Canon Elura 100 Camcorder Review

Ease of Use (6.0)
Ease of use is an area of mixed results for the Canon Elura 100 due to the external control layout and physical design. If the ease of use section pertained solely to the menu structure of the Elura 100, this camcorder would be a great choice. All menu structures are easy to navigate and controls are simple to alter and engage, thanks to a transparent overlay that displays a live view regardless of what submenu the camcorder is entered in. The switch from the much maligned jog dial and set button of the 2005 Elura 90 to a simple joystick control is an appreciated design alteration. But while this improvement is great, it doesn’t quite make up for the layout and control design found everywhere else on the body of the Canon Elura 100.

Controls and their labels on the back and the top of the Canon Elura 100 have a certain je ne sais quoi reminiscent of a third grade decoupage project. There is no logic surrounding size, shape, placement or cohesion. Beginning users will likely find the structure cumbersome, and pressing the small sliver-like widescreen and LCD backlight button, for example, is a task that demands both hands to accomplish. With an improved joystick navigation control, it can only be hoped that Canon continues to fine-tune the design of their external interface. Perhaps next year, a tolerable and functional replacement to this menagerie can be found.

If the controls and buttons are overwhelming and the prospect of accidentally entering a menu is heart arresting, the inclusion of an Easy mode with the Canon Elura 100 will be a thankful one. The Easy mode restricts users to the most basic of options and allows only zoom to be controlled when shooting footage.

Handling (7.0)
Handling is definitely an area where the Canon Elura 100 falters. First of all, the camcorder is not comfortable to hold. Its right side is terribly designed and made holding the camcorder during shooting and navigating an unnecessary struggle. The right hand strap is poorly placed and sized so that the camcorder never felt secure in my hand. The lack of a really defined edge or grip on the edge between the right side and top of the camcorder was also problematic.

The Elura 100's joystick, which presented handling problems due to its small size.
The ZR joysticks protrude further and are easier to use.

Actively navigating the back of the camcorder during shooting is another problem area due to the cluttered visual layout, the number of control sizes, shapes and positions, and the total lack of coherence. Controls like the widescreen and LCD backlight are small, oddly placed and positioned in the unreachable bottom right corner of the back made using these features impossible with the thumb of the right hand. It was necessary to break focus and visually search for controls before accessing them with the left hand. If a simple external layout is important to you, the Canon Elura 100 is not recommended.

Portability (8.25)
While not a matchbox camcorder in terms of size, the Canon Elura 100 is a fairly small framed camcorder that displays a noticeable reduction in size compared to last year’s Elura 90, 85 or 80. The Canon Elura 100 has physical dimensions measuring 2.2 inches x 3.0 inches x 4.3 inches in size with a weight of 13.1 ounces. The camcorder is a noticeable 3 ounces lighter further enhancing its portability. But the problem with this camcorder isn’t the size; the problem is simply carrying it. The right hand strap is poorly designed and doesn’t ensure a good grip, which makes it necessary to invest in a travel case for anything longer than short periods of shooting. The Elura 100’s overall construction seems durable and the manually opened lens cover should add extra protection when compared to other options on the market.

LCD/Viewfinder (6.0)
The LCD for the Canon Elura 100 is a 2.7-inch widescreen display that has a total pixel count of 123,000. The top-end ZR700 has a total pixel count of only 112K, so if resolution and legibility are important, the Elura 100 is a better option. The LCD is on the left side of the camcorder and can be opened by either prying up the back or bottom edge. With no hinge or catching device, it would probably be relatively easy to damage this screen. It is possible to increase LCD brightness by pressing the LCD backlight button on the back of the camcorder. There is a second control for LCD brightness in the administrative menu within the Display/Setup submenu. This setting may result in incorrect exposure settings since the image on the LCD will be different from that being recorded to tape.

The Canon Elura 100 does come with an electronic color viewfinder with a resolution of 123K pixels, and while I’m normally a proponent of viewfinders on camcorders, the atrociously poor design of this model’s secondary viewing device hardly makes it benignant. The viewfinder is undersized and will neither extend nor pivot away from the camcorder body, so its functionality is nominal at best. To use this feature, the LCD screen must be closed. The viewfinder has a hard plastic frame that is very unforgiving. On the underside of the viewfinder frame is a dioptric adjustment tab.

Battery Life (15.4)
The included BP-208DG battery was tested for endurance by continuously shooting in SP mode. We put the camcorder in Easy mode, the aspect ratio at 4:3, the image stabilzation on, and the LCD open. When the tape needed changing, we removed the battery, plugged in the DC power, changed tapes, put the battery back in, and began recording again. In total, the battery lasted an incredible 154 minutes and 24 seconds (2 hours, 34 minutes, and 24 seconds). The results slightly exceed the estimated life of 150 minutes stated in the menu. This is the strongest battery we have tested so far, and is an impressive response to our claims that internal battery design is a bad idea.