Canon ZR200 First Impressions Review

by Nathaniel Hansen
Published on Jan 26, 2004 12:00 PM



The new Canon ZR200 offers a couple of upgrades from its sister model, the ZR100 (Review, Specs, $219.95), but by in large, the camcorders are similar. The ZR200 features the same imager as last year’s ZRs and boasts an additional high resolution 16:9 mode, a smaller body size, and increased optical zoom. The still performance on this ZR is certainly an upgrade from the ZR100 and a nice feature in general. While these upgrades are all fine and good, with the same imager as last year’s model, the ZR200 can’t be expected to improve on its poor low light performance.

Video Performance
Video performance on the Canon ZR line has historically tested well under optimal light conditions. The ZR200 has a 28mm filter diameter, a maximum focal distance of 56 mm in 4:3 mode and a minimum focal distance of 2.6 mm (4:3 mode). The ZR200’s imager is the same as that on the ZR100–that is, a 680K CCD with 340K effective for video and stills. This is no improvement over last year, specification-wise. As this is a First Impression Review, it is no possible at this time to make conclusive comments about video performance. Look for our full review later in year.

The Front
The front of the Canon ZR200 is very similar design-wise to that of the ZR 85. The Canon ZR200’s front houses the lens, the stereo microphone, and the Canon logo. The Canon lens has a 28 mm filter diameter and a 2.8 mm minimum focal distance in addition to a 56 mm maximum focal length.

The Right
The right side of the Canon ZR200 is home to the bottom loading tape, two port covers housing DV, USB, DC and AV, and to the strap. The mode dial is accessed from the back, but shares its space with the right side of the ZR200.

The Back
The back of the ZR200 is home to the battery port and viewfinder. The viewfinder is static, but can be extended horizontally towards the user. Canon has shrunk the size of the battery, and made it compatible with other digital imaging products.

The Left
The LCD dominates the left side of the ZR200 and under it, users can find access to its numerous controls. The ZR200 does have navigation/playback on the outside of the camcorder body, which is a great improvement as it allows users to use the camcorder as a standalone playback device. Beneath the LCD, starting towards the front, are Backlight, Wide Screen, Digital Effects, AE Shift/End search, and Card Mix/Record-Pause slide show buttons. Utilizing the program mode selector switch, users can access easy mode or manual control mode. The icons P for manual mode and Easy, for automatic, make the switch a snap.

The Top
The top of the ZR200 is streamlined by the rubber grip, lacks an accessory shoe (last year’s ZR’s had a cold accessory shoe), and has a static viewfinder at its rear. Zoom toggle and photo button are on the right side of the top, and are easily accessible.

Picture and Manual Control
Automatic Control
Automatic control on the Canon ZR200 is pretty standard, and is equipped to perform well in optimally lit conditions. Automatic mode is no longer identified on the camcorder body by a small square icon. Instead, Canon PowerShot A95, having adopted Sony’s attitude that automatic mode should be “easy,” has newly named their auto mode, “easy.” When the program selector is set to easy, users can relax as the Digic DV processor controls focus, exposure, white balance, and shutter speed.

Overall Manual Control
Manual control on the Canon ZR200 is limited, but available. Most entry level camcorders are not designed with manual functionality as the end goal, so users who crave it should look to spend a few hundred dollars more. To access manual control features, users must set the program switch to the P icon. This will unlock the menu and allow access to the manual features.

Zoom
Canon did not increase zoom capacity on the ZR200, as they did on the ZR100. The Canon ZR200 has a 20x optical zoom and 400x digital zoom capacity. Zoom is controlled via the zoom toggle on the top right side of the camcorder body. The zoom seemed smooth and steady, and should be, as Canon is a world leader in optics.

Focus
Focus can be controlled manually on the Canon ZR200 by pressing the focus button located on the top left side of the body. The focus button utilizes one of the VCR playback buttons, and when it is pressed during camera mode, the zoom toggle can be used to adjust focus. Not the most effective way to be creative with the focus, but then again, it’s a feature that will most likely rarely be used by most consumers at this price point. A new addition to the focus feature is the 3 point focus select, which allows users to select which of three points in the frame should be in the sharpest focus.

