Rating: 
Summary: Canon Elura Easy to use
Review: Fabulous. The first day I was making movies, transferring them to my iMac and my TV. Uploaded one to an Internet site. Great picture quality, good sound, good manual. Very easy to use and well worth the price. Very light weight for travelers. Many fancy extras such as special editing effects.
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Summary: Old Camera?
Review: I bought this camera in 1999 - I thought it had been superceded by newer models but it looks like they are still selling it. You may want to check out the Canon site for details.Newer models have the ability to take hi quality still pictures as well, some with "hard" (memory stick etc.) memory so that you don't have to wait five seconds for the image to record to tape as you do with the Elura. You may also want to consider a camera with digital output other than Firewire - perhaps one with a USB connection and editing software included. The camera does take great pictures; autofocus, light sensitivity etc. are good. But I did have some possible quality issues: the lithium batteries gave out after about 1 1/2 years and it required a ... repair around the same time. I can't say the camera was subjected to hard use and my experience is similar to others who bought Canon DV cameras when they first came out. Perhaps they've worked out the kinks by now .
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Summary: Has been the best 1 CCD camera.
Review: I do corporate & personal video production & have found the Elura to be the best 1 CCD chip video camera I have ever used.
I have used about 8 1 CCD hand held cameras & the Elura's picture quality has been the best. I have been able to flawlessly edit the Elura's video in to the video taken by my Sony VX1000, which is a 3 CCD camera.
Canon changed the construction & parts on later models, I've tried a couple, & the picture quality is not as good as the Elura's.
My latest try is the Sony DCR-PC120BT. This is the latest 1 CCD camera with the new HAD CCD. It is a good camera, the claim that the HAD CCD reduces video noise is true but the color is not as rich as the Elura's. In my experience with what people look for in video color always wins.
It's interesting that the Elura was the first to use a mechanical focusing/shutter system, others like Sony & newer models from Canon use digital, & the claim that this would improve picture quality seems to hold true in my experience. Now the new Sony 120 is using a mechanical system.
The option of taking stills with the video camera is worthless. First of all the image quality is not good. The new Sony DCR-PC120BT has a number of new features to supposedly make the pictures good but they have terrible distortion when taken inside. Outside pics are okay but the end result is a pic that will only make a okay 4x5 print. If you go larger you loose sharpness & color. Leave the still picture taking to a still picture camera. The Elura has proven to me to be a really good hand held video camera & worth the price. Yes it doesn't have all the features like new ones but how many people use them? When I video tape I want the focus on my subject not some strange color filter or digitized effect. I have had a couple cameras with the night vision & I have used it about 2 times.
If you want a good picture with good color the Elura is the way to go, if you want features to play with a couple of times get something newer.
Rating:
Summary: Has been the best 1 CCD camera.
Review: I do corporate & personal video production & have found the Elura to be the best 1 CCD chip video camera I have ever used.
I have used about 8 1 CCD hand held cameras & the Elura's picture quality has been the best. I have been able to flawlessly edit the Elura's video in to the video taken by my Sony VX1000, which is a 3 CCD camera.
Canon changed the construction & parts on later models, I've tried a couple, & the picture quality is not as good as the Elura's.
My latest try is the Sony DCR-PC120BT. This is the latest 1 CCD camera with the new HAD CCD. It is a good camera, the claim that the HAD CCD reduces video noise is true but the color is not as rich as the Elura's. In my experience with what people look for in video color always wins.
It's interesting that the Elura was the first to use a mechanical focusing/shutter system, others like Sony & newer models from Canon use digital, & the claim that this would improve picture quality seems to hold true in my experience. Now the new Sony 120 is using a mechanical system.
The option of taking stills with the video camera is worthless. First of all the image quality is not good. The new Sony DCR-PC120BT has a number of new features to supposedly make the pictures good but they have terrible distortion when taken inside. Outside pics are okay but the end result is a pic that will only make a okay 4x5 print. If you go larger you loose sharpness & color. Leave the still picture taking to a still picture camera. The Elura has proven to me to be a really good hand held video camera & worth the price. Yes it doesn't have all the features like new ones but how many people use them? When I video tape I want the focus on my subject not some strange color filter or digitized effect. I have had a couple cameras with the night vision & I have used it about 2 times.
If you want a good picture with good color the Elura is the way to go, if you want features to play with a couple of times get something newer.
Rating:
Summary: The Great Compromise
Review: I had intended to buy a 3 chip Sony VX 1000, but budget forced me to buy something a little less pricey. My reasoning was that I would use this as a back up after I get a 3 chip high end XL-1 or GL-1 or possibly a Sony TRV900 when I can afford it. However I was able to find this camera at about 3 $ under list, and it is a great compromise. The quality of output is far superior to anything I ever used by way of VHS-C or Digital 8, and I have found it to be pretty good in low light. Moreover, the sound I have captured has been very acceptable. I bought the attachment for the external mike ($) and it also can be used for a headset. I have used this camera to capture VHS tapes onto digital video with fantastic resolution, and virtually no degradation. Once in digital form, it is very easy to use the camera as a tape deck on my Macintosh, controlling the camera from the computer and editing directly into my computer. It has a few limitations, but is overall a spectacular advance over the cheaper Digital 8 and VHS cameras available. There is just no comparison when it comes to resolution, color fidelity and overall quality - and it is easily $1000 to $1500 cheaper than the 3 chippers, and I defy anyone but the most critical expert to tell the difference. One important feature is the screen that lets you look at your shot as you are taping. It makes for really good consistent framing, and my eyesight and glasses make using a scope sight quite difficult. I am very pleased with this little machine. It is big stuff in a small but powerful package.
