One of the latest ZR camcorders, the ZR100 offers the same ease of handling as previous versions, although Canon has made some improvements to the unit's styling and feature set. This MiniDV camcorder is marginally smaller and lighter than the older ZR models, and it sports a smart metallic finish. More important, though, are the upgraded features, such as a 16:9 widescreen recording mode that is normally found only in Canon's higher priced Optura models. The camera offers a 1/6-inch, 340,000-pixel (effective) imager in standard 4:3 model, but in 16:9 mode the resolution is boosted to 450,000 pixels. The widescreen mode can be used with the camera's image stabilization system and in both Program and Easy Recording modes. To ensure the ZR100 shoots exactly what the user is seeing, the 2-2/5-inch color LCD screen offers a widescreen letterbox-style display.

The quality of video captured by the ZR100 in average to good lighting conditions is excellent. Canon has improved on the optical zoom capability of the ZR80 with a 20X optical/400X digital zoom in the ZR100. In addition to a selection of preprogrammed exposure modes, the ZR100 offers manual control over focus, exposure, white balance, and shutter speed. The new program selector makes it easier to switch from one mode to another, and the Skin Detail function automatically softens skin tones on close-up shots for more complimentary portraits.

Like the ZR80, the ZR100 lacks an SD card slot, so digital stills must be recorded directly to MiniDV. On the plus side, the camcorder can record accompanying audio such as narration or sound effects. The enhanced Night mode boosts the brightness in poorly lit scenes, although the low-light performance is a little disappointing when compared to the deep rich colors and sparkling detail recorded in normal lighting. More impressive is Canon's VIC technology that allows the seamless connection of the camera to a computer, TV, or VCR for transferring video and stills for editing and copying.

Warranty
1 year parts and labor