Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon Elura 50 Ultra Compact MiniDV Camcorder with 2"LCD and Memory Capability

if you are going to shoot videos with plenty of light and you want a very compact camera, the elura 50 could be for you. however, if you plan on shooting low-light scenes, you'll be disappointed. there's not even an accessory shoe so you can use an external light source.

pros:
- very small and lightweight: 1.9"W x 3.4"D x 4.2"H, 13.4 oz.
- very good video performance when you have enough light.
- uncluttered, easy to use menus.
- 10x optical zoom.
- 1 megapixel still capability.

- progressive photo mode.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- allows some degree of manual control.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to SD card.
- as with most canon products, the printed manual is very good.
- digital image stabilization works well.

cons:
- a couple of deal breakers for me: poor low light performance, and,
- no accessory shoe (to think that you would really need an accessory shoe for an external light given this camcorder's low-light performance).
- mic placement is on top of camcorder (most vertical camcorders do) which means it picks up the videographer's voice more readily.
- a greater capacity battery protrudes sideways from this camcorder's body, making holding this unit a bit awkward.
- the lcd is real small, only 2".
- you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80 and trv70 and panasonic's PVDV953 have 2-3 megapixel capability but those camcorders are much more expensive.
- don't expect miracles from 1 megapixel stills.
- video too choppy with low light modes.
- motor noise can be heard when recording a very quiet room.
- the included 8MB SD card is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for for more memory (at least 32MB).

at this price point, i would recommend panasonic's gs70 or sony's trv33 or pc-105. although slightly bigger, i believe these camcorders offer a better package than the elura 50. peace.

I just purchased the Elura 50 yesterday. Before I purchased this unit, I did some research online and found a bunch of bad reviews on its previous version Elura 40. I owned a PowerShot digital camera from Canon and because of its ease of use and good software interface with the computer, I decided to check into Canon camcorders. I walked into the store to check it out and was right away impressed with its small size. I spent sometime trying and finally decided the reviews I saw was questionable! I actually saw the one and only review posted on Amazon.com on the Elura 50 model and all other reviews were on the Elura 40. I can tell you now after buying that it is the most impressive camcorder I have experinced. The video was clear, no grainy effects, true to the color and brilliant. There was no motor sound that was suggested by other people. Whatever problems existed on the Elura 40 were not there on the Elura 50. I tested the camera using Auto on the outdoor, inside using low light setting, in quiet surroudning as well as noisy surrounding. I replayed using the camera, as well as connecting to the Plasma display. Everything was so perfect and the interface with the display unit was faultless. The video using Auto setting was impressive and the indoor shots were even more impressive. The colors were so vivid. I cannot believe my eyes the quality of the video and the sound was great. The menu and the controls are easy to use. My husband was standing 10 feet away from the camera and I could still catch his conversation on the video when I ran that on the audio receiver and plasma. I can say that the speaker sound when I did the replay on the camera was not very clear but if you think about it, why do anyone wants to use the camera for replay. It is best to run it on the TV or the plasma so that everyone can see. The great thing is when I replayed the video using the plasma, it automatically displayed using the wide screen format. I will highly recommend this unit to anyone. I decided to get this unit even with the bad reviews because the technology of these things are getting smaller and smaller and I didn't want to buy something that will be outdated in a year. I am not a video professional but the result I got was of professional quality!! This is the first time I got a camcorder from Canon, I used to own a JVC and I think Canon makes great product. I don't work for Canon and I am only an average housewife who loves to use new electronics.

I bought this 3 weeks ago and have used it in all conditions. I love it. This is my first camcorder and after reading all the reviews for various camcorders, I picked this one. So far, I have only used the auto mode and I have not seen any grainy effects like the other reviewers said. I've shot in low light and sunlight and the picture is perfect. I have already made DVDs with it and my family can't believe the quality from such a small camcorder. My only con would be battery life. It lasts about 45 minutes for me. I am just going to buy a high capacity battery then I'll be set.

I have had the camera for three weeks and it was the best tool to take on vacation with the family. Its small size makes it easy to fit in a small pack. It takes great outdoor pictures and works well indoor. The auto focus does not work well on all indoor settings. It can be resolved by using the low light or spotlight manual settings.

I replaced a 7 year old analog Sharp camcorder with this unit last month. I had seen it in a retail shop in the spring, and watched the price come down to a very reasonable $$$$ at an online discounter. My goal was simply to get to the digital age. Boy, was it easy! I had this camera about 10 minutes before I was shooting still photos and within half an hour I had downloaded sharp looking pictures to my PC. The software that accompanies the Elura is very easy to install and use.

I have been shooting the kids' soccer games, apple-picking here in New England, etc., and it seems to work with ease. If I had to nit pick I might say that the record button for video should be up at the forefinger position where the still photo button is, but this is a minor nuance. Dads will appreciate the smallness of the Elura especially as we usually have to tote so much other stuff on almost anything involving the family. The Elura fits in a large pocket.

Battery life at 45 mins to 1 hour is fine! Who the heck wants to go home and watch 2 hours of little Susie's ballet anyway? I don't have a PC that will support the Firewire or IEEE1495 (or whatever) connection for downloading video to edit on a PC, but this is my goal, and it looks to be very easy from the above average (keep in this mind, the bar is low) user manual. I find the camera's balancing features take my "shakes" out of play, and record a steady picture. I think the low light critics must be filming in dark strip joints, because in my exciting "Dad" life I get fine pictures of birthday candle blowouts, etc. Yes, the motor does make a lot of noise, so if Susie is a concert pianist, you might have a concern. For the average soccer Mom or Dad, I recommend this camera with no reservations.