Any fellow Canon ZR850 users out there?
 

Just curious if any fellow users have any suggestions or tips for a new Zr850 user

Not sure, but I can tell you that without a Mic input, it's not really worth it. It's got slightly better picture than the ZR800s, but since the ZR800 has a mic input and the ZR850 doesn't, I'd go with the ZR800 anyday. Trust me, even if you're just shooting school plays, that mic input makes everything so much better.

Sound is always more important than video because sound is how the story gets across.

I mean, I'd return it to the store, honestly. I used to have (still do, actually - getting rid of it) a ZR80, which I thought had a mic-in when I bought it. I was ticked off that it didn't have a mic-in, because I was used to working with the ZR75 from school, which had a mic-in port.