Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Customer Review: Great camcorder!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had the HV30 for about 1 week now, and so far I think it's great.
I previously used the Sony TRV38, another very capable camcorder. The HV30 comes in a slick, black color and is slightly smaller than my Sony TRV38.
I have three young kids, so I take tons of video mostly indoors. The HV30 has very good low light capability. There's some grain in the darker videos, and the shutter speed also slows (you can see the stuttering movement in the video when taking in very low light). However, you can still see faces clearly. One cool thing I like about this camera is that it has a manual controlled LED light that can add about 3 feet of light when it's too dark. Sony has that 0 lux Night Shot that works in complete darkness, but the colors change to green and black and makes the eyes look scary. I prefer the LED light feature on the HV30 over Sony's Night Shot.
You can select from 5 different shooting modes:
1. DV (regular)
2. DV (wide screen)
3. HDV (high definition - wide screen by default)
4. HDV 24P (cinema mode)
5. HDV 30P (progressive mode)
Although I don't have a high definition TV yet, the colors in every mode looked great on my regular TV. The 24P and 30P modes give the video a "movie look and feel" (thus the name cinema mode), and this is cool just to have. I look forward to shooting something all in 24P or 30P and showing the DVD to family/friends. I'm sure they'll be amazed that my home videos don't "look" like home videos.....and this is all due to the camcorder modes.
You can take photos using the HV30 (saves onto mini SD card). You can use the camcorder as a stand-alone digital camera (3 megapixels), and there's even a flash on the camcorder for the digital camera. You can also take still photos while you're recording video. I use this to take photos while recording only because it's a nice little extra thing to have. The pictures are not all that great but not bad either. It's definitely a bonus that both video and still pictures are built into this one camera. I would still recommend a dedicated digital camera to take better quality still photos.
I backup all my videos to DVD because it's easier to watch that way. I prefer the miniDV tapes because it stores "pure" video and information like the time and date. I just started doing a little video editing using Sony Vegas software....and that seems to be a nice software package. The final video on the resulting DVD looks great.
I thought I would stick with Sony products, but so far I am enjoying the Canon HV30 and have no regrets.
I will probably be adding more to this review as I use the camera more.
Update April 7, 2008
Still liking the camcorder because of the 24P and 30P modes. You can really see that difference in the images compared to regular mode. Your video editing software must support HDV (high definition video) in order for you to edit any high definition stuff. Sony Vegas Movie Studio doesn't have it, but the Vegas Movie Studio Platinum edition DOES have it. Make sure to buy the right software if you're going to do editing.
I noticed that the sound is a little soft. Maybe there's a setting for this, but another possible reason is that the Canon's HV30's microphones are on the top of the camcorder facing up compared the my Sony TRV38's microphones on the front facing forward. This does not bother me too much.
There's an automatic lens cap which makes protecting the lens very convenient. No more fussing with a lens cap or having it dangle in your videos.
The package does not include a neck strap...you would think Canon would throw in a strap for a $900 camcorder. I bought a regular Canon strap at a local shop for $18. I think this is worth to have to keep the camcorder secure.
The battery is a cheap one and keeps a charge for about an hour or less. Since a miniDV tape is 1 hour, it would be prudent to get a better battery just to be safe. Canon makes an extended battery for about $60.
Customer Review: BEWARE: Long term investment in learning this camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been taking family/travel DV for the last 5 years on a Canon ZR50MC, processing it on a PC and burning it to DVDs. I had this work flow down to a fine art. I replaced that (now worn out) camera with the HV30 about 5 months ago. It has been a 5 month learning experience (with a pretty steep curve).
The HV30 is deceptively powerful and complex camera. It has the potential in the right hands to film jaw droppingly good footage. Canon have included some pretty advanced features in the camera, but have omitted to explain the pros and cons of some of these features in the manual. This can lead to a lot of hair pulling and anger management classes, and frustratingly sub par footage. This is NOT a standard issue DV camcorder like the ZR50. It is waaaay more powerful, and can get you into trouble much more easily. You will need this website: hv20.com.
In full auto mode this camera shoots fantastic "local-news" style super sharp HD video - and if that's all you want then you will be one happy camper!!! My camera is also close to silent compared to the old ZR50MC - a big improvement.
However, if you want (like me) to dig into the progressive film modes (24p and 30p) things can get pretty weird, pretty quick. This film-ish HDV is somewhat prone to frame jitter / judder / shudder, MUCH more so than SDV. This is not a fault with the camera, but you could say it was unexpected and unwanted baggage. Jitter is when the edges of frame jump irregularly and potentially make the viewer feel somewhat seasick (not good). It becomes difficult to focus on elements in the picture. This is generally caused by pans and movement with an uneven or variable rate. Pans and movement must be very smooth, much more so than SDV. Smooth/even rate of change is more important than slow - for example filming through a speeding car windscreen is low jitter.
