Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
by Canon
|
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 |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon VIXIA HV30 MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Customer Review: A couple things you need to know!!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all this is an excellent camcorder the picture quality is excellent and I have had absolutely no problems with the sound... I'm still going to get a mic anyway for more quality video sound, but as far as motor noise this must have been fixed and I also don't see anything wrong with the tape compartment. There are a couple things you need to consider however when buying this Camcorder... you will need these things with it...
1.) 4 pin to 4 pin IEEE firewire cable (Don't be fooled the cheaper .89 cent cables work just as well as the high quality $25.00 cable!!!) Make sure it's the 4 pin... I accidently bought a 6 pin to 4 pin.
2.) You have to have a fire wire port for your computer if you don't you can buy one, that is if you have a desk top... if you don't have one and you have a laptop you probably are not going to be able to download video to your computer!
3.) You will need tapes, the high def work great, but the standard are just as good!
4.) The battery last and hour, so you may want another for a back up (For me this wasn't a big deal because I shoot in the studio where I can just plug it in.)
5.) A tripod is always a good thing to have if you're shooting professionally. Shaky shots are not a good thing.
I'm working on a video review, till then I hope these tips help you!
Over all I have to say I am very pleased with this camera. The quality of video is excellent, it's light weight and easy to tug around, the sound is just fine for normal videos, it picks up someone talking from 25ft away, and I love the remote that it comes with, makes it easy to shoot yourself.
Check out some of the videos made with the HV30 at vimeo dot com [..] just type in HV30 in the search field if you want a video reference to see what they can do. I also stand behind Cannon, they've been around for years... All in All 5 stars!
Customer Review: Blown away by HD quality for this price
Summary: 5 Stars
I just received this camera two days ago - and have been AMAZED at the recording quality. Viewing it on my Mac Pro is one thing - but then connected to our 60" LCD HDTV and - well... we were shocked!
For this price (and it has dropped $22 more dollars since last week), it is simply stunning.
I do have two issues that I've noticed - but won't take away from a five star rating - due to the price.
1. The "Auto" White Balance is pretty poor when transitioning from one lighting source to another. Also, "auto" in indoor daylight is too blue. So, I'm using the manual "daylight" setting when indoors in natural light. While the color looks great on the computer - on the TV it's a bit flat. So, the "vivid" setting appears to work best.
2. I'm a bit concerned that the back part of the holding strap is actually part of the tape/door mechanism. In other words, it is pulling on the tape door - but not the tape drive itself. I've opened and closed this repeatedly, and it appears well mounted - and it doesn't appear to be pulling on any parts that move when in operation. But, one really hard tug, and it might pull the door off - not sure how well it's locked. So... I'll be careful.
3. Not really an "issue" - but I also bought the wide angle lens. The lens is almost as heavy as the camera itself. It adds A LOT more to the frame, so it is well, well worth it. But, it does make it much more heavy. Single-handed recording won't be possible for extended periods of time.
In any event, I plan to stick to MiniDV tapes until there is flawless support for flash drive camcorders. Our previous MiniDV's are still in great shape after almost a decade. With that in mind, this camcorder is an EXCELLENT choice for dependable, high quality HD recording and editing.
Customer Review: Best Video Quality I've Ever Seen in a <$2000 Camcorder
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been buying camcorders since they've existed and every time I've brought a new camcorder home I've had the same experience, that is, the picture I saw on my TV never matched my expectations, it never even came close. I always hoped to see the quality of video I saw on the TV and news shows I watched and was always disappointed when the camcorder video quality always fell well short of that expectation. Until now! The Canon HV30's 1080i HD video quality on my 46" LCD screen is stunning, better than I could have ever hoped. The first time I saw some video I took of beautiful Snoqualmie Falls I kept saying "wow" over and over. The video quality was far above any non-HD broadcast video and, to my eye, on par (or close to) with the video I see on many HD broadcast channels. OK, this camera is obviously not of the same caliber of those used for network HD televison, but dang, it comes as close as any "prosumer" camcorder I've ever seem.
I also must say the the image stabilization is the best I've ever seen as well. Rock solid video even at long distance, 10x zoom. Pans can be made easily to look Steadicam solid. Very impressive.
I can't really think of anything negative to say about the HV30. I guess if I had to pick something it would be battery life of under an hour. The can be addressed with an optional long life battery. But that is really being nitpicky, this camera is fantastic.
You can read all about the bells and whistles elsewhere, but if VIDEO QUALITY is THE most important thing to you then this camcorder should be your only choice.
Customer Review: fantastic little camcorder...
Summary: 5 Stars
I love it. I have had no problems and no noise in my videos. I will be purchasing the directional mic for better quality sound, but the sound is good for a camcorder. The picture is amazing. It has a perfect crystal clear color and zoom quality to it. My daughter used it to view drivers behind us through the side view mirror and the picture was so detailed you could have brought it into a court to I.D. them (if they were criminals that is) I bought a refurbished unit and have had the best success with it. I didn't want a hard drive unit as these tend to break to easily from what I have read. Plus, eventually the hard drive fills up and forces you to dump and edit. I'm lazy, so I still have videos from 10 yrs ago that need editing. I though about flash drive, but wondered what I would do with all of my mini-dv tapes that I have yet to edit ( my old sharp bit the dew light dust after over five years of hard service). This camera, for me, was the perfect choice. It will play all of my old dv tapes with a minor adjustment (you have to get out of Hi def mode to play old tapes) and the playback does not suffer a bit when transferred to my computer for editing and recording to disc. While the flash drive units are nice and may be the future, I still like my tapes. They are cheap, dependable, and easy to carry,use, and save. Also, most high end pro models are still on tape, so that spoke volumes to me. I also love all the different shooting modes to play with. I think I'll have years of fun shooting videos with this unit
I love my camera!
Customer Review: little gem
Summary: 5 Stars
While file-based acquisition will be the way to go in the future, for now, this little baby gives me just what I'm looking for - a fantastic HDV acquisition with tape-based backup. The color fidelity is fantastic, the image stabilization works very well. If you do your own editing, the bandwidth of the HDV video is well within the capabilities of most PC's and Macs. Get yourself a decent editing system and you will be surprised at what you can get out of this camera.
Some have complained about the joystick location. Is it perfect? No. But it is very functional and you should have no problem living with it. Like any camera, you have to learn its functions and capabilities and then make adjustments to those configurations. The accessory shoe is a nice touch, allowing anyone to add a higher quality shotgun mic to the unit for better sound. While the manual focus could be a little quicker (I would love it if the camera had the ability to pull focus more quickly) the automatic mode works very well. It finds focus incredibly fast.
I am very impressed with the macro focusing capabilities of this camera. With proper stabilization and a little imagination you can create your own Discovery insects show! (if you are so inclined) Seriously, you can get GREAT closeups of flowers, insects, you name it.
I'm just beginning to play with the cinema mode to see how closely it emulates a film-look. For the price and the features I am well pleased with this camera.