Canon ZR700 Camcorder Review

Ease of Use (5.0)
The Canon ZR700 (Review, Specs, $277) is a camcorder that excels with ease of use within the menu structure although the same cannot be wholly applied to the external control design and layout of the camcorder. The menu structure is simple, providing live view screens as well as icons and text labels for each setting. The function menu is simple to move through although it would have been nice to be able to move from bottom to top option without having to scan back through the entire menu structure. The administrative menu is also understated in design and logical in its list structure. The placement of the shutter speed outside the Function menu is a bit odd and would have been put to far better use if placed on the first screen when the menus are opened.

The problem with the Canon ZR700 in terms of ease of use arises in response to the size and placement of controls on the lower edge of the LCD frame. While it is certainly easy to reach these controls with the left hand having controls on the frame of the LCD tended to shake and shift the camcorder during shooting. In addition to this the joystick control which is meant for all menu navigation and manual control is undersized and stubborn, tending to highlight, select and move through menu structures in a manner that left this reviewer wondering which of us was truly in charge. When selecting menu changes it was necessary to depress the joystick and although seemingly simple in theory, this action tended to falter and instead the joystick would begin shifting through settings and options surrounding the desired control. With the Panasonics we found a joystick control that was both placed and sized appropriately for comfortable and accurate control. If Canon is going to stick to a joystick control they are going to need to reconsider the design found with the ZR700.

Handling (8.0)
Although potentially advantageous to have a slender camcorder for portability’s sake, the Canon ZR700 physical design compromised handling. This is due to the width of the camera measuring a mere 1.9 inches that places the zoom toggle too close to the right edge on the top of the camcorder. This position made it so that the index finger of the right hand overshot the zoom lever and forced an uncomfortable hand position to be adopted when making adjustment to this feature. In addition to this problem caused by the shallow depth there was also the inability to get a good grip on the camcorder with the fingers of the right hand. Even with extensive adjustment and renegotiation my large hands were never quite able to get a satisfying grip on this smooth small ledge. The Sony DCR HC96 (Review, Specs, $516) is a great study in opposites in regards to this thanks to a well designed right edge that allows the user to confidently grasp the camcorder body while shooting in a number of conditions.

The new joystick controller, found on the LCD panel, is a bit of a mixed blessing. While it is clearly an improvement over last year’s jog dial, some people in the office found it to be too small. Obviously, every navigation control has its drawbacks, but the joystick seems to be the best of what’s on the market in consumer cams.

Portability (8.75)
The Canon ZR700 features a slim vertical design with both size and weight reductions when compared to its predecessors. The ZR700 has dimensions measuring 1.9 inches in width, 3.6 inches in height, and 4.5 inches in depth not including protrusions. The camcorder weighs in at under a pound at 13.4 ounces without battery and users can expect a slight increase in weight when adding the powering device. The camcorder will definitely fit comfortably in a hand when carrying for short treks however a case would be recommended during travel. The recommendation for a carrying case instead of side bag or a purse is due primarily to the poor construction of the port cover and the manually opened lens cover that could easily be jogged opened when the camcorder is being carried loose in a bag. This could lead to irreparable damage to the surface of the lens. Although the sleek design and slender build would indicate an travel ease the concern over poor tape compartment construction and lens cover will make the traveling and hiking enthusiast think twice before purchasing this camcorder or the ZR500 (Review, Specs, $224.8) since both feature predominately identical body size and design.  

LCD/Viewfinder (7.0)
The LCD screen on the Canon ZR700 is well sized at 2.7 inches although excitement over size should be tempered when overall pixel count is considered since this LCD comes with 112,000 pixels. The LCD screen is opened via a tab on the back or bottom edge of the monitor frame. The LCD has an LCD backlight control which toggles between normal and bright. In addition to this there is a LCD brightness control that is accessed through the Function menu within the administrative sub-menu under Display/Setup. The display/setup menu will allow the user to select LCD brightness settings that are more nuanced than the backlight control. When selected this LCD control displays a sliding scale on a live view screen with a superimposed gray scale along the bottom edge of the screen for gauging accuracy.

There is an electronic color viewfinder included with this camcorder. The viewfinder measures 0.3 inches and has a total resolution of 123,000 pixels, all specifications that would normally lead to our supporting this feature as a secondary viewing device. However the viewfinder is placed above a battery pack that blocks being able to comfortably use this feature on top of the viewfinder being undersized and non-extending unlike most point-and-shoot camcorders that include an extending attribute to their viewfinders so that it can actually be used unlike on this model. The eyepiece around the viewfinder is composed of unforgiving hard plastic that just adds to the pile of reasons that this feature will go unused. Beneath the viewfinder is a dioptric adjustment lever that will allow for users to adjust focus levels once they manage to get their eye within two inches of the viewfinder.

Battery Life (12.0)
The included NB-2LH battery was tested for battery life by putting it in Easy mode for continuous recording. No zooming or manual controls were engaged, and the LCD backlight was turned off. When the tape was changed, the DC power was plugged back in, then immediately removed to begin recording again. In total, the battery lasted 120 minutes and 14 seconds (2 hour and 14 seconds.)