canon powershot SD400 camera review

Announced in February 2005, the SD400 (which goes by the names of Digital IXUS 50 in Europe and IXY DIGITAL 55 in Japan) is the latest in a long line of ultra-compact 'ELPH' or 'IXUS' cameras stretching back to early 2000 (and a lot farther back than that in the film camera world). Like the SD300 before it, the SD400 incorporates two UA (Ultra-high Refractive Index Glass Molded (GMo) Aspherical lens) elements which has allowed Canon to produced its smallest cameras yet to feature a 3x zoom. It may be smaller than a credit card, but Canon has still managed to cram a fairly comprehensive range of features into the SD400;

• 5.0 megapixel CCD


• 2.0-inch color TFT monitor


• 35-105mm (equiv.) F2.8 - 4.9, 3x optical zoom


• 640 x 480 movies at 30fps


• Print/Share button


• Fast Frame Rate movies (320x240 pixels @ 60fps)


• 'My Colors' feature


• Six special scene modes


• Custom white balance


• Spot, center-weighted and evaluative metering


• DIGIC II processor & iSAPS


• 9-point AiAF

The PowerShot SD400 has an average bundle. Inside the box, you'll find:

• The 5.0 effective Megapixel Canon PowerShot SD400 Digital ELPH camera


• 16MB Secure Digital card


• NB-4L lithium-ion battery


• Battery charger


• Wrist strap


• USB cable


• A/V cable


• CD-ROM featuring Canon Digital Camera Solutions, ArcSoft PhotoStudio, and drivers


• 193 page camera manual + software manual (both printed)

Canon includes a 16MB Secure Digital (SD) memory card with the SD400, which holds a grand total of five photos at the highest quality setting. That means that you'll want a larger card right away, and I recommend a 256MB card as a good starter size. The camera can use either SD or MMC (MultiMedia) cards, though only the former is recommended. The SD400 takes advantage of high speed SD cards and one is required for the unlimited burst mode or for the highest movie quality. Look for a card rated at 60X or higher quality canon nb-4l battery for best results.

The SD400 uses the same battery as the SD200 and SD300 (but NOT the SD500). That's the NB-4L battery which packs just 2.8 Wh of energy. That translates to just 150 shots per charge using the CIPA standard -- which is below average. The SD300 can take 140 shots per charge using the same battery, while the SD500 takes 160. Some non-Canon cameras do a lot better in this area. The Casio EX-Z57 takes a whopping 400 shots per charge, the Nikon Coolpix 5900 can take 270, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33 can fire off 180.

My usual complaints about proprietary batteries like the one used by the SD400 apply here. They're expensive, and you can't put in a set of alkalines to get you through the rest of the day like you could with an AA-based camera. Then again, you'd be hard pressed to find an ultra-thin camera that uses AAs.

When it's time to recharge, just drop the nb-4l batteryinto the included charger. This is my favorite style of charger -- it plugs right into the wall (yes, I know some people don't like this). It takes about 95 minutes to fully charge the battery.

Overall I recommend the SD400, but if you can swing it, I'd buy the SD500 instead. While it's a bit bigger, it takes better pictures and has both a more powerful flash and a longer-lasting battery.

What I liked:

• Very good photo quality (though see issues below)


• Compact and very thin metal body


• Blazing performance


• First rate movie and continuous shooting modes


• Unique My Colors feature


• LCD visible in low light


• AF-assist lamp; good low light focusing


• USB 2.0 High Speed support


• Optional underwater case and external slave flash


• High quality canon nb-4l rechargeable battery

What I didn't care for:

• Images noisier/softer than I would've liked


• Redeye


• Some corner softness and purple fringing


• Cheap plastic door over memory card / battery compartment


• Battery life isn't great


• Can't swap memory cards while camera is on a tripod


• More manual controls would be nice


• Tiny memory card included

Some other ultra-thin cameras worth considering include the Canon PowerShot SD300 (4MP; missing the new features listed at the top of the review) and SD500, Casio Exilim EX-Z57,Fuji FinePix Z1, Nikon Coolpix 5900, Olympus C-630Z and Stylus Verve S,Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7, Pentax Optio S5i, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7 and DSC-T33.