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Summary: I need Power Adapter for this product !
Review: I need an Adapter ( power adapter) for CANON MV20 ( Canon DM-MV20E , it writes on the battery spot ). My cam is same as ELURA but the difference is that MV20 is" PAL System " and ELURA is on " NTSC System ". I guess that Power Adapter would be same for both types.If someone knows where could I find a product please let me know. Camera is perfect, no doubt.
Rating:
Summary: I need Power Adapter for this product !
Review: I need an Adapter ( power adapter) for CANON MV20 ( Canon DM-MV20E , it writes on the battery spot ). My cam is same as ELURA but the difference is that MV20 is" PAL System " and ELURA is on " NTSC System ". I guess that Power Adapter would be same for both types.If someone knows where could I find a product please let me know. Camera is perfect, no doubt.
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Summary: Love it, great value
Review: I won't bore you with the good things since my review is five starred. I'll let you know it's drawbacks (in my opinion). The microphone is on the top and not in the front so I've found myself accidently covering it with my hand especially when videoing my 2 year old son at knee level. It doesn't have a microphone port, you have to purchase a separate option. You can slightly hear the tape mechanism, so if clean sound is important, you should get the option and an external mike. My old Sony HI8 was noisier, though, especially when zooming which the Canon is silent. It tends to pick up wind noise even when the wind suppression is on. Low light is not nearly as good as my old Sony Hi8. I found it is better if you remove image stablization in low light (which they don't mention in the manual). The low light mode they have results in grainy jerky output. It would be nice to have a light, but this is not even an option (I guess you can't have everything). One tape was eaten (I've used 12 60 minute tapes). At one time, tapes I kept inserting were rejected. After many attempts of recycling power and reinserting, it took them again. I haven't had a problem since. The controls are a slight bit awkwardly placed. It is somewhat the nature of a vertical oriented camera versus horizontal. The horizontal are more comfortable (in my opinion) like holding a football instead of a cup. Thus almost all controls are operated only with the thumb if you want to use just one hand. Progressive scan results in 15 frames a second noninterlaced. The literature is a little confusing on this and makes it sound like 30 frames (it repeats every other one). It makes it clear this will be jerky but doesn't explain why. Think of the progressive scan as 15 photos a second. I've used it for photos but still prefer my 35mm film camera to any digital still. Anyway, it doesn't have flash capability, which also limits it for stills. It is a little heavier than you would think but seems sturdy. If you have a large pants pocket, you can squeeze it in but you walk crooked from the weight. I wish it had a smart battery like the new Sonys so you can tell exactly how much is left. But it is much better than my old HI8 which used NiCad. You probably want to get additional batteries. I bought two extra standard size batteries which are quite compact. If you leave the battery in the camera and the camera is off, it still drains rather quickly (a week?). They warn you not to leave it in the camera when off, but if you don't read the manual you may think you have a fully charged battery inserted. I've read others complain about battery life. I bet in reality, they got burned by this and didn't realize it. A feature I feel would be real handy is locating the next open area on the tape. After videoing, I often replay and find it awkward repositioning it to the end. I think I saw a JVC with this feature, though I don't know how well the implemented it. It doesn't use HI8 eight tapes like some of the new Sonys. But, even though I have a lot of old HI8 tapes, I actually prefer the smaller dv tapes. I can carry quite a few in my camera case and some in my pockets. And anyway, there are too many limitations in the digital 8 camcorders. The remote is confusing, but then again almost all remotes are. The remote is better than my old Sony HI8, though. Consumer Reports thought it was pricey but in reality it is a great value. I suspect they tested it wrong because they made a dopey comment about progressive scan. They compared the digital cameras as if they were analog. I.e. they compared apples to apples but using an orange criteria. Or to use another metaphor, they compared two sports cars on family car criteria; gas milage, interior space instead of speed and handling. It is probably the best 1 CCD digital video camera available. It is a significant jump higher in price to get a 3 CCD camera. I didn't use their software for capturing and instead used what came with my firewire card. The bundle was no deal since you had to pay full price to turn capturing on. Though capturing may seem straight forward, you use quite a lot of disk space and need to think about your final desired output at capture time for best results. But this is an issue with any digital video camera. Let me add one positive that I haven't seen others mention... it seems to be real smart where it focuses. I can video my son walking past a bush where he is just barely visible and it keeps the focus on him instead of the close up bush. And another,... it transfers quite well to VHS. It looks better than the first generation from a VHS camera. This could be because they don't make high quality VHS cameras since it is limited so much by the tape and price is king in the VHS market. Does anyone buy VHS camcorders any more? Well, I guess my point is, since VHS is a prolific format every relative of yours has, copying it from a digital camera is much better than from an 8 or HI8 camera.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent on the go cam
Review: The Elura has been an excellent camcorder in my experience for hiking, climbing, horse packing and other on the go videotaping. Other sites on the web contend that the use of an RGB filter gives the Elura an almost 3 chip picture quality in good lighting. I myself have been pleased with the picture and color ( so pleased I have two ). Buy extra batteries and the docking unit for more versatility ( external microphone ).
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Summary: Not a single snag......
Review: This camera is small, but the optics are great and it does everything. All the controls are very intuitive, and I'm still discovering new things it does. I've used it snow boarding, on the beach, at a dim wedding reception and downloaded the footage/images right onto my computer. (Premiere is good) And best of all, no snags- amazing for such a complex device. Unless you absolutely must be able to change lenses (sheesh), this camera is great. joe
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