Canon ZR830 Camcorder Review by John Neely Published on Mar 22, 2007 4:00 PM

The Canon ZR830 ($299 MSRP) is not a bad little DV camcorder, but with HD moving towards the mainstream, and new formats sprouting left and right, this DV camcorder seems like a bit of a throwback. This is not a camcorder that reflects any of the major trends or developments that are sweeping the consumer video industry these days. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but as we videographers move on and into the future, the footage from this camcorder will not move with us. We found its step-up sibling, the ZR850, to be a solid DV camcorder, with a reasonably sharp image and a strong manual control suite. It also boasts a higher resolution imager for only $30 more. Is it worth the upgrade, or should the ZRs be avoided altogether? After running both camcorders through our battery of tests, we think we have a verdict…

The Front (3.75)
The ZR830 looks shinier and more sleek than last year’s ZR500 (Review, Specs, $224.8), boasting a faux-chrome panel and octagonal lens frame. The f/2.0 – 5.0, 35x optical zoom lens is capable of a 2.6mm – 91mm focal length. In 35mm equivalent, the focal lengths vary:

-45.8mm-1603mm in 16:9 with EIS on
-41mm-1435mm in 16:9 with EIS off
-49.8mm-1743mm with 4:3 aspect (EIS on or off)
-43.6mm-1526mm for still images

The ZR830 does not have a lens thread, which means that lens filters and lens adapters cannot be used. This may be enough to bar the camcorder from the consideration of an avid, thrifty videographer. A circular remote control sensor lies about an inch below the lens, and at the very base of the camcorder’s face is the stereo microphone for audio recording. These are pretty straightforward, logical function placements.

The Right Side (3.0)
Slipping your hand into the ZR830’s strap is a breeze, thanks to its simple, one-loop Velcro design. The only downside to the strap is that it's fastened to the tape hatch, which heightens the amount of strain on the bottom right side. Over time, this could be a prime contributor to wear and tear. After a couple ruthless shakes, the ZR830 seemed to hold firm, but it made an awkward clicking noise (we were able to open last year’s ZR500 tape hatch by simply yanking on the hand strap). The tape hatch is opened by a sliding switch at the base of the camcorder. In order to open the hatch, you must slide the switch and pull the hatch out manually. The downside to this design is that it disables the shooter from changing a tape while the camcorder is attached to a tripod.

The round mode dial is located along the back rim of the camcorder and can easily be accessed by the thumb. Directly above the mode dial is a small, circular button labeled “Quick Start.” When activated, the Quick Start feature sets the ZR830 into a brief state of hibernation, cutting battery consumption in half. When pressed again, the camcorder snaps back into recording mode and is ready to roll in under one second.

Two plastic port covers can be found directly above the top ridge of the tape hatch. The bullet-shaped port cover closest to the rear of the camcorder contains a slot that holds SD, SDHC, and MMC memory cards. The second, longer port cover houses an AV composite in/out jack, USB terminal, and Firewire terminal. Both port covers are simple to access, but the thin plastic strips attaching them to the camcorder can easily break with one fatal tug. The ZR830 does not include a microphone jack, whereas the cheaper ZR800 has one in place of the ZR830’s USB port. This is yet another deterrent for the thrifty videographer.

The Back (4.5)
At the back of the ZR830, you’ll notice a dark, gray Li-ion battery pack. In the event of an upgrade, a larger battery will pose as an obstacle for maintaining a comfortable eye-to-viewfinder distance, which is already bad enough with the included battery. The viewfinder is even smaller than last year’s ZR500, making it more useless than ever. The dioptric adjustment is tucked just underneath the sad remains of the viewfinder. To the bottom right of the viewfinder switch is the grooved, rectangular battery release button. The peculiar-looking white oval-shaped button is the record start/stop. Canon has chosen to ignore the near-universal norm of making the record button red. On the very bottom, beneath the battery, there is a trapezoidal 8.4 volt DC jack with a sleeker, more stable design than the round jack on last year’s ZR500, which pulled out frequently. Accolades to Canon for spotting this flawed feature.

The Left Side (4.5)
The hub of the activity on the left side of the ZR830 centers around the 2.7” widescreen LCD screen that can be flipped open by a finger groove located externally on the right side of its rectangular design. At the bottom right hand corner, on the outside of the LCD, just beneath the finger groove, there is a rounded tab that functions as an alternate opening mechanism. The problem with the LCD screen is that it doesn’t have a lock. I was able to pop the LCD panel open with a slight flick of the wrist, illustrating the weak hinge points and overall cheap construction. Once open, the LCD screen can be rotated vertically up to 270 degrees.

The LCD screen is a petit 2.7”, though this is usually as wide as it gets for under $1000. Its image quality is fairly decent. At the bottom of the LCD panel, there is a row of three controls that span from left to right: the four-way joystick for menu navigation, the Function menu button, and the digital effects/ P.set menu buttons. Although the joystick is compact, it is a little sensitive and makes an accidental movement easy to do. Placing the menu controls on the LCD panel creates a quick and easy atmosphere for the heavily LCD-reliant point-and-shooter. However, for more seasoned videographers, it creates problems with camcorder stabilization and requires the screen to be open, even if you want to save battery power by using the viewfinder.

Inside the LCD cavity is the audio playback speaker and a functionless set of C-shaped grooves. Sound can only be heard during playback if the LCD screen is open. Above the LCD cavity, on the far right of the camcorder’s body, is the memory card/battery charge light. Finally, on the far left-hand side of the ZR830 near the edge of the front is the lens cover switch. This is a great feature if you have an elephant’s memory. If you don’t remember to flip this switch after filming, you are placing your lens in great danger.

The Top (3.5)
At the top of the ZR830 along the right side where the fingers rest, a line of controls are ergonomically placed. Starting from the back of the camcorder, the photo shutter button is easily accessible via the index finger. Next in line is the quick and accurate zoom, which is toggled horizontally. In front of the zoom are two oval switches, one for Easy mode/P-mode and one for juggling between DV tape and memory card recording modes.