Performance

The Canon ZR830 shares its core imaging specs with the ZR800, the standard entry-level 1/6" CCD with 680,000 gross pixels. The effective pixel count changes depending on the aspect ratio and electronic image stabilization (EIS); in 16:9 with EIS on, it has approximately 360,000 effective pixels; in 16:9 with EIS off, it has 450,000; and in 4:3, it has 340,000.

These specs are virtually identical across entry-level camcorders of all manufacturers. The next model up, the Canon ZR850, has the same size imager, but it packs in 1,070,000 gross pixels. We thought that this would reduce certain aspects of performance (especially in low light), but the ZR850 trumped the ZR830 in every performance test. From the outset, we recommend stepping up to the ZR850.

At 3000 lux (bright-light conditions) the Canon ZR830 produced a better looking image than a lot of camcorders in this price range. Generally, we find that low-end Canons have the most favorable color reproduction. Sure, it’s more saturated than a pro or prosumer would want, but saturation is the name of the game for consumer camcorders. The ZR830 did a good job with the greens, blues, and reds, but the yellows really took a nosedive, leaning too much towards green. Our big problem with the ZR830’s image was the lack of sharpness. Everything appeared as if it were shot with a soft focus filter – great if you’re going for the silent films of the 1920s look, but on your new, large screen TV, this is going to look abysmal. Unfortunately, the more money you spend on your television, the more you’re going to have to spend on your home camcorder, as well. You want to keep those memories looking sharp, right? Welcome to the modern world.

The competition was no better and often worse. The Canon ZR500 from last year produced an image with stronger colors, but it was equally lacking in resolution. The Sony DCR-HC26 and the Panasonic PV-GS39, both from last year, produced exceptionally grainy images with strong saturation. The Canon ZR830 faired better. The only camcorder in this corral to do better that the ZR830 was the step-up ZR850. The ZR850 was far less saturated and less noisy. In this category, it was clearly the winner (and only $30 more).

Video Resolution* (4.4)*

The video resolution of the Canon ZR830 was tested by shooting a DSC Labs CamAlign chart showing line widths / picture height (lw/ph). At best, the camcorder produced approximately 310 lines of vertical resolution and 285 lines of horizontal resolution. This was not as sharp as the ZR850.

Low Light Performance* (4.15)*

The Canon ZR830 did not fare so well in low light. The ZR830 and ZR850 both have 1/6" CCDs, but the ZR850 packs nearly twice as many pixels into the same space. This means that the individual pixels have been shrunk down, which in turn should have meant a diminished ability to capture light. However, the ZR850 turned out to be more sensitive in low light, yet produce about the same noise and color accuracy as the ZR830 (see below for more details). Neither of them looked that good, however. Also, there was undoubtedly the appearance of an edge with the the ZR830, perhaps due to an increased in-camera sharpening at this light. The borders of objects appeared more clearly in the ZR830 than the ZR850. 

Unfortunately, there is no Elura 100 to step up to this year, which did much better than both of these. Since the ZR800 has the same chip as the ZR830, plus the mic input, it's a very compelling choice.

At 60 lux, the ZR830 was very noisy and lost a great deal of color information from bright light. Like the ZR850, it had some difficulty finding the proper white balance, even with a manual setting. But, while the ZR850 was never able to rest on a manual white balance and had to settle on an automatic setting, the ZR830 could find the manual adjustment after about 7 seconds. Most of the color pallet between the ZR830 and ZR850 looked the same. You’ll actually be hard pressed to spot the difference unless you look every hard. We did, of course, (it’s our job), and found a clearer distinction between the greens in the ZR830. As stated before, this seems to be a result of increased sharpening in low light.

This year we have introduced a new low light testing method and scoring system, factoring in sensitivity, noise, and color accuracy. The Canon ZR830 was able to produce a peak luminance of 50 IRE at 15 lux. The light was then raised to 60 lux, the standard lighting in which we measure low light noise and color accuracy. According to Imatest imaging software, the ZR830 produced an average 1.31% noise, and had a mean color error of 13.1. Each of these metrics are factored into the final Low Light Performance score.

Stabilization* (4.78)
*All of this year’s ZR Series camcorders are equipped with EIS (electronic image stabilization) systems that reduce the effects of camcorder shake on the recorded image.  Image stabilization systems are nearly universal on today’s consumer camcorders, and they are amazingly successful at steadying hand-held shots.  Unfortunately, EIS does this by creating a virtual buffer zone at the margins of the video frame, which results in lower video resolution than you’ll get with EIS disabled.  OIS (optical image stabilization) systems are better because they do not impair video resolution when they are engaged, but they are usually found only on higher-end camcorders.

