- 2 SDXC-compatible memory card slots
- Genuine Canon HD video lens with 28x advanced zoom
- Canon 3.28-megapixel full HD CMOS image sensor
- Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
- Dynamic IS stabilizes a wide range of movements for smooth steady video
Canon VIXIA HF R200 Full HD Camcorder with Dual SDXC Card Slots
Canon VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black)
- 8GB internal flash drive and 2 SDXC-compatible memory card slots
- Genuine Canon HD video lens with 28x advanced zoom
- Canon 3.28-megapixel full HD CMOS image sensor
- Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
- Dynamic IS stabilizes a wide range of movements for smooth steady video
[Compare Product Price!!!]
[Customer Reviews!!!]
[Shop Now !!!]
Canon VIXIA HF M40 Full HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 16GB Internal Flash Memory
- 16GB internal flash drive and 2 SDXC-compatible memory card slots
- Genuine Canon 10x HD video lens
- Canon HD CMOS pro image sensor
- Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
- Dynamic SuperRange OIS corrects a full range of motion
[Compare Product Price!!!]
[Customer Reviews!!!]
[Shop Now !!!]
Canon VIXIA HF S30 Flash Memory Camcorder with SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer with Powered IS
- 32GB internal flash drive and 2 SDXC-compatible memory card slots
- Genuine Canon 10x HD video lens
- Canon 1/2.6-inch 8.59-megapixel full HD CMOS image sensor
- Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
- Dynamic SuperRange OIS corrects a full range of motion
[Compare Product Price!!!]
[Customer Reviews!!!]
[Shop Now !!!]
Canon VIXIA HF G10 Full HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory
- 32GB internal flash drive and 2 SDXC-compatible memory card slots
- Genuine Canon 10x HD video lens with 8-blade Iris and manual focus ring
- Canon HD CMOS pro image sensor
- Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
- Dynamic SuperRange OIS corrects a full range of motion
[Compare Product Price!!!]
[Customer Reviews!!!]
[Shop Now !!!]
Panasonic HDC-SD60K SD Based Hi-Def Camcorder with 35X Intelligent Zoom (Black)
- 2-11/16" widescreen LCD
- 25X optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 1500X)
- High-definition video resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Optical image stabilization
- Face recognition tracks your subject within the frame (up to 6 registered subjects)
[Compare Product Price!!!]
[Customer Reviews!!!]
[Shop Now !!!]
Sony HDR-CX100 AVCHD HD Camcorder with Smile Shutter & 10x Optical Zoom (Silver)
Truly HD camcorder in pocket size! Buy Buy Buy!
Excellent EXMOR Sensor and image processing engine the BEST as for today! Small size. Full HD. Fast start. Even with "Limited" features has a lots of them. Camera instantly detected in PC-XP Pro and Mac-OS/X. I do not care about 4MP still shots so won't even bother to talk about it.
Native MTS camcorder format is not supported by many players. It needs to be converted to H.264 usable by BlueRay players ...
I was reading reviews before buying this camcorder and was just amazed how much ridiculous stuff people were saying. Some have no clue what to do with this (or Canon...) HiDef camcorders! Speaking about this CX100 - there is nothing to be scared about. Nor about Canon's or others Sony Canon Panasonic's ... all using slightly different flavors/methods of recording AVCHD. Sony happen to mark their movies with MTS extension. I have ~6 years old Pentium 4 2.8HT/2 GB RAM/XFX with NVidia7600GT card/DirectX 9.x. (Window Media Player +Xvid plugin) playback is not perfect a little choppy but acceptable. Please note that if you computer preview is smudgy and choppy this is NOT a CAMERA fault! Same video is played perfectly fine on Blue Ray player when converted to H.264. I also have new unibody 2008 Mac Book pro OS X - laptop detects camera right away and launching iMovie08 offering video transfer. If you have older non Intel Processor Mac - forget about this camera - and ALL OTHER's AVCHD/H.264 camcorders - most likely they will not be working for you. So please do not write negative reviews do not confuse people OK?
