Customer Reviews for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
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Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Model: HG20
SKU: 8916925
UPC: 013803096828
Capture up to 22 hours of crisp high-definition video with this camcorder's 60GB hard drive. With 24p Cinema mode and SuperRange optical image stabilization, this camcorder ensures that your videos look clear and sharp. Learn more about the VIXIA 3.3MP Digital Camcorder. (Flash demo)
Average Customer Rating:
4.1
out of 5
(10 Reviews) 10
Rating Snapshot 10 reviews
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90% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
9 out of
10)
Customer Reviews for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Review 1 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Great Consumer HD Camera @ $600 Sale Price Point
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: ER0SeTH4N4T0S
from Phoenix, AZ
on 12/26/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
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Video Review:
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What's great about it: Video/Picture Quality (including low-light conditions), Easy to Use, Simple Menus
What's not so great: Battery life IS a tad bit short, but that's usually the case with these cameras that use more power.
I see people complaining about the video quality in low-light conditions. If you set the settings correctly on the camera, you could get some of the best video quality within low-light conditions with this camera (especially compared to other consumer cameras). I haven't had a problem once I learned how to adjust the settings (probably 20 minutes after opening it, I know the entire menu by heart). Sound quality -- sound quality is GREAT. It does pick up sound very easily and the mic is pretty sensitive when it comes to picking up other sounds. Someone else said that some nearby sound was really loud in the video -- you can adjust the input of the mic volume to fix that. Also, with Canon mini-accessory shoe, you can attach a DM-100 "Shotgun" mic to is which is SUPERB (it also has a furry wind filter which works EXCELLENT outdoors). The AVCHD codec may pose as a problem for some people, but if you have a Mac with Final Cut (I use Final Cut Express 4) -- it's a total breeze. The files may be very large when recording at the full quality -- but come on, it's full HD, so what do you expect? Menus are easy to use. Camera in general very simple to use. The still shots are AMAZING -- even better than my so called "advanced-point and shoot". Focusing (especially the manual focus) is excellent. If you guys need any test videos to see the quality -- check some out on YouTube. I have test videos on my channel youtube.com/uncommonasian. If you actually purchase this cam from BestBuy -- be sure to buy the Protection Plan from them -- it's excellent as well. You may want to shop around for a good price -- I was able to get it for $599.99.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 2 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Best HD camera for money
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: bigwu7
from Hartford, CT
on 12/08/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Video quality, Included software better than most
What's not so great: AVCHD format takes a beefy computer to edit, Battery Life
This camera is a great HD camcorder. It is small but not so tiny that it is hard to use. It takes stunning video for a consumer camcorder. Now it does take adjusting to optimize video escpecially when indoors. But indoors is a tough environment for ANY camera/camcorder and even more so for a camcorder since you are constantly chagning your shot. I.E. You have it set up to film little billy in the corner but then he walks over to the window so now you lighting has changed. NO camcorder will give you perfect video in all lighting conditions without adjustment (white balance, exposure, etc.) I have put this camcorder through its paces and it will give you very nice video for home videos under most lighting conditions now if you are shooting a sundance movie then you will need to have more control over your lighting environment or adjust your camcorder settings when approrpriate.
Now as far as the AVCHD format goes please realize while not bleeding edge tech it is certianly out in front. If you dont want to edit the video and just want to download it or burn it straight to DVD or BD then the computing requirements are not too bad, BUT if you want to edit the video PLEASE do research. You will see it is not the most straight forward format to deal with because you either need a powerful computer setup or you will need to convert the AVCHD into another easier to edit format which then has trade offs. I knew this and accepted this when I bought the camera and soon computers and software will catchup and this will be a non issue right?;)
So to sum it up I love this camera.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 3 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
dark video needs adjustment in exposure
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: vijguy1
from IL
on 12/07/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
3.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: crisp picture and sound quality
What's not so great: darkness is an issue for indoor shooting
this is a follow up for the previous post. I found that Canon has 'Back light correction' button and an exposure adjustment for light conditions. But you've to frequently adjust it according to your requirements otherwise this product is good but not highly recommended. Sony seems to be the only option but it's expensive.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 4 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Very dark video quality
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: vijguy
from IL
on 12/06/2008
Value for Price
2.0
Picture Quality
2.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
2.0
What's great about it: LCD display
What's not so great: dark video
I already had a Canon powershot and images were so dark. I again made the mistake of purachsing the Canon camcorder because the reviewes were (few though) OK and cost was low.
But stay away from this product AS the video is also so dark that it's of no use for any indoor purpose at all.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 5 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Very Happy
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: judbgrdmchn
on 12/06/2008
What's great about it: @ $600 it was a great buy, excellent video quality
What's not so great: transferrring files to PC, sound quality
The camcorder takes excellent video, but it has a hard time picking up the audio from the subjects. This can be assisted buy increasing the sound sensitivity, but then any nearby noise is VERY loud. Perhaps using the optional microphone attachment would help.
It's also not so easy to transfer the files to your PC. When connected, the program doesn't just start right up, you have to manually start it. Also the instructions did not say that you have to set the camcorder to "view video" in order to transfer files. It took a few minutes to figure that out.
A viewfinder would be nice, but that is only available on the next model up & I couldn't see spending twice the money for it.
