Canon Elura 65 Camcorder Review

by James Murray
Published on Jun 4, 2004 6:00 PM



With an MSRP of US$799 and a current street value of US$600, the Canon Elura 65 has some great options for consumers who like quality lenses, good video performance, and decent manual control. The Elura 65 is nearly identical to the Elura 70 except for the optical zoom: the Elura 65 has a 16x optical zoom, while the Elura 70 ships with an 18x optical zoom.

Video Performance (7.0)
With a 1/4.5 inch CCD, 16x Canon optical zoom lens, and a host of fast automatic features, the Elura 65 is poised to perform very well at optimal light settings of 3000 lux. The Elura 65 made quick automatic adjustments under this light setting. The colors are just slightly washed, but this is common on consumer camcorders under brightly lit conditions.

It is never a good idea to judge a camcorder's color capturing or saturation via the LCD. Go to an electronics store that has the camcorder hooked up to a monitor and ask them to calibrate it for you. The LCD, in compressing the image to 123K pixels over 2.5 inches, often oversaturates it. This is the case on the Canon Elura 65.

The Elura 65 did a good job of replicating color at 3000 lux. The image is in focus, although it could be a little crisper, and there is good distinction between the varying color tiles on the chart. The yellow tile is the only tile that is somewhat disappointing, the red tiles having bled in to the yellow slightly. The whites are bright and grayscales are distinct. There is only a little blurring on the resolution bars. All around, the Elura 65 did a good job at this optimal light setting.

The Front (8.0)
The 16x optical zoom lens is the most noticeable feature on the front panel of the Canon Elura 65. The stereo condenser microphone rests below the lens and directly above the terminal cover for the recessed S-Video and DV ports.

The Right Side (9.5)
The right side of the Canon Elura 65 is largely occupied by the top-loading cassette deck. The front portion of the right side, under another terminal cover, houses the microphone, AV/headphone, USB, and DC ports. Next to the DC port, a small LED signals a currently charging battery. Along the bottom portion of the right side is the nylon grip strap, attached with Velcro and accented with suede. The rear-central portion of the right side houses a built-in speaker, accessible only while the LCD monitor is in use. Behind this speaker is a raised hump with labels that refer to the mode selector housed on the back of the camcorder. Above this hump is the program-options selector or, more simply, the automatic/manual mode switch.

The Back (8.0)
The battery and battery port are located centrally in the rear panel of the Canon Elura 65. The dioptic adjustment is accessible via the back of the camera, and allows for extension of the eyecup about an inch towards the user. A small switch located on the right side of the back allows for the ability to alternate between tape and disc mode based on icons located beside the switch. Above this switch are the battery release button and the shoulder strap mount.

To the far right side of the back panel is the mode-selection dial. The user can select between options labeled CAMERA, OFF, PLAY (VCR), and NETWORK. To shift between these modes, the green button on the right side of the dial must be depressed. To access the NETWORK mode, the user must hold the gray button beneath the dial while shifting the dial towards NETWORK. The LCD switch used to unlock the screen is located on the left side on the back of the camcorder.

The Left Side (9.0)
The 2.5-inch LCD screen on the Canon Elura 65 takes up the majority of the left side. The menu button and accompanying jog dial are both located at the front right side of the camera. Access and navigation within the menu is entirely controlled by these two elements. When the LCD is open, the user has access to a set of buttons that primarily control recording and playback modes. At the top, moving from front to back, are: Record Search, Focus, and Night Mode buttons. These buttons also double as VCR playback options: Fast Forward, Rewind, Play/Pause, and Stop. Located in the middle row are the Digital Effects on/off buttons. Beside these buttons, the user will find the Manual Exposure, which doubles as the End Search option when the camcorder is in VCR mode. The circular Data Code/Self Timer button, the Drive Mode/Record Pause, and the Card Mix/Slide Show buttons are all located in the bottom row. At the very base of the navigation panel is the SD multimedia card slot. When open, the cover flips down, and cards can be inserted into the body of the camcorder.

