Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder
- Price: $1,299.00
- Instant Savings: -$200.00 Offer ends MAY 31 '13
- You Pay: $1,099.00
- Free Shipping (USA)
- In Stock
- B&H # CAHFG10
- Mfr# 4923B002
Product Highlights
- 1920 x 1080 HD Recording
- 32GB Internal Flash Drive
- 2 x SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card Slots
- Canon HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor
- 3.5" Touch Panel LCD
- Color Viewfinder
- Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens
- Dynamic SuperRange Optical Stabilization
- Customization Cinema-Look Filters
- Professional Shooting Assist Functions
Remember the Essentials
Recording media is required but not included with this item. Please be sure to purchase recording media for this item.
The VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder is Canon's high-end offering for 2011. Packed with so many mouth-watering features and functions it doesn't seem to right to call this model a 'consumer camcorder'. Yet, still at a consumer price-point the HF G10 brings professional capabilities to those who seek to do more while staying within the means of their budget.
It's almost redundant to say that a camcorder at this level shoots 1920 x 1080 high definition video, but we'll say it anyway. The HF G10 records at 60i, in native 24p, and in the 24p Cinema mode and 30p Progressive mode (both at 60i). With the 24p frame rate options you can give your footage a truly cinematic look. Using Cinema-Looks Filters you boost that film look with 9 built-in adjustable filters. Some choices include Cinema Standard, Dramatic B&W, Nostalgic, Old Movie, and Sepia. You can also shoot video that's optimized for the 'net with the 30p Progressive mode. Driving all that stunningly detailed and vivid image capture would be the heart of the HF G10: The Canon HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor. This 1/3" image sensor boasts excellent low light performance and a wide dynamic range, giving you flexibility unseen in most consumer camcorders. Working with the sensor to create each shot would be Canon's DIGIC DV III Image Processor. The image processor reduces noise, corrects color for life-like reproduction, and also powers a number of proprietary Canon features like Smart Auto and the Cinema-Look Filters. Other features of the HF G10 include a generous 3.5" touch panel LCD display, a color viewfinder, optical image stabilization, and a Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens. The lens boasts an 8 blade iris, and a 4.25-42.5mm focal length(30.4-305 35mm equivalent). Other important basics include 10x optical zoom, a 58mm filter diameter, and a number of terminals. Connections include USB 2.0, Component and Composite outputs, a mini HDMI, and as one would expect on a model of this caliber, headphone and microphone jacks. Whether you're shooting for a film look and feel or simply recording a family get-together, good audio makes your production. Canon gave the HF G10 multiple ways to achieve high-quality sound recording, including the aforementioned built-in microphone and headphone terminals. Attach external microphones and headphones for audio capture that you can monitor with manual audio level controls. If you're looking to capture 5.1 Channel Surround Sound the G10 lets you do that as well using the optional SM-V1 microphone from Canon. When you'd rather leave the accessories at home the camera features a built-in stereo microphone that features directional adjustments, as well as frequency adjustments. The HF G10 also packs in a number of shooting functions. Among the functions usually found on consumer models, the G10 also boasts professional shooting assist functions to make shooting easier. Custom key and dial, composition aids, and advanced control like manual exposure, aperture priority, and shutter priority, just to name a few. Among the more pedestrian features you'll find face detection, Instant AF, Advanced Video Snapshot, and so on. This camcorder, as one would expect, also comes packaged with Canon's Pixela Video Browser Software. Compatible with Windows XP (SP2 and SP3), Vista, and Windows 7, this software helps you to edit and share all your video in post production.- Flash Memory
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The VIXIA HF G10 allows you to record up to 12 hours of clear high definition video to a 32GB internal flash drive or to two SDXC-compatible memory card slots. With Relay Recording, the camcorder automatically switches video recording from the internal drive to the SD memory cards when the memory becomes full. No need then to worry about running out of recording time during a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime shot. With SDXC memory card compatibility, you'll have card storage capacity from more than 32GB up to 2TB and ultra-fast data transfer speeds.
You'll also have the flexibility of copying video from your VIXIA HF G10's internal drive to the removable SD or SDXC memory cards. That makes it easy to insert the card into your computer or HDTV's card reader and view your recorded footage immediately.
Double Slot Recording allows you to record to two SD cards simultaneously, so you can have an automatic safety backup as you shoot.
The advantages of flash memory go beyond the added recording time. You'll also appreciate the quick response time, because there are no moving parts in the recording process. Press the record button and your VIXIA HF G10 starts recording video faster than you've ever seen before. In addition, when you review, you'll have quick access to your footage
- Low Power Consumption
- Another benefit of flash memory is the VIXIA HF G10's low power consumption rate, allowing your battery to last longer. It's just what you need so you don't miss that pivotal play on the field or the moment when they say "I do"
- Shock-Resistant
- While we certainly hope you keep your VIXIA HF G10 securely in your hand while shooting, if it happens to slip, or you accidentally knock it against something, you'll be happy to know that flash memory makes your camcorder more shock-resistant than other recording storage systems. It also minimizes the chance of data loss if you accidently jolt or drop your camcorder
- Canon HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor
- Incorporating a technology proven in Canon's professional level camcorders, HD CMOS Pro is a 1/3" 2.07MP image sensor which delivers outstanding video resolution, superb low-light performance and a wide dynamic range. Unlike image sensors found in competitive consumer camcorders, HD CMOS Pro uses fewer pixels, which are significantly larger (61 percent) and more sensitive, resulting in optimized video performance
- Outstanding Video Resolution
- Since the effective number of pixels of HD CMOS Pro is equal to 1920 x 1080 (2.07MP), resizing is eliminated, allowing Full HD video to be captured and recorded with professional precision (800 vertical and 900 horizontal TV lines)
- Superb Low-Light Performance (1.5 lux)
- Because each individual pixel is larger and more sensitive, each is capable of capturing more light, allowing high quality video to be achieved even in dimly lit conditions. The sensitivity of HD CMOS Pro is approximately 25% better than the Full HD CMOS sensor in the 2010 VIXIA HF S series
- Wide Dynamic Range
- A larger pixel area also allows more light to be stored, resulting in 280% improvement in dynamic range for exceptional reproduction of both highlights and shadows. Skin tones are captured in a finer gradation, and stable gamma and Auto Exposure control is also achieved resulting in a more 'lifelike' image.
- Stunning Image Quality
- The VIXIA HF G10 features a Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens which offers a 35mm equivalent of 30.4mm - 304mm. It delivers unsurpassed image quality, the versatility of a wide angle of view and smooth and professional looking background images thanks to a sophisticated 8-blade iris. The professional touch of a dedicated manual focus ring allows accurate and precise control. Combined with Canon's Exclusive HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor, it captures video with stunning resolution, superb low-light performance, and a wide dynamic range
- Canon's DIGIC DV III Image Processor
- Canon's DIGIC DV III image processor provides stunningly realistic color and sophisticated noise reduction for exceptional low-light performance. It is also the high-speed engine that powers a variety of Canon technologies including Smart Auto, Touch & Track, Genuine Canon Face Detection, and Cinema-Look Filters
- 24Mbps Recording
- You will also find that exceptionally lifelike tone and detail are captured thanks to 24Mbps Recording, which offers the highest bit rate in AVCHD. The VIXIA HF G10 not only captures images in Full HD, but records and outputs at 1920 x 1080 as well, so you get HD from lens to screen
- Dynamic SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization with Powered IS
- The VIXIA HF G10 features Canon's proprietary Dynamic SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization which provides continuous adjustment throughout the entire zoom range to correct a broad range of motion. Extra compensation is applied at wide-angle focal lengths to eliminate unwanted shaking which is common when walking. Together with the latest development, Powered IS, you'll find an even higher level of compensation for subtle hand movement at the telephoto end of the zoom range. Powered IS can be engaged by pressing or holding the Powered IS button on the Touch Panel LCD
- Instant AF
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A critical objective when shooting in high definition is achieving the sharpest focus possible. The VIXIA HF G10 camcorder features Canon's revolutionary Instant AF focusing system which offers a dramatic improvement in auto focus speed and accuracy, compared to traditional auto focus systems. The Instant AF feature uses an external sensor, in combination with Canon's auto focus system, to help significantly decrease the time it takes to find focus, even in low light conditions. This system achieves focus instantaneously, reducing focus "hunting." This is especially beneficial in high brightness or night shooting situations. In addition, with Instant AF it's possible to capture fast, accurate focusing even when following a moving subject.
For those situations in which the super quick action of Instant AF might not be desirable, you also have the option of Medium AF, which is softer and smoother than Instant AF, but faster than would be possible with manual focusing
- 3.5" Touch Panel LCD Screen
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You will see extraordinary detail with this large, stunning 922,000 dot screen which also provides approximately 100% coverage of your shooting scene. It delivers brilliant color combined with touch panel control for faster and easier menu navigation. You'll also have Touch & Track, which allows you to get precise focus and exposure on any subject - whether it's people, pets, or vehicles, by selecting your choice right on the Touch Panel LCD.
