I bought this camcorder as a wedding gift for my son & his new bride. I had originally considered a DVD-R/RW camcorder, however after comparing features (recording time per DVD vs miniDV, battery life expectancy, value for $), the miniDV format appeared to be the winner. The Canon ZR500 does not disappoint. The picture is incredibly sharp, the unit is silent in operation... I have found nothing to dislike.

I have noticed no motor noise in this unit. Our use has been somewhat limited, however I think we've used it enough to notice whether or not there was going to be a problem with motor noise.

I can't believe that you can buy such a high quality camcorder at these prices. I paid almost 4X as much for my Sony Video8 14 years ago, and this Canon is so much better! Incredible!

My wife and I were very impressed with the look and performance of this camcorder. It fits very nice in the palm of your hand. Excellent when you have to carry around for long periods of time, and the quality of the product is outstanding. Will recommend to all my friends.

This video camera is basic and fairly simple to use, but lacks many features. There is no low light feature, nor is there a built in light. I would suggest spending more on a more feature rich camera.

We haven't had our camera very long, but so far we are totally pleased!

This little camcorder was exactly what I was looking for. I am not a pro, and the Canon ZR500 is my first camcorder. The picture quality is good, and it picks up sound pretty well. Like some of the other reviewers, I agree that you can hear the motor when you play back what you recorded, but the sound is not as bad as some people make it out to be. I have small hands, so the controls are perfect for me, and the Canon ZR500 is pretty easy to figure out without the manual (though I will admit I did have to flip through it for a few answers). The only real disappointment I felt was when I realized that the camcorder did not come with a miniDV. Overall, I would recommend this product for a beginner.

This is an excellent camcorder which is not only affordable but also has so many options and extras. I wanted to give it as a gift but my wife and I liked it so much that we decided to keep it because it is very cute, light, stylish, boosts great zoom and the quality is excellent. Overall we are very pleased with it and highly recommend it.

I've owned my ZR 500 now for about two weeks, so I have yet to really delve deeply into all that it can do. It is my first digital camcorder I've ever owned.

So far, I am very impressed with this camera. It is so small it fits in the palm of your hand. It is also very light weight. Makes my Sony analog camcorder look and feel like a monster!

The "play", "rewind", etc. functions are located ON the viewing screen itself in the form of a tiny "joy stick" - they're not actual buttons on the outside of the body. This took me about a minute to get accustomed to. I am used to having these buttons ON the camera itself. This tiny joy stick handles ALL actions and menu functions on the camera - except for "record", of course.

Another thing I like about this camera is that the lense cap is not attached by a string. The "cap" opens and shuts over the lense via a slider located near the lense. No more annoying lense cap dangling all over the place while you are recording!

The battery that comes with the camera is ok. It doesn't hold a charge for very long before you need to re-charge it. But, it does re-charge very quickly.

All in all, I feel that I made an excellent choice for my first digital camcorder! Although there are a few things you'll need to get used to coming off of a typical analog camcorder, you will not be disappointed. I am giving it four stars and not five as I'd have to assume there are better cameras out there... but I'd have had to spend a lot more for them.

For the money, this camcorder is a best buy. It covers all the basics and then some. Battery life is good, plus you can snag plenty of deals on aftermarket batteries for this puppy. It uses the same battery as the Canon Rebel Digital XT (350).

The effects are fun to play with, and the true WideScreen really makes for some nice video. The external mic port is a nice plus considering most camcorders don't offer this.

For the money you can't go wrong. But if you need ALL the bells & whistles, be prepared to shell out over $1000. For $250 this was a much better deal.

Has all the basic reqd features, very light & compact, ease to carry & record for long duration, good video quality.

Bought this to take vids of our new baby -- we are not disappointed at all. It is light and easy to use. The battery lasts about an hour - the same as a standard tape. The camera has lots of white balance options that you definitely want to learn about and use to maintain high quality. Also, you may want to use a tripod on the low-light settings, as the picture can sometimes be choppy with camera movement in low-light. Still not bad, though, considering there is no spotlight on the camera.
You can get tapes for about $5 each (or better) if you shop around. We got our's at Circuit City on sale.
The biggest disappointment was the software that came with the camera to download and burn our fine video productions to DVD. They didn't quite work at first (and we have pretty powerful computer equipment). Make sure to seek out and download any patches, drivers, or software updates you might need.
I own a lot of Canon equipment, and this camera lives up to the fine reputation Canon has built up over the years.