The Top (9.5)
Atop of the Canon Elura 65, at the rear of the camera, is the viewfinder. It has an extendable eyecup and can be raised 45 degrees. In front of the viewfinder is the advanced accessory shoe. At the front right side of the camera, the user will find the tape-eject slider and a hard plastic grip. Behind the grip area and to the right of the viewfinder is the zoom toggle. To the back of this feature are the photo and print/share buttons.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.0)
The Canon Elura 65 can be set to make constant automatic adjustments to white balance, focus, shutter speed, and exposure. The Canon Elura 65 makes these adjustments relatively seamlessly in optimal lighting conditions. White balance is perhaps a little on the slow side but is reliable for point-and-shoot consumers. Focal adjustments on the Canon Elura 65 are made quickly at varying focal lengths. Shutter speed and exposure were quick and reliable in automatic.

Overall Manual Control (6.0)
Manual control on the Canon Elura 65 is easily accessed by sliding the manual/automatic button, located on the right side of the camcorder, to the square with the P in the center. Once in manual mode, the user can alter settings either through the menu button and jog dial or through the specific button options found directly underneath the LCD on the left side of the camcorder. Options such as Manual focus are available under the screen, whereas options such as shutter speed and white balance are only accessible through the onscreen menu. Although these features allow for manual control, the series of menu options and in-camera choices complicate being able to change options readily while recording.

Zoom (7.0)
The Canon Elura 65 has a 16x optical zoom and a 320x digital zoom, with an additional 64x digital zoom setting. The digital zoom will not engage when used with a multi-image screen or when shooting in the night modes. The zoom feature is controlled by a flat grooved toggle, which automatically switches from optical to digital zoom. By pressing the zoom toggle slightly, the user is able to engage the zoom at a slower speed.

Focus (5.5)
The Canon Elura 65 offers both manual and automatic focus features. The manual focus option resides underneath the LCD panel. When depressed, the MF icon appears on the middle left side of the screen. Once the manual focus is engaged, the user can focus by depressing the jog dial at the front left side of the camcorder. Pulling the dial down allows for greater focal-distance focusing (infinity) and shifting the dial in the opposite direction allows for close-up and macro focus. There are no numbers on the dial, so all focus decisions must be made using the onscreen image.

Exposure (Aperture) (4.5)
Manual Exposure controls on the Canon Elura 65 are labeled as the EXP button located under the LCD screen. If the camcorder is in manual mode, the display will read E. LOCK in the upper left hand corner. The exposure settings are controlled via the jog dial located frontally on the left side of the camcorder. The aperture-closed and aperture-open icons on the left and right bracket a numbered value bar. Exposure settings ranging from -11 to +11 are possible with this camcorder.

Shutter Speed (3.0)
Manual shutter speed is available on the Canon Elura 65, ranging from 1/60-1/2000. There is an automatic setting as well.

White Balance (7.0)
White balance resides within the Menu under the Camera Setup option in the Canon Elura 65. It can be set as either an automatic or a manual feature. The user is given four settings to choose from: Auto, Set, Indoor, and Outdoor. To set the white balance, the user must focus the Canon Elura 65 upon something pure white within the scene. The user must then depress the jog dial while in the white-balance window and hold it until the Set option stops flashing. If the manual option is engaged, every time a light source changes, the user must return to the menu to readjust.

Gain (0.0)
Gain is not available on the Canon Elura 65.

Still Performance(6.0)
The Canon Elura 65 allows for access to the card options through the onscreen menus. Still image sizes available are 1280x960 or 640x480, while movie sizes have options of 320x240 or 160x120. The user can choose between Normal, Fine, and Super Fine options. If the user attempts to engage the still photo option while the camera is in video-record mode, a purple disc icon will appear on the bottom right corner of the LCD, and no photo will register. While in photo mode, the photo button may be pressed partially to access adjustment, in the same manner as analog and digital still cameras. Once these options have been registered, a green rectangle will frame the center of the LCD screen. When the photo button is then pushed, a still image will be captured to the card.

