Rating: 
Summary: lots of great features in a tiny, inexpensive package
Review: I have had my ZR40 for a week now, and it has exceeded my high expectations.
The 18x optical zoom is phenominal. I can read the headlines on a newspaper two blocks away, or a number in a phone book 20 feet away.
I was impressed by the camera's ability to perform in low light conditions. In my poorly-lit living room, I exerienced no graininess or loss of quality.
I took the camera outside 30 minutes after sunset and was still able to record satisfactory video.
Hooking the camera up to my TV for playback was very simple. Recording off my VCR was also very straight forward.
The remote control (which wasn't mentioned in Amazon.com's review, BTW) is handy for recording our nephew who gets shy when he knows he's being filmed.
I recorded in some quiet settings, but was not able to hear the electric motor turning the tape or adjusting the lense when zooming. If that's a problem, it's easy enough to hook up an external microphone to the ZR40.
If you get this camcorder, don't forget to claim Canon's free ShowBiz video editing software (see their web site) with proof of purchase. (I haven't gotten it yet, so I can't rate it now.)
Rating:
Summary: Good camera with easly fixable problems
Review: I have this camera and I noticed two things that were kind of annoying:
When you play back what you have recorded you clearly hear the cameras motor in the background, so you should use an external microphone. Even [an inexpensive] one (like the one I use) has better sound quality than the cameras internal mic.Also, the manual is VERY vague on the cameras specs. I edit my video on a PC and there is a lot you need to know when uploading video via FireWire, like if the camera has a 4-pin or a 6-pin port, if it is NTSC or PAL, that sort of stuff that you MUST know in order to upload. Overall, this is a very good camera, just with some minor flaws.
Rating: 
Summary: Great camera for the money
Review: I have used the camera for a month and am impressed by its features and picture quality. I agree with the other reviewers that indoor shoots require good lighting. I bought a video light and it helped a lot. Outdoor footage with sunshine is superb! If you are new to the video world (like I am) this camera is all you need to get started.
Rating:
Summary: Very good camera, great quality
Review: I just bought this camera on 6/30/02. I love the size, it is in the midi-palm category, so it fits nice and snug in your hands. The 18x zoom is what grabbed my attention the most. I was in the market for a Sony camcorder, but decided on the Canon and glad I did.
Rating: 
Summary: OK entry level Camera
Review: I just purchased my ZR40 and I think it just barely gets by. The still photos are very grainy and in low light scenarios it does not perform well. The digital zoom is out standing, and it is very handy. I've only had it one week so I can't say every much yet.
Rating: 
Summary: Sent mine back the next day
Review: I just received my ZR 40 and really liked its size and low weight. But once I tried it, the fun was quickly over. Low light recording (in my apartment with lights on) was horrible and even with low-light mode selected, it was unacceptable. And in night mode, everything moves in slow motion. Overall, the quality was not that great, even in day-time shooting. I have a regular Sony Hi8 cam, and its low light and night capabilities are 100 times better. I would seriously hold out for a better camera, even if it costs a bit more. The image stabilization also makes the picture look strangely un-lifelike.
Rating:
Summary: Another great Canon
Review: I'm always been fond of the Canon line of consumer DV cams. They always have great optics, electronics, and durability. But what really sets them apart is thier menu systems! It's totally disgusting that on most any other brand, including ones as prestegious as Sony, that they lump all the menu options into a hoard of small, finger nail sized, buttons for most of thier consumer models. For Canon's you simply press the menu button then scoll and press a togele wheel. This way, once you get the hang of the wheel, you now understand how to use the whole menu system for any function. This is a great improvement over those that require the manual to find that "secret button combination". This is a consumer camera but I use it for many large applications. It has been sized down from it's Optura and Ultura ancestors but pretty well all the functionality and then some. It has other sister cams such as the ZR45MC and ZR50MC. These pack the all-in-one memory card digital camera and mini Dv. I have friends who love these models dearly. Personally I go for a seperate camera with larger resolution. Whatever your needs are ... I've noticed a large number of reviews that say something to the affect of "I pulled it out of the box, plugged it up, and the image was grainy" or "I turned on steady shot and nothing happend". This might be old news for most but to explain for those of you that might be concerned by this ... Video cameras these days still thrive on ample lighting! This and other cameras have a sort of slow motion low light mode (accessible from the menu) that works by slowing down the frame rate and sucking every bit of image data off the CCD. THis is ok for an emergancey but if you want good image, turn on an extra light or two. Human eyes are so adaptable that you might not even notice if the lighting is more subdued than usal but it will make a mile of diffence for the camera. Secondly, get to know the manual menu and exposure system. The auto functions can't always guess what your trying to do. About steady shot... this only takes of the headache inducing shock that occurs when you jar the camera. It's extremely useful in it's own right but it won't keep you from waving the camera around. This is a great cam that I fully recommend. THere is one issue that doesn't dampen my five star rating but is noteworthy. To size this camera down to an even more portable size, the engineers made it with the DV cassette loading from the bottom instead of the top. THis is fine except that if you are a true believer in tripods, as I am, then you have to take the camera off the tipod or tripod plate every time you need to swap tapes. Just a minor concern...
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the money...
Review: I've had this camcorder for almost half a year now, and I have no major complaints whatsoever. After doing research for Sony, Canon, JVC, and Panasonic, I finally settled on this one and have not been disappointed. The camcorder itself is easy to use. It took only a quick glance through the manual and I was well on my way to videoland. The minidv tapes are pricey and this records in SP (60 min for regular tapes) and LP (90 min), so you'll want to check those out before buying. Hooking up to TV requried several tries the first time for some reason, but now I have no problem. No software comes in this package, but I tested this with several, including Windows Movie Maker, Ulead VideoStudio, MGI VideoWave, and the $...rebate software ArcSoft Showbiz. Depending on the program, the video takes up different amounts of space on your hard drive, but just for the record, using MGI VideoWave, a 4 min clip took up 875 MB (yes, that's right.) However, Windows Movie Maker take up only a fraction of that. I haven't explored making VCDs due to the limited memory on my computer (Win ME) but it should go smoothly. You'll find that the zoom allows you to read the text on a newspaper up to about 30 feet away clearly, and that this product is sturdy, reliable, and has excellent value. I think the new line of Canon camcorders has come out already, and if you are thinking about buying one, don't hestitate: it's the best deal out there!
Rating:
Summary: very, very solid!!!
Review: I've had this camera for almost a year now. I'd say that all of the features that I would expect from a digital camcorder meet and exceed my expectations. Things that I like the most:
1. Perfect companion for my iMac.
2. Great quality analog-to-digital conversion. A must if you want to play with analog videos in digital world.
3. Solid Canon design, made in Japan if anyone cares.
4. Price.
5. No useless features like in more popular brand. Things I don't like as much:
1. I think indoors quality is reasonable but it's average with low light. I don't really know if any cameras in that price range do well in low light.
2. Some people complained about motor noise? It's possible, I haven't tried to make any silent movies yet. I add music to all my movies that don't already have some sound.
3. Battery life is short but recharges quickly.
4. Shuts off quickly if idle.
5. You probably wouldn't want to use low-resolution Photo feature espesially if you have a good digital camera but this is probably the only "useless feature". If you are like me and just like to point/shoot/watch on tv/edit on your computer - it's great.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent quality
Review: Love this little camera. Video taken outside is outstanding, inside can be a little fuzzy without bright lighting. Zoom is fabulous. The only thing I don't like is the fact that you can only charge the battery while it is mounted to the camera, which defeats the purpose of having multiple batteries if your wanting to have one battery charging while still using the camera with another battery.
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