Digital Home Thoughts: Canon Optura 600 Camcorder Reviewed

"There’s no question we’re overwhelmed by gadgets. To simplify our lives a bit, manufacturers are creating devices that do double or triple duty like the Treo 650 cell phone/PDA. Other examples are camcorders that tout their digital still attributes, so they not only take videos but photographs as well. In this case, the theory being you can carry one less gadget, put your digital camera on eBay and just use a single device. We can honestly say that up until recently this has been a fool’s errand, as the photo quality of most camcorders is pathetic. $99 Vivitars and Concords found in Wal-Mart do better jobs than “photo-taking camcorders.” Fortunately things are changing as manufacturers enhance imaging devices, lens quality, add a load of photographic circuitry and other goodies. The new Canon Optura 600 is a good case in point. It records excellent MiniDV videos plus it takes 4 megapixel stills, far better than most of the competition."



I'm not too big on devices that do more than one thing because they usually end up doing everything poorly. I have an ordinary LG mobile phone (free from Verizon) that doesn't take pictures or even connect to the internet. I'd rather use my small Canon digital camera than a poor cell phone picture any day. So I see this review of a camcorder that has a digital camera built into it and I laugh. I have an older Canon ZR-50 that takes horrible photos so I know something about this.

Then again, after reading this review I am tempted to go visit my local electronics store and check one out. Many times I have not bothered to take my camcorder because I didn't want to carry both a camera and a camcorder. Maybe there is something to this convergence. Where do I buy one?