I do not use Component and AV cables (they still in the box). If you do you are downgrading HiDef video to patetic Analog quality. I refuse call it a "Standard Definition". HDTV is new STANDARD! And that other thing is Analog. :) So I use just a HDTV cable to direct view on HDTV and USB cable to move files to Harddrive.
This camcorder when connected via USB cable is detected as external drive not a camera. No big deal to me even more convenient. I prefer to be able to save original files by Copying them to folder I created on my harddrive. When camera is connected to computer make sure - do not delete movies from camcorder this way. Movies "List/Previews" still will be displayed in camera LCD preview. Completely delete files in build in memory only using in-camera controls. And format removable MemStick only in camcorder not in computer. I believe this is typical to all camcorders.
If you already have HDTV - LCD or Plasma you can view footage directly from camera connecting via HDTV cable. It is looking really good on my Samsung LCD as good as any non-studio recorded HD content. But this is only a temporary solution. You'll need to empty memory to take more video's right? I wanted to get the best video from this camcorder and it is all about conversion of MTS to H.264. There are different solutions for Mac and Windows users. Keep reading.
.......................................
PC users:
- You can use supplied by Sony PMB Software to burn your original HiDef files to REGULAR not a Blue Ray DVD-R!!!! This is awesome for someone who already has Blue Ray player anf HDTV! I repeat they can be burned on regular DVD burner to normal DVD-R and then played in the Blue Ray player in full glory with no quality loss which can occur in conversions to other formats. I made disk like that and tried it out - and I can assure you - it is real HD video! No motion blur no hiccups all is PERFECT! Looks like BlueRay players have much better hardware to handle HD content. You can AVCHD DVD directly from camera or from movies you copied to the comp harddrive. For each movie event I create separate folder and later PMB need to 'analyze' each folder befor disk burn.(By the way when PMB burning disk you will see that MTS format is converted to H.264). It is in a Manual too.
- One more way: You can install XVID (free) plugin and you can perfectly play original uncorverted MTS files via Windows Media Player!!!!
- Another way: you can get DIVX 7 Pro for mere $[...] ([...]) and convert to MKV or DIVX PLUS HD format which can be easily played on PC and Mac computers. DIVX player is free is that Pro version which has converter is not free...
- If you have slightly outdated Core 2 Duo comp - make sure you get more memory (4GB+ and better video card with HD support like Nvidia 9000 series DDR3 /Direct X 10/Open GL2.x)
- Allegedly Windows 7 should have better HiDef support and most of the codexes... will see.
.....................................
Mac Users:
- Sony providing PMB software for PC user only. Get over it. But actually Mac user have even better solution not free though...
- You can get Mac version of DIVX player also for $[...] and convert MTS to something more user friendly.
- Or (My choice) you can shell out $[...]+tax for Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB/hardware based encoder/accelerator ([...]) and convert MTS to h.264 then store them on external haddrive
- Quick Time Pro 7 can be used for playing H.264 movies! Again they can be burned on regular DVD-R for BlueRay players. You also can connect your Mac via MiniDisplay Port /HDMI adaptopr ([...]) to any HDTV or projector for bigger trill.
- PS: MacConnection catalog now is listing this CX100 so you see - it is OK it is safe to get Sony HDR CX100! :)
....................................
Finally if you don't have any stinkin' computer or all what you got is one of those anemic 'netbooks' and you still want Canon or Sony H.264 camcorder - No problem. At Costco for $[...] you can get standalone Sony DVDirect MC5 DVD recorder (not a Blue Ray disk recorder regular DVD's) and connect it by USB cable. You can make AVCHD disks readable by Blue Ray players. Never tried myself just repeating what Manual says :). Canon also has similar device but it looks like it is making only analog not HD DVD's. So all you will need is: Camcorder/MC5 recorder/Stack of DVD-Rs (which cost on average ~$[...] each)/new BlueRay Player/720p or 1080p LCD or Plasma HDTV. That's it!
MY OBSERVATIONS and recommendations after first week of playing around.
1. ALWAYS record in highest possible resolution [HD FH].
2. Set color to X.V. COLOR!!! (if you have Sony Blue Ray player/and HDTV supporting that (Sony Panasonic...) you can have advantage of enhanced colors). But it may be better turn it OFF in really sunny day. Colors might be way saturated (red/blue/yellow) almost fluorescent. And even with x.v.color off - believe me camera will produce very nice video! And use of x.v. color could be very beneficial for cloudy days or for dimmer lighting.
