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  • Performance

  • Format

  • Tour

  • Auto/Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio/Playback/Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Comparisons/Conclusion

  • Specs/Ratings

  • Performance
  • Format
  • Tour
  • Auto/Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio/Playback/Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Comparisons/Conclusion
  • Specs/Ratings

Performance

The Elura 100 features a 1/5" CCD with 1.33 gross MP. This makes for 690K effective pixels in 4:3 aspect ratio, 880K effective pixels in 16:9 aspect ratio with the image stabilization off and 750K effective pixels in 16:9 with the image stabilization on.

At 3000 lux, the Elura 100 has a strong image. The colors are well saturated and well differentiated. The saturation also boosts the blacks, which help give the picture a sharp look. The blues and magentas look a little too saturated, but they don’t stand out enough to make it a "bad picture."

The Canon ZR700 sells for the same price. Though it has a smaller imager (1/6" versus 1/5"), there are more add-ons and premium features. In terms of basic video performance, the Elura has a significantly sharper picture. It also has better color differentiation, which made a big difference in clear separations between the yellow-green tones. Both camcorders show the same type of noise, fine grain that is darker than the dominant color tone around it, but the Elura has less noise overall.

Last year’s Elura 80 had a larger 1/4.5" CCD. In fact all the old Eluras (the Elura 80, 85 and 90) had the same size imager; the Elura 100 replaces all of the models this year. The Elura 80 had higher levels of color saturation. It produced stronger orange and red tones in particular. The Elura 80 looked significantly less crisp, evident in the resolution trumpets. It also had higher levels of in-camera sharpening that tended to create halos in the areas of high contrast and add "stair-stepping" to curves. However, the differences were too subtle to warrant a dramatically higher score.

The Panasonic PV-GS39 has a smaller, 1/6" imager. The sharpness is slightly decreased compared to the Elura 100 and the noise increased immensely. All the Panasonics this year have showed an increase in noise, but the GS39 was the worst. Levels of color saturation were about the same.

The Sony DCR-HC26 also has more noise, but the Sony’s noise appears in a denim-like texture across the image. Its 1/6" imager could not match the Elura’s for sharpness or color. The HC26’s image appears washed out, particularly in the magenta tones.

Finally, last year’s JVC GR-DF550 had slightly duller color tones and a similar noise pattern to the Sony, like horizontal bands. The picture was less sharp than the Elura 100, and had a strange in-camera sharpening that created strong halos along dark lines and contrasty areas. There were also moiré patterns in the trumpets, indicating the camcorder’s struggle to find the patterns in areas that require high resolution.

In conclusion, the Elura 100 has an excellent picture for a $400 camcorder. The improvements over the ZR700’s picture are evident.

**Video Resolution ***(15.5)*

The Elura 100’s video was tested for video resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart. In 4:3 aspect ratio, the Elura 100 produced 538.2 lines of horizontal resolution (with an average clipping of 1.65%) and 287.7 lines of vertical resolution (with an average clipping of 1.58%), yielding an approximate resolution of 154840.14. In 16:9, the camcorder produced 599.1 lines of horizontal resolution (with an average clipping of 1.65%) and 259.9 lines of vertical resolution (with an average clipping of 2.21%), yielding an approximate resolution of 155286.72. For standardization purposes, we use the 4:3 aspect score only when we score.

Clipping occurs in Imatest when the image cannot be read properly. The percentage number indicates the percentage of the image that Imatest could not read, either because those pixels were blown out or bottomed out. Nearly all Canon camcorders in the past year and a half have presented clipping problems, from the top of the line Optura 600 down to the ZR500. The loss of such a small percentage of the information, along with other indicators, leads us to believe that clipping should not seriously affect the resolution.

Low Light Performance*(4.75)*

The Elura 100 was tested, like all camcorders that pass through our hallowed halls, in 60 lux and 15 lux to determine its performance in low lighting. Low light performance is more important that many users might know. Camcorders have a much lower tolerance for low light than, say, the human eye, which can see just fine at these levels. Performance is determined, in large part, by the size of the imager. At 1/5", the Elura 100 should perform better than the standard low-end size, 1/6", but not as good as the upper-tier camcorders that might have up to 1/3".

At 60 lux, the Elura 100 lost a great deal color information compared to the 3000 lux lighting from the Video Performance tests. Colors could still be made out, but the picture is very dark. Some camcorders with larger chips typically produce an image like this at 15 lux. The automatic gain did not do much to help. Noise increased a great deal, which can be a telltale sign of in-camera gain boosting, but there is nothing like the super-saturated colors that appear in some Sonys. There are some areas of blue noise in the red and magenta, as well as yellow discoloration in the grayscale. The blue noise is common enough in lower-end camcorders, but the other areas do not bode well for its performance as a whole. Focus did remain good, however.

The ZR700, by comparison, was brighter, despite having a smaller imager. Part of this discrepancy may be due to a better automatic gain than the Elura. The levels of dark, fine grain noise are about the same, but the ZR700 had no traces of the discolored noise. The sharpness was about the same between both camcorders.

Last year’s Elura 80 was very similar to the Elura 100, with the exception of slightly higher saturation levels in the Elura 80. Noise levels were correspondingly higher. It’s hard to say which is better. This is the pull between brightness and noise that most camcorders struggle with. Generally, we prefer a sharper image with less noise.

The Panasonic PV-GS39 had much stronger colors. While the GS39 had far more noise at 3000 lux compared to the Elura 100, at 60 lux the Elura surpassed Panasonic. Canon had a shaper image, however, and did not suffer from the moiré patterns of the GS39.