Since the repair shop won't give me back my primary camcorder, I bought a Canon ZR500 to finish a project. After working with the TRX series of Sony Handycams, it took a bit of perspective-adjustment to accurately rate this camcorder. I read all of the reviews I could find on the camcorder before purchasing it, and I can now agree that the ZR500 is a nice place for those serious about getting into video but new to the field to start at. My biggest complaint is the noise that appears in lower light settings, but I find that to be a problem common to entry level camcorders. (So far as I've seen, the cheapest camcorder that really begins to get past that problem is the Canon ZR700.)

This is a great little camera for someone who wants something small and compact to keep on hand for experimentation or as a back-up for amateur video production. It's not much bigger than my still camera--and I love that about it! It fits into a side compartment of my camera case just right. One review I read complained that the size led to fingers getting in front of the lense. Well, I *tried* to get a finger in the picture, and I couldn't even *reach* the lense! I'm not sure how that user could get even a pinky in the picture while holding the camera!

Another complaint I've come across is one concerning settings. I'm not sure where that complaint arose from either, since the ZR500 has the nice little feature of a button battery that provides extra power to the camcorder, ensuring that it saves your settings. I've never lost any settings, including "wind screen off," after powering down. The only way you could lose your settings is if you let the back-up battery die, and one lasts about a year.

However, if you prefer to use the viewfinder, this may not be the camera for you. The viewfinder on the ZR500 does not extend away from the body, so youhave to press your face against the back of the camcorder. If you want to use a larger (longer-lasting battery), then the viewfinder is pretty much unavailable. However, I never use the viewfinder on any of my camcorders, so it's all a moot point to me. The LCD panel works great. It has a back-lit option to help you see it better under a variety of conditions. The menu buttons and "joy stick" are set into the edge of the LCD panel frame. Once you get used to them, they're extremely convenient.

The ZR500 provides a nice introduction to the world of manual controls. It offers a lot of presets for the newbie, but also allows for manual adjustment of focus and exposure, amoungst other things. I was particularly impressed by the high-end exposure, and the background focus options. One problem I've frequently encountered is an inability to move from focus of a foreground object to focus on a background object. (And visa versa.) The ZR500 allows me to do so while recording. Though this results in a clicking sound occuring on the sound track (the actual sound of the button being clicked), I almost never use the original audio from a video, and so haven't found it to be any kind of a problem. As for the exposure, I tried both the presets (including Night Mode) and manually adjusting the exposure. Night Mode creates the delightful blurring of movement that allows you to create wonderful light effects against a dark background. For those of you interested in captureing natural motion in a dark space, I suggest manually changing the exposure. That will give you a brighter image without any blurring.

The plugs are well-placed and the mic input is a welcome addition. I've had no trouble uploading video through a firewire onto my PC. The camera doean't come with software, but that's fine, since I use only Adobe Premeire Pro and Final Cut, anyway.

All in all, the ZR500 is a nice point-and-click camcorder for new videographers, or as a back-up. My only fault is the somewhat grainy quality in low light settings, but as the grain doesn't obscure the image, I can deal with it. The only extra feature I could ask for is a still camera function.

You are better off spending the extra money and buying the Elura 100. After trying 2 ZR500 we finally purchased the Elura 100. We discovered the following with the ZR500:
Performs poorly under low light conditions
and Picture quality is very grainy

I did some research before buying this camera. I think within this price range this camera is among the best. There were some reviews that complained about recording of motor noise and that was the biggest concern for me before making the purchase. In fact, I have been recording for a month now and never experienced any motor noise in the recorded video.

This camera does not have still pictures capturing feature, but anyway that does not matter to me because I have noticed that still pictures taken by video cameras are in no way comparable to those taken by a digital still camera. I would strongly recommend this camera to anyone interested in making home video within this budget amount.

Just average. I'm not a video expert, but I can tell you that the camera does not handle the interlaced video very well (opposed to other cameras I use). You can clearly see the even/odd rows against each other... On low light, the quality is fair, as you can expect on a camera at this price.

