Canon Elura 100 Camcorder Review

Audio (6.75)
The Canon Elura 100 provides a number of options to be appreciated especially when considering the slaughter of audio features by many manufacturers in the last few years. The Canon Elura has an in-camcorder stereo microphone directly beneath the camcorder’s lens. On the top of the camcorder, near the back, is a port cover that can be opened to reveal both an A/V-in/out and a stereo mini Mic-in port. The A/V-in/out port means that users can engage in analog to digital pass-through of both audio and video, a great feature missing on many lower priced camcorders. The Mic-in port is a great option for users who want better audio quality than is normally available on consumer camcorders; it is not in an optimal position because trailing cables can block controls, but it’s better than a placement on the front where it  could block the lens.

In the audio setup of the administrative menu, there is a control for audio mode recording in 12 or 16 bit and a windscreen filter. The windscreen filter places a high pass filter on audio recorded in windy conditions, so when wind strikes the diaphragm of the microphone and create an unwanted low rumble tone, it is canceled out. The 12 and 16 bit audio sampling rates are important for the user interested in audio dubbing in playback. The audio dubbing feature can only be used when the 12 bit sampling rate is used during recording. If audio dubbing isn’t wanted or a post-production PC editing platform will be used for additional audio recording, the user can choose the 16 bit sampling rate for higher audio quality.

Rarely are so many audio features loaded into a camcorder that will sell on the street for under $400. This alone is a compelling reason to consider the Elura 100.

VCR Mode (6.0)
To enter the VCR mode of the Canon Elura 100, the user must move the power switch to the play setting. Once entered, the VCR mode will automatically display a joystick diagram in the lower right corner of the LCD screen. In playback mode the joystick controls become play/pause for the up arrow, fast-forward for the right arrow, stop for the down arrow and rewind for the left arrow.

Within the Func. menu users will find that the Elura 100 can dub audio into the camcorder, so that if original footage was recorded with a 12-bit sample rate, it will be possible to record additional audio in playback. While certainly less expensive than purchasing an editing suite for PC or Macintosh, actually engaging playback audio dubbing while still in-camcorder is a more complicated process than importing footage, dropping additional audio files into the timeline and mixing. If audio mixing and dubbing is important, do yourself a favor: export this footage onto a computer and edit using either the included software or a program like iMovie that comes standard with newer Macintosh computers.

Other features while in VCR mode include the adjustment of speaker volume, video recording, audio mix and balance, analog to digital pass-through, record mode, TV format and other options that can be used for adjusting video output when viewing footage on external devices like television monitors.

Ports (5.5)
Ports for the Canon Elura 100 are located on the right side, left side and top. On the right side are two ports along the edge between the front and the right side. The bottom port cover can be opened via a cut-out on its back edge to reveal the DC-in port beneath. This cover is easily blocked by both the hand strap and the port cover directly above it. This second port cover is opened via a tab on its back edge and is connected via a tenuous rubber strap that will easily break during extended or rough use. This port cover masks the SD card slot; when the DC-in port is in use as well, accessing these features becomes a hassle as they obscure each other.

Another port cover is located on the edge between the top and back of the Elura 100 and is opened via a small tab on its right edge. This port cover conceals the Mic-in and A/V-in/out ports. These ports thankfully don’t interfere with one another, but the cables for these audio options will easily become entangled and block access to other controls. The third and final place for ports is on the left side in the LCD cavity, behind the battery. These ports allow the camcorder to be connected to a PC, other playback device or recording unit via USB or FireWire.