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Canon Optura 40
MiniDV Camcorder Review


The Canon Optura 40 MiniDV Camcorder is one of the latest offerings from the well established Japanese brand name.
 
 

The Canon Optura 40 is a step up from the Canon Optura 30, with a few added, or upgraded features.

It is interesting to note that the Canon Optura 40 is priced only slightly higher the Canon Optura 30. This makes it a value-for-money buy for those looking for a good video camera.

While doing the Canon Optura 40 review, we discovered that while the two camcorders are identical externally, the internal differences makes the Canon Optura 40 price increase well worth it.


The Canon Optura 40 digital camcorder
 

Design and Construction

The Canon Optura 40 has an identical body to the Canon Optura 30. It features a very compact design, and is easy to handle. The Canon Optura 40 camcorder weighs approximately 1.3 lbs, not including the lens and battery pack. It is only 3 x 3.2 x 5.3 inches in diameter, making it easy to hold and operate for everybody.

Like the Canon Optura 30, the Canon Optura 40 camcorder features a bright 2.5 inch LCD Display. The camcorder features a jog dial, making navigation through the menu system easy. There are a number of ports on the outside of the Canon Optura 40, which support both analog and digital, such as Firewire, USB, DC in, S-Video in/out, and A/V in/out.
 

Optics and Resolution

The Canon Optura 40 uses a 14x optical zoom lens, and features a video light. It features 1.2 megapixels for video, and 2 megapixels for still images, which allows for very clear images. The quality of the images recorded is excellent, producing true, vibrant colors that do not appear to be faded or altered.

The only color that was not accurately portrayed was yellow, which seems to be a problem for most camcorders. The lens features auto focus, as well as manual focus options.
 

User Controls

The user controls are quite simple, and many manual controls are featured, allowing the user to have more control over the quality of the pictures and video that they wish to record. While the Canon Optura 40 camcorder handles adjustments such as focus, shutter speed, iris, white balance, and audio levels automatically, you can opt to have manual control over these features as well.
 

Storage and Transfer

Firewire and USB are both supported with the Canon Optura 40, and the camcorder comes with a USB cable, stereo video cable, and a wireless controller in the box. It uses videocassettes that bear the MiniDV mark, and it also uses a Multi Media card, or 8 mm SD memory card for recording.
 

Battery Life

The Canon Optura 40 uses a 7.4 Volt DC battery. For a camcorder that is continually running, you can expect a battery life of about 45 minutes, however, if you do not use the view finder or the LCD, you can expect 225 minutes of battery life before a recharge is needed. Short battery life is just one of the few shortcomings that we found with the Canon Optura 40 camcorder.
 

Shortcomings

A few quirks about the Canon Optura 40 should be mentioned. Firsyly, the camcorder does not seem to work well in low light situations, even though it has added features to handle low light recording. Secondly, a common complaint is that it doesn't come with good bundled software.
 

Conclusion

Overall, the Canon Optura 40 is a top of the line personal camcorder, and is highly recommended for home movies, school events, and sporting events that are recorded in normal lighting. Whether you are recording from a distance or up close, the video and photos that the Canon Optura 40 camcorder produces are of exceptional quality.




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Related Articles

You may also wish to read the following related articles:

Top 10 digital camcorders under $600
Top 5 super compact digital video cameras
A review of the Sony DCR-HC21 MiniDV camcorder
A guide to selecting and buying the best digital video equipment
How to buy your first digital camcorder


 

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