Customer Reviews

Canon Elura 50 Ultra Compact MiniDV Camcorder with 2"LCD and Memory Capability

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

if you are going to shoot videos with plenty of light and you want a very compact camera, the elura 50 could be for you. however, if you plan on shooting low-light scenes, you'll be disappointed. there's not even an accessory shoe so you can use an external light source.

pros:
- very small and lightweight: 1.9"W x 3.4"D x 4.2"H, 13.4 oz.
- very good video performance when you have enough light.
- uncluttered, easy to use menus.
- 10x optical zoom.
- 1 megapixel still capability.

- progressive photo mode.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- allows some degree of manual control.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to SD card.
- as with most canon products, the printed manual is very good.
- digital image stabilization works well.

cons:
- a couple of deal breakers for me: poor low light performance, and,
- no accessory shoe (to think that you would really need an accessory shoe for an external light given this camcorder's low-light performance).
- mic placement is on top of camcorder (most vertical camcorders do) which means it picks up the videographer's voice more readily.
- a greater capacity battery protrudes sideways from this camcorder's body, making holding this unit a bit awkward.
- the lcd is real small, only 2".
- you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80 and trv70 and panasonic's PVDV953 have 2-3 megapixel capability but those camcorders are much more expensive.
- don't expect miracles from 1 megapixel stills.
- video too choppy with low light modes.
- motor noise can be heard when recording a very quiet room.
- the included 8MB SD card is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for for more memory (at least 32MB).

at this price point, i would recommend panasonic's gs70 or sony's trv33 or pc-105. although slightly bigger, i believe these camcorders offer a better package than the elura 50. peace.

I just purchased the Elura 50 yesterday. Before I purchased this unit, I did some research online and found a bunch of bad reviews on its previous version Elura 40. I owned a PowerShot digital camera from Canon and because of its ease of use and good software interface with the computer, I decided to check into Canon camcorders. I walked into the store to check it out and was right away impressed with its small size. I spent sometime trying and finally decided the reviews I saw was questionable! I actually saw the one and only review posted on Amazon.com on the Elura 50 model and all other reviews were on the Elura 40. I can tell you now after buying that it is the most impressive camcorder I have experinced. The video was clear, no grainy effects, true to the color and brilliant. There was no motor sound that was suggested by other people. Whatever problems existed on the Elura 40 were not there on the Elura 50. I tested the camera using Auto on the outdoor, inside using low light setting, in quiet surroudning as well as noisy surrounding. I replayed using the camera, as well as connecting to the Plasma display. Everything was so perfect and the interface with the display unit was faultless. The video using Auto setting was impressive and the indoor shots were even more impressive. The colors were so vivid. I cannot believe my eyes the quality of the video and the sound was great. The menu and the controls are easy to use. My husband was standing 10 feet away from the camera and I could still catch his conversation on the video when I ran that on the audio receiver and plasma. I can say that the speaker sound when I did the replay on the camera was not very clear but if you think about it, why do anyone wants to use the camera for replay. It is best to run it on the TV or the plasma so that everyone can see. The great thing is when I replayed the video using the plasma, it automatically displayed using the wide screen format. I will highly recommend this unit to anyone. I decided to get this unit even with the bad reviews because the technology of these things are getting smaller and smaller and I didn't want to buy something that will be outdated in a year. I am not a video professional but the result I got was of professional quality!! This is the first time I got a camcorder from Canon, I used to own a JVC and I think Canon makes great product. I don't work for Canon and I am only an average housewife who loves to use new electronics.

I bought this 3 weeks ago and have used it in all conditions. I love it. This is my first camcorder and after reading all the reviews for various camcorders, I picked this one. So far, I have only used the auto mode and I have not seen any grainy effects like the other reviewers said. I've shot in low light and sunlight and the picture is perfect. I have already made DVDs with it and my family can't believe the quality from such a small camcorder. My only con would be battery life. It lasts about 45 minutes for me. I am just going to buy a high capacity battery then I'll be set.

I have had the camera for three weeks and it was the best tool to take on vacation with the family. Its small size makes it easy to fit in a small pack. It takes great outdoor pictures and works well indoor. The auto focus does not work well on all indoor settings. It can be resolved by using the low light or spotlight manual settings.

I replaced a 7 year old analog Sharp camcorder with this unit last month. I had seen it in a retail shop in the spring, and watched the price come down to a very reasonable $$$$ at an online discounter. My goal was simply to get to the digital age. Boy, was it easy! I had this camera about 10 minutes before I was shooting still photos and within half an hour I had downloaded sharp looking pictures to my PC. The software that accompanies the Elura is very easy to install and use.

I have been shooting the kids' soccer games, apple-picking here in New England, etc., and it seems to work with ease. If I had to nit pick I might say that the record button for video should be up at the forefinger position where the still photo button is, but this is a minor nuance. Dads will appreciate the smallness of the Elura especially as we usually have to tote so much other stuff on almost anything involving the family. The Elura fits in a large pocket.