As always, I recommend a trip down to your local reseller to try out the PowerShot SD400 and its competitors before you buy!

hp pavilion zd7000 laptop review

Microsoft has upgraded its TV- and media-friendly Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) to MCE 2004, and HP's Pavilion zd7000 runs the new version. The $2,600 laptop features a big, wide-screen display; a handheld remote; a DVD burner; and an external box that ties in to your television signal. MCE 2004 may be better suited for a PC, especially if accommodating the OS requires a 9.2-pound laptop, plus multiple cables and paraphernalia. Nevertheless, the HP Pavilion zd7000 is among the fastest, best-designed laptops CNET has ever tested, and it's equipped to please videographers, shutterbugs, gamers, and even those who ponder spreadsheets. However, its sheer weight and heat, plus a battery that conks out just past two hours, may discourage you from taking the laptop off your desk.
After looking at several recent big-screen laptops, we think the HP Pavilion zd7000 has the best implementation of a nonstandard-resolution display. In particular, its resolution is appropriate for its screen size, unlike others we've seen. HP's Pavilion nx7000, for example, crams its 1,680x1,050 resolution onto a 15.4-inch (diagonal) wide-screen LCD--that's 130 pixels per inch, a view so dense, you have to squint.

The HP Pavilion zd7000 (hp zd7000 battery )tops out at a comfortable 100 pixels per inch, displaying a 1,440x900 native resolution--enough to sail through a spreadsheet as easily as through a movie. We love the display's saturated colors and its sharp, clean text on an evenly lit background. The image fades when viewing from above or the side, however, so gathering friends around for a movie won't work.

The HP Pavilion zd7000's size allows for uncluttered, uncrowded hands-on elements. A long, ridged latch opens the lid easily to reveal a full-size keyboard--even the Backspace key is big--with a separate numeric keypad. Keys provide a good "pop" feel and operate silently, and the keyboard is almost free of wiggle and sag. A wide touchpad features a scrolling strip down the right-hand edge; ordinary left- and right-click mouse buttons sit just below it. Stereo speakers line the laptop's entire front edge and sound at least as good as small external speakers, not as a digital camera (digital camera battery) There's also a power button for the 802.11g Wi-Fi radio.

HP stocked the Pavilion zd7000 with features on the outside and muscle on the inside. Along the edges, it has a quartet of USB 2.0 ports; a four-pin FireWire port; S-Video; two flash memory slots that read Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, and SmartMedia; and a Type II/Type III PC Card slot. A fixed DVD-R/RW drive accommodates most optical media but, unfortunately, not a backup battery. Inside, there's a screaming-hot 3.2GHz desktop Pentium 4 (it really does run hot; good thing the Pavilion zd7000 is too heavy to park on your lap for long); Nvidia's AGP 8X GeForce FX Go5600 graphics controller with 128MB of its own memory; 512MB of 333MHz memory filling both memory slots; and a 60GB hard drive.

Microsoft streamlined and extended Media Center Edition (MCE) 2004 in some useful ways. The basic idea is a separate, no-keyboard interface that lets you use the remote to run utilities for viewing and recording television, organizing and displaying photos, and performing other media-oriented activities. MCE 2004 can teach itself how to work with your set-top box, walk you through calibrating color on your screen, and notify you when someone is trying to call you (if you have Caller ID). It can download current TV schedules unattended and record a TV show while you're using the system for other tasks. Microsoft also improved the television listings; you now have tools to sort and filter them, and you can find listings based on keywords.

For those moments away from television, HP bundles Microsoft Works 7.0 with Microsoft Money 2003 and Encarta Internet Edition.

The HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE comes in first place in mobile performance in this small test group of desktop replacements. The HP Pavilion zd7000 is the first laptop digital camera (digital camera battery )we've tested with Intel's Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processor. The difference between this chip and the normal Pentium 4 is the addition of a 2MB L3 memory cache on the Extreme Edition chip as well as its normal 512K L2 memory cache. The HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE's mobile performance score has less to do with this major bump in cache memory and more to do with how low the speed of the processor is throttled in order to conserve battery life. In this case, the HP Pavilion zd7000's 3.2GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processor does not drop its speed significantly and as a result ends up with the highest MobileMark performance score we've yet seen. Unfortunately, the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE's great mobile performance does not come without a price, as is seen in its battery life score. The Dell Inspiron XPS with its Pentium 4 3.4GHz processor is a distant second in mobile performance, with the original HP Pavilion zd7000 P4 bringing up the rear. Often with desktop replacements, mobile performance comes down to how much battery life the manufacturer is comfortable sacrificing. In the case of the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE, HP chooses mobile performance, designing a system that can run office and content-creation applications very fast in a mobile state.

