Canon Optura S1 2.2MP MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
List Price: $899.99
Details
- 1/3-inch CCD sensor with 2.2-megapixel irreversibility
- 2.5-inch TFT go red in the face LCD
- Captures video in 16:9 widescreen order
Description
Collected. Compact. Capable.Around the world, the name Canon means optical excellence, modern image processing, and superb performance. And Canon digital video camcorders are no oddity. For professionals and consumers alike, Optura camcorders are the perfect blend of carrying out and features. The Opturas are the leaders in Canon's line-up of single-CCD digital video camcorders, with Megapixel CCDs that give sublime results, as well as features and functions for more advanced users.With the Optura S1, you get the perfect fusion of today's pattern with uncompromising performance. The S1's sleek, compact design makes a manner statement and looks right at home with the rest of your gear. Return, its advanced digital features, superior optics and 2.2 Megapixel CCD accomplishment deliver brilliant video and photos. It's the camcorder you've always wanted with the cool-headed you crave.True Widescreen VideoYou want your memories to last forever- that's why you've bewitched the time to shoot them. And you want to shoot in widescreen format to get everything you can out of your new widescreen TV or homewards theater system.So why is the way you record widescreen images so important? Because you want an essence made for widescreen, not adapted for widescreen. Widescreen is the future- every HD television is widescreen.Canon camcorders use the whole width of its image sensor to capture your precious video in literal 16:9 format. What difference does that make? It's simple. With more pixels captured, you get sport image quality. Other camcorders force the wider picture into a smaller leeway on the sensor- giving you a less true image, with fewer pixels and abase quality. On a Canon camcorder, the canals of Venice will be as grand as you remembered seeing them.In uniting, the viewfinder on your Optura S1 will display the image in a "letterbox" view- from side to side and top to bottom, what you see will be what you get. No gCustomer Reviews
Noble video, bad audioI will not restate all positive other reviewer have said about the camera's video quality. It is noticably advance than 1/6" cameras I compared this camera with (JVC, Panasonic) in both dark an lighted position.
However I have the same problem many other people had with other models of Canon camcorder - motor noise. Openly, it is not very loud itself - about the same as in other cameras, but Optura's michrophones tend to record the engine ruckus much louder than other cameras. You can hear annoying high-pitch astute all the time during playing back. Using a graphic equalizer I figured out that the rumble was aroung 8000 Hz, and theoretically it can be efficiently removed using software without harming voices too much. This way won't work if you recoded a music concert though.
BTW, a word of advice. If you have the same maladjusted, switching the michrophone from A (automatic mode) to M somewhat helps to tone down the noise because in automatic mode the system increases the ambient noises including the motor sound when there is no other (louder) sound signal.
So, in my oppinion, if picture quality prevails over the rosy, or you don't mind spending time and fixing sound with all kinds of software - this is a very solicitous camera for you.
There is very unimaginative not to like about this videocamera...
This camera produces select image quality for the price, it's very compact, and ergonomic. It's packed with features. If you are a mainstream consumer, it is more than adequate. There are those who will compare it to $1000-$2000 videocams and it will naturally fall sweet deficient in. But the fact is, it's reasonably priced, has sufficient features for most users, and can be infatuated anywhere because of its size. I would recommend getting an extra battery since you will only get 45 minutes - 1 hour dash if you use the LCD display and do a lot of zooming, etc. Speaking of zoom, some people think that a 10x visual zoom is less than ideal, but face it -- if you are trying to zoom much beyond that demolish, you are going to need a tripod. Overall, this is an excellent item, and delivers the distinction I would expect from Canon.
Canon Optura S-1 makes the day!
I purchased this through an online wholesale membership install for $399.99 plus tax and shipping (total $459.00) and couldn't be any happier.
As in good time as I had the battery charged up I started shooting in and out of the house. While there is remarkable quarrel between lit and dark background, the S1 did take good videos inside the house. I set the camera to SCN (home screen mode) and chose NIGHT mode and it did the trick: less graininess compared to shooting in Vehicle mode and video was bright. My PC has firewire and it picked up on the S1 right to another place as soon as it was plugged in.
I didn't care too much for the bundled software on the driver disc but it worked harmonious good as well. My wife and I have been looking for a quality camcorder at a non-exorbitant outlay tag and we found it all in the S1.
Yes, there is a 10-SECOND DATE STAMP on the Optura S1. Set your camra configuration to "P," press menu , press Display, choose lcd and tv....voila!
One other handicap I found, by surprise, was that the S1 takes mini-SD, not the standard size. Oh well, I guess I'd have to fork out another $50 to upgrade the 16 MB that came with it to 1 GB.