You'll also be able to use the Touch Panel for Touch Decoration. This feature lets you superimpose select decorations onto the images on your LCD and then records the images complete with the additions. You may add animation effects, hand written and stamp messages or insert a still image to give your video a truly individual look
- Color Viewfinder
- For your convenience, the VIXIA HF G10 is also equipped with a 0.24", 260,000 dot color viewfinder which provides approximately 100% coverage, for use in shooting when very bright outdoor light conditions may make it difficult to see the LCD display
- Smart Auto
- Smart Auto makes shooting great video easier than ever before. Using the power of Canon's DIGIC DV III Image Processor, the VIXIA HF G10 intelligently detects and analyzes faces, brightness, color, distance, and movement, then automatically selects the best settings for the scene. Whether you are capturing a sunset, a day at the beach, or a fast-paced soccer game, Smart Auto delivers exceptional accuracy, raising your video to the next level
- Tele Macro
- Among the 38 scenes available in Smart Auto, a standout is Tele Macro. Tele Macro automatically zooms the lens of the camcorder to the telephoto end, setting the minimum object distance to approximately 1.3 feet (from 3.3 feet). This gives you the opportunity to shoot spectacular close-ups with the dramatic look of a shallow depth of field
- Touch & Track
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Touch and Track delivers precise tracking of the focus and exposure on any subject - people, pets, vehicles and more. Simply select your point of interest on the Touch Panel LCD, and you will have your subject in sharp focus, regardless of where in the frame it moves during the shot - and, the exposure will be perfectly adjusted for subject and conditions. Touch & Track is the default setting. You can also choose to adjust focus or exposure independently by turning off Touch & Track, and turning on Touch Focus or Touch Exposure.
Touch Focus allows the user to pinpoint a specific area to focus on. This function is similar to the Push AF feature found in professional camcorders, but can target a subject anywhere in the frame.
Touch Exposure enables exposure to be locked or compensated for the area touched by the user
- Genuine Canon Face Detection
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The same high quality Face Detection technology used in Canon digital cameras is available in the VIXIA HF G10 high definition camcorder. Up to 35 faces can be tracked automatically, ensuring razor-sharp focus and natural, accurate exposure. Of the faces tracked, 9 detection frames can be displayed at one time
The system is in fact so smart that it will recognize faces turned downwards or sideways. In addition, a specific face may be selected as the main subject for continuous tracking. This feature can be used to search for clips featuring that specific subject's face. In search and playback, use of the Face Index will display frames with the chosen face as a thumbnail in each shot in which it appears. The selected face can be linked as a timeline to further identify footage containing that subject.
With the Face Only AF option, the camcorder will automatically track a chosen face. However, should that face leave the scene, it will reset focus to manual mode
- Professional Shooting Assist Functions
- To provide an exceptional level of control over the components of the video you shoot with the VIXIA HF G10, you will find a range of shooting assist functions normally only available to professional videographers
- Custom Key and Dial
- A Custom Key and Dial feature allows you to assign functions to an easily, accessible key and adjust the settings with a control dial. They include: Tv/Av: Use the dial to adjust shutter speed (Tv mode) or aperture (Av mode), as needed. In this mode the key has no effect. Manual exposure: When manual control is selected, the dial can adjust aperture, shutter speed, or gain. Select items to adjust, such as aperture or other settings, with the key. Exposure Lock can be set on or off as can the AGC Limit
- Focus and Exposure Aids
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To further enhance focusing capability the VIXIA HF G10 also features Focus Assist. It includes enlargement, which helps in capturing your subject in razor-sharp focus. It works by providing a 2x magnification of your subject, which is automatically cancelled when you start recording. This is a feature normally found in professional broadcast-quality cameras. Also included is color peaking, which shows the shooting object's focused areas in actual colors. With Canon's Edge Monitor Focus Assist system, a red and green monitor is shown at the bottom of the LCD Display and three red focus check areas are shown across the display. The green waveform shows overall focus of the image, while the red waveform shows the focus status of the focus check boxes. Through this dynamic focus feedback, you can intuitively tune focus in a scene and quickly change the zone of focus.
Typically only found on expensive external units, the VIXIA HF G10 has a waveform monitor built right into the camera. The waveform monitor shows a detailed view of overall image brightness.
Enhanced zebra pattern (70% or 100%) indicates 'blown out' or high brightness areas to help you set the proper exposure
- Composition Aids
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With the Level Marker feature, it's easy to keep your camcorder level for more professional looking shooting. Line up any horizontal lines in your shot - such as the horizon - to the marker and you can be sure your camcorder is level.
The Grid Marker helps you compose your shot accurately, by referencing a grid in your viewfinder. Depending on the background color of your shot, you can choose between two different colors for better viewing contrast
- Advanced Control
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The VIXIA HF G10 features full manual exposure, as well as aperture priority (AV), and shutter priority (TV) modes.
Either color bars or color bars and test tone can be selected and recorded using a menu. The color bars comply with the SMPTE standard. -12 dB, -18 dB or -20 dB can be selected as the test tone.
The white balance control has 6 available presets settable through a variety of day and artificial light conditions (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent H, Fluorescent), as well two manual white balance settings. Color temperature may also be manually set from 2000K to 15,000K in 100K increments for more precise adjustment.
Gain may be manually set from 0dB to 24dB in 1dB increments. Additionally, Auto Gain Control Limit allows you to set the maximum gain limit for the image sensor's sensitivity. With this function, brightness and noise can be balanced as required, and image quality can be maximized in low light situations.
The zoom speed as controlled by the rocker and handle controls is selectable, with a choice of variable or 16 fixed speeds, with fast/normal/slow settings for greater control while zooming in various situations
- Advanced Video Snapshot
- Advanced Video Snapshot allows you to capture the highlights of a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a family milestone with the same ease as taking photos. Simply record a series of short video clips - or select your favorite clips while in Playback Mode - and blend in your favorite background music to create an exciting movie that will grab everyone's attention. This version of Advanced Video Snapshot allows selectable recording time (2, 4, or 8 seconds). Additionally, audio from an external source such as an MP3 player can be played along with the Snapshot movie, and playback can be controlled from that source
- Easy Web Sharing
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HD-to-SD Downconversion allows you to convert recorded high definition video to standard definition files while safely preserving the original HD video. These standard definition files make it even more convenient to edit or share video online. The video can be transferred to your computer via traditional methods - i.e. USB connection, card slot - or wirelessly to sharing sites with an Eye-Fi SD memory card.
The VIXIA HF G10 is compatible with the Eye-Fi SD Memory Card. It's possible to wirelessly transfer your video and photos to your computer, or upload them directly to online sharing sites in a few simple steps. Insert an Eye-Fi SD Memory Card into the SD card slot on the camcorder, configure your computer to select the target site (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Shutterfly, Flickr) and you're ready to share your standard definition files with family, friends, and the world! 1
- Frame Modes
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The VIXIA HF G10 boasts a host of shooting modes which give you creative options rare in a consumer camcorder. These four offer a range of opportunities to give your video a truly cinematic look and feel.
Native 24p Mode, a feature generally found only on Canon's professional camcorders, allows 24 frames per second to be captured and recorded (instead of the standard 60i) - a must for serious filmmaking work.
24p Cinema Mode enables all aspiring moviemakers to achieve a professional "film-look." You can change the camcorder's frame capture rate to 24p (recorded at 60i), which provides the appearance of the same frame rate as movie film. In addition, you can use the VIXIA HF G10's Cine setting, which changes the color and tonal characteristics, evoking the look and feel of a movie shown in a theater. For added flexibility, these settings can be used together or independently.
You would normally have to look to professional video cameras in order to have a sophisticated tool like 30p Progressive Mode at your command. In addition to the standard interlaced video frame rate of 60i, you may choose to set the VIXIA HF G10 to capture video in 30p, (30 progressive frames, recorded at 60i) which is particularly useful for footage to be used on the Internet. Excellent for action and sports shots, this setting gives enhanced quality to still images captured after recording
- Cinema-Look Filters
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Other cinematic looks can be had through the use of Cinema-Look Filters. This feature offers a choice of nine varied built-in adjustable filters which give the look of a variety of cinematic styles by compensating for the color, gamma and other aspects of the image's quality. The looks can be previewed in the LCD display while shooting. Choose from:
- Cinema Standard: Tones down highlights slightly, boosts shadows slightly and adds warmth for a cinematic look
- Cool: Adds a bluish tint for cool, futuristic-looking scenes
- Dramatic B/W: Creates bold B/W movies with high contrast and grain
- Dream: Adds a magical look (soft focus) for dream-like scenes
- Memory: Adds a faded, misty look to create flashback scenes
- Nostalgic: Recreates the look of old '70s TV programs
- Old Movie: Gives movies the aged look of old cinema
- Sepia: Uses a sepia tint for an antique, faded look
- Vivid: Accentuates primary colors for a bright, cheerful look
When Cinema Standard is selected, color depth, softening, and contrast can also be adjusted
- Terminals
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To maximize the usefulness and versatility of the VIXIA HF G10, you'll find a range of terminals to extend the capabilities of your camcorder. A supplied HDMI cable offers easy, one-cable connectivity to your HDTV. The HDMI terminal also supports CEC and x.v.Color*. The camcorder converts 1080i in which the video was shot into HDTV format 1080p through the HDMI Terminal.
The Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe allows you to attach optional Canon accessories, such as the VL-5 Video Light, DM-100 Directional Stereo Microphone or SM-V1 5.1-Channel Surround Microphone.
The built-in microphone terminal with manual audio level control and headphone terminal provide exceptional audio flexibility.
A built-in remote control terminal (compatible with LANC protocol) provides an easy connection to both Canon and third party wired remote controllers
- Audio
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The VIXIA HF G10 offers an enhanced internal microphone to capture high-quality audio. The microphone's direction can be adjusted four different ways to match your needs and taste. Choose from:
- Monaural: Single point direction
- Normal (stereo)
- Wide: Provides a more enhanced, separated stereo effect than normal
- Synced with Zoom: Directionality is adjusted to match the zoom position
In addition, the frequency response characteristics of the microphone can be adjusted between low, mid-range and high frequencies
- Normal: Provides a balance throughout all frequencies
- Low-range emphasis: Excellent for recording live music with impact
- Attenuate low frequencies: Reduces ambient noise and the sound of traffic outdoors, such as wind, cars and the like
- Mid-range emphasis: Ideal for capturing people's voices
- Low and high range emphasis: Record live music with balanced lows and highs
The Automatic Attenuator feature prevents high volume distortion and optimizes audio quality in situations when sound levels quickly change, such as when loud music plays in the background. It automatically keeps the audio clean and even.
The built-in microphone terminal with manual audio level control and the headphone terminal provide exceptional audio flexibility.
Canon's new optional WM-V1 Wireless Microphone allows you to record high-quality audio without wires from up to 164 feet away (50m), ideal for ceremonies and recitals.
For the ultimate home theater experience, 5.1 channel surround sound allows you to capture audio quality that matches the stunning realism of your high definition video. The sound is captured from all directions (five different pickup sensors) so your home movies will look and sound more lifelike than ever before
Optional SM-V1 5.1-Channel Surround Microphone is required
- Story Creator
- Story Creator assists you in the process of creating an organized and sophisticated video. Choose one of five different themes - Travel, Kids & Pets, Party, Ceremony, and Blog - and the camcorder provides a list of suggested scenes to shoot. After capturing your video, Story Creator helps you categorize and rate your scenes, making it easy to review, select and playback your favorites
- Optional WD-H58W Wide Converter
- The optional Canon WD-H58W Wide Converter is optically matched for the VIXIA HF G10's HD lens. It provides a magnification factor of 0.8x, increasing wide angle capability to approximately 24mm (35mm equivalent)
- Intelligent Lithium-Ion Battery
- Intelligent Lithium-Ion Battery accurately indicates remaining battery time down to the minute, so you won't run out of power when you need it most
- Pixela Video Browser Software
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Pixela Video Browser Software* is bundled with the VIXIA HF G10. You can easily perform a variety of functions, including AVCHD Editing in which you can trim, reorder, and combine scenes, as well as add music, titles, and transitions. This software also allows you to play your AVCHD movies on your computer and will let you share copies of your movie with friends and family through flash memory to hard drive copying. Transfer and store your movie onto your computer's hard drive with the software and easily convert your high definition video to standard definition video as well. Pixela Video Browser will also assist you in converting video to the optimum resolution for transmission over the Internet.
The bundled application is compatible with Windows XP (Service Pack 2 and 3), Windows Vista, and Windows 7
- 27 Language Support
- Support for 27 languages is available, including Czech, Danish, German, Greek, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Hungarian, Malay, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Finnish, Swedish, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Farsi, Thai, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese
| Camera | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 2.37 Megapixel 1/3" |
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens |
4.25 - 42.5 mm f/1.8 - 2.8 |
| Zoom |
Optical: 10x Digital: 200x |
| Filter Size | 58 mm |
| Recording | |
|---|---|
| System | NTSC |
| Recording Media |
Internal Flash Memory 32GB SD/SDHC, SDXC 1 Please Note:Camcorder equipped with 2 memory card slots close |
| Recording Time |
Internal Flash Memory GB 32GB: LP: 12 hours, 15 minutes; SP: 9 hours, 35 minutes; FXP: 4 hours, 10 minutes; MXP: 2 hours, 55 minutes SD GB 2GB: LP: 45 minutes; SP: 35 minutes; FXP: 15 minutes; MXP: 10 minutes 4GB: LP: 1 hour, 30 minutes; SP: 1 hour, 10 minutes; FXP: 30 minutes; MXP: 20 minutes 8GB: LP: 3 hours; SP: 2 hours, 20 minutes; FXP: 1 hour; MXP: 40 minutes 16GB: LP: 6 hours, 5 minutes; SP: 4 hours, 45 minutes; FXP: 2 hours, 5 minutes; MXP: 1 hour, 25 minutes |
| Video Format |
High Definition MPEG AVC/H.264 1920 x 1080i / 60 fps 1920 x 1080p / 24 fps |
| Still Image Resolution | JPEG: 2.07 Megapixel, 1920 x 1080 |
| Channels | 2-Channel Stereo |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Display Type | LCD |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Screen Size | 3.5" |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | Optical |
| Lux |
1.5 (With Auto Slow Shutter selected, shutter speed 1/30 second) 0.1 (Low Light mode, shutter speed 1/2 second) |
| Built-in Mic | Yes |
| Built-in Speaker | Yes |
| Accessory Shoe | Mini Hot |
| Tripod Mount | 1/4" |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Inputs |
1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Stereo Mini
2
Please Note:Remote control terminal: Yes (compatible with LANC protocol) close |
| Outputs |
1x USB 2.0 1x Component Video (out) 1x Composite Video (out) 1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Stereo Mini 1x HDMI C (Mini) |
| Microphone Input | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | Yes |
| General | |
|---|---|
| System Requirements |
Windows
Mac
|
| Battery | Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Hours per Charge |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3.0 x 3.1 x 5.9" / 7.62 x 7.87 x 14.99 cm |
| Weight | 1.21 lb / 549 g |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 163 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
96%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Great picture quality (142)
- Good in low light (120)
- Image stabilization (116)
- Large clear LCD (115)
- Easy to use (114)
Cons
- Limited zoom (22)
- Complicated to operate (19)
- Poor still image (13)
- Battery life (4)
- No external mic input (4)
Best Uses
- HD shooting (109)
- Travel (97)
- Home movies (95)
- Low light (85)
- Movies/short films (79)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Enthusiast (56), Semi-pro (44), Casual user (37), Pro videographer (22)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (153), Yes (3)
Most Liked Positive Review
Best Camcorder I've ever had!
Since I was a little kid with an 8mm film camera, I have tried in vain to make videos that had the look and sound of professional TV and movie productions.
I...Read complete review
Since I was a little kid with an 8mm film camera, I have tried in vain to make videos that had the look and sound of professional TV and movie productions.
I failed in many ways, many times. Sometimes due to my meager skills, sometimes due to the short comings of my cameras.
The Vixia HF G10 changes that. I can no longer blame my equipment.
Let me say now, I am not a professional video/film maker. I have had no formal training. My videos are for my own enjoyment, I record special moments and travels for myself and my family. I seldom display or publish videos on the Web.
So far, I have just been learning about the G10, and its features. I've made some stunning video studies of my flower and vegetable garden. Whether played back on the camera's LCD screen, or on my big screen HD television, the images are sharp, clear, vibrant, and have the look of a professional documentary. In addition, the on camera microphones are far superior to any camcorder I've ever used. I have some large wind chimes near my garden and the playback of audio through my TV is astonishing. I have a Sennheiser MKE 400, but have not used it as yet, the on-camera sound is excellent.
What I like: Coming from a DV tape camera, the memory cards are the best thing since sliced bread. The 'touch screen' is very good. I did not think I would like it, but it is easy to use, responds well, and the menu system is somewhat intuitive. The Manual mode provides tons of recording and exposure options. In Programmed mode the camera will make several automated exposure adjustments as the scene or lighting changes. In Av mode the DOF control is excellent, and there are built-in ND filters available in Av mode that have already come in handy. I have not used Tv mode, but in full Manual the controls are easy to access and perform as well as my Canon EOS still camera.
Three modes of Auto focus and excellent, easy to use Manual focus. Zoom speed adjustment, very cool.
