Canon Shrinks ZR and Elura Lines in Size and Numbers

by David Kender
Published on Jan 4, 2006 5:00 AM



Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today at the Consumer Electronics Show, Canon announced an update and reduction to their MiniDV camcorder line, replacing six models in the ZR and Elura lines with just four. The lower-priced ZR series will feature three new models: the ZR500 (Review, Specs, $224.8), the ZR600 (Specs, ), and the ZR700 (Review, Specs, $277). Canon will add only one new camcorder to the middle-of-the-road Elura series, the Elura 100 (Specs, $379.19), while discontinuing the other models. Innovations in the MiniDV line have been mostly limited to size reduction and cosmetic alterations while driving down the price. All camcorders will also feature a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD.


"Consumers bought widescreen TVs in droves this past holiday season and the latest ZR and Elura camcorders from Canon are the perfect products for showing off life's precious moments in true widescreen," said Yukiaki Hashimoto of Canon in a company press release.

The New ZR Models
The ZR500, available in late January and retailing at around $299, will be Canon’s lowest priced camcorder on the market. Distinguished by its blue body color, the ZR500 will feature a 680K (340K effective in 4:3 mode, 450K in 16:9 with the image stabilization off and 400K with the image stabilization turned on) 1/6-inch CCD. This same chip, along with the DIGIC DV image processor, is found in all the 2006 ZR models.

The ZR500 will be capable of 25x optical and 800x digital zooms, an upgrade from 20x/400x on last year's ZR100 (Review, Specs, $219.95) and ZR200 (Review, Specs, $120.99). Unlike the step-up models, the ZR500 will not include a dedicated still media slot and will not have a still capture button. This will also be the only model in the ZR series to feature a microphone input jack. Interestingly, Canon explained this seemingly bizarre choice because apparently educators demand a microphone input and also find the price of the low-end ZR attractive. Canon stated that the lack of demand on the higher-end models was their reasoning behind not placing mic jacks upon them.

The ZR600, retailing at around $349, features a number of additions to the ZR500. In a “silver frost” exterior, this camcorder has a card slot for SD/MMC cards and PictBridge compatibility, which allows cameras and printers to easily communicate. Stills of up to 1024 x 768 are possible, and it will use a progressive photo system. This feature, Canon explained, will continue to capture interlaced stills, but will prevent blurring typically associated with camcorder stills.


Last year's ZR200 and ZR300 (Review, Specs, $449), by comparison, had a slightly reduced zoom of 20x/400x and 22x/440x, respectively. The maximum still resolution was the same, but the ZR300 shipped with an 8MB SD/MMC card in the box. The ZR600 does not ship with a card, nor do any of the new ZR models. The ZR200 and ZR300's original MSRPs ($400 and $500, respectively) reflect the significant price drop that Canon is offering on the 2006 line.  

The ZR600 will have an upgraded 9-Point AiAF (Artificial intelligence Auto Focus), a larger range of preset exposure modes and image effects, a remote control, and the Zoom Browser photo software.

The senior ZR model, the ZR700, retailing at $399, has but a few improvements over the ZR600. Its “grey smoke” body features a 1000x digital zoom, though it retains the 25x optical zoom. The ZR700 also has a video light, a slightly longer-life battery and finally, analog inputs for analog to digital pass-through.


The ZR700 replaces last year's ZR300, though a comparison is more likely be drawn between it and the ZR400 (Review, Specs, $419.99), last year's top ZR model. A pure specs reading indicates that the ZR700 will not match up with theZR400, which contained a much larger 1/4.5-inch CCD (over the ZR700's 1/6-inch CCD).  The ZR400 also allowed for stills up to 1152 x 864, while the ZR700 captures stills of only 1024 x 768. The ZR700 does offer a much larger zoom, the ZR400 having offered only a 14x/280x zoom power.

