Electronics & Computers Deals here!Canon DC40
Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 1182B001
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Canon DC40 definitely deserves a spot on your short list of DVD camcorders.
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CNET editors' review
Canon DC40
price range: $453.42
- Edited by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 06/21/2006
- Released on: 03/30/2006
The good: Attractive, functional design; solid build quality; very decent daytime and surprisingly solid low-light video quality; broad set of semimanual photo and video controls.
The bad: Small LCD; uses Mini SD cards rather than standard SD; blinding video light; no S-Video input for converting analog video to DVDs.
The bottom line: The Canon DC40 definitely deserves a spot on your short list of DVD camcorders.
User reviews
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Excellent Camcorder!
by MMDVB on May 24, 2006
Pros: Easy to use, versatil, beautiful image.
Cons: I didn't find anything that I dislike about this camcorder.
Summary: This camera was the best one that I found after a hard search for a decent camcorder.
I have tried 2 camcorders (Sony DCR-DVD92 and Canon DC20) before I bought ...Summary: This camera was the best one that I found after a hard search for a decent camcorder.
I have tried 2 camcorders (Sony DCR-DVD92 and Canon DC20) before I bought the DC40. The Sony DCR-DVD92 had a good image if the light conditions were right, but I didn?t like the colors and the software that came with. The Canon DC20 had a beautiful picture under right light conditions, nice software, but 2 megapixels weren?t enough for me.
The Canon DC40 has beautiful pictures no matter what light conditions. Of course at night, you should be smart, and turn the little dial button to night shots so that you can get a clean image without any annoying flickering that other cameras show even on the night shots mode.
Another feature that I like is the fact that I can take pictures and make movies at the same time.
In addition, with the camcorder?s software, I was able to easily put all my little movies in one place, then transfer only the ones that I liked to the full size DVD-R and then enjoy watching them on my picky Toshiba DVD player, which played my new DVD without any fuss.
Note: I find easier, to finalize the recorded dvd-rw and then put it in my dvd drive burner to transfer the movies to my computer (via the camcorder?s software), instead of using the USB connection. After you have the movies in your computer and you have given instructions to transfer the selected movies to the blank dvd disc, you better find something else to entertain yourself while the computer process your request, I don?t know about your computer but my Pentium 4 took about 2 hours to get the job done (transfer 23 little movies to the full size DVD-R).
Anyway, I also like the fact that the lens cover is automatic and only opens when the camera is on recording or taking picture mode, this way the lens will always be protected.
Taking pictures on the mini sd card, makes very convenient to quickly take a look at them on your computer (if you have a sd card reader available). The software that came with the camcorder also has a zoom browser, which is excellent to do some adjustments on the still picture like colors and hue, among other options.
In regards the battery life, the box says that it should last about 75 minutes with LCD finder, but of course this is just an estimate. I just make sure that I recharge soon after I use it.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this camera and highly recommend it. I hope that this review has helped you somehow towards your decision. Good luck on your search!26 out of 26 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent, Excellent Camcorder
by loveem on May 26, 2006
Pros: Superior Quality and Features
Cons: Like any other camcorder - Battery Life
Summary: I researched extensively and every way I looked at camcorders I kept coming back to this one. Second runner up was the Sony 505.
The Sony offered "surround sound" where ...Summary: I researched extensively and every way I looked at camcorders I kept coming back to this one. Second runner up was the Sony 505.
The Sony offered "surround sound" where this offers "stereo". But the surround sound was just an optional center chanel Bluetooth microphone which is not really surround sound and the Bluetooth presents other problems. The Canon DC 40 has a nice video light. The Canon is better quality than any other camera and a great value. I ordered this one on a Sunday from a CNET approved vendor and it shipped that same day!
Battery life with any camcorder is an issue but i just bought a spare - problem solved. The video quality is excellent, on the fly photos are a great feature, and the camera is so darn small that I sometime confuse it with our Canon A80 digital camera.
Prior to this camcorder we had a Sony Hi8 and although it was a great camcorder, we wanted to convert to DVD. We were tired of transfereing video from tape to DVD and losing some quality in the process. DVD is definitely the way to go.