3. Make sure that you have image stabilization (STEADYSHOT) tuned ON!
4. ...all other settings I have on Auto. You choose yours.
5. There is bunch of useful presets like Beach Landscape Soft Portrait ... I have to check it out yet.
6. Camera is very light so you'd better hold it steady or attach it to something. I have small tabletop tripod (~$[...]) and I have it attached to the bottom - it works for me like an extra handle.
7. Even when camera is on a tripod - pan (sweep left/right) as slowly and smoothly as you can. Many people have to learn this because some report excessive blur - it not worse than much more expensive camcorders. It is YOU - you need to learn how to "drive" your new toy. Eventually it will come to you no worries.
8. Get a Polarizer or UV filter - to see through the glare of glass or water. This is VERY nice thing to have on a bright sunny day!
9. Tripods? I have Slik Compact XL light and good for travel. Works for me. But much better is Manfrotto 190XDB I saw for $[...] at bestbuy... Very solid built and smooth panning.
RECIPIE to get best video (This is true for ALL camcorders and digital cameras):
- Try to get as close as possible to object you are filming. I think best range is 2 - 20 ft. Next best is 20-50 feet
- Do not shoot in the dusk/dark. Film in well lit conditions. Try to have sun or source of light behind you not in front of you (unless you are shooting Hawaiian sunset... :) In low light - this camera is about the same as any other one's if not better. Do not listen to purists about low light "performance".
- Turn OFF that "Digital Zoom"! 10x of OPTICAL zoom is more than enough for most conditions. Beyond that you will get big quality degradation. Try to apply less zoom as possible. Besides "digital" zoom is using camera sensor reducing resolution to get higher zoom. NOT good!
- Less zoom will make a big difference (unless camera on a tripod) for Image Stabilization it will work better. Try and you will see how is difficult to hold camera still on far zoom range...
- U can use Wide Angle adapter I got ~$[...] Sony VCL-0630X through Pricegrabber and it is just... OK. At max zoom corners will be blurred a bit. You can find better one for $[...] (Sony VCL-HGA07).
CONCLUSION: There are better camcorders over there. I really like new Canon HF S100... But it is around ~900! And this cutie for under 460 --- it can be beat! And even in a "pocket" size - it is real Hi Definition camcorder just use it to full capacity! Later on when I become a PRO cameraman and have tons of money (3500-4000) - I will definitely go for a Scarlet from RED ([...]). But now -- I'm happy with CX100. When I get decent video's I will post it on [...].
... Phew I'm tired of typing. Just go and get it.
UPDATE: I just saw Pricegrabber's new super deal - 455 at [...]! That's $[...] less than I paid)
You'all have a good time! More detail ...
Canon VIXIA HF S100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
Best consumer camcorder I have ever seen. Reviewed by professional videographer.
I have owned a small wedding videography company for 5 years and after using the HFS10 for a week I am incredibly pleased with it. Please note the HFS10 is identical to the HFS100 except the HFS10 also comes with 32GB of internal flash memory.
If you want the smallest camcorder you can get without sacrificing video quality in any way than this is the camcorder for you. I am amazed at how small this thing is while still having a professional grade lens. This is the same Canon lens as on their GL2 which is probably the most popular entry level professional camcorder ever (which I have owned for a few years).
Pros:
1.) Professional camera lens with superb HD video quality (even in low light situations). I cannot express enough how amazing the pictures look.
2.) Accepts up to 32 GB of SDHC Flash memory
A.) Flash memory is instant. No waiting for tapes to wind or hard drives to spin. The camera goes from off to red light recording in less than 2 seconds.
B.) Flash memory helps keep the camera small.
C.) Flash memory protects data from being lost due to the camera being dropped or hit (a real problem with hard drive cameras).
3.) The still picture quality even with the built in flash is unbelievable for a camcorder. I feel like I am shooting with my Rebel XTi.
