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Canon ZR50MC Mini DV CamcorderEnter the world of DV and realize truly amazing picture and sound quality. Images reaching up to 500-line horizontal resolution reveal...
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Enter the world of DV and realize truly amazing picture and sound quality. Images reaching up to 500-line horizontal resolution reveal stunning detail and clarity. Clearly superior quality than even the best analog camcorders, by 20% at least, and free from annoying color noise. DV is the right format, right now!The ZR50 MC takes advantage of the latest digital video technology, yet is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Sporting a sleek body design, and an extensive list of features, this camcorder provides exceptional results, and is remarkably easy to use. Canon's attention to detail guarantees a flawless shooting experience, seamless connectivity, and endless creativity. ZR50 MC features selectable-color light-up buttons above the LCD panel, adding a touch of fun while also making it possible to play back cassettes when in dark surroundings.
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7 Reviews from Shopping.com
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Canon ZR50MC Mini DV Digital Camcorder With USB And Analog Inputs
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Pros: Price, performance, features, analog inputs and pass-through, USB, MMC, color viewfinder
Cons: Cumbersome manual focus adjustment
The Bottom Line:
The ZR50MC is a feature-rich camcorder that sells for a very reasonable price.
The Canon ZR50MC currently sells for $749 and features things like 22x optical zoom (440x digital zoom), digital still capability at 640x480 and USB.
Design
The ZR50MC is silver. The camcorder has four buttons above the LCD that light up in any chosen color of 6 colors available (blue, green, greenish blue, purple, orange, yellow). These four buttons are large and have two sets of functions (one set for shooting, another for playback).
Picture Quality
The picture quality is very good with no color bleeding or video noise (with enough light and properly set Program AE). The exposure can also be manually adjusted.
Still Pictures
The ZR50 can take still pictures and store them on a MultiMediaCard or a Secure Digital card and output them through a USB port. A 8Mb MMC is included. The pictures can be taken at 640x480 resolution, which is sufficient for email/web posting.
Zoom
The camcorder has 22x optical zoom (majority of camcorders have lower optical zoom than this) and 440x digital zoom. The 22x optical zoom is usually all that is needed (or more than needed) for any kind of situation. The zoom uses variable speed (based on the finger pressure).
LCD
The LCD in 2.5 and has good visibility in sunlight. In addition to the LCD, the camcorder features a color viewfinder.
Inputs/Outs
There are analog A/V inputs and outs (composite and S-Video plus analog sound), there is also FireWire (i.Link) interface and USB, LANC editing interface and an advanced accessory shoe, headphone jack.
Recording Speeds
The camcorder can operate in the standard SP mode as well as three other modes that increase the amount of video that fits on the tape at the expense of the quality and versatility (1.5x, 2x, 3x SP). Only tapes recorded in SP mode can have sound added (audio dubbing) or AV insert performed.
Features
The ZR50MC features digital electronic image stabilizer and has auto and manual focus. The cam also has an IEEE 1394 (FireWire, i.Link) port with ability to do analog-digital pass-through (feed the analog signal through the analog input and convert it to digital form with FireWire out without recording it on a MiniDV tape).
The camcorder has a built-in speaker and a headphone jack with separate volume control. The white balance can be set to automatic mode, set manually or set to two preset modes (Indoor and Outdoor).
The cam has manual exposure control in addition to auto mode. There are several fader modes and digital special effects as well as Programmed AEs.
The built-in microphone is stereo and the sound can be recorded in 12- or 16-bit mode, the former giving you flexibility of having another set of stereo signal in addition to the primary one. The camcorder has automatic wind screen that helps avoid audio noise in windy situations.
Whats Included
The camcorder comes with a BP-512 Li-Ion battery, power adapter, shoulder strap, remote control, stereo A/V cable, USB cable, 8Mb MultiMediaCard, USB drivers and software.
Remote
The supplied remote control simplifies the playback control as well as control the shooting functions of the camcorder.
Bottom Line
The ZR50MC is a feature-rich camcorder that sells for a very reasonable price.
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