 
We tested the Canon ZR830’s EIS system using our camcorder shake emulator. The shake emulator is able to reproduce camcorder shake at different levels of intensity. We tested the ZR830 at Speed 1, equivalent to the shake created while holding a camcorder and standing still; and Speed 2, equivalent to shooting from a moving vehicle. The Canon ZR830’s EIS reduced perceived image shake by about 50% at Speed 1, and 15% at Speed 2. These calculations were derived by measuring the reduction in motion between footage shot at each speed with EIS off and EIS on.

Wide Angle* (10.4)*

All of Canon’s consumer camcorders of 2007 record native 16:9 video which is a good thing, as more and more people are watching their home movies on widescreen TVs. In a nod to late-adopters, they also offer 4:3 video recording by pillarboxing the image. We tested the Canon ZR830’s wide angle capabilities in its native 16:9 mode, and it turned a 52 degree field of view.

Format

Compression* (5.5)*

DV compression is still the best standard definition codec in terms of performance, but it has waned in popularity because it records video to MiniDV video cassettes. Video tape is linear – there is no getting around that – and it can’t match the pure convenience of non-linear DVDs, HDDs, and flash memory cards. Yet savvy buyers still recognize the benefits of tape, namely that it’s much cheaper per-minute than DVDs, very widely available, and the best standard definition format for editing. While virtually all NLEs (non-linear editors) such as Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere support DV compression natively, time-intensive conversion is required to edit MPEG-2 footage. Moving DV footage to a PC for editing, remains a realtime process, and unlike DVDs, you can’t pop a DV cassette into your home DVD player, as you can with mini DVDs.

The ZR830 has an SD/SDHC memory card slot, and still images can be captured to compatible flash memory cards. The slot is positioned behind a rubber port cover on the top rear corner of the right side.

Media*(6.0)
*The Canon ZR830 captures video to MiniDV tape, the oldest media that is still in popular use. It's cheap, it's easy to find, and it's relatively durable (compared to easily scratched DVDs). However, tape is linear, requiring real-time capture to edit. You also can't pop this into a computer or home peripheral, which you can do with DVDs.

Editing* (8.0)*

Editing DV footage shot with the Canon ZR830 is easy given the format’s maturity and broad support. Any good non-linear editing program supports DV natively, with the exception of those programs designed specifically for MPEG-2 editing. For the most part, DV editors offer superior functionality, in part because DV is generally accepted as a broadcast quality format, while MPEG-2 is not. Even HDV, which looks stunningly sharp on an HD monitor is considered by some networks to be a substandard consumer format because its aggressive compression renders motion poorly in comparison to DV.

An IEEE 1394 cable is used to transfer footage to a PC or external HDD for editing, and the terminal is located on front of the right side. IEEE 1394 is also known as Firewire, i.LINK, or simply "DV," and provides a high-speed data interface between computers and peripheral devices like camcorders. The ZR830 also offers a smattering of in-camera options for still image editing, including image erase, protection, and card initialization. The ZR830 supports photo printing directly from the camcorder and allows you to create print queues, select paper type, and apply effects to stills prior to printing.

Auto / Manual Controls

• Automatic Control (4.0)*
  

Apparently, Sony does not have a monopoly on Easy mode (though Sony HandyCams have an Easy button). The Canon ZR camcorders use a mode switch with options for Easy (auto) mode and P, or "Program Recording" mode. Many options available in P mode are disabled when this camcorder is set to Easy mode. To access the full complement of image adjustments, the switch must be set to P, and then P must be selected from the Program AE options. Other camcorders would call "P" within P mode "Manual," so if Canon’s nomenclature confuses you, you’re not alone.

In Easy Recording Mode, image controls other than zoom default to auto, but a few options can be altered by pressing the Func. button below the LCD screen, then using the joystick to navigate to Menu > Camera Setup. The options available in Easy mode are: Auto Slow Shutter On/Off, Digital Zoom, Zoom Speed, Widescreen, and Self Timer. It's not much, but if you’re a point-and-shooter, the lack of options will keep things simple.

In Easy mode, the ZR830 will not disappoint as long as the lighting conditions are favorable. The camcorder performs on par with other camcorders in the same price range. Key controls like exposure and white balance produce a good-looking image, but the camcorder hit a wall with mixed lighting. This comes as no surprise, since any camcorder will automatically favor the strongest lighting source when making auto white balance adjustments. Because different lighting sources have very different color temperatures (natural light is generally bluer than artificial light), this can wreak havoc with the overall color of your recorded image if lighting is mixed. Setting your white balance manually will always yield a better result than auto in mixed lighting.