The Sony DCR-HC26 also had stronger colors, with slightly higher levels of saturation. The images of these camcorders are strangely similar. The same overall brightness, blue noise issues in the magenta areas and color balance (except for the more saturated reds in the Sony) almost make it appear as though the companies were using the same imagers. We have no evidence of this, nor are we seriously suggesting it. It’s just a curious coincidence.

The JVC GR-DF550, like most JVCs, uses a powerful automatic gain control that boosts colors a great deal but at a cost of sharpness and ugly, chunky noise.

At 15 lux, the Canon Elura 100's performance is surprisingly similar to its performance at 60 lux. The overall brightness had decreased only a little, with a noticeable but not dramatic increase of noise. What does this mean? It may indicate that the camcorder has a low threshold at which it kicks up the auto gain into high gear, meaning 60 lux is not low enough to get it going, but 15 lux is.

The ZR700 failed at this light level. The Elura 100 is unquestionably stronger, which may in part be a result of the larger imager, but also feeds our suspicion that the Elura and the ZR cams employ different types of gain.

The Elura 80 had similar noise, but less sharpness. The PV-GS39 was significantly darker, and the camcorder had trouble distinguishing between colors. The Sony HC26 was darker, and also lost most of the color information in favor of something approaching grayscale. The JVC-GRDF550, despite the strong auto gain control, had about the same overall brightness and even less color information than the Elura 100.

Overall, this was a decent performance, though the results versus the ZR700 are perplexing: worse at 60 lux, better at 15 lux.

Wide Angle* (8.4)*

When tested for wide angle capabilities, the Canon Elura 100 was tested for horizontal field of view width in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. For the Elura 100 in 4:3 aspect, the field width measured 42 degrees. When switched into 16:9 aspect ratio, the camcorder expanded the field of width to 52 degrees while engaging in only a very slight and barely noticeable crop and zoom. With ten degrees of separation between the two aspect ratios, the Canon Elura 100 can definitely produce two distinct aspect variations for users to capitalize on when they desire widescreen playback capabilities.

 

Format

Compression* (8.0)*

When shooting with the Canon Elura 100, the compression level for video footage recorded to MiniDV cassette tape will be the standard 25 Mbps rate. This slight compression is what currently makes the MiniDV format superior to the heavily compressed footage (8 Mbps) recorded with hard disk drive and DVD format camcorders. At nearly twice the price, DVD camcorders are nowhere near the video quality found on low-end point-and-shoot MiniDV camcorders. This disparity should make users concerned about video quality and budget think twice before looking at a DVD camcorder.

The Canon Elura 100 can also record both video and stills to SD memory card. On the SD memory card, stills are saved as JPEG files in compression levels of SuperFine, Fine and Normal, while video files are recorded as motion JPEGs with audio data saved as monaural WAVE files.

Media* (8.0)*

The Canon Elura 100 records video footage to 6.35mm MiniDV cassette tapes. Although not included with the purchase of the camcorder, MiniDV tapes are not expensive and can be purchased nearly anywhere that electronics and camcorders are sold. The price of a single MiniDV tape is still far lower than that of a DVD, and considering that recording time for 8cm DVDs in their highest quality setting is approximately 18 minutes, the MiniDV tape is a far better option not only in video quality but also in terms of recording time. The user of the Elura 100 can also capture video clips and still images to SD memory cards.

Editing* (8.0)*

The Canon Elura 100 does come with included software, but the ZoomBrowser EX 5.5, PhotoRecord 2.2, DV TWAIN Driver 6.6, and DC WIA Driver for Windows Me 6.4 took a bit of finagling and a good forty-five minutes to properly install and get to work. Note: Macintosh users will only have access to Canon’s ImageBrowser 5.5 software application.

Initial installation of this software was unsuccessful and required restructuring the PC driver setup with heavy consultation of the Help Me feature before trying again. The time required for installation and the problems encountered with Canon software were unlike the Sony and Panasonic software included with their MiniDV camcorders, which installed easily and recognized camcorder connection to PC without any effort on the part of the user.

Once the Elura 100’s software was installed and the camcorder was recognized by the software for capture, the Canon software presented a simple palette of editing options for both still images and video footage. Images and footage are displayed as either single images or as a multi-up thumbnail file display that appear in folders, and when scrolled over, individual files will be highlighted and displayed in a larger temporary picture window. In scroll mode, individual files are displayed as a list with a handful of examples on the right side, while the left side displays the folder name. The third view provides a preview display with file information pertaining to date, image type and size, amongst other parameters. In this mode, folders are displayed along the bottom of the screen while single selected images are displayed on the rest of the screen.

The Canon software also includes a handful of digital effects. While neither the effects nor the editing capabilities can match software like PhotoShop, Final Cut Pro, Premiere or Avid, it also doesn’t have the price of these more advanced and resplendent editing programs.

Tour

**The Front ***(7.0)*

The 20x optical lens is positioned in the upper right corner when facing the front of the Canon Elura 100. This lens has a length of 43.7 mm to 874 mm in 16:9 format with image stabilizer, 40.3 mm to 806 mm in 16:9 without image stabilizer, and 48.1 mm to 962 mm in 4:3. All three focal lengths are measured with a 35mm equivalency conversion formula. The Canon video lens has a filter diameter of 27 mm and is threaded to accept accessory wide and tele-conversion lenses, a feature not found on Canon’s ZR-line of camcorders. The in-camcorder stereo microphone is located directly beneath the lens and is positioned away from meandering fingers.

To the left of the lens are two LED lights that function as a Video Assist light that is activated through a video light button on the top of the camcorder near the zoom lever. With a position to the left of the lens, the two LED lights will tend to disperse light unevenly across the subject. Beneath the video light is the remote sensor for the Canon Elura 100. At the base of the camcorder, to the left of the microphones, is the connection for the right hand strap. This strap connection is internal and will neither pivot nor rotate, a design misstep that will block either the DC-in port or the SD card slot.