We highly recommend this camera if you are looking for top of the line and great value.23 out of 23 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Well Rounded Camcorder
by timny70 on June 6, 2006
Pros: relatively easy to use , good picture quality, clear crisp audio
Cons: battery life , slighlty awkward for bigger hand people
Summary: After charging up my DC40 I put it to the test. i took both camcorder footage as well as some still pictures. At first i wasnt blown away by the ...
Summary: After charging up my DC40 I put it to the test. i took both camcorder footage as well as some still pictures. At first i wasnt blown away by the results.The quality seemed somewhat mediocre to me and wasnt sure if this camcorder was worth the money spent.I then decided to give the manual a good look and try out the camcorder setting for different situations.
What a big difference in the quality of my movies and photos after following the manuals directions for settings involvng different lighting ..such as fluorcent lights,spotlights, dim lights etc... The dc40 is a great outdoor camcorder and can be left in its auto setting...but when the cam is used indoors i use the manual setting to better control the results of my pictures.
The dc40 also has other features such as faders,mirror pictures,black and white,artwork that can be added to your pictures and many more nice additives.
Overal i gave this camcorder a 8 its a excellent camcorder for home and family usage .I also would say if that you are looking for a camcorder that is just a point and shoot in any situation this might not be the one ..i achieved best results from this cam by using some of its manual type settings.15 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great all in one package with 4 megapixel CCD DVD camcorder!
by beardivr on August 13, 2006
Pros: Everything is built into camera, no need for accessory shoe!
Cons: No input for converting VHS or Hi-8.
Summary: When researching camcorders on line, I looked at a lot of criteria that I required in order to be satisfied.
1. The first and most important was video quality, and ...Summary: When researching camcorders on line, I looked at a lot of criteria that I required in order to be satisfied.
1. The first and most important was video quality, and ease of sharing video with family and friends. The effective megapixels for recording movies was 3,500,000 pixels, which is excellent for pro-sumers.
2. Secondly, the dvd movie recorded onto a DVD-R can be played in almost every dvd player I own, even my XBOX. Extremely shareable, and easy to rip and burn. BTW, the dvd's are indexed, so really easy to find a scene to copy to a computer.
3. Built in video light, and camera flash meant there was no need to carry shoe attachments for on top of the camcorder, and no additional batteries to charge or cords to carry. (most other DVD camcorders required a shoe accessory varying from $50 to $150 extra).
4. Package contents provided everything to show video, edit content, and manage photo's.
5. Digital still camera built in was an amazing 4 megapixels. My old VR40 captured pictures at a measily 1 megapixel. Having the ability to take pictures separate from video operation was wonderful. I could now leave my 4mg pixel camera at home and just take this. (my 4mg pixel pictures printed very nice at 8x10!)
6. You could take digital still while video taping and the picture would be captured on teh card instead of the DVD.
7. Very few other DVD's boasted a 4 megapixel CCD. This is very important.
Over all, I'm extremely happy with my choice of camcorder. I looked at 8 camcorders in all, varying from Panasonic VDR-300K, Sony DCR-DVD505, Hitachi DZGX3300A, Samsung SC-DC564, and some Fuji model not work mentioning. This model by Canon had everything in one small tight package!8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Unimpressed!!!
by iqbalk on June 5, 2006
Pros: Built in 4MP camera and DVD video recorder
Cons: Poor picture quality!!!
Summary: I bought the D40 so that I can have one device to record still photos and video. I took in on a week long vacation. I was not impressed at ...
Summary: I bought the D40 so that I can have one device to record still photos and video. I took in on a week long vacation. I was not impressed at all. The still photo quality reflected a lot of light. I tried the apeture mode and the shutter modes to reduce the light but still the picture quality was not impressive at all. I tried many of the advanced features to create better quality pics to no avail.
I expected the video quality to be very good. This surprised me as well. Under low light the video was very grainy. My Sony Digital 8 would do better under low light conditions. Also if its even slightly windy the microphone translates it to noise. Did not investigate how to mute it under these conditions. I also found that the video had the same issues with reflecting light. If a person had a white cap on or a shirt, there would be a glare around the shirt or cap.
I returned it and have not yet made a decison on which video camera to purchase. One things for sure I will not be looking for a hybrid video/photo.11 out of 17 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Love this camcorder !!!
by Alyn1 on September 2, 2006
Pros: Great, crystal clear, lots of detail, movies. Instructional book easy to understand
Cons: Software - Roxio Mydvd Le leaves alot to be explained/desired. This is a basic software pkg . Roxio Help tutorial is junk, More of an advertisement than a " how to do it " tutorial.
