an inexpensive IBM card [$$] at the local computer store, plugged it in, downloaded the supporting drivers from Apple, and it fired right up. You will have a lot of fun with this cam. We took it out for the first time on July 4th, and everyone was amazed by it. Plugged it into the S-video on the nearest TV, and we had a great time watching the day's events!
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Compact Camcorder
Review: At first I was a bit disappointed with indoor (home) picture quality. However, I faced the know fact that all camcorders need ample light indoors. I bought a cheap Sima light attachment bracket and a Sunpak CZ-200 light. It improved the situation indoors. Pictures in malls and other commercial facilities are simply great! Works great outdoors- no matter what kind of weather you have. The still pictures are very poor though- will stick with the digital camera for this. Recommend this camcorder for people on the go...
Rating: 
Summary: Great general use consumer camera
Review: For most consumer users, this will be a great choice. Definitely for the entry to mid level consumer, but a wonderful general purpose camcorder.
Pros:
- It provides much better than average video quality in high light situations.
- It provides the most common controls on the exterior of the camera, so you can control the camera without opening the LCD screen. This feature also means that you will not need to worry about batter power as much.
- Canon did a great job with the controls and menu interface.
- An extremely small camera, so it can go with you just about anywhere.
- Plenty of input/output jacks for audio and video.
- Great ergonomic design. It is very easy to control this camcorder with one hand.
Cons:
- Small LCD, but that couldn't change due to the size of the camcorder.
- No accessory shoe. However, most consumers will not use this feature anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Tape eating problems
Review: I bought my Elura 40MC 1.5 years ago. For the first year it worked fine. However, after the warranty ran out I began to have the notorious "tape eating problem" that everyone is talking about. I would steer clear of this product since Canon is reluctant to do anything about it.
Rating:
Summary: Tape eating problems
Review: I bought my Elura 40MC 1.5 years ago. For the first year it worked fine. However, after the warranty ran out I began to have the notorious "tape eating problem" that everyone is talking about. I would steer clear of this product since Canon is reluctant to do anything about it.
Rating:
Summary: A great camcorder...especially for the size
Review: I bought this camcorder for a trip to Europe and I love it. I could store it in my jacket pocket when not using it and didn't have to drag around a huge bag with a bunch of useless equipment. This is my first camcorder (and first camera since an old Olympus 35mm), so I'm clearly an amateur. It's got more features than I'll use in 2 lifetimes, so there should be enough to satisfy almost everyone. Video--is excellent, especially outdoors. Weather doesn't matter, as long as it's outside. It was cloudy all but one day and the video is awesome. Indoor is grainy if the light is too low, but reading reviews of other camcorders, I couldn't find one which said "great video quality indoors." All are grainy indoors. Live with it. You buy this for the size. Still Pix--are not great. But are you buying a camcorder or camera? If all you care about are still pix, save yourself a few hundred bucks and buy a still-camera. No small camcorder offers a 4 or 5 megapixel resolution with stills. Even the Sony MicroDV only offers 2MP still resolution. With the exposure set to "super fine" I was pleased with the resolution, but I've seen pictures from a 4 MP still camera, and the images don't compare. The pix are not bad, but not excellent. But then, I care about video...not pictures--it's a camcorder afterall. Sound--I think is great. Yea, there is the motor whine when it's quiet. But guess what, after a few seconds, you tune it out and forget about it. It is not very annoying at all. It does tend to amplify the voice of whomever is doing the recording. But what microphone doesn't amplify the sound closest to it? SD/MMC card--is only tested by Canon to 64MB (per customer service) which is bad. They recommend not using anything higher than 64. Battery--doesn't last too long, especially the smaller one. I forked over the money to buy the larger battery and it is well worth it. This way, when it runs down, you pop in the small one and you have another 30-50min of filming. Ease of Use--I had filmed some items and was watching it on TV within 20 minutes of taking it out of the box. I had the still camera and fader/digital effects figured out within another 20 minutes or so. You must read the manual. It's real easy. Buttons--are not small considering the size of the camcorder. If you need bigger buttons, buy a bigger camcorder. Remember, you buy this for the size. Overall--it is great. Fantastic outdoor video and sound pickup with unbelievable portability and ease of use. This is not a "professional" camcorder. It should be used for "hobby" filming and as a great travel-size camcorder. If you need more bells and whistles (external mic mount, attached light) you need a bigger camera. As far as the "save yourself the trouble and buy a Sony" crowd, I've owned many Sony products and find they don't perform any better than anything else. But Sony always seems to want a few hundred more of your hard earned dollars to make you think their product is better. Ask someone about software compatability with their MicroDV camcorder...then watch 'em squirm.