VCR Mode (6.0)
The VCR mode can be accessed by switching the mode selector, located on the back of the camera, to the PLAY/VCR option. Using this feature, the user is now able to view the material they have captured onto tape. To use the VCR buttons, the LCD screen must remain open.

Low-Light Performance (3.5)
Low-light performance on the Elura 65 was not that bad at 60 lux, but hit well below average at 15 lux. Although some believe that low light is overhyped, the rating relies on several key elements: color representation, focus/crispness, illumination, and noise/grain. On most camcorders, the only element that creeps into the scene at 60 lux is a lack of crispness, evinced by the resolution bars on the chart. The Elura 65 does not offer crisp definition between colors at 60 lux, although overall color representation is on par with the image at 3000 lux. The yellow and green tiles are a little washed, as the yellow appears slightly brown. Other colors suffer from a typical lack of vibrancy often replicated in the LCD. It's unfortunate that the image on the LCD does not translate to tape.

At 15 lux, the color chart is riddled with noise, and the resolution bars are severely blurred. The red tiles have bled into the yellow tiles and the entire image is, obviously, much darker. The image is drab and grainy; the whites have taken on a reddish brown hue, grayscales included. To Canon's credit, however, 15 lux is significantly below the recommended 100 lux luminance requirement for good performance.

LCD/ Viewfinder (8.0)
The Canon Elura 65 has a 2.5-inch 123K pixel LCD and a color viewfinder. The LCD pivots 180 degrees, allowing viewing in almost any situation. Discoloration and solarization occurred when viewing the screen at any angle not directly parallel with the screen, making viewing a somewhat tedious adventure of constant readjustment.

The color viewfinder itself can be rotated upwards to forty-five degrees, can extend approximately an inch towards the user, and is capped by a rubber eyecup.

Audio (7.0)
Located beneath the lens on the Canon Elura 65 are two stereo microphones. These are separate from the rest of the controls and away from fingers. Located on the top of the camcorder is the advanced accessory shoe, enabling the attachment of an accessory microphone unit or spotlight. Along with this feature, there is a microphone port located on the front right side of the camera, underneath a terminal cover, as well as the AV/headphone in port. The audio modes listed under the menu options allow for 16-bit or 12-bit options. The windscreen option will filter out ambient and unwanted noise at the cost of compromised audio quality. This option is automatically established on the Canon Elura 65, and must be turned off manually under audio options.

Handling (8.0)
The Canon Elura 65 is very comfortable to hold, and looks almost identical to the more expensive Canon Elura 70. It is heavy enough, and big enough to fit comfortably in the palm or in two hands. The zoom controls are easily accessible. The only nuisance is that the menu and jog dial button on the front left of the camcorder are placed too close to the LCD. When the LCD is open and rotated past roughly 40 degrees, the user cannot easily access these important navigation buttons. Users must constantly reposition the LCD to adjust the image via the menu.

Ports(9.0)
The Canon Elura 65 has microphone, headphone, S-Video, USB, Firewire, DC, and AV in/out ports on the camcorder body. (Front: S-Video, Firewire. Right Side: Microphone, AV, Headphone, USB, DC). All ports are neatly covered by terminal covers which sit flush with the body surface of the camera, and are conscientiously designed to mask their presence.

Other Features (4.5)
Network. The Canon Elura 65 can stream live video, or be used as a webcam. Night Mode. Allows for capturing images in low or no-light situations.

Canon Digital Video Solution Software. The software, available for Windows or Macintosh OSX, can be used to edit DV movies and photos.

Print/Share. It is possible to print stills directly from the camcorder to the printer, circumventing the computer entirely, and edit on-camera.

