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Review Date
August 2, 2003
Overall Rating
 3 of 5
Value Rating
 3 of 5
Used product for
0-1 years
Visitors rate this review
3.50 of 5, 2 votes
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Reviewed by
DAVID
, Expert
Price Paid
$459.00
at BEST BUY
Summary
I bought this thing at Best Buy for my wife. Personally, past experience with Canon has left a bad taste in my mouth for anything they produce. But, my wife wanted something small and cheap, so that's what we got. Unlike some folks who buy these types of things and then find out they aren't happy with them, I took the time to ask and read about this camcorder and purchased it knowing I wouldn't be thrilled with it. However, its not for me, its for my wife. My initial examination of its picture made me wonder why anyone would leave 8mm for this. It really is unimpressive. However, I was not surprised as some seem to be by the less than amazing performance in the dark. If you understand how cameras work, you know you need a wider aperture and a slower shutter speed to let in more light. This produces blurring of motion and a "grainy" appearance. By fiddling with the "style" of image capture, I was able to improve the picture quality a little, but still not enough to have anything close to watchable. So, class the lesson is....turn on more lights!!! Generally, I'm not impressed with the camcorder. It'll make my wife happy because she wanted something small and cheap. It is small and cheap. I'm not impressed, but I'm not let down either. I didn't expect much from this camcorder and Canon has fulfilled my expectation. For anyone who wants a basic, small, cheap, no better than an 8mm digital camcorder, this is as good a choice as any.
Strengths
The strengths of this camcorder are easy to list. Its small and cheap. Its also not too difficult to operate, although the digital effects buttons could have and should have been located on the outside of the camera body so you don't have to open the swivel viewfinder if you don't want to.
Weaknesses
The weaknesses are few for the price. Low level light shooting is probably out of the question. I don't know about you, but when the lights get low I usually go to bed, so its not really a problem unless you want it to be. I think a more serious setback is the poor audio quality on the camcorder. I recorded my voice from a distance of only a few inches and it was still barely audible, even with the volume all the way up. I don't remember seeing a phono jack for a headset on the thing, so I guess listening to your video other than over the TV is out of the question.
Similar Products Used
I started making motion pictures back in the days when you could choose between 8mm or Super 8mm. That's film, for all you young folks. Film is that stuff with the sprocket holes and tiny pictures nex
Customer Service
If Canon's customer service is anything today like it was a few years ago when I tried to get them to help me with that Edsel of a A1 Digital, I'd say don't hope for much if your camcorder bites the dust. They don't care. They've got your money and you're out of luck. Why did I buy the stupid thing? For my wife! If it were up to me I'd stay with 8mm video until the cost of the DVD camcorders comes down a little more and then I'd pick up one of them. Buy the extended warranty from the store!
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4 of 5
4 of 5
