[aaroncsmith]

I'm on the verge of making a DV camcorder purchase for the holidays. It will be for travel filming, as well as family stuff, and also probably some short documentary-type films. I'll be using iMovie2 for the editing until I outgrow it.

My priorities are: size, image quality, sturdiness, price (I will not go over the price of the Elura).

I'm hesitating between the Elura2 and the JVC DVM55U (which Apple's iMovie site claims to support).

I can get the JVC for about $100 less than the Elura (the price of an extra high-capacity battery) from a reputable dealer.

I was leaning towards the JVC, until I started reading horror stories about broken tape mechanisms taking months and hundreds of $$ to fix by incompetent, rude JVC service people. In contrast, I've read no complaints about the Canon's construction or service.

On the Canon side, I've heard that the Elura has bad low-light performance and that the microphone is stupidly placed on the top of the camera, which muffles voices and frontal sounds. However, it has analog-in, which I might have a use for (not a priority).

What about image quality?

Can anyone with experience give me some advice? Thanks in advance!

[Archangel]

I have the Elura2. Both of those complaints are accurate, but I think it's a small price to pay. First, digital as a general rule performs poorly in low light conditions, and, besides, how much filming will you do in low light anyway? Second, the microphone on top is a stupid place to put it, but it isn't that bad.

I'd recommend the Elura2 especially if you're looking for a very compact, high-quality DV cam.

[Mack]

I also have an Elura2 and really like it. The low light performance is fine unless you're trying to shoot in extreme low-light - nighttime room light is fine.

The mic placement doesn't bother me either.

On the plus side: Though small, the Elura feels very solid and substantial. The controls work great though the small size takes some getting used to. Of most importance for me is that the Elura is so small that you can easily carry it along on trips or spontaneous outings. The greatest camera in the world is worthless if it sits in the closet all the time or requires an extra carry-on when traveling. I use the Elura more than I have any other camcorder mostly because it's so easy to have around when I want it.

[daimoni]

.

[marusin]

I've been looking at the Elura 2 as well.. My question is does anyone have a recommendation as to an online seller that carries it? It seems that Canons are hard to find online...

-Mike

[T.Rex]

I have found this link to be very helpful for finding digital camera and DV camcorder pricing and availability,
http://www.pricescan.com/digiphoto/items/item506087.asp

[aaroncsmith]

After playing with both cameras, I have settled on the Elura. It is smaller, has analog-in, and above all has a much higher quality "feel" to it. The JVC feels very cheap and plastic-y, whereas the Elura feels dense and solid. The ergonimocs seem better, as well.

I used pricegrabber to find the best priced, most reputable reseller.

Be very carefull of the lowest-priced NYC resellers that these search engines turn up. They will call you back and try to sell you over-priced accessories. If you refuse, they tell you the camera is no longer in stock and will ship in 2-3 weeks. Of course, they charge your card immediately!

It seems that the only reputable NYC dealers are iBuyDigital / DBuys (the same) and BeachCamera / BuyDig (also the same). After those two, it is roulette. Even with these two, there are problems sometimes, from what I can gather.

If you are willing to pay more for better service, bhphotovideo.com is highly recommended by pros who buy a lot.