Canon Optura 40
Pricing not available
CNET Editors' Review
The good: Small size; fine zoom lens; above-average sound quality; decent color; easy to use; video light.
The bad: Wimpy battery; cheesy digital effects; minimal bundled software.
The bottom line: If the Optura 30 is good, the Optura 40 is better, thanks to its video light. But if you don't find yourself shooting in a lot of low-light situations, it may not be worth the cash.
As they say in This Is Spinal Tap, "this one is one bigger." The Canon Optura 40 differs in just a few ways from its slightly less expensive sibling, the Optura 30. It includes a 14X optical zoom instead of the 30's 12X version and adds a video light and couple of extra sound capabilities: audio levels adjustment and a microphone attenuator. Like the Optura 30, this camcorder is compact, has a very bright 2.5-inch LCD, and shoots clean footage as well as 2-megapixel still photos.
As they say in This Is Spinal Tap, "this one is one bigger." The Canon Optura 40 differs in just a few ways from its slightly less expensive sibling, the Optura 30. It includes a 14X optical zoom instead of the 30's 12X version and adds a video light and couple of extra sound capabilities: audio levels adjustment and a microphone attenuator. Like the Optura 30, this camcorder is compact, has a very bright 2.5-inch LCD, and shoots clean footage as well as 2-megapixel still photos.
Just like the model 30, the Canon Optura 40 captures excellent footage with good color. The extra illumination afforded by the Optura 40's video light significantly improves the look of video taken in low light. But if you don't think you'll be shooting a lot of evening events, it's probably not worth the extra bucks.
Hide ReviewUser Reviews
See all user reviewsMost Helpful User Review
stars 4 of 5 users found this review helpful
"Soo many features, so little brain..." By
Pros There are so many features on this camera that I'm going to have a hard time learning them all. The quality seems very good compared to what I've seen so far. The image quality is very nice and the sound is nice and clear. So far so good.
Cons The 40 minute battery they supply is a joke. Get yourself the 240 min better battery for it.
Most Recent User Reviews (Showing 2 of 14 reviews)
Where to Buy
Pricing not available
