Canon ZR10, p. 3
[Continued From Page 2]
Say
What?
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| The MiniDV tapes are loaded at the bottom. |
The audio is recorded
in PCM mode in either 16 bit (two-channel "CD quality") or 12 bit
(four-channel). There's a mic input, but you will need a mini adaptor
if you plan to connect professional (XLR) equipment. If you choose
not to use an external mic, the ZR10 does have a built in stereo mic
that does a great job at picking up audio. Perhaps too good a job.
I first became aware of the ZR10 when Executive Producer Dave Nagel
picked one up to videotape his children. He brought it into the office
to show everyone and while we were goofing … er, uh … testing many
of the features, I noticed a very audible noise coming from the head/drive
assembly. I pointed this out to Dave, and, a few tests later, it was
confirmed that this sound was being recorded onto the tape. Dave took
the camera back to the point of purchase thinking it was a defective
camera, but every other ZR10 he tried in the store had the same problem.
When we contacted Canon about doing a review on this unit, we mentioned
the problem and they said they would send a unit that had gone through
their "quality control" dept. I don't know whether they actually did
this or not, as the camera still has the same audible noise coming
from it's drum assembly. Regardless, unless you are shooting in a
very quiet room with no other audio disturbances you probably will
not get the noise recorded every time. If you are shooting something
of importance with this camera for a webcast, I would recommend getting
an external mic.
To Destinations Unknown
While the ZR10 does have some built in editing features (adding audio
overdubs and what not), at the end of the day, you are going to want
to somehow get the video from tape to destinations unknown. The Canon
ZR10 allows you to send video information from the camera to an NLE
via composite (RCA connectors), S-Video or FireWire connectors.
Price and Availability
The Canon ZR10 is available now with a list price of $999. You can
find it cheaper, though.
Final Thoughts
For the price and convenience, this is an excellent little camera
to start out on. With the many video features and high quality audio
you will definitely be able to use this as a beginning tool for webcasting.
On the negative side, loading and ejecting tapes can be cumbersome
at times, as the assembly is directly under the hand grip. Also be
aware of the head assembly noise mentioned earlier. Overall, I was
impressed with the capabilities this camera has.
Stephen Schleicher is the producer of Video Systems and Digital Webcast.
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