The Canon ZR850 was released, but it doesn’t bring so many improvements. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good camcorder.

The 35x zoom and a 1-megapixel CCD sensor are nice improvements. The screen is 2.7-inch wide. All the controls are easy to use. The menu system has been redesigned and it’s easier to use; it has many customizing options, from white balance settings to image effects. The resolution is up to 1,152×864.

The quality of the video is very good. Colors are very vibrant, but the focusing wasn’t perfect. That is even with a tripod. It also has an option which lets it make decisions for you (autopilot).

So, it continues the ZR tradition, it’s easier to use, colors are good, and it’s not so expensive. But it has no microphone input and doesn’t support analog-to-digital conversions and it also has poor low-light performance . Price is $279.65.