Cinema Mode: Sounds like a gimmick, works like a charm. The primary feature in Cinema Mode is a set of 9 filters for various cinematic effects. I like them all, and look forward to using them to highlight my scenes in my videos. It would be easy to over use these, I think. But the Nostalgic, Sepia, and Old Movie filters will surely get used, as will the Dramatic B&W. I'm thinking the Vivid would work on panoramic landscapes.
The whole memory card/built-in memory thing is wonderful. Transfer to a Win 7 PC is easy and fast. So far I'm sticking with the MXP 24P (true 1920 x 1080). It is the luxury I paid for, and I'm going to use it.
Things I don't need: Still photos - nice but I have a great still camera. In camera editing and Decorations: just fluff to me. I guess these things have market appeal, but why does Canon add them to a camera aimed at the upper end video customer?
Things I don't like: The initial impression that the G10 is a small, cheap-looking, plastic camcorder (I got over that when I saw how it performed). The shallow angle of the lens opening prevents adding after market wide angle conversion lens; apparently the only lens that currently fits is the very expensive Canon lens. The BP808 battery is small, and you need 2, or a larger BP819. There is no separate battery charger included, so you need one of those, too. The hot shoe is the Canon mini-shoe, so you need an adapter to use after market mikes or lights, or buy the expensive Canon accessories.
My still camera is a Canon 5D Mk2. It has fantastic video performance as well as awesome still image performance. I wanted the G10 to give me more flexibility for different situations; run-and-gun, handheld kind of stuff, ad hoc filming which I find difficult with the 5D Mk2.
That's about all I can think of now. I would buy this camcorder again without hesitation. I would and do recommend it to anyone looking to take that next step up in video making.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
A Real Mixed Bag
Having owned a Canon HV20 for the past five or so years which was now starting to show its age in many ways, I felt it was time to upgrade to something newer; preferrably ...Read complete review
Having owned a Canon HV20 for the past five or so years which was now starting to show its age in many ways, I felt it was time to upgrade to something newer; preferrably something tapeless and with more manual control.The Canon Vixia HF G10 looked like the perfect replacement on paper-- It recorded to an internal flash drive (can't emphasize enough how much I've grown to despise tapes), used a significantly superior codec for both video and audio, and offered a whole slew of additional features and manual controls that were missing from my old trusty HV20, which only at best offered a sort of "pseudo-manual control".In reality though, matters were quite different.Yes, the camera produces a pleasing looking image (when you turn down the sharpness, contrast and brightness, which are all far too high at default) which definitely holds a slight to moderate edge over the HV20 depending on the lighting conditions; in brightly lit areas and outdoors the HF G10 appears to produce only a slightly more detailed image than the HV20 (though it does consistently produce an image with a noticeably higher dynamic range), whereas in low-light situations it completely trumps the older camera in terms of sharpness, sensitivity, noise and color reproduction. There is however a catch to all of this, and that being that the camera unfortunately employs and exceptionally aggressive noise reduction filter about as soon as you hit the 8db gain mark, giving the image an almost pastel-like look (depending on how high you have the gain cranked up) and in the process muddying finer details, etc. Compression wise the HF G10 wins hands down-- AVCHD simply beats MPEG2 in every way possible (I've yet to encounter any significant blocking, mosquito noise or posterization-- all of which the HV20 produced almost constantly)."Photo" quality is a bit of a joke, as the "photo's" that the camera takes are nothing more than screencaps of the video signal (ie. they look identical to the paused frame of a video, etc).The lens is nice and very wide, though it does exhibit mild to moderate chromatic abberations in most situations. Image stabilization works well enough-- I've no real complaints there. Autofocus performance, however, is quite dissapointing on the whole. Even in a brightly lit area the AF will frequently "hunt around" trying to find something to focus on, and will often focus on the completely wrong object / person. The AF is especially bad when using the zoom, taking several seconds to focus properly after reaching the end of the zoom. On the topic of the camera's zoom, I found it to be rather slow and sluggish, even at its fastest speed-- plus it even produces an audible grinding and whirring noise when in use which can easily be picked up by the camera's onboard mic in quieter settings. The manual focus ring works well enough and its sensitivity can be customized to your preference in the cameras options menu. The lens hood that comes with the camera does its job just fine, though threading it onto the lens itself can be a bit of a pain the first couple of times you attach it.I've yet to test my Rode Videomic with the camera due to it having a proprietary "advanced mini-hotshoe" which is designed to work only with Canon accessories (thankfully though there are plenty of adapters available to overcome this restriction), however I can say that the onboard microphone is a great deal better than the terribly noisy and muffled-sounding one on the HV20.The LCD screen is of excellent quality, though I can't say I'm exactly in love with the cameras insistence on using touch-screen controls and only offering three customizable buttons (with, quite frankly, limited customization) along with a dial.The viewfinder is adequate, though I personally find it rather difficult to see through properly (my vision is quite poor, so for someone else it could be crystal clear for all I know).The touch-screen menus aren't exactly the easiest to navigate through nor the most intuitively designed. By tapping the 'FUNC' icon on the top right corner of the screen you are presented with a slew of basic options such as a multitude of shooting modes, image controls which let you set the saturation, contrast, brightness and sharpness (this submenu however is poorly labeled as "Image Effects", thus making it easy to skip over by accident, etc), backlight control, focusing aids, and a bunch of other fluff that I personally have no use for whatsoever. If you really want to get into the meat and potatoes of the camera however, then you'll have to enter the 'FUNC' screen and then tap the 'MENU' button that is now on the top right of the screen; this will now present you with a whole plethora of options that you can customize to your hearts content (such as frame rates, compression levels, control over autofocus and zoom speeds, etc).The camera can be switched into three separate "modes"-- Auto, Manual and Cinema. Auto does exactly what the name suggests; the camera does all the exposing, focusing and defaults to 60i. In manual mode you can choose from five different shooting modes: Programmed AE (have yet to use this mode so I can't comment on it), TV Shutter Priority AE (gives you control over the shutter speed and allows you to adjust and lock the exposure using a button and dial located on the bottom left corner of the back of the camera), Aperture Priority AE (same as the previous mode, only in this one you specificy the aperture you wish to use, etc), a bunch of "specialty" fully-automated shooting modes in a submenu (which I've also yet to use), and finally a full manual mode which gives you complete control over the aperture, shutter speed and gain. Now this last mode is sure to have most budding filmmakers foaming at the mouth at the thought of being able to control every single aspect of the camera (Lord knows thats how I felt when I first fired it up), however there is one VERY MAJOR ISSUE that afflicts manual mode, and that being that the mode DOES NOT offer you complete control over exposure as it would lead you to believe. I first experienced this issue when shooting a wide shot in a large open indoor space with a window with bright daylight shining in to the side of the frame, which for whatever reason caused the cameras brightness to start rapidly oscillating up and down uncontrollably (as if the camera was trying to compensate for the contrast between the moderately-lit room and the bright light coming in from the window). This is many ways renders 'Manual Mode' almost completely and utterly useless to me, unless I'm shooting in an environment where the lighting is completely consistent (and this isn't due to my camera being a lemon or anything of the sort-- just do some looking around on the web and you'll find plenty of other people complaining of the exact same problem with no solution to it in sight). The final mode the camera offers is 'Cinema Mode', which produces a nice flat looking image (along with a plethora of completely useless and extremely gimmicky visual effect filters) which is great if you want to squeeze as much dynamic range out of the camera as possible and have a great deal more control over how much color grading you can apply in post, etc. This mode also gives you full manual control and does not suffer from the flickering image issue as the other standard manual mode does, however you are restricted to using a maximum of 18 decibles of gain as opposed to the 24 decibel limit on the other manual mode.Build quality of the camera is very good for the most part. The camera is covered in a rugged and durable feeling plastic and is solidly built (no creaking when grasping the camera, unliked the HV20 which creak horribly from the slightest movement of ones hand). My only caveat being that the battery does not lock into place on the back all that tightly and rattles around if you move the camera around too much (though I'm sure this could easily enough be fixed with a little tape to hold it in place).Inputs and outputs are nothing worth writing home about, especially where they are located. You have component out and AV out on the left side of the camera behind the LCD screen covered by a sliding panel. On the back beneath the record button you have a DC-input. On the right side underneath the hand-strap you have a remote input and one HDMI and USB port. And finally on the far right just below the hand-strap and next to the manual-focus ring you have an external microphone-in jack (which I feel is really poorly and awkwardly placed, and is a recipe for the hand-strap bumping into it and causing line-noise in whatever external microphone you have plugged into it; though since I've yet to test an external mic on this camera I can't attest 100% that this will be the case).Battery life is acceptable, with the standard battery lasting about 80 minutes on the average (and about 60 minutes if you crank up the LCD's brightness) and taking roughly the same amount of time to recharge.And so that about concludes this review. To recap the most negative aspects I covered over the course of this review, they would be: -Aggressive noise reduction when gain is set above 8 decibels.-Laughable "photo" quality.-Flickering issues in manual mode when in environments with uneven light.-Sluggish autofocus even in bright light.-Slow and noisy zoom.-Proprietary "Advanced Mini-Hotshoe", which only works with Canon accessories without a third party adapter.-Confusing and frustrating touch-screen menu layouts.-Poorly placed "external microphone in" jack.All in all, do I feel that this camera was worth the $ dollars? No, quite frankly, I do not. Given that my five year old battered and beaten HV20 was able to perform better roughly half the time, I feel more than a little bit cheated out of my money. Were it not for the camera's manual mode being borked the way it is, and perhaps the aggressive noise reduction present, I would be willing to forgive this camera for all of its other shortcomings.In the end, I would have given this camera a 2.5 star rating, however since I am unable to do that and because it does have its fair shair of redeeming features I've chosen to give it a 3.Here's hoping Canon's next line of "enthusiast-level" cameras do an all around better job than this one.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 163 customers
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Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Not Mac Friendly Enough
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I am an amateur film maker and this camera is simply fantastic for that use. It's cinema feature helps when I finally edit clips in FCPX because there is so much less to do. The clarity of the film clips is remarkable and even in low light situations, this camera is an amazing performer. It is easy to use, and within a few hours I was shooting some nice video. The touch screen is a little stubborn sometimes, but I use the included stylus anyway to keep finger prints off the LCD. I would highly recommend this camera for all types of videography. I do wish Canon would be a little more MAC friendly. The software included only works on PC's and so a convertor is necessary to transfer files onto my Mac. But all in all, a great buy!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Trips/Sports
Ease of use is great with High Quality results!!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Similar:
- Canon XL H1a Video Camera
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Battery Size
Best Uses
- Indoor Or Outdoor
- Indoors/Low Light
- Low Light Situations
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I purchased this camera to use on crime scenes. I found it to be excellent for the intended use. It works great in low light situations and has more than ample in camera memory. Once you familiarize yourself with the camera's functions, it is very easy to use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
If your looking for a Great HD camera this is it!
