Canon ZR10 Digital Camcorder

by Canon

Product Details

Product Manual [2.22mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005045X
• Item model number: ZR-10
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,059 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Canon ZR10 excels at providing quality digital video footage in a small form factor. The 10x optical zoom Canon lens gets you right in the action, while image stabilization helps prevent unwanted shakes and jitters from creeping into your important footage. The ZR10 has been designed for point-and-shoot simplicity, making it easy for even beginners to shoot great videos. 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 ZR10 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 ZR10 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 ZR10 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 ZR10 also features S-Video input and output. Analog inputs allow you to transfer old footage to DV for archiving. Digital effects include art, black and white, mosaic, and sepia; built-in faders help ease scene transitions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No need to worry., November 6, 2001

By 

James M. Henry (Southaven, MS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon ZR10 Digital Camcorder (Electronics)

After placing the order for this camcorder, I immediately began second guessing myself. I was particuarly worried about all the posts I had seen about the picture being "grainy in low light". I worried myself to the point of wishing I had just gone with a Sony Hi8. My camera arrived and the first thing I did when I took it out of the box (the battery was already charged and a 3 year old child can learn to operate it in 7 seconds) was to turn off all the lights but a table lamp and begin filming. Man did I feel silly for worrying. The people writing those comments must be used to watching HDTV movies, because I found the picture fine. It wasn't as good as if I was outside in sunlight (WOW does the camera do well outside), but that's because I wasn't in the sunlight, I was in a poorly lit room that was too dark to read a magazine. The image (my Jack Russell, Murphy) was clear and I could easily distinguish her facial features (in fact the camera picked up more light in the room than my "nekkid" eye could). You simply can't expect the same quality picture in poor lighting as in perfect lighting for less than 500 dollars. And unless you are fanatical about high definition, the quality is as good as one would expect.

The camera is so small. Any doubts you have about this camera will disappear once you slide your palm around this beauty. Also, the image stabilizer worked nicely. Ultra tight zooms produced some shake (this was almost unoticable if I braced with both hands). No shake was noticable on wide shots.

I also looked at the other ZR models, but the best I could tell the main differences revolved around the "digital camera" aspects of the camcorder. I wouldn't suggest the ZR-10 if you are looking for a "digital camera/camcorder combo". The ZR-10 just saves the picture to tape at 6 second increments (basically the same effect as pressing pause). This function is for the most part useless if you have a computer capable of video editing, in which case I would say never use the "photo" button and just capture frames from your video.

The ZR-10 has been out for a couple of years and is kind of hard to find new, but if you do find one or are thinking about buying a used one, I would highly reccomend it. I bought mine for just under 500 dollars and am VERY glad I didn't pay the extra dough for any of the newer models (the "extras" were to minimal for the difference in price for me).

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure, April 9, 2001

By 

Will H. "Will H." (new york,) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon ZR10 Digital Camcorder (Electronics)

I own pro digital cameras, but I get an awful lot of use from this little Cannon. Scouting locations, special events, vacations, you name it I've used it. The picture quality is superb, though don't expect the same results as a $10,000 pro cam. It does not work well in low light situations, using the low light setting the camera must be held perfectly still, as in tripod, even then the results are not very good. But that's what camera lights are for. That short comming aside, buy this camera and you will want to take it with you every where you go. It will far exceed your expectations. It's easy to handle, fits snug in the palm of your hand. Well worth the price.

53 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good with limitations, February 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Canon ZR10 Digital Camcorder (Electronics)

I was very pleased with this camera when I first got it. I have a couple of issues that would have made me go with another camera had I known from the start... 1. Low light quality is very bad! I don't mean candle light. I'm talking about indoor night shots with all of the lights on. Picture comes out very grainy. Camera definitly needs a light. Daytime shots are great, crystal clear. 2. Still pictures go on tape. You then have to capture that picture to your computer. The quality is only a little better than capturing motion video. Pictures are scattered through out the tape. Could really use a flash for low light (see 1).

These things may not be a big to you, but it has me regretting buying this camera.

On the plus side, 1. The camera has a firewire hook up for connecting to a computer. 2. Has audio/video RCA hook ups for connecting to a VCR. You can record old tapes in DV, then edit on the computer and record back to DV tape and VHS if needed. 3. Has S-video out. 4. One of the smallest and lightest i've seen. 5. Battery last a long time.

Camera may work for you, but shop around