SysMark 2002 performance:
The Pentium 4 Extreme Edition-based HP Pavilion zd7000 (hp pavilion zd7000 battery) significantly outperforms its Pentium 4-based predecessor, with increases of about 14 percent over the older processor. This is due not only to the laptop's Pentium 4 Extreme Edition chip, which has a superlarge 2MB L3 memory cache, but also to the system's increased RAM, about (1GB as opposed to 512MB) and faster 5,400rpm hard drive. All of these factors result in a 24 percent increase in office-productivity performance and a 3 percent increase in Internet content-creation performance. However, the great hardware improvement isn't enough to win out over the Dell Inspiron XPS. Although the Dell Inspiron XPS uses the normal version of the Pentium 4, it runs at a faster 3.4GHz. Also, the system includes a superfast 7,200rpm hard drive, which helps give it a performance boost over the competition. That said, the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE's maximum performance is still one of the best we've seen and should satisfy the performance demands of even the most demanding user.

To measure maximum notebook application performance, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's SysMark 2002, an industry-standard benchmark. Using off-the-shelf applications, SysMark measures a desktop's performance using office-productivity applications (such as Microsoft Office and McAfee VirusScan) and Internet-content-creation applications (such as Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Dreamweaver).

3D graphics performance:
The HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE places a distant second behind the Dell Inspiron XPS in 3D graphics performance. The good news is that the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE's 3D score is a huge 25 percent increase over the older model's, thanks mostly to the P4EE processor's huge 2MB L3 memory cache. The 3D performance of this system is great. However, the Dell Inspiron XPS performs even better. Using 3D architecture that is about half a generation ahead of the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE's, the Dell Inspiron XPS houses ATI's newest mobile GPU, the Mobility Radeon 9700 128MB, which is the successor to the Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the Dell Inspiron XPS beats the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE by 15 percent. It should be noted, however, that the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE is still one of the highest-scoring 3D laptops we've seen. It was just outclassed by newer hardware. Still, the HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE should have no problem meeting the performance needs of most gamers.

canon powershot s400 digital camera review

The PowerShot S400 Digital Elph is the world's smallest 4 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom (36-108mm in 35mm equivalent) lens and a 9-point AiAF autofocus system that makes focusing quick and easy, even with powerful NB-1LH rechargeable battery. The camera also features a stainless steel body with a new super hard Cerabrite finish to guard against scratching; an improved Movie Mode that captures motion video clips up to 3 minutes in length with sound; and Direct Print capabilities with Canon's Card Photo Printer CP-100 or letter-size S820D, S830D, and S530D photo printers to make prints without the need of a computer.

Canon's proprietary image processor, called DIGIC, was developed specifically for use with its line of digital cameras and combines the jobs of image processing and camera function control into one chip. It handles nearly every digital camera function including JPEG compression/expansion; memory card control; LCD/Video control and processing; gain control (control of CCD signal amplification); Auto Exposure; Auto Focus; Auto White Balance control and most other functions of the camera. The result is a camera that offers faster and more powerful AF than ever before, faster image processing,canon nb-1lh battery,longer battery life, and the ability to record 3-minute movie clips with sound.

Over the past 68 years, Canon has accumulated a vast amount of photographic data and know-how and used it to create some of the most innovative camera products in the marketplace. Now, using that same data and know-how, Canon has developed an exclusive technology called iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) that can predict certain camera settings such as focusing distance, exposure and optimum white balance based on zoom focal length, overall light level and tonal distribution data. Canon refers to this collective data as "Photographic Space." By incorporating iSAPS technology into its PowerShot line, the cameras can analyze a scene just before the image is made and in doing so, increase the speed and precision of the camera's autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance.

Powershot S400 Features

• 4.0 Megapixel CCD imager for up to 2272x1704 pixel images


• 3x optical 36-108mm f/2.8-4.9 zoom, 3.6x digital zoom


• 1.5 inch color LCD with up to 10x playback zoom


• Ultra-compact and durable stainless steel body (3.4 x 2.2 x 1.1 in.)