The other automatic control the ZR830 had trouble with was focus in telephoto or in low contrast situations. Again, these focus issues are universal for camcorders set to auto mode. With optical zoom magnifications of 35x, the 2007 ZR series features the strongest optical zooms Canon has ever built into their camcorders. At the telephoto end of the zoom range, the depth of field becomes shallower, and the image processor has less latitude in which to operate. We found that the ZR830 and ZR850 both had difficulty finding and maintaining sharp focus at 35x, even in bright light. They also had trouble finding focus in low contrast situations (i.e. low light, monochrome backgrounds, etc.) You’ll encounter similar auto focus shortcomings in any consumer camcorder, and if anything, the Canon’s did a marginally better job than most.

Overall Manual Control (5.0)

Canon’s ZR camcorders have performed well in our tests, and they include a good set of manual controls. In addition, AE Modes offer a high degree of adjustability. This combination of manual controls and AE modes gives Canon ZR830 users a high degree of control over the image which rivals camcorders with better independent control over settings. Experienced videographers will need to spend some time familiarizing themselves with the Canon Function menu, but the most important features are close at hand, with manual focus and exposure accessed right from the joystick.

To adjust image settings manually, the Mode switch must be set to the "P" or Recording Programs position. The recording program that is analogous to Manual mode on many other camcorders is labeled "P" for Program AE, and this setting offers control over all camcorder parameters except for gain. The camcorder’s other Recording Programs are specialized recording modes that optimize automatic adjustments for specific situations. For example, the Fireworks Recording Program is intended for shooting fireworks against a dark sky, but it might be useful for scenes where similarly high contrast exists.

If you prefer to make image adjustments manually, remember that even though the AE Recording Program is treated as a Recording Programs submenu option, it is essentially the ZR830’s manual control mode. The other Recording Programs, including Sports, Spotlight, and Fireworks are what we generally refer to as AE modes, and limit manual image controls to focus and exposure.

Zoom (6.5)

The Canon ZR830 has a rocking lever-style zoom controller that protrudes up from the top of the body, and it is positioned to allow for easy access during hand-held shooting. Short of a real zoom ring like the Cam Control dial on the HDR-SR1, rocking levers are the most user-friendly zoom controllers commonly seen on consumer camcorders. They are easier to operate than sliders and allow for nuanced control over speed.

The zoom rocker traverses the ZR830’s zoom range quickly in variable speed mode but still allows for precise slow zooms. Three fixed zoom speeds can also be selected in the Camera Setup submenu. Speed 3 moves the zoom at a fixed medium speed, Speed 2 is a bit slower, and Speed 1 is a slow crawl. While a fixed speed which is faster than medium is not offered, the ZR830 does offer more zoom speed options than most competing camcorders.

*

Zoom Power Ratio (35.0)*

The Canon ZR830 ships with a powerful 35x optical zoom. Last year, 35x would have been top of the optical zoom heap, but Sony has introduced 40x optical zooms on some of their entry-level consumer camcorders. The bottom line on zoom power is, anything over about 25x will get most shooters as close to the action as they need, and moving closer to your subject will generally get you a better shot anyway.

The ZR830 includes a digital zoom option that can be disabled, set to peak at 105x (three times optical zoom max) or set to peak out at the digital zoom max of 1000x. We advise against using digital zooms because they severely reduce the quality of the recorded image at more then 1.5x or 2x the strength of an optical zoom. This is because digital zoom magnifies the pixels available at peak optical zoom power which means that a 70x digital zoom on the ZR830 is really a 2x zoom of a 35x image, a 105x digital zoom is a 3x zoom of a 35x image, etc. If you can live with some pixelation, capping the digital zoom at 105x offers some quality control and is a good tweak offered by Canon.

When the ZR830’s digital zoom is set to 105x, the onscreen zoom indicator bar is divided into a white segment for optical zoom territory and a blue segment to indicate digital zoom territory. By watching the zoom scale while zooming, you can remain aware of when your image is magnified optically and when digital magnification kicks in. There is also a pause during zooming at the optical/digital zoom boundary. This pause serves as a warning that magnification is about to go digital and allows you to either stop your zoom there or break on through to the other side. When the zoom is set to 1000x, a dark blue segment is added to show 105x-plus territory.

Focus (4.0)

Manually focusing a camcorder without a ring control is challenging, but it is not impossible. The Canon ZR830’s joystick is used to make focus adjustments and for a non-ring focus control. It does work pretty well. Engaging manual focus is thankfully quick. In any Program Recording mode, depressing the joystick reveals the manual focus/exposure display, which appears at the lower right corner of the screen. Pressing down selects manual focus and brings up a couple of handy dandy icons: a person on the left, mountain peaks on the right. These icons represent near objects at left and distant objects at right. Pressing the joystick in the person direction moves your focal point closer, and pressing in the mountain direction moves it further away. Pressing up on the joystick returns to the top level of the onscreen display, allowing you to select either manual focus or exposure.