4.) I love the auto open and close lens cover. It only opens when you are actually shooting. If the camera is off or if you are reviewing it immediately closes.
5.) Menus are very easy to navigate.
Cons:
1.) Doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Since it doesn't take a normal sized HDMI cable I think there is no excuse for that.
2.) Doesn't come with a battery charger. You either have to spend $50 to get one or recharge batteries using the camcorder itself.
3.) No internal memory however it's $200 more for the HFS10 for only 32GB of internal storage and that is way too much. It should have only cost an extra $100. Unless you need to be able to record more than 2.5 hours of shooting without changing SDHC cards then get this camera because a 32GB class 6 SDHC card only costs $100.
4.) Only comes with the BP-809 battery which doesn't even last an hour. So you will need to buy the BP-827 which costs another $150. The BP-827 does stick out from the back just a slight bit but not even an inch and is totally not noticeable nor does it add any real weight.
5.) 10X optical zoom is a little slim for my liking. I am used to 20X.
This camcorder is basically a professional lens barrel with an LCD on the side which gives you the best picture quality possible while keeping the size incredibly small. I cannot encourage you enough to get this camcorder.More detail ...
Canon VIXIA HF S10 HD Dual Flash Memory with 32 GB Internal Memory and 10x Optical Zoom
Best consumer camcorder I have ever seen. Reviewed by professional videographer.
I have owned a small wedding videography company for 5 years and after using this camera for a week I am incredibly pleased with it. If you want the smallest camcorder you can get without sacrificing video quality in any way than this is the camcorder for you. I am amazed at how small this thing is while still having a professional grade lens. This is the same Canon lens as on their GL2 which is probably the most popular entry level professional camcorder ever (which I have owned for a few years).
Pros:
1.) Professional camera lens with superb HD video quality (even in low light situations). I cannot express enough how amazing the pictures look.
2.) 32 GB of internal Flash memory (This is the only difference from the HFS100)
A.) Flash memory is instant. No waiting for tapes to wind or hard drives to spin.
B.) Flash memory helps keep the camera small.
C.) Flash memory protects data from being lost due to the camera being dropped or hit (a real problem with hard drive cameras).
3.) The still picture quality even with the built in flash is unbelievable for a camcorder. I feel like I am shooting with my Rebel XTi.
4.) I love the auto open and close lens cover. It only opens when you are actually shooting. If the camera is off or if you are reviewing it immediately closes.
5.) Menus are very easy to navigate.
Cons:
1.) Doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Since it doesn't take a normal sized HDMI cable I think there is no excuse for that.
2.) Doesn't come with a battery charger. You either have to spend $50 to get one or recharge batteries using the camcorder itself.
3.) $200 more than the HFS100 for only 32GB of internal storage is way too much. Should have only cost an extra $100. Unless you need to be able to record more than 2.5 hours of shooting without changing SDHC cards then get the HFS100 because 32GB class 6 SDHC cards only cost $100.
4.) Only comes with the BP-809 battery which doesn't even last an hour. So you will need to buy the BP-827 which costs another $150. The BP-827 does stick out from the back just a slight bit but not even an inch and is totally not noticeable nor does it add any real weight.
5.) 10X optical zoom is a little slim for my liking. I am used to 20X.
This camcorder is basically a professional lens barrel with an LCD on the side which gives you the best picture quality possible while keeping the size incredibly small. I cannot encourage you enough to get this camcorder though I would advise the HFS100 over this to save a little money. Remember the HFS100 is the identical camcorder except it does not have internal memory.
Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
More detail ...
Sony HDR-CX100 AVCHD HD Camcorder with Smile Shutter & 10x Optical Zoom (Black)
Truly HD camcorder in pocket size! Buy Buy Buy!
Excellent EXMOR Sensor and image processing engine the BEST as for today! Small size. Full HD. Fast start. Even with "Limited" features has a lots of them. Camera instantly detected in PC-XP Pro and Mac-OS/X. I do not care about 4MP still shots so won't even bother to talk about it.
Native MTS camcorder format is not supported by many players. It needs to be converted to H.264 usable by BlueRay players ...