Rating: 
Summary: Tape Eater
Review: I bought this camera over a year ago. It has not had that much use, nor has it been handled roughly. The size is very handy, but the battery life is dismal, 30 minutes if I'm lucky. Video quality is acceptable, but I've seen better on my old analog camcorder. Audio leaves a lot ot be improved. Its very susceptible to wind interference.
A few months ago it started intermittently stopping in the middle of recording and jamming tapes. Using a head cleaner did little to correct the problem, which got worse. Finally it just started eating every tape I put in it, so its not the tape's fault.
I'm very dissatisfied that a camcorder that costs this much has such little longevity before needing repair.
Rating:
Summary: I like it...but NO camera is all things to all people
Review: I got mine a month ago for a trip to Europe and love it. I could fit it in my jacket pocket so the size is perfect. This is my first camcorder (or first camera other than an old Olympus 35mm), so I'm clearly an amateur with this stuff. But, the video looks fantastic, especially outside. Weather doesn't matter since it was cloudy everyday but one. Video still looked as good as any TV image. It has more features than I know how to use, or even care to use. Yes, the still pix are lower quality, but what MiniDV camcorder has a 4 or 5 megapixel resolution?? Sony only offers a 2 MP resolution on its MicroDV. But who's kidding who? If you're buying this camera for it's still picture ability, save yourself a few hundred bucks and buy a still-mode camera, not a camcorder. If you want a very small and highly portable camcorder which takes great outdoor video, then this should be on your list. Yes, the indoor video is not as great as the outdoor video, but realize this--you buy this for the size--it can't possibly be everything to everyone. If you need a camcorder for exclusively indoor action, buy one designed for that with all the low light/night modes/infrared/light attachment gizmos. As far as the "motor whine" picked up from the mic, I don't find it all that annoying. You do hear it, but after a few seconds you forget about it and tune it out. However, I believe the audio is great. I have no issue with the sound. It picks up distant voices and sounds just fine. Yes, if you hold the camera too close to your head as you narrate, then your voice does seem amplified compared to others. But then, what camcorder doesn't amplify the voice closest to the microphone? I have big hands but I don't have any problem with the buttons. Realize, this is a small camera so if you need big buttons, get a bigger camera. Canon customer service told me they have not tested any SD/MMC card over 64MB, so they recommended I not use anything larger. I do admit, this is a big drawback, as one 128 or 256 card is much cheaper than 2 or 3, 64MB cards. Plus you'd have fewer cards to keep track of. I don't believe this camcorder was designed for strictly professional use. If it was, it would be 5x the size and 10x the weight. You buy this camera for its size/portability. This should be used for "hobby" filming and as an excellent travel camcorder. As far as the "save yourself the trouble and buy a Sony" crowd goes, I've bought numerous Sony components over the years, from TV's to cordless phones. For the $$, Sony doesn't work any better than anything else out there. They just want a few more hundred dollars of you hard-earned coin to make you think you got a better item. Ask the Sony-lovers about software compatability for the MicroDV...and then watch 'em squirm. Read the Amazon.com reviews of the DCRIP7BT. That's what kept me away from Sony.
Rating:
Summary: Tape eating problem
Review: I got two years old Canon Elura 2. It's basically same as Elura 40. I love this camcorder, very handy. Its low-light performance is not good but tolerable. The real problem is eating tape and losing data. It's not only for Elura but also for Zr10 and others. I believe all the Canon camcorders have the defect. You never know when it will start or not but I saw many posts about this problem. I'm not going to buy Canon camcorder anymore.
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