Actually pinpointing the precise focal depth of a given shot using the joystick is not easy, due to the ergonomics of the control and the tiny size of the screen relative to the television you’ll watch the footage on. Other camcorders make manually focusing even more challenging. Most Sony HandyCams demand a lengthy detour from your shoot into the menu to turn manual focus on. A manual focus overlay then appears on the LCD screen, blocking the very image you’re attempting to bring into focus. Even worse, the focus controls are virtual onscreen buttons! Compared to Sony’s touch screen manual focus interface that is buried in the menu and displayed over most of the screen, Canon’s joystick works like a dream. 

Exposure & Aperture (5.5)

The Canon ZR830’s manual exposure control is operated just like manual focus, and it can be engaged just as quickly. After pressing in on the joystick when any Program Recording mode is active, pressing up enters manual exposure control. The exposure control is by default an exposure compensation adjustment with steps represented on a -11 to +11 scale.

It is possible to lock the shutter speed in AE mode, which does provide for iris-only exposure adjustments, but the display is still shown in an enigmatic EV scale EV steps of unknown intervals rather than actual EV stops, like you'd find on a digital camera. Panasonics do display f-stops when making iris adjustments, but the ZR830 still offers more exposure control than most consumer camcorders.

Shutter Speed (5.4)

Shutter speed on the Canon ZR830 can be independently adjusted only in AE mode, but a number of other Program Recording modes make automatic changes to shutter speed auto adjustment parameters.

Unlike focus and exposure which are accessed by pressing the center of the joystick, shutter speed control must be engaged from the Function menu. This requires a lengthier detour but navigating with the joystick makes the process relatively painless and fast. The manual shutter speed settings available are limited to 1/60th, 1/100th, 1/250th, 1/500th, 1/1000th, and 1/2000th of a second. If the camcorder’s image processor senses that the manual shutter speed setting is "inappropriate" to ambient light levels, the shutter speed indicator flashes. This is a helpful feature, but it seemed to allow what we would consider an over- or underexposed image to pass muster. It is not possible to manually select shutter speeds lower than 1/60, althought when Auto Slow Shutter is set to on, the ZR830 automatically drops the shutter speed below 1/60 in low light.

White Balance (5.5)

Unlike the other major image controls, manual white balance is reached by first pressing the Func. Button below the LCD screen and then navigating to the White Balance option at the left edge of the screen. White balance is just below the Program Recording mode icon at the upper left corner of the screen, so getting there is about as quick as focus or exposure. After selecting the white balance option, the four white balance settings appear across the bottom of the LCD, from left to right: auto (AWB), outdoor, indoor, and manual. When you have navigated to the manual white balance icon, pressing in once more on the joystick sets white balance.

Gain (0.0)

Gain cannot be adjusted manually on the ZR830, or its ZR siblings. Panasonic consumer camcorders do offer full independent control over gain, while most other manufacturers offer either no manual gain control, like Canon, or very limited control in the case of JVC.

Other Manual Controls (2.0)
*Guide Markers - *Onscreen markers are a useful shot framing aid. To turn markers on, navigate to Func. > Display Setup > Markers. The options available are white or grey Level marker, which superimposes a horizontal line across the middle of the screen with a cross hatch at the center point. White or gray Grid markers, which superimposes a nine-box grid on the screen. These markers are a nice inclusion on low-end camcorders, and you won’t often find them at this price point.

*Image Effects - *The Image Effects on Canon’s ZR830 are below the white balance option on the left edge of the Func. display, and the options available are: Vivid (increases color saturation and contrast); Neutral (tones down color saturation and contrast); and Soft Skin Detail (softens details in "skin toned" areas. Take note that soft skin modes on consumer camcorders detect only a limited range of skin tones, so if your subjects hail from the global south, they may be left out of this control).

 

Still Features

Still Features* (4.65)*

The Canon ZR830 offers very basic still camera functionality – just enough to make you consider choosing it over the ZR800, which does not take stills at all. In our opinion, the trade off is not worth it. The ZR800 has a mic input, which is far more useful than an under-1MP camera. Cracker Jack toys can shoot over 1MP these days.

That said, the ZR830 has some pretty decent features when shooting in still mode, matching the step-up ZR850 in every area but resolution, which maxes out at 1024 x 768 (versus 1152 x 864 on the 850). To switch to still mode, move the switch on top of the camcorder from the tape icon to the memory card icon. Stills are saved to SD and SDHC cards, which load on the upper right side of the camcorder. SD cards are available in capacities up to 2GB. SDHC, or SD high capacity cards, are currently available up to 8GB, but 32GB cards will be on shelves soon enough. Image resolution can be set to 1024 x 768 (around 0.8MP) or 640 x 480 (around 0.3MP) in three quality settings, Normal, Fine, and Superfine.

