Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
by Canon
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Our Price: $949.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $448.00 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Customer Review: lots of research before purchase... now well pleased
Summary: 5 Stars
Wrestled with this decision for a long time. Reviews were so helpful, I decided to post mine. I will try to address the main things that concerned me from other reviews before I purchased.
Battery Life: I bought the extended battery, but probably wouldn't do that again if I had a do-over. Battery life is fine for my needs (couple hours of clock time, 60-90 min recording time). Try it yourself before you buy the extended one if you're looking to save $.
Start/Stop Record Button Location: The location of the start/stop record button, but to me it feels very natural in it's location. The "joystick" is a bit weak feeling, but not to the point where it annoys me.
Sound/Mic: Just not a problem at all for me. I'm a consumer-level person who makes family videos in Final Cut Express, and the sound quality is no better/worse than the last three camcorders I've owned. It was nice to know, however, that I can attach a directional mic if it ever becomes a problem.
Rattle Noise: I am VERY glad I read the reviews on this or it would have freaked me out. The thing does rattle when you move it around and boy does it sound like something is broken. It is not. Others have explained what it is, but suffice it to say, it saved me some panic time knowing it was there in advance.
Only complaint I have (and boy is this a small nitpick) is that the cover to the component jacks doesn't easily go back into place nice and tight. I feel like one day this is going to break or lose its tight fit, but hopefully not.
So far, so good. Quality is great. Final Cut Express recognized it right away. Imports fine in both SD and HD recordings. One thing you may want to be aware of is that when you import into FCE, your sequence settings will show 1440x1080, not 1920x1080 as you may have thought. There are TONS of info on this on the forums, but again, it is normal. MiniDV tape requires 1440x1080 anamorphic to fit on the medium. I didn't know that when I bought, but now am very glad it is like that because FCE handles 1440x1080 without any issues, which isn't true of 1920x1080. So it turned out to be a blessing. Very happy so far. All the features I need, and nice that it came with the component cables when I want to plug right into an HDTV for playback before editing. Used the light to film the kids goig to sleep on our vacation in a dark room and was just enough light for a cool "bedtime" effect. Good stuff. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Customer Review: Awesome HD camcorder
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this camcorder for a recent trip to Europe, and the results are spectacular. I'm very pleased with the quality of the video and the vibrancy of the colors (almost *too* saturated). The image stabilization is good, and the zoom is great. I haven't really played with any of the other features, but I recorded 8 hours of video from my trip, and all of it looks wonderfully sharp on my Plasma TV.
Battery life was better than I expected (unlike some of the other reviewers, I was able to fill a one-hour tape on a single battery charge), but I do recommend buying a second battery. If you do so, also invest in a battery charger, as the kit only allows you to charge a battery when it is attached to the camera (it would've been nice to have one battery charging while I was using the other).
My minor complaints are as follows:
- As other reviewers have noted, the 'record' button is not intuitively placed, nor is it easy to tell when you're recording, especially in bright sunlight when one is wearing sunglasses and the screen is washed out. As a result I've got about 15 minutes of video of my pants leg instead of the desired content.
- The 'wide angle' simply wasn't wide enough to capture some of the views I wanted. I wish I had spent more time using the camera prior to the trip, as I likely would have invested in the available wide-angle lens extender.
- Low-light performance is quite grainy -- but understandable given the circumstances. The included light doesn't help all that much.
- The manual focus dial is basically useless.
- The internal microphone picks up everything - including camera hum, wind noise, etc. In especially windy conditions, this resulted in very poor audio quality.
I bought 2 of the expensive "HD" tapes, but also used 6 standard mini-DV tapes. I see no quality difference between the two. I don't know if a difference would show up with multiple recordings on the same tape, but for now, I'm more than satisfied with how standard tapes work.
Bottom line: This is an excellent consumer HD camcorder for those who want to watch high-quality home movies on their high-definition TV.
Customer Review: Professional HD quality without the professional price tag
Summary: 5 Stars
This year's version of last year's camcorder of the year (HV20) with a black paint job and the addition of 30p mode. Great camera.