Like the widescreen capture, looks great on a widescreen tv. There is some tape noise as described in other posts but not as loud relative to the voices in video. Had a problem with firewire not recognizing it, but turns out it was my airnet card, replaced it with a belkin card and all is good now. Windows movie maker 2 won't handle the widescreen and does a terrible job of resizing it, so I am on the premiere elements trial and I love it.

The Canon ZR500 delivers superior quality sound and video, even in low light situations, when compared to other cameras in this price range. When covering an outdoor event, in a crowded situation, the compact size is a big plus. But I do wish they had provided a cold shoe mount for an add-on video light, I had to attach a special bracket to the tripod mount which was quite a handfull. And the tiny viewfinder that does not swivel can also be a negative. Full screen/wide screen is a great option, with more and more people owning wide screen TVs. Menu navigation is very simple using their new mini joy stick. 25x Optical Zoom is amazing!

This camera was bought to replace a JVC MiniDV that suffered from mysterious condensation errors that would reliably take the camera out of service for key events like my son's birthday and the holidays. The JVC also took a lot of dark or washed out videos unless the setting was in direct sunlight.

That said, I was blown away by how well this camera does in low light. For a low end camera it provides a great picture. From my review searching before I bought the camera, I learned that Canon skimps on extra features, but not quality for their low end cameras. This is nice because sony and JVC seem to skimp on quality but offer more features on their cheaper models. I don't really care about a zillion and one features, I just want to capture good memories on film with a picture that isn't painful to watch.

This is a great point and shoot video camera. Definately not pro-grade, but for home use it's perfect.

If you want a camera that can double as a digital camera, this is not the product you want. This is fine for me because I have a digital camera that I'm quite happy with already. But to some it may matter.

Also, this camera does not offer a USB connection just a ieee1394/Firewire style connection. Again a non-issue for me since I have both USB and firewire, but if your PC only sports USB then you may want to look at newer models.

I've got to hand it to Canon. Their digital photo and video equipment has left me impressed and didn't eat my wallet to badly either.

Pros: Small, Easy to use, great price, nice picture
Cons (to some): Does not capture stills, no USB interface

Bought this for my 11 year old daughter to video her dogs and horses -- she's more a wiz at it than I am -- very easy for her to use -- the only draw back -- really can't do night time recording without ALOT of light and the direction manual resembles the thickness of the book War and Peace! But then, what 11 year old will really read a direction manual?

I feel that I got a lot of camera for the price and have been very happy with how well it works with iMac and iMovie. For example, after attaching the firewire cable, all the playback controls are available through the iMovie panel. Also I like that the video is automatically separated into individual clips (based on when I started and stopped recording a scene).

I bought this camera to replace a similiar model from Panasonic that had quit working. I had looked at a lot of the newer technology available and did not believe most was quite ready for prime time (price and functionality). For the price, I am very pleased with this camera, it does everything the Panasonic did and a little more. The joystick and the display showing how much tape is left are improvements over earlier models. For folks looking for a good, family type videocamera I don't think you can beat this for pice and performance.

I am very, very pleased with this camcorder. It produces great photos and videos. It is small and compact. The price is appropriate and the optical zoom and numerous advanced options makes it one of the best options on the market. Well done, Canon. Thanks for this great product.

We bought this camera to film our new baby. It is perfect, easy to use and a great price. I researched a lot before I decided on this one and I am very glad I did. The picture quality is great.

Bought for my son and daughter-in-law as they just had a baby...EASY to use and the videos are clear and easy to take...so simple to use and such a great way to have a record of the baby!! For the price it can't be beat!

I got this camera and love it, except for one thing. The microphone input jack does not work. So I am sending it back as I need this for an external mic. Everything else was better than expected. This zr500 has dropping prices right now,so now is a good time to buy. I can now get the zr830 for only a few dollars more than I did for the zr500.
The zr500 does not have an usb connector so you'll have to use firewire, which cost me a few extra dollars. The zr600 I "believe" has the usb connection direct to your computer so I would say buy the zr600.

The ZR500 and other low-end Canon camcorders appear to be very fine products, well worth their price -- but if what you want is the simplest and easiest way to make perfectly acceptable amateur-level home videos, have a look at the RCA Small Wonder.

Simple, rugged, totally easy to learn and operate, no frills but still some very neat features, takes perfectly adequate videos of your children, your dog, whatever -- and about half the price. Bought one; totally satisfied.

