Quick Review Camcorders : Canon Optura 500

The Optura 500 ships with a 1/3.4-inch CCD with 2.2 MP gross, 1.23 MP for video, and 2.0 MP for stills. This is decidedly less than the DCR-PC350 and the same as the Optura 400. Like the Optura 400 and the DCR-PC350, the Optura 500 includes a 10x optical zoom, and a mediocre digital zoom. There is a 2.5-inch LCD, similar to both the Optura 400 and the DCR-PC350, as well as many matchbook camcorders.

The Optura 500 loses points in the manual control department for not having a focus ring. For the money, this really should have been included, as it was on the DCR-PC350. However, the camcorder includes manual audio control and actual shutter speed adjustment, not just Sony’s crappy presets.

The Optura 500 includes the standard ports of FireWire in/out, S-Video in/out, A/V in/out, and USB. There is also a microphone port, but no accessory shoe. There is a flash on the side of the lens, along with a video light. The ring adapter that ships with the camcorder can be hooked to the video light, channeling the beams up and around a reflective apparatus encircling the lens. This looks really cool. (See below.) While the Optura 400 doesn’t include this adapter, you can probably buy one on eBay for twenty bucks.

The Optura 500, like the 400, records stills to an SD card at a resolution of 1632 x 1224. Improvements over the Optura 400 on the Optura 500 include MPEG4 capabilities, the ring adapter, and a better (higher resolution) 16:9 mode.

Where the Optura 500 really loses points is the in the low-light and video performance department. While the camcorder does make strides in redemption from the horrible low light performance this year seen on Canon’s ZR series camcorders, the Optura 500 offers too little, too late.

Canon Optura 500 - THE BOTTOM LINE Rating: 126.07

Likes

- Video light and ring adapter - Ports - Manual audio control - LCD pixel count

Dislikes

- Middling Low light and video performance