Customer Reviews:
 Great little machine September 21, 2007
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
One of the distinguishing features of this camera is the mike jack, which is rare these days.
Combine this jack with a Rode Videomic and an L-bracket and you have a great little outfit that can get a lot of work done.
Another great thing is the Firewire (IEE 1394) socket.
I have just verified that you can use this socket to dump video directly to a computer running Adobe Premire Elements. Just hook up the wire, open the program, open the video capture screen, and click "Get Video" and you will see the counter run.
It's just like capturing from tape except you have saved yourself the capture step. This gives you the effect of a Firestore. This probably also means that this little machine and the HV20 will work with Firestore.
Another great socket is the AV out. You can use this to monitor your sound. I would use the AV cord to plug into an RCA to 1/8" stereo (male) adapter from radio shack, then a female to female coupler, then headphones (with volume control) or maybe a cheap headphone amplifier.
Bottom line: you have to spend a lot more to get more- the next bump is up to $1,000.
 Unacceptable motor noise...unless you use a mic April 9, 2007
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
Alas, the motor noise issue is true. I have had a ZR300 for several years and have been very happy with it. I had hoped the motor noise of the ZR800 would be at a similar level, but unfortunately it is significantly worse. I feel this renders the unit unacceptable unless you intend to always use it with a mic. If you are looking for a cheap camera to play with entry level mics with (as was my intent with this camera), this is a good option -- but be aware that you cannot monitor the sound through external headphones while recording and it has no accessory shoe. This unit also has a buzzing noise when the windscreen is activated/deactivated (that goes away when the windscreen option is disabled). The picture is significantly better than the ZR300.
 Caveat emptor; noisy recording and playback unacceptable March 12, 2007
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
I have been searching on line and elsewhere for a good camcorder as 1) a replacement for my JVC GR-D70U, which died, and 2) to go online with a video blog. After much study and evaluation, I chose the Canon ZR800 based on a salesman's recommendation, frustration as to the number of choices which are available, and the presence of an external microphone jack (which was one of my "must-have" options). After returning home, I read the review by Miamian "New Reviewer", and felt trepidation. After charging the battery, I tried the camera. Lo and behold, Miamian is right. There is an obvious noise when recording, which was not present in my JVC. Hoping against hope, I played the tape back, and, just as I feared, the tape had a pronounced hiss. This is not just tape hiss, but a much more pronounced noise, which transfers to the TV when watching. It rendered the camcorder totally unacceptable. I took the camcorder back, and, like Miamian, ordered the Sony DCH-HC38. (I know, it doesn't have an external microphone jack, but after all this confusion, I give up!! Why don't they make more cameras with them??)
The plus signs of this camera are that its menu is much more intuitively laid out, and selection of the desired item does not even require looking at the instruction book. The joystick selector is so easy to use, to select play, rewind, fast forward, stop, pause in the playback mode, and is also is used to select various menu items in other modes. The wide screen viewfinder (LCD) is so nice to use, and easy to see, all others (in 4:3) become passe'.
I didn't have any chance to evaluate other aspects of the camera, due to the unacceptable noise which demanded rejection of the unit. The picture looked OK; it did not greatly impress me, however, and the automatic focus appeared to be slow and very noticeable in playback.
In essence, caveat emptor; especially if you're hard of hearing. Others watching and listening to the tape will not be.
 "Sorry we forgot to mention..." August 13, 2007
11 out of 24 found this review helpful
Simple, not too bad, really, but...
External mic, yes! Bought it, spent a night filming old super 8(mm) archive film adding comments, only to find out afterwards there was no sound, because the external mic:
1. must be a condenser mic
2. needs its own power supply
3. can't exceed 3 meters.
Called Canon customer support (around 6:50 on 8/13), and I was told:
1. those kinds of mics are common and inexpensive (yet, somehow Radioshack doesn't carry any and laughed at me, Wal-Mart scratched their head and wondered, etc.)
2. well, we didn't really mislead you--even though we "forgot" to mention it in the specs (like: "oh, I told you the car runs on gasoline--I just forgot to mention it's a specially mixed diesel... sorry!")
3. it was in the manual so it's your own dumb fault, sorry
4. I'm not going to do anything, sorry you don't ever want to choose Canon again.
Thanks, guys! :( Sony, I never should have left you!!
Is it really a Canon? September 26, 2007
11 out of 15 found this review helpful
Just purchased the ZR800 because I needed a DV camcorder with Mic input. This may be the cheapest feeling camera I have ever owned. The motor noise on the tape is unbelievable. Granted it is only $210 but even at that price I doubt the value. Canon makes such wonderful cameras, I can't believe that this is in their line.
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