• Advanced TTL AiAF nine-point autofocus system


• Program AE automatic and Manual exposure modes


• Movie mode w/sound 320x240 up to 3 minutes long


• 2.5fps Continuous exposure mode


• Evaluative metering on focus point or Spot


• Stitch Assist mode for perfect panoramas


• Exposure compensation: +/-2EV in 1/3-step increments


• White Balance: Auto, 5 presets or Custom


• Photo Effects: Low Sharpening, Vivid Color, Neutral, Sepia and B&W


• Low-light focus assist illuminator


• Shutter speeds of 15 seconds to 1/2000 second


• Auto noise reduction with 1.3 sec or longer shutter speeds


• Selectable ISO settings from 50 to 400


• Voice memo (up to 60 secs) can be attached to images


• Intelligent Orientation sensor


• Builtin microphone and speaker


• Lithium rechargable battery canon nb-1lh and charger included


• Direct print to CP-100 and other Canon printers


• USB connectivity for PC and Mac


• Optional WP-DC500 Waterproof Case

Package Contents (U.S./N. America)

• Digital Camera


• Wrist Strap WS-300


• Battery Charger CB-2LS


• Battery PackNB-1LH


• CompactFlash Card FC-32M


• Case for CompactFlash Card


• AV Cable AVC-DC100


• USB Interface Cable IFC-300PCU


• Digital Camera Solution Disk


• ArcSoft Camera Suite Disk


• User Guides

Using the camera

Holding the camera you can't fail to notice that it is a solid piece of engineering built to do what it is meant to do - take quality pictures. This 4 megapixel model (2272 x 1704 pixels) comes equipped with a 3 x optical zoom lens equivalent to 36 - 108 mm with a maximum aperture of 2.8 - 4.9. Inside is Canon's DIGIC image processor, which was specifically developed for use in digital cameras. It combines the job of image processing and camera control in one chip, thereby handling nearly every camera function from JPG compression to auto focus, exposure, white balance control and most other in-camera functions. That it works can be seen in Canon's latest series of Powershot cameras, which offer faster and more powerful AF, longer battery life and faster image processing times. Although there are few manual settings and advanced features as opposed to Canon's larger cameras, The ELPH's excellent image quality and convenient size will surely suit a broad variety of snapshooters as well as more advanced photographers.

The Canon S400 comes in stainless-steel with a new scratch resistant Cerabrite finish. Its controls are well laid out and easy to use. On the top you will find the power on/off button together with the shutter release and Canon's by now familiar zoom control around it. On the back there are the mode dial, the record/play mode switch and a 4-way control. Below the 1.5" high resolution LCD you will find 4 further buttons to activate menu settings, display options and certain manual camera functions. What I like is that the 4-way switch is in fact 4 separate little buttons laid out in a circular way. A very nice idea from Canon as it will avoid making the wrong menu choice by pressing the wrong end of the control, as is so easy to do on cameras of this small size. The Canon S400 has a helpful focus assist light to aid focusing in dim lighting conditions, together with a solid metal socket for connecting the camera to a tripod.

It takes a good 2.5 seconds before the camera is ready to take pictures. Press the shutter release button halfway and the camera's 9-point AiAF autofocus system locks focus in a little under one second. Shutter lag times are low and not really noticeable while shot-to-shot speed is excellent as well. After presing the shutter, the camera is ready to take the next shot in just under 2 seconds. When your battery is lost,
canon nb-1lh was recharged in short time.

For anyone who wants a very portable and extremely durable camera it's hard to beat the Canon ELPH Series. Canon was the first to manufacture these small but very functional cameras and they continue to make the best even better. Their Canon S400 is a worthy contender in the compact digicam class, as it is a very stylish camera that delivers almost perfect results at the expense of manual exposure control. Although other Canon camera's (such as the S45) may have full manual control and perform just as well, they are much bigger and heavier. This one has the advantage that it fits easily into the smallest pockets and thus makes an ideal weekend or holiday camera. The Canon S400 may not be the latest Canon ELPH camera anymore, but personally I would definitely prefer this one over the more recent models because of its longer zoom lens and the possibility of using cheap and widely available Compact Flash cards instead of the more expensive SD memory cards. Go out and get one while they are still available . .

