Canon ZR90 Camcorder Review

by Mark Bassett
Published on Apr 6, 2004 12:00 AM



The ZR90 (Review, Specs, $229) is the high end of the relatively smaller profile point and shoot MiniDV camcorders. What sets this unit apart from the field and the other ZR's is a 22x optical zoom. Like many cams in the category the ZR90 comes with an SD card for stills, and a built in LED. The Canon Company separates itself from other camcorder manufactures with 65 years of excellence in lens design. The ZR90 is a well designed camcorder that has the look and feel of quality, and will likely provide years of use with proper maintenance. The ZR90 is easy to operate due in large part to the significant amount of controls of the exterior of the unit. The cam itself is comfortable to hold because of its 18% size reduction from former models, ergonomic design and high quality strap. The LCD menu is simple to understand, although navigation is a bit of a problem due to the small, ill-placed depressible jog dial.

Video Performance (4.5)
The Canon ZR90 is fitted with the same 1/6 inch 680K pixel CCD with 340K effective as last years ZR line. In the camcorderinfo.com review of the ZR65MC (Review, Specs, $259.99), the video performance was described as excelling in sunny lighting or well lit situations, and producing an under saturated or muted image in less then optimal lighting. The same can be said of this years ZR line, and the ZR90 as well. In comparison to other camcorders in this price range, the ZR line is on par at light levels measuring 3000 lux, with accurate color representation not being an issue at well lit light levels.

The Canon ZR90 was lighting fast when shifting from principals at a variety of focal lengths, and staying in focus while adapting to variable zoom levels. Part of this is the fact that the ZR90 is built with a DigicDV chip with VIC circuit connectivity. The combination is described by Canon as minimizing the number of chips used in camcorder functionality, and thus increasing the unit's electronic efficiency. It seemed to work, as all of the ZR90 functionality was quick and reliable.

The Front (8.0)
The ZR90's 30.5 mm lens is the product of 65 years of ingenuity and it sits prominently at the top front. Smaller in profile than the lens constructed by other manufacturers, this bad boy packs 22x of optical zoom power, and a focal range of 2.8-61.6mm, with F-stop steps from 1:1.6. Threading for lens attachments will be useful to those with a wide-angle or telephoto converters, or filters. Underneath the lens is a brushed-grey surface with a white Canon logo superimposed across the opaque cover of the LED light. Below the logo and the LED is a circular infrared sensor. The sensor barely bisects a two channel microphone that offers wind-screening capabilities, and records in 12bit or 16bit sound. A hard grey plastic panel concealing a DV port for Firewire connectivity and S-Video, is at the base of the camcorder. The design is new and the cover snaps securely into place; last year's cover was blue and was rubber not plastic.

The Right Side (9.5)
The Canon no chinze strap is indicative of the manufactures desire to bring a consumers quality without skimping. This year's ZR's are at the top of my list because of the suede. Who else in the market gives your hand the caress of suede? They did away with the somewhat cheesy pleather boarder that appeared on last year's ZRs, and shouldn't change this strap-unless, of course, they want to inlay the logo with gold. The bottom loading MiniDV is housed beneath this side of the camcorder. At the front of the ZR90 is a sturdy, hard grey rubber cover that conceals the AV In/Out port (which doubles as a headphone jack), and a USB port. The Canon covers should last years, as they're not the flimsy style that appears in many low-end camcorders. The designers also boosted the profile of the right side by the crux of the thumb and forefinger, by implementing a gradual cylindrical progression of plastic ovals that ends at the locking mode selector--this adds to the comfort level.

The Back (7.0)
Another new feature on the back of the ZR90, which is indicative of their desire to create a user friendly unit, is a toggle switch that limits access to manual and digital enhancement functions. Flick the switch, and any newbie who's lost in tech-translation can reset the ZR90 to automatic defaults. More detail on Canon's part is a sturdy red record button surrounded by a brushed silver and green locking menu selector.

The 7.4 volt power cable input is located below the battery housing, meaning you can charge while shooting. But the lithium ion battery pack should allow for two full hours of shoot time. A trigger the eject button at top right of the back of the ZR90, clicks off the battery.