Stills can be captured when the camcorder is set to memory card recording. The small recording format selector switch is on top of the camcorder’s body, with options for tape icon and card. Still images are captured to SD/SDHC/MMC cards, which are inserted into a slot on the upper right side. A card is not included in the box, but they are cheap and readily available. In addition to 1024 x 768, a low resolution VGA-quality setting is available (640 x 480 or about 0.3MP), and photo quality can be set to Normal, Fine, or Superfine.

In still photo mode, the Function and main menus retain most of the features available in video mode. In the Function menu, you’ll find scene modes, white balance, image and digital effects, MPEG-2 video recording to card, still resolution and quality. All the options mirror those available in video mode. The main menu is accessed by pressing the Func. button and navigating to the menu icon at the base of screen’s left side. These options include: shutter speed, with a more limited set of choices than are available in video mode: Auto, 1/60, 1/100, and 1/250; and Auto focus type, which has options for Artificial Intelligent Auto Focus (AiAF), Center weighted, and auto focus off. In contrast to Canon’s digital still cameras, the AiAF cannot be set to 9-point, 5-point, and 3-point. AiAF on the ZR Series is automatic, and it seeks out regions with the greatest contrast to set focus.

Stills can be captured to card while recording or playing back video, but resolution is capped at 640 x 480, and the stills will utilize a video color space. This means they will look like video stills rather than digital camera stills and may strike you as unnatural in tone. The ability to capture JPEG movies to card is an interesting feature available on this camcorder, but its utility is limited to capturing low resolution video at 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 for ultra-fast upload to your favorite video sharing site.

Still Performance* (8.16)*

The Canon ZR830 was tested for color accuracy in its stills by shooting a Gretag McBeth Color Checker chart, then running those stills through Imatest imaging software. Full auto mode did not produce the best possible still. Rather, we found better results by bumping down the exposure 1 increment. In this setting, the image produced a mean color error of 7.35, with a saturation decrease of -5.29% (aperture = f/2.4, shutter speed =1/120). Despite the fact that the imager with the higher pixel count is in the ZR850, the ZR830 appeared to produce more accurate stills. As you’ll read below, however, the ZR850 produced the higher resolution.

Still Resolution* (3.6)*

We used an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution test and Imatest imaging software to test the resolution of the Canon ZR830’s stills. At best, the camcorder produced a horizontal resolution of 518.7 line widths / picture height (lw/ph), with a 1.80% clipping and 5.32% oversharpening. The vertical resolution was 426.5, with a 1.80 clipping and 9.87% oversharpening.

The camcorder did not oversharpen as much as the ZR850, but it didn't have as good a resolution. Imatest ignores sharpening, which can create the illusion of increased resolution by increasing the contrast along borders and edges.

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (7.75)*

Since the ZR830 is a consumer-oriented camcorder, there’s no question that Canon designed it to accommodate the most basic shooting functions. These functions are easy to access and the camcorder is ergonomically sound. With the joystick menu, 3 speed zoom toggle, Quick Start button, and compact size, the ZR830 should be a hit amongst point-and shooters.

On the other side of the spectrum, the ZR830 has a bottom loading tape hatch that disables the shooter from changing a tape while the camcorder is on a tripod, sacrificing time and continuity. Also, certain menu functions on the ZR830 are accessed by pressing the center of the joystick, which is difficult to do and can lead to unintentional menu selections.

Handling* (3.25)*

We noted in our review of the ZR850 that no consumer camcorder offers all-around stellar handling because they pack so much functionality into such a compact package that handling inevitably suffers. In an ideal world, every control on a camcorder would be designed and sized for the best possible ergonomics and accuracy. Alas, the miniaturized controls on the ZR830 don’t allow this but it has this in common with its competitors. The question is, has Canon made the right compromises in terms of physical layout and menu design to keep the ZR830 a user-friendly and capable device?

We think the ZR series camcorders are very well-designed for their target consumer market. The ZR830’s joystick is an improvement over previous ZR models, and it makes navigating the camcorder’s menus and image controls easier and faster than before. We have a slight preference for rear-mounted joysticks, as they allow the option for one-handed operation, but many users will appreciate the location of this joystick on the LCD frame. JVC was the first to move their joysticks to the frame, and even though this position requires both hands to make adjustments, most users will find the frame to be a more comfortable – if less convenient – joystick placement. The Function menu takes Canon’s classic "L" shaped design, and once you learn the interface, you should have little trouble making manual adjustments quickly and zipping through Administrative menu options. We admire the even greater efficiency of Panasonic’s rear-mounted joystick for manual control adjustment, but it’s a trickier interface to master for novices than Canon’s. At the other end of the spectrum are Sonys, which offer point-and-shooters a near idiot-proof package that experienced shooters will find restrictive. Canon’s ZR camcorders strike a good balance between manual control speed and accessibility, and they arguably offer the best handling in their class for casual videographers.

