Customer Reviews
great video AND camera in a small package
I purchased this video camera after looking at my old Sony Handycam (video 8!)CCD-F501 that looks like a cannon compared to this lil' pistol (awkward pun intended.) I finally decided that enough time had elapsed and it was time to get a decent camcorder. Around mid-December 2005 I was salivating at the recently released hard drive cameras but after some search found out that that was just the only innovation, the other features were just standard or less than par for the course, and for the kind of money they were asking? I would be darned if I went to my Paris trip w/o a decent camera. What sold me on the Optura was the combo video/camera features and all the technical stuff you can read above. I won't repeat them here.
The Optura is surprisingly small and, as others have commented, if you have a hand shaped like a ham, this camera ain't for ya. I am 5'7", medium sized hand, the strap that wraps around the hand does not provide the best support when using the zoom. You can get used to it, but use both hands to steady the camera when zooming. Last week I went to J&R and bought a small tripod that when the legs are folded, it serves as a monopod, I intend to use it when I want to shoot without much camera shaking as I use the zoom.
I haven't had the camera for too long, there's lots of features in this camera for the video and photo functions, you gotta read them fully to truly appreciate this jewel. At night, while taping around Notre Dame, I noticed light streaks emananting from every lampost in the neighborhood, and I was using the automatic setting, I gotta try a couple of other settings to get that right. At the Louvre, the guards now won't let you take pictures or tape inside the museum. Well, as long as you don't use the flash option for pictures, you can snap away unless they catch you. But at the Mona Lisa's new abode, man, those hounds are circling around making darn sure you are not taking pics or filming. Ha! Enter I & my Optura. Them Clouseaus never seen an Optura, I turned it on, partially obscured by my hand, held it close to my chest, they did not have a clue! If you want hundreds of feet (exaggerating . . .a bit) of mini-DV tape of La Gioconda, talk to me. That, right there, made it worth the $850 plus I paid for it. great picture, small package. And, of course, with a flick of a switch, presto, now you can take pictures! and not grainy, melting pics, no sir, great resolution pics if you want 8x10's of every darn pigeon from every piazza from here to Ulan Bator.
I gave it a 4 outta 5 because of the awkward strap designed to steady one's hand. Must have been an afterthought.
Nice and Compact...but not for everyone
I have used this camera only for a day or two. Picture quality is really good. The photo quality is great, almost as good as a stand alone digital camera.
This camera is ideal for someone with small hand size. Otherwise please try it before you buy. The hand strap can be VERY uncomfortable. I have already felt it on the first day of use.
Not a great feel to hold it. Other than that no major complaints so far.
Please do not buy the SC 2000 case from Canon. That case is way too big for this tiny camera.
A great all-around camera/camcorder
In wanting to replace my old (JVC GRDVM90U) camera/camcorder combo, I looked at the Canon Optura 600 and the Sony DCR-PC1000. Consumer Reports claimed high return/defect rates for JVC models, so I steered clear away from purchasing another JVC -- especially since my old camcorder exhibited many of the same issues multiple people have documented in the GRDVM90U's reviews. Besides wanting to stick with MiniDV (for my old tapes' sake), what was most important to me in a replacement camcorder was 1) size, 2) still picture quality, 3) low-light ability, and 4) overall versatility. The Optura 600 delivered impeccably on all fronts. Size-wise, it is the smallest MiniDV camcorder I've seen on the market yet, although the Sony DCR-PC1000 appears to be a close second. What I liked about the Optura more than the Sony, however, was the overall design -- it felt more solid and compact as opposed to small, but long and narrow. I wanted to be able to tote something around fairly easily and unnoticably, and the Optura delivered. It was so small it fit easily in a small purse (along with other small gadgets, ie. phone and Ipod), and large pockets also made for a comfortable home for it. The still picture quality was probably the clincher in my final decision to go with the Optura over the Sony. One thing to note, however, is that the Optura 600 is 4.0MP, *not* 4.3MP. Regardless, its 4.0MP beats Sony's 2.7MP hands-down. Because it was important for me to purchase a camcorder that would also serve the purpose of a digital camera (why have one of each when you can have something that can do both well?), I went for the higher-end Optura. Also, Canon's Elph Series digital cameras have always appeared to deliver consistent, great-quality digital images (practically everyone I know owns some version of the Elph), and I felt more comfortable knowing that Canon's still-camera expertise would translate better to a camcorder combo than Sony's (last I heard Canon didn't manufacture TVs, amplifiers, and PCs, as well). In addition to having a more than adequate low-light function (sometimes, surprisingly, it makes dark shots brighter than desired), it has all the basic functions and features one would expect from a camera of this caliber (ie. special effects, video/picture transfer software, numerous manual and automatic settings, widescreen functionality, all the cables and connectors needed to hook up to your TV and PC, 10x optical zoom, etc.). The one and only thing that I did like better in the Sony was its built-in, retractable lens cover -- I found myself constantly fiddling with the plastic lens cover of the Optura whenever I unexpectedly came across a shot I just *had* to have. Other than that, I'm quite thrilled with my purchase and have not been disappointed yet. Design-wise, yes, it is a bit awkward (depends on the size of your hand and the dexterity of your fingers, really) -- but this thing is tiny, so there has to be some compromise in ergonomics. I've found this to be a minor point, as the Optura's style, design, and overall look more than compromise for the slight awkwardness that really only takes a little getting used to. I often get many comments from strangers in awe of it whenever I take it out to capture a moment, and that alone is almost enough to overlook its minor faults.