All new ZR camcorders are approximately 16% smaller than the previous year’s models, and 12% lighter. They will all sport 2.7-inch LCDs with a 112K resolution. They will feature a redesigned navigation system. The jog dial has been replaced by a four-way joystick found at the base of the LCD panel. Also included is a Smooth Zoom Control, which allows for a choice of 3 preset zoom speeds, regardless of pressure on the zoom toggle control. Other features include a built-in lens cover, electronic image stabilization, and Level Shot Control, which is a line that appears across the LCD during shooting to aid on centering and leveling.

The New Elura Model
The Elura 100, ready for shipping in late February at a price of about $399, will replace all three 2005 Elura models. According to Canon, the Elura 80 (Specs, $299.95), the least expensive model, was the best-selling model. They tried, therefore, to put in as many of the popular features as possible in the one model offered this year. The next most affordable MiniDV model now from Canon after the Elura 100 becomes the Optura 50 (Specs, $449.99), which has an MSRP of $800. Therefore, having only one Elura model leaves a very big hole in the Canon line from $400 to $800.


On the whole, Canon has taken very few steps forward this year with the ZR and Elura series. While some may argue that this rather minor update product roll-out (by CES standards) denotes an out-and-out lack of innovation, the truncated MiniDV offering may simply indicate a move away from the medium by Canon. This belief is bolstered by the glaring $400 price gap from the Elura 100 to the Optura 50 - a gap that will almost certainly have to be filled relatively soon. It would seem unlikely that an aggressive and popular manufacturer like Canon would have such a large part of the market uncovered.

Earlier this year, Canon announced their first two DVD camcorders, the DC10 (Review, Specs, $409.99) and the DC20 (Specs, ). Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi all have many more DVD camcorders on the market, although those companies have been producing DVD models for many years. The reduction in MiniDV models could signal that Canon is going to fill that $400 price gap with DVD or camcorders of another format. Canon has no plans to announce an expansion of their DVD or solid state camcorders at CES; both lines were introduced late last year, and the company may wish to postpone announcements until the Photographic Marketing Association (PMA) conference or later.

The lone Elura will feature a 1.33MP (690K effective in 4:3 mode, 880K in 16:9 mode with the image stabilization off, and 750K in 16:9 with the image stabilization on) 1/5-inch CCD, capable of stills up to 1152 x 864. All features described above for the ZR series will also be found on the Elura. Improvements over the ZR models include a Motor Drive mode for stills, capable of taking up to 5 stills per second, and auto bracketing. It will also feature an audio input jack for an external microphone, a “mega” video light (twice as bright as the ZR700’s video light), and the ability to accept lens attachments (27mm), a feature not found on the ZR models. The camcorder will be capable of 20x optical zoom and 800x digital. The LCD resolution will be slightly higher, at 123K (over 112K on the ZR models).

The Elura 100 has undergone cosmetic changes similar to the ZR camcorders. The body has slimmed down even more – it's 35% smaller in size than last year’s Eluras, and 26% lighter. The joystick, found on the LCD panel on the ZR camcorders this year, will be moved to the rear of the body on the Elura 100.  The reason for this change is to accommodate the shift from a rear-loading battery on the ZR models to an internal battery on the Elura, a feature likely to discourage consumers looking for long-life battery options.  

The Elura 100 most closely matches the retiring Elura 80 in price, which had an MSRP of $550. The Elura 80 had an identical pixel count, but a physically larger CCD (1/4.5-inch vs. the Elura 100's 1/5-inch). The CCD size change will likely affect the video and low light performance. The Elura 80 could take larger stills at a resolution of 1280 x 960, and had a larger lens as well (34mm). The Elura 100 offers an increased zoom, smaller body, improved widescreen LCD, and a lower price.

None of the ZR or Elura camcorders will ship with SD or MMC cards included. All use electronic rather than optical image stabilization.The Elura 100 lacks a flash. Last year's Elura 80 also did not have a flash but the Elura 85 (Specs, $325) and 90 included one.

All three ZR models, the ZR500, ZR600, and ZR700, will ship to stores in late January for $299, $349, and $399, respectively. The Elura 100 will ship in late February for $399.