The Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder records Full HD 1920 x 1080p video to an internal 8GB flash drive or to an SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card. It also supports Full HD still image capture and the camera is equipped with built-in Wi-Fi for remote operation and live streaming. The HF R40 features a 3.28 megapixel Full HD CMOS image sensor and a DIGIC DV 4 Image Processor. It also employs a genuine Canon HD video lens with 53x Advanced Zoom and SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization with improved Dynamic Image Stabilization. For easy recording and instant playback, there's a 3" touch panel LCD as well.
Designed with all levels of users in mind, the HF R40 has a laundry list of features including MP4 and AVCHD independent or dual simultaneous recording, an innovative Baby Mode, Intelligent IS, Smart AUTO, a higher capacity battery for longer shooting sessions and more. For connectivity to your HDTV, the camcorder is equipped with a mini-HDMI output. Plus, for improved audio recording, the HF R40 has both a headphone and a microphone jack. You can also achieve a variety of cinematic effects using the integrated Cinema-Look Filters.
Note: Devices supported for Canon Movie Uploader app include iPhone 4S/5, iPad 2/iPad 3rd gen, iPod touch 4th/5th
Note: Devices supported for Remote Browsing include iPhone 4S/5, iPad 2/iPad 3rd gen, iPod touch 4th/5th, most Android 4.0 devices
Note: Devices supported include iPhone 4/4S/5, iPad/iPad 2/iPad 3rd gen, iPod touch 4th/5th, most Android devices 2.3 - 4.0
When shooting in Baby Mode, the camcorder's Pre-Record (Pre REC) function is always on. This places the camcorder in a stand-by "pre-roll" mode, where it continuously records three seconds of video to memory before you even press the record button. When you start recording, the additional video is recorded too, so you won't miss your baby's "first" moments.
Touch Decoration in Baby Mode includes stamps to mark each video with your baby's current height and weight. And with a single registration of the baby's birth date, the camcorder will automatically calculate the number of days old and stamp videos accordingly, creating an exact diary of developmental milestones for years to come. The camcorder's other Baby Mode Touch Decoration options allow you to add your own drawings, captions, animations and more. All options can be appended to previously shot video as well.
The system will even recognize faces turned downwards or sideways. In addition, a specific face may be selected as the main subject for continuous tracking. This feature is also convenient in searching for clips that feature the specific subject's face. In search and playback, use of the Face Index will display those frames with the chosen face as a thumbnail in each shot in which it appears. Your selected face can also be linked as a timeline to further identify footage containing your subject.
| Camera | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 3.28 Megapixel 1/4.85" CMOS |
| Color Filter | RGB |
| Effective Pixels | 2073600 |
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens |
2.8 - 89.6 mm / 35mm Equivalent: 38.5 - 1232 mm Optical Zoom32.5 - 1723 mm Advanced Zoom f/1.8 - 4.5 |
| Focusing Distance | 0.4" / 1 cm |
| Zoom |
Optical: 32x Advanced (Optical): 53x Digital: 1060x |
| Recording | |
|---|---|
| System | NTSC |
| Recording Media |
Internal Flash Memory 8GB Video/Image SD/SDHC/SDXC Up To 128GB Video/Image |
| Recording Time |
Internal Flash Memory GB AVCHD 8GB LP 1440 x 1080 (5Mbps): 3 hours AVCHD 8GB FXP 1920 x 1080 (17Mbps): 1 hour AVCHD 8GB MXP 1920 x 1080 (24Mbps): 40 min AVCHD 8GB NTSC 60P 1920 x 1080 (28Mbps): 35 min Internal Flash Memory GB MP4 8GB 1280 x 720 (4Mbps): 4.3 hours MP4 8GB 1920 x 1080 (17Mbps): 1 hour MP4 8GB 1920 x 1080 (24Mbps): 40 min MP4 8GB 1920 x 1080 (35Mbps): 30 min |
| Video Format |
High Definition AVCHD Progressive 1920 x 1080p / 60 fps (28Mbps) 1920 x 1080i / 60 fps (24Mbps) 1920 x 1080p / 30 fps (17Mbps) High Definition AVCHD Progressive 1440 x 1080 (5Mbps) High Definition MPEG4 1920 x 1080p / 60 fps (35Mbps) 1920 x 1080p / 30 fps (24Mbps) 1920 x 1080p / 24 fps (17Mbps) High Definition MPEG4 1280 x 720 (4Mbps) |
| Still Image Resolution | JPEG: 2.07 Megapixel, 1920 x 1080 |
