21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
It does what we want it to do.
We bought this camcorder to document the lives of our children. So far we've had no trouble. It takes a reasonably clear video and we really like the zoom. I've been a fan of Canon since my old AE-1 in high school so we knew we weren't going to be disappointed. I read the other reviews and wanted to make a clarification: This camcorder (DC410) does NOT have a USB...
55 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
It falls short of my expectations
This camera has many flaws that are important to understand before buying. First is a limitation of the DVD in recording length. 30 min is the default with 60 minutes max at the sacrifice of video quality.
Consider that Mini-DV tapes will support 60 min at highest quality.
These 3 inch DVD disks are difficult to handle under perfect conditions. I...
This camera has many flaws that are important to understand before buying. First is a limitation of the DVD in recording length. 30 min is the default with 60 minutes max at the sacrifice of video quality.
Consider that Mini-DV tapes will support 60 min at highest quality.
These 3 inch DVD disks are difficult to handle under perfect conditions. I wanted to use this camera for outdoors events but it would be too easy to get fingerprints on the recording surface to take chances without clean hands and dry conditions. The disks are small and have to be forced onto the spindle without touching the recording surface.
Another limitation is that the least expensive DVD disks are DVD-R write once only which makes it impossible to edit what you shoot. They can't be erased. Scenes deleted so be sure you don't record anything with them you might regret later. It supports DVD-RW Write Many format also but considering how easy it is to mess up the recording surface don't expect them to last forever.
The greatest problem with this device is that the DVD drive is limited to only three brands of disks. This makes the DVD recorder not very well supported for using with the video.
The DVD drive does not support all DVD formats available. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW: YOU MUST USE ONLY DVD-R, DVD-R DL, or DVD-RW FORMATS. Notice it is a MINUS - not a plus +. (Amazon.com bundles this with a 3 pack of DVD+RW disks which are not ever going to work with this camera so don't include it like I did.)
To make matters worse you cannot just use any 3 inch DVD-R disks. The camera claims to only support 1-layer Hitachi-Maxwell HG series disks or 2 layer Canon DVD-R DL54 and Verbatim DVD-R DL disks. (Not Sony, which is the brand Amazon.com recommends.)
If you decide to risk it and use an unsupported disk, every time the camera is turned on you will get a dire warning that using this disk is not supported and you run the risk of damaging the camera or end up with poor/no video. I could only find Maxell DVD-R DS and TDK-RW at Rite-Aid. Both will work with the camera but the warnings are enough to make me believe I should try to buy disks it won't complain about. It is very annoying that it doesn't support both - and + formats like most dvd recorders to start with. I would suggest that if you want a DVD camcorder, look for one that can use both +/- if possible and supports all manufacturers disks.
The camera also lacks a firewire port so you can't use it with a computer to capture the video stream. The model 410 has an AV port and microphone jack. It does not have a USB port. The model 420 USB doesn't support the video just the photo feature and takes the place of the microphone jack.
The last disappointment with this camera is the image stabilization feature is awful. The video becomes so shaky that people will think you have been drinking or you are filming an earthquake. Even on a stable tripod the video was not stable even if focused on inanimate objects.
All the reasons I wanted to get this camera are total disappointments for me. I wish I would have chosen a different camera with better DVD support or one that records to flash memory, and probably not from Canon.
P.S NO software with the camera for editing the video or the photos!
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We bought this camcorder to document the lives of our children. So far we've had no trouble. It takes a reasonably clear video and we really like the zoom. I've been a fan of Canon since my old AE-1 in high school so we knew we weren't going to be disappointed. I read the other reviews and wanted to make a clarification: This camcorder (DC410) does NOT have a USB connection to the computer. There's a jack for a microphone and for AV out. The av out can go to a TV or to a computer if you have the right setup but will not connect to the average computer. This didn't really bother me since I never planned on storing terabytes of video on the laptop!
