Customer Reviews
Canon ZR700 MiniDV Camcorder 
2007-03-08
So far so good. It showed up pretty fast. I hadn't heard of Electronics Expo, but they got the job done and saved me a good amount over the local stores here. We have a newborn, and this works great for general use (filming playtime, baths, etc). If the lighting is low the picture will be dark, but usually it seems manageable. Pretty easy to use, didn't even read the manual yet. I haven't had a chance to put an SD card in it yet so I don't know how the snapshots will look, but this camera also allows you to take a snapshot of any frame within the video, so thats cool. They have a newer model out soon, or now but I could have only pre-ordered it at the time, otherwise why not get the newer model. I'm sure this one is even cheaper now though, and the new one doesn't use an SD card or take pics. I guess I find the amount of camcorder noise neglegeable.
Transfer Old Videos to Mini-DV Digital Tapes 
2007-02-12
One excellent feature of the ZR700 camera which I have not seen sufficiently discussed is its ability to transfer home video from VHS, V8, Hi8, or any other video format which has an RCA jack system (yellow, red, white), to digital video (DV) on Mini-DV tapes. (I have a ZR200 and my father has a ZR700; this is a very similar review to my posting for the ZR200)
This feature is fabulous and dramatically easier to use than other methods I have tried. I did not discover it during nearly 1 1/2 years of owning the ZR200. I inadvertently came across a terse mention of such transfers in the owner's manual. (See Canon ZR200 owner's manual at page 79 for instructions, or page 72 for the Canon ZR700 unit with similar capabilities.)
Suffice it to say that the transfer process is very easy, assuming that one has kept the original cabling which came with the ZR200 (or ZR700) camera. It produces a video image which is superior to any other method I have tried. And I have tried a number of methods, including transferring video to a high-quality external video capture card to DV and ultimately to Mini-DV tape using iMovie on an Apple computer.
Upon careful comparison of like clips, this complex, multi-step approach produced good results, but only a nominally clearer image and it has tiny diagonal stripes running across it and a curling upper left edge from the video recorder heads; overall not as good. The color quality and image clarity that results from direct videotape to Mini-DV-tape method using the ZR200ZR700 built-in features is overall, smoother, cleaner and produces a full screen image without diagonal lines or the jagged tape-head artifact in the upper left corner. Direct transfer appears to eliminate this visual nuisance entirely, or at least it did so for me. This significantly improves the image appearance and eliminates an otherwise very distracting visual distortion.
In transferring 20-year old V8-tapes, I was stunned at the improved image clarity and vivid color, in some instances as if the tape had been shot the day before! It was a real pleasure to see clear images from the past - now I only wish I had had slightly better camera skills.
I also recommend buying a cleaner for the heads of any video source you might use; Sony makes a good head cleaner for V8/Hi8 and for Mini-DV. As I cleaned the heads of the video source, the image quality and clarity quality improved significantly.
Overall, the ZR700 is an excellent camera and has some delightful hidden features, including 16x9 widescreen and direct video to Mini-DV transfer.
Five stars.
May 8, 2008: Strong Caveat for Apple computer users who plan to use Final Cut Express or Final Cut as the program to extract video streams: this camera does not seem capable of laying down a steady time-code on DV tape. While this does not have any effect on iMovie based extraction of the video stream, it makes the camera essentially unusable for Final Cut Express or Final Cut where the time code signal is critical for proper video extraction.
While this will affect only certain users, it is worth knowing in advance. One easy work-around is to extract video using iMovie as full DV and then import the clips into Final Cut Express or Final Cut. However, this does not produce the best possible quality as would be the case in a direct extraction.
On the whole, Canon makes good cameras so far as I can tell, but the time code feature of the ZR700 needs significant improvement. My ZR200 does not suffer from this problem and has been very satisfactory.
A large capacity battery is a wonderful addition. For a relatively small amount of money, a large battery will improve the utility of the camera considerably.
Great camera 2007-02-07
This is a great camera. Small, but not too small, easy to use, and not too complicated. Very pleased with our purchase.