Battery life at 45 mins to 1 hour is fine! Who the heck wants to go home and watch 2 hours of little Susie's ballet anyway? I don't have a PC that will support the Firewire or IEEE1495 (or whatever) connection for downloading video to edit on a PC, but this is my goal, and it looks to be very easy from the above average (keep in this mind, the bar is low) user manual. I find the camera's balancing features take my "shakes" out of play, and record a steady picture. I think the low light critics must be filming in dark strip joints, because in my exciting "Dad" life I get fine pictures of birthday candle blowouts, etc. Yes, the motor does make a lot of noise, so if Susie is a concert pianist, you might have a concern. For the average soccer Mom or Dad, I recommend this camera with no reservations.

Many owners of the Elura 50 have eperienced the dreaded "Eject Cassette" error. It seems that MANY of these cameras are failing within the first two years of ownership with said error message. Canon has acknolwedged the problem and is apparently repairing these cameras at no cost (see Canon USA's web site for details). But my problem is different and it seems that a number of others have seen my problem as well.

I've used the camera a total of 1 to 2 hours over the 19 months I have owned it and it has worked reliably with a good quality image and decent low light sensitivity. It's a little awkward to operate because it's so small but when you get used to it, you can get some nice shots. I used it last around a month ago, when my baby daughter was born and it worked fine.

Today I turned it on and while it powered up fine, I get no image on the LCD screen or on the viewfinder. The menus show up fine, but there is no image from the lens/CCD. It's as if the lens cover were on (but it's not). Ths unit has not been dropped or abused in any way.

Checking on camcorderinfo.com, I have found that many others are experiencing this exact same problem and it seems to occur 12 to 24 months into ownership and particularly on units that are infrequently used. I did purchase an extended warranty so I guess the repair will be covered but if it is a design defect (as it may be, considering the frequency of its occurence) then I'd like to get Canon to repair it directly.

Anyone considering purchasing this camcorder today new, used or refurbished, should probably consider a different unit. If I hear more from Canon about this problem, I will update this review accordingly. Consumer Reports 'Best Buy' indeed!

Update: I sent the unit into Canon for repair and they did cover the repair under their current service bulletins at no cost to me and without the hassle of using my extended warranty (even though it was out of warranty).

Hey everyone. I to have gone thru the dreaded "eject cassette error" on my Elura 50 and last year Canon did all of the same things to me to. Quoted me 650 to repair, then said nothing wrong just needed head cleaning, then they paid cost to repair but still same error once i got it back. Its been a paper weight here at home for almost a year cuz i was so dissapointed. But great news. There is an announcement on Canons website about the problem and we are being "encouraged" to contact Canon for repair. I took my camera in today and so far all is good they said repairs will be done at no cost. Check out their website for your self http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&keycode=2112&fcategoryid=227&modelid=9037 Good luck folks

The Elura 50 is a nice camcorder and does everything a beginning videographer like me needs. I just wish it could take higher resolution still photos and was a little better indoors. But most important, it does not tolerate HUMIDITY at all. I had a lot of problems when I took it to the Philippines, all of which cleared up as soon as I got back to LA. My understanding is that many owners have had the same problem when using the camcorder in a humid climate.

I would take a look at Cnet reviews before purchasing this camcorder. I ignored the low light performance issue and found out the difficult way. I discovered low light means general indoor lighting.

This is a well built camera, easy to handle with it's compact design, lovely to behold and most likely the travelers ideal. But, if your going to take home movies in an indoor setting you may find your recordings riddled with grain and with little improvement when placing additional lighting. I also noticed a whirring motor noise picked up in recordings. As frustration set in while fiddling with the settings in an attempt to remedy the grainy video it just became magnified and quite annoying. Although, I will say this is a minor complaint in contrast to it's poor video in low light and would have been easily forgiven. Nevertheless, soon after, back in it's box it went.

Btw, if you plan on purchasing this camcorder make sure you check the video quality through the camera video out to your television. Most folks not privy would never discern the low light issue through the Elura's 2" Lcd until it's too late when they decide to play back through the big screen.

note: Don't let my negative review scare you off. This was suppose to be a gift for a family member and I just wasn't happy with it's indoor performance. Attributing to it's compact design, it's possible I may have kept it for myself for vacation trips and outdoor use only.

good luck,

I am a big fan of Canon products, Canon printer, Canon Powershot, and I am real happy with both. When I first set my eyes on the Elura 50, I fell in love. A perfect companion to my Powershot! I must say in opening the box, the 50 is well built and has a beatiful faux metallic finish. The size is nothing short of amazing. But then I had to ruin it by taking video! I took my first test video in my kitchen during the day, which I would consider pretty well lit. The video was so grainy I could hardly bare to watch it. I moved to other areas inside the house..a family room with a patio door open and all the lights on...still grainy. I must say when I did move outside the video was great. The audio was also not too great...the motor noise I thought was acceptable, but with the mic on top of the camcorder, it didn't pick up the audio from someone talking directly in front very well. Any more than 5 feet away and you would need to turn the TV volume way up. Also the auto focus, though not too bad, did seem to "wonder" while finding its focus...I ended up trading it in for a TRV-22. Great video both inside and out, great sound and focus. When Canon can make an Elura to match the video and sound quality of the 22, I'll buy it!