**The Right Side ***(6.5)*

The right side of the Canon Elura 100 is composed of a matte gray plastic composite that makes the camcorder feel unfinished. Connected to the back edge of the right side is the right hand strap. This right hand strap angles slightly downward as it moves from back to front. The strap has Velcro for customization, but regardless of user hand size, this thin, undersized strap is not comfortable or secure. Along the front edge of the right side is a port cover that masks a vertical SD card slot. The port cover is poorly designed and is connected via a weak singular hinge that could be easily snapped. Beneath this port cover is a second cover for the DC-in port. The flimsy SD cover and DC-in cover actually get in the way of one another when they are opened. Above the SD card slit is a Card/Slot internal LED.

The primary feature of the right side is the MiniDV tape compartment that loads from the top and is opened via an open/eject tab on the top of the camcorder. A top-loading compartment allows users to access and switch tapes even when the camcorder is connected to a tripod. There is no texture on the right side of the camcorder to increase handle and control. In general, the overall physical design of the Canon Elura 100 leaves a sour taste in ones mouth—and I haven’t even gotten to the back or the left side.

**The Back ***(4.0)*

The back of the Canon Elura 100 features an amusingly toy-like, non-extendable, non-pivoting electronic color viewfinder that is woefully undersized. The viewfinder has a dioptric adjustment tool beneath the hard plastic frame, but I wonder what the point is. Beneath the viewfinder is a joystick device, which can be depressed and moved in the cardinal directions for navigating menu structures and altering controls. Above the up arrow on the joystick is a digital effects button, while a Func. menu button is located beneath it. These buttons are slivers of silver, accessed with the thumb of the right hand, and poorly placed.

To the right of the joystick and slightly higher is the Power Switch, movable between off, camera, and play by pressing a green tab on the ring’s edge during movement. In the center of the Power Switch is a polished silver button that functions as the start/stop record button for the Canon Elura 100. Beneath the Power Switch is a tab that allows the user to move between the memory card and tape modes. Under the tape/card switch are two horizontal buttons that are flush with the surface of the camcorder. The top button switches the camcorder between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios while the LCD backlight button below controls the LCD brightness. In the lower left corner, on the back, is a Mode Switch for moving between Easy and Program modes.

While the back doesn’t have an unnecessary number of controls, the visual layout, labeling and position of controls is cluttered and confusing.

**The Left Side ***(9.0)*

The LCD on the Canon Elura 100 is opened either by the back or lower edge and will display images on a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD with 123,000 pixels. The LCD rotates 270 degrees and pivots on a hinge that seems sturdy and able to take some mishandling. Unlike the ZR series of 2006, which featured external battery mounts, Canon has chosen to use an internal battery that is set into the LCD cavity. The battery is extracted from this cavity by engaging a small battery release tab located in the back lower corner. Above this release control the user will find the USB and FireWire ports. These ports are only protected by the LCD screen and do not have covers or other protective layers. At the front of the camcorder’s left side is a vertical switch that must be manually engaged in order to open the lens cover. This cover is resistant to accidental opening and should be a better cover than those found on automatic units, although remembering to open it will be an annoyance.

The Top* (7.0)*

A playback speaker is located on the top of the lens barrel on the left side of the Canon Elura 100, while all other features and controls can be found on the right side. On the right side near the front of the camcorder is an open/eject switch that engages the MiniDV tape compartment hatch. Near the back of the camcorder is the print/share button, directly behind a scalloped edge for a slight grip for the fingers of the right hand. It was nearly impossible to actually position fingers to make use of this grip. Directly behind the print/share button is a zoom lever that slides along the surface of the camcorder. Directly behind the zoom lever is the light button and photo button, raised slightly from the camcorder body. Meanwhile, above the zoom lever is the print button. A port cover is located to the right of the viewfinder and behind these controls and can be opened via a tab located along its right side. Once open, the port cover will reveal a Mic-in port and AV in/out port.

Overall consistency is lacking in the design of the Elura 100. This greatly impedes the functionality of a camcorder that should have a really basic external design.

Auto/Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.0)

While the manual controls for the Canon Elura 100 are uncomplicated, the Canon Elura 100 is definitely a camcorder for the auto-mode enthusiast. And while shooting in regular or preset program mode is a non-terrifying endeavor, Canon has included an Easy mode option to allow greenhorn users a leg up. To engage in full automatic control, a switch on the back of the must be moved from Program to Easy mode.

Auto controls for the Canon Elura 100 performed quite well. The through-the-lens auto focus system responded quickly to shifts in focal depth, although slight breathing did occur when subjects weren’t positioned in the center of the frame. The auto focus definitely improved over the slow drifting AF of the Canon ZR700, which has an identical MSRP. When shooting in Easy mode, auto focus will be the only focal option available to the user. When shooting in AE and program modes, the user will have the option of selecting between AF and a manual focus feature.

White balance reacted in a similarly successful fashion as the auto focus and produced accurate image results, even when forced to contend with two mixing light sources such as an interior halogen lamp and exterior daylight. In addition to the auto and manual modes, the Canon Elura 100 comes with Daylight and Tungsten presets. Although the presets are limiting in both their functionality and success, the manual mode was simple to use and access, even for beginners unsure of manual control settings.

Moving between areas of extreme brightness or shadow did force the camcorder to struggle and caused a lag of three or four seconds. While this lag isn’t a large surprise considering the price and imager size, it would still be nice if the camcorder took a little less time to transition and settle on proper focal, white balance and exposure levels.