Menu* (7.0)*

There are a good number of menu systems to be found in today’s consumer camcorders, from the Sony’s idiot-proof but flawed touch screens, to Panasonic’s power-user-preferred joystick-based design. The Canon menu falls somewhere in between these poles, and for casual shooters, we think it can be the best of both worlds.

The Canon ZR830 menu has two main divisions: the Function Menu, which is used for making image adjustments and selecting Program Recording modes, and the Administrative Menu, which contains those manual controls not found in the Function Menu (notably shutter speed) and everything else. What sets the Canon menu apart is that it is both very easy to use, and it keeps image controls close at hand. Even though shutter speed options are four levels deep, it still only takes a few seconds to get there and make your selection.

This speed is facilitated because navigation is done with a joystick (faster than a touch screen or touch pad). It reacts instantly when you make a selection, and it has an intuitive structure that keeps the most commonly used options close to the top. The Canon menu is not perfect. We would have liked to see some additional manual controls like shutter speed and white balance grouped with focus and exposure, and engaged by pressing the joystick. On the whole, however, it’s a well-designed menu that serves users well.

Portability* (6.0)*

The ZR830 is compact, measuring 2.2x3.6x4.7 inches. Its tall, thin frame weighs in at 13.4 ounces. This is a light, portable camcorder. It can fit in a small bag, purse, or even a large pocket, but none of those options would prove to be a good idea, given the ZR830’s cheap construction. Between the temperamental tape hatch and flimsy LCD, it would be best to haul the ZR830 in a camcorder carrying case. The good news is that the case will not be huge, given the ZR830’s size. The ZR830 is the kind of camcorder that would be ideal for vacations, family videos, and local events. It’s easy to carry and simple to use, making the ZR830 a venerable contender amongst the avid point-and-shooter crowd.

LCD and Viewfinder* (4.0)*

The LCD on the ZR830 should be handled the way you would handle balsa wood. A pin-sized axel is the only thing connecting the LCD panel to its hinge. The LCD screen has a tendency to hyper-extend if too much pressure is applied, and it doesn’t take much to bend it out of shape. Proceed with caution. The LCD brightness can be adjusted and it also has a grid feature that sections off different areas of the screen for recording accurate shots. The screen is 2.7" wide and produces 112K pixels. Not very exciting, but it is what you’d expect within this class of camcorders.

As for the viewfinder, Canon has a lot of explaining to do. It looks like an unfinished plastic dome that’s been lopped off in a meager attempt to save space. It’s so short that the battery almost juts out farther. If you plan on purchasing a bigger battery, then you better enjoy rigid plastic things in your face. This is a poor, incomplete design that is geared toward LCD fanatics, not versatile videographers. The EVF gives you 114K pixels and measures .35 inches wide, but the average ZR830 user will not even notice there is a viewfinder to begin with.

**

Battery Life*** (10.7)
*We tested the Canon ZR830’s included BP-2L5 battery for continuous recording time with EIS disabled and the LCD open and set to Normal brightness.  The ZR830 turned in a slightly better score than the step-up ZR850, powering the camcorder for 107 minutes adn 26 seconds (1 hour 47 minutes and 26 seconds).  This is a respectable but unremarkable score for a low-end DV camcorder.

**

**

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (3.0)*

Since the ZR850 and the ZR830 are identical in terms of audio quality, you can expect to be pelted with the same overbearing white noise whether you record in 12bit or 16bit. 16bit records the highest quality audio while 12bit records on two channels: Stereo 1 (leaving two channels free), and Stereo 2 (for audio dubbing and adding a sound track later). You won’t be able to tell the difference. Even with the windscreen on, the sound is generally terrible. The layout of the microphone lends to seamless, uninterrupted audio recording. Placed at the base of the ZR830’s façade, the microphone sufficiently dodges wandering fingers. In addition, the internal lens cap prevents that classic clinking sound highly popularized by windy Grand Canyon vacations. For playback, use the handy joystick on the LCD panel. Just don’t crank it too high, unless you enjoy your footage accompanied by of white noise. The ZR830’s dubbing feature allows you to record your own audio over a previously recorded video track. This is great if you opt for an external microphone to reduce the amount of encroaching background sound that could be picked up, but wait—the ZR830 doesn’t have a microphone jack. The cheaper ZR800 does. Both camcorders have the same video quality, same audio quality, and very similar features. The ZR800 has a microphone jack. The ZR830 has an SD card slot and USB terminal. It’s up to you to decide what is more important.

