Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom by Canon
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Digital camera reviews of Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Digital camera Review: "Joe 6-pack" Review
Summary: 5 Stars
Love it.
I had an HDD right before this, but was not happy with the quality.
This camera even exceeds my expectations.
I love the SD format as you can store your video indefinately.
Great weight, great function.
The only con I can think of is there is no good way to store the video.
(other than leaving it on the card)
If you try to burn it down to a DVD it converts to normal DVD. Still good, but not HD. You have to either get a Blue-Ray burner (too expensive) or use the camera for watching back.
Not a big deal, but it seems that the storage technology has not caught up with the camera......so for now, I simply buy new SD cards.
16GB for $30 is cheap enough. (2 1/2 hrs of recording)
BOTTOM LINE: BUY IT, YOU WONT REGRET IT.
Digital camera Review: 4.5 Stars: Great Video Quality, Slightly Quirky Menu System
Summary: 4 Stars
I also did quite a bit of research between various Sony and Canon HD models and kept coming back to this one, partially because it had very similar specs to some of the more expensive models, and partially because the indication seemed to be the quality was top-notch for HD video. Let me tell you I have not been disappointed. It IS true that the default battery loses its charge pretty quick in the higher quality modes, when stopping and starting your record sessions (I film landscape stock footage so I do a lot of 1-3 minute takes and that's it). So first off, get yourself the higher capacity battery for this camera and an AC charger for sure. You'll need it unless you only plan to use your camera sparingly.
I do not use the Canon software so I can't comment there (I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, which does a really nice job of letting you look through the AVCHD files on your camera and quickly pick the ones you want to include and edit in your project), but the quality of the HD output from this little camera is truly amazing for such a small camera. No banding of any kind, good white balance performance (little off in spots but not a big deal - easily corrected in Premiere Pro), and the detail is outstanding. Color rendition is very good also, but again like a digital photo I tend to handle the colors in the applicable program rather than always leave them as-is.
Because I deal with a lot of wind, ultimately I will probably get the Sennheiser boom mic and a "dead cat" for the mic, but really, if you have your extra batteries, memory cards (they get filled up quick! 8GB recommended at least) and a tripod you can produce some professional quality video clips with this camera. And for hand-held fun it does a real nice job with the stabilization as well, and any minor gaffes there are easily handled in After Effects (which, is admittedly beyond the scope of the average user for this camera but worth knowing if you're into that sort of software). The only minor downfall is the part of the menu system that lets you review your many clips and delete unwanted ones (for when the card is full or nearly full). This part was really confusing the first couple times I tried it but eventually you remember which options take you where and you are able to work pretty efficiently. The menu system that controls your white balance and other "shoot settings" are very easy to use (like a Canon still camera).
Definitely a "best buy" among the small, hand-held HD cameras that use AVCHD.
Digital camera Review: A Capable HD Camcorder
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first camcorder. Before my purchase, I did some extensive researches on what camcorders to buy and most of the materials lead me to get a HD camcorder to be future proof. Further research throws up more confusion as you have a choice of recording medium for HD camcorders - DV, HDD, DVD, Flash memory. My initial choice was between Canon HV20 and Canon HG10. I like the Canon HV20 for the quality of the videos, ease of editing but do not like DV as I feel that it is probably going to be obsolete in a few years' time. I like the idea of having a HDD in a camcorder for the convenience and ease of transfer of the recorded materials but noted that it may be susceptible to loss of recorded footage in the HDD due to vibrations or dropping the camera. While I proscratinate, my prayers were answered when Canon launched the HF10 and HF100. It uses flash memory which is more stable than HDD and in view of the falling prices of flash cards, is getting cheaper by the day. After reading the review on the HF10 in www.camcorderinfo.com, I was sold on the camcorder.
I bought the HF-100 instead of the HF-10 as I like the gun metal grey look and also with the price difference, you can buy a couple of 16G Class 6 SDHC Transend cards. I also do not like the glossy black of HF10 as it is a figure print magnet. Although I am residing in a country where the TV system is PAL, I do not mind the NTSC model from Amazon as it is much cheaper than what I get back home (about USD500 price difference) and nowadays most people own a multisystem LCD or plasma panel anyway. The only drawback is that there are certain pull down issues for NTSC models (which do not bother an amateur like me) and that the warranty is only valid in the US which I do not reside.
I have the opportunity to try out the camcorder and my initial thoughts are that it is very user friendly. In fact, I tried thre various functions of the camcorder without much of a quick glance at the user manual. I tried the Easy mode and was happy to find that even with this mode, the video turned out nice and sharp without any editing. I like this mode as it enables my wife and friends to use the camcorder easily. For the same reasons, I normally have the set my DSLR to auto mode before I get someone to take a picture of me when I travel.