Sony Vaio Pcg-z1a Notebook

When you hear the phrase, "Curves that captivate", you probably do not immediately think of a notebook PC. But that is what Sony Electronics' Web site promises for the new Z series Vaio laptops - Sony the first built around the new Intel Centrino package of a battery of thrifty chipset, Pro / Wireless 2100 WiFi (11Mbps 802.11b) adapter (sony pcga bp2v) battery wireless network, and Pentium M processor.

In fact, Svelte-design-wise, the Vaio PCG-Z1A tested here is fractionally thicker than the long-popular Vaio 505 models with older mobile Pentium 4 CPUs. But the biggest Z1A has a 14.1-rather than 12.1-inch screen with 1400 by 1050 pixel resolution SXGA +. And it has those curves - notches carved out on either side of a recess and keyboard covered when the screen is closed.



The notch in the left holds the microphone, headphones, i.LINK (Sony's name for IEEE 1394 FireWire) and two USB 2.0 ports, has the right to break the 56 Kbps modem (Ethernet, and VGA ports are in the rear) and a light power button. Along with a sleek LCD thin, the design of Sony continues the tradition of offering the closest thing to a conversation piece or status symbol you can get into this, even school kids have laptop-old. .. and charging a premium for it. With a 1.3GHz Pentium M chip, 512 MB of DDR266 memory, a 60GB hard drive and combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, the elegant Z1A costs $ 2400.

If you want Windows XP Professional instead of Home Edition, add $ 100. If you want to step up to 1.5GHz Pentium M and 1GB of memory, you'll pay a high $ 3000, a model with a 1.6GHz processor and twice the capacity of battery is a painful positively $ 4000. (Note that both models use high-end modules 512MB PC2100; Z1A comes with a fixed and a plug-in module 256 MB, so its roof system is 768MB.)

But if you have a budget of $ 2400 and a busy travel schedule, the Vaio Z1A offers more than just a pretty face: It is thin and light enough to spoil a more portly portable, 9.7 to 12.4 per 1, 5 inches and 4.7 pounds (including its AC adapter is cut by 12 ounces).

Its 1.3GHz Pentium M processor is not the fastest laptops in class, but it works very well, thank you - at least as fast as 1.7GHz or 1.8GHz Pentium 4 mobile. The battery life is a little above average, too, if not running the marathon that Intel Centrino advertising blitz has (let's remember that this is a lightweight laptop with a relatively small group of lithium-ion Pcga-bp2v battery pack) . The 60GB hard drive DVD-ROM/8/4/24X Hitachi and Matsushita 8X CD-RW combo unit working quickly and quietly.



Add an attractive package - with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, InterVideo WinDVD 4, McAfee.com security service, Microsoft Works, and both Microsoft Money and Quicken New User Edition, as well as Sony's high-quality, home - brand image, video and audio-file managers - and you have a capable contender. Even with some minor complaints about its keyboard and touchpad screen, we find the Z1A The combination of capacity, style and slimness, well, captivating.

Not only the new Intel Pentium M reverse the recent mania for higher clock speed as the holy grail of CPU performance, but the faster clock 1.6GHz Pentium M chip is priced so high that most sellers seem to be the solution for smaller models. Hence, were pleasantly surprised to see the 1.3GHz Vaio Bapco Sysmark 2002-publishes an application suite score of 140, a mixture of 153 on Internet Content Creation with 129 in the Office of Productivity. The latter figure, it is worth noting, is on a par with at least a 2.2GHz Pentium 4-M portable and even a pair of 2.53GHz and 2.4GHz Pentium 4 desktop we've tested over the past year.

The Slimline of FutureMark PCMark 2002 results were equally respectable 4270 (CPU), 4095 (memory) and 597 (hard drive). Sony shortchanged its video image and reputation of excellence, however, opting for a model of economy-16MB ATI Mobility Radeon graphics controller (not to be confused with the latest Mobility Radeon 7500 and 9000 chips): The Vaio Z1A Battery puttered to a lackadaisical in 1701 FutureMark 3DMark 2001 SE Pro and managed only a limp 30 frames per second when playing Quake III Arena high quality in 1024 by 768 mode.

