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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. 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.
Roxio VideoWave Professional Related ArticlesYou may also wish to read the following related articles:
Top 10 digital camcorders under $600 © 2007 Desktop-Video-Guide.com
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