| Channels | 2-Channel Stereo |
| Audio Format |
AAC-LC Dolby Digital AC3 |
| Sampling Frequency | 48 kHz |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Display Type | LCD |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Screen Size | 3" |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | Optical & Digital |
| Lux |
5 (NTSC) 0.4 (Low Light Mode) |
| Shutter Speed |
1/2000sec 1/500sec |
| Built-in Mic | Yes |
| Built-in Speaker | Yes |
| Built-in Light/Flash |
Light - No Flash - No |
| Tripod Mount | 1/4" |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Outputs |
1x HDMI C (Mini) (output only) 1x USB 2.0 mini-AB 1x Composite Video (out) 1x A/V Mini Terminal / Headphone Terminal (4 pole mini-jack) |
| Microphone Input | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | Yes |
| General | |
|---|---|
| System Requirements | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Battery | Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Hours per Charge |
| Charging Method | AC Adapter |
| Power Adapter | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Operating Temperature |
23 - 113 °F (-5 - 45 °C) 60% Relative Humidity 32 - 104 °F (0 - 40 °C) 85% Relative Humidity |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 2.1 x 2.2 x 4.6" / 5.3 x 5.6 x 11.7 cm not including grip belt |
| Weight |
8.3 oz / 235 g body, not including grip belt 10.1 oz / 286 g including battery BP-718, memory card and grip belt |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
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Reviewed by 4 customers
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Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
GREAT video! -big files, Need to compress video when making bluerays. 5hrs of video on 64gb card on 2nd to highest setting but the quality of video is outstanding! No comparison to my old tapes! Lol
Indoor, dim light or outside the video to me is crisp and completely clear. Wifi is very nice too but will not necessarily transfer 64gb of video over wifi. Apps work great! Very happy. Ps, get the longer life battery. Shooting outdoors with backlight on for brightness drains faster..
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
I bought this camcorder with the intention of filming my son's lacrosse games... I've never had a camcorder before although I've seen them and tried them out at the store displays... I am still learning to operate this camcorder and have found nice features about this Canon R40... I have found wireless features intriguing though I don't have a smart phone for wireless controls and the wireless features to the iPad looks great but again I haven't gotten that far yet... Give me 6 months and I can tell you more... All I know Canons are highly recommended and this was one reason I got the R40 was because I have the Ti3 camera and I love it...
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
Extremely clear and vibrant video outside. Detail is amazing, however inside under natural well-lit rooms, or under fluorescent lights left it extremely grainy. Still photos were unusable indoors. I returned this unit and upgraded to the HFM50 and could not be happier! (M series offers larger sensor which works much better in lowlight/indoor situations without additional light kit - Adding a light kit makes this phenomenal in lowlight situations!!!) I am floored with the HFM50 model. It is only slightly larger than the 40, but feels better in my hand, and I prefer the buttons/setup, quality & clarity of LCD screen and where disk inserts better than the 40 series as well. Still very much in love with Canon products though!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
Amazing quality when shooting outdoors! Am still tweaking settings for better indoor shots but just ordered the very inexpensive external light that B&H rep recommended. Apparently HD requires more light than SD cameras did, so I will need to learn to adapt to that!
I have not been thrilled with the Face Detect option as it seems to throw more of the image out of focus than in (but that was indoors w/o extra light and on AUTO mode). The Image Stabilization at full zoom is amazing (I didn't believe it until you compare the settings!). I am shooting in AVCHD 60p.