I was reading reviews before buying this camcorder and was just amazed how much ridiculous stuff people were saying. Some have no clue what to do with this (or Canon...) HiDef camcorders! Speaking about this CX100 - there is nothing to be scared about. Nor about Canon's or others Sony Canon Panasonic's ... all using slightly different flavors/methods of recording AVCHD. Sony happen to mark their movies with MTS extension. I have ~6 years old Pentium 4 2.8HT/2 GB RAM/XFX with NVidia7600GT card/DirectX 9.x. (Window Media Player +Xvid plugin) playback is not perfect a little choppy but acceptable. Please note that if you computer preview is smudgy and choppy this is NOT a CAMERA fault! Same video is played perfectly fine on Blue Ray player when converted to H.264. I also have new unibody 2008 Mac Book pro OS X - laptop detects camera right away and launching iMovie08 offering video transfer. If you have older non Intel Processor Mac - forget about this camera - and ALL OTHER's AVCHD/H.264 camcorders - most likely they will not be working for you. So please do not write negative reviews do not confuse people OK?
I do not use Component and AV cables (they still in the box). If you do you are downgrading HiDef video to patetic Analog quality. I refuse call it a "Standard Definition". HDTV is new STANDARD! And that other thing is Analog. :) So I use just a HDTV cable to direct view on HDTV and USB cable to move files to Harddrive.
This camcorder when connected via USB cable is detected as external drive not a camera. No big deal to me even more convenient. I prefer to be able to save original files by Copying them to folder I created on my harddrive. When camera is connected to computer make sure - do not delete movies from camcorder this way. Movies "List/Previews" still will be displayed in camera LCD preview. Completely delete files in build in memory only using in-camera controls. And format removable MemStick only in camcorder not in computer. I believe this is typical to all camcorders.
If you already have HDTV - LCD or Plasma you can view footage directly from camera connecting via HDTV cable. It is looking really good on my Samsung LCD as good as any non-studio recorded HD content. But this is only a temporary solution. You'll need to empty memory to take more video's right? I wanted to get the best video from this camcorder and it is all about conversion of MTS to H.264. There are different solutions for Mac and Windows users. Keep reading.
.......................................
PC users:
- You can use supplied by Sony PMB Software to burn your original HiDef files to REGULAR not a Blue Ray DVD-R!!!! This is awesome for someone who already has Blue Ray player anf HDTV! I repeat they can be burned on regular DVD burner to normal DVD-R and then played in the Blue Ray player in full glory with no quality loss which can occur in conversions to other formats. I made disk like that and tried it out - and I can assure you - it is real HD video! No motion blur no hiccups all is PERFECT! Looks like BlueRay players have much better hardware to handle HD content. You can AVCHD DVD directly from camera or from movies you copied to the comp harddrive. For each movie event I create separate folder and later PMB need to 'analyze' each folder befor disk burn.(By the way when PMB burning disk you will see that MTS format is converted to H.264). It is in a Manual too.
- One more way: You can install XVID (free) plugin and you can perfectly play original uncorverted MTS files via Windows Media Player!!!!
- Another way: you can get DIVX 7 Pro for mere $[...] ([...]) and convert to MKV or DIVX PLUS HD format which can be easily played on PC and Mac computers. DIVX player is free is that Pro version which has converter is not free...
- If you have slightly outdated Core 2 Duo comp - make sure you get more memory (4GB+ and better video card with HD support like Nvidia 9000 series DDR3 /Direct X 10/Open GL2.x)
- Allegedly Windows 7 should have better HiDef support and most of the codexes... will see.
.....................................
Mac Users:
- Sony providing PMB software for PC user only. Get over it. But actually Mac user have even better solution not free though...
- You can get Mac version of DIVX player also for $[...] and convert MTS to something more user friendly.
- Or (My choice) you can shell out $[...]+tax for Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB/hardware based encoder/accelerator ([...]) and convert MTS to h.264 then store them on external haddrive
- Quick Time Pro 7 can be used for playing H.264 movies! Again they can be burned on regular DVD-R for BlueRay players. You also can connect your Mac via MiniDisplay Port /HDMI adaptopr ([...]) to any HDTV or projector for bigger trill.
