Canon Optura 500 MiniDV Camcorder

Rating:
Summary: Lots of features, fine video and good stills
Review: I became a fan of Canon products after being so very pleased with their S40 digital still camera and S9000 large-format inkjet, which have both proven to be excellent. So, when it was time to acquire a new camcorder for my honeymoon, I made sure to see what Canon had to offer. Fortunately, the Optura 500 came out just in time for me to acquire one and get familiar with it before my trip. Having used it quite a bit in a wide range of conditions during two weeks in Spain, I am very pleased with it and can strongly recommend it to anyone who wants a camcorder that offers really good optics and more than just basic features.

I'll start with the weak points I have observed, since they may be of most interest to prospective buyers. This unit is positioned by Canon as a camcorder that is quite capable as a still camera. This is essentially true, but you should be aware that the flash on this camera is mediocre. The light produced by the flash does not provide pleasing color, and it is weak, with insufficient and uneven spread to provide proper illumination for a large subject, or anything more than a dozen feet away.

Another weak point is the Night Mode, which is not quite as fabulous as Canon might have you believe. On the one hand, it is amazing how the camera can increase its light sensitivity to record images in quite dark situations, such as a dimly-lit restaurant or deep woods. On the other hand, if your subject is moving at all then the image may have stutters and streaks to the point of being unusable.

Overall, however, I have been quite pleased with this camcorder, and it has far more strengths than weaknesses. I'll just list some briefly:

* I am particularly glad to have the very fine 16:9 (widescreen) shooting mode.

* The built-in video light, while a bit weak, is a welcome feature and can make the difference between capturing a usable image or not.

* While stills from my S40 4.2-megapixel still camera are clearly superior to the 2.2-megapixel stills from the Optura 500 (no surprise there), the Optura's have nice color and detail.

* I love being able to get good focus within inches of a subject -- great for close-ups of flowers and critters.

* The many controls are easy to use, especially the main buttons for turning on the camera and shooting. Most of the adjustments you might need to make quickly can be done via buttons, rather than thru menus and submenus.

* The automatic settings provide excellent results, but it is also possible to manually adjust many parameters, such as focus and exposure.

* Another feature I especially like for shooting stills is Auto Exposure Bracketing. Rather than lose the shot while fiddling around trying to get the right exposure set, you can just quickly run off three successive shots at different exposures and then choose the one that you like best later on.

* The camera is quite compact and light, with a well-made metal case.

* There are several lenses and filters available from Canon and other companies for this model. Unless your subject is always a person or fairly small item, I very strongly recommend a wide-angle lens, which will let you capture a lot more of a room or scene without waving the camera around.

* The included 8meg MMC card is too small to be of much use, but you can get them in capacities up to at least 512 megs at this point, and you can record video to the card as well as to tape.

* The manual was clearly not authored by Americans, but it is quite thorough, with decent illustrations.

In closing, I will mention that video and stills shot with this camera of both indoor and outdoor scenes, from museums and dark cathedrals to marketplaces and beaches, all look great. If I were to start my search for a camcorder in this class, I think I would choose the Optura 500 again.

Wish-list items for the Optura 500's successor:

* Increase the size of stills to 3 megapixels.

* Improve the quality and strength of the flash, and position it so that it is not cut off by add-on lenses.

* Add another bulb to the built-in video light to double the light output and make this feature much more usable.

* Add a few more software features from your still cameras, such as the ability to manually set the starting exposure and exposure range on the AEB, and a "vivid" color shooting mode for subjects like swimming pools and gardens.