Playback* (3.0)*

The VCR mode on the ZR830 is accessed by the mode dial and brings up the playback menu. Here, you’ll notice a mini control set in the bottom right corner containing play/pause, fast forward, rewind, and stop, all activated by the joystick. Speaker volume is also controlled by the joystick on this screen. By now you’ll be wishing Canon had thrown a bigger joystick on the LCD panel. Pressing the Function button brings up the Function menu, containing record pause, end search, digital effects (try art or mirror), still image size, and the video quality selector. Once you figure out how to press the joystick in the center without accidentally triggering another feature, the administrative menu offers VCR, audio, display, system, and date/time setups. These functions are easy to use, and the average point-and-shooter should have no problems.

Connectivity* (4.5)*

The ZR830 has two panels of ports on the right side. The one closest to the mode dial is an SD/SDHC/MMC card slot for digital still recording. With SDHC, you can record up to 32 GB on a stamp-sized plastic card, but the price of one will most likely exceed the ZR830’s MSRP of $299. Next to the memory card slot is an A/V out jack, USB terminal, and Firewire terminal. Firewire is a standard amongst popular editing programs like Adobe Premiere Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro, and the ZR830 is compatible with almost every editing program thanks to its MiniDV format. The A/V out jack allows you only to record from the camcorder to a VCR, but not a TV to the camcorder. The ZR830 sports a revamped, trapezoidal DC input, and connects securely compared to last year’s circular jack that was prone to being yanked out.

The only thing to watch out for here is the port covers. They are attached to the body by thin plastic strips that can easily be snapped off if not covered properly. We snapped one off on the ZR850, so take caution. This camcorder has some fragile areas.

 

Other Features

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**What’s in the Box?
**The ZR830 ships with everything you need to begin shooting, after a charge of course. The red and white Canon box includes:

-CA-590 Compact Power Adapter-BP-2L5 Battery Pack-Lithium Button Battery-Stereo Video Cable-WL-D85 Wireless Controller-Lithium Button Battery for Wireless Controller-USB Cable-Digital Video Solution Disk Software CD-ROM-MiniDV tape

You’ll probably want to stock up on MiniDV tapes, but the good news is that they last longer than DVDs. Keep an eye on the battery as well, and if you plan on documenting your elongated hike through the Rockies, a backup battery is a must.

Other Features* (2.5)*

Card Mix – Card Mix is a feature found in the digital effects sub-menu, and it offers the ability to overlay a digital still image (saved to your memory card) on video footage. The camcorder keys out a portion of the video frame, and the still image fills the keyed region. The still’s transparency can be adjusted with a slider and the effect is, well, strange. Try it out. You might like it.

Faders – Someone at Canon clearly loves playing with in-camera fades, and the company has provided users with an impressive array of choices for adding some zing to your footage, including Fade in, Wipe, Corner, Jump, Flip, Puzzle, Zigzag, Beam, and Tide. They are wacky and fun, but you can do so much more with an editing program like iMovie or Adobe Elements that we have to wonder…why?

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
Canon ZR850
The Canon ZR850 ($329 MSRP) is almost identical to the ZR830, but for $30 more, you get an higher resolution imager, subpar video light, higher quality still images, and an AV jack that allows audio input for audio dubbing (but not for video, sorry). On paper, that's not too shabby. But you’ll only notice a slight improvement in video quality, and you’d probably be better off duct taping an LED light to the ZR830 than using this one. Better still, take a look at the next comparison.

Canon ZR800
The Canon ZR800 retails for $279 (MSRP), a $20 shave off the ZR830’s price tag. Both camcorders share the same flimsy construction, same menus with limited manual controls, same 1/6" 680K imager, and the same processor. The ZR800 does not come with a remote control or memory card slot, but it have... hold for applause... a mic jack. The ZR830 has a remote control, memory card slot, but no mic input. Let’s think about this: Canon’s entry-level ZR800 gives you the option to make major audio upgrades, which you’ll want after reading the Audio section in this review. The step-up ZR830 lets you capture stills at an unimpressive resolution that maxes out under 1 MP, which is hardly a valuable feature. Clearly the best deal here is the ZR800. Even a cheap external mic will give you better audio quality than any of these built-in mics. Better audio makes a huge improvement in overall production quality. There's no contest, here. Canon ZR800 all the way.  

Canon ZR700
The Canon ZR700 is last year’s top of the line ZR model. Why are we comparing it to the mid-range ZR830? Simple. You can find the ZR700 for well under $299 on almost any website. If you can get over the fact that the ZR700 is not a brand-spanking new 2007 model, then you will be treated to its larger still capacity and built-in video light. Both camcorders have the same imager and similarly weak construction. The only thing the ZR830 has over the ZR700 is a 30x optical zoom instead of a 25x. Big whoop. Save your dough and spring for a camcorder that gives you more options at a cheaper price.