16:9 widescreen mode There is a 16:9 ratio option for digital widescreen available on the Canon Elura 65 through camera setup.

MPEG The Canon Elura 65 records movies in two sizes to SD memory cards: 320x240 and 160x120.

Analog-to-Digital Passthrough The Canon Elura 65 supports analog-to-digital passthrough.

Comparisons
JVC GR-D93 (Review, Specs, $479) The JVC GR-D93 has a 1/4-inch 1.33 Megapixel CCD. The GR-D93 performed much better than the Canon Elura 70 under low-light conditions of 60 lux and 15 lux, especially the latter. The GR-D93 ships with a 10x optical zoom and 700x digital zoom. The drastic improvement of the GR-D93's low-light performance over other camcorders is big news this year. Other manufacturers managed to maintain a level of performance while reducing CCD size, but the noise and grain has been reduced on the JVC GR models.

Sony DCR-HC65 Sony's DCR-HC65 Mini DV camcorder has a 10x Carl Zeiss optical zoom lens, a 1/5 inch-CCD with 690K effective pixels, a 3.5-inch hybrid LCD, and ''Easy'' automatic mode. With a MSRP of $795, the HC65 is at the same price point as the Canon Elura 65. The DCR-HC65 is the ultimate point-and-shoot camcorder, although the Elura 65 handles equally well in automatic at optimal light settings. The HC65 performed a little better under low light than the Eluras and the Canon ZRs. The HC65 also incorporates a focus ring, and spot focus and spot metering functions.

Panasonic PV-GS120 Also in the $700 price-point category is the PV-GS120, with 3-1/6inch CCDs 290K (x3) effective pixels. The PV-GS120 has a 10x optical zoom and a 700x digital zoom. At optimal light settings, the PV-GS120 performed well. At low light settings, the PV-GS120 outperformed the HC65 in color representation and image crispness. The PV-GS120 takes stills at various settings and captures them to an SD memory card. The PV-GS120 handles well, and its unique design makes it one of the more comfortable camcorders on the market.

Who It's For

Point-and-Shooters (6.0)
The Canon Elura 65 is a good point-and-shoot camcorder. Although it lacks a specific Easy mode, the automatic features make all the adjustments necessary to make shooting virtually worry free.

Budget Consumers(4.0)
A pretty good buy for budget consumers, provided they shop around for the best price.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid(5.0)
A good camcorder for the hybrid lover, as on-board options are enough to keep the video/photo enthusiast busy for a while.

Gadget Freaks(5.0)
Not that much gadgetry here, although the Elura 65 is pretty sleek looking.

Manual Control Freaks(5.0)
A good deal of manual control on board the Canon Elura 65, but accessing those controls might be an issue.

Pros/Serious Hobbyists(3.0)
The Elura 65 is a good backup camcorder for the pro or serious hobbyist. There's enough manual control and the camcorder's body is evenly weighted and not too small.

Conclusion
The Canon Elura 65 is practically identical to the Elura 70, with the exception of optical and digital zoom. The Elura 65 handles well, but moving the LCD while navigating the menu system via the menu button and jog dial will take some getting used to. The Elura 65 isn't too small, and its weight is distributed well, making for a balanced camcorder that can perform well in a variety of recording situations. The intelligent accessory shoe, in addition to the other on-board audio options, allow for users to capture better-than-average sound. Moreover, it's a top loading camcorder, which will add to the ease of use for users who use a tripod.

Video performance at optimal lighting levels was pretty good, as is expected for any camcorder over $300. However, when the lighting conditions are suboptimal, the Canon Elura 65 makes a poor show of rendering colors accurately and eliminating excessive gain. (Granted, the manual makes it plain and clear that this camcorder was designed for use at levels measuring over 100 lux, a light rating equivalent to a well lit room.) All around, the Elura 65 performed well, making automatic adjustments to exposure, shutter, focus, and white balance. This is commendable, and as long as users heed the manufacturer's warning, great image quality is assured.