The Canon Elura 100 has a lengthy list of auto exposure presets, located within the Func. menu of the camcorder when not in Easy mode. The preset shooting modes for the 100 are Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight and Fireworks. These modes are quickly accessible and have full text labels to describe each icon. Like all menu options on the Canon Elura 100, shooting preset options are displayed as a transparent overlay on a live view screen. While these might be a good idea when shooting hurriedly or when really unsure of manual controls, the results will inevitably be mixed, since the settings are general in their parameters. If possible, take the time and use manual controls, and with some time you’ll get video that will be far more accurate.

The Canon Elura 100 also comes with a number of digital effects for both faders and digital filters. The fader options for the Elura 100 include fade trigger, wipe, corner wipe, jump, flip, puzzle, zigzag, beam and tide. Digital filters for the camcorder come in settings of black and white, sepia, art, mosaic, ball, cube, wave, color mask and mirror. Users will likely recognize many, if not all, of these effects from those mid-eighties dance videos that teemed with super sweet transitions and effects.

Overall Manual Control (6.0)

Manual control options for the Canon Elura 100 are fairly comprehensive with options that allow manipulation of focus, exposure, shutter speed and white balance when shooting in program modes. And while there are certainly more options than Sony MiniDV camcorders, the Canon Elura 100 is still no match for Panasonic models at the same price that include options for both gain control and aperture with extensive ranges and setting options.

While it isn’t complicated to get to a single manual control alone, accessing more than one may necessitate the user entering three separate menu structures—though there are only four manual options. Focus and exposure control are accessed by pressing the joystick inwards, while the white balance control is found within the Function menu and the shutter speed is found within the administrative menu. Although actual menu structures, labels and displays are logical and easy-to-use, accessing these controls in different places isn’t an intuitive process.

One of the benefits of accessing manual controls via dedicated buttons outside the LCD cavity is that they can be engaged while using the viewfinder instead of the LCD. But the non-adjustable and undersized viewfinder is not comfortable to use, and makes this normally positive design feature a moot point.

When shooting with the Canon Elura 100’s manual controls, the user will have two white balance presets in addition to auto and manual control, a shutter speed range of 1/60th of a second to 1/2000th of a second, an exposure scale of +/-11 and a manual focus control.

The biggest problem with manual control is the joystick, perhaps the most detrimental aspect of the camcorder. While we fully support the idea of a joystick, and we love the Panasonic and Canon ZR joysticks, this particular design barely raises its head from the rest of the frame. There is nothing to grab onto. This is particularly problematic because pushing the button in is like hitting the 'enter' button, and every movement - up, down, left, right - threatens to push the button in. In summary, this is a bad joystick.

Zoom (7.25)
Zoom is controlled via a zoom lever on the top of the camcorder. This lever moves across the surface of the camcorder from left to right and allows users to adjust the 20x optical zoom range with less control when compared to the toggle found with Sony consumer MiniDV camcorders in 2006. This lever is capable of variable rates of transition, but engaging variable speeds is convoluted and was best accomplished by placing the camcorder on a tripod and using both hands to make subtle adjustments. The positioning of this control is partially to blame since the index finger of the right hand overshoots the control considerably and made gripping the camcorder while activating this control nearly impossible.

Perhaps in order to overcome this setback, Canon has included in their 2006 models a zoom speed setting within the administrative menu. The zoom speed submenu allows the user to select between variable, speed 3, speed 2 and speed 1. While having three fixed zoom speeds can be helpful if shooting continual footage in only one zoom rate, this isn’t really something that many users will find consistently helpful.

Zoom Power/Ratio (20.0)

The Canon Elura 100 has an optical zoom level of 20x and a maximum digital zoom level of 800x. The digital zoom level can be turned on and a cap of either 80x or 800x engaged by entering the digital zoom submenu, located within the administrative menu. The problem with digital zoom is that the higher the zoom level, the higher the image degradation. This degradation becomes visually apparent even when shooting with extremely low levels of digital zoom, and if video quality is at all important to the user, the digital zoom feature will be ignored entirely. If higher zoom levels are needed, camcorders like the Panasonic PV-GS29 or PV-GS39 offer 30x optical zoom, while the Canon ZR700 comes with an optical zoom level of 25x.

**

Focus (5.5)

There is manual control over focus on the Canon Elura 100. Granted, it is digital and not controlled via an external ring or other device, but it is better than nothing. It’s accessed by pressing the joystick inwards, which displays a joystick diagram in the lower right corner of the LCD screen. The focus control is then entered by pressing down on the joystick, which will switch the diagram from the exposure to focus menu. Once entered into the focus diagram, the user can toggle the joystick left and right to adjust the camcorder to the appropriate focal depth. The left arrow is for subjects in close range while the right arrow allows focal lengths of greater distance. Adjusting the focus is always hard with small controllers; however, once engaged the focus range smoothly transitioned without problems. For focus to be accessed, the camcorder must be set to Program mode via the switch located in the corner, on the back face.

Exposure (Aperture) (4.75)

The Canon Elura 100 does allow manual control over exposure in program mode; users must press in the joystick. A diagram representing the joystick is then displayed in the lower right corner of the LCD. The exposure settings are accessed by pressing the joystick upwards to open a second diagram that has a + and – sign for the right and left controls, which scan a horizontal exposure scale displayed in the upper left corner of the LCD. The exposure scale has numerical values of +/-11 EV assigned to it and can be scanned, in its entirety, by pressing the control once and holding it down. To return to the main diagram, where manual focus can also be engaged, press the down arrow.

