Editorial Review

The power and flexibility of digital video is truly amazing, and with the Canon Ultura, you'll have creative control at your fingertips. Canon's legendary optics and technology make this digital camcorder suitable for applications ranging from taping your kid's birthday party to professional video work. ... Read more

Features

• 16x optical/320x digital zoom lens
• Optical image stabilization (Canon original technology)
• FlexiZone autofocus/auto exposure
• Program auto exposure
• 2.5-inch color LCD view screen and color viewfinder

Reviews (5)

Great with Digital Computer
I hooked up this camera to my iMac DV, connected it to the Firewire conneciton, turned on the computer and everything worked great the first time out. I was able to create, edit, and produce a Web film in less than aday.

a great dv camcorder
I've owned the ultura since late January and so far have been completely satisfied with it.. is has a great range of features and turns out incredible quality footage. I also bought a DV Capture card for mycomputer, and the ultura allows for easy editing of videos.The digitalzoom works up to about 64x, and some of the "modes" are not veryuseful, but all around, it's great!

No problems
We went into the store prepared to buy the sony TR 103 and ended up with this canon. It is alot smaller than the sony and the lens is supposed to be better. One thing about these camcorders is to get the smallest one you canafford because it is so easy to take with you. As far as options, it hasjust about everything you need. We just turn it on and shoot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Camcorders (Camcorder)    2. Video Cameras (Camera)    3. Digital   

Editorial Review

The Hi8 video format features 400 lines of resolution, thehighest quality outside of digital. Equipped with a 2.5-inch color LCDview screen and video light, Canon's Hi8 ES420V employs an integratedautofocus/autoexposure system that helps eliminate incorrect focus andexposure settings. Its 22x optical zoom lens is intensified by adigital zoom that enhances the range electronically to 700x. Read more

Features

• Hi8
• Hi8 camcorder
• 22x optical, 700x digital zoom
• 2.5-inch color LCD monitor and black & white EVF
• Uses an included lithium-ion battery
• Includes power adapter, A/V cable, and shoulder strap

Reviews (2)

An outstanding electronic device (for the price).
I haven't used very many camcorders yet, so I don't think I can fairly compare the ES420V against the competition. I can tell you that while I was impressed with all the features of the camcorder, I found it hard to hold and confusing to use ONLY at first. The video quality was impressive though, especially considering the relatively low expenditure. Compared to the Canon Elura2, I'd choose the Elura2 -- it's a bit easier to use and includes impressive stills. If you're in the market for a camcorder under [price], the ES420Vis ideal!

great camcorder
i think this is a good camcorder. great ease of use and all the bells and whistles.Read more

Subjects:  1. 8 MM    2. Camcorders    3. Video Cameras (Camera)   

Editorial Review

The Elura 20MC joins a growing crowd of small, vertically oriented camcorders that pack an enormous number of features into their tiny cases. In this case, you get a 10x optical zoom, progressive scan CCD, analog inputs, and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, among other things. Read more

Features

• MiniDV
• MiniDV camcorder with progressive scan CCD
• 10x optical, 40x digital, zoom with digital image stabilization
• 2..5 inch color LCD and color EVF
• Records 640 x 480 stills onto included 8 MB MultiMediaCard
• Analog inputs for digitally archiving old video footage

Reviews (6)

Great for outdoors in the daytime
This camera has very poor video quality in "regular" (ie. in a person's home) indoor lighting.I have had this camera for 2 years and have taken video in different houses, churches, and attractions and they all look dark and GRAINY (even with the low-light setting on).It may be OK in an arena type setting with a higher level of lighting than a home but I do 90% of my filming indoors (birthdays, holidays, etc).
This one will get a lot of use!
The first thing I asked myself before my purchase was "How will I want to use the camera?"My main use will be for travel photography and for family video.Size and weight is an important consideration.As a woman, I have smaller hands and the Canon fits very nicely in one hand with easy access to most of the features.I think with more use I will find I can maneuver even more easily through the various buttons and on screen menus. Excellent, compact, and a technological marvel
I bought a Canon Elura 20MC this weekend.Read more

Editorial Review

Despite its compact size, Canon's Optura Pi is a full-featured MiniDV camcorder. A 12x optical (48x digital) zoom Canon lens gets you right in the action, while optical image stabilization helps prevent unwanted shakes and jitters from creeping into your important footage. The flip-out LCD screen is a large 3.5 inches. Read more

Features

• MiniDV
• MiniDV camcorder
• Optical image stabilization
• IEEE 1394 compliant
• 3.5-inch color LCD swivel monitor
• 12x optical, 48x digital zoom

Reviews (15)

Poor Quality, Costly Repair
Just passed one year warrant period, the eye piece viewfinder didn't work anymore. It seems that the sensor for the foldable screen went bad. Sent back to California Canon service center, and was charged for [money]. The customer service agent was very arrogant about Canon quality, and showed no sign of concern for my problem. Features Don't Make for Reliability
This product worked fine for a few months of light use.Then, during playback, the Optura Pi started adding image and audio noise to the tapes.One treasured video partially ruined.

