Canon MD101 Digital MiniDV Camcorder (35x Optical Zoom, 2.7″ Widescreen Colour LCD)

Canon MD101 Digital MiniDV Camcorder (35x Optical Zoom, 2.7″ Widescreen Colour LCD)
MD101 CAMCORDER 30X OPT.ZOOM 2.7 LCD UK

Customer Review: Great for amateur film makers or ordinary home use
I have used this camera for just over a month now, and it has proved to be a versatile camcorder for various tasks.

Out of the box it does what you’d expect it to, it records in the more modern standard of 16:9 (widescreen), however this can be easily switched to the older 4:3 option.

The picture quality is far better than older mini dv camcorders I have owned in the past, and doesn’t look bad on large High definition tv’s as some camcorders can now look blurry on them not using a high def format.

The sound on the built in microphone is average. It’s fine for noisy atmospheres but in normal and quieter places camera noises like the tape mechanism are clearly heard. Unlike many cheaper camcorders, Canon have provided a 3.5mm jack microphone plug, one of the most useful things they could have included.

This opens the option up to using a boom microphone or clip (lapel) microphone. This of course cuts out the camcorder noises, providing a much more professional appearing video. The camcorder lacks a camera shoe however for adding a clip on boom microphone, meaning you will need other means of holding your microphone.

This camera has various clever little features like the built in lense cover that can be slid up and down without having to have a separate lense cap which often go missing. The joystick used to navigate the menus on screen is easy to use, and the menu screens themselves are clean and simple to use. The more automatic “P” mode and the “M” manual mode have been replaced with an “Easy” mode and more manual like “P” mode. These modes work well but it would have been nice to see a dedicated manual mode as well.

The 30x optical zoom is acceptable by today’s standards and works well, however rival models often have more zoom, but without a tripod you wouldn’t want to be using all the zoom avaliable. The camera is light weight but with a good balance, and has a very slick appearance. Canon’s “DIGIC DV” technology appears to help these single CCD camcorders to make colours more vibrant. The camcorder has the standard AV and firewire connections, and of course the tripod screw connection at the bottom of the camcorder.

Battery power on this camcorder is usually over an hour to an hour and a half. A spare battery is something I’d recommend to have, these can be obtained in most shops or cheaply on-line.

The screen is large enough at 2.7inches and is visible in daylight, however for situations where screen glare my be a problem, the colour screen view finder is very useful.

Overall this camcorder is a good all rounder, the microphone input been a key feature, along with other innovative features. The built in microphone is average/poor and a separate microphone should be used when ever possible.

Hope this has helped you,

Dale.

Customer Review: Might be a dodgy batch
Read the earlier reviews about problems with hearing the motor whirr whilst using the built in microphone. Fore armed I tried using 3 different mikes as a test before recording my only public presentation in five years, but when I plugged in the mike, no sound was recorded at all.

Spoke to Canon who said to send it back, and Amazon were very good and immediately replaced it on the day before the presentation. Unfortunately plugging in a mike stopped this one recording too. Checked the manual again (just plug in mike and go) but it should have worked.

Had to record the talk with a buzzing motor and this one is going back as well.

Good picture, easy to use - poor sound no matter what I tried.

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Panasonic VDR-D220EB9S Digital DVD Camcorder (32 x Optical, Multiformat) 2.7″ LCD
Film?in?total freedom with the VDR-D220EF-S camcorder from Panasonic!This camcorder will record MPEG2 images directly in DVD format for maximum user comfort, and it’s compatible with dual-layer discs so you can save your memories onto long-lasting supports. The VDR-D220EF-S even lets you watch your creations directly on a?home player.The VDR-D220EF-S comes with an optical image stabiliser and an 800,000-pixel sensor to eliminate the effects of?subject movement and hand shake for images that are 100% blur-free!Meanwhile, the VDR-D220EF-S’s 32x optical zoom is ideal for taking great close-ups!Partygoers will love its 2 lux sensitivity, which ensures images come out bright even when taken in the dark! The VDR-D220EF-S also offers several scene modes and comes with an accessories holder, so you can hook up sophisticated equipment such as a video lamp?for even more possibilities. With the VDR-D220EF-S camcorder, photo lovers and budding film directors can really let their creativity loose!
Amazon Price: ?244.69
Customer Review: Brilliant Easy to Use Camcorder
I bought this camcorder in December and it was the best camcorder i have used! For a DVD camcorder this is brilliant as it uses Optical Image Stabilisation which corrects any potential handshake when shooting, the zoom is more than enough when filming any type of shot, and when I have finished I simply popped it into the DVD player so my family and I could re watch our special Xmas Day all over again
Customer Review: Good camera - if you can view the pictures
As a novice to DVD camcorders, I obviously didn’t research the right things. This camera is easy to use, BUT if you record in Video Recording format (VR) which is the only way you can use the built in software to edit your film, then the results can’t be viewed on your computer unless you have Power DVD, aren’t compatible with Windows Movie Maker, and can’t be viewed on most DVD players. It took me two days of trawling through web forums to work this out, as the instruction book only says “can be played on compatible…” without being at all specific. If you record in video format, you can watch on your DVD player, or on your computer, but can’t edit in the camera, and the files are still not compatible with Windows Movie Maker. So - I will need to buy software to convert, edit and then burn back to DVD. I’m currently looking at AVS - any advice would be welcome.

