Canon Optura PI MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode

by Canon

Product Details

Product Manual [2.37mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000507JG
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,412 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

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.

A quick word about image stabilization. Most camcorders with image stabilization use digital image stabilization, which is a software-based method of correcting handheld wobbles and shakes. Though digital image stabilization works well, it does so at the expense of image quality, reducing the total number of pixels used to capture an image. In contrast, the Optura Pi uses optical image stabilization, which continuously detects motion and adjusts elements inside the lens to compensate, resulting in a shudder-free image without any loss in image resolution.

A number of different programmed auto exposure modes (including sand and snow, sports, portrait, and low light) automatically adjust settings to take the worry out of shooting in challenging conditions. Besides the different programmed auto-exposure modes, the Optura Pi also offers three different shooting modes. You'll probably leave the camera set to normal movie mode a majority of the time. Digital photo mode lets you use the Optura Pi as a digital camera, recording a still image for six seconds on the miniDV tape, and allowing audio commentary. There's a lot of flexibility here: you can switch between movie and digital photo modes and create a unique collage of stills and video. Finally, the digital motor drive mode uses the progressive-scan CCD to capture a full noninterlaced 30 frames per second. This means you can use the footage as a series of independent photographs.

As a DV camcorder, the Optura Pi has an IEEE 1394 port for digital editing, or for transferring footage between IEEE 1394 compliant devices, such as computers or other DV camcorders. The Optura also features S-Video input and output. The analog inputs allow you to transfer old footage to DV for archiving. Built-in effects include art and sepia. Various faders ease scene transitions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super imagery; high quality color; great effects., November 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Canon Optura PI MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode (Electronics)

This Canon Mini DV, has awesome image quality, which in my opinon is the best reason for buying a digital camcorder. It features still photo option, image stabilizer, advanced shoe accessories and firewall capabilities, which will let you download your movies and pictures onto your computer, so you can easily add effects or produce superior home movies, independent films and online photo albums. I tested a lot of Digital camcorders and unless you are looking to spend $3k on a camera with night vision features, there is simply not a better camera on the market in image quality/color and clarity. My only concern with this camera is over the internal mechanisms. When the cartridge slot is opening and closing, its noisy and makes a ruckus. Don't worry its not broken, this is what is supposed to happen. Canon has a good repuation as far as the structural quality of their cameras go. So, I guess I just get worried when I can see the parts moving.

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Camcorder for your money!!!, April 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Canon Optura PI MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode (Electronics)

I did a lot of research on digital camcorders. Unfortunately...didn't help much with my search. So I would like to help the site by telling everyone that the Canon Optura Pi is the camcorder to get. It is very difficult to find a camcorder with all the features that you need withouth spending $+ for it... It has excellent broadcast quality video. A superb progressive scan mode that allows you to snap high quality stills while filming. Awesome low light shooting without the need of nightvision. And lots more!! There are very few camcorders that can compare to the Optura Pi, but none of those camcorders can compare to the price. The Sony PC-110 and the JVC GR-DVL 9800U are similar camcorders but costs a lot more. This is one of the most overlooked camcorders in the market. But if you don't want to spend a lot and want the best possible camcorder, the Optura PI would be my #1 choice.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Near Professional Package, December 31, 2000

By 

Lee Kanon Alpert "lkalpert" (Northridge, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon Optura PI MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode (Electronics)

After much research and demonstrations of all different types. The one Digital Camcorder that kept coming up as tops was the Optura Pi.

Since owning it over the past 6 months, I have videoed everything from and outdoor baseball game at the new Pac Bell Stadium in San Francisco, to an indoor College Graduation at University of Arizona, to an indoor poorly lit party, to a Jujitsu black belt testing tournament, to you name it. This Digital Camcorder has performed not just well, but exceptionally in all conditions.

It's color is true and sharp and it's images crisp. It is as close to professional as you can get. It's optical zoom is clean and beautiful and it's digital zoom is just ok(as are all others that I have tested). It is a very very good value for what you get...small size and big big picture.