Plain and Simple!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
Cons
- Limited Zoom
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- Home Movies
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I love this camera! i recently started a video blog where I interview interesting artist, musicians, people places and events in the Atlanta area and this is the perfect camera to get the job done. Quailty picture and easy to use, I reccommend this camera to anyone trying to get their feet wet in the film making industry.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Complicated To Operate
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
First of all, I have a dual master's degree in TV production and Speech & Theatre.
I use my camcorder to shoot grandchildren's high school sports and the many vacations we take then edit them using Pinnacle Studio software, adding graphics, music, pix, narration to burn final files onto DVD's. I had a Sony SR-11 which I used for almost 5 years. It had many more features but became unusable. Refurbish was not an option due to Sony's high charges. I bought the Canon and am basically pleased with it. I wanted the backside viewer as I handheld the camera close to my face and get a tripod steady shot that way. I have no complaints. My SR-11 had a handy switch to be able to take a still while shooting video or just while in pause.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Similar:
- Sony SR-11 camcorder
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Arriving in that country aboard our cruise ship
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Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Limited Zoom
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Used for general shooting and as a backup. I like the decent sized image sensor. It makes for great daytime shooting and for decent night shooting. It's not fantastic as night but passable. The camera is small and lightweight making hand held shooting easy. I liked that it has at least a 1/8" jack for external audio and a LANC jack as well. However, to monitor using theA/v output, the LCD MUST be open. Poor design in my opinion. The HDMI Mini and LANC input are not inside the LAD panel, why the others? I found a work around to this. The LCD panel only turns on when the door is about half way open. By using a right angle breakout cable, I could monitor the footage on an external monitor without having the LCD panel on all the time because it was fully open.The viewfinder is tiny and terrible meaning you have to use the LCD which drains batteries fast. It's about 3 minutes of battery life for every one minute of shooting footage with the LCD open. it does NOT have 1080 60p so be careful with fast movement as the footage smears. Also the zoom is only 10x which isn't great, is functional.Despite a few setbacks, i like the camera and it works great and is easy to use. I do recommend it for personal use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
After falling in love with my Canon XH A1, I wanted a smaller / travel cam with similar performance. While I would like More manual control by using the focus ring, like on my A1, I cannot fault the G10 for not having these. I'd really like the focus ring to act as a zoom too, like on the f100 and others
Low light is very acceptable with minimal noise, audio is better than expected with built in mic and image quality is very good. After reading many reviews about the menu and setup, I'd have to agree that I'll need to live with this to dial in the navigation. Solid camera with enough control and tuning ability. I will say that I've been dealing with B&H for 10+ years and they have never let me down and I appreciate their level of service and value.
Lots of little gimmicky add ons for creating on the fly stories or event styles, but I'll never use. Full Auto doesn't overkill, does what it needs to do in the conditions.
All in all, you wont do without on the G10, take time to learn your way around or just switch to full auto and you'll have stunning video memories or creative work at the end of the day
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Recommended:
- Larger battery backup, Seperate standalone charger
- Similar:
- Canon xh a1
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good in Low Light
- Great Sound
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I read all the reviews, and this little gem of a camera exceeded even my relatively high expectations I am still getting used to the camera and learning it for myself. I did a test run and found it very straight forward to use, though I have not yet gone through all the different play modes as yet. Really, for the price, I am just amazed at the picture quality, particularly as I shot it indoors on a very dull day, so low light was no problem for this camera. The battery life is not that great, but I am ordering a much larger capacity battery for what I may need. I was originally going to go for the Vixia XA 10 model, but as I was already well geared up with audio equipment, recording it separately anyhow on a field recorder, my main concern was for image quality, so I made a big saving on not more than I needed. If I needed the XLR inputs, I would go for the Vixia XA 10 model.
I am from Australia which uses the PAL system, but I wanted the NTSC model, which was not available here in Australia, because I do work in latin america, and my work eventually heads back to that region. I ordered it on a Tuesday, and I received a knock on the door a few days after on Monday... just amazing. To the opposite side of the world in less than a week. That is so so fast, and it came very well packed.
With most airlines now becoming so much tighter with their carry-on allowances, size and weight is always a big compromise for me. This camera will win hands down for travel, and yet at the same time, is a sturdy solid little thing, and from my experience so far, delivers wonderful images. Really and truly, for the price, I am quite amazed.
Well done B&H, and well done Canon.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Great lightweight camera and the picture quality is amazing.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Mainly used for aviation videos to burn on disc or post on YouTube. Very good quality. I can't find any drawbacks yet.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Great camera. Still pricey, but the quality is worth it. Easy to use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Not sure that you can utilize timecode with it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Having to record a play 36 hours after receiving was a bit unnearving. The menus system is not clear the first few time in it. There are MANY options which gives you a way to set it up to match similar video recorders. I found the included software not needed for for my purpose, using Adobe Premere fot editing.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Poor Still Image
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
This is a replacement for my Sony HDR-FX1. I find the SD card features excellent and a great advantage over the Sony's tape system. Image quality is excellent for the price.
Primary use will be amateur short-films, docos, and YouTube.
I recommend at least a basic lighting kit (i.e. 2 or 3 lights with diffusers) for optimum image quality.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Similar:
- Sony HDR-FX1
Pros
- Excellent Color
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Battery Life
- Complicated To Operate
- Steep learning curve
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I bought this for my travels in South America. I am thrilled with the picture clarity and color reproduction. It has many features that I have not yet mastered, but I find the shooting options sufficient to deliver a quality picture in most locations. The viewfinder is great for shooting outdoors in bright light when the LCD screen is unusable. And the color is very impressive in low light. Be sure to buy extra batteries! Get the high capacity Canon or Pearstone battery packs. You'll be sorry if you don't. The smaller battery that is included isn't sufficient for any type of shooting... unless you don't mind being tethered to the power adapter and a nearby 110/220-volt plug.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Recommended:
- Canon SC-A80 Soft Case, Pearstone BP-819
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I just purchased this camcorder to video my nephew's wedding. The camera worked great, and I am impressed with the low light capabalitites.
The only negative for me is how long it takes to charge the battery. I think it should come with a standalone rapid charger.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good grip
- High Quality Picture
- Many Capabilities
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
A smooth, comfy device used in a trip down the Amazon. Great grip, good reach to operating controls, great resolution, holds 2 HD cards and you can transfer files easily from one to another. Great lens. Batteries last a long time. Eye viewer needs a cup but all else is great.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Poor In Low Light
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Possibly the best $ dollars spent on a camera.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Complicated To Operate
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I have only owned this camera for a short time and so have not had a chance to utilize all of its features. But, from what I have used it for I am very satisfied. My only complaint is the "auto" mode. There are some features that you should be able to customize despite being "auto" but can't. I found that I do not like the dynamic image stabilization but you can't turn tht off in the "auto" mode. Therefore I have decided to use the manual mode for everything (which is what this camera is intended for anyway). In manual mode, you can either disable this feature, or use standard stabilization instead of the dynamic stabilization. I do like that it will "default" to many of the settings in manual mode once you change them eliminating the need to continually change the settings every time you use the camera. (But, you also need to remember that if you need to use a different setting.)
