Customer Reviews

Canon ZR80 MiniDV Camcorder w/18x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

There are lots of things you look for in a camcorder. Features, quality construction, and something easy to use are all things to consider. In the lower price range a lot of camcorders are alike and you have to look at some small specifics to figure out what's the best buy.

The ZR80 is a good camcorder, but it has one major flaw that its predecessors did not - it has no mike input.

The built in microphones on almost all camcorders, certainly those selling for less than $1000, are notoriously bad. They generally pick up 180 degrees of sound. In a group situation, at a party for example, the audio sounds like utter chaos. Canons also seem to be especially prone to picking up motor noise from the camera itself. Thus, if you're interested in good sound you need to have a camcorder with a mike input.

Unfortunately, Canon chose to reduce the features on their 2004 ZR line by taking away the mike input. Why they did this is astonishing because it makes no sense.

If you want a Canon camcorder with good sound you really need to either get an older model - almost any of the older ZRs including the 45, 50, 60, 65 and 70, all of which have mike inputs - or forget the ZR completely and go for an Elura or any of their other product lines that have this necessary feature. If you're accustomed to the typical sound one gets from an on-camera mike (or you plan to never use it in situations with lots of sounds), maybe this model will be fine for you.

I purchased the ZR80 mini DV camcorder online, and received it today... one thing I was disappointed about is that this camcorder has no SD card slot like some of the other ZR series camcorders do... still shots go directly on your DV tape (one tape holds about 700 shots) It's not that big of an issue for me because I own a fantastic digital camera, and would prefer my pictures to be taken with that... but it might be an issue for someone who was planning on getting it all in one package (and it can be a big convenience that way!)
The special effects on this camcorder are great, and the video I have taken so far is wonderful... Two suggestion though: PLAY with the settings and READ the book!! I have seen so many reviews of Canon camcorders that say they are no good in low light (BTW the nightshot is simple to use and highly effective)

Optics, the ability to deal with lighting conditions, and hand-held stability were the important factors in my buying decision. I edit my works on the computer, so effects were not important (and should be used sparingly!) The Canon ZR-80 is lightweight and well-balanced. The ability to return to 'easy' mode with the flick of a switch from anywhere in custom settings is a great feature. The camera turns out nice-looking video with practice. Another plus: I was able to train a cameraman for a family event in less than one minute. I showed him the zoom and the pause, and off he went. As with most digital cameras, there is no video noise between pause and record. If you don't want to edit on a computer, the pause-record method makes for clean segues. Finally, as a previous reviewer writes, you'll need to purchase a firewire cable separately - a $20 to $40 item!

After reading the reviews, I was a bit leery of purchasing this camera. Because it fit my needs without paying for a lot of features that I didn't need (memory stick, S-video output, etc.), I decided to get one anyway to try it out. The result is that I will keep it. One concern was image quality under low light conditions. It's OK. The depth of field is not great under low light which might account for reports of fuzzy images, but I found that it did focus on the item of interest pretty well. For low light, regardless of the camera, if you want good images, you should consider supplemental lighting. The night mode works reasonably well. Audio quality is fine. I had no problem at all with picking up sounds and voices from 15-20 feet away without them having to raise their voices. It doesn't have a mic input which wasn't a drawback for my purposes, but is, nevertheless, something that this camera should have. The biggest disapointment, for me, is that the image stabilization is a long way from what my old Sony Handycam was capable of. Even so, it's adequate for the purposes that I will be using this camera. All in all, this camera will suit most people's needs.

I bought this particular camcorder a week ago and after two parties, and it's held up. For the mid-300s, I had a choice of the ZR80, a samsung, and a JVC. I chose this camcorder because of its informative online ratings, good specs, and Canon name.
Now i have to say that I don't have much point for comparison as this is my first digital camcorder but I's like to think I know good quality pictures from bad.
So, let me start off by saying, this is an easy to use camcorder (point-and-shoot, basically) and it was no trouble to load the tape, playback on the camcorder, and show on the T.V.
But, the body of the camcorder, while secure, has some very fragile parts. For example, both the coverings for the audio and DV wire were held together by a thin piece of plastic and could easily break. Watch out for that. Other than that, the LCD is great and flexible and the body is compact and attractive.
And about the DV firewire (which connects and transfers videos from camcorder to computer), it is not included in the box. Thus, know that you have to get that too if you plan on transfering and editing on the computer. That was a downer because the Samsung included a USB cable in the box and while that can be slow, its at least an option.
Also, the quality of the picture. It does indeed have poor viewing in low light. Believe me, I read the book cover to cover (skipping the French, course) and while some things can be adjusted, the camcorder has its limits. For example, in regular household lighting with some sun, the picture was distinguishable on the LCD and blurry at best on televison. WHile the focus button and mightmode helped, I strongly suggest supplement lighting if you want clear pictures indoors.
Lastly, the camcorder has a camera mode and can snap pictures but can only store it on its DV tapes which is of little use since you cann't transfer to your computer to print them out. I asked the salesperson what, then, was the use and he said it was for slide shows. That, to me, is pretty lame but camcorders don't take that good of pictures anywayd so I don't really care.
That's about it, good luck.

