Canon hit the mark

Author's Rating:

Pros: Fires on all cylinders

Cons: Nothing major

Author's Review
I wanted to write this review because other reviews were helpful in my decision to buy this camcorder. Also, this camcorder doesn't get enough recognition! I was looking for a camcorder that captures good video and audio. Still photos weren't important - I have a digital camera for that. Lots of transitions and special effects weren't important - I'm using Studio DV to edit (another great product!). I didn't want a pocket size camcorder because I think their size creates problems of stability, awkward placement of controls, I/O and microphone, and necessitates a small LCD. I needed a camcorder that was simple and intuitive with manual shutter speed controls.

I narrowed the field to the Optura Pi and the Sony TRV-11. I chose the Canon because 1. it has progressive scan and the Sony doesn't (I now feel this is a necessity in DV camcorders), 2. it's simpler, with fewer buttons (the memory stick creates another level of complexity I don't need), 3. it has EXCELLENT (natural looking) optical image stabilization, and 4. it had a more compact, solid feel to it.

This camcorder takes good video. Period. The first thing I noticed is how natural the image stabilization makes the video look. Camera movement during replay isn't very noticeable or objectionable. Colors are vibrant, the auto focus and white balance are responsive. Audio is good, microphones are located on the FRONT (not top like some models) and they pick up sounds from a distance fairly well. The controls are intuitive - specially the exposure compensation control, manual focus, and pre-programmed auto exposure. The tape drive (start-stop, etc.) is quick, and the battery life is respectable.

I’m usually tempted to buy products that have too many bells and whistles that I never use and tend to make things over complicated. I resisted this temptation. This is my 3rd camcorder, and I knew what was important to me. If you plan on editing video on your computer (it’s very easy and creates videos that even the neighbors want to watch), then don’t put too much importance on fades, special effects or titles. You can add that later if you want.

So this review isn't all one sided, there are a few small things that could be improved. When you scroll through the menus, the menus move up and down with the cursor stationary instead of the other way around. I find this harder to scroll through the menus. There are also a few, very minor, ergonomic issues, but they aren't bothersome. Although the Canon has a accessory shoe on top, Sony's have far more (and probably better) accessories than Canon. I bought the Canon VL3 light ($50!), it's only 3 watts, and it has a very narrow light pattern.

This camcorder is well built and does the important things very well. It doesn’t have a lot of the bells and whistles of others, which keeps the Optura pi simple and easy to operate. The price is higher than you would expect from a camcorder with this set of features, but I suspect Canon put the cost into the quality and not the quantity of features.