If you are not familiar with photographic or videographic terms and settings, this camera may be a bit much for you. There are a lot of settings in regard to frame rates and exposure. The menu is not exactly user friendly, but I found that I was able to quickly and easily acclimate to where everything was located menu-wise.
It is by far the best video camera I have purchased to date that is within my budget limits (well, slightly over but I decided to purchase it anyway). I have others that do a good job and will continue to use them, but this will be my camera for choice when it comes to vacations and etc.
I like that you can use either the side LCD view finder or the built in viewfinder - or both. Using both kills the battery fast though. So beware. I found that out when I accidentally had it set to use both and didn't realize it. The side LCD also has a dimming feature which is nice when filming in low light. The LCD view finder also doubles as your touch screen menu. As others have mentioned, you do need to press harder than you would think for the touch screen. I understand the why (so there are no accidental menu changes), but you do need to support the back of the panel with your hand/fingers/etc when using the touch screen.
I do recommend purchasing a second battery pack - the largest capacity battery you can afford. You will need it. The standard battery doesn't give you very much recording time at all. I use the battery that comes with it as my spare, and I have a 7.4v/2100mAh that I use as my main source of power.
Do not plan on using this video camara to double as a photographic camera though. While the video quality is very good, the photographic quality is low. It's good to use if you are in a bind and don't have a photographic camera, but don't expect much of the quality of the photographs. This is not an issue for me as I own photographic cameras for capturing photographs and this video camera to capture video, but for those looking for an "all in one" - this is likely not your best choice.
I think the only thing I found to be disappointing was the interface. You MUST use the software supplied with the camera in order to access your files on the hard drive and the memory card (if you have one installed) - and that includes both video and photo. There are two separate software programs that you must install - one for accessing the video and another for accessing the photo files. It would be much nicer if it was combined in to one utility. You cannot just plug it into a USB drive and expect to find your files. But, I use the supplied software to access and download the files to my computer, then I can use any software (capable of HD files) to edit. I haven't tried the supplied software for editing, but it seems to have all the basics you need if you don't have software that you already use for editing.
Overall I am very satisfied with this camera and I am looking foward to playing around with more of it's features and settings !
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Recommended:
- Extra battery
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 163 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
96%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Great picture quality (142)
- Good in low light (120)
- Image stabilization (116)
- Large clear LCD (115)
- Easy to use (114)
Cons
- Limited zoom (22)
- Complicated to operate (19)
- Poor still image (13)
- Battery life (4)
- No external mic input (4)
Best Uses
- HD shooting (109)
- Travel (97)
- Home movies (95)
- Low light (85)
- Movies/short films (79)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Enthusiast (56), Semi-pro (44), Casual user (37), Pro videographer (22)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (153), Yes (3)
Most Liked Positive Review
Best Camcorder I've ever had!
Since I was a little kid with an 8mm film camera, I have tried in vain to make videos that had the look and sound of professional TV and movie productions.
I...Read complete review
Since I was a little kid with an 8mm film camera, I have tried in vain to make videos that had the look and sound of professional TV and movie productions.
I failed in many ways, many times. Sometimes due to my meager skills, sometimes due to the short comings of my cameras.
The Vixia HF G10 changes that. I can no longer blame my equipment.
Let me say now, I am not a professional video/film maker. I have had no formal training. My videos are for my own enjoyment, I record special moments and travels for myself and my family. I seldom display or publish videos on the Web.
So far, I have just been learning about the G10, and its features. I've made some stunning video studies of my flower and vegetable garden. Whether played back on the camera's LCD screen, or on my big screen HD television, the images are sharp, clear, vibrant, and have the look of a professional documentary. In addition, the on camera microphones are far superior to any camcorder I've ever used. I have some large wind chimes near my garden and the playback of audio through my TV is astonishing. I have a Sennheiser MKE 400, but have not used it as yet, the on-camera sound is excellent.
What I like: Coming from a DV tape camera, the memory cards are the best thing since sliced bread. The 'touch screen' is very good. I did not think I would like it, but it is easy to use, responds well, and the menu system is somewhat intuitive. The Manual mode provides tons of recording and exposure options. In Programmed mode the camera will make several automated exposure adjustments as the scene or lighting changes. In Av mode the DOF control is excellent, and there are built-in ND filters available in Av mode that have already come in handy. I have not used Tv mode, but in full Manual the controls are easy to access and perform as well as my Canon EOS still camera.
Three modes of Auto focus and excellent, easy to use Manual focus. Zoom speed adjustment, very cool.
Cinema Mode: Sounds like a gimmick, works like a charm. The primary feature in Cinema Mode is a set of 9 filters for various cinematic effects. I like them all, and look forward to using them to highlight my scenes in my videos. It would be easy to over use these, I think. But the Nostalgic, Sepia, and Old Movie filters will surely get used, as will the Dramatic B&W. I'm thinking the Vivid would work on panoramic landscapes.
The whole memory card/built-in memory thing is wonderful. Transfer to a Win 7 PC is easy and fast. So far I'm sticking with the MXP 24P (true 1920 x 1080). It is the luxury I paid for, and I'm going to use it.
Things I don't need: Still photos - nice but I have a great still camera. In camera editing and Decorations: just fluff to me. I guess these things have market appeal, but why does Canon add them to a camera aimed at the upper end video customer?
Things I don't like: The initial impression that the G10 is a small, cheap-looking, plastic camcorder (I got over that when I saw how it performed). The shallow angle of the lens opening prevents adding after market wide angle conversion lens; apparently the only lens that currently fits is the very expensive Canon lens. The BP808 battery is small, and you need 2, or a larger BP819. There is no separate battery charger included, so you need one of those, too. The hot shoe is the Canon mini-shoe, so you need an adapter to use after market mikes or lights, or buy the expensive Canon accessories.
My still camera is a Canon 5D Mk2. It has fantastic video performance as well as awesome still image performance. I wanted the G10 to give me more flexibility for different situations; run-and-gun, handheld kind of stuff, ad hoc filming which I find difficult with the 5D Mk2.
That's about all I can think of now. I would buy this camcorder again without hesitation. I would and do recommend it to anyone looking to take that next step up in video making.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
A Real Mixed Bag
Having owned a Canon HV20 for the past five or so years which was now starting to show its age in many ways, I felt it was time to upgrade to something newer; preferrably ...Read complete review
Having owned a Canon HV20 for the past five or so years which was now starting to show its age in many ways, I felt it was time to upgrade to something newer; preferrably something tapeless and with more manual control.The Canon Vixia HF G10 looked like the perfect replacement on paper-- It recorded to an internal flash drive (can't emphasize enough how much I've grown to despise tapes), used a significantly superior codec for both video and audio, and offered a whole slew of additional features and manual controls that were missing from my old trusty HV20, which only at best offered a sort of "pseudo-manual control".In reality though, matters were quite different.Yes, the camera produces a pleasing looking image (when you turn down the sharpness, contrast and brightness, which are all far too high at default) which definitely holds a slight to moderate edge over the HV20 depending on the lighting conditions; in brightly lit areas and outdoors the HF G10 appears to produce only a slightly more detailed image than the HV20 (though it does consistently produce an image with a noticeably higher dynamic range), whereas in low-light situations it completely trumps the older camera in terms of sharpness, sensitivity, noise and color reproduction. There is however a catch to all of this, and that being that the camera unfortunately employs and exceptionally aggressive noise reduction filter about as soon as you hit the 8db gain mark, giving the image an almost pastel-like look (depending on how high you have the gain cranked up) and in the process muddying finer details, etc. Compression wise the HF G10 wins hands down-- AVCHD simply beats MPEG2 in every way possible (I've yet to encounter any significant blocking, mosquito noise or posterization-- all of which the HV20 produced almost constantly)."Photo" quality is a bit of a joke, as the "photo's" that the camera takes are nothing more than screencaps of the video signal (ie. they look identical to the paused frame of a video, etc).The lens is nice and very wide, though it does exhibit mild to moderate chromatic abberations in most situations. Image stabilization works well enough-- I've no real complaints there. Autofocus performance, however, is quite dissapointing on the whole. Even in a brightly lit area the AF will frequently "hunt around" trying to find something to focus on, and will often focus on the completely wrong object / person. The AF is especially bad when using the zoom, taking several seconds to focus properly after reaching the end of the zoom. On the topic of the camera's zoom, I found it to be rather slow and sluggish, even at its fastest speed-- plus it even produces an audible grinding and whirring noise when in use which can easily be picked up by the camera's onboard mic in quieter settings. The manual focus ring works well enough and its sensitivity can be customized to your preference in the cameras options menu. The lens hood that comes with the camera does its job just fine, though threading it onto the lens itself can be a bit of a pain the first couple of times you attach it.I've yet to test my Rode Videomic with the camera due to it having a proprietary "advanced mini-hotshoe" which is designed to work only with Canon accessories (thankfully though there are plenty of adapters available to overcome this restriction), however I can say that the onboard microphone is a great deal better than the terribly noisy and muffled-sounding one on the HV20.The LCD screen is of excellent quality, though I can't say I'm exactly in love with the cameras insistence on using touch-screen controls and only offering three customizable buttons (with, quite frankly, limited customization) along with a dial.The viewfinder is adequate, though I personally find it rather difficult to see through properly (my vision is quite poor, so for someone else it could be crystal clear for all I know).The touch-screen menus aren't exactly the easiest to navigate through nor the most intuitively designed. By tapping the 'FUNC' icon on the top right corner of the screen you are presented with a slew of basic options such as a multitude of shooting modes, image controls which let you set the saturation, contrast, brightness and sharpness (this submenu however is poorly labeled as "Image Effects", thus making it easy to skip over by accident, etc), backlight control, focusing aids, and a bunch of other fluff that I personally have no use for whatsoever. If you really want to get into the meat and potatoes of the camera however, then you'll have to enter the 'FUNC' screen and then tap the 'MENU' button that is now on the top right of the screen; this will now present you with a whole plethora of options that you can customize to your hearts content (such as frame rates, compression levels, control over autofocus and zoom speeds, etc).The camera can be switched into three separate "modes"-- Auto, Manual and Cinema. Auto does exactly what the name suggests; the camera does all the exposing, focusing and defaults to 60i. In manual mode you can choose from five different shooting modes: Programmed AE (have yet to use this mode so I can't comment on it), TV Shutter Priority AE (gives you control over the shutter speed and allows you to adjust and lock the exposure using a button and dial located on the bottom left corner of the back of the camera), Aperture Priority AE (same as the previous mode, only in this one you specificy the aperture you wish to use, etc), a bunch of "specialty" fully-automated shooting modes in a submenu (which I've also yet to use), and finally a full manual mode which gives you complete control over the aperture, shutter speed and gain. Now this last mode is sure to have most budding filmmakers foaming at the mouth at the thought of being able to control every single aspect of the camera (Lord knows thats how I felt when I first fired it up), however there is one VERY MAJOR ISSUE that afflicts manual mode, and that being that the mode DOES NOT offer you complete control over exposure as it would lead you to believe. I first experienced this issue when shooting a wide shot in a large open indoor space with a window with bright daylight shining in to the side of the frame, which for whatever reason caused the cameras brightness to start rapidly oscillating up and down uncontrollably (as if the camera was trying to compensate for the contrast between the moderately-lit room and the bright light coming in from the window). This is many ways renders 'Manual Mode' almost completely and utterly useless to me, unless I'm shooting in an environment where the lighting is completely consistent (and this isn't due to my camera being a lemon or anything of the sort-- just do some looking around on the web and you'll find plenty of other people complaining of the exact same problem with no solution to it in sight). The final mode the camera offers is 'Cinema Mode', which produces a nice flat looking image (along with a plethora of completely useless and extremely gimmicky visual effect filters) which is great if you want to squeeze as much dynamic range out of the camera as possible and have a great deal more control over how much color grading you can apply in post, etc. This mode also gives you full manual control and does not suffer from the flickering image issue as the other standard manual mode does, however you are restricted to using a maximum of 18 decibles of gain as opposed to the 24 decibel limit on the other manual mode.Build quality of the camera is very good for the most part. The camera is covered in a rugged and durable feeling plastic and is solidly built (no creaking when grasping the camera, unliked the HV20 which creak horribly from the slightest movement of ones hand). My only caveat being that the battery does not lock into place on the back all that tightly and rattles around if you move the camera around too much (though I'm sure this could easily enough be fixed with a little tape to hold it in place).Inputs and outputs are nothing worth writing home about, especially where they are located. You have component out and AV out on the left side of the camera behind the LCD screen covered by a sliding panel. On the back beneath the record button you have a DC-input. On the right side underneath the hand-strap you have a remote input and one HDMI and USB port. And finally on the far right just below the hand-strap and next to the manual-focus ring you have an external microphone-in jack (which I feel is really poorly and awkwardly placed, and is a recipe for the hand-strap bumping into it and causing line-noise in whatever external microphone you have plugged into it; though since I've yet to test an external mic on this camera I can't attest 100% that this will be the case).Battery life is acceptable, with the standard battery lasting about 80 minutes on the average (and about 60 minutes if you crank up the LCD's brightness) and taking roughly the same amount of time to recharge.And so that about concludes this review. To recap the most negative aspects I covered over the course of this review, they would be: -Aggressive noise reduction when gain is set above 8 decibels.-Laughable "photo" quality.-Flickering issues in manual mode when in environments with uneven light.-Sluggish autofocus even in bright light.-Slow and noisy zoom.-Proprietary "Advanced Mini-Hotshoe", which only works with Canon accessories without a third party adapter.-Confusing and frustrating touch-screen menu layouts.-Poorly placed "external microphone in" jack.All in all, do I feel that this camera was worth the $ dollars? No, quite frankly, I do not. Given that my five year old battered and beaten HV20 was able to perform better roughly half the time, I feel more than a little bit cheated out of my money. Were it not for the camera's manual mode being borked the way it is, and perhaps the aggressive noise reduction present, I would be willing to forgive this camera for all of its other shortcomings.In the end, I would have given this camera a 2.5 star rating, however since I am unable to do that and because it does have its fair shair of redeeming features I've chosen to give it a 3.Here's hoping Canon's next line of "enthusiast-level" cameras do an all around better job than this one.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 163 customers
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Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Not Mac Friendly Enough
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I am an amateur film maker and this camera is simply fantastic for that use. It's cinema feature helps when I finally edit clips in FCPX because there is so much less to do. The clarity of the film clips is remarkable and even in low light situations, this camera is an amazing performer. It is easy to use, and within a few hours I was shooting some nice video. The touch screen is a little stubborn sometimes, but I use the included stylus anyway to keep finger prints off the LCD. I would highly recommend this camera for all types of videography. I do wish Canon would be a little more MAC friendly. The software included only works on PC's and so a convertor is necessary to transfer files onto my Mac. But all in all, a great buy!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Trips/Sports
Ease of use is great with High Quality results!!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Similar:
- Canon XL H1a Video Camera
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Battery Size
Best Uses
- Indoor Or Outdoor
- Indoors/Low Light
- Low Light Situations
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I purchased this camera to use on crime scenes. I found it to be excellent for the intended use. It works great in low light situations and has more than ample in camera memory. Once you familiarize yourself with the camera's functions, it is very easy to use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
If your looking for a Great HD camera this is it!
Plain and Simple!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
Cons
- Limited Zoom
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- Home Movies
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I love this camera! i recently started a video blog where I interview interesting artist, musicians, people places and events in the Atlanta area and this is the perfect camera to get the job done. Quailty picture and easy to use, I reccommend this camera to anyone trying to get their feet wet in the film making industry.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Complicated To Operate
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
First of all, I have a dual master's degree in TV production and Speech & Theatre.
I use my camcorder to shoot grandchildren's high school sports and the many vacations we take then edit them using Pinnacle Studio software, adding graphics, music, pix, narration to burn final files onto DVD's. I had a Sony SR-11 which I used for almost 5 years. It had many more features but became unusable. Refurbish was not an option due to Sony's high charges. I bought the Canon and am basically pleased with it. I wanted the backside viewer as I handheld the camera close to my face and get a tripod steady shot that way. I have no complaints. My SR-11 had a handy switch to be able to take a still while shooting video or just while in pause.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Similar:
- Sony SR-11 camcorder
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Arriving in that country aboard our cruise ship
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Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Limited Zoom
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Used for general shooting and as a backup. I like the decent sized image sensor. It makes for great daytime shooting and for decent night shooting. It's not fantastic as night but passable. The camera is small and lightweight making hand held shooting easy. I liked that it has at least a 1/8" jack for external audio and a LANC jack as well. However, to monitor using theA/v output, the LCD MUST be open. Poor design in my opinion. The HDMI Mini and LANC input are not inside the LAD panel, why the others? I found a work around to this. The LCD panel only turns on when the door is about half way open. By using a right angle breakout cable, I could monitor the footage on an external monitor without having the LCD panel on all the time because it was fully open.The viewfinder is tiny and terrible meaning you have to use the LCD which drains batteries fast. It's about 3 minutes of battery life for every one minute of shooting footage with the LCD open. it does NOT have 1080 60p so be careful with fast movement as the footage smears. Also the zoom is only 10x which isn't great, is functional.Despite a few setbacks, i like the camera and it works great and is easy to use. I do recommend it for personal use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
After falling in love with my Canon XH A1, I wanted a smaller / travel cam with similar performance. While I would like More manual control by using the focus ring, like on my A1, I cannot fault the G10 for not having these. I'd really like the focus ring to act as a zoom too, like on the f100 and others
Low light is very acceptable with minimal noise, audio is better than expected with built in mic and image quality is very good. After reading many reviews about the menu and setup, I'd have to agree that I'll need to live with this to dial in the navigation. Solid camera with enough control and tuning ability. I will say that I've been dealing with B&H for 10+ years and they have never let me down and I appreciate their level of service and value.
