Canon VIXIA HF100 SDHC Flash Memory Camcorder

Good HD camcorder

Posted Apr 28, 2008 - It is said to be the first AVCHD camcorder on par with the more mature HDV technology in terms of picture quality. I'm not familiar with the other (older) AVC camcorders, so I don't know whether it's the literal truth. But the picture quality really is good. Of course, use it only in the highest quality mode, otherwise why bother purchasing this camera. The included software is useless as an editor - there's no way to move the cursor just one frame forward or backward. As for BD authoring, it's laughable. That's made worse by the fact that currently there aren't many HD editors, and those available are not perfect (lossless editing anyone?). But I guess this is true for any HD camcorder currently, it's not like we have a lot of choice with this relatively immature technology (HD). Get a bigger battery. The one included can barely function for 60 minutes, and often it expires before that. Also, the "power saving" feature is stupid - it draws way too much power from the already weak battery, and it saves maybe 1 sec of startup time. Don't use that feature - manually power down the device instead. No viewfinder, but I guess that's OK given how small the device is. The LCD has a superbright mode which is good when filming at the beach. The still pictures are actually quite good. Not as good as a full-blown modern digital camera, but OK to snap a quick picture once in a while. It's as good as, or better than, my previous digital camera actually (a 6 yr old Olympus). It's small, lightweight, good looking, kind of nifty. Remember, if you buy an HD camcorder now (April 2008), you are an early adopter, so do not expect a 100% trouble-free experience, no matter which camcorder you choose. This explains why I gave it 5 stars, despite the problems described above - you will encounter some problems with any HD camcorder now on the market. The HF100, an AVCHD, fully solid-state (no moving parts) camcorder, is probably a preview of the way the HD technology will go. If you want HD but are tired of tapes, hard-drives, or any kind of moving parts, this is probably the best deal at the moment.

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The one to compare other AVCHD camcorders to

Posted May 28, 2008 - This is Canon's 3rd gen AVCHD camcorder and their first using solid state flash memory (using SDHC class 6 card). I've been waiting for a flash memory, full 1080 HD camcorder for awhile. I didn't want to deal with mini dv tape, hard drive, nor DVD media. Transferring the footage from SD cards (via SDHC reader on USB2) to my pc only takes a few minutes. I also considered the 3 CCD (and smaller sized) Panasonic HDC-HS9, but based on my research, the Canon (with 1 CMOS sensor) is said to have better video quality - which is one of the most important feature of a camcorder. First thing I noticed - the video quality and color is excellent in a well lighted environment but also pretty good in low light (compared to previous camcorders I used). The built in single LED light is surprisingly bright (up to about 10 feet and in a narrow area). It also casts a slight blue color. I guess for those moments when a light is needed in a pinch, this light would do. But I use an external Sima SL-20LX led video light instead and it works great with this camcorder. However, I have to use a video bracket to attach a standard shoe video light and external mic (The built in hot shoe does not accept standard sized accessories). The camcorder's settings are easy to setup with logical menus. You access it using the joystick which is on the LCD screen. Besides the "Easy for dummies" mode, there are "semi-manual" controls like AV (aperature priority) to control aperature size and TV (shutter priority) to control shutter speed. There are other presets like "fireworks", "sports", "night" ,etc similar to Canon still cameras - if you ever are in that situation. There is "cine mode" which adds a "soft, film look" and can be used independently or together with 24p and 30p modes. Using both makes the video look better and film like - if you like that look. There is the 1080-60i mode if you like the "harsher" video interlaced look too. Note that there is NO 720p nor SD modes on this camcorder - only full 1080i. Another thing I liked about this camcorder is the microphone input and headphone jack, which you just don't see in consumer camcorders anymore. The built in mic, which is in front, records great sound for a built in mic. There is also a sound meter so you can monitor the levels. Another thing I liked is the playback of videos on the flash card. Since the video is non-linear, you can delete the scene if you don't want it. The scenes show up as thumbnails on the lcd. This is helpful if you need to free up space on the memory card. I knew before I purchased this that there wasn't much editing software out there that supports AVCHD. I am now using trial versions of Magix Movie 14 and Sony Movie Studio 8 - which are "consumer" level video editing apps. Pinnacle Studio claims it handles AVCHD but there is no free trial so I didn't try it. So far the Magix Movie 14 and Sony MS8 seems to handle the video well. Personally, I like Sony MS8 interface and workflow. This is the best consumer camcorder I've used. I love everything about the camcorder - its size, ergononics, features, video workflow, and of course, video quality. If you are looking for a compact, full 1080, flash memory Hi-Def video camera with great picture quality, this is the one to buy (or at least, to compare the others against)!