*Shutter Speed (3.0) *

The Canon Elura 100 allows control over shutter speed, although accessing and altering this parameter is more complicated compared to the accessibility of the manual focus and exposure settings. Shutter speed can be manually set by pressing the Func. button directly beneath the joystick. Once this menu is opened on the LCD, the user will be able to enter the Func. menu, where the final listing on the bottom of the screen is a secondary administrative menu. Once this menu option is selected, the Shutter Speed submenu can be entered, where the following settings are listed: auto, 1/60th, 1/100th, 1/250th, 1/500th, 1/1000th and 1/2000th of a second. While entering the shutter menu takes longer than the exposure or focus options, the inclusion of this feature certainly provides a compelling reason to consider this camcorder over Sony MiniDV consumer camcorders that are geared more heavily towards the point-and-shoot user.

White Balance (7.0)

White balance on the Canon Elura 100 is manually controllable, and users will find that this setting is also accessible when the camcorder is in program mode. When in program mode, the Func. button can be pressed to display the Func. menu on the LCD screen. This menu has a white balance submenu that allows the camcorder to be set to Auto, daylight, Tungsten and Manual. These settings appear in a transparent horizontal bar that runs along the bottom edge of the LCD as the submenu categories are scanned on the left side of the LCD screen. The menu structure for the Func. menu, like all the menu structures on the Elura 100, is navigated through the joystick control on the back of the camcorder.

Gain (0.0)

There is no manual control over gain on the Canon Elura 100. While manual gain control isn’t normally found on most camcorders within this price range, consumers will find that Panasonic does offer MiniDV format camcorders with manual gain.

Other Manual Control (0.0)

There are no other manual control options on the Canon Elura 100.

Still Features

Still Features* (7.5)*

Still features on the Canon Elura 100 are nearly as complete as video feature. Manually speaking, the still image mode still allows white balance and shutter speed to be altered, although the shutter speed range is limited to 1/60th to 1/250th of a second. The still image mode also provides access to the numerous preset shooting modes, image effects, digital effects and burst mode. In addition to still images with a maximum resolution of 1152 x 864, the memory card can also record video clips at reduced video resolutions of either 320 x 240 or 160 x 120. While not as complete a feature set as that given by some manufacturers like Sony, which now offer in-camera flash units as well as hot shoe accessory options at the higher end of the market, the options provided with the Elura 100 should certainly be adequate for the beginning point-and-shoot videographer who is looking for some basic hybrid functionality.

Still Resolution* (4.0)*

The stills from the Elura 100 were tested for resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. The still size we tested was the camcorder’s max: 1152 x 864; it does not shoot 16:9 stills. In total, the Elura 100’s approximate resolution was 398580.75 (with an average clipping of 0.72%).

Clipping is explained in more detail above in the Video Resolution section. In summary, this is the percentage of information that Imatest could not read. Most Canons show a percentage of clipping.

This is a fairly standard score for a camcorder with this still size.

Still Performance* (3.75)*

The Elura 100 produced stills that you probably won’t want to stick in the family scrapbook. The first problem is color. The entire image has a washed-out look. There is a distinct lack of red tones, which seems to cast a blue-ish look. Mind you, this was white balanced. The picture is very sharp, however, and deserves credit for that.

The second issue was noise. There is a great amount of fine grain, dark noise. In other areas, there appeared fainter traces of blue noise. Overall, noise was too hard not to notice, and gave the picture a gritty look. Don’t be surprised. Most camcorders do not take good stills; their primary task is to take video.

By comparison, the ZR700 did not fare much better. The colors were more saturated in the greens, but the noise was even worse. The Elura 80 images were noticeably better. Not only were the images brighter, the colors were stronger and more balanced. It did not lack the red tones missing in the Elura 100. Noise was a little better on the Elura 80. The Elura 100 shows more signs of sharpening, which created stronger lines between color tiles but also created halos along some contrasty areas.

The Panasonic PV-GS39, with a maximum still size of 640 x 480, did not come close in sharpness. The two dominant qualities of the GS39 are blur and noise. It did, however, have better color performance. Finally, the Sony DCR-HC26 was also noisier; it gave a chunky, blurry noise that created patterns across the image rather than the fine grain noise of the Elura 100. The colors are heavily saturated, but the image also had an overall blurry look.

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (6.0)*

Ease of use is an area of mixed results for the Canon Elura 100 due to the external control layout and physical design. If the ease of use section pertained solely to the menu structure of the Elura 100, this camcorder would be a great choice. All menu structures are easy to navigate and controls are simple to alter and engage, thanks to a transparent overlay that displays a live view regardless of what submenu the camcorder is entered in. The switch from the much maligned jog dial and set button of the 2005 Elura 90 to a simple joystick control is an appreciated design alteration. But while this improvement is great, it doesn’t quite make up for the layout and control design found everywhere else on the body of the Canon Elura 100.

Controls and their labels on the back and the top of the Canon Elura 100 have a certain je ne sais quoi reminiscent of a third grade decoupage project. There is no logic surrounding size, shape, placement or cohesion. Beginning users will likely find the structure cumbersome, and pressing the small sliver-like widescreen and LCD backlight button, for example, is a task that demands both hands to accomplish. With an improved joystick navigation control, it can only be hoped that Canon continues to fine-tune the design of their external interface. Perhaps next year, a tolerable and functional replacement to this menagerie can be found.

If the controls and buttons are overwhelming and the prospect of accidentally entering a menu is heart arresting, the inclusion of an Easy mode with the Canon Elura 100 will be a thankful one. The Easy mode restricts users to the most basic of options and allows only zoom to be controlled when shooting footage.

