Mini Dv cameras

[sweenman]

Does anyone have any experience with the Canon Zr series. Do they make quality outputs? I know we're not talking 3 ccds here but are they good bang for the buck? I heard the quality is bad in low light.

[bigdwiz]

I recently purchased the ZR10 from Amazon, and am VERY impressed with the video quality. I was kind of skeptical after reading some reviews online, but my first test eased those fears. My previous camcorder was a Canon 8mm, and the ZR10 is in a different world (colors, clarity, resolution, etc). Low light video is slightly grainy (out of the box), but I bought a video light that attaches to the "shoe" on top of the unit, and the video looks great. Also, if you disable the video stabilization, it slightly increases the video resolution (default is on).

Don't expect the quality of the $1k+ models from Canon, Sony, JVC, etc, but the $349 I paid (Amazon Friday sale a few weeks ago) was more than justified with the small size and relatively high quality video.

Also, these ZR models have analog-in, which allows you to convert all of your home movies (8mm, VHS, etc) to mini-DV, then transfer to PC or MAC via FireWire. I have not had the opportunity to test this feature yet, but will be very soon.

In conclusion, it depends on what you expect from these camcorders. I think I would have paid up to $500 for the ZR10 I bought and would still be happy.