The advanced Canon ZR70MC MiniDV camcorder brings together all the features of the ZR65MC, from its ease of use to still photo mode and digital effects. It also adds a 22x optical zoom, 440x digital zoom, motion JPEG movie mode, Super Night mode, and an advanced accessory shoe for powering a microphone or video light.Lens
The ZR70MC features a high-performance 1/6-inch 680,000-pixel CCD to capture high-quality video and digital photos. The zoom technology found in the ZR65MC lens is the same as Canon uses in its broadcast TV lenses. The ZR70MC is fitted with a high-performance 22x optical zoom lens, which can easily handle all your shooting needs--from wide-angle shots of all the family at the reunion to close-up sports action at full telephoto. The ZR70MC's 440x digital zoom significantly expands the telephoto magnification of the subject.
Image Stabilization
Canon's image-stabilization system corrects camera shake caused by, for example, an unsteady hand. This image-stabilization system makes for smoother and steadier video even with hand-held shots, at full telephoto, and with shots taken from a moving car.
Digital Stills and Motion JPEG
In addition to high-quality video, the ZR70MC also captures crisp XGA (1,024 x 768 pixels) digital still images. The ZR70MC stores these images via the built-in slot for Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMediaCard memory cards. You can also choose to store still images on the MiniDV tape. The camcorder records the photos for approximately 6 seconds, as well as recording the sound for your verbal notes or narration.
Designed to help you make Web videos, motion JPEG mode produces compressed AVI files that are smaller and easier to run and send by e-mail than conventional video files. They're also stored on the memory card and transferred via the USB connection. Record a 10-second clip at 320 x 240 or a 30-second clip at 160 x 120.
You can search through the recorded tape for your photos using the supplied remote control. This photo search feature allows you to search for images recorded in photo mode. Search forward or backward through the images one at a time, or jump 10 pictures backward or forward from the current position.
More Features
- With Super Night mode, the assist lamp lights up to illuminate your subject
- Print photos directly to Canon bubble jet printers
- 2.5-inch fold-out color LCD screen and 0.33-inch color viewfinder
- The My Camera function is designed to let you customize a number of features, including start-up image and sound, shutter sound, start-stop sound, and the self-timer sound
- Shoot panoramic still photos, then edit them together on your PC with the PhotoStitch software
- The full-function wireless remote control works at distances up to 16 feet
- A wide selection of faders and special effects, including sepia, black and white, wave, mosaic, and more
- For low-light situations, the VCR playback controls can be illuminated in any one of six colors: turquoise, blue, green, yellow, violet, and orange
Inputs and Outputs
The ZR70MC comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also referred to as FireWire), which provides a lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines, as well as USB connectivity for transferring still photos. Additionally, the ZR70MC features two types of analog audio and video inputs and outputs: composite and S-video. The analog audio inputs of the ZR70MC let you dub or insert editing from CDs, cassettes, microphones, or the soundtracks of other videocassettes.
MiniDV Format
MiniDV is the new, preferred format for personal and broadcast-quality video, and it is highly regarded for its high audio and image quality. With up to 540 lines of horizontal resolution and minimum color noise, MiniDV delivers a 2 percent clearer picture than analog camcorder formats. This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of 2 full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.
Power, Size, and Contents
The ZR70MC comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, which has an approximate battery life of 2 hours 20 minutes when using the LCD screen. The camera itself measures 4.1 by 2.3 by 5.8 inches and weighs 18 ounces. This package includes the ZR70MC camcorder, battery pack BP-512, power adapter CA-570, wireless controller WL-D79, shoulder strap, stereo video cable, wide attachment, USB cable, 8 MB Secure Digital memory card, and the DV Network Solutions and Digital Video Solutions CD-ROMs.
