Rating: 
Summary: I like it a lot; perfect for iMovie
Review: -- Best things: Fits hand, very easy to use, convenient size (smaller more expensive models are hard to control, even with stabilization), the optical zoom is wonderful, the sound is sensitive and surprisingly accurate (more on that below), image quality in bright light is awesome, AV passthrough lets you transcribe to/from video or S-video devices (e.g., TV, VCR) direct to FireWire (with or without going onto tape in between). It works wonderfully with iMovie software on Mac OS-X.
-- Worst things: Comes from Canon without a tape, comes with USB cable but not a FireWire cable, has bells and whistles (who actually needs to change colors of illuminated buttons?), takes still shots (I don't need/want a digital still photo feature with another set of media and cables). Built-in mic picks up wind noise. (I haven't tried the optional accessory microphone.)
-- Other comments: Perhaps pricey, but worth it for the Canon optics and ease of use. The ZR-70 comes with a wide-angle lens which is actually useful. So is the remote control. Battery life is longer than a tape's capacity, so plan to have a spare battery and a separate charger (not included) and change battery and tape together. I haven't done much with low light conditions, but it seems okay. Some ZR reviews have mentioned motor noise picked up in the sound recording - it isn't a problem for me. The camera adjusts the recording level to match the ambient sound level - this means that you get great sound in a wide range of situations. Only if there is no other sound will the camera turn up the sensitivity so high that it records its own motor's noise.
-- Punchline: I'm really happy with this DV camcorder, and recommend it. (5 stars if it came with a tape and FireWire cable in the box, and without still photo feature.)
Rating: 
Summary: Good looks, poor performance.
Review: After extensive online research, I bought this little piece of equipment for an upcoming trip. Thankfully, I decided to do some testing before leaving. While the design and features of this camera seem excellent, it leaves a lot to be desired in performance.
1) Image Stabilization is nearly non-existent. Compared to my (4-year old) Sony TRV66, this thing has no stabilization at all even when not using the zoom.
2) Under anything less than bright daylight conditions, the recordings come out very grainy. Even using the included LED, the images are of poor quality.
3) The unending and ever-present motor noise! You can hear it while you're recording, and unfortunately, you can hear it in the playback of the recordings as well. Once you become aware of it, it doesn't matter how loud the scene is, you still hear that high-pitched buzz in the background.... Sometimes it's in the foreground!
I really wanted to love this camera. The 22X optical zoom was a big plus for me, and the fact that it uses the SD/MMC cards (which come in 256MB flavor for less $$) was also a determining factor. However, getting a high capacity card is really pointless because this camera will only record up to 10 seconds of video onto the card at once. I hear Sony models will let you record video until the card is full!
Anyway, I'm going to return this little cutie and wait for a better product from Canon. Maybe on their next try at it they'll replace/include the IEEE 1394 port with a USB2 connection. We'll see!
Rating:
Summary: Great for enthusiastic people
Review: Before buying this I did lot of research finally came down to canon zr70mc and sony dcr-hc30. (don't fall for other canon models like zr80-85. they lack features ) Both models are appealing for price. Sony has bigger lcd and better lowlight performance while Canon have better zoom (22x as compared to 10x of sony ) and lots and lots of features. Some people say canon is having better image stability So it can afford 22x zoom w/o problem.
in zr70mc you can download video from TV/VRC or other camcorder witout any additional accesories. So easily copy old analog tapes to this digital camcorder Or burn DVD's. Canon also provides wide angle lens (very useful ) Plus sony has only 3 months labor while canon gives 12 months labor warranty.only tape loading in zr70 is little difficult if you use tripod. Overall this is a good value. I tested indoor using 100w room light. Picture was little yellowish. But I got filter set from ebay for 17$ and all looks good now.
NOTE: protect lens and always use uv filters.
Rating:
Summary: Great for enthusiastic people
Review: Before buying this I did lot of research finally came down to canon zr70mc and sony dcr-hc30. (don't fall for other canon models like zr80-85. they lack features ) Both models are appealing for price. Sony has bigger lcd and better lowlight performance while Canon have better zoom (22x as compared to 10x of sony ) and lots and lots of features. Some people say canon is having better image stability So it can afford 22x zoom w/o problem.
in zr70mc you can download video from TV/VRC or other camcorder witout any additional accesories. So easily copy old analog tapes to this digital camcorder Or burn DVD's. Canon also provides wide angle lens (very useful ) Plus sony has only 3 months labor while canon gives 12 months labor warranty. only tape loading in zr70 is little difficult if you use tripod. Overall this is a good value. I tested indoor using 100w room light. Picture was little yellowish. But I got filter set from ebay for 17$ and all looks good now.
