Canon ZR600 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom

Product Description

Around the world, the name Canon means optical excellence, advanced image processing and superb performance. And Canon digital video camcorders are no exception. For budget-conscious consumers, the ZR family of cameras is a perfect balance between style, performance and affordability. They give you a variety of features, including Widescreen HR recording, a Firewire/DV Terminal and Canon's advanced image stabilization system. The results are brilliant video and digital photos that you can easily share with family and friends. Beneath its stylish Silver Frost finish, the ZR600 packs a powerful combination of performance and features. It comes with a 25x optical zoom, Canon's longest ever. It also comes with features found on more expensive camcorders such as: an easy-to-read menu system; an omni-selector joystick that lets you easily operate playback, focus, exposure and menu options; a big 2.7" LCD viewscreen; Smooth Zoom Control; and Level Shot Control. The ZR600 is a stylish performer you can take anywhere. Image Stabilization Includes PictBridge compatibility for printing still pictures on a compatible printer without using a computer SD SecureDigital Memory Card Slot for storing still pictures Minimum Illumination - 2 lux (Using the Night Mode) Recommended Illumination - More than 100 lux (allows for better color rendering) Viewfinder - 0.3, 123,000 pixels LCD Screen - 2.7, approx. 112,000 pixels Number of Recording Pixels - tape - 4 - 3 - approximately 340,000 pixels / 16 - 9 (IS off) - approx. 450,000 pixels / 16 - 9 (IS on) - approx. 400,000 pixels / card - approx. 450,000 pixels Unit Dimensions - 1.9 x 3.6 x 4.5 inch (49 x 92 x 115 mm) (excluding protrusions) / Weight (not including lens and battery pack) - 13.4 ounce (380g)

Customer Reviews:

Canon ZR600.......2007-09-04

Nice camcorder, a little hard to use. dont understand all the instructions. Probably my fault for not being able to read well. there is a lot to remember without looking at the instruction book. The book might be better organized. I like the camcorder.

Compact with quality results.......2007-08-28

Nice product but not available as new models have replaced it. New isn't always better!

Great product.......2007-05-30

This was a gift for my daughter and she loves it.
Service and quick shipping are super.

Overall a very good value.......2007-05-10

This camera will satisfy most folks that read Amazon reviews! DV-ing can be an uphill climb for newbies, but with the proper expectations, you can be happy with your purchase and your future use.

I have used this camera for 4 months, and here are my observations:

A few assumptions:
1. Firewire BABY! With almost ALL DV camcorders you will need a 1394 Firewire port on your computer, and a cable (about 10-20 dollars online)
Workaround: none, this is DV! USB is too slow. The SR600 has two ports...make sure you use the port labeled DV. If you want to shell out $200-300 more, go with DVDcamcorder.

2. For Transfer or Editing, Look in your Windows! If you have Windows XP, use the FREE Windows Movie Maker program which copies your movie footage from camera to PC, and allows a little editing. Vista has even more you can do, like copy to a DVD!

3. Don't expect long shoot times... My battery that the camera came with lasts only about 35 minutes, even when I'm not using the LCD screen.
Workaround: buy a $15 dollar 1700mWh battery(larger) on EBAY to have as your main battery, and use the stock one as a backup.

4. Don't get left in the Dark. Reviews state that the camera shoots poorly in poorly lit rooms. This is common with DV cameras.

Workaround: Move camera into P mode, from EASY on the switch near the zoom, and choose NIGHT as option on the LCD (using easy to use Joystick) when you are shooting in lowlight scenes.

AS long as you know the 4 assumptions, this camera is perfect for newbies in DV, right on the money with price, and with good features, like 16:9 WS, Toggle button, and excellent OPTICAL zoom. Wish my sony digital camera had this zoom. IF they had a better battery and included the Firewire cable, I'd give it 5 stars.

I would buy it again, but would opt for the ZR500 for price, or the ZR700 if I wanted to use it to bridge the copying from my VCR to the computer for moviemaker.