Overall, $600 for a HD Hard Drive recorder was a good purchase that I am happy with.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 6 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Love Canon products
Customer Rating
5.0
What's great about it: I use Canon for my seeourtour.com business ,which is for the higher end stores. The Vixia is great for the videos I add.
What's not so great: Nothing, you'll love this. Better price than comparable Sony model.
I use Canon for my seeourtour.com business ,which is for the higher end stores. The Vixia is great for the videos I add. I know I can count on the Canon products 100% of the time. If you want a camcorder , buy a HD model or you'll want to upgrade too soon.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 7 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
What I expected from Canon!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Wpratt
from Modesto, CA
on 11/24/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Picture quality is fantastic, Menu system is intuitive, Image stabilization is impressive
What's not so great: Low light shooting, Stock battery life, No HDMI cable included
I am an amateur photographer and shoot with Canon DSLR cameras and lenses (many L series with stabilization) and this camera lives up to my expectations of quality. The image quality is stunning, even on lower quality 1440 x 1920 settings. I have Familial Tremors (hereditary disease that makes my hands shake) so I rely heavily on tripods and image stabilizers. The image stabilizer in this camera is fantastic, even at full zoom there is almost zero camera shake. The optical stabilizer is far superior to other "electronic" stabilizers on the market and works equally well throughout the zoom range. The menu system is intuitive and offers multiple ways to access various settings quickly. The camera is small, light, and built well. Some may worry about the connectors holding accessory doors on the camera, but so far they seem more durable than first sight may have you think. The "tabs" holding them on are "rubberized" and are not brittle like those on my Canon SD-800 IS point and shoot camera (although those haven't broken either). The battery life of the included battery is about 95 minutes, a little low, so plan to purchase a BP-819 or BP-827. I purchased a BP-819 and it offered an additional 217 minutes of battery life. The low-light shooting is quite weak and I plan to purchase the VL-5 video light for the mini hot-shoe. The price of this camera is fantastic. When you compare to other flash-based cameras, don't forget to factor in the cost of memory card's. At full HD quality, an 8 gig SDHC card will cost around $99 and hold 1 hour of video. This really shines on the value of the 60 GB hard drive which holds over 5 hours at full HD quality. I am thrilled with this camera!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 8 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Great HD Camera For The Price
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: JClaw
from Anchorage, AK
on 11/21/2008
Value for Price
4.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: User friendly controls, Easy to use, Perfect size, Great image quality, Attractive, Nice Design,Reliable
What's not so great: Wind filter does not do a good job, battery life could be better, no HDMI cable included, no eye level view finder
The Canon Vixia HG20 is an awsome HD video camera thats easy to use as well as looking good. Whats also good about it is that it records to a 60GB hard drive as well as SDHC cards for more space.
The price varies all over the web, but i recommend Best Buy because with the web purchase, you get free shipping, plus a tripod, and Best Buy reward zone points which are always good. It can record 5hrs 30min, to 2 hours and 55 minutes at 24Mbps, and up to 22 hours 55 minutes of video at the lowest bit rate of 5Mbps. It has a five direction joy stick on the screen that is constantly needed, and the controls are large and easy to operate. The 12x zoom and optic stabilizer is better then most of the HD cameras in its class, with the majority of them at 10x zoom. The HG20 also has a complete set of port and connectors for mini-HDMI out for direct-to-TV playback, mini headphone and mic jacks, and USB port for downloading to a computer. Video looks good played back on an HDTV with regular audio cords, but is perfect with the HDMI cord. A down note is that Canon doesn't provide you with an HDMI cord, but i cant complain to much.
So the bottom line is that it's the best bang for the buck. The HG20 will work great right out of the box, will be easy to use, and you can enjoy HD videos whenever you want.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 9 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
nice
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: sf12
on 11/12/2008
Value for Price
3.0
Picture Quality
3.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
4.0
this is a nice camera, which can be used for everyday. batter life could be better.
I would recommend this to a friend!
-2points
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Review 10 for Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive - Black
Really Pleased
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from Boca Raton, FL
on 09/26/2008
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Size, Image quality, Mac friendly, price
What's not so great: Haven't found any yet
Like anything else you get what you pay for. I really researched various camera before deciding on this one. The image quality is stunning and the camera performs superbly in low light conditions too.
I do photography for a living and I'm breaking into the movie side of the business. I looked at the pro equipment verses the consumer side and this baby wins it hands down. Canon have led the way with image quality (in video) for the last two years and it really shows here.
At the end of the day it comes down to what you like, what you feel comfortable with and what you need. Sometimes you don't need a sledgehammer to knock a nail in.
Would I recommend it yes absolutely. Infact, after trying it and REALLY putting it through it's paces I went back the following day and bought another one.
I do photography for a living and I'm breaking into the movie side of the business. I looked at the pro equipment verses the consumer side and this baby wins it hands down. Canon have led the way with image quality (in video) for the last two years and it really shows here.
At the end of the day it comes down to what you like, what you feel comfortable with and what you need. Sometimes you don't need a sledgehammer to knock a nail in.
Would I recommend it yes absolutely. Infact, after trying it and REALLY putting it through it's paces I went back the following day and bought another one.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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