Canon Elura 80 MiniDV Camcorder w/18x Optical Zoom

I recently purchased one of these 2 replace one that was damaged from a lightning surge. I couldn't find another (newer) MiniDV camcorder that would also take still pictures on memory card, & do AV->DV conversion (you can play back home movies on VHS, output via composite cable 2 camcorder, & transfer it 2 a digital copy directly 2 computer through the firewire port). Nice optical zoom too.

I owned this camera 4 a short time. When it was working, it was a nice camcorder that took nice video & was pretty simple 2 use. However, after a few tapes, the tape started 2 eject no matter what I did & always displayed an error message "Remove the Cassette". I did some research online & was amazed 2 find how many people have experienced the same problem. The camera now no longer works because it will not accept any tapes. As soon as you try 2 put them in, it ejects them out with this error message. It sounds like Canon is not exactly easy 2 deal with on this issue & the problem is chronic & affects alot of MiniDV camcorders in it's line. This was my 2nd defective Canon DV camcorder in the last 2 years. I think I am staying away from Canon in the future - very bad experiences & the quality is very poor.

Consumer Reports recommends the Elura 80. It's a good camera at a great price. It's small, easy 2 use, light, & functional. It's inexpensive & overall a great buy.

If you plan 2 transfer content 2 a computer 4 editing, however, you should know that you need a FireWire cable that does not come with the camera. That little fact isn't really documented anywhere obvious, so I spent quite a few minutes trying (unsuccessfully) 2 get the content transferred via USB cable. So, buy one. And Canon, start including one!

Great camera, easy 2 operate & very compact as well as reliable.

It was a great little camera until it broke. On it's forth tape, about midway through it beeped with an error & then wouldn't eject the tape. Luckily we still had 2 months left in the warranty. Warranty repair was fast!

It was fixed & returned stating "Replaced capstan motor assy, fuse. Cleaned & adjusted tape path & torqued".

I researched the net after it happened & found it's a pretty common problem with canon camcorders. Not sure why I didn't find that info before I bought it with as much research as I did then. From what I've read, the cost 2 repair this problem once it's out of warranty is around two hundred.

It's still a great camera, but breaking after less than 4 hours is pretty sad. It also didn't have a rough life, we were using it 2 film our first child. We would take it out of it's case, film 4 awhile & it went right back in it's case, never left the house.

The Elura 80 offers digital enthusiasts a set of features rarely offered in most camcorders. The bright 2.5" LCD view screen can rotate 4 high-or low-angle shots, or be turned 180 degrees 2 record yourself. When you're done, the screen is perfect 4 reviewing your scenes. Continuous Shooting Mode enables you 2 shoot 3 images per second at 1280x360 resolution, or an incredible 5 images per second at 640x480 resolution. Selectable Focusing Points puts your subject into sharp focus when they're not in the center of the frame, while Auto-Exposure Bracketing takes three shots at once - normal, underexposed & overexposed, letting you choose which photo is best 4 printing or storing. Add visual appeal 2 your movies & photos with a library of special effects you can use creatively. Deliver a more complimentary appearance when zooming in on camera-shy friends & relatives with the Skin Detail Function. The VIC connection circuit connects your camcorder 2 a computer, TV or VCR. It's all the functionality you need in a single camera. Accepts SD & MMC cards Built-in mic High-quality 16-bit Digital PCM Audio recording USB Terminal 4 high-speed transfer from SD/MMC cards DV Terminal connects 2 a DV-compatible computer or another Canon DV camcorder PTP transfers images without drivers or special software Compatible with PictBridge & Exif Print 2.2 Multilanguage display in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, & Japanese Bonus software 4 image management & editing - ZoomBrowser EX (Windows) & ImageBrowser (Macintosh)