Canon Optura 500 MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

Canon Optura 500 MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
Manufacturer: Canon
Product Type: Photography

Editorial Review:
Product Description
CANON Optura 500 - From summer escapes to winter wonderlands, life is meant to be savored. That's why Canon created the Optura 400 and Optura 500 digital camcorders. Enjoy the convenience of holding a digital video camcorder and digital camera all in one hand. Low and compact, the Optura 500 has swivel grip and palm pad... perfect comfort when shooting long days at sporting events or marathon birthday parties. The Optura 500 comes with a ring light adapter, a 211,000 pixel 2.5" LCD monitor, a deluxe wireless remote control. Programmed Auto and Manual Exposure modes 10x Optical Zoom with 200x Digital Zoom Enhancement Image Stabilizer 4-Pin Firewire DV port S-Video and Composite ports Stereo Electret Microphone Viewfinder and 211,00 Pixel LCD monitor Video and Still images stored on MiniDV digital-camcorder tape or SD memory card (8MB card is included) Approximate unit size - 2.1 x 4.2 x 4.0 inch / Unit Weight - 1.0 lb camera only; 1.2 lb equipped Includes - NB-2LH Battery Pack, Compact Power Adapter, Stereo Video Cable, WLD84 Wireless Controller, 8MB SD Memory Card, USB Cable, Digital Video Solutions Disk for Windows and Mac, and the Pinnacle Studio 9SE and Pinnacle Instant Photo Album software package Lens accepts 30.5mm Filters Canon Optura 400 is also available. It has a 123,000 pixel LCD monitor, a simpler wireless remote, and lacks the Ring Light Adapter
Amazon.com Product Description
Canon raises the stakes for all-in-one digital imaging devices with the release of the Canon Optura 500 (and the companion Optura 400; see a comparison table at the end), which is as adept at shooting digital video as it is snapping high-resolution digital stills. Shorter and more lightweight than its predecessors, the brushed silver Optura 500 weighs just 1.2 pounds with tape and battery and measures 2.1 x 4.2 x 4.0 inches. Like its sibling, the Optura 500 offers 2.2-megapixel resolution for fine video and photo details, a 10x optical zoom lens, image stabilization, built-in SD/MMC memory card slot, and PictBridge compatibility for direct printing of still photos to compatible printers. The Optura 500 also adds a higher resolution LCD, mini video light, ring light adapter for close-up shots, MPEG4 video for email and Web, and USB 2.0 connectivity for streaming.

Optics and Resolution
The Optura 500 has a 2.2-megapixel CCD, which produces 1230K effective pixels for video and 2 million effective pixels for still photos, for images up to 1623 x 1224 pixels (good enough for print enlargements up to 8 x 10 inches). Canon's camcorder lens features the same quality found in 35mm and broadcast TV cameras, and the Optura 500 has a 10x optical zoom lens that delivers good definition and contrast as well as a 200x digital zoom. In addition, the lenses feature a unique spectral coating to reduce flare and ghosting, resulting in optimal indoor and outdoor shots.

The RGB Primary Color Filter separates light passing through the lens into red, green and blue color components providing similar color quality found in professional 3 CCD camcorders, yielding truer more natural looking colors. Canon's DIGIC DV signal processing circuit makes it possible to achieve accurate color for both video and digital photos. Since video and digital photos have different color requirements, DIGIC DV utilizes two different color techniques to maximize video quality on a TV and still image quality for print or computer display.

Shooting Video
With the high-resolution 16:9 widescreen mode, the Optura 500 utilizes the entire width of the CCD (unlike some systems that electronically stretch the picture vertically) retaining image quality and providing a wider horizontal angle of view that is ideal for creating a theater-like experience. A variety of Program Auto Exposure settings allow for easy, optimal shooting in a wide range of lighting situations. The Optura 500 is also equipped with Manual Audio Level Control, commonly found only on prosumer camcorder models, and a swivel grip and palm pad, providing maximum comfort when shooting for long periods of time.

Offering improved compression over Motion JPEG, the Optura 500's advanced MPEG4 allows you to record the full length of your SD Card in high-quality 325 x 288 resolution.

