Canon ZR700 Camcorder Review

The Front (6.25)
The Canon 25x optical zoom video lens is positioned at the top of the camera body and the curved upper half of the lens forms the edge between the front and top of the Canon ZR700. The lens has a focal length of 43.8 mm to 1095 mm when shooting in 16:9 with image stabilizer, 41.0 mm to 1025 mm in 16:9 without image stabilizer, 49.8 mm to 1245 mm with 4:3 aspect, and finally still images will have a focal length of 43.6 mm to 1090 mm when translating focal length with a 35 mm equivalent. The lens configuration for the Canon ZR700 is 10 elements with 8 groups. Beneath the lens of the camcorder is the remote control sensor with the optional video light placed directly below. This light is activated via a control located on the frame of the LCD on the left side of the camcorder. Finally at the base of the front face is the stereo microphone for audio recording. This is the only audio recording device for the ZR700 even though the less expensive ZR500 does include a microphone in jack.

The Right Side (9.85)
The right side of the Canon ZR700 has a bottom loading tape compartment that is opened via a switch located on the base of the camcorder. A bottom loading tape compartment is problematic because accessing tapes will be impossible whenever the camcorder is placed on a tripod. This is because the face plate for the tripod will block the user from reaching the switch to open the compartment so users will be required to remove the camcorder from the tripod to switch tapes. This is not only time consuming and an inconvenience, but it will also result in lost footage since the composition from before and after the tape switch will be inevitably different. Running horizontally along the bottom of the right side is the adjustable hand strap for the ZR700. The hand strap is too thin to really be comfortable and as for safety and security the hand strap for this camcorder actually may cause more damage than protection. This is due to a design flaw that anchored the front of the hand strap to the actual hatch for the tape compartment. When the camcorder is jostled or shaken with the hand strap being used the door separates from the camcorder body and eventually if strained enough the door will snap open. If the tape compartment had a firmer connection to the camcorder body this attachment might have been a non-issue, as it stands now though, both the ZR700 and the ZR500 have suffered from this problem and raise questions of camcorder durability and longevity.

The placement of the hand strap can make for serious strain on the latch that keeps the tape mechanism closed. The picture above illustrates what just a little pressure can do.

At the rounded edge which separates the right side from the top of the camera are two port covers made of a light gray plastic which stands out in contrast to the smooth powdered silver metallic finish found on the rest of the ZR700. Both port covers are horizontal in orientation and labeled for easy access. The port cover positioned towards the front of the camcorder is opened through a slight cut-away found on the top-back edge of this feature. The port cover was poorly constructed and was unable to close completely when not being used. This lead to the cover opening and getting in the way of the right hand when shooting which was an unnecessary aggravation which could be easily overcome with better construction and design. Beneath this ill fitting port cover are three jacks which allow for the user to connect the camcorder to AV composite in/out, USB, and FireWire cables. The port located directly behind these options is opened via a tab located on its top edge and protects the SD/MMC memory card located directly beneath.

A circular switch is located along the back edge of the camcorder directly behind the tape compartment and immediately above the right hand strap connection point to the camcorder body. This switch is labeled with text options that are listed on the surface of the tape compartment and which allow for the camcorder to be entered into off, camera/power, and play. A small gray button located in a cutaway on the back edge of the switch must be depressed before settings can be altered.

The Back (6.75)
The back of the Canon ZR700 features a sizeable battery that consumes most of the slender camcorder frame with its presence. Beneath this battery pack is a DC IN port that is positioned so that users can switch between battery and wall power without losing a shot, something will occur when the DC IN port is masked when the battery is in place. To the right of the battery and to the left of the mode switch is the record button, a slender vertical button made of a white plastic that stands out awkwardly from the camcorder body and visually makes the camera appear as though it is still in design-phase and a final button design has still not been chosen to replace this stand-in. Above the battery pack is the button that must be pressed to release the battery from the camcorder body. Slightly above this feature and the battery is the electronic color viewfinder. This viewfinder will not extend from the camcorder body and the position of the battery pack will make actually using this viewing option either impossible or an unnecessary hassle. The undersized viewfinder is framed in unforgiving plastic and has a dioptric adjustment tab located directly beneath it.

The Left Side (9.25)
The left side of the Canon ZR700 features a 2.7 inch LCD that can be opened either from the bottom edge or via a tab on the back edge of the LCD frame. There is no locking mechanism on this LCD and while this will allow for users to quickly open this feature it also means that it could be open, damaged, or broken during transportation if not packed properly. Once the LCD is open it can be rotated 270 degrees and can be flipped back into the camcorder body either facing in or out. A series of controls are located beneath the LCD on the frame of this viewing option. These controls are a four-way controller for menu navigation and image control, and buttons for the Function Menu, digital effects/P. set menu, widescreen/data code, and the video light button. Placing controls on the frame of the LCD has its advantages and its drawbacks. They are simple to reach with the left hand and can be located quickly which are two areas where many camcorders struggle. Unfortunately by placing the controls on the LCD frame users may find that moving through menus and settings will lead to the camcorder shaking and shifting during shooting. Also the four-way control works so that once a setting has been highlighted this control can be depressed to select this control and return to shooting. The small size of the four-way control made it stubborn and often lead to inadvertent movements through menus, controls, and playback/shooting modes. While great for the casual user looking to set controls and forget them but for users looking to constantly change settings while shooting the placement of these buttons on the LCD could be a deal breaker. If the LCD is open the user will find an LCD backlight button on the outer edge of the monitor frame in a position which is sure to be often forgotten.

Another problem with placing all manual and menu controls on the inside face of the LCD is that it will be impossible to access these features when using the electronic color viewfinder and while normally I would consider this a huge detractor, however the terrible design and construction of the viewfinder pretty much negated any desire a user would have to use this alternate viewing option in the first place.

An arcing series of holes move along the edge between the left and top sides of the camcorder body near the back edge of the LCD and are in fact the playback speaker for the camcorder. And finally an extremely important feature that goes easily unnoticed can be found at the front of the left side near the lens ring for the camcorder. This feature is a manually operated switch that opens and closes the internal lens cover for the camera. If the user forgets the cover is open and throws this into a backpack the only results are sure to be bad ones. Scratched, broken, and damaged lenses really seem to be the only outcome of a design like this and it seems to beg the question why not just have an external lens cap, sure they’re easy to lose, but honestly, a manually controlled internal lens cover is somehow better?

The Top (8.0)
The features found on the top of the Canon ZR700 are all located along the right side. The Photo button is recessed slightly in a scalloped area near the back of the camera that allows the index finger of the right had to access this control easily when shooting memory card mode. Directly in front of the photo button is the zoom lever that reacted with quickness to changes in the amount of pressure exerted. This will allow for clean movement between zoom levels with a minimum amount of stutter when changes are made. When reviewing video and stills in playback the zoom lever doubles as the review zoom/multi-up display controller.