This won't matter to anyone that is not planning to transfer movies from the camera to their computer, but I have not had any success hooking the camera up to my computer. The guy at canon tech support says that their cameras don't work on combo cards that have both USB and Firewire ports on them, which sounds silly to me.

When i did have brief success transferring movies over there was a lot of motor noise, which to me is a huge distraction. But got it as a gift more than a month after it was purchased and are stuck with it.

I just bought this and tried it today. The motor noise is SO loud. Maybe if you buy one you should buy two and pick the one that is quieter. I cannot believe Canon would allow such a bad flaw in their design to be produced.

Mine is a refurbished one so I have to contact Canon directly to find out my return options. I figured it if was refurbished the problem(s) would have been fixed and the unit would be workable.

Canon what were you thinking?

Camera is light in the hand, sometimes too light for security feel of the camera. Camera when charged or used for length of time tends to over heat and feel hot to the hand. Toggle switch for play, stop, rewind, fastforward is difficult to use and flimsy. Down side - no hot shoe for external flash or level which is "so so" for a camcorder not essential; battery included with camera has about a 20 minute life cycle depending on video conditions.
Optics are not as good in night shooting as anticipated.

Postives are that one can video @ 720x480 with minidv tape, allowing for in computer editing in the most common video-editing programs possible - has 12 and 16 bit audio and is not just video destined for the web only! Also has external mic input. This was the main reason I went with this camera and not the ZR600, 700 or 800 (new) series.

After a week of using this I find the motor noise that others talk about is nothing. Mine is a refurbished model from tigerdirect, so maybe the motor was already fixed :-) My mother in law has a camcorder that sounds like a blender. The ZR 500 is OK in low light, but you CAN adjust the exposure manually to correct if it isn't to your liking. You can also adjust the focus too!

My friend who is a mini DV guru said that in this end of the consumer spectrum this camera is on par.

I've made two practice DVD's (with firewire, no problem at all) with this camera and like what I see.

For those of you that have bad motornoise: try your video software to edit the noise out. Power Director has that feature.

I am happy with this product, but I would rather have a higher end model now that I have a bit more in my budget for a camcorder.
A great camcorder for beginners!

The look and feel of this camcorder is very good. Unfortunately my camcorder use is limited to low light indoor activities. For example, evening party, indoor school activities, kid drama and orchestra. This camcorder is not at all suitable for these activities. Earlier I had a Sony DCR TRV140, which was way better than this camcorder.

This camcorder has a very small sensor and hence such a low price. One easy guide to evaluate the sensor size is to look at the optical zoom. Most of the camcorders with more than 10x optical zoom has small sensors. These large optical zoom camcorders will perform poorly in low light.

If you are planning to use this camcorder in low indoor light, I do not recommend it.

If you are looking for an entry level MiniDV camcorder, the Canon ZR500 offers excellent value for money.
Pros
1. Very intuitive interface
2. High Optical Zoom
3. Use of joystick reduces number of buttons to just 3

Cons
1. Motor noise

It also lacks a still camera mode, though I don't consider that to be a drawback.

I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. It works perfectly and does everything I could ever ask for and more for the price.
Great buy, I'd recommend it to anyone!

Purchased this item at Best Buy in Florida during my vacation but the outcome was so dissapointing. Colors are very washed out, video to a 32 inch LCD TV is so blurry due to low resolution and low light b-day recording is sad as the TV turns dark and you can hear only voices. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to truely cherish their memories to get a higher grade camera. I really dont know what to do with this now... Too light for a door stop... Amazingly i have better results with a Sony Handycam I got as a gift in 1987. If you only have $250 to spend I suggest getting a used 2000-2002 High end model Sony with Night Shot.

I have a full featured Camcorder but needed an inexpensive small camcorder that I could slip into my pocket for a trip to Europe. This had more features than I needed, was cheap and fit easily into my pocket. I didn't want to carry a camcorder over my shoulder while touring. It worked perfectly.

camera works fine, up to a point. Controls are marginal and you'd best have the manual handy to figure them out. However, I recommend you don't bother buying it, it is NOT moisture proof, or even moisture resistant, and the electronic control board will corrode with the slightest dampness such as filming in foggy weather or light rain. And you cannot dry it out inside.