Still Photos
The Optura 500 saves still image files to Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards (an 8 MB card is included with the camcorder). It offers a number of photographic controls that make it easy to get the right shot, including:

Selectable Focusing Points for bringing off-center subjects into sharp focus
Continuous Shooting Mode enables rapid fire shooting--up to 3 frames-per-second (1632 x 1224) or up to 5 frames-per-second (1280 x 960, 640 x 480)
Simultaneous Photo Recording lets you capture e-mail ready digital photos (640 x 480) while you record video
Auto Exposure Bracketing lets you shoot three photos-Ñnormal, underexposed and overexposed--with the press of one button
The Built-in flash with Red-Eye Reduction is perfect for taking photos at night, indoors, or filling in shadows
Horizontal & Vertical Trimming Function and Photo Review Function allow you to make edits directly in the camcorder
Stitch Assist enables you to capture and create breathtaking 360-degree panoramas
The Skin Detail Mode helps you take complimentary close-ups of people by softening details and reducing skin imperfections

Connect directly to any Canon CP-series Photo Printer or Canon Bubble Jet Direct Printer using the supplied USB cable. You can also connect directly to other Pictbridge compatible printers, and because the camcorder tags each photo you take with information based on Exif 2.2 Print standards, poor lighting and mistakes can be corrected automatically by the printer.

Other Features
A Mini Video Light allows you to shoot up to 4.9 feet away in total darkness. It can be switched on in any Program mode. For shooting close-up subjects (less than 12 inches away), the supplied Ring Light Adapter provides even illumination and prevents shadows.

The advanced Image Stabilization system works behind the scenes even when youÕre panning and zooming, shooting videos or photos. The Optura 500's large, high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD (211,000 pixels versus the Optura 400's 123,000 pixels) and color viewfinder helps you compose shots from any angle.

With the press of the Night Mode button, the camcorder automatically selects a slow shutter speed and increases the sensitivity of the CCD to brighten the image, while still preserving color. Two additional low-light settings can be assigned to the Night Mode button--Super Night Mode and Night++ Mode. When selected, Super Night Mode automatically triggers the white LED Lamp when needed to enhance the subject for shooting. Night++ Mode is used in the toughest lighting situations, keeping the white LED Lamp on all the time.

Connectivity
The Optura 500 connects to Macs and Windows-based PCs via a Firewire terminal (also known as iLink or IEEE1394), enabling high video and audio quality during duplication or editing. It's also equipped with a high-speed USB 2.0 terminal, which Windows Movie Maker2 supports, for video footage transfer and DV streaming.

An Analog Line-in/Out with Analog/Digital Converter allows you to easily transform your analog memories into digital, all in real-time. The camcorder also features a Network Mode, which enables you to remotely control your camcorder through the DVÊMessenger2 software application. Control the focus and zoom of your camcorder from a computer while streaming the video via its Firewire terminal.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Optura 500 digital video camcorder, rechargeable battery pack (NB-2LH), power adapter (CA-570), wireless controller (WL-D84), A/V cable, 8 MB SD memory card, USB 2.0 cable, ring light adapter, and Digital Video Solution CD-ROM, which includes:

Pinnacle Studio gives you every tool you need to easily capture video to your computer, edit footage, add titles, music, narration and special effects and then output the finished movie back to videotape, DVD or the web.
Pinnacle Instant Album can help you quickly organize your digital photos and video clips into interactive, high-resolution slideshows that can then be burned onto CD and DVD or watched on your TV with Instant PhotoAlbum

It's covered by a 1-year limited warranty (3 months for the video head part).

Comparison: Optura 400 and 500 Major Features

Feature	Optura 400	Optura 500
Resolution	2.2 Megapixels	2.2 Megapixels
Optical Zoom	10x	10x
LCD	2.5 inches, 123,000 pixels	2.5 inches, 211,000 pixels
USB Connectivity	USB 1.1	USB 2.0
Mini Video Light	No	Yes
Web Movies	Motion JPEG Mode	MPEG4
Built-in Flash	Yes	Yes
SD/MMC Card Slot	Yes	Yes