The DC410 is very easy to use if you spend a little time reading the instructions. You might want to get an extra battery, I was lucky since it uses the same one as my digital camera (Rebel XTi).
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Before buying a camcorder (1st camcorder purchase in 17 years) I checked Consumer Reports which listed this model as a Best Buy. Because of the multitude of choices out there, I leaned on them for guidance. But as usual it comes down to Sony and Canon slugging it out with JVC a distand third. For me, quality of results, affordability, ease of use and features are important in the order listed. This camcorder seems to strike a reasonable balance (at least for me) on these features. I was able to become fairly proficient in the operation of this camera within 1 hour and am pleased with image stabilization, audio and video quality. Low light level video is grainy but that is typical of cameras in this price range (<300.00). I was real close to purchasing one of the Sony offerings until I read the CR review. I purchased this camera kit on Black Friday for 200.00 and it included a Canon bag and 5 DVD's. Some have complained about lack of USB support but its not hard to copy the DVD to your hard drive and convert the Codec to JPEG. I would suggest using the following conversion software: [...]. Not all work but this one does. Also, do not use Memorex, or Sony DVD-RW discs. Maxell works fine. I would agree that Flash Drive Camcorders are easier to load to a PC, but its also very convenient to shoot a disc and immediately load it into a DVD player as this does. The Hybrids are nice but I suspect they have sacrified other elements to allow both formats in the same package for a low price. Overall I am happy with my purchase. One more thing, when you budget for a camcorder and you are reasonably serious about your purchase, keep in mind that you will want a bag big enough to hold accessories including your digital camera, a light for in-door shooting, extra discs, video editing software, extra batteries and a charger. This can all run 150 to 200 in addition to your initial camcorder purchase.
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I just sent this camera back unused because the very limited choices of DVD-R brands and types makes it useless to me.
After ordering the camera, I went to several stores in my area and was unable to find any of the "approved" discs.
At the last store I checked,I got some good advice about a better model(flash drive)in a different brand and purchased it to replace this one. I am already using it and can burn any type of DVD on my desktop.
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Not sure what the other reviewer is talking about, but I have this camera and it definitely comes with a USB port and cable. It is very easy to use and takes great pictures.
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Although the description says it has a USB port, it does not. That was the main reason I ordered it. Also the Sony 3" DVD+RW that are shown next to this camcorder for purchase are NOT compatible with this camcorder. I complained to Amazon about the incorrect description of this camcorder and I'm surprised they haven't changed the description. Can't say anything about the camcorder because I didn't use it.
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Nice little camera. For the money it is one of the best that could be purchased. It isn't hight definition but the picture quality is great for standard definition.
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We bought this camcorder after considering quite a few other models. It seemed to have all the benefits of a compact camera and I liked the idea of no memory cards to transfer data. Our daughter's first child's birth was something we wanted to keep forever. Unfortunately, the camera and camera bag were left in a parking lot, never to be seen again. A heartbreaking consequence as the disk contained those precious moments. The disks that come with the camera are for permanent recording, so I suggest that you invest in the read-write-edit disks so you can edit your recordings. Also, do yourself a favor and upload your recordings to your computer as soon as possible, just in case the camera is lost; or remove the disk completely and put it in the disk case, away from the camera. I never had the opportunity to use the camera, so I can not confirm or deny the assets to the Canon DC410, but I like the products and it appeared to be a quality unit. I guess we are just back to using our 12-yr. old Canon camcorder again. Oh well, so much for new technology. The old one still works fine!
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Cannon's DC 410 is a bad product by design. No USB connectivity and very difficult to use. I bought it to replace my Sony DCR 550. No match to the
Sony, esp which has USB, touch screen and extremely easy to use.
Guess what? I returned DC 410 and got a Sony DCR 650. I am not sure if
the Cannon product designers and marketing was thinking to put this product in the market. I shall probably not buy a Cannon camcorder ever and would
recommend you to not even consider DC 410 while shopping a camcorder.
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