Canon ZR500 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by James Murray
Published on Jan 20, 2006 4:00 PM

Intro
Performance
Format Tour
Auto / Manual Controls Still Features
Handling and Use Audio / Playback / Connectivity
Other Features Comparisons / Conclusion


Video Performance
As stated above, the ZR500 comes equipped with a 1/6” CCD and 680K gross pixels. In 4:3, it yields 340K effective pixels, in 16:9 with the electronic image stabilization (EIS) engaged, it yields 400K effective pixels; in 16:9 with the EIS disengaged, 450K effective pixels. All ZR models, like last year, feature the DigicDV processor. Last year’s ZR100 had a video performance that was somewhat dull and didn’t display the more brilliant tones found on higher-end models. The same imaging system is found in all 2006 ZRs, so don’t expect a jump in performance. Add-ons and extra features are what make up most of the price differences.

Low Light Performance
Last year, the ZR line did well with low light tests, considering the price range and relatively small 1/6” CCDs, producing results that made these camcorders a viable option for the budget consumer. The ZR100, the predecessor to the ZR500, produced colors at 15 lux that were acceptable and somewhat impressive considering the price range, though they were fairly noisy. Since the ZR100 and ZR500 share the same imager, we can probably expect similar low light results.



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