The Left Side (9.0)
Like a fine art deco piece the line and functionality of the ZR90 astound. This is most apparent on the business side of the camcorder. The left side of the ZR90, as is in all the ZRs, has the ability to work as a stand alone viewer or a camcorder in action. Work, in all senses of the adjective, meaning it does operate, but it also creates aesthetic perception that the unit was designed specifically for each operation. This is due in large part to Canon's placement of four brushed steel dual-feature VCR control buttons. Conveniently placed above the LCD, these buttons gives the ZR90 functionality and design in a cool package. Of course when not viewing tape, rewind and fast forward can be used to search tape, and the play button engages manual focus. Underneath, or behind the 2.5 inch LCD are digital effects, manual or automatic exposure, record and pause buttons. Although I would've liked to see a big ole' 3.5 incher on the ZR90, with a boost in pixel count, the cool design will have to do. Behind the LCD is the SD card slot, which when flipped up exposes the spring loaded card reader. By the way, make sure to select stills to SD or they'll end up on the tape at lower resolutions.

The depressible jog dial located at the bottom left, below the SD card, allows users to navigate the menu and select settings by pushing the spring loaded dial into the camcorder housing. It takes the place of a focus ring and controls exposure steps. One small mechanism, that will likely receive as much use as the record button, is way too small and its placement is another area for improvement. Making adjustments while shooting is awkward.

The Top(9.0)
At the back right of the ZR90 is the raise toggle zoom control. Initially perceived as an area for improvement, after a cursory inspection at CES, this toggle easily controls zoom speeds and is placed in perfect concert to the record button and electronic shutter. Just behind the zoom is an electronic shutter that captures stills to tape or SD card. While the accessory port, at the top front of the ZR90, doesn't support an external microphone, the new viewfinder housing, at the top back, extends a full 80 degrees from the locked position. External microphone capabilities should be an industry wide standard and a source of marketing dollars and R&D.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (5.0)
Canon's ZR90 is designed for manual and automatic, but truth be told the top of the line ZR is happiest in automatic. The manufacturers DigicDV processor has the power, power which translates rapid and accurate changes in focal points, zoom, and lighting environments in near seamless fashion under well lit conditions.

Overall Manual Control (5.0)
The Canon ZR90 does have ample manual control with two noticeable absences: gain control, and audio control. The measly selection of shutter speeds could also be improved at this price point. On the list of manual functions are focus, exposure, shutter speed, and white balance. The one significant disappointment is the depressible jog dial.

Zoom (7.5)
The Canon ZR90 is top of the heap with an outstanding 22x optical zoom. The trademark of the Canon line is their 65 years of lens excellence, and super powerful optical zooms. This year's offerings do not disappoint. The zoom control is a redesigned raised toggle, that accurately goes from telephoto to wide in two speeds.

Focus (3.0)
This reporter is always torn when it comes to writing about focus control on consumer MiniDVs. The understanding that the majority of targeted users of the ZR90 will not venture from auto focus, conflicts with the knowledge that a focus ring would open a whole new world for them. Complicating this is Canon's, and many other manufactures, concept of manual focus on consumer camcorders: placing controls within the LCD menu (totally ridiculous) or designating a tiny depressible jog dial to complete the task. Either way it's a let down. Canon's ZR90 gets half way there by enabling manual focus on the exterior of the cam, but drops the ball with the depressible jog dial.

Exposure (Aperture) (4.5)
The ZR9s AE shift is activated and controlled the same way as manual focus. The ZR90 goes from -2.0 to +2.5.

Shutter Speed (3.0)
The ZR90 shutter speed is adjusted in a submenu on the LCD. Steps of electronic shutter speed escalate incrementally - 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, to 1/2000th of a second. The ZR90 should have higher end settings for sports, and lower end settings for low/poor light conditions.

White Balance (7.0)
The ZR90 has the standard white balance settings, controlled from within the LCD menu, they include auto, manual, indoor and outdoor.

Gain (0.0)
The Canon ZR90 offers no manual gain control.

Still Performance(5.5)
The SD card captures hi-res stills up to 1,028x768 in fine, super fine, and normal. This is the resolution of your standard HD television. While many camcorders on the market have super still abilities, the ZR90 hasn't stepped to that level. Perhaps the designer's decision is rooted in a desire to utilize the pixels for video, a trade off that most camcorder users would appreciate, or perhaps they're trying to sell their digital cameras. If you want great stills you should probably buy a digital camera anyway.

