| Customer Reviews Collected from usa.canon.com |
Canon - VIXIA 3.0MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black
Average Customer Rating:
4.6
Rating breakdown 29 reviews
5 Stars
19
4 Stars
8
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
0
1 Star
0
93%of customers recommend this product.
(
27 out of
29)
Customer Reviews for Canon - VIXIA 3.0MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black
Customer Rating
5
Love My Canon Camera
on July 23, 2010
Posted by: Barrington
from Bronx, New York
I purchased this HD Camera about 2 months ago to use in my photography business. I was recently hired to video tape a concert for a friend, and used the HF20 to do the job. The video and sound came out excellent. Editing was another chore though. But once I found the method, it was a breeze. I used PowerDirector by Cyberlink to import and edit my video. The program allows you to produce an ACHVD DVD, which won't play in every home dvd player, but played perfect in my BlueRay player. Perfect HD quality.
For my client, I used to same clips and converted them using Xilosoft Video Converter to convert them to HD AVI files. From there, I used Convert to DVD to make my clients DVD. Of course some quality is lost within the conversion process but my client was pleased with the results. This method took alot of trial and error and I experimented with different programs and conversion methods. However, this was the method that worked for me.
Pros: add a pro
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Fantastic Camera
on December 19, 2009
Posted by: Plumber
This is a great camera. The menus and buttons are easy to navigate. It is compact and lightweight. The recording quality when everything turned all the way up is outstanding. Using playback via HDMI on my HDTV was easy and friends are amazed each time it is viewed.
The only drawback I have found is sharing video is a bit of a pain. Playback is limited on software video players. This is not a fault of the camera, just getting used to HD stuff. To the reviewer with the choppy video on the computer, it is because the player cannot play AVCHD video properly. The bundled video player opens all movies saved on the computer from the camera with no problems. Try using ImageMixer Player.
Pros: Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity, Short battery life
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Great camera, no more disc's!
on June 23, 2010
Posted by: tru2037
from Detroit MI
Difficult Computer Connectivity? Um... not really, I purchaced this camera used and it came with nothing but the power cord so I was worried at first. Took the videos on a SD card as well as the internal HD, plug it into the PC and presto there are the two drives. It does save them as .MTS files so I've only found that Windows Media Player plays them but I'm sure there are others. Got a PS3? just put the SD card in the PS3 and it reads it also.
Get a aftermarket battery. $30-$40 for 3X the life of the OEM. Its not the greatest thing since it sticks out about a 1.5", the only way to check the remaining life is to push a button on the battery itself to light up a light bar, and everytime you turn on the camera you have to approve the non-oem battery but it beats the $160 OEM... especially if you just use it for a backup, and it came with a car charger.
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality
Cons: Short battery life, Limited Software Compatibility
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
I love this camera
on April 6, 2010
Posted by: Anonymous
from New York, NY
I love this product. I bought the Vixia HF M30 and am trading it in for this. I don't think this has any cons.
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Good Software Compatibility, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Perfect Camera. ALL in 1
on October 13, 2010
Posted by: Shalb
from New Orleans, LA
ive been having this camera for 11 months and have not had any problem with it. It has amazing features that not available in most of other brand camcorders. it has easy software to burn the videos to a DVD or Blu-ry for Super High Definition picture. i highly recommend this camera.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
High-Definition has never been so accessible!
on August 14, 2009
Posted by: Michael
Canon's HF20 provides what a consumer camera should. It records in 1080i High-Definition, takes still photos, and adds prosumer-like features to add more flexibility to your video if you so needed it. With its easy to use interface, and it's sleek design, the Canon HF20 is a camera that shouldn't be missed.
On board the HF20 is 32 GB internal memory for both videos and pictures. And if that's not enough, you can insert an SD card for limitless recording time. You'll get about 3 hours of recording time if you're recording in the highest quality. If you're recording in stranded definition, you'll get about 9 hours in. And hundreds of pictures. (Camcorder takes 3.3 Megapixel pictures).
The HF20 features a 15x optical zoom and 300x digital zoom, which is impressive considering the camera's lens size. Internally, you'll find a bunch of features you can use to help in certain situation. For example, beach mode, night mode, portrait mode, and a few others. And if you want to even get more technical, you can. You can set the white balance, manual focus, shutter speed, and a few other features.
Externally, you can add a few things to the camcorder. You can plug in a mic, component out line, and as I mentioned earlier, a SD card slot. There's also a "Mini-Shoe" slot on the top of the camera. The Mini-Shoe let's you add accessory's like a light, and a mic. The camera has a sleek looking appeal to it. It is all black, giving it more of a professional look. The camcorder is about as big as a soda can standing vertically. Horizontally, about the size of you palm.
However, there are a few grips to be said about the HF20. Like every other consumer camcorder, low light recording is an issue. If you're recording in a low-lit room you'll be able to tell that the noise in your video is more prominent than it will be when recording in a well-lit room. Even though the camcorder does feature a night mode setting, you most likely won't use it due to the frame rate drop in the video.
Another complaint I have is the battery life. While this does exist in just about every other consumer camcorder, it is ridiculous here. You'll get about 90 minutes of recording time. 90 minutes isn't bad per say, but the real problem exists at how fast the battery will drain. And powering it on and off automatically takes off one minute. Closing the LCD display will put the camcorder into power saving mode.
If you're looking for a camcorder that gives you controls that most others don't, and recording in High-Def, then look no further. It very accessible to pick up and start recording. Copying videos and pictures to your computer is as easy as 1. 2. 3. And you'll be amazed at the quality of your video (depending on the circumstances). Don't be intimidated by its size, this thing is a beast!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Initiation into HD Video
on August 25, 2009
Posted by: TJ
from Lexington, KY
I have (mostly) owned Canon all my life - since my AE-1 in h.s. Years ago I bought a ZR40 digital cam... it has been a good DV cam... and was plenty for what I wanted it for. Recently I became interested in taking my video to the next level... After reading the reviews on many different brands and models, I REALLY wanted the HF10... but settled for the HF20..... but it turned out to be a great choice - I spent the extra money and got a 32mb SDHC, a fish-eye lens (fun) and........ drum roll.... an EXTRA large battery (BP-827 - over 8 hours of time).
The only MAJOR complaint I have is the requirement that the camcorder MUST be connected to its AC power source before it will connect to a computer - I understand why.. because you don't want to run out of power during a transfer.... BUT... it should at least have the ability to take the risk and connect while on battery power (especially for those of us that have spent the money on an EXTRA large battery).
Hopefully Canon can add this 'override' in a firmware update (Canon, there are things called laptops that are easy top carry around and DONT need AC power...) it would be nice to be able to transfer files from the HF series in the field where AC outlets are typically hard to find.
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity, Short battery life, Limited Software Compatibility, computer connect requires power adapter
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Excellent Camcorder
on August 14, 2009
Posted by: hobbes09
from Phila., PA
I have been using the HF 20 for about a month. I'm uploading to a 3 year old intel core duo Mac with a 2 gig processor and 2 gigs of ram. I edit on iMovie 09. The process couldn't be smoother. Uploads are relatively quick.
Video quality is stunning at the top two recording levels and acceptable at the third. Controls are very convenient and the menus easy to understand.
Canon should supply the larger battery and include a charger and an hdmi cable, but aside from that the HF 20 is a superior piece of technology in a very small package.
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use, Good Low-Light Performance
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com