NOTE: protect lens and always use uv filters.
Rating: 
Summary: An okay entry level digi camcorder
Review: Good:
1)The various editing & filming functions of the camcorder.
2)The controls are easy to use.
3)Zooming and wide angle function
4)Compact and light.
5)Nice remote control function Bad:
1) The motor noise is still present! (you can hear it in the recorded mini-DV tapes)
2) The image stablization is not always present.
3)Takes awhile to auto focus during low and night-time conditions.
4) To utilize the msn messenger video option, you need exclusively Win XP OS. NOTE: Please don't expect any digi camcorders to take good still pictures, including this one. Afterall, it's main purpose is to film and get a digi camera if you need to take good still pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly dissappointing
Review: Got it from a local store and tested it for a few days. Based on specs alone, this camcorder has, far and away, the best bang for the buck. However, I was really surprised by how BAD the video quality is. The grain is just plain awful, even in bright light. It seems like there is some kind of digital noise being injected in the video, indicating that this is some kind of manufacturing defect. I've read reviews of other Canon mini-DV camcorders with the same problem (like the new Elura 50) but the problem seems to be persistent with the ZR70. Some users submitted reviews of the ZR50 which is an OLDER model and probably better. I also based my purchase decision on a neighbor's experience with a ZR50 and believe me, the ZR50 (at least my neighbor's sample) doesn't have the grain problem.
Also, the motor noise is bothersome. Its definitely being picked up by the mic and is more noticeable than subtle. I exchanged it for a Canon Optura 20, which I'm very happy with.
Rating:
Summary: hopeful
Review: I am only giving a four star rating so far. Just purchased the camera. It feels good and it seems very sturdy. Some of the buttons are a little hard to use but i am sure i will adjust. Have not used the software yet. So far i am impressed.
Rating: 
Summary: Completely letdown
Review: I bought a Canon comcorder in 1992 that was worlds better than this. If you are shooting ONLY In daylight, and I mean ONLY in daylight, then this camera might please you. I on the other hand want to able to shoot in all kinds of light - and this camera fails miserably in anything other than daylight. The grainy, sub standard picture was a total disappointment. I am sending mine back, and looking into other products.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of Your Money
Review: I bought a ZR70 yesterday but ended up promptly returning it only an hour later upon trying it out at home. My kids were playing the Halo game on Xbox at the time with the surround sound system on (loud, that is), and I still could hear the camcorder motor noise prominently running enough that I couldn't just ignore it. The level of noise was just totally unacceptable to me. While that problem alone was enough to return the merchandise, it proceeded to damage my brand new tape when I tried to eject it. I'm sorry, folks, but any camcorder with the price tag in excess of $500 should perform in a decent manner. It is absolutely baffling that, while you could buy a $500 TV and feel pretty much okay with whatever brand you buy at that price range, you just can't erase any suspicion out of your mind when it comes to camcorders and their quality and reliability in today's technological complexity and advancement. Thinking that I might be free of annoying characteristics if I buy a more expensive model, I hastily ordered a Canon Optura X1 for about $1,400. Shortly afterwards, however, I ran into a Consumer Reports article that rated Canon camcorders as one of the most unreliable. Far worse than Sony and Panasonic. Unable to cancel my order, I'm apprehensively waiting for the camcorder to arrive to try it out first before returning it for a more reliable brand, Panasonic PV-DV953. If today's advanced technology just can't produce a solid camcorder, then I might as well own a brand that would last awhile for that price.
Rating:
Summary: Canon ZR70 is not the camera it should be
Review: I bought the Canon ZR70 and had it for less than a week. It's very poor in low light, even inside our home with lights on. For some reason it just doesn't have enough low lux for this camera. There's alot of bells and whistles, but that doesn't make up for the disappointing results when using this camera. I switched to a JVC which was a bit more expensive but have seen a big difference in lighting, although I believe most digital camcorders probably need a accessory light to help..
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