VCR Mode (9.0)
Canon's ZR90, just like all the other ZRs, are a personal favorite when it comes to VCR mode. Quality stainless steal rewind, fast forward, play, and stop button located above the LCD give the appearance of a portable viewer. Other than the missing frame shuttle, the ZR90 VCR mode is one of the best in the industry.

Low Light Performance(2.0)
The ZR90 features the same 1/6th inch 680k CCD as in previous year's models, and even with the quality camcorder lens, the small size of the CCD translated into poor low light performance in the past. Previous observations included excessive picture grain in low or moderate light. The ZR90 is rated for shooting at 2 LUX (night-mode) and has a suggested minimum LUX requirement of more than 100. The low light test we perform on camcorders we review puts these camcorders in low lit scenarios, (similar to a candle-lit room, or other dimly lit space) bringing the light measurement to 60 lux and 15 lux. At these levels the ZR90, like other ZR's before it, produces excessively grainy images, and color re-presentation is severely hampered at this level. Although Canon suggests that the ZR90 has a minimum light requirement of 100 lux, this light level is much brighter than a multitude of potential every day recording situations, and lower level performance needs to be considered. Again, sadly it is difficult to recommend the ZR line with such poor performance with low light. The ZR has a lot of other features going for it, but if users anticipate recording indoor or in other potentially low lit scenarios, they should understand that the ZR camcorders are poor low light performers.

LCD/ Viewfinder(7.0)
The LCD of the Canon ZR90 displays a clear image that could be a little crisper. Many cams have 123,000 pixels in their LCDs, but the Canon ZR90's 2.5 inch color LCD screen only has 112,000 pixels of resolution. The LCD can be manipulated to nearly every conceivable angle; you can even record yourself if you choose. When flipped and recessed into the camcorder, the unit has the appearance and the ability of a portable playback unit. This isn't unique to Canon; it spans the industry, Canon just does it better. What Canon also does better on their LCD, is organize the size and placement of fonts so that the viewing space isn't crowed and confusing. Other manufactures are so information heavy that the LCD's are more like a computer screen than a canvas.

The ZR90's color viewfinder is adjustable to 80 degrees-nearly perpendicular. Many other cams have a 45 degree lift, some have none at all, and both are useless for table top or super low angle shooting through the viewfinder. The eye cup on the ZR90, like all the ZR's is better than most in the industry, and the focal length adjustment can eliminate the need for glasses with minor prescriptions. Of course, once you take your eye from the viewfinder, the glasses go back on, so a larger eye cup would be appreciated in the next generation.

Audio (6.0)
Industry wide the built in camcorder microphones don't replicate live sound to tape in the most accurate way. While the ZR90 does have an accessory cold-shoe, it is for a spotlight only. The internal microphone has the windscreen function that mutes the sounds of wind and 12bit or 16bit sound rate recording for the addition of voice-over in post-production.

Handling (8.0)
Like all of the ZR's, Canon's ZR90 is a well balance camcorder--small and light, but substantial. The ZR90 is nicely balanced, and easy to steady even over the long haul. Add to this a sophisticated steady shot, and users will be able to use two hours of battery time effectively. An all suede hand strap on the ZR90 creates a snug feel in the user's hand. Stainless steal buttons enhance the appearance and functionality. The incredibly adept angle of the ZR viewfinder will allow new shooting postures in low angle situations with out the need of the bright 2.5 inch LCD. Port placement and cover durability is another example of Canon's attention to detail. A small detractor is the bottom loading tape mechanism with an eject switch on the underside of the cam. However, it is placed in a far corner of the bottom of the camcorder so as that the cam can be loaded without unscrewing the tripod. Improving the design and placement of the depressible jog dial, or main command of ZR90, would make the cam much more user friendly in the manual control department. This has been done on Canon's Optura XI, although the XI is targeted to a more sophisticated and deeper pocketed consumer.

Ports(8.0)
The ZR90 has a Mini AV in / out jack (which is also the headphone jack), SD Card port, Svideo, and a Firewire port.

Other Features (4.5)
The ZR90 has Canon's new digital feature--Skin Detail Function. The ZR90 also has an enhanced night mode.