Picure excellence defined!!!
The Optura Pi is one fantastic video camera! I had never purchased a Canon product before, but I am very impressed with the Optura Pi. You buy a camcorder primarily to shoot moving video. This is one machine that doesn't disappoint. Best features: optical image stabilization(a high end feature usually found only on the most expensive models); superb canon lense(second to none in the industry); large 3.5' LCD with high end resolution(200k pixels); excellent detail and color reproduction( RGB filter); manual overrides for controls ( useful for more experienced videographers); solid construction (many Sony and Panasonic models in the same price range have a cheap, plastic feel); amazing low light performance(although the jarring motion inherent in the low light setting may turn some people off). Cons: no manual focus ring(just a non mechanical option ring); overly touchy zoom control(be careful!); poor ergonomics for the zoom control( you have to reach back with your pointer finger to activate the zoom); low pixel count(360k for the CCD-all the better models are going mega pixel, but then, you pay for it too); blank tape is expensive( but this applies to all digital format camcorders). If you want to take digital stills, buy a dedicated still camera.You'll get way better quality for way less money. Progressive scan is not a significant feature for most people-record in "movie" mode( the Pi's successor 100MC is without Prog Scan). In summary, the Pi delivers excellent detail and color reproduction in all kinds of lighting situations. It feels like a high end camera and performs like one too.Unless you are willing to pay for the performance of a 3CCD camera, this is the one to get. Act fast; the PI has been discontinued. If you're lucky enough to find it at a vendor who made a special factory purchase, you'll get a fantastic deal! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Hi8 video format offers the highest video quality outside of digital, and the Canon ES8200V Hi8 offers a number of great features for its low price. Equipped with a 2.5-inch color LCD view screen and video light, the ES8200V employs an integrated autofocus/autoexposure system that helps eliminate bad footage due to incorrect exposure and focus settings. Its 22x optical zoom lens is augmented by a 700x digital zoom. It also comes with digital image stabilization, which removes excess jitter in your shots, and a time-base corrector, improving recording and playback quality. Read more

Features

• Hi8
• Hi8 camcorder
• 22x optical, 700x digital zoom with digital image stabilization
• Color LCD monitor and black & white EVF
• Uses an included lithium-ion battery
• Includes power adapter, wireless controller, A/V cable, and shoulder strap

Reviews (4)

Awesome Camcorder
I am so glad I purchased this camcorder!It was truly worth the money!Very light weight, easy to use.Very easy to play back or make a vhs copy.Many, many features that will make videoing a lot of fun!This camera was an awesome investment!

Great camcorder!
I had to replace my old VHS camcorder but didn't want to go digital yet, so chose the HI 8 format.I liked the features on the Canon, remote control, great zoom, fade and recording formats.I was able to charge and practice shooting within a few hours after it came in the mail.The size is great too, nice and compact.Very happy with the purchase!

A great camera to have
I've had my camera now for about a month and I love it. I didn't want all the technical stuff that came along with a digital camera so that's why I wanted the next best thing. Although, this does have a lot of extra features that I look forward to using in the future. It's small, light weight and very easy to use. Basically I wanted to document my kids growing up and this will certainly do the job. I did get a little frustrated at the beginning though when reading through the manual and tried to follow the vague instructions in setting the date. If you buy this camera and go to set the date, it says to use the controller to scroll through the month, year, etc. what they are talking about is the FlexiZone controller not the remote controller that comes with it. In my last efforts, I picked up the phone and called the 800 number, to my surprise, I wasn't left on hold very long and actually got a live person to help me through the process. I was very impressed and won't hesitate to call them again for any questions. One drawback now is getting a VCR that is "S-Video" compatible. But in the meantime, playing back the footage and seeing it on the LCD monitor isn't so bad. A great camera to have. Get it now while it's cheaper than when I bought it! A great buy certainly! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Hi8 technology has been ignored lately (February 2003) because of the digital revolution, but price-conscious buyers can still find great picture quality and feature-laden Hi8 camcorders, and the Canon ES8600 is such an example. Some of its many features include image stabilization, built-in video light, time-base corrector for a more accurate picture, and digital effects.Read more