Exposure
The Canon ZR200 has manual exposure steps from -2.0 to 2.0, in steps of .25. They are controlled through the menu system in conjunction with the depressible jog dial. In this way, it is similar to last year’s model.

Shutter Speed
Canon included 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000 shutter speed steps on the Canon ZR200. They can be selected by accessing the shutter speed option within the menu. This too, is similar to the design of last year’s model.

White Balance
White balance on the Canon ZR200 can be adjusted in manual mode. Options of indoor/outdoor, auto, and set can be selected via the menu. Users hoping to set the white balance manually should point the camcorder at the desired white space. As soon as set is selected, it begins to make fixed adjustments to the white balance. Again, similar to last year’s model.

Gain
As on most entry level camcorders, gain can not be controlled on the Canon ZR200.

Still Performance
The Canon ZR200 has a still photo mode, with SD card slot. There are several image sizes available in still and movie mode: 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 pixels in Still mode, and 320 x 240, 160 x 120 pixels, 15 frames/sec. in movie mode. Canon seems to be pushing in the hybrid direction, and the ZR200 and ZR300 (Review, Specs, $449) are good examples of these intentions. Unfortunately, no media is supplied with the camcorder.

VCR Mode
VCR mode on the Canon ZR200 is standard, with playback buttons located on the top of the left side, above where the LCD folds out. When switched to playback mode the user can flip the LCD around, recess it within the body of the camcorder, and use the camcorder as a handheld playback device. The VCR mode’s button placement is very convenient.

Low Light Performance
No conclusions or comments are being offered in relation to Low Light Performance, as this is a First Impressions Review. Look for our full review later in the year. Canon hasn’t made any drastic improvements to the imager from last year’s models, but we’ll wait and see.

LCD/View Finder
This year, Canon has added a back light feature to the LCD, allowing for a slightly brighter viewing experience. The LCD is 2.4 inches diagonally, .1 inches smaller than last year’s models, with 112K pixels. The back light can be selected by pressing the small “back light” button on the body of the camcorder when the LCD is flipped out. The viewfinder on the Canon ZR200 is color with 113K pixels of resolution. It can be extended towards the user, but not rotated. I despise viewfinders I can’t rotate, but these days, most consumers don’t bother touching the viewfinder. So it’s a moot point.

Audio
The Canon ZR200 records in both 16 bit and 12 bit PCM Digital Sound. The Mic is on the lower front of the camcorder body and audio modes can be selected within the menu. The AV port doubles as a headphones jack, which seems to be a dying feature for other camcorder manufacturers.

Handling
Canon has made a few improvements to their camcorder design, notably the silver rubber grip on the top of the camcorder’s body. The body is slightly slimmer, and generally smaller. The buttons and knobs all fall into place. The LCD is easily flipped open, with a ridge at the bottom for easier grasping. The zoom toggle and other feature buttons are in easy and comfortable finger-reach. Users can expect it to handle well, with the only difficult-to-access buttons located under the LCD. These are buttons not frequently used in automatic recording, so users looking for a carefree filming experience should be pleased with the ZR200.

Ports
Canon discreetly hides away DV, USB, and AV composite ports on the front and right sides of the camcorder body respectively. The DC and battery ports are on the back of the ZR200. As far as ports go, Canon’s got them covered.

Other Features
Other features worthy of mention are really more like upgrades, including the SD card slot, the 3 point focus feature, and the High resolution 16:9 mode, found on last year’s Optura 400 (Specs, $999) and 500. The Canon ZR200 ships with Zoom Browser, a low end video editing software package, and new up-compatible batteries. The guys at the show were eager to point out that a battery on the ZR100 or 200 can be used on the Optura 500 (Specs, $1199), or on many of their digital cameras as well.

Conclusion
The ZR200 has some considerable upgrades over last years ZR65, but also has some notable removals. The inclusion of high resolution 16:9 mode, the increased optical zoom, and reduced body size are great features. However, the removal of the cold shoe and S-Video port may deter some avid accessory users. The entry level consumer camcorder line is really focused on the point-and-shoot crowd, soccer moms, and other less hardcore enthusiasts, and for that market, the ZR200 is a great pick.