I scoured the net for a camera (my first). I looked at many brands and moodels, all price ranges (price wasn't really a big factor, but why pay more if you don't have to?) I have had my camera for less than a week, but have been testing it non-stop. I need to make sure I understand it by the time I go on my vacation.

I have read all of the reviews, both good and bad comments. It seems to me that some of the people who are rating this camera are looking ffor some professional heavy duty unit that has every feature on the planet. I really like this cam. It's easy to use, has great features and boasts a pretty great price.

The night mode works pretty good. Does everyone here think they are getting a piece of military equipment or something from StarTrek? It picks up a good picture, and it's in color, unlike many other cams that have a green hue. The zoom (both optical and digital) works great! You can get very close up with the digital zoom, and as long as you are not trying to see an ant from an airplane, it's clear (not much quality degredation). I have hooked the cam up to my TV to see what the footage looks like on something other than the LCD, and it's GREAT! I can't wait to see what I can do with my MAC and iMovie!!

The only CON for now is the power switch. It's a little harrd to manipulate with just your thumb (I'm getting better though).

If you want a great cam for a vacation, or to shoot family footage, this cam is a good choice. Try to take what others say about this cam with a grain of salt. They expect too much.

Pros: Easy to use, great quality images in normal light and outdoors. Firewire interface works fast and flawlessly (both directions) with several different programs; tiny, lightweight, easy on the battery (don't use the LCD screen much); plenty of zoom; included battery charges quickly (but does not come with separate charger).

Cons: Only one: lower quality images in low light; changing settings and night mode does help some, but still not as good as my old Canon analog camcorder. It does have an accessory shoe for a light.

The bottom line: an inexpensive unit that's great for family videos (note: if you want a still image function, buy a digital camera!).

At first, I was really uneasy about buying the ZR80 because of the negative reviews I read. However, I decided to buy the camcorder because It had the features i was looking for at a great price. When i recieved the camcorder I couldn't wait to try it out, and to my suprise i hardly found 1 flaw. Many people say things like there is loud motor noise, lousy picture in low-lighted areas, and a useless night shot feature. Im here to tell you that they are all WRONG! I couldn't notice motor noice, the picture and color were superb, the night shot was a great tool, and you can hear normal conversation talk almost 20 feet away! I would think that the people whom write these negative reviews either have a defect in the camera, or are looking for something other than a digital camera, like the type Speilberg uses. An external mic jack would be okay, but Ive found that it isnt really a necessety. I use this camera for everything from home movies, weddings, and parties. Ive never found the need for an extra microphone. The night mode works great too, ive recorded video in my driveway at midnight during a party and the picture is great. The features don't end there, the software advantages you can use are awesome for editing. Playback is good, zoom is clear and smooth. My experiences with this camera has made me a big Canon buyer. All of the canon products ive bought are high quality and very reliable. I now use Canon for almost all of my office and video needs. If your looking for an all-around great cam, with good features at a low price, then the Canon ZR80 is a good choise. All of my previous 8 millimeter and digital camcorders do not compare, A great buy, trust me.

We use Canon in general because of their amazing compatibility with a wide rage of formats. The ZR-Series is no exception. You are able to achieve high quality with ease. The VIC chip makes a big difference when you are importing a lot of video to edit on your PC/Mac. From importing DV to edit content on a Mac, to hooking it up to a high-end video recorder or even using it as a web cam, the features are unbelievable at this price. For Mac users there is a program you can download to make this camera work as an iChat web cam via Firewire.

I also recommend that you visit Canon.com, there you can view videos about each of Canon's camcorders that will help you find the camera that is right for you. Sony, Sharp, Panasonic and most every respective brand has similar videos on their sites to help you compare. Of course Amazon.com has the best prices.

Also I find it very odd that nearly every negative reviewer ends up mentioning Sony as an alternative. One would think someone would mention JVC or Sharp. You would have to spend at least $450.00 to find a Sony that compares.

If you are serious about sound you really need a boom/shotgun microphone no matter what brand of camera you use. An external mic will help you capture directional sound. For voices, wireless microphones will always give you superior results. You can then mix both boom and wireless feeds to create dynamic sound.

The first ZR80 that we tested on Christmas morning had a lot of motor noise and it was very distracting when watching the tapes.

We exchanged it through Amazon, and the second one was even louder! The recordings are unwatchable because of the noise.

I wrote Canon directly, and their response was was "The ZR80 does produce some motor noise when recording on the tape. This
is considered normal for this camcorder."

I'll be exchanging this one for a Sony. Too bad, I like everything else about the camera and I have had good luck with Canon products in the past.