Canon ZR500 Mini DV Camcorder

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, pre-programmed auto exposure settings, 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. Along with its stylish Blue Mist finish, the ZR500 boasts Canon's longest zoom ever. It also comes with features found on more expensive camcorders. An easy-to-read menu system makes it a breeze to operate. The joystick lets you easily operate playback, focus, exposure and menu options with a single controller. And a big 2.7 " LCD lets you lets you see exactly what your camcorder is recording.

If you are on a budget, and just want a video camera with low...

Pros: Inexpensive, Small, good picture quality for it ' s price range.
Cons: No light source,trying to accessing the options with the joystick control.
My wife and I were looking for a replacement for our old JVC DV camera that was starting to show it ' s age. We went to Best Buy to shop around after comparing various models online. We narrowed it down to two Canons. The ZR500 and ZR600 the ones in...

Best Value of any Entry Camcorder, Sony, Panasonic, or JVC

True hi-resolution widescreen mode, mic input, built-in lens cover, and surprisingly good low light performance make this an outstanding product among the "base models" of the four camcorder brands. The styling in my opinion is quite elegant, and the joystick operation is pretty easy to understand. The widescreen LCD is beautiful and "futur e-proof". Unlike Panasonic or Sony, Canon doesn't seem to cripple their base model too much to differentiate the pricing. Omitting the SD card slot and having no "photo" button makes it a pure video camera, while desirable features like the LCD and the video processing circuitry has not been downgraded. Made in Japan, the quality shows in every aspect of product, accessories, and packaging (the adapter is a bit bulky, though. I was hoping for the kind that came with the SD series digital cameras, but no).

Canon ZR500 Review

saved by monica | reviews.cnet.com

The good: Costs less than $300; wide-screen LCD; easy-to-use controls; built-in lens cover; above-average color reproduction; 25X optical zoom; plenty of manual controls for shooters who want them; works with add-on lenses and filters; microphone jack. The bottom line: Canon's compact, capable ZR500 MiniDV camcorder is a dream come true for videographers on a shoestring budget.

Canon ZR500 Camcorder Review

saved by monica | camcorderinfo.com

The ZR500, Canon’s entry-level MiniDV camcorder, has improved greatly over last year’s ZR100. Offering an improved optical zoom, a widescreen LCD, a smaller, lighter body, and a new joystick interface – yes, say goodbye to the Canon jog dial. The ZR500 is small by most standards. Even though it might not qualify for the “ultra compact� category, it’s hardly wider than the depth of your palm.

Canon ZR500

saved by monica | easycamcorders.com

Starting with the microphone input, this camcorder caught our attention. It’s the only model in the ZR series to offer the feature, making it a stand-out model from the get-go. The ZR500 is equipped with a modest 1/6� CCD, offering 340000 effective pixels. The result was a saturated image which made for some decent looking (though inaccurate) colors. Too much saturation can cost sharpness though, and that was definitely the case with the ZR500. Even so, we liked this picture better than the Panasonic PV-GS39 and the Sony DCR-HC26

Amazon.com: Canon ZR500 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical

saved by monica | amazon.com

True hi-resolution widescreen mode, mic input, built-in lens cover, and surprisingly good low light performance make this an outstanding product among the "base models" of the four camcorder brands. The styling in my opinion is quite elegant, and the joystick operation is pretty easy to understand. The widescreen LCD is beautiful and "future-proof". Unlike Panasonic or Sony, Canon doesn't seem to cripple their base model too much to differentiate the pricing. Omitting the SD card slot and having no "photo" button makes it a pure video camera, while desirable features like the LCD and the video processing circuitry has not been downgraded. Made in Japan, the quality shows in every aspect of product, accessories, and packaging (the adapter is a bit bulky, though. I was hoping for the kind that came with the SD series digital cameras, but no). If this is your first camcorder purchase, I fully recommend it! If not, then it's a good example of how refined the budget camcorder have become, a very capable replacement or backup.

ZR-500 Mini DV Digital Camcorder (Canon-1176B001) -

saved by monica | pricegrabber.com

This is a very nice page of user opinions about Canon ZR500 MiniDV Camcorder.

Reviews on Canon ZR500 Mini DV Digital Camcorder

saved by monica | epinions.com

Out of the box, the ZR500 is simplistic to use. After intially charging the battery, which only took me about 60 minutes to charge, I started to film my family. The zoom control is easy to move. The flip-out screen is adaquate, and the information on the screen is what you need (battery life, tape used/remaining, etc). It's size is great as well. The ZR500 is light, and almost fits in the palm of your hand. Battery life is decent, as I ran it for about 90 minutes before it ran out. Another nice feature is that while plugged into the AC to transfer your video to a computer or DVD recorder, it charges the battery at the same time.

Consumer Guide: Canon ZR500 MiniDV camcorder

saved by monica | products.howstuffworks.com

The lowest-priced current entry in Canon's budget ZR series of compact MiniDV camcorders is the excellent value ZR500, an updated version of the ZR100. The ZR500 is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, and it includes a revised feature set along with some noticeable upgrades.

Reviews on Canon ZR500 Mini DV Digital Camcorder

saved by monica | shopping.com

The Bottom Line: If you are on a budget, and just want a video camera with low frills, this is the camera for you.