Although the camera can handle up to 128 GB card, I recommend (as did the rep) to not go over 32 GB. This is still provides 2.5 hrs of record time at highest settings and can have several on hand as backups.
'Still photos' did not impress me AT ALL and very grainy, but I'm comparing the 2meg photos this takes to my DSLR which is far from apples to apples. Still good function to have in a pinch, but I will continue to shoot video with my left hand and run DSLR with my right on important events (was really hoping this camera would alleviate a little of that for me!) I recommend setting the zoom to a fixed setting as opposed to variable speed. It works great.
All in all, I am very glad I finally upgraded although I need to become more comfortable with the camera so I 'trust' it more. I have never ordered a NEW camera just on the market as I prefer to have ratings and reviews to base it from but took a plunge and so far I'm almost convinced I will love this in the long run! If I were more familiar with it, it would probably be 5 star rating, but wanted to help out anyone just looking into it since I had no reviews to go on.
Displaying reviews 1-4
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 4 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-4
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
GREAT video! -big files, Need to compress video when making bluerays. 5hrs of video on 64gb card on 2nd to highest setting but the quality of video is outstanding! No comparison to my old tapes! Lol
Indoor, dim light or outside the video to me is crisp and completely clear. Wifi is very nice too but will not necessarily transfer 64gb of video over wifi. Apps work great! Very happy. Ps, get the longer life battery. Shooting outdoors with backlight on for brightness drains faster..
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
I bought this camcorder with the intention of filming my son's lacrosse games... I've never had a camcorder before although I've seen them and tried them out at the store displays... I am still learning to operate this camcorder and have found nice features about this Canon R40... I have found wireless features intriguing though I don't have a smart phone for wireless controls and the wireless features to the iPad looks great but again I haven't gotten that far yet... Give me 6 months and I can tell you more... All I know Canons are highly recommended and this was one reason I got the R40 was because I have the Ti3 camera and I love it...
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
Extremely clear and vibrant video outside. Detail is amazing, however inside under natural well-lit rooms, or under fluorescent lights left it extremely grainy. Still photos were unusable indoors. I returned this unit and upgraded to the HFM50 and could not be happier! (M series offers larger sensor which works much better in lowlight/indoor situations without additional light kit - Adding a light kit makes this phenomenal in lowlight situations!!!) I am floored with the HFM50 model. It is only slightly larger than the 40, but feels better in my hand, and I prefer the buttons/setup, quality & clarity of LCD screen and where disk inserts better than the 40 series as well. Still very much in love with Canon products though!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R40 Full HD Camcorder:
Amazing quality when shooting outdoors! Am still tweaking settings for better indoor shots but just ordered the very inexpensive external light that B&H rep recommended. Apparently HD requires more light than SD cameras did, so I will need to learn to adapt to that!
I have not been thrilled with the Face Detect option as it seems to throw more of the image out of focus than in (but that was indoors w/o extra light and on AUTO mode). The Image Stabilization at full zoom is amazing (I didn't believe it until you compare the settings!). I am shooting in AVCHD 60p.
Although the camera can handle up to 128 GB card, I recommend (as did the rep) to not go over 32 GB. This is still provides 2.5 hrs of record time at highest settings and can have several on hand as backups.
'Still photos' did not impress me AT ALL and very grainy, but I'm comparing the 2meg photos this takes to my DSLR which is far from apples to apples. Still good function to have in a pinch, but I will continue to shoot video with my left hand and run DSLR with my right on important events (was really hoping this camera would alleviate a little of that for me!) I recommend setting the zoom to a fixed setting as opposed to variable speed. It works great.
All in all, I am very glad I finally upgraded although I need to become more comfortable with the camera so I 'trust' it more. I have never ordered a NEW camera just on the market as I prefer to have ratings and reviews to base it from but took a plunge and so far I'm almost convinced I will love this in the long run! If I were more familiar with it, it would probably be 5 star rating, but wanted to help out anyone just looking into it since I had no reviews to go on.
Displaying reviews 1-4