Sony DCR-HC38
In a "Hottest Camcorder" pageant, the Sony DCR-HC38 ($329 MSRP) would blow the Canon ZR830 to smithereens. It’s bold, sleek, and just downright sexy. With all that style, the HC38 also offers a 40x optical zoom and a NightShot Plus infrared system. Although these are fancy little features to have, the HC38 and the ZR830 share a similar 1/6" 680K imager, and based on video performance tests in the past, Canon has maintained the upper hand. The HC38 also implements a touch screen LCD, notorious for its susceptibility to screen-smudging fingerprints, while Canon has an unobtrusive joystick-operated menu. Before you sink your teeth into the flashy eye candy of the HC38, ask yourself these questions: Do I really need a 40x optical zoom? Is NightShot really that necessary when all that is needed for filming at night is, well, a light? Is it worth spending an extra $30 on flashy looks? Try before you buy.

*Panasonic PV-GS39
*The Panasonic PV-GS39 ($349 MSRP) and ZR830 both have similar 1/6" imagers, so you’re going to get an image that is neck-and-neck when it comes to quality. However, the folks at Panasonic are aces when it comes to comfort and friendly design. With a unique side-loading DV tape hatch, retractable viewfinder, and LCD joystick located in the back of the camcorder, the GS39 is easier to handle than the ZR830. Although the GS39 looks shorter and fatter than the latest trend of fashionably tall and thin camcorders, it feels good in your hand and welcomes ergonomic shooting. Also, the GS39 has more manual controls than the ZR830, although sometimes navigating though the menu is like attempting to decipher ancient hieroglyphics. It’s a toss up—until you look at the $50 difference. If you have the money to blow, the GS39 is a fine camcorder in its class. Otherwise, the ZR830 would be a next best bet.

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Who It’s For
*Point-and-Shooters
*Canon has you covered, point-and-shooters. The menu is simple to navigate through, despite the odd configuration of the joystick. If that doesn’t cut it, you’ve got yourself a nice old Easy button to do the majority of  manual control chores for you. On top of that, the ZR-830 offers a number of preset shooting modes so you don’t have to fiddle with the white balance or exposure.

*Budget Consumers
*At $299, this model is relatively unchanged in the realm of manual controls, body design, and image quality. Although it’s cheaper than its predecessor, the ZR-600, you’d be better off snagging one of last year’s ZR-700’s—you get more for less. Take heed, budget consumers.

*Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid 
*Yes, the ZR-830 can be classified as a hybrid camcorder, but by the skin of its teeth, or chips for that matter. Recording to a memory card greatly reduces the quality of video or stills, which is characteristic of a hybrid camcorder. But the maximum digital still resolution is 640x480, which is a cruel practical joke in the photography world. In addition, you can only record onto cards up to 2GB, while there are a host of other camcorders out there with 30GB hard drives and larger memory card capacities. For what it’s worth, that ZR-700 will at least give you better stills.

*Gadget Freaks
*Ladies and geeks, I hate to disappoint, but there are no truly innovative or eclectic features on this point-and-shooter oriented camcorder. Sorry.

*Manual Control Freaks
*The ZR-830 will suit those who like to wear the pants in a consumer-camcorder relationship. You’ve got shutter speed, white balance, focus, and exposure to play with - a very good package fit its class. Canon is generally very keen on implementing key manual controls, although the Panasonic PV-GS39 will tickle your fancy with even more manual controls.

*Pros / Serious Hobbyists
*This isn’t looking like a good fit here. You’re going to hone in on the cheap construction, weak LCD screen, lack of essential manual controls, and come to think of it, everything else possible. Stick with your XH-A1.

Conclusion

The Canon ZR830 is without a doubt a pretty good DV camcorder at a pretty good price. The problem is, it’s step-up sibling, the ZR850 offers some worthwhile upgrades, and only costs a few dollars more -  better video resolution (with a negligible drop in low light performance) and higher resolution stills (1152 x 864 versus 1024 x 768). The added video resolution on the 850 was immediately visible in side-by-side comparisons of the two camcorders. Then below the ZR830, you have the ZR800, with identical video quality to the ZR830. Sure, there's no still card capture and no remote control, but you get a mic jack - an incredibly rare find on a camcorder anywhere near this price range. Mic inputs are worth their weight in gold, and certainly worth the cost of sacrificing sub-1MP still capture.

If you do opt for the ZR830 because your bank account has only $299 and you need a Canon DV camcorder today, you’ll be happy with your purchase as long as you don’t crave the enhanced manual controls found on Panasonic’s PV-GS39, or the ultra-ease of Sony’s DCR-HC38.

 

 

Specs and Ratings

 

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