Great Camera...Much better than expected. 2007-01-22
We purchased this camera for taping live music shows. Our biggest problem has always been trying to work in low-light conditions. After reading reviews which were critical of this camera's low-light performance, I expected it to be similar to my old 8mm camcorder. The first show we taped was in a really dimmly lit club, and this camera captured it with no problems. This digital format is a big step above standard analog 8mm, so for me this is a very impressive camera. Technology has come a long way. Also, the still-image features are very useful. I've seen reviews bashing the photo quality as grainy, but since our photos are mostly for web pages anyway, it isn't that critical.The feature is great for our purposes. It even lets you put a screen capture on the memory card from the tape. Totally cool. This is my first digital camera after working with a standard 8mm for 25 years. The difference is night & day. I am very impressed with this camera.
Extraordinario valor 2007-01-17
Canon logra ofrecer con esta camara todo lo que requiere un aficinado que solo busca tener videos y simplicidad de los momentos más importanes de su vida a un extraordinario precio.
Ahora, si eres un consumidor más exquisito entonces tienes que invertir en camaras más avanzadas de Canon o de otras marcas, pero eso tiene su precio.
Lo que siempre destaca de Canon es la calidad de sus lentes y esta camara no se queda atrás.
Just as Advertized 2008-05-29
The camera came in a timely manner and was exactly like the description stated. I would have no issues recommending or purchasing from them again.
Love this little machine! 2007-12-23
I took my first foray into video-making last spring. I needed a decent camcorder that would work easily with my iMac. After a couple of months of research and leg work, I bought the ZR700 as well as another more expensive camera ($100 more) that was more highly regarded. I tried the two in a side-by-side comparison. It was no contest; the ZR700 blew the other away.
I won't go into all the ins and outs; suffice to say that I find this camcorder easy to use with plenty of good features. It feels good in my hands and I love the joystick control. Every control is quite logical and makes sense. One small feature that many cameras don't have is the built-in lens cap. With the touch of a button, the lens opens; another touch, it closes. Much preferable to having a lens cap to dangle and perhaps lose.
When it came time to making the movie, importing the clips was a snap--it was almost too easy. And the picture quality was everything I could have hoped for. I loved the features that let you program the video for the type of scene you're filming--outdoor sunny, outdoor overcast, indoor spotlight, etc. The sound was fine, too.
I'm sure if I spent $500 more on a machine, I'd notice the difference in quality. But this more than met my needs. If you want an excellent camcorder at an extremely reasonable price, the ZR700 is a good choice.
Worked for 15 minutes. Canon won't pay for Shipping 
2007-08-13
I used this camera for 15 minutes and got the "remove the cassette" error message. I tried using other tapes thinking it may have been defective but still received the error message. Then I researched the internet and found out that this is a very common problem. Its so common that if you go to the Canon product page, they have a special link to address questions about this error. Canon's website is basically set up to make you think that you, the consumer, may have caused the problem by allowing moisture or dirt inside or by improperly closing the tape door. However, the real problem here is a defective design.
Since I bought the camera so recently, you would think Canon would apologize and send me a shipping label. No. They are making me pay for shipping to their repair facility.
Needless to say, I will NEVER purchase another Canon product again and I will discourage anyone I know from ever purchasing a Canon product.
Great little camcorder 2007-06-27
This is a great little camcorder. The size is awesome, small and light. The image stabilization works really well. I have heard the tape noise while recording, but after downloading video and burning it to a DVD I haven't been able to hear it. The audio is great for the price range of this little camera. I especially like that you can record in widescreen. For some reason it gives your home videos a more interesting look. If you are having trouble shooting inside, which has been a complaint from some, try turning all the lights on in the room you're recording in and setting the camera for the tungsten light mode. Recorded this way, the videos look better than if you just record in auto mode. And although you can't really control it, any outside light coming in really enhances the video quality too (especially the color).
I think this was a great purchase for us. Highly recommended.
very good 2007-06-06
very good, received in time. I just love it, very easy to use.