Pros:
-Amazing quality HD video
-Uses more common video format than the AVCHD of it's hard drive and flash memory siblings with less compression artifacting and more compatibility with current video editing software (AVCHD editing is very CPU intensive and resource hungry. IMPORTANT: Premiere Pro CS3 and earlier DO NOT support this format without buying an expensive codec. However, CS4 does support it)
-Suprisingly small size for a camera this good
-Manual focus dial
-Manual shutter and aperture priority settings
-Great low-light performance
-Three shooting modes (24p, 30p, 60i)
-Both a viewfinder and an LCD screen
-Accessory shoe
-Lots of ports (mic, headphones, AV, mini HDMI/firewire, USB, I may be forgetting a couple)
-Good image stabilization
Cons:
-Manual focus dial could be bigger
-Side strap isn't the softest
-Viewfinder doesn't telescope or tilt
-Cannot adjust both shutter speed and aperture manually, only one or the other (e.g. you can manually set shutter speed but then the camera automatically adjusts aperture, or vice versa)
-Front LED light is either too bright up close, or not bright enough from far away, would prefer IR night vision as an option
-Menus take a little getting used to, not the most convenient layout
There are more pros and cons here, but these are the ones that are important to me. Overall this camera is GREAT. I absolutely love the amazing quality of the pictures; the high resolution and the wonderfully saturated colors. Great camera, especially for the price!
Note: I also recommend getting a Raynox 6600Pro lens for this. I have the 52mm version with a 43mm-52mm adapter. Many many uses for it and it works wonders with this camera. Also, if you want to see what this camera can do, just search HV30 in vimeo or youtube and you will find many videos showing off the quality this camera is capable of. Enjoy!
Customer Review: The best consumer camcorder
Summary: 5 Stars
I think this is the best you can do without going into the prosumer +$2000 level. Here is what sets it apart from the average cheap camcorder:
1. The ability to shoot progressive frames. This is invaluable for those filming for the internet. Plus, progressive frames compress better; one of the reasons store bought movies look better than average joe's.
2. The ability to white balance. Especially with blue/green screening, this is very helpful. Good luck finding it on the average consumer camcorder.
3. Native 1920x1080 sensor times 3. This camera is not FakeD - it's real HD. When it scales, it scales DOWN, not up. It has three sensors for each primary color of light, and the sensors are larger than the Panasonic DVX100's (which is around $2,300). Granted the DVX100 is an SD camera, but it sure helps.
4. External mic jack. This feature is seldom found on consumer cameras.
Drawbacks: Viewfinder doesn't move and doesn't have impressive detail. Low light video with a CCD would probably come out better than with this camera's CMOS sensor, so keep in mind you'll want to light well for great video (as usual). The running of the tape mechanism will mess with your audio, so either use the external mic jack or record audio separately. The included battery isn't so hot. Order the better one when you buy this camera.
It does not have all the ease of control that a prosumer camera would, but notice I'm comparing it to cameras of that caliber to show its shortcomings. My five star rating is based on other cameras in the HV30's price range; and of them I think it is the best. Also keep in mind that with prosumer cameras, an accessory like a tripod is going to cost you a lot more than it will with this little camera. And with its current sale price, if you don't have the budget for a high end camera but want a picture that is just as good or better, this is the one for you! Seriously, even if I had one of those high-priced cameras, I'd still get an extra HV30 because this price is so good and it wouldn't be bad to have it around as a spare.
Customer Review: Seriously GREAT video
Summary: 5 Stars
I previously owned a Canon ZR930. I bought it for web and other marketing video. It is a great budget, entry level camera, but the resolution is not stellar and the lower light performance is not great, either. I had to return 2 of them before getting a ZR930 that worked--one had a blown mic port and another had a blown Firewire port. Third time was the charm and the ZR930 is a great entry level camera that can be had for less than $300--and it includes a mic port, which is a must.
I upgraded to this camera (Canon VIXIA HV30) after alot of research and I am glad I went with the one I did. I decided on tape because of the flexibility and proven technology and ease of transferring to computer. Hard drive or flash cameras have a pretty fixed recording time. MiniDV tapes can be swapped out for longer recording. I use Sony Vegas Studio Platinum 9 to edit video and together, this is a pretty unbeatable combination. Imports video directly into my computer, and the quality is breathtaking. Th build wuality on this camera is SUBSTANTIALLY better than the lower end cameras like the aforementioned ZR930. No problems at all with this camera--it has worked perfectly right out of the box and looks and feel more solid in your hands. You are really holding a serious machine.
REALLY great picture quality. My rough estimate is better than broadcast tv and pretty close to cable HD channels and DVD quality. Very good audio with the built in mic. Includes a microphone input to add an external mic. MUCH better lower light performance than my ZR930. Normal room lighting is good enough to get decent video. Better lighting results is crisp video with great color.
Lots of picture setting that I have not even begun to investigate yet. A camera that is great to turn on and shoot, with alot of options to play with down the road!
Very happy with this camera. I find it to be light and comfortable to use. Small enough so that it fits right in a large jacket pocket.
Nothing bad to say.