Handling* (7.0)*

Handling is definitely an area where the Canon Elura 100 falters. First of all, the camcorder is not comfortable to hold. Its right side is terribly designed and made holding the camcorder during shooting and navigating an unnecessary struggle. The right hand strap is poorly placed and sized so that the camcorder never felt secure in my hand. The lack of a really defined edge or grip on the edge between the right side and top of the camcorder was also problematic.

*The Elura 100's joystick, which presented handling problems due to its small size.

The ZR joysticks protrude further and are easier to use.*

Actively navigating the back of the camcorder during shooting is another problem area due to the cluttered visual layout, the number of control sizes, shapes and positions, and the total lack of coherence. Controls like the widescreen and LCD backlight are small, oddly placed and positioned in the unreachable bottom right corner of the back made using these features impossible with the thumb of the right hand. It was necessary to break focus and visually search for controls before accessing them with the left hand. If a simple external layout is important to you, the Canon Elura 100 is not recommended.

Portability* (8.25)*

While not a matchbox camcorder in terms of size, the Canon Elura 100 is a fairly small framed camcorder that displays a noticeable reduction in size compared to last year’s Elura 90, 85 or 80. The Canon Elura 100 has physical dimensions measuring 2.2 inches x 3.0 inches x 4.3 inches in size with a weight of 13.1 ounces. The camcorder is a noticeable 3 ounces lighter further enhancing its portability. But the problem with this camcorder isn’t the size; the problem is simply carrying it. The right hand strap is poorly designed and doesn’t ensure a good grip, which makes it necessary to invest in a travel case for anything longer than short periods of shooting. The Elura 100’s overall construction seems durable and the manually opened lens cover should add extra protection when compared to other options on the market.

LCD/Viewfinder* (6.0)*

The LCD for the Canon Elura 100 is a 2.7-inch widescreen display that has a total pixel count of 123,000. The top-end ZR700 has a total pixel count of only 112K, so if resolution and legibility are important, the Elura 100 is a better option. The LCD is on the left side of the camcorder and can be opened by either prying up the back or bottom edge. With no hinge or catching device, it would probably be relatively easy to damage this screen. It is possible to increase LCD brightness by pressing the LCD backlight button on the back of the camcorder. There is a second control for LCD brightness in the administrative menu within the Display/Setup submenu. This setting may result in incorrect exposure settings since the image on the LCD will be different from that being recorded to tape.

The Canon Elura 100 does come with an electronic color viewfinder with a resolution of 123K pixels, and while I’m normally a proponent of viewfinders on camcorders, the atrociously poor design of this model’s secondary viewing device hardly makes it benignant. The viewfinder is undersized and will neither extend nor pivot away from the camcorder body, so its functionality is nominal at best. To use this feature, the LCD screen must be closed. The viewfinder has a hard plastic frame that is very unforgiving. On the underside of the viewfinder frame is a dioptric adjustment tab.

Battery Life* (15.4)
*The included BP-208DG battery was tested for endurance by continuously shooting in SP mode. We put the camcorder in Easy mode, the aspect ratio at 4:3, the image stabilzation on, and the LCD open. When the tape needed changing, we removed the battery, plugged in the DC power, changed tapes, put the battery back in, and began recording again. In total, the battery lasted an incredible 154 minutes and 24 seconds (2 hours, 34 minutes, and 24 seconds). The results slightly exceed the estimated life of 150 minutes stated in the menu. This is the strongest battery we have tested so far, and is an impressive response to our claims that internal battery design is a bad idea.

Audio/Playback/Connectivity

Audio*****(6.75)*

The Canon Elura 100 provides a number of options to be appreciated especially when considering the slaughter of audio features by many manufacturers in the last few years. The Canon Elura has an in-camcorder stereo microphone directly beneath the camcorder’s lens. On the top of the camcorder, near the back, is a port cover that can be opened to reveal both an A/V-in/out and a stereo mini Mic-in port. The A/V-in/out port means that users can engage in analog to digital pass-through of both audio and video, a great feature missing on many lower priced camcorders. The Mic-in port is a great option for users who want better audio quality than is normally available on consumer camcorders; it is not in an optimal position because trailing cables can block controls, but it’s better than a placement on the front where it  could block the lens.

In the audio setup of the administrative menu, there is a control for audio mode recording in 12 or 16 bit and a windscreen filter. The windscreen filter places a high pass filter on audio recorded in windy conditions, so when wind strikes the diaphragm of the microphone and create an unwanted low rumble tone, it is canceled out. The 12 and 16 bit audio sampling rates are important for the user interested in audio dubbing in playback. The audio dubbing feature can only be used when the 12 bit sampling rate is used during recording. If audio dubbing isn’t wanted or a post-production PC editing platform will be used for additional audio recording, the user can choose the 16 bit sampling rate for higher audio quality.

Rarely are so many audio features loaded into a camcorder that will sell on the street for under $400. This alone is a compelling reason to consider the Elura 100.

VCR Mode* (6.0)*

To enter the VCR mode of the Canon Elura 100, the user must move the power switch to the play setting. Once entered, the VCR mode will automatically display a joystick diagram in the lower right corner of the LCD screen. In playback mode the joystick controls become play/pause for the up arrow, fast-forward for the right arrow, stop for the down arrow and rewind for the left arrow.

Within the Func. menu users will find that the Elura 100 can dub audio into the camcorder, so that if original footage was recorded with a 12-bit sample rate, it will be possible to record additional audio in playback. While certainly less expensive than purchasing an editing suite for PC or Macintosh, actually engaging playback audio dubbing while still in-camcorder is a more complicated process than importing footage, dropping additional audio files into the timeline and mixing. If audio mixing and dubbing is important, do yourself a favor: export this footage onto a computer and edit using either the included software or a program like iMovie that comes standard with newer Macintosh computers.