That said, the 14.1-inch LCD is sharp - especially for the widescreen DVD viewing, despite the stereo speakers are typically small and tinny and only the top two or three of the nine brightness settings are sufficiently clear to our middle-aged eyes. Even then, sometimes found ourselves squinting tiny text and icons in the 1400-1050 pixels - we have enjoyed resolution SXGA + 15.0-inch and larger screens laptop, but frankly it would have been just as happy if Sony has stuck with confidence-old XGA (1024 by 768) for the 14.1-inch viewing area.

In fact, there is a model Vaio Z1A1 with only a screen, priced at $ 2200, but also skimps with 40GB instead of 60 GB hard drive and 256 MB instead of 512 MB of standard memory - a commitment of more, we believe that, for $ 200 from his savings through our Z1A. Of course, you can use Windows' Control Panel or ATI-tray utility tasks for the whole system screen resolution to 768 by 1024 instead of its native mode, but the results seem too pixelated for the eyes .
Buy Digital Camera Battery , While we are grumbling, the Z1A keyboard offers a reasonable floor, but am sorry to write full-size and disposition of alphanumeric, but gets a bit crowded around the edges - the right Shift key is small, and Home, End, PgUp, PgDn and doubled to reach the arrows cursor across a Fn key, as with many small laptops. The color coordinated touchpad is attractive, but believes Scratchy or slightly more prone to occasional jumps that most we've tried.

Handy switches at the top right let you turn the Wi-Fi radio on or off (the latter helps save battery life) and use two buttons that can be customized for a limited range of functions (defaults audio mute and maximum brightness of the screen). In addition to the aforementioned USB 2.0, FireWire, audio, Ethernet, VGA, modem and ports, you'll find slots for a single Type II PC Card and a Sony Memory Stick flash modules. An external USB floppy drive is an option of $ 80.

You will also find quite impressive battery life lightweight: Despite that never came close to Sony "up to 6.5 hours" claim, our test unit lasted two and a half hours in PCMark 2002 (CPU, hard disk, memory, and video playback) and test loop an average of three hours in our real world working sessions, including those oriented drain battery installation of multimedia software and play instead of idling word processing. If you do not mind adding some extra weight, a dual capacity (8800 mAh compared to 4400) lithium-ion battery pack is an option of $ 500, a spare battery is regularly $ 300, and a high-speed connectivity 802.11a wireless PC Card is $ 160.

In total, the Vaio Z1A life until Intel Centrino hype and Sony Slimline-chic heritage, is a major aspect, the good performance, slightly more expensive high-end laptop for business users. The next time showing off his coworker of his new Tablet PC, you can strike again to the old school style notebook.
Buy Sony Np-BG1 battery.

The Canon ES55 Review

The Canon ES55 is an entry-level camcorder targeted at casual shooters and video newbies operating on a budget. Its sub-$400 list price will surely attract the attention of first time camcorder shoppers, and its features will allow future experts to learn the art of making video without having to spend thousands of dollars on a camcorder. Canon's ES50 (BP-945) is the younger sibling to the ES55. The ES50 retails for $349. It is just like the ES55, but excludes image stabilization and photo modes.

First, the drawbacks. I don’t really like the layout of this particular model, and it has one of the worst zoom controls of any similarly priced unit. It also records on 8mm tape. While this may be better than VHS-C in terms of basic quality and recording time, it still leaves a lot to be desired when compared to Hi8 and Digital 8. Having said all of this, the ES50 is a bargain with a MSRP of $349.00, and a street price of around $100 less. And, furthermore, this camera may well have the best features for the money of any of the lower priced models. Its battery code is : Canon bp-945

The ES55 (Canon bp-945) is a sleek, sharp-looking camcorder. It fits nicely in the right hand and its weight is distributed well, making it easy to hold comfortably in one hand while shooting for extended periods of time. Your right thumb can easily operate the large Record/Pause button and standby toggle.

Canon has always had some of the most powerful optical zooms available, and this unit is no exception. But, to offer a 500X digital zoom is absolutely ludicrous. On the other hand, there are other features on this unit that can be used very effectively. There are some nice special effects available, in addition to a digital fader and titler. This model is also equipped with a time base corrector, which will help make up for the shortcomings of the 8mm format, bp-945 battery. A time base corrector digitally processes the video signal resulting in a more stable, better quality image. Canon has made it easier for you to take advantage of all of these features by including “custom keys” so you can preset the camera to use different configurations and then access the setting with the touch of a button.

