Next to price, automatic functions and ease of operation are the two most important things that casual shooters look for in a camcorder. The ES55 worked well in fully automatic mode. The automatic focus system adjusted quickly enough to satisfy us, but not so quickly that it was easily distracted by items passing momentarily through the frame. You can set the focus manually by rotating the selector dial on the left side of the camera.

The automatic exposure system adjusted smoothly and provided a fine image under most of our tests. We found that under certain circumstances it responded too quickly. For example, the image quickly darkened and lightened again when a white car passed through the frame. We easily remedied this by allowing the automatic system to adjust itself for the scene, then we pressed the camcorder's joystick to lock the exposure setting.

The ES55's electronic image stabilizer performed well in our tests, smoothing out the jitters while shooting handheld and at telephoto settings. The unit has a 500x digital zoom, but at that ratio the image was distorted beyond recognition and impossible to hold steady, even with the image stabilizer turned on. We recommend limiting your zooms to the 22x optical zoom.

The camcorder's microphone worked well within eight feet of a subject speaking in a normal voice. The mike appeared to be well insulated. We did not note the presence of any motor noise and observed only minor operator noise (pressing of buttons, etc.) on playback. The ES55 has a mike jack for recording subjects out of the range of the on-board mike. Unfortunately, Canon did not include a headphone jack or speaker for monitoring audio, so you won't know what kind of sound you record until you can cable the camcorder to a TV.

We found the ES55 to be a good value. It operates well in automatic mode, and offers a fair amount of manual control to shooters with an eye for the artistic. Considering what you do get for the price, the ES55 gets a thumbs up.

Canon ES55
8mm Camcorder
Format: 8mm
Lens 22:1 optical zoom (500:1 Digital), 3.6-79.2mm
Image Sensor 1/4" CCD, 270,000 pixels
Viewfinder color eyecup, no LCD
Focus auto and manual
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/1000
Exposure auto or manual with FlexiZone
White Balance auto
Image Stabilization electronic
Digital Effects art, black & white, sepia, negative, mirror half, mirror full, mosaic, pastel, emboss, color key-red/green/blue/yellow, 16:9, cinema, slow shutter, strobe
Inputs 1/8-inch mike
Outputs Mini-jack output of RCA video and
mono RCA audio
Edit Interface none
Other Features Built-in video light
Dimensions 3-3/4"(H) x 4"(W) x 6-3/4"(D)
Weight (sans tape and battery) 1 pound, 7-1/8 ounces

Video Performance (approx.)
Horizontal resolution (camera) 200
Horizontal resolution (playback) 150

Performance Times
Pause to Record 2 seconds
Power-up to Record 6 seconds
Fast-forward/Rewind (120 min. tape) Approx. 13 minutes

Strengths

• FlexiZone focus system
• Price
• Ease of use

Weaknesses

• No headphone jack
• No flip-out LCD

Summary

• The ES55 is a good choice for the novice who wants an affordable, easy-to-use camcorder.

ES55 8mm Camcorder
($399)
Canon
One Canon Plaza
Lake Success, NY 11042
(800) OK-CANON
www.usa.canon.com