Other features while in VCR mode include the adjustment of speaker volume, video recording, audio mix and balance, analog to digital pass-through, record mode, TV format and other options that can be used for adjusting video output when viewing footage on external devices like television monitors.

Ports* (5.5)*

Ports for the Canon Elura 100 are located on the right side, left side and top. On the right side are two ports along the edge between the front and the right side. The bottom port cover can be opened via a cut-out on its back edge to reveal the DC-in port beneath. This cover is easily blocked by both the hand strap and the port cover directly above it. This second port cover is opened via a tab on its back edge and is connected via a tenuous rubber strap that will easily break during extended or rough use. This port cover masks the SD card slot; when the DC-in port is in use as well, accessing these features becomes a hassle as they obscure each other.

Another port cover is located on the edge between the top and back of the Elura 100 and is opened via a small tab on its right edge. This port cover conceals the Mic-in and A/V-in/out ports. These ports thankfully don’t interfere with one another, but the cables for these audio options will easily become entangled and block access to other controls. The third and final place for ports is on the left side in the LCD cavity, behind the battery. These ports allow the camcorder to be connected to a PC, other playback device or recording unit via USB or FireWire.

Other Features

Widescreen/16:9 Mode* (8.0)*

The Canon Elura 100 uses its 1/5-inch CCD and 2.7-inch LCD to provide users with a true widescreen mode, easily accessed through the wide scr. button on the back of the camcorder. The camcorder produced a horizontal width of 52 degrees when shooting in 16:9 format, a 10 degree jump from the 4:3 setting. This mode does crop the vertical axis slightly, although the shift wasn’t the dramatic cut found with many lower-end consumer camcorders with a widescreen option. If widescreen is important on your camcorder, this Elura will definitely provide options, unlike Panasonic who still engages in a heavy-handed crop-and-zoom 16:9 format technique. Switching between 4:3 and 16:9 is conveniently and simple, with a button for just that purpose placed below the record button on the rear.

Scan Rates/24P* (0.0)*

The scan rate for a camcorder is also called frame rate, and in the case of higher-end pro-sumer and professional models, variable scan rates of 24, 30 and 29.97 are commonly found. For camcorders located within the consumer market range of the Canon Elura 100, the standard fixed scan rate is the 29.97 frames per second. The Elura 100 is no exception.

Other Features* (5.5)*
Digital Effects - The Canon Elura 100 comes with numerous digital effects that allow users to alter images in both record mode and during playback. The effects options for the Elura 100 are black and white, sepia, art, mosaic, ball, cube, wave, color mask and mirror settings. The Elura 100 also offers a wide variety of digital fades for the beginnings and ends of video clips. The fade settings for the Elura 100 include fade trigger, wipe, corner wipe, jump, flip, puzzle, zigzag, beam and tide settings.

*Electronic Image Stabilization *- With an optical zoom of 20x, the Canon Elura 100 certainly benefits from the inclusion of an image stabilization system. Unfortunately, Canon equipped this camcorder with an electronic image stabilizer that produces slightly compromised image resolution compared to what an optical stabilization system could provide.

Video Light - The Canon Elura 100 comes with a frontally positioned video light that can be turned on by pressing the dedicated light button on the top of the camcorder. While it’s a great idea to use two LEDs to increase legibility in low light situations, the video light on the Elura 100 isn’t all that illuminating and its coverage range hardly extends beyond two or three feet. Do yourself a favor: if you can, move into an area with better light or engage a slower shutter speed.

Fixed Zoom Rate - For users who can’t get the appropriate zoom speed with Canon’s less than spectacular zoom lever, there is a zoom rate submenu within the administrative menu. Personally, I could do without this feature. The scenarios in which users will want to shoot with a fixed zoom rate seems limited. Instead, Canon should have improved the physical interface of the zoom toggle so that it reacts cleanly to deliver zoom rates both consistent and smooth. As it stands, users can only circumvent the poor zoom lever design through this fixed zoom rate feature. The zoom rates for the Canon Elura 100 allow for settings of fast speed, medium speed and slow, or in Canon terms, speed 3, speed 2 and speed 1.

Comparisons/Conclusion

Comparison
Canon ZR700
Seeing this camcorder side by side with the Elura 100 might be confusing. Both models sell at the same price point, $399 MSRP. What’s the difference? First, there’s the obvious class gap between the bottom-end ZR line and the middle class Elura line. The ZR camcorders (ZR500, 600 and 700) all have a 1/6" CCD and give the same video performance. What is the difference between the 700 and the other ZRs? At the top of the line, the ZR700 has the add-ons of a larger digital zoom (1000x), a video light, longer battery life and analog inputs.

Jumping the boat to the Elura buys you a larger, 1/5" imager, first and foremost. This chip produces distinctly better video. The analog inputs are the same, but the Elura also has a mic jack. (The ZR500, oddly enough, is the only ZR model to feature a mic input). The Elura can take lens attachments, while the ZR models cannot. The Elura 100 has a "mega" video light, twice as bright as the ZR700’s. Digital zoom is dropped to 800x, but the LCD resolution is increased to 123K pixels (versus the ZRs’ 112K).

So why, you might be asking yourself, would anyone choose the ZR700? There are three fundamental areas where the Elura cannot top the ZR700. The first is battery design. The Elura 100 has the unfortunate distinction of having a power cell that tucks into the LCD cavity, thus preventing the possibility of an expanded battery.

Next is handling. The ZR700 was smartly designed with most of the controls on the LCD panel, including the joystick control. The Elura 100, by contrast, has a rear cluttered with tiny buttons. The ZR’s design left the back of the body free of controls, and thus it could be made into a very slender body. There’s your last benefit: style. We reluctantly admit that many consumers buy camcorders as a status symbol. Well, if that’s your interest, the ZRs look better.