16:9 widescreen mode Digitally enhanced.

Webcam Yes, software not included.

MPEG About one minute of MPEG footage at 15 frames a second.

Analog to Digital Pass Through Canon's ZR90 has the ability to covert an analog signal from a VCR or television to DVD, into MiniDV footage or to MPEG format.
Comparisons
The ZR90 technically replaces the ZR65MC or the ZR60, but the replacement is more an update than a redesign, with the exception of an increase in optical zoom power. This is most apparent in the CCD size and video and low light performance. Looking across the field of manufactures in the low-end range, Canon falls in the upper middle of the group-closer to the upper than the middle.

Sony introduced The DCR-HC40 (Review, Specs, $539.94) which is smaller than last years model, with the same 1/5 inch 1,070K pixel CCD with 690K effective pixels for video. The cam has an MSRP of $700. Like the Canon it's geared to the casual user, although with Spot Metering and Spot Focus functions the camcorder steps into an area that bridges manual and automatic modes. The DCR-HC40's megapixel chip captures stills at 1,152 x 864 pixel resolution, which is slightly higher than the ZR90. The Canon has more than twice the zoom power as Sony's DCR-HC40 which has a 10x optical zoom.

JVCs top line compact series camcorder is the GR-D93 (Review, Specs, $479). This cam is 20 percent smaller than last years Compact Series. The GR-D93 has a mere 10x optical zoom with a 1.33 Megapixel ¼ inch CCD, which translates still resolutions of up to 1,600 x 1,200. The GR-D93 has a built in LED, and a 2.5 inch LCD. With a price that compares to Canon ($700), the GR-D93 is a competitor. But the competition is skewed. While the JVC does have a bigger CCD it's designed for stills, so the video and low-light shouldn't be too much better. Both have LED's, although JVC has four bulbs not one, but the Canon has a 22x optical zoom not just the messily 10x. More importantly the Canon is easier to use as it's less reliant on the LCD menu for feature control.

The flagship of Sharp's VL-Z Viewcams is the VL-Z800U. The VL-800U has a 10x optical zoom on a 1.33 Megapixel 1/6th inch CCD. The VL-Z800U has a built in LED (with a range of 1.5m) and gain control for shooting in low light, and a 2.5 inch Silicon LCD with transmissive and reflective capabilities. Compared to the Canon, the JVC has much more control over picture and more megapixels. The units are so distinctly different in appearance and design. While both have LED lights only the JVC has gain control, for improving low-light performance. The Canon is more expensive, but you are likely buying durability that exceeds Sharp.


Who's it For
Point and Shooter's
A good choice for point and shooter, as that what it's designed for, the ZR90 will suffice as long as users don't need SD still performance.
Budget Consumers
The ZR90 offers a good value for a top notch lens, a well built housing, a big ole' optical zoom, and a fast processor.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
The ZR90 shoots stills to tape at 640x480.
Gadget Freaks
The ZR90 is quality MiniDV point and shooter.
Manual Control Freaks
The ZR90 has abundant manual control, the only drawback is the control mechanism.
Pro's/ Serious Hobbyists
The ZR90 would work as a backup, or as a b-roll cam for the not so serious pro.

Conclusion
Point and shoot consumers with an ample budget should consider the ZR90, it is a good point and shoot camcorder despite the low-end industry standard CCD size of 1/6 of an inch. The ZR90 has one of the most powerful optical zooms in the industry, combined with a history of quality lens design, this means the wide shot will be impressive in the right light. Cam construction is another stand out feature of this unit and others in the ZR line. This should translate to a durable camcorder, so even though pricing is on the high end, it will likely retain value over the years through continued functionality. Detractors are marginal with the exception of the CCD. Still resolution could be improved, although this would effect the marginal low-light as pixels would be used for still not video. There is also the absence of external microphone capabilities, which should be an industry wide standard.

All of the camcorders in the ZR line have been reduced in size. The ZR90 is 18% smaller than the previous year's ZRs. This trend appears in camcorders from manufactures, but in Canon's products hasn't affected the durable appearance or the amount of external control options. The camcorder is substantial is the user's hand, and provide years of use, use that may only be eclipsed by desire for new technology or prosumer style CCD.