Canon HV20 3MP High Definition MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon HV20 3MP High Definition MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Customer Review: Excellent video quality, but that's about it
Summary: 4 Stars
I just received this camera yesterday. Everything the reviewers below said is true, however, there are a couple gripes I have which is forcing me to return it.
First of all, I will confess that I am no videographer/videophile, etc. I have never even owned a camcorder so this is coming from a truly 'consumer' perspective. These complaints go from most annoying to least annoying.
1. Internal Mic picks up motor noise. The first video I made was from recording inside my house, and when I showed my wife she asked "what's that noise?" It's the mic picking up the motor. This would not be too big of a deal except that Canon's HM50 is ~$150. Also, with the external mic it isn't as portable which would be a big minus for me.
2. Feels cheap. It just doesn't feel like something that costs $1000. Even the strap that you put your hand through feels cheap. The battery wobbles if you shake the camera slightly. The ergonomics aren't great for someone with larger than average size hands. I have fairly large hands and I have to say even from 20 minutes of recording I feel like I'm getting arthritis in my hands. This could come from holding it incorrectly, but I doubt it. The zoom lever seems to be right between my index finger and my middle finger, so it's a bit awkward. The record button isn't the easiest to press either. There's no tactile feedback on the button.
Enough with the bitching. Overall I would say if you don't mind dishing out some dough for an external mic, and don't mind having to use an external mic I would say this is a definite buy (as long as you have average size hands). The things that made me buy this over another brand is the virtually nil support for AVCHD format AND the 24p.
Update: 6/26/07
While shooting some footage this weekend indoors with tungsten lighting, I noticed something odd. My shot was composed of a person in front of a white wall. The white-balance was set to Tungsten. The back wall was flickering and changing color, almost as if the white balance was reverting back to auto, then back to tungsten repeatedly. E-mail me if you want to see this clip, it is very annoying. I was in P mode with the Auto-Exposure set to P (this allows the camera to control Aperture and Shutter Speed). The subject is remaining properly exposed though.
Update: 6/28/2007
I returned this camera for an exchange. I noticed a very pronounced rattle when I shook the camera slightly. It was a very gentle shake, nothing violent or anything. I even noticed it when I was simply tilting the camera to the left and to the right slowly. It sounds like something is loose inside and clunking. I returned for an exchange, and hopefully the new one doesn't have that. If it does, I might return for good.
Update: 7/9/2007
Ok, I received the replacement. So far it seems better with regard to the rattling. It still rattles when the camera is off (which is fine, as the manual states). But no rattling when it's actually on. I haven't tested the white-balance issue yet. So perhaps it was simply a damaged product (it got shipped from New York to California).
Customer Review: HV20 REVIEW
Summary: 4 Stars
I am going to give it a 4 star rating because even though the image quality surpassed my expectations, you still need to buy an external microphone which defeats the portability of the camera. Here is a quick review:
Pros:
1) The image is as sharp as they say it is if not better.
2) Awesome White Balance, never seen anything better.
3) Amazing latitude.
4) Color rendition comparable to more expensive 3CCD cameras.
5) The optical stabilizer is the best one I have seen in my entire life as a professional cameraman, you won't believe your eyes.
6) More sensitive in low light than advertised!
7) Audio line-in for external mike.
8) Canon HD footage is universally compatible unlike Sony's proprietary compression. Avoid Sony HD cameras, you won't be able to edit easily with Sony.
Cons:
1) Built-in mike is too sensitive to camera noise and it is completely useless in windy conditions.
2) The Canon battery included will record about one hour of High Definition. The BP-2l14 (not included) may last two hours.
3) Playback buttons are difficult to find and press in dark environments or at night.
4) Audio monitoring is not automatic, playing back recorded audio on headphones is a real pain requiring extra steps.
5) Editing canon footage is easier than editing Sony footage but it is still costly and cumbersome.
Conclusion: This camera is not for the novice, don't buy it unless you are willing to spend extra money on a High-Definition LCD Monitor, an external microphone ($100-$150) and a third-party battery (min $50).
Turn on the sound attenuator if you are under windy conditions. Despite what you may have heard, even the cheapest miniDV tape will work perfectly, do not buy expensive miniDV tapes, it makes absolutely no difference. I like TDK better than SONY.
Do not buy a MiniDV Cleaner Tape, they are useless, take your camera to a repair shop in the unlikely event that you experience glitches, they know how to clean the camera heads best.
If you plan to edit the footage avoid using the 24 frames per second mode. It is best to shoot at regular video speeds and create the "film look" later, in post. Leave the 24-fps for the amateur film-makers.
**THIRD PARTY BATTERY WARNING**
Bigger batteries do not necessarily last longer, it depends. Lots of third party "replacement" batteries are available on the Internet, they are a lot cheaper, sometimes 1/3 less BUT BEWARE, these companies use deceptive advertisement, their batteries claims are almost always untrue. Any company claiming that they make a battery that last longer than two hours (or over 1500mAh) is lying to you, also, some third party batteries (like Impact) are too big for the HV20, they stick out over one inch from the back of the HV20, so much so that you may not be able to place your eye on the viewfinder while you record. It is probably safer to buy Canon batteries.
Customer Review: Great VideoCam, but Canon shortchanges buyers...
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this videocam for my wife on Xmas so she could take HD video of our son to put on .mac so I could see shots of my son while I spend every other six-weeks overseas. The camera did not disappoint!