But pound for pound, we still have to go with the Elura 100. Just be sure to buy a second battery.

Canon Elura 80
The Elura 100 replaces all three Eluras of last year, the Elura 80, 85 and 90. Canon explained that their lowest-priced model was the best seller. Coupled with the shrinking MiniDV market, the entire series was truncated to one model.

The Elura 80 has the same pixel count as the Elura 100, though the CCD was larger (1/4.5" versus the Elura 100’s 1/5"). The Elura 100 used its CCD more effectively, however, both in bright and low light. The Elura 80 could also take slightly larger stills (1280 x 960 vs. 1152 x 864), though the performance was about the same. The body in the Elura series (e.g., the Elura 100) has shrunken; it’s about 35% smaller and 26% according to Canon.

Winner: Elura 100.

Panasonic PV-GS39
The GS39 is Panasonic’s second cheapest MiniDV model, priced $50 less than the Elura 100. It has a smaller 1/6 imager, and the results were evident. The Elura 100 had a much sharper image and better low light. The Panasonic trumps the Canon brand in manual control, offering fully independent shutter speed, aperture and gain. Handling is also better on the GS39.

The Panasonic’s 30x optical zoom tops the Elura 100’s 20x. The Elura, however, has a mic jack and analog inputs, making it far more flexible. Our jury is hung, but the Elura 100 seems to be the better camcorder overall.

Sony DCR-HC26
The HC26 is Sony’s bottom-end model, priced at $350. The next model up, the HC36, is actually more comparable to the Elura 100, but we’ve already written a full review and conducted tests for the HC26, so the results are worth comparing. For feature comparisons read the HC36 comparison below.

The HC26 and HC36 both have 1/6" CCDs, smaller than the Elura 100 (1/5"). In bright light, the HC26 could not match the Elura’s sharpness or noise suppression. In moderate low light, the camcorder performed almost identically with the Elura 100. In darker light levels, the Elura’s larger chip gave it the edge. Winner: the Elura 100.

Sony DCR-HC36
The HC36, the next step up from the HC26, is expected to have the same performance as its younger sibling. The MSRP is $400, the same as the Elura 100. The Sony offers the same optical and digital zoom of 20x/800x. Stills are recorded to MemoryStick Duo, while Canon uses the more universal SD card format. Canon’s stills are also much larger, 1152 x 864 versus the Sony’s 640 x 480. The HC36 offers no video light, but it does have the Sony accessory shoe. The HC36 does not have the analog inputs or mic jack.

Handling the Canon Elura 100 was no cakewalk, but we still prefer a joystick to the Sony touch screen menu system. Our reasons are many, but battery life has a lot to do with it. If the touch screen is your only means of control, than you are required to have the LCD open, thus cutting down on battery life. Of course, the rear-mounted battery on the Sony is a better design than the Elura’s in-body battery housing, as it allows you the option of purchasing a longer life battery.

Our verdict favors the Elura 100. Performance is clearly better on the Canon, and the number of ports makes it a more flexible camcorder all around.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters *(5.0)*

The external layout for the Canon Elura 100 is a bit confusing and this may turn away beginning users, but the Easy mode and preset shooting modes will provide the point-and-shoot user with some friendly options.

Budget Consumers* (7.0)*

With a price identical to the ZR700 and larger CCD of 1/5", in addition to other improvements, the Canon Elura is a strong lure for the budget market interested in function over form.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid* (3.0)*

The Canon Elura 100 does have some still mode options and is equipped with an SD card slot, but without an in-camera flash or other still image features, this is hardly a hybrid camcorder.

Gadget Freaks* (2.0)*

There are no features on the Canon Elura 100 that would earmark this camcorder for the gadget freak. This is a standard MiniDV camcorder with standard MiniDV features that have been on the market for several years.

Manual Control Freaks* (3.0)*

The manual control freak will think that the Canon Elura 100 falls short when compared to models from Panasonic that provide extensive manual control over parameters like gain and aperture.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists* (3.0)*

With the bargain-basement price of the Canon Elura 100, there would be no reason for the pro or serious hobbyist to consider this camcorder.

Conclusion

The Canon Elura 100 has a good deal going for it. Though the $399 price tag is the same as the Canon ZR700, the video performance is clearly better. This is due, in part, to the slightly larger CCD. Low light performance was less sharply divided, with the ZR’s gain proving more effective, but comparable with the Elura at very low light.

The mic input and analog inputs are a huge boon to any camcorder. They allow flexibility that you might not even know you need. Want to add a narration track to your footage, or use a wireless mic? What about transferring old Hi-8 cassettes to the computer. These are important considerations, and the Elura 100 will accommodate. 

Normally, we would complain a great deal about the enclosed battery design. By placing the battery in the LCD cavity, Canon has curtailed your option of purchasing an extra long life battery. However, the included BP-208DG battery lasted an incredible 2 1/2+ hours. That *is* the duration of some long life batteries. We still don't like the closed battery, but, hey, it's got a mic jack so, we can love it despite it's faults.

In conclusion, this is an excellent middle-of-the-road camcorder. A quick glance at the comparisons section above will show that it trumped every challenger, either by virtue of its performance or features.  There are certainly handling issues, so be sure to try this one out before you buy it. Make sure you’ll be comfortable with the button placement in the back. Aside from that, this is one of the best camcorders in its class. Canon is certainly delivering the goods this year.

 

 

Specs/Ratings

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Meet the tester

James Murray

James Murray

Editor

James Murray is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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