Canon Optura 50

Summary: As I write this review, the Optura 50 is a uniquely good deal among the widely-available high-end consumer camcorders.

A basic overview: the Optura 50 is the budget version of the Optura 60. As a result the 50 lacks a few of the 60's features, such as a 14x zoom (it is 10x on the 50), a hot shoe, and the ability to offload video through the USB port (for the 50 you will need a firewire connection).

Otherwise, the 50 shares the 60's relatively large CCD with RGB filtering (a technology that competes well with consumer 3CCD camcorders in most circumstances--more below). It is also packed with a host of high end consumer features, such as Optical Image Stabilization (generally more effective than Electronic Image Stabilization and with no loss of data), a manual focus ring, analog-to-digital passthrough (allowing conversion of analog content, such as VHS tapes, to digital formats), "true" 16:9 capture (meaning the whole CCD is used for 16:9 video), and jacks for microphones and headphones.

In 2005, this list of features put the Optura 50 into the same class with higher-priced competitors, including the Optura 60, the Sony DCR-HC90, and Panasonic PV-GS250. Still, as of the beginning of 2006, discounted versions of these other camcorders may have been worth the price differential with the Optura 50, depending on your preferences.

As of the date of this review (3/1/06), however, it appears that things have changed in the market. My searches indicated that the Optura 60 and Panasonic PV-GS250 are disappearing from the discount market, with the Panasonic being replaced with the new PV-GS300. Accordingly, while the Optura 50 is still available at a discount price of around $450, obtaining an Optura 60 or GS250 may cost $800-1000, and that is a difficult price differential to justify.

The Sony HC90/96s (the 96 is the 2006 version of the 90), on the other hand, are still widely available for around $650. However, these camcorders lack the Optura 50's OIS and manual focus ring. The new GS300 is also available for around $700, but in reducing the list price of the 300 from the prior 250, Panasonic also eliminated several features of the 250, such as a manual focus ring, analog-to-digital passthrough, and headphone jack. So, these camcorders, which cost approximately $250-300 more than the Optura 50, are also missing some of the 50's key features.

So what's the catch? Aside from the features the 50 is missing in comparison to the 60, both the Optura 50 and 60 possess a design flaw where an important button can be rendered inaccessible if the LCD screen is tilted. Also, some 50s and 60s (but not all) have produced enough motor noise to bother some reviewers. Finally, both the Panasonic 3CCD camcorders and--particularly--the large CCD Sony HC90/96 have received better "low light" ratings than the 50s and 60s.

So, should these problems be dealbreakers? I'd note a couple things. First, when talking about "low light", it is important to define terms. Based on the reviews and images that I have seen, in what I would call "moderate low light" (a decently-lit interior room at night), all of these camcorders perform reasonably well and at about the same level. In what I would call "extreme low light" (something like a candle-lit interior room at night), none of them perform adequately in the sense of providing more than minimally-useful video. It is only somewhere in between these ends of the "low light" range that there might be situations in which the Sonys or the 3CCD Panasonics provide useful images where the Opturas do not.

Moreover, both the motor-noise and low-light issues can potentially be addressed with accessories, such as an external microphone or camcorder light. There are decent camcorder microphones available for around $80, and decent (albeit with short battery time) camcorder lights available for $25-40. So, the $250-300 savings associated with the Optura 50 could be devoted in part to accessories that would lead to a much better overall camcorder setup, and with money to spare.

But you may find that you need none of these things--it all depends on your usage and your level of satisfaction with a stock Optura 50. Conversely, you will never be able to add OIS to the Sonys, a headphone jack to the GS300, or manual focus rings to either (although you could buy a separate solution for the analog-to-digital passthrough missing on the 300).

In short, my feeling is that if you are in the market for a high-end consumer camcorder, a stock Optura 50 at the discounted price is a great place to start, with a lot of flexibility if you need to add audio and lighting capabilities. However, if you can find a discounted Optura 60 or Panasonic PV-GS250 for just a little more, they may be worth the price differential. Otherwise, I would advise saving your money, and buying accessories as needed.