Canon Elura 40MC MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/ 2"LCD, MMC Card and Digital Still Mode
by Canon

List Price: $1,199.99
Our Price: $124.00
You Save: $1075.99 (90%)
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details

• MiniDV camcorder
• 10x optical, 200x digital, zoom with image stabilization
• 2-inch color LCD, color EVF
• Records 1024 x 768 digital stills onto included 8 MB MultiMediaCard
• Very compact model; also includes audio and video inputs and outputs

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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon Elura 40MC MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/ 2"LCD, MMC Card and Digital Still Mode

Customer Review: An great camcorder and VERY easy to take with you.
Summary: 5 Stars

This one doesn't have megapixel stills at 1020x960, but it's still tons better than 640x480 on most compact cams, and we have a 35mm for the serious photography anyway. Lots of great on-camera editing and shooting features, and some basic photo and movie editing software included. If you're going to do some serious movie editing, I'd recommend purchasing a better software package or taking advantage of one of Canon's mail-in rebate deals.

Mac users, you'll love this one. We had a pre-USB Powerbook running OS 8.6 and bought USB and Firewire PCMCIA cards for it. It runs just great without spending the extra cash upgrading the OS like the card manufacturers say to. Also, I wouldn't spend the extra cash on the expensive firewire cards that a Mac specific. I picked up an inexpensive IBM card [$$] at the local computer store, plugged it in, downloaded the supporting drivers from Apple, and it fired right up.

You will have a lot of fun with this cam. We took it out for the first time on July 4th, and everyone was amazed by it. Plugged it into the S-video on the nearest TV, and we had a great time watching the day's events!

Description of Canon Elura 40MC MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/ 2"LCD, MMC Card and Digital Still Mode

Because of its compact frame, some of its features had to be trimmed. Its 2-inch LCD is smaller than most, but its bright screen can be viewed easily even in daylight. Unlike many other camcorders, the Elura's viewfinder displays in color, not black and white. It also offers only a 10x optical zoom, not as high as other cameras, but still adequate for most users.

Unlike many camcorders whose still image quality is subpar, the Elura 40MC captures 1024 x 768 pixel still pictures on a Secure Digital media card (an 8 MB SD card is included) rather than on the MiniDV media. And if coupled with a Canon CP-10 card photo printer, you can directly print images from the Elura without going through your PC.

But it's video quality that matters most in a DV camcorder. The Elura 40MC captured excellent video, even in poor lighting conditions. It doesn't have a built-in light, but its low-light mode still managed to record impressive video with realistic colors and limited graininess.

The Elura's autofocus worked quickly and accurately, and its zoom buttons were within easy reach during filming. The basic modes of the camera make it point-and-shoot easy for the novice user. Audio quality with the built-in mic wasn't the best (we noticed some noise during recording), but the Elura comes with a port that lets you connect an external microphone.

It's not the least expensive camcorder out there, but the extreme portability of the Elura 40MC paired with its excellent video quality make it an appealing choice. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Light and compact
• High quality video
• Good still image capture

Cons:

• Average optical zoom
• Some audio noise

Lens
Canon is known for their lenses, and the 10x optical zoom lens is a good one. The zoom can also be digitally enhanced to provide 200x magnification, but the 10x should be enough for most purposes. Additionally, the camcorder is equipped with an image stabilizer to help eliminate the shakes and jitters associated with handheld video shooting (at any zoom level).

Digital Stills
The digital still mode records 1,024 x 768 stills onto an included 8 MB SD card, and will also work with MultiMediaCards. While 1,024 x 768 is good for printing smaller pictures, it is probably best for e-mailing pictures to friends, or for posting pictures on a Web site.

Inputs and Outputs
The Elura also features a great number of inputs and outputs, meant to satisfy even the most ardent gear-fanatic's lust. You get the standard IEEE 1394 port, composite and S-video analog inputs for converting all your old footage to digital, and a mic input that allows you to use an external mic source (good for pro-sounding audio).

The Elura 40MC is a great little camcorder that includes a lithium-ion battery, power adapter, battery charger, wireless remote, S-video cable, stereo video cable, and 8 MB SD card.

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