Quick Camcorder Reviews: Canon ZR700

The Canon ZR700 comes with a CCD that measures1/6th inch, with 680K gross pixels, 340K effective pixels in 4:3, and 450K effective pixels in 16:9 with the image stabilization turned off. When shooting with this imager the video results tended to be oversaturated, producing an image that while strong and vibrant was not necessarily an accurate representation of the actual color chart. This tendency towards oversaturation is common amongst the lower-priced models of nearly all manufacturers. It displayed an improvement over last year's ZR300, which struggled with both image and noise. Although noise levels didn’t show a huge improvement between 2005 and 2006, the amount of color information being produced by the ZR700 is definitely an improvement over the ZR300.

The still features for the ZR700 are surprising with manual access to white balance and shutter speed in three settings in addition to shooting presets and digital effects. The maximum still image resolution for this camcorder is 1024 x 768 and images can be recorded to SD/MMC memory cards. This is definitely an improvement over the step-down model, the ZR500, it doesn’t provide a still image option of any sort. The ZR700 does not ship with a memory card an accessory which came standard with last year's ZR300.

The handling for the Canon ZR700 has certainly improved over last year's touch pad/jog dial control system that was anything but functional. This year Canon has unveiled a menu navigation and control system that uses a joystick positioned on the frame of the LCD screen for better, faster, and more concise movement that eliminates much of the aggravation with the controls of last year. The control was a bit undersized for some users and the position on the frame of the LCD means that users won’t be able to use the electronic color viewfinder when accessing the menu. The slender, vertical body design did compromise right-hand handling and made access to essentials like the zoom toggle more work than necessary.

Of course, in this price range, the consumer can expect to encounter an easy mode. In this case, a switch on the top of the camcorder moves the mode between program and easy mode. Auto features continue to be problematic for Canon with features like auto focus which slowly shifts into focus after several seconds of delay. White balance also struggled to produce accurate image results and users would be wise to rely on manual control to improve the chances of a properly balanced image. Manually speaking, the Canon ZR700 allows for control and alteration not only to white balance, but also to focus, shutter speed, zoom and exposure.

Although devoid of both a mic in port and an accessory shoe, the Canon ZR700 does have a USB, FireWire, and AV in/out port. With this final port, users will find that they are able to use this device as an analog to digital pass-through for transferring older format footage into a digital format. In addition to these ports, the Canon ZR700 also comes with an SD/MMC card for short MPEG video clips and still image capture. If a mic in port is essential to your shooting style the ZR500 would be a good recommendation because of this feature.

While certainly a good camcorder for the price, the Canon ZR700 sits in an awkward position between the ZR500 and the identically priced Elura 100. With the ZR500, users lose analog to digital pass through and still features but gain a microphone-in port. The Elura 100 has a larger sensor size that provides a larger still image size and a slightly smaller optical zoom range in addition to a microphone in port. Problems with the Elura 100 include poor physical design, an internal battery and other setbacks that may give the ZR700 a slight advantage. With these features and a strong video and low light performance, the ZR700 provides a compelling option for the lower-end of the budget market.

Canon ZR700 THE BOTTOM LINE Rating: 198.81

Likes

-Improved handling -True 16:9 widescreen format -Marked upgrade in low light performance -Better battery mount than the Elura 100

Dislikes

-Lacks a mic in jack -Poor viewfinder design -Connection of hand strap to tape compartment can lead to breakage

Canon ZR600 Rating:	Panasonic PV-GS59 Rating:	Canon ZR300 Rating: 196.32	Canon Elura 100 Rating:	Sony DCR-HC36 Rating:
Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
-Lower MSRP of $349	-Marginally lower MSRP  -Far more manual control options  -Extending viewfinder  -30x optical zoom lens	-Comes with an included 8 MB memory card	-Larger CCD of 1/5th inch with 1.33 MP -Slight increase in still image resolution -Burst mode option -Mic-in jack -Brighter video light -LCD resolution of 123K for minimal increase -Accessory lens attachment option	-Simple controls with strong auto results -Nice handling on the right side of the camcorder
Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal
-Identical still image resolution maximum  - 9 point AiAF focal system -True wide screen recording format  -FireWire port	-2.7 inch LCD screen  -Image stabilization -FireWire port -MiniDV tape format  -1/6th inch CCD	-MiniDV format tape recording  -FireWire port -Still images to SD format memory card	-Same MSRP  -True widescreen recording  -MiniDV recording format  -FireWire port -Terrible viewfinder  -Electronic image stabilization	-MiniDV tape   -MSRP of $400  -Identical CCD specifications -FireWire port
Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse
-Lower digital zoom of 800x (not a huge concern, image quality at even 800x is terrible)  -No video light  -No analog to digital pass through  -Shorter battery life		-Higher MSRP of $500 -Terrible menu navigation  -Worse low light performance  -22x optical zoom lens	-20x optical zoom   -Internal battery mount will limit users ability to increase memory length	-Maximum still resolution of just 640 x 480  -Performance in low light struggled  -Fewer manual controls with poor menu structure  -20x optical zoom  -Video performance less accurate in comparison to ZR700  -No analog to digital pass through  -Smaller LCD screen