Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Brilliant! I used to have a Conon Ultura. I got the Optura 20 for Christmas and I absolutely love it.
Rating: 
Summary: nice value mid-level camcorder
Review: canon has a very nice camocorder in the optura 20. it's a very nice value and at a street price of less than six hundred bucks, you get a lot:pros:
- very good video quality.
- 1.3 megapixel still capability.
- 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.
- the 3.5" LCD screen is great.
- as with most canon products, the printed manual is very good.
- optical zoom: 16x!
- autolight for supernight shooting mode (although the video is still choppy).
- hot accessory shoe with a boatload of accessories available from canon.
- digital image stabilization works well. cons:
- no pop-up flash for taking stills and no built in video light but you can get a flash/video combo light for less than a hundred bucks.
- 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 1.3 megapixel stills.
- video too choppy with low light modes, even with built-in LED lamp.
- viewfinder tilts but does not extend.
- motor noise can be heard when recording a very quiet room.
- bottom loading cassette - can't remove tape while camcorder is on a tripod
- not as compact as i would like. dimensions are 3.0"W x 3.6"H x 7.3"D and it weighs 1 lb 7 oz without tape and battery.
- the included 8MB SD card is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for for more memory (at least 32MB). why only four stars? the two most important things for me in a camcorder are video quality and size. the optura is bigger than i would like and in my opinion, there are several camcorders out with better video quality at roughly the same price point (panasonic gs70 which has 3CCDs, and to a lesser extent, sony's trv33 and pc-105). don't get me wrong; this is a very nice camcorder - i just have a few other models higher on my "best camcorder list." i hope this helps your buying decision. peace.
Rating:
Summary: nice value mid-level camcorder
Review: canon has a very nice camocorder in the optura 20. it's a very nice value and at a street price of less than six hundred bucks, you get a lot: pros:
- very good video quality.
- 1.3 megapixel still capability.
- 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.
- the 3.5" LCD screen is great.
- as with most canon products, the printed manual is very good.
- optical zoom: 16x!
- autolight for supernight shooting mode (although the video is still choppy).
- hot accessory shoe with a boatload of accessories available from canon.
- digital image stabilization works well. cons:
- no pop-up flash for taking stills and no built in video light but you can get a flash/video combo light for less than a hundred bucks.
- 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 1.3 megapixel stills.
- video too choppy with low light modes, even with built-in LED lamp.
- viewfinder tilts but does not extend.
- motor noise can be heard when recording a very quiet room.
- bottom loading cassette - can't remove tape while camcorder is on a tripod
- not as compact as i would like. dimensions are 3.0"W x 3.6"H x 7.3"D and it weighs 1 lb 7 oz without tape and battery.
- the included 8MB SD card is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for for more memory (at least 32MB). why only four stars? the two most important things for me in a camcorder are video quality and size. the optura is bigger than i would like and in my opinion, there are several camcorders out with better video quality at roughly the same price point (panasonic gs70 which has 3CCDs, and to a lesser extent, sony's trv33 and pc-105). don't get me wrong; this is a very nice camcorder - i just have a few other models higher on my "best camcorder list." i hope this helps your buying decision. peace.
Rating: 
Summary: Canon Confusion
Review: Have done lots of shoots with a digital still camera, so ventured into the digicam world 3 weeks ago. Seems like Optura 20 has some potential, but the menus are cryptic and the manual is terrible- constantly refers to terms that aren't explained, diagrammed, or indexed. I know what I want to accomplish, but Canon routinely frustates my ability to do it. After 3 weeks, cannot view a still picture recorded onto the card, but not positive I've even taken one. Microphone is sensitive to low noise (good thing), but on playback the sound is overpowered by motor noise unless you're recording a rock concert. Very distracting, so add $180 for their accessory mike. Wide angle close-ups are amazingly detailed, but images quickly lose their fidelity as you shoot more distant objects (like a house from across the street). Wide angle is a very relative adjective here; it's still a narrow field of vision, and Canon's wide adaptor is only a .7x (for $160!). I bought a Sony .6x for $39 that did well, and a fisheye that took in about the same breadth as our field of view.
Button for shooting stills is directly under where your thumb fits, so my first attempts at video recorded only stills (I think... see above). Jury's still out on a looong recess with Canon's Optura 20, just glad I didn't pay more than $719 for it.
Rating:
Summary: A decent buy
Review: I bought a Canon Optura 20 back in September 2003 for two reasons. First, my wife and I were expecting twins in a few weeks and I needed to get a camcorder to record their first few hours and days, weeks, years, etc. (like any obsessive new father). Secondly, I teach online geology courses and I needed a good digital camcorder to record movies of mineral, rock, and fossil specimens for my students. Why did I buy this camcorder? First, I was impressed by the amazing clarity of the 3.5" LCD. I went to a warehouse electronics store to "test drive" various camcorder models before I ordered anything on Amazon.com. The Optura had the best LCD of all models tested - Sony, Sharp, Canon, JVC, and Panasonic. I assumed this would translate into high quality video (WRONG!). The Optura also had the highest optical zoom when compared to other models and competitors. Note that these "tests" occurred at a store without a tape in the camera. So I went to Amazon.com, I saw that the Optura had good reviews, and I bought it. I also liked how the camera felt in my hand, the buttons, and all the different inputs/outputs. As soon as I got it, I made some initial test videos in preparation for the twins and I made a bunch of mineral videos for my online geology class. I was really, really UNIMPRESSED. Why?
