Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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

I bought my Canon 100MC in October and have been impressed with the quality of the recordings - both video and still (good for 1.3 megapixel) - and the ease of use for basic video recording. I have recorded at night in football stadiums, indoors day and night, by a large campfire and of course daylight outdoors. Last Sunday, 12-2, I recorded 21 minutes on a brand new tape right out of the wrapper. Took it home, rewound it, watched the recording, and started rewinding again. The exact same thing happened to my tape/camera that happened to John Fallisgaard. This was the start of my third full tape. I probably recorded over the first tape (all 60 min. SP) twice. I have used a head cleaner on the camcoder per the owner's manual and the instructions with the head cleaner since I bought it. I'll be watching this site for other reports.

I bought this camera almost 3 months back. I am more than satisfied with the handling and the image quality. However, I also am encountering the tape getting stuck while doing a rewind. I thought initially that it was a problem with the tape but after reading the reviews, I am realizing that its a design defect. I would expect Canon to offer some solution since its been a decent investment in getting this camera. Besides that its a very nice camera and I am glad I chose this over a Sony.

I bought my Optura 100MC earlier this year. I looked at the Sony models but went with this one instead mostly because of optical image stabilization (rather than electronic) as the more elegant technical solution (and presumably better quality too). Except for some extra built-in effects in the Sony, the top consumer models are pretty much the same between the two companies. The Canon unit was worth the investment and I've already produced a number of feature length homevideos. The range of accessories is great (I have a wide angle lens, a directional microphone and a videolight that plugs into the accessory shoe and is powered by the camera battery). If you're new to digital video, as I was, don't underestimate the long slippery slope of follow-up purchases that you will inevitably get sucked into (I got a new PC at 2.4GHz speed, 1GB RAM and 80+120GB storage, with DVD burning capability and Adobe Premiere editing software to do it "right"). I've run the camera for 6 months now (with approx. 20 hrs. of raw footage, translating into maybe 5 times as much in terms of "tape operation" time) without running into any real problems, and specifically: no tape eating. (To be transparent, I also try to avoid recording over existing material). Only glitch was that the screws of the hand strap inside the tape door came loose and had to be fastened (I used a Swiss knife) and secured (glue). I love this camera.

I purchased the Canon 100 MC in October and enjoy the camera. I also encountered the tape eating problem while rewinding. The loss of timecode seems to have caused the problem. Unfortunately the footage is of my daughters birth with family. I will probably transfer the footage to VHS just in case the tape becomes further damaged. The damage caused some heavy blocking and audio loss.

After 6 months of researching digital camcorders, I finally settled on the Optura 100MC. I am glad that I did. It got some heavy use over the past month and I am extreamly pleased with its performance.

Highlights:
> Great video
> Easy to use (once you read the instruction booklet)
> Fits nicely in your hand
> Numerous manual options to control lighting, etc...
> Takes real good digital stills
> Fun to use
> Have not encountered any tape eating problems

Drawbacks:
> Instruction booklet is long so allow about 3 - 4 hours to read it in order to get the most out of your camcorder
> High price but you can find it cheaper by doing a little searching on the internet
> Cover on front of camera to protect DC adapter plug and S-Video port is attached by a cheap plastic connecter
> Audio pickup is not that good

I am extreamly happy with the Optura 100MC and it took me a long time and a lot of hours of research to locate the most bang for the buck. Definetly consider the Optura 100MC if you are purchasing a digital camcorder.

I just received this camcorder and let me tell you this is one hot item. I have recorded, fast forwarded, and finally i rewinded to test about tape eating. NO TAPE EATING here. I have did this test several times and again no tape eating.
The quality is great and user friendly. This is a great camcorder and my only gripe is the large book that came with it. You will have trouble carring it around in your bag, but other than that no problems yet.
Hope this helped and God Loves You!!

I had been "window shopping" the digital video format for about 2 years. My criteria were simple. I desired a quality picture, simple to operate (meaning I had a fighting chance), and a minimal digial still picture option. I narrowed my selections down to the Canon and a simular sony model. The fact sony uses the memory stick and my other devices use the Secure Disk helped me make my decision. The first test for the camera was a trip to Italy. I was extreemly happy with the video quality in both low light (nothing like the old church test) and bright sunlight. Too, the still pictures were very good in full sunlight, but indoor with flash (including my childrens' sporting events) I have been less happy. The truth is, I knew I needed greater still resolution, but I considered the still fuction more of a bonus. The size of the camera is also nice, given I have larger hands (the canon mc40 was just too small). Ease of use is great and there are clearly more options than I will ever desire. I am very happy with my value for money.