- PS: MacConnection catalog now is listing this CX100 so you see - it is OK it is safe to get Sony HDR CX100! :)
....................................
Finally if you don't have any stinkin' computer or all what you got is one of those anemic 'netbooks' and you still want Canon or Sony H.264 camcorder - No problem. At Costco for $[...] you can get standalone Sony DVDirect MC5 DVD recorder (not a Blue Ray disk recorder regular DVD's) and connect it by USB cable. You can make AVCHD disks readable by Blue Ray players. Never tried myself just repeating what Manual says :). Canon also has similar device but it looks like it is making only analog not HD DVD's. So all you will need is: Camcorder/MC5 recorder/Stack of DVD-Rs (which cost on average ~$[...] each)/new BlueRay Player/720p or 1080p LCD or Plasma HDTV. That's it!
MY OBSERVATIONS and recommendations after first week of playing around.
1. ALWAYS record in highest possible resolution [HD FH].
2. Set color to X.V. COLOR!!! (if you have Sony Blue Ray player/and HDTV supporting that (Sony Panasonic...) you can have advantage of enhanced colors). But it may be better turn it OFF in really sunny day. Colors might be way saturated (red/blue/yellow) almost fluorescent. And even with x.v.color off - believe me camera will produce very nice video! And use of x.v. color could be very beneficial for cloudy days or for dimmer lighting.
3. Make sure that you have image stabilization (STEADYSHOT) tuned ON!
4. ...all other settings I have on Auto. You choose yours.
5. There is bunch of useful presets like Beach Landscape Soft Portrait ... I have to check it out yet.
6. Camera is very light so you'd better hold it steady or attach it to something. I have small tabletop tripod (~$[...]) and I have it attached to the bottom - it works for me like an extra handle.
7. Even when camera is on a tripod - pan (sweep left/right) as slowly and smoothly as you can. Many people have to learn this because some report excessive blur - it not worse than much more expensive camcorders. It is YOU - you need to learn how to "drive" your new toy. Eventually it will come to you no worries.
8. Get a Polarizer or UV filter - to see through the glare of glass or water. This is VERY nice thing to have on a bright sunny day!
9. Tripods? I have Slik Compact XL light and good for travel. Works for me. But much better is Manfrotto 190XDB I saw for $[...] at bestbuy... Very solid built and smooth panning.
RECIPIE to get best video (This is true for ALL camcorders and digital cameras):
- Try to get as close as possible to object you are filming. I think best range is 2 - 20 ft. Next best is 20-50 feet
- Do not shoot in the dusk/dark. Film in well lit conditions. Try to have sun or source of light behind you not in front of you (unless you are shooting Hawaiian sunset... :) In low light - this camera is about the same as any other one's if not better. Do not listen to purists about low light "performance".
- Turn OFF that "Digital Zoom"! 10x of OPTICAL zoom is more than enough for most conditions. Beyond that you will get big quality degradation. Try to apply less zoom as possible. Besides "digital" zoom is using camera sensor reducing resolution to get higher zoom. NOT good!
- Less zoom will make a big difference (unless camera on a tripod) for Image Stabilization it will work better. Try and you will see how is difficult to hold camera still on far zoom range...
- U can use Wide Angle adapter I got ~$[...] Sony VCL-0630X through Pricegrabber and it is just... OK. At max zoom corners will be blurred a bit. You can find better one for $[...] (Sony VCL-HGA07).
CONCLUSION: There are better camcorders over there. I really like new Canon HF S100... But it is around ~900! And this cutie for under 460 --- it can be beat! And even in a "pocket" size - it is real Hi Definition camcorder just use it to full capacity! Later on when I become a PRO cameraman and have tons of money (3500-4000) - I will definitely go for a Scarlet from RED ([...]). But now -- I'm happy with CX100. When I get decent video's I will post it on [...].
... Phew I'm tired of typing. Just go and get it.
UPDATE: I just saw Pricegrabber's new super deal - 455 at [...]! That's $[...] less than I paid)
You'all have a good time! More detail ...