Features

• Hi8 camcorder with 22x optical, 800x digital zoom
• 2.5 inch high-resolution color LCD with monochrome electronic viewfinder (EVF)
• Digital photo mode records stills to tape
• Built-in light, image stabilizer
• Comes with BP-911K battery pack

Reviews (1)

Love it!!
I bought this camera to replace a 9 year old Sony camcorder that stopped working (we're not talking about 9 yrs of heavy use either).I must say, this Canon is wonderful and so much easier to use!!My biggest complaint with the Sony camcorder was when I had to hook the camera up to the VCR to convert my videos to VHS tape.It was truely a pain.This Canon camcorder is simple to convert to VHS tapes.The price is great and I definitely recommend this camcorder!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Canon Elura packs a bevy of features into a small, lightweight package. In addition to offering a number of automatic and semiautomatic exposure modes, it allows for more creative or unusual shots by allowing manual control of focus, exposure, white balance, and shutter speed. Canon's optical image stabilization feature works well in conjunction with the flip-out LCD screen to allow shooting while walking or panning--without the familiar bounce and jiggle.Read more

Features

• Fits easily in 1 hand
• 12x optical, 48x digital zoom
• Optical image stabilizer
• Stereo PCM recording
• 2.5-inch swivel LCD screen

Reviews (10)

I need Power Adapter for this product !
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.

Elura 2 problems
This has been one of the greatest cameras until...problems...And I have two of them! On fast re-wind they will sometimes destroy the tape. On both, I only re-wind on slow rewind. Now one will not accept a tape at all. I think someone rewound on fast and hurt the mechanism somehow. A call to Cannon did not admit that they have problems. Still trying to determine cost to fix...if possible.I am reading others on internet with Elura 40 which is similar and they are having problems with totally destroying the tape and $600 to repair?????? Has been the best 1 CCD camera.
I do corporate & personal video production & have found the Elura to be the best 1 CCD chip video camera I have ever used.Read more

Subjects:  1. Camcorders    2. Still Zoom    3. Stereo Sound (Audio)    4. Image stabilization, stabilizer, picture   

Editorial Review

Canon's Elura 2MC is small and light enough to pop into a pocket, purse, or glove compartment, making it easy to bring along to any event. Despite its diminutive dimensions, the Elura 2MC is an advanced camcorder, featuring electronic image stabilization, a 10x optical (40x digital) zoom lens, a progressive-scan CCD, and digital still mode. Read more

Features

• MiniDV
• MiniDV camcorder
• Progressive-scan CCD
• 10x optical, 40x digital zoom
• MultiMediaCard digital still storage
• 2.5-inch color LCD monitor

Reviews (14)

Tape Eater
Sending mine back-- liked the small profile and features.Shot a few minutes of video on a new tape.Brought it home to watch it and ate the tape up when I tried to rewind it.I'm glad I was only trying it out, I'd hate to have the tape of something important get eaten by the machine.

Very compact suprisingly good camera
I was very sceptical about this camera upon purchase. My needs are for a camcorder for family activities. We never used the Hi-8 unit we have had for 5 years, just sits in the closet to bulky to be practical or convenient. The size is perfect for my needs. I was concerned about quality, robustness, and utility (would controls be impossible to reach). best DV & camera
Very small...works great...easy operation...also films in B&W and sepia which i love...this is my 4th digital camera, and i like this one the best....only problem is the battery does not stay charged for long periods of non use...but recharges fast..maybe i should look into a larger battery? ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Hi8 video format offers the highest quality outside of digital, and theCanon ES65 offers a number of great features for its low price. Digital image stabilizationworks with the 22x optical zoom lens to provide a clear, steady image, and a built-in videolight provides illumination in dark shooting environments. Read more

Features

• Hi8
• Hi8 camcorder
• 22x optical, 700x digital zoom with digital image stabilization
• Color EVF
• Photo Mode records still pictures for approximately 7 seconds
• Uses an included lithium-ion battery; includes power adapter and A/V cable

Reviews (3)

cannon camcorder
i bought this item for my daughter , to tape her new baby, born,may19,2oo2. she is so happy with it. i could have paid a very high price for one and bought this instead, im very happy i did.

I love mine
It does all i wanted it to do. I love it. Easy to handle and fun. We love to 'review' the pictures everytime we take them! it's so funn to see the kids in action!

Great Deal
This camera has a dial for different types of shots, which makes it simple. It also has fun special features like black and white. It doesn't have a light, but I was suprised how well low light footage comes out.For those who aren't ready to go high tech. or don't want to spend a lot of money, it's a great buy. ... Read more