Summary: I bought this camcorder to shoot movies of some of my real estate listings ( I am a Real Estate Broker ) which I can convert to .flv files and use on ...
Summary: I bought this camcorder to shoot movies of some of my real estate listings ( I am a Real Estate Broker ) which I can convert to .flv files and use on my flash website or burn to a dvd for my "out of area" clients. This camcorder is perfect. Small,powerful easy to use, easy to download the info on the dvd to my computer. I really like this camcorder. I bought it after watching a review of this camcorder on Cnet website. I would have given it a 10 if the Roxio software had been better, i.e. more instructional than it is.
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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DVD Software Does Not Work
by chrisreilly on August 29, 2006
Pros: Great video in varying lighting conditions
Cons: Copying and editing video laborous
Summary: The Roxio software provided by Canon is defective and unusable. Roxio directs technical support issues to Canon; Canon directs them back to Roxio. Without the software, you cannot play the ...
Summary: The Roxio software provided by Canon is defective and unusable. Roxio directs technical support issues to Canon; Canon directs them back to Roxio. Without the software, you cannot play the DVD-RW video on your computer. Had I known this before buying, I would have bought a different camcorder that did not require 3rd-party software to work propoerly.
6 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Camcorder
by sjohnsonca on August 22, 2006
Pros: One device for Video and Photos, Good in low light, Easy to use
Cons: No major issues, I do suggest a second battery
Summary: We have not bought a camcorder for years so this is light years ahead of our last one. We chose this model because it also does 4.3 MP photos. ...
Summary: We have not bought a camcorder for years so this is light years ahead of our last one. We chose this model because it also does 4.3 MP photos. It is easy to use / hold in your hand. I wanted to buy at my local electronic store but could not pass up the price at B&H Photo in NY. They beat my local store by $300 (when I figure in the sales tax) and B&H included a 5 YR Warr. and a Canon Camera Bag which would have been extra at the local store. I'm very pleased with my purchase.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Software problems
by chynes13 on March 5, 2007
Pros: Easy to use, compact, good image quality
Cons: Terrible software
Summary: Image quality is excellent, and the camera is very easy to use. However, one major reason for converting to digitial is downloading video to my computer, editing, and creating DVD'...
Summary: Image quality is excellent, and the camera is very easy to use. However, one major reason for converting to digitial is downloading video to my computer, editing, and creating DVD's or Windows Movies. Canon packages MyDVD from Roxio. Quite simply, it's terrible. I'm somewhat computer literate and I found it very difficult to use. The page or two in the user manual that discusses linking camera with MyDVD is practically worthless, as was Canon's Web site (and Roxio's). Decided to ugrade to MyDVD Premier ($60?). Premier version won't even recongize the Canon camera through the USB port. My initial vision of EASILY creating edited DVD's and movies not being realized.
Bottom line - Good product (camera), frustrating overall solution!3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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If you love to shoot other than in Auto mode, this is the one.
by robertz1200 on January 30, 2007
Pros: Double Shot Technology easy to get video and stills un-interrupted.
Cons: Very short battery life. No easy way to transfer video direct to PC.
Summary: Having been a die hard Canon fan from my original AE-1, to my Digital Still PowerShot and now the DC40. I have to admit that although the video and still ...
Summary: Having been a die hard Canon fan from my original AE-1, to my Digital Still PowerShot and now the DC40. I have to admit that although the video and still quality is very hard to beat and I love the features. Transferring video to your PC for editing in other software applications is very cumbersome.
I upgraded because I wanted to take video clips that are longer than 3 minutes in length. (Current limitation on my PowerShot's media card.) Although my PowerShot clips quality met most needs for web loading, I wanted something more.
After taking some hops from the DVD-R disc, putting it in my DVD drive and then on to my PC and then importing the files in to my media editing software. I can then finally edit and generate output.
All in all you can't beat the video/image quality as near as I can tell. There are also more than enough manual settings and some good pre-stored shooting modes for the advanced and casual user alike.