1. The video quality was abyssal. While the LCD was super-sharp and crystal clear, actual recorded video was grainy and fuzzy under a variety of lighting conditions.
2. The camcorder had horrible motor noise. I assume it was the miniDV tape motor that made the awful shrill squeaks and screeching noises. These terrible noises were easily picked up when recording. It was totally unacceptable. To recap:
- disappointing video quality
- terrible motor noise / audio quality It was not worth the ~$670 I paid for it. In fact, I wouldn't have paid $50 for it. So I returned the Canon Optura to Amazon.com and I bought a Sony DCR-TRV80 from an Amazon.com 3rd party merchant. The Sony was more expensive but the video and audio quality are excellent. The Sony's touchscreen functions take some getting used to but the Canon Optura 20 is nowhere near the league of my new Sony DCR-TRV80.
Rating:
Summary: Not impressed . . . at all!
Review: I bought a Canon Optura 20 back in September 2003 for two reasons. First, my wife and I were expecting twins in a few weeks and I needed to get a camcorder to record their first few hours and days, weeks, years, etc. (like any obsessive new father). Secondly, I teach online geology courses and I needed a good digital camcorder to record movies of mineral, rock, and fossil specimens for my students. Why did I buy this camcorder? First, I was impressed by the amazing clarity of the 3.5" LCD. I went to a warehouse electronics store to "test drive" various camcorder models before I ordered anything on Amazon.com. The Optura had the best LCD of all models tested - Sony, Sharp, Canon, JVC, and Panasonic. I assumed this would translate into high quality video (WRONG!). The Optura also had the highest optical zoom when compared to other models and competitors. Note that these "tests" occurred at a store without a tape in the camera. So I went to Amazon.com, I saw that the Optura had good reviews, and I bought it. I also liked how the camera felt in my hand, the buttons, and all the different inputs/outputs. As soon as I got it, I made some initial test videos in preparation for the twins and I made a bunch of mineral videos for my online geology class. I was really, really UNIMPRESSED. Why?
1. The video quality was abyssal. While the LCD was super-sharp and crystal clear, actual recorded video was grainy and fuzzy under a variety of lighting conditions.
2. The camcorder had horrible motor noise. I assume it was the miniDV tape motor that made the awful shrill squeaks and screeching noises. These terrible noises were easily picked up when recording. It was totally unacceptable. To recap:
- disappointing video quality
- terrible motor noise / audio quality It was not worth the ~$670 I paid for it. In fact, I wouldn't have paid $50 for it. So I returned the Canon Optura to Amazon.com and I bought a Sony DCR-TRV80 from an Amazon.com 3rd party merchant. The Sony was more expensive but the video and audio quality are excellent. The Sony's touchscreen functions take some getting used to but the Canon Optura 20 is nowhere near the league of my new Sony DCR-TRV80.
Rating:
Summary: oops, what is that noise???
Review: I had this camera for a week and had to return it to the store. I liked its look, controls, picture quality, colors, menu, battery life, accessory options. But when I played-back my tape on the TV, I was shocked with high-pitched metal noise. I first thought that it's the tape, so I tried another tape - same result.
When you remove tape from the camcorder - there is no noise, there is also no noise when you switch to VCR mode (not playing your recorded tape), but once tape is in and you are ready to shoot, listen: it hums and whistles, quite but steadily. And when you play it back noise becomes NOISE. I have read re-views on cnet.com, but I thought it just some minor motor noise you can here on almost every camcorder - not the case!! I had Sony-hi8 before and I know the difference. I think it has something to do either with flaws in videoheads or tape mechs, or with bad placement of the mic.
Of course I could buy an external mic, but do you want to carry it always with you - at home and on the trips?, and besides it makes the camcorder much bulkier.
(2 stars are for picture, but sound ruins the rest)
Rating:
Summary: Nothing to dislike
Review: I have owned this camcorder for six months now, and have found no fault with it. Before buying it, I was concerned about negative reviews regarding motor noise, low light, and body size. Fortunately, none of these has caused me a problem. The surroundings have to be completely silent to hear the motor; I have yet to have a problem with low light, and I like the feel of the body. I particularly like the ease with which I can take a still photo with only a minor interruption in video recording. I wanted the 16X zoom for sporting events, but I found it also useful at a recent graduation. While seated, I find I can hold the camcorder adequately still, even at 16X zoom, but a tripod is always useful. In the presence of a live orchestra, the audio quality is outstanding.
Rating:
Summary: Very good
Review: I have recorded about 2.5 Hrs and feel it is very good. I played the recordings on TV and I am amzed at the clarity of the picture. It is the best picture quality I have seen (seen 1Mega Pixel and 340 Kilo Pixel Recordings on Canon and Sony Mini DV recorders, they stand no where near this). Have not tried different modes yet, but the picture quality I got is close to the real, perfect reproduction. This is my first camcorder and I am a novice. I was initally sceptical about my buy (based on editorial review and one or two user reviews), but realized it is definitely a good buy. I'd suggest buying an additional battery, May be BP-522 with a charger. The battery supplied with the product seems to be good only for an hour of recording without recharging.
Rating:
Summary: So far--I love it!
Review: I just bought this camcorder and took it to an MLB game. It was
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