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For 2008, this is THE HD camcorder to beat!

Posted 1 year ago - I have been researching AVCHD camcorders for almost a year. When HF-100 was announced in January, it seemed that the AVCHD had finally arrived. I have had it for two months now and have shot over 20GB (2.5 hours) of HD video at max quality. If you wish to switch to tapeless HD, this is the camcorder to beat (and HF-11 will be the one to beat it). Incredibly compact, the most significant quality is its superb picture. HD on 42" TV simply looks amazing. Check camcorderinfo.com for a lab test to confirm this. There are no MiniDV (standard-definition) camcorders that come even close, and majority of HD models are inferior. Low light performance is surprisingly good. Remember, though, this is $600 consumer camcorder, not a $5000 professional one. After migrating to AVCHD, I have finally realised how much hassle capturing and editing of MiniDV content was. Once I'm done shooting with this one, SDHC card goes straight into my card reader, iMovie automatically transcodes my captured files into AIC, which I can edit as I wish. As we are still in the early stage of AVCHD (and Blu-Ray authoring), very few software tools can create Blu-Ray file structure. I'm happy to report that Toast Titanium 9 (Mac only) does a fine job. Great thing about that is, you don't need to burn your material to Blu-Ray recordable discs in order to get your videos to your Blu-Ray player. Any standard Blu-Ray player will play your HD files from a DVD-R, as long as they are properly encoded and formatted. Obviously, you'll have less space, so you won't be able to squeeze more than an hour on a dual-layer DVD, but these are $0.30 apiece, whereas Blu-Ray recordable discs are $20 each (in addition to that external Blu-Ray burner you need to buy). This camcorder is an excellent way to enter the world of tapeless HD. You'll thank yourself ten years down the road for making that switch.

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Good HD camcorder

Posted May 16, 2008 - I spent time to compare HF100, Sony HDR-CX7 and Panasonic HDC-SD5/9. Sony may give similar image quality but the memory card is too expensive. The Panasonic is cheaper than HF100, but the expert’s comments are not encouraging. After using HF100 for two weeks, I am quite satisfied with its performance and price. The image for both video and photo are very good. It is light weight and easy to carry. I hope it can bundle with a DVD writer such as Panasonic SD5. If it comes with a portable light weight DVD writer, it would be perfect for all occasions such as a long trip.

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Best camcorder for hiking

Posted Apr 28, 2008 - This camera is 1920X1080 and which I think is a must have! (I don't know how people will accept 1440X1080). 24p seems even more useful than 30p. But 30p is of course a good plus. It is very light and small. I choose it versus Harddrive based or HDV based camcorders because I want to take it with me during hiking and I need it to be small and light. The LCD screen seems a little bit too small, and the joy stick on the LCD Screen is hard to use. Also the mode switch is very hard to be shifted using the numb of right hand. But overall, it is easy to manipulate. I wish it has two SDHC slots which would make travel more convenient: plug in two 16G cards and it is definitely enough for a whole day (I expect 16G card could be 1/3 priced compared with current).