The controls were not that hard to get used to and I was shooting and editing very quickly. Patience is needed though when you need to get the actual video content out of this camera however.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon USA
- Part number: 1182B001
- Description: Like all of Canon's new camcorders, the DC40 is optimized for High Resolution true 16:9 widescreen recording, meaning the footage it records is suitable for playback on the very latest widescreen TV sets. The camcorder's High Resolution, wide color LCD screen and full color viewfinder ensure footage can be monitored during recording exactly as it would appear on a widescreen television. The Level Marker, provided on the LCD, is the best way to keep the horizon line perfectly in position, ensuring high impact panoramic shots every time. For playback on normal televisions, 4:3 shooting is available and easily selected with the push of a single button. Images recorded in widescreen can also be watched on a normal TV in letterbox format. The DC40's distinctive perpetual curve design reflects the natural ease-of-shooting that consumers have come to expect from DVD. To provide effortless handheld shooting, the body of the camcorder is conceived around a single, cylindrical shape. Ergonomically molded as a continuous and flowing curve, the DC40 is a natural fit in the hand, with controls clustered around the mode dial and positioned for intuitive and easy operation. The DIGIC DV image processor provides separate processing paths for video and still images, saved to ultra-compact MiniSD card. With DIGIC DV, the DC40 guarantees optimal color reproduction for each: together with a range of advanced digital photography functions, such as dedicated flash for stills and one-push direct printing, the camcorder is a high-capacity, multi-purpose digital imaging tool.
General
- Product Type Camcorder
- Digital Zoom 200 x
- Optical Sensor Size 1/2.8 in
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Min Illumination 0.6 lux
- Analog Video Format NTSC
- Digital Video Format MPEG-2
- Special Effects Mosaic, Art, Black & White, Mirror, Wave, Color Mask, Sepia, Cube, Ball
- Image Stabilizer Electronic
- Digital Scene Transition Flip, Jump, Corner wipe, Wipe fader, Puzzle, Tide, Beam, Zigzag, Black fader
- Min Shutter Speed 1/6 sec
- Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
- Shooting Modes Digital photo mode
- Shooting Programs Sunset, Spotlight, Beach, Portrait mode, Night mode, Super night mode, Foliage, Sports mode, Slow shutter, Snow, Stitch assist, Fireworks
- White Balance Automatic, Presets
- White Balance Presets Shade, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light (warm white), Fluorescent light (cool white), Daylight
- Exposure Modes Aperture-priority, Automatic, Program, Shutter-priority
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Flash OFF mode, Auto mode, Red-eye reduction
- Widescreen Video Capture Yes
Main Features
- Camcorder Sensor Resolution 4.29 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Video Resolution 2.99 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 4 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Still Image Format JPEG
- Remote Control Remote control - Infrared
- Media Included Qty 1
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 1280 x 960, JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 1632 x 1224, JPEG 2304 x 1736
- Media Type DVD-RW (8 cm), DVD-R (8cm)
- Recording Speed LP, SP
Camera Flash
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 6.1 mm - 61 mm - F/1.8-3.0
- Focal Length 6.1 mm - 61 mm
- Lens Aperture F/1.8-3.0
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 9
- Optical Zoom 10 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Min focal length 6.1 mm
- Max focal length 61 mm
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Features Aspherical lens, Built-in lens shield
- Filter Size 37 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 44.5 - 445 mm
- Focus Adjustment Automatic, Manual
- Min Focus Range 0.4 in
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
- Digital Still Camera Function Yes
- Additional Features RGB primary color filter, USB 2.0 compatibility, Direct print, Display brightness control, DPOF support, Auto power save, PictBridge support, Date/time stamp
- Built-in Light Yes
- Remote control Remote control - Infrared
- Software Drivers & Utilities
- Included Accessories CD-ROM, Battery charger, A/V Cable
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type LCD
- Viewfinder Diagonal Size 0.3 in
- Viewfinder Resolution 123,000 pixels
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.7 in - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x S-Video output, 1 x USB, 1 x DC power input
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x MiniSD
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows ME, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000, Apple Mac OS X 10.1.5 - 10.3, MS Windows 98 SE
- Peripheral Devices USB port, CD-ROM drive, XGA monitor
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included USB cable, A/V cable
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 850 mAh ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year limited warranty
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Form Factor Rotating
- Display Format 123,000 pixels
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2.4 in
- Depth 5 in
- Height 3.4 in
- Weight 16.9 oz
Manufacturer info
- Canon USA
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon USA products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://estore.usa.canon.com/
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com