Widescreen HR Recording 
You want your memories to last forever -- that's why you've taken the time to capture them. And you want to shoot in widescreen format to get everything you can out of your new widescreen TV or home theater system.
So, why is the way you record widescreen images so important? Because you want an image made for widescreen, not adapted for widescreen. Because every HD television is widescreen -- widescreen is the future.
The story of how we do it may be a bit technical, but the result is clear to see. Canon camcorders use the entire width of the image sensor to capture video in true 16:9 format. What difference does this make? It's simple. With more pixels captured, you get better image quality. Some competitors' camcorders force the wider picture into a smaller space on the sensor -- giving you a less true image, with fewer pixels and lower quality. With a Canon camcorder, your videos of your travels will let you relive great memories.
In addition, the viewfinder on your ZR500 displays your widescreen image in a letterbox view. From side to side and top to bottom, what you see is what you get. You can also view your widescreen shot in the ZR500's large, 2.7 LCD screen. Either way, there isn't the guessing or extra work in looking at an image that's distorted like a fun house mirror.
To make it even easier, a Widescreen Button lets you switch from standard 4:3 to 16:9 Widescreen HR at the touch of your finger. You can also use the widescreen feature with the camcorder's advanced image stabilization.
Every one of the camcorders in Canon's ZR series gives you Widescreen HR Recording at a very affordable price. Why shouldn't your camcorder shoot as wide as your widescreen TV? It should -- and it's hard to match the widescreen video, or the value, you'll get from your Canon ZR.
Remember -- widescreen is the future. And Canon's Widescreen HR is true widescreen that's picture perfect.
Optical Performance You Can See 
Because of Genuine Canon Optics, the name Canon is synonymous with unsurpassed optical performance. Brilliant optical quality is part of every Canon broadcast TV camera, 35mm film camera, and camcorder -- and the ZR500 is no exception.
Thanks to the ZR500's powerful 25x optical zoom lens and 800x digital zoom, you get an incredible range of focal lengths. Whether you're at the back of the auditorium while your child's on stage, or you want a panoramic shot of the sun setting over the lake -- you always have the perfect lens.
Image Stabilization 
Along with outstanding optical performance, Canon's Advanced Image Stabilization is another feature that helps you shoot great, professional-looking video by correcting camcorder shake instantly.
Brilliant Video 
The ZR500 delivers stunningly vivid video thanks to Canon's exclusive DIGIC DV signal processing circuit. A variety of other features help you shoot video that will impress all your friends and family.
Smooth Zoom Control Simply select from 3 pre-set zoom speeds and Smooth Zoom Control does the zooming for you -- giving you steady, professional-looking shots every time.
Level Shot Control Tired of shots that aren't level or subjects that aren't centered? Simply turn on the ZR500's Level Shot Control -- and horizontal and center markers will appear in your viewfinder. With these markers, it's easy to level the horizon for perfect video footage of a breathtaking landscape, or keep your child in the center of the frame while they're on the soccer field.
Auto Exposure Mode 
With the ZR500's AE Mode, you select from a variety of exposure or scene modes for the best results under difficult lighting conditions, including: EASY, P, Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, Fireworks. For example, the Sports setting automatically selects a faster shutter speed, ensuring sharp images of your child's hockey game; and Sand and Snow settings compensate when shooting a subject against a bright background.
Exposure Lock With a push of the ZR500's omni-selector, you can lock your exposure settings, then recompose your shot. For example, you can lock your exposure while zoomed in on your subject. Then, even if you zoom out and include a very bright or dark background, your ZR500 will still give your subject the right exposure. Also, by shifting the omni-selector left or right, you can adjust your exposure by up to +/-11 stops (+/-2.75 EV).
Auto Slow Shutter Function Activate this function, and your ZR500 will shoot at a slower shutter speed for improved low light performance.
Firewire/IEEE 1394 DV Terminal Otherwise known as Firewire or iLink, the ZR500's IEEE 1394 DV Terminal is a high-speed digital interface that ensures virtually no loss of video or audio quality when transferring videos to a computer. Simply use a DV cable to connect the camcorder to your computer's DV Terminal and you can be sure that your favorite, recorded moments retain their pristine image and sound.