Canon Optura 100MC MiniDV 1-Megapixal Digital Camcorder w/ Built-in Digital Still Mode & 8MB SD/ MMC

by Canon

Product Details

Product Manual [5.52mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005OWJZ
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,547 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 17, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The biggest knock on the Optura Pi was its lack of a high-resolution digital still mode. Sure, it took pictures, but with a resolution of only 640 x 480. With the Optura 100MC, Canon has addressed this issue by including a 1.3-megapixel still-shot mode, and created an outstanding product. Most of the features that made the original so compelling have returned, including the progressive scan CCD (perfect for recording and analyzing that golf swing), and optical image stabilization.

The zoom lens is a beefy 10x, but using the digital zoom will push that number up to 200x. The LCD monitor is 2.5 inches, but the camcorder has taken a hearty step down in size itself, so those inches are well spent. The camcorder itself has joined the growing trend of vertically oriented design, making the Optura 100MC a true handheld model.

As with all DV camcorders, the Optura 100MC includes an IEEE 1394 port to transfer video footage for editing or dubbing. Additionally, the new Optura includes S-video and composite input and output ports, making it possible to archive all your old analog footage in the pristine DV format.

Also included in the kit are a battery, wireless remote, S-video cable, stereo video cable, and 8 MB MMC card.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Caution - Tape Eating Problem, November 3, 2001

By 

John Fallisgaard (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon Optura 100MC MiniDV 1-Megapixal Digital Camcorder w/ Built-in Digital Still Mode & 8MB SD/ MMC (Electronics)

I have owned the Optura 100MC for a few weeks now and in general (with one exception) I am pleased with it. However, I suspect there might be a design defect with this camera. I have had two of these now which have had to be returned (I am awaiting my third) due to the tape getting stretched or broken by the mechanism. It happens during a prolonged rewind. Not every time, but all it takes is once and the tape is ruined, particularly on these cameras which have a time code stamp. If the time code is lost, the camera stops and you get a "REMOVE TAPE" warning. Thus as soon as the tape is munged, you cannot rewind past it.

I have called Canon on this and they repeatedly have said that I am the only customer who has complained of this problem.

That would be fine if not for other bulletin boards where I am starting to hear about the same problem. I have read about 6 other people who have had the same experience, so so much for me being an isolated instance.

I think there is a design defect here which canon is not admitting to yet. I would wait to consider this camera until canon comes clean and guarantees they have fixed this problem.

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great camera, terrific image quality., November 13, 2001

By 

T. Karlo (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon Optura 100MC MiniDV 1-Megapixal Digital Camcorder w/ Built-in Digital Still Mode & 8MB SD/ MMC (Electronics)

I have worked with professional level Beta units, and prosumer DV cameras such as the Canon XL1. Although the Optura lacks some of their useful features, like zebra striping, it has fantastic image quality that rivals 3-CCD units, in a very compact package.

Having the flash is a must to make the still mode useful, if you ever want to use it. Exposure was good and image quality fairly good, considering it is only a 1.3 Mpx image.

I have larger hands but I found the camera very comfortable to hold. I have had problems with other Canon gear because I find they design for very small hands compared to Nikon.

I have not seen any of the rewinding problems reported in the other review of this product, after about 20 hours of use.

My only complaint is that low light performance can be weak. I would be concerned about trying to shoot good video in candlelight conditions (i.e. Thanksgiving Dinner) but those would be tough conditions for any camera. Nor would I ever consider using something like Sony NightShot -- I'm not interested in family video that looks like war footage.

A great camera, at a better price point than the comparable Sony PC-110.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great DV, December 2, 2001

By 

Alan Stein (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon Optura 100MC MiniDV 1-Megapixal Digital Camcorder w/ Built-in Digital Still Mode & 8MB SD/ MMC (Electronics)

I debated between the Canon and Sony lines for weeks, trying each one. It came down to comfort and ease of use. The canon feels much better in my hand, and is much easier to use. Sony is a bit more difficult because it has more features. If you are going to edit on your computer (like me) you don't need any special features. The quality is great, like all camcorders much better outdoors than in. I wish someone would have told me about their whole setup so I didn't have to spend weeks researching, so here it is:

Camcorder: Canon Optura 100mc
Computer: Dell 600mhz, 384 RAM,
Hard Drive: 80gb External Maxtor 3000dv (need lots of room)
Video Card: Nvidia gForce2 400mx
Editing Software: Pinnacle Studio DV Version 7.X

With the exception of the computer, I bought all of the other pieces after the camera and they all worked perfect. Already edited my own home movie from Thanksgiving and worked perfect.

Hope this helps