Lots of little gimmicky add ons for creating on the fly stories or event styles, but I'll never use. Full Auto doesn't overkill, does what it needs to do in the conditions.
All in all, you wont do without on the G10, take time to learn your way around or just switch to full auto and you'll have stunning video memories or creative work at the end of the day
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Recommended:
- Larger battery backup, Seperate standalone charger
- Similar:
- Canon xh a1
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good in Low Light
- Great Sound
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I read all the reviews, and this little gem of a camera exceeded even my relatively high expectations I am still getting used to the camera and learning it for myself. I did a test run and found it very straight forward to use, though I have not yet gone through all the different play modes as yet. Really, for the price, I am just amazed at the picture quality, particularly as I shot it indoors on a very dull day, so low light was no problem for this camera. The battery life is not that great, but I am ordering a much larger capacity battery for what I may need. I was originally going to go for the Vixia XA 10 model, but as I was already well geared up with audio equipment, recording it separately anyhow on a field recorder, my main concern was for image quality, so I made a big saving on not more than I needed. If I needed the XLR inputs, I would go for the Vixia XA 10 model.
I am from Australia which uses the PAL system, but I wanted the NTSC model, which was not available here in Australia, because I do work in latin america, and my work eventually heads back to that region. I ordered it on a Tuesday, and I received a knock on the door a few days after on Monday... just amazing. To the opposite side of the world in less than a week. That is so so fast, and it came very well packed.
With most airlines now becoming so much tighter with their carry-on allowances, size and weight is always a big compromise for me. This camera will win hands down for travel, and yet at the same time, is a sturdy solid little thing, and from my experience so far, delivers wonderful images. Really and truly, for the price, I am quite amazed.
Well done B&H, and well done Canon.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Great lightweight camera and the picture quality is amazing.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Mainly used for aviation videos to burn on disc or post on YouTube. Very good quality. I can't find any drawbacks yet.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Great camera. Still pricey, but the quality is worth it. Easy to use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Not sure that you can utilize timecode with it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Having to record a play 36 hours after receiving was a bit unnearving. The menus system is not clear the first few time in it. There are MANY options which gives you a way to set it up to match similar video recorders. I found the included software not needed for for my purpose, using Adobe Premere fot editing.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Poor Still Image
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
This is a replacement for my Sony HDR-FX1. I find the SD card features excellent and a great advantage over the Sony's tape system. Image quality is excellent for the price.
Primary use will be amateur short-films, docos, and YouTube.
I recommend at least a basic lighting kit (i.e. 2 or 3 lights with diffusers) for optimum image quality.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Similar:
- Sony HDR-FX1
Pros
- Excellent Color
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- Battery Life
- Complicated To Operate
- Steep learning curve
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I bought this for my travels in South America. I am thrilled with the picture clarity and color reproduction. It has many features that I have not yet mastered, but I find the shooting options sufficient to deliver a quality picture in most locations. The viewfinder is great for shooting outdoors in bright light when the LCD screen is unusable. And the color is very impressive in low light. Be sure to buy extra batteries! Get the high capacity Canon or Pearstone battery packs. You'll be sorry if you don't. The smaller battery that is included isn't sufficient for any type of shooting... unless you don't mind being tethered to the power adapter and a nearby 110/220-volt plug.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Recommended:
- Canon SC-A80 Soft Case, Pearstone BP-819
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I just purchased this camcorder to video my nephew's wedding. The camera worked great, and I am impressed with the low light capabalitites.
The only negative for me is how long it takes to charge the battery. I think it should come with a standalone rapid charger.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good grip
- High Quality Picture
- Many Capabilities
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
A smooth, comfy device used in a trip down the Amazon. Great grip, good reach to operating controls, great resolution, holds 2 HD cards and you can transfer files easily from one to another. Great lens. Batteries last a long time. Eye viewer needs a cup but all else is great.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Poor In Low Light
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
Possibly the best $ dollars spent on a camera.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Complicated To Operate
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Canon VIXIA HF G10 Flash Memory Camcorder:
I have only owned this camera for a short time and so have not had a chance to utilize all of its features. But, from what I have used it for I am very satisfied. My only complaint is the "auto" mode. There are some features that you should be able to customize despite being "auto" but can't. I found that I do not like the dynamic image stabilization but you can't turn tht off in the "auto" mode. Therefore I have decided to use the manual mode for everything (which is what this camera is intended for anyway). In manual mode, you can either disable this feature, or use standard stabilization instead of the dynamic stabilization. I do like that it will "default" to many of the settings in manual mode once you change them eliminating the need to continually change the settings every time you use the camera. (But, you also need to remember that if you need to use a different setting.)
If you are not familiar with photographic or videographic terms and settings, this camera may be a bit much for you. There are a lot of settings in regard to frame rates and exposure. The menu is not exactly user friendly, but I found that I was able to quickly and easily acclimate to where everything was located menu-wise.
It is by far the best video camera I have purchased to date that is within my budget limits (well, slightly over but I decided to purchase it anyway). I have others that do a good job and will continue to use them, but this will be my camera for choice when it comes to vacations and etc.
I like that you can use either the side LCD view finder or the built in viewfinder - or both. Using both kills the battery fast though. So beware. I found that out when I accidentally had it set to use both and didn't realize it. The side LCD also has a dimming feature which is nice when filming in low light. The LCD view finder also doubles as your touch screen menu. As others have mentioned, you do need to press harder than you would think for the touch screen. I understand the why (so there are no accidental menu changes), but you do need to support the back of the panel with your hand/fingers/etc when using the touch screen.
I do recommend purchasing a second battery pack - the largest capacity battery you can afford. You will need it. The standard battery doesn't give you very much recording time at all. I use the battery that comes with it as my spare, and I have a 7.4v/2100mAh that I use as my main source of power.
Do not plan on using this video camara to double as a photographic camera though. While the video quality is very good, the photographic quality is low. It's good to use if you are in a bind and don't have a photographic camera, but don't expect much of the quality of the photographs. This is not an issue for me as I own photographic cameras for capturing photographs and this video camera to capture video, but for those looking for an "all in one" - this is likely not your best choice.
I think the only thing I found to be disappointing was the interface. You MUST use the software supplied with the camera in order to access your files on the hard drive and the memory card (if you have one installed) - and that includes both video and photo. There are two separate software programs that you must install - one for accessing the video and another for accessing the photo files. It would be much nicer if it was combined in to one utility. You cannot just plug it into a USB drive and expect to find your files. But, I use the supplied software to access and download the files to my computer, then I can use any software (capable of HD files) to edit. I haven't tried the supplied software for editing, but it seems to have all the basics you need if you don't have software that you already use for editing.
Overall I am very satisfied with this camera and I am looking foward to playing around with more of it's features and settings !
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Recommended:
- Extra battery
Media
Show more >Required item: Recording media is not included. A memory card is required to record your footage.
- Price: $14.95
Batteries & Power
Show more >Don't get caught without power, always have a spare battery.
- Price: $52.95
- Price: $39.00
Bags & Cases
Show more >Carry, store, and protect all your equipment with a bag or case.
- Price: $19.95
Filters
Show more >Protect your lens or produce a desired visual effect by adding a filter.
- Price: $6.55
- Price: $18.95
Lenses & Adaptors
Show more >Capture the right view with a conversion lens.
- Price: $399.00
- Price: $299.00
Wireless & Streaming Video
- Price: $289.00
WHY SHOP AT B&H
Make your online shopping trip personal with our online Live Chat representatives. You can easily reach an in-house expert while browsing our site for your shopping needs. We have the most highly-trained staff in the industry who are pros in their fields, and their professional expertise will help you get the most from your purchase.
Place your domestic order with us for shipment via any UPS, FedEx Economy, or FedEx Priority shipping methods by 4 PM ET Monday through Thursday or 11 AM ET Friday and your order will be shipped that day. Visit our Shipping Delivery Times page for further details. Delivery times are subject to payment verification.
We appreciate your purchase from us, and we understand that sometimes the products you buy don't turn out to be the right choice for you. We guarantee your peace of mind with our 30-day return policy. With no standard restocking fee and few restrictions, you'll enjoy a return process as easy as shopping with us. Please visit our Return Policy page for further details.
We've made iPhone and Android mobile apps available for your service and shopping convenience. Use filtered search to find and purchase almost any item we sell and ship worldwide. Download product manuals and guides for many popular items. See high-resolution product images in close-up detail. Manage wishlists and view order history. Visit our Mobile Apps page to download.
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