I decided to turn off the Easy mode and played with the 3 different recording modes - 60i, 24p and 30p. In a bright environment, there is not much difference. The colours in 60i do however seem to look more saturated. In a lighted environment, the 24p and 30p showed their usefulness as the videos captured are brighter than the 60i, contributed no doubt by the slower frame rates. Colours as a whole are rich and tend towards slightly on the cooler side. I do not usually use the Cine mode together with one of the 3 aforementioned mode as I prefer brighter & saturated colours and shoot landscape very often. Cine modes do give you a slightly smoother and less saturated colour range means that it probably handles skin colours better. In any event, you can make whatever adjustments which suit your taste. The camcorder is certainly customisable to your needs. However, in an environment where the lightings are a tad dim, I noticed grains on the video which suggest that this is not a videocam which you want to use in dark indoors. I cannopt fault the camcorder too much as it only costs USD700 and you cannot expect capabilities like those of a professional camcorder. Given the proper lightings, it will not disappoint you.
My only criticism is that the stabilisation is not too effective. Maybe it is due to the light weight of the camcorder, which ironically is one of the reason why I bought it. To reduce vibration, I tried not to zoom in when I pan the shots. Although the autofocus is fast, be careful when you pan the scenes too fast as the speed may cause the autofocus to hunt and you will find that your videos will not be appear to be well focused as the camera moves. You can overcome this by using the camera at its widest settings and pan only in a slow and smooth motion. Further vibrations can be eliminated when you mount your camcorder to a tripod.
The camcorder can also take pictures at 3MP. The picture quality is acceptable although you cannot compare with a mid range PNS or digital DSLR camera.
As for the batter life, try to get an extended battery which allows at least twice the shooting time. The extended battery offered by Canon does not flush well with the camera and is in black. So aesthetically, it does not go well with the body colour and shape of the camcorder.
I also like the camcorder for having an automatic lens cover. However I bought UV filters as an additional protection for the lens although it may not be necessary. However I do shoot in windy conditions and byt he sea and do not want the dust or sea water to settle on the lens.
As for editing, so far I have yet to do very extensive editing. I tried the software provided by Canon and it is essentially only good for viewing the recorded materials. I invested in a Corel Ulead Studio 11.5 as it is cheap and I wanted something simple to use before I progress to sometime more advance in future. So far the software runs fine on my PC which is a 4GB Quadcore machine.
As a whole, I do like the camcorder very much taking into consideration the low price. I would summarise my likes & dislikes for the camcorder as follows:-
Likes
Affordable
Light weight
Comes with 24p and 30p
Uses flash memory
Hand strap not very comfortable
Sharp pictures in brightly lighted environment
Dislikes
Only stereo and not 5.1
Flash card can only record 1 hr of video
Rocker switcher for zooming feels loose and cheap
Location of flash not ideal if using convertors
AVCHD editing still not too stable.
Lousy software provided
No mini HDMI cable provided
Grainy video quality in dimly lighted environment
I give it five stars despite some shortcomings as it is a very good value for money camcorder.
Digital camera Review: A Great Little Camcorder
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a techie-type nor am I a professional when it comes to videography. I prefer just to turn on the camera and let it figure out all the settings and just have it shoot what I'm pointing at. At the end of that session, I want to take my footage and enjoy it. That's all. And this camera fits the task perfectly, shooting excellent-quality video as well as still photos. When you're done, you pop the SD card in your PC and download and enjoy. It comes with software to organize your footage, but I'd much rather burn it to a DVD, so you may want to purchase your own favorite app. Other than that, this camera is slick right out of the box -- no complications and no hype. There's even an Easy Button! What could be simpler than that? I own several Canon still cameras and their videocamera is just another in a great line of products! I am not disappointed and you won't be either.Digital camera Review: A Very Nice Camera
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first camcorder I have ever owned, so I am no camera expert. I purchased this camera because I wanted a high definition camera to film my new baby. I didn't want him to grow up and look back at the video and wonder what kind of ancient technology it was filmed with. Plus, since it records to flash cards, the storage capability is basically endless and if you need more storage for a vacation or whatever, just go buy another card to take with you.
So far I have really enjoyed using the camera. It's very user friendly even for a novice like myself. It's not hard to take beautiful video with this camera. As with any camera, low-light scenarios greatly impact the video quality. However, there are settings that can be adjusted to help this, plus the camera has a built-in light for really dark situations. Also, the still camera takes awesome photos! There really is no need to carry an extra still camera with you.
The included software is nothing fantastic, but it gets the job done. It allows you to transfer the raw video files to your computer and edit them. You can also copy the files to a standard dvd for archiving purposes and they will play in a blue-ray player or PS3 in HD, or you can create an actual dvd from the files which will play in SD on a regular dvd player.
I recommend getting the larger battery if you plan to do any continuous recording over an hour without recharging.