Canon VIXIA HF200 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom
Have it luv it
The video quality is superb as is ease of use. Here are a few hints and things I noticed. The battery out of the box will not power-on the camera and needs some minutes of charge to even show 0%. You can operate the camera from the charger but the battery is not being charged says the manual.
There are two 1920x1080 picture quality modes: MXP at 24 mbps and FXP at 17 mbps -- and three at 1440x1080: XP+ SP and LP at 12 7 and 5 mbs respectively. I believe it defaults to LP out of the box which is 1440x1080 at 7 mbps. I suggest you select FXP to get true 1920x1080 resolution. Upping to 24 mbps might be a good idea only if you are going to do a lot of post editing -- I can't see an improvement over FXP. Recording times with a 16GB card are 1:25 2:05 2:50 4:45 and 6:05 respectively.
When the camera is OFF pressing the DISP button (on the camera body) will show battery capacity in minutes and percent. Pressing DISP when ON turns the LCD to max brightness. IOW you can set the LCD brightness for normal indoor use with the menu and instantly set it bright for outdoor use. Handy.
The CINE mode seems to digitally soften the image; there may some color change but I didn't notice it from the shots I took in a park. The PF30 and PF24 rates show a jerkiness when panning as you would expect from a lower frame rate. I think these rates are simulated because all recording is done at 60i. For example when I played back PF24 stepping one frame at a time I saw the same image for 3 steps then the next. (The "3 steps" varies with both PF24 and PF30.) OTOH PF24 is useful in low light situations as it permits the HF200 slow the shutter speed down to 1/6 sec.
Previous Canon users will find the menu system easy and familiar similar even to their still cameras. The joystick is "big" and has a positive definite feedback feel to it. Menu navigation seems easier and clearer than earlier Canons I've used. There is even a Large Font choice. Good!
The Power On button is deep in a groove that makes it unlikely to accidentally turn on. But with your right hand in the nice grip you have to use the left to press it On - my fingers don't reach. No loss you need the other hand to open the LCD panel anyway. The zoom lever on top is a middle finger control. The adjacent Photo button is for a trained index finger. Record at the back is thumb operated. You can also use an LCD panel button to Record.
The Quick Start feature means you can close the LCD to save power (runs at 1/3 normal) and be ready to shoot in about 1 sec after opening it. Note if you close the LCD panel while recording it will continue to record -- so slamming it shut does not stop the shot.
The still photo features are quite amazing. The resolution is 3 megapixels but a very good 3mp! You can shoot continuously at 3 or 5 frames/sec. And you can shoot at the same fast frame rates with flash! The flash is actually a high-power white LED not a xenon tube. There is a separate warm-white LED for video that works OK to 5-6 feet.
There are the usual auto white balance auto exposure instant focus features and so on that you can read about above. There's face detection for proper focus. They all work very well. I like the Vivid color setting for most all shooting - video and photo. It is a slight pump in saturation that helps if you mainly view using your laptop LCD. Instant AutoFocus is aptly named. There is a fairly large IAF sensor next to the lens for this purpose. The 15x zoom a first for me is fully useful all the way out. Impressive.
Battery life (BP-809) takes a definite second place to 16GB storage. I just checked and it indicates 100% 94 minutes. But you can of course buy larger batteries. (I use the smaller BP-808 battery from my FS100 SD video cam as a backup.) With the Quick Start feature (can be turned off) power is used between shots and this will generally use more juice that actual recording. Figure 3 to 5 times battery vs video: one hour of video needs 3+ hours of battery cap. Unless you buy a charger you must charge in the camera. Only one sample so far but it seemed to take a little more than an hour to charge from 0%.
The supplied Pixela software is minimal. You can combine up to 99 shots into an M3TS file. It can be played on video players like Popcorn Hour and the WD HD TV player. (I have both and strongly recommend the $99 WD over the $230 PCH. The PCH can connect to Internet servers its main claim to fame.) These players can also play the MTS format directly copied from the SD card but there is a 1-2 sec delay between each shot. Pixela lets you pick and chose shots trim a given shot and add titles and audio. I don't know how to get past the 99 shot limit with Pixela -- I made about 170 shots in the park yesterday.
All in all I luves it.
More detail ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
