Canon ZR700 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom
by Canon
Our Price: $699.00
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: CanonModel: Product
Product features:
- Features true widescreen recording and powerful 24x optical zoom
- Widescreen 2.7-inch LCD
- Canon's Digic DV image processor for exceptional color and clarity
- Smooth Zoom Control function prevents jerky zooms
- Joystick lets you easily operate playback, focus, exposure, and menu options
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon ZR700 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: Transfer Old Videos to Mini-DV Digital Tapes
Summary: 5 Stars
One excellent feature of the ZR700 camera which I have not seen sufficiently discussed is its ability to transfer home video from VHS, V8, Hi8, or any other video format which has an RCA jack system (yellow, red, white), to digital video (DV) on Mini-DV tapes. (I have a ZR200 and my father has a ZR700; this is a very similar review to my posting for the ZR200)
This feature is fabulous and dramatically easier to use than other methods I have tried. I did not discover it during nearly 1 1/2 years of owning the ZR200. I inadvertently came across a terse mention of such transfers in the owner's manual. (See Canon ZR200 owner's manual at page 79 for instructions, or page 72 for the Canon ZR700 unit with similar capabilities.)
Suffice it to say that the transfer process is very easy, assuming that one has kept the original cabling which came with the ZR200 (or ZR700) camera. It produces a video image which is superior to any other method I have tried. And I have tried a number of methods, including transferring video to a high-quality external video capture card to DV and ultimately to Mini-DV tape using iMovie on an Apple computer.
Upon careful comparison of like clips, this complex, multi-step approach produced good results, but only a nominally clearer image and it has tiny diagonal stripes running across it and a curling upper left edge from the video recorder heads; overall not as good. The color quality and image clarity that results from direct videotape to Mini-DV-tape method using the ZR200ZR700 built-in features is overall, smoother, cleaner and produces a full screen image without diagonal lines or the jagged tape-head artifact in the upper left corner. Direct transfer appears to eliminate this visual nuisance entirely, or at least it did so for me. This significantly improves the image appearance and eliminates an otherwise very distracting visual distortion.
In transferring 20-year old V8-tapes, I was stunned at the improved image clarity and vivid color, in some instances as if the tape had been shot the day before! It was a real pleasure to see clear images from the past - now I only wish I had had slightly better camera skills.
I also recommend buying a cleaner for the heads of any video source you might use; Sony makes a good head cleaner for V8/Hi8 and for Mini-DV. As I cleaned the heads of the video source, the image quality and clarity quality improved significantly.
Overall, the ZR700 is an excellent camera and has some delightful hidden features, including 16x9 widescreen and direct video to Mini-DV transfer.
Five stars.
May 8, 2008: Strong Caveat for Apple computer users who plan to use Final Cut Express or Final Cut as the program to extract video streams: this camera does not seem capable of laying down a steady time-code on DV tape. While this does not have any effect on iMovie based extraction of the video stream, it makes the camera essentially unusable for Final Cut Express or Final Cut where the time code signal is critical for proper video extraction.
While this will affect only certain users, it is worth knowing in advance. One easy work-around is to extract video using iMovie as full DV and then import the clips into Final Cut Express or Final Cut. However, this does not produce the best possible quality as would be the case in a direct extraction.
On the whole, Canon makes good cameras so far as I can tell, but the time code feature of the ZR700 needs significant improvement. My ZR200 does not suffer from this problem and has been very satisfactory.
A large capacity battery is a wonderful addition. For a relatively small amount of money, a large battery will improve the utility of the camera considerably.
Description of Canon ZR700 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom
Around the world, the name Canon means optical excellence, advanced image processing and superb performance. And Canon digital video camcorders are no exception. For budget-conscious consumers, the ZR family of cameras is a perfect balance between style, performance and affordability. ZR digital camcorders give you a variety of features, including Widescreen HR recording, a Firewire/DV Terminal and Canon's advanced image stabilization system. The results are brilliant video and digital photos that you can easily share with family and friends. Beneath its handsome Grey Smoke finish, the ZR700 packs a powerful combination of performance and features. It comes with a 25x optical and 1000x digital zoom - Canon's longest zooms ever. It also comes with features like: an easy-to-read menu system; an omni-selector joystick that lets you easily operate playback, focus, exposure and menu options with a single controller; a big 2.7" LCD viewscreen; and, Smooth Zoom and Level Shot Control. The ZR700 is a stylish performer you can take anywhere.Camcorders
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