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Beyond expectation

Posted May 15, 2008 - I will definitely recommend this product. Sony has a demo on our area and tried out the CX-7. The HF 100 is way fast and way sharp. The sony I think is more adptable to low light conditions due ot its magnificent Carl Zeiss lens - but in my opinion canon's electronics has a comfortable lead. Much of the complaints is buying extra software to read the recorded AVCHD format. Well I dunno about Macs but what I do is just compile the recorded videos on windows movie maker and no problem. After XP churned out the WMV format, I burned it on DVD and archive it. Great product for amateurs and starters like me.

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Nice camcorder

Posted May 15, 2008 - This is a really decent camcorder with high definition. It has almost everything for home video recording. Although it is not good for low light recording, it is still a good choice. The most attractive feature for me besides the HD is the compact body design with fairly light weight. One thing should be mentioned is the included video editing software. It is not so powerful to convert the HD video to a web based video. Once you translate the HD video to a 320x240 format video, not only the size is reduced but also the quality. I must use a professional video editing software to do the translation. For the HD quality video, it is very sharp and vivid. I'd say, it is the best home electronics I bought so far.

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Great product in a small package!

Posted Apr 25, 2008 - This is a great little camera that records full HD on SDHC cards. I am shooting a lot more video of my family with this camera now since I know I can easily download the results onto my hard drive (rather than from Mini DV tapes). No moving [storage] parts (e.g., magnetic hard drive, tape drive) means great battery life. On the down-side.. The compressed HD file format requires significant computing power to replay or edit on a PC; and I'm having trouble finding a light for this camera, due to the proprietary hot-shoe.

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Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory Camcorder

Posted Apr 22, 2008 - This camcorder has comfortable weight and size which makes snap shooting more convenient and enjoyable. The SD slot can keep pace with whatever new memory technology brings to the world and make the future upgrade feasible.

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Very good camcorder

Posted 1 year ago - I got this camcorder through a B&H deal. It is really worth investment since it will record a HD quality of your memories. I know there will be better and cheaper camcorders appear in the market but your good memories is also leaving. This camcorder has a very decent image quality. Altough when your hands are shaking or you shoot when you are moving, the image seems not very good. So I suggest it might be the IS isn't strong enough? Another drawback is the AVCHD form is requiring a lot of space, I bought a 8GB SDHC card but it seems not enough.

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great little one

Posted 1 year ago - This is great camcorder to buy for a consumer. It produces high quality video. Canon should have given at least 4 gb of SDHC card with the camera.

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Best as of yet

Posted 1 year ago - I was looking for the best HD camcorder and after a lot of research settled on this. I love its compactness. Its slightly bigger than your palm. Controls are nicely laid out. The quality of video is amazing esp if you watch it on HDTV. However these come at a cost. First of all, price is little high. The flashlight is almost non-existent. Low light performance is so so. AVCHD format is very troublesome to work with. It requires a lot of CPU and fast processor. Recording on SDHC is nice as you can quickly change once its full. Overall, I liked it so far.

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Nice HD Camcorder

Posted 1 year ago - Overall, this is a decent HD camcorder, just the price is still a little bit high in the market. It has 12x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilizer, with a native resolution of 1920 x 1080, rather than the laterally expanded HD 1440 x 1080 of some brands. 3 Mp still images can also be captured. Although it comes with an optical stabilizer, the video still looks very unstable if shot hand-held. You really need a tripod if you want to experience the clarity of HD. Most operations are intuitive. The included software is easy to use but lack of some advanced functions, additional video processing software is recommended if serious job is to be done.

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Nice and compact

Posted May 23, 2008 - This camera was a replacement for our Canon miniDV camcorder. A definite upgrade in terms of size and picture quality. The memory cards make it much more convenient to carry around extras, and download to my PC.

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Love this camcorder!

Posted May 23, 2008 - Great camera for portability and image quality. You will need a couple of 16Gig SDHC cards to store video when you're away from home - only get 2 hrs of recording at highest quality per 16Gig card.

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