Various Optura questions

[Frank Gambone]

You read a lot about what dealers to buy camcorders from. How was your buying experience……these guys did a great job……good rating at resellers.com……etc….etc.

You also read about people returning cams due to various reasons….made noise…..banding problem….just didn’t like it….etc….etc.

So what happens to those returned cams?
The online sellers make a point of returning every single thing …right down to the bubble wrap.
Does the factory care if they get the bubble wrap returned?
Does the factory ever even see these returned cams?
Are they just rewrapped and then redistributed for sale?
If I return mine today…..can you buy it tomorrow?
Are there any laws to prevent this from happening?
Just some things to think about.
Does anybody have any experience in this area that could help answer any of these questions

[Chris Hurd]

Hi Frank,

The answer depends on which dealers we're talking about.

Unauthorized box houses that deal in gray market goods might simply resell the same returned item. However, authorized Canon dealers (such as our sponsors) will send returned items back to Canon factory service, where they are repaired, and eventually resold as "refurbished" through fairly limited channels. It can be difficult to find refurbs, but they're usually offered through the company store or occasionally as closeouts through better-known channels -- always marked as refurb, though. Hope this helps,

[Jason J. Gullickson]

I noticed that the accessory shoe on the Optura 60 gets hot, hotter than I would expect, after running for a few hours. I was importing/printing alot of footage last night and noticed that when I grabbed the camera to put it away that it was hot to the touch.

Anyone else notice this? I'm wondering if it's because of the viewfinder's backlight?

[Michael Wisniewski]

I've noticed that happens to the bottom of my Xi when I'm running the tape mechanism a lot (downloading / long shoots etc.) Haven't noticed the hot shoe yet, but I'll bet it's the same thing.

I don't notice it as much during the summer, for obvious reasons.

[Gilbert Labossiere]

Does anyone have an answer to this question? Sounds like a good question.

Thanks.

[Marco Leavitt]

I really liked the gigantic Lenmar batteries we used to use with our GL1 and would gladly buy the same brand for our Optura 60, but they don't seem to be made. Or do they? Perhaps I'm just not good at searching B&H's Web site. Can anybody direct me to a link? What's another good brand? How's Power 2000 or Impact?

[Michael Wisniewski]

Haven't seen the Lenmar batteries either, but the Power 2000s are good 3rd party batteries. I've used them and they perform well. Also picked up a few CTA batteries someplace and they're decent too. Don't know anything about Impact batteries.

I'm still getting my head around Canon's new battery product numbers, but I haven't seen anything that's equivalent to the BP-535 series. It looks like the highest capacity is the BP-2L14 series.

And I'll just quote Chris for the rest of the post:

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

The NB nomenclature comes from the still photo division. The BP nomenclature comes from the video division. It's still the exact same battery type either way, with minor variations in power. See my page at http://www.dvinfo.net/canonoptura/ar...a70-2.php#batt for a brief overview.

[Locke Morgan]

I have an Optura 20 and am looking at upping the battery pak.
The BP535 seems to be the biggest. There are "replacement" ones available but I am not sure about reliability.
http://reviews.cnet.com/CTA_BP_535_L...-31043119.html

Anyone got one and liked it?

[Michael Wisniewski]

I had a CTA BP-535 for about 2 years before I sold my Optura Xi. Worked great, never let me down. My friend is still shooting with it, and she says it's still going strong.

If you're hesistant about the brand, search the board for Power 2000 and Lenmar, they're popular 3rd party battery brands.