I personally use a Canon XHA1 Prosumer Cam which is a 3-ccd system and much bigger (as well as much more complicated). The surprising discovery with the HV20 is how close it is to the video quality of the XHA1! It won't do as much as the higher end cam, but at less than 20% of the cost, it's amazing.
It's so good, that I'm buying a second HV20 to use as a backup to my XHA1 and as a fill-camera for two-cam shots. It is really THAT good!
Transfers to a Mac via firewire are fast and painless. My wife uses it with iMovie and it is flawless. I use Final Cut Pro and Sony Vegas on both Mac and PC (XP Pro Only) without any issues. I can't speak for Vista as I dumped it some time ago due to serious compatiblity issues.
I am a fanatical Canon enthusiast, and own a Canon EOS 40D DSLR camera as well as my Canon videocams. The quality of Canon equipment is without question the best in the industry, and their lenses are clearly without peer.
Having said that, I reduced my rating of the HV20 by one-star due to the fact that the HV20 is NOT usable directly out of the box, and there are no warnings on any of the sites selling the unit (including Amazon) that required components must be purchased separately. These include:
1. No firewire (1394) cable in the box which is absolutely required in order to transfer video from the camera to a computer. I suspect that Canon did not include this because the camera output is a 4-pin Firewire outlet, and computers may have 4 or 6-pin outlet. However, as in other equipment I have purchased in the past, they could have included a 6-pin adapter with a 4/4 cable.
2. No initial MiniDV or HDV tape in the box. This is ridiculous on a $1000 retail system. Canon should have included at least ONE tape in the box so their customers could start taping immediately.
3. Finally, Canon does NOT include a mini-SD memory card of ANY size in the box, which is required in order to take stills. They DO include a USB cable in order to transfer stills to a computer, but I think it's really cheap of Canon not to include at least a 256mb or 512mb SD card with the camera.
So... if you're contemplating a purchase of the HV20 (which I HIGHLY recommend)... make sure you order a Firewire Cable; some MiniDV tapes; and a MiniSD memory card at the time of purchase. That way, you'll be set to GO as soon as your camera arrives, and you've charged the battery.
Customer Review: HD CANON A SUPER DEAL STEAL!
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been wanting to switch to High Definition format for some time, but when this camera debuted at $1299, it was a little out of my price range. Now the camera has dropped to $650 plus I got free shipping, what a great deal, so I decided to buy the camera and give it a try.
Now I am a huge proponent of MiniDV tape systems over discs and hard drives, but that's another topic. This camera let's you shoot in standard definition and high definition, so you have choices and won't have to throw away your old equipment to be compatible. I've shot footage indoors and outdoors, and running it through the HDMI is gorgeous!
Before HD, I had bought a number of cameras including more professional heavyweights, but I love this camera overall and it makes a great all purpose or backup camera. Very light, simple to use, the resolution and function is top quality. The sound is good but with the smart shoe, I plan to get an external microphone.
A few little issues, I did not like the control buttons for zoom and menu stick, they are awfully small and could have extended out better, they also feel slightly plastic and weak. Also the viewfinder is too flat against the back, I wish it could extend out and offer a better feel. Also I did not like that the control functions are on the pullout videoscreen, as a righty the controls on the screen are on the left, I suppose I could just flip the screen...I prefer the controls to be intuitive on the menu stick, like my Panasonic GS300.
Overall the sound is good, the picture is great, and the size and price are fantastic. The film 24 mode is okay, but I haven't used it too often, also white balance is not an option you can play with and overall, most of the functions are set...one feature I do love, you can adjust the zoom speed to 3 variables or just leave it on auto!
Another gripe which eludes the 5 stars, the camera saves photos on MicroSD, which kills the idea of using the ton of SD cards I have on hand and swapping easily between my devices.
I have had problems editing the HD footage, Magix Pro 11 and 12 crashed and did not even work in Vista and XP, I did cut some stuff eventually but had problems with playback, and other methods used I lost quality, so it may be a little more work before I can edit beautiful HD movies.
This is a short run article...one month after purchase...will write again after 6 months.
Thanks. John Dae
Customer Review: Great HD Video Camera
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm very pleased with my purchase of the HV20. We bought it because our child was growing very quickly [as most do] and because we elected to take a big trip down to Argentina to see whales, penguins, mountains, vineyards, etc. The conclusion after the trip was that the camera performed beautifully for the most part.
The video image quality is excellent. I have reviewed it directly on a HDTV as well as downloaded it to my computer to be chopped up in Premiere, and the resultant image quality is stunning [as expected].
The image stabilization is quite good as long as you are not zoomed in, but as long as you keep that in mind, the camera performs well in that regard. The zoom for the camera is quite good, but you do have to be careful if you're panning [as expected].
The camera does use SD mem for the single pictures and for the most part the single shot pictures are great. The biggest complaint I have about this feature is that the low light quality is relatively BAD and highly grainy. Again, as long as you realize the limitation, you will be happy with some of the other features. One related feature I used quite extensively is the ability to click single pictures WHILE I was shooting video -- excellent feature. You can select what grainy-ness and smoothing for this style of single shot, but the resolution will follow the video quality. Still, a very excellent feature
I have large hands and although the buttons were small, after the first day or so, I had little to no problem using the camera.
The camera uses miniDV tapes and I was pleased with that feature as well. I didn't want to have to make the HD video format choice and I didn't want a relatively fragile and limited storage harddrive inside. The tapes are cheap and the image quality is well-preserved.
I am very glad I purchased the camera and am quite pleased with the results I procured from it.