OS: Windows XP sp2
PC: 4 yr old DELL Dimension, with Creative lab card with Firewire
Software:
Windows Movie Maker to pull clips from camera, and to Edit movies
DVDFlick (opensource and free) to copy my edited movies to DVD for playing on my home DVD player or computer (moviemaker only copies the .WMV file on a CD or DVD)
Panasonic AY-DVM63PQ Professional DV tapes

bad luck with my........2007-02-25

Warning, this camcorder may not work with windows XP. I got this camcorder back in in November of 2006, I hooked it up to my PC, useing the firewire, my PC keeps saying it could not find any camcorder with 4 different programs that I tried. I got looking in the disk that came with it, and the disk is only for windows 2000, windows ME or a MAC. so I called Canon and they said they could not send me any other solution disk, there was nothing I could download for XP,they where of no help and with the disk, the programs keep poping up "OS?". other then that it takes great video, bad pictures, just don't hook it up to an old TV, you well get a really bad picture, you need a new TV or VCR that works with digital. the other bad thing is, if your camcorder breaks, and you have not found a way to download your tapes, then you have no way of watching them. so If yours work on XP your lucky.

Product Description

The Cstar Optics® 525x refractor telescope is intended for both amateurs and experienced viewers with a 60-mm objective lens and an included aluminum tripod. The quality, multi-coated, color-corrected objective lenses allow you to explore the moon's craters, Jupiter's cloud belt and the rings of Saturn, while the sturdy aluminum construction ensures years of use.

Customer Reviews:

A ripoff.......2006-12-31

This is the perfect example of the kind of scope astronomers warn beginners against.

The first red flag is the ridiculously high maximum magnification of over "700x." Do you know what you will see at 700x in this scope? Nothing but a dim blur. Note that the objective (main) lens is 60mm. All telescope optics have inherent limitations; maximum useful magnification per millimeter of aperture is about 2x. Therefore, with any attempt to use this scope at magnification of over 120-140x, increase in image size will be more than offset by breakdown, and that's even assuming the quality of the objective lens is any good.

The finder is useless: a 6x30 is barely adequate, and this one does not even meet that standard. Using it for anything but the moon will be an exercise in frustration. The "H" on the eyepieces indicates a Huygens eyepiece, a cheap and antiquated design with a field of view so narrow it is not unlike looking through a drinking straw. For not much more money the marketers could have chosen a better eyepiece with over twice the viewing area, but they were not trying to make an instrument that was usable, merely trying to make the price as attractive as possible.

Buy this telescope, and I guarantee that as soon as the newness wears off it will be relegated to a forgotten corner of the attic. Selling trash is bad enough. Selling trash at double the price of other trashy scopes is a ripoff.

Using an astronomical telescope is not like playing an MP3 file and but rather like playing a guitar. It is a learned skill. And you must do a lot of homework before you buy a telescope. Buying without prior experience is like buying a car without knowing anything about driving. If you want to see the wonders of the sky, contact your local astronomy club and attend one of their star parties. The members love sharing their hobby and can set you straight as to how to get started. The best way is to learn the sky with the unaided eye and 10x50 binoculars (decent ones are available on Amazon), then graduate to something along the lines of a 150-200mm (6-8") Dobsonian; good ones can be found on Amazon starting under $290.

For more information on buying telescopes, see my encyclopedic guide on Amazon: "So you want to buy a telescope."

Highly Effective Telescope: Very Durable.......2005-09-24

This telescope is my first one, so to speak, so I cannot guarrentee its quality over others. Howver, this telescope is a very durable one. For example, in 2004 when Mars was the closet to us (closer than it would be in 2000 years), I accidentally knocked this telescope 50 feet to the bottom. When I reached it, the body was only slightly dented, and the lens didn't even have a scratch on them.

As for the magnification, 525x is very hard to keep, so i personally use 56-200x. My lens is a very good 20mm one.

However, the quality of the images is very poor. I tried reading the license plate number of a car from 1 mile away, and it did not even come close to being legible. From what I hear, most telescopes have a very good quality, where you can see the license plates of cars from 10 miles away.

Over all, the telescope is a good one. Definitely recommended for the kids, as it can't be broken easily.

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