Samsung VP-DC171W/XEU Multi Format Widescreen DVD Camcorder
Amazon Price: ?139.99

Sony DCR-DVD106 Handycam DVD Camcorder With 2.5” LCD Screen
The lightweight and compact DCR-DVD106 camcorder will record all of your favourite moments directly onto DVD! Worthy successor to the DCR-DVD105, it improves upon?its predecessor?s functions by adding a powerful 40x optical zoom and a photo mode, designed especially for memory cards. The DCR-DVD106 allows you to take impressive tracking shots of far-away subjects with magnificent quality, and it has a convenient 2.5? touch screen, giving you easy access to all of the camcorder?s functions. Its NightShot mode lets you shoot in the dark, which is ideal for evenings with friends or family, and its USB 2.0 port enables you to edit your video footage and send it to your friends online. The DCR-DVD106 lets you create elaborate video projects with DVD quality!
Used Price: ?199.00
Customer Review: Good one at this price range
This is definitly a good buy at a price of ?200. Though you can get a HD camera with a bit higher price, definitly you will miss the SONY brand and the quality that comes with it. The Picture quality at bright light is awesome. Pros; good picture quality Handy and cute good Zoom Cons: No inbuilt memory for photo’s. Message you get when you use a non-sony dvd’s ofcourse not a single blank dvd that comes along with the package!! Overall, I should say, its a good buy. ~Mothish Babu~
Customer Review: Best camcoder ever
I had a tape camcoder; I think it was panasonic until it broke a few months ago and since then a camcoder has been on my wish list. I bought the previous camera two years and it cost me the same price as this one now. This camcoder is probably the most you get for your money out of all the cameras out there. The video quality is excellent and you can film in widescrean and surround sound. There are many modes that you can use like sports mode, potrait mode, macro mode (which is excellent) and, my favourite, night mode. This is like the effect they use on the Blair Witch Project and Most Haunted. It is an effect where you can film in pitch black with an infared light and it will pick up the areas you are pointing at without you being able to see it with your own eyes. It’s great. It is simple to use apart from I had a bit of trouble with figuring out how to get my CDs converted to be able to use on the computer and on my editing software (Magix). But once I got it it is quite simple although it is quite a bit of hassle just to be able to get one small piece of film on there. Overall a great product

Samsung VP-D361/XEU Ultra Compact Digital MiniDV Camcorder - Silver/Black
The digital MiniDV VP-D361 camcorder is a compact device that will allow you to capture those special moments without burning a hole in your pocket!The CCD sensor, with 800,000 pixels and the powerful 33x optical zoom allow you to record video in superb quality and take great photos.The large 6.35 cm LCD screen means you’ll be able to see every detail clearly. Complete with audio video connections (including a DV output), the MiniDV VP-D361 has all the features you need at an unbeatable price!
Used Price: ?94.99
Customer Review: Great buy one now
I am so pleased with this cam its light easy to use and for the money, you cant ask more. Its tiny and i mean tiny fits in palm of your hand and does not weigh much at all. its great buy one, you wont regret it;0) I spent ages looking all over the web and the reviews for this cam on amazon, were enough to make me order it.
Customer Review: Best miniDV camcorder for under ?200
A brilliant little camcorder. Served me well for almost a year now and nothing has gone wrong, with marvelous picture and video quality despite the price (?150 when I got it). It is really small and, although it uses tapes, you would usually transfer your footage to the computer and then rewind the tape to use it again so you don’t have to buy more tapes. Each tape holds 60 mins on high quality or 90 mins on low quality. You can also plug your camcorder into the TV or watch the videos which you put onto the computer on a DVD! Apart from what I have already said, there are many more things you can do with the camcorder such as black and white mode, snow or sand mode and portrait mode. Trust Samsung, don’t be fooled by the ridiculously low price!