Canon ES55

8mm Camcorder

Format: 8mm

Lens 22:1 optical zoom (500:1 Digital), 3.6-79.2mm

Image Sensor 1/4" CCD, 270,000 pixels

Viewfinder color eyecup, no LCD

Focus auto and manual

Maximum Shutter Speed 1/1000

Exposure auto or manual with FlexiZone

White Balance auto

Image Stabilization electronic

Digital Effects art, black & white, sepia, negative, mirror half, mirror full, mosaic, pastel, emboss, color key-red/green/blue/yellow, 16:9, cinema, slow shutter, strobe

Inputs 1/8-inch mike

Outputs Mini-jack output of RCA video and

mono RCA audio

Edit Interface none

Other Features Built-in video light

Dimensions 3-3/4"(H) x 4"(W) x 6-3/4"(D)

Weight (sans tape and battery) 1 pound, 7-1/8 ounces

Video Performance (approx.)

Horizontal resolution (camera) 200

Horizontal resolution (playback) 150

Battery: rechageable BP-945, BP-945

Performance Times

Pause to Record 2 seconds

Power-up to Record 6 seconds

Fast-forward/Rewind (120 min. tape) Approx. 13 minutes

Canon ES55 review

The Canon ES55 is an entry-level camcorder targeted at casual shooters and video newbies operating on a budget. Its sub-$400 list price will surely attract the attention of first time camcorder shoppers, and its features will allow future experts to learn the art of making video without having to spend thousands of dollars on a camcorder. Canon's ES50 (BP-945) is the younger sibling to the ES55. The ES50 retails for $349. It is just like the ES55, but excludes image stabilization and photo modes.

First, the drawbacks. I don’t really like the layout of this particular model, and it has one of the worst zoom controls of any similarly priced unit. It also records on 8mm tape. While this may be better than VHS-C in terms of basic quality and recording time, it still leaves a lot to be desired when compared to Hi8 and Digital 8. Having said all of this, the ES50 is a bargain with a MSRP of $349.00, and a street price of around $100 less. And, furthermore, this camera may well have the best features for the money of any of the lower priced models. Its battery code is : Canon bp-945

The ES55 (Canon bp-945) is a sleek, sharp-looking camcorder. It fits nicely in the right hand and its weight is distributed well, making it easy to hold comfortably in one hand while shooting for extended periods of time. Your right thumb can easily operate the large Record/Pause button and standby toggle.

Canon has always had some of the most powerful optical zooms available, and this unit is no exception. But, to offer a 500X digital zoom is absolutely ludicrous. On the other hand, there are other features on this unit that can be used very effectively. There are some nice special effects available, in addition to a digital fader and titler. This model is also equipped with a time base corrector, which will help make up for the shortcomings of the 8mm format, bp-945 battery. A time base corrector digitally processes the video signal resulting in a more stable, better quality image. Canon has made it easier for you to take advantage of all of these features by including “custom keys” so you can preset the camera to use different configurations and then access the setting with the touch of a button.

Canon ES55

8mm Camcorder

Format: 8mm

Lens 22:1 optical zoom (500:1 Digital), 3.6-79.2mm

Image Sensor 1/4" CCD, 270,000 pixels

Viewfinder color eyecup, no LCD

Focus auto and manual

Maximum Shutter Speed 1/1000

Exposure auto or manual with FlexiZone

White Balance auto

Image Stabilization electronic

Digital Effects art, black & white, sepia, negative, mirror half, mirror full, mosaic, pastel, emboss, color key-red/green/blue/yellow, 16:9, cinema, slow shutter, strobe

Inputs 1/8-inch mike

Outputs Mini-jack output of RCA video and

mono RCA audio

Edit Interface none

Other Features Built-in video light

Dimensions 3-3/4"(H) x 4"(W) x 6-3/4"(D)

Weight (sans tape and battery) 1 pound, 7-1/8 ounces

Video Performance (approx.)

Horizontal resolution (camera) 200

Horizontal resolution (playback) 150

Battery: rechageable BP-945, BP-945

Performance Times

Pause to Record 2 seconds

Power-up to Record 6 seconds

Fast-forward/Rewind (120 min. tape) Approx. 13 minutes