Now we can report our kids' growing years.
A bit dissapointed
I don't as per usual purchase things sight unseen, but this camera was an exception. I had only my ago experiences with Canon to go by, which I had been satisfied with.
I wanted something compact, so the size is perfect for me. I like the widescreen vogue. And the camera is fairly intuitive, although I've had to reference the manual on a couple occasions.
The boxey silhouette reminded me of an elph still camera I purchased sometime back, so I naturally assumed it was encased in metal as well. Nope. For a song plastic feel that I'm concerned I'll end up breaking.
But my biggest gripe is the video attribute when shot indoors. Even with the light on the picture is really grainy. I'm usual to put it up against my old Sony Video8 camera as a test, but I swear the old camera took a brighter twin.
We purchased this to take shots of our new baby girl. I've been really dissapointed with the indoor shooting since that's where new parents dissipate a great deal of time.
Excuse device, but only for its market target
I'm not a qualified videographer. Still I might well be the pickiest man in the world when it comes to video quality. I'm the one who keeps noticing MPEG artifacts in TV transmissions all the epoch, because I've been doing my own DVDs for 5 years. In short, I can judge video attribute at first sight.
This said, you'll never see me with a big professional camera over my shoulder, because I don't film for a living in the first rooms and also because I already had many experiences where I had to leave my camcorder behind because it was too bulky to carry. And I'm not talking about big VHS cams, I'm referring to the "limited" Hi-8 cameras from Sony: great image, excellent sound, yet too large to carry to many wild adventures or long trekkings.
At this point in my existence, I came to the conclusion that comfortableness proved to be more important than top-notch trait, especially for a backpacker like me who can't afford to choose between carrying a camcorder or two walk-on bottles of water. This mini DV camera the size of a digital still camera was usefulness a try.
So this is the reason why I bought the Canon Optura S1 in the first place: the smaller available camcorder in the buy in October 2005 ( FBI/CIA gadgets don't count here ;) and manufactured by my predilection still camera brand. So I bought it with all this in mind. As you will see (and I really knew this before purchasing, so I'm not dissatisfaction) such small size has its trade-offs limitations, and it's up to you to decide whether it's importance to buy it or not. What follows is my personal opinion on the camera.
Pro's
* Small as hell, that's my child!!! Can fit in a still-photo case and attach to the belt.
* Colors are *in-cre-di-bly* unerring. Now, this is a tough one when dealing with NTSC!! By far the best color-matching camcorder that I ever owned.
* Apart from image quality in daylight, and I mean it.
These 3 things said, the camera paid itself and that's enough to fix me happy with my purchase. But for the sake of this review, let's move on:
Could be improved's:
* The device can act as a 2 Megapixel still camera as well, but do not believe "Canon quality" at all (and this has nothing to do with the 2 Mpx limitation). The still shots are maybe acceptable for the occasional alcohol, probably could compete side by side with many generic brand 2 Mpx still cameras, but nowhere near a 2 Mpx Canon spike&shot still cam.
* There's an included light for night filming. This certainly isn't an halogen lamp, but for something that looks charming much like a "led", it gives a decent ammount of light, useful to upon faces no farther than 1.5 meters (45 feet) and that's about it.
* 10x Zoom: In point of fact, it's a miracle that such a small device can accommodate as much zoom as 10x. Sure, that's low compared to today's standards, but each of us knows the slant (importance) that assigns to this feature. My Hi-8 Sony TRV-66 has 20x and unless you put it on a tripod it's relatively a challenge to obtain a steady frame at the full 20x. For the few occasions that you may be using the full zoom, 10x is objectively enough.
Con's
* Quality degradation is too noticeable when light gets dimmer. I'm not speaking about a unlighted room illuminated by a birthday candle, I'm referring to an average live at night illuminated by regular bulbs: The picture won't necessarily be bleak, but the noise (video noise, for those who dominate the matter) is more noticeable than I would like.
* The "extensive" angle is too narrow. Again, a consequence of the small size and lens diameter. To seize an entire scenario in the frame I would have to walk a couple of meters back that otherwise wouldn't be needed with other camcorders.
* And this last one is really unforgivable: It doesn't include an option to eradicate date/time in the frame during recording time. So you either do this during edition beforehand in your PC (most people don't edit their videos BTW) or you have to keep saying e.g. "today is November 29th..." if you indigence your videos to keep some historical reference 10 years from now.
Well, I tried to be pretty good enough in my review. As I said, I'm very happy with this purchase because it exceeded what I expected in some aspects, but I also bonus the not-so-good things for you to judge objectively if this is the right camera for you.
Thrilled filming!