You might find yourself reading up on how frame rates and shutter speeds work to solve common judder and jitter problems with the HV30. The manual does not mention these very common problems. I can say you almost always need a tripod or a steadicam to get good low jitter footage, with the optical image stabiliser (OIS) turned OFF. However, the OIS is quite good when you are actually filming a static thing, but do not happen have a tripod in your pocket at that moment. Image stabiliser + any movement = Jittery Footage (bad). Hand held in general is really not a good idea. The manual does not address any of these subtle (but vital to success) points.
This brings us to pulldown removal and interlacing. This can get seriously weird. Again, it is not a fault with the camera - but it is yet ANOTHER issue to learn all about. The manual does not mention it. I can say that I now avoid 24p due to this problem - even on some TVs (which are meant to deal with this automatically) I can see interlace artifacts. After 5 months I am thinking that life is too short for amateurs to deal with this. Plus it gives me a headache.
Another important point is that you cannot faithfully assess this HDV footage on a PC. I have a dual core E6600 and a P4 - they both can add an additional layer of judder to the footage, since they cannot play it smooth enough. I use sensible settings in Vegas Pro for preview. To properly assess the footage you must use a TV. That was unexpected! Also there are major performance differences for mp4 video playback between the current media players. Something that plays/looks great in Quicktime will suck in VLC - yet more detailed trivia to be figured out.
All in all - this is great camera, but if you want to use it to its full potential, then you will be paying your dues for the next 6 months. It comes with A LOT of hidden baggage. If somebody could do a 1 hour training video, or an idiots guide on how to use it, I think it would be a much more appealing product (with hindsight). I will not be selling my HV30 due to the time invested; but I will never ever be upgrading a camera again.
Customer Review: Great Camera, But Additional Required Items are Pricey
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered the Canon HV30 directly from Amazon and received it within a couple of days. I unpacked it, charged it for an hour, and was shooting my daughter's school play that night. It worked flawlessly. We took it home and plugged it into my television and it was beautiful. My only issue with the camera itself is the handgrip attachment. I simply cannot adjust it so that it feels snug and is comfortable.
I bought the camcorder to shoot in high definition and then to transfer the film to my iMac and do movies in iMovie '08 (and now '09). However, there are some considerations that you need to keep in mind that drive up the ownership cost of this camcorder.
My first beef is that there is no shoulder strap included. I've been to several stores and cannot find one. Luckily I have not dropped it yet, but it seems as though at this price they should include on.
While the camcorder does come with cables that you can use to attach the camera to your television, it does not come with an HMDI cable. I bought a Monster HDMI cable for $29.99, which is not a great price.
The camcorder also does not come with a firewire cable. I have a current generation iMac. I went to the Apple store in Sacramento. They did not have a Firewire cable, but I was told by Apple "genius" Spencer Rees that either a 400 Firewire 6 pin or an 800 Firewire 9 pin would work. I went to Fry's and they did not have any 9 pins so I bought an APC 9.8 foot IEEEE1394 Firewire 4 to 6 pin Cable for $9.99 from Fry's. They have the cheaper firewire cables in the components section (where they sell hard drives). The more expensive ones are on the firewire aisle.
I needed high def mini DV tapes, which are currently hard to find. I found a 2 pack at Best Buy for $25. I just received two sets of 2 Sony DVC HD 63 minute tapes that I ordered from Amazon, paying $35 for 4 tapes.
The camcorder takes still photos, but does not come with a miniSD card. I went to several stores trying to find a MiniSD card, without luck. A salesperson finally showed me that the SanDisk microSD 1GB memory Card has a miniSD Adapter. I paid $14.99 at BestBuy - a horrible price. Go to Costco and get two with much more capacity for only a little more.
These are all minor issues. The big problem that I encountered was when I went to transfer 60 minutes of tape to the iMac. The help section of the Mac said that if I did in fact transfer it in high definition, it would take 20 gigs of hard drive space. I used the "high" setting instead and it was still a huge file. The problem here is that I don't have a blueray burner, so if I want to delete the file from the computer I would be saving it to a DVD in a non-high def format, which defeats the purpose of this camcorder. I could use the program called Toast to save the file in Blueray format, without a Blueray burner, but it only can put up to 20-25 minutes on a DVD. So the only real solution right now is to buy a huge external hard drive. Thus you need to keep in mind that once you transfer the film to your computer and edit it in iMovie '09, you can't transfer it in high definition unless you have a high def DVD burner. Want to watch the DVD in high def? You'll need a high def DVD player. These are all things to keep in mind when buying this camcorder. Please note that I do give it 5 stars, as it's very easy to use and produces incredible, professional looking quality film.
