The Canon ZR700 tops off the ZR series this year, which has undergone serious cosmetic changes, including a new joystick control. How does the ZR700 hope to distinguish itself? The differences from next step-down, the ZR600, are small but crucial, including the analog inputs. Combine this with a 30x optical zoom and solid low light performance and you’ve got an under $400 camcorder that looks pretty good.

The camcorder’s left side is dominated by a 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD–a natural match for the ZR700’s full-sensor-width, wide-screen recording capabilities. Even better, Canon moved all video and playback controls to the bevel of the LCD panel and simplified them, too. A five-way joystick provides navigation and quick access to manual focus and exposure settings. Four buttons put frequently used features, including digital effects, wide-screen/4:3 mode, and the video light, at your fingertips. We like the built-in lens cover, which slides open and shut. However, the lack of an accessory shoe is disappointing, especially considering that there’s room for one on top of the unit. Canon doesn’t include a microphone input either, while the super-low-end ZR500, which costs $100 less, has one.

With its 1/6-inch CCD as well as both 340,000-pixel 4:3 and 450,000-pixel 16:9 effective resolutions, the ZR700 is suitable for home and vacation videography. Canon’s 25X optical zoom lens improves on the ZR300’s already impressive 22X lens, but even better is the choice of zoom speeds: 1X, 2X, 3X, and variable. The last is typical of zoom controls: the amount of pressure on the rocker dictates the speed of the zoom. But the fixed speeds give you a consistent zoom to prevent amateur-style jerkiness–too bad you have to delve into the ZR700’s menu system every time you want to change the setting.
Technical Details

• Features true widescreen recording and powerful 24x optical zoom
• Widescreen 2.7-inch LCD
• Canon’s Digic DV image processor for exceptional color and clarity
• Smooth Zoom Control function prevents jerky zooms
• Joystick lets you easily operate playback, focus, exposure, and menu options