Customer Review: Canon HV 30 Better than others say it is
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought my HV30 a month or so ago on Amazon. When the price dropped instantly by $140, Amazon said they had stopped honoring the 30-day price drop program Sept 30th. Hmmm. I guess I could have returned it, but couldn't be bothered.
Audio: I was so paranoid about the audio after reading reviews that I bought the Rhode video mic before I ever got the camera. I assumed I should need it with such consistent poo-pooing in these reviews. The audio is perfectly fine. I tried the external mic, and while it is fine also, I will never need it. The general wisdom is that the tape mechanism is loud, and can be heard on the recording. Not so from my tests, even in a quiet room. I will say though when I first turned it on, I did note that the tape mechanism seemed unusually loud. I never thought about it with my Sony, but the Canon built-in mic is great, better than my old Sony, and I have never thought about the noise since. Makes me wonder if I somehow stumbled onto an upgraded permutation of the HV30.
Picture quality: The startling perfection of the picture is something. I know people complain that tape is really only 1440 lines of resolution, but I cannot imagine being able to tell the difference. I watch my HD on a 65" TV and the canon picture looks pretty much like Discovery HD to me.
A couple of things I wondered about that I have never heard explained:
1) If the camera uses the same tape as a standard definition camera, does that mean that the tape will last for less time in high-definition? - The answer is the tape is the same 1 hr in standard or hi-def. You don't need the "hi-def" tapes - the regular ones work great.
2) Since I don't have a hi-def burner, will the downgraded video from HD look any better burned to DVD than the standard definition video? Answer: Oh Yes! What a pleasant surprise. The DVD looks so good, I really can hardly believe it. I do have the "upconvert" dvd player - I highly recommend one - the function works remarkably well and they're cheap.
Another pleasant surprise: I wasn't sure my old Sony tapes would play well in my new camcorder, since I have read that slight camera differences might interfere with correct playback, but they play back perfectly, so now I can still capture tapes from many years ago, even though my Sony has given up the ghost after twelve years of loyal and voluminous service.
The Bad: The ergonomics are not great. I have a hard time holding the camera while needing to push the record and stop, which makes my recording a little bouncy. Also, I hate having my hand wrapped around the flimsy feeling tape housing. I worry about creating wear and tear. And lastly, I will concur with the crowd that the very low light video is remarkably crapola, but there is a built in light that is sufficient to cure that.
Conclusion: There is something about having an HD picture beyond mere resolution. The resulting video is much more compelling, creating a feeling you are really seeing what a scene was like. I can't imagine ever going back to standard definition.
Customer Review: Worth the research
Summary: 5 Stars
I really like this camcorder. I researched camcorders of all formats, on the internet, in mags, word of mouth before deciding to purchase this Canon.
I had previously owned a camcorder (JVC) with a hard drive, and while the convenience of not having to buy tapes was very nice, running out of room on the hard drive was not. Video files are huge, and so when I transfered videos from my old camcorder to my computer to clear out my camcorder, the computer became overburdened with video files. Sure I could have burned them to a DVD and removed them from my computer, but that takes time, and the energy to want to do it. I like the fact that when I want to record something new, I can just pop a new tape in, and if I am on vacation, and run out of tape, I can run to the nearest Target and buy another one - I am not chained to the computer. Also the editing part of it can be done when I am ready to do it.
Anyway - I tape my family events, my daughter's basketball games, son's gymanastics. I have never had a problem with blurring. The picture is crystal clear, and the color is wonderful. I am taping inside a gym most times. My last camcorder had a yellowish cast on everything, so I was very excited at the picture quality. I have not noticed a problem with noise or rattling on the camcorder - of course I am mostly taping noisy events so it could just be drowned out by the background stuff going on.
The buttons are in a little awkward positions. The first time I used the camcorder, I kept pressing the little toggle button, and wondering why my camera wouldn't turn on! (haha) When you get used to the placement, its really no big deal.
As far as playback, just plug in a cable into one of the numerous ports available, plug the other end to your tv, and its all set to go. The picture is amazing on my Sony 46" tv. Canon does not provide a battery with the remote - which I thought was pretty cheap considering how much I paid for it. You need a 2025.
The hand grip is not the greatest either. Its not like its going to fall out of your hand, but it does not feel very natural. Not sure if the handle is too low on my hand or what. I have tried tightening, and loosening, but still have not found the "perfect" spot.
Those are very minor nitpicky stuff. The camera is very easy to operate, takes great videos, having the camera feature is very nice also. Not into night shooting, so do not know about that. Transfer is very easy also.
You won't regret buying this camera!