Canon HG10 Ultra-Compact High Definition HDD Camcorder (10x Optical Zoom, 2.7" widescreen Multiangle Vivid LCD)

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

By Chris Gilroy

This Canon camcorder really is a quality piece of kit. I have used a Panasonic SD5, but would put the HG10 well above it in terms of build quality, features, and video output. Some reviewers have criticised the ergonomics but after using the Canon over a short period of time I find my hands seem automatically find the start stop button and that lovely zoom rocker - no other camcorder in this price range seems to have such a great zoom rocker.
I was a little concerned that camcorderinfo gave the 25p mode a bad right up and was keen to do my own assessment. I videoed a fast moving train travelling at about 60-70mph and played it back on the camcorders LCD - the shot looked absolutely smooth -non of the jerkyness that camcorderinfo reviewer reported. I then loaded this onto my computer and played it with WMP, sure enough it was jerky and the sound was broken . I then loaded it into Studio 11+ and played it in the monitor window - it was as smooth as silk. What is happening is that WMP is using Pinnacles codec for MT2 files badly. WMP cannot, on its own play Mt2 files and is borrowing the codec. I think the reviewer should have realised something like this was happening - he is after all an expert?
For about 90% of the time I'm sure I will use the camcorder in Auto mode, and so far I have been really impressed with its performance. I took a video of the inside of our house just moving from room to room and the shots are extremely impressive - the Panasonic could not match the Canon for low light performance. In average daylight the shots are fantastic - very sharp and good rich colour.
One of the main features I particulary like is the ability to shoot using the LCD or the viewfinder - how many camcorders have both. I find it much easier to hold a steady shot with the viewfinder, combine this with the excellent optical image stabalizer and your on to a winner.
Concerns regarding the resolution of 1440 x 1080 are being over played. the camcorder records at 1920 x 1080 but compresses to 1440. when played it fills the TV screen to full HD - its all about what you see on screen and you won't be disappointed. Despite the fact there are new models being introduced by all major manufacturers I decided to purchase the HG10 after extensive research - somehow Canon seem to have got it right with this one.

(5 out of 5)

Mac friendly Camcorder

I have always been a Sony man but I decided to buy this camcorder because it is very Mac friendly. I was able to import footage directly into iMovie 08 without any problems.
It is a HighDef AVCHD camcorder with a 40GB hard drive which can take from 5h 30m to 15h of recording depending on the recording mode. It also features a 3mp still camera function. It fits into the hand very nicely and comes with a wireless controller, USB cable, component cable, stereo video cable and shoulder strap.
Shooting is straightforward using the LCD screen whereas using the viewfinder is harder as it is small and if you wear spectacles, forget it. It features a Mic input port, a mini HDMI port, and a miniSD card port for still photos although a miniSD card is not included.
For Windows users, a Corel application is supplied along with Canon Backup software.

(5 out of 5)

hg10

This is a really good quality,quite a sophisticated camcorder.I usually use the xp-setting which gives me 9Mbps dataflow and minimum 7 hours recording time.Of course u can opt for Hxp setting for 15Mbps but if u do not have a bigger display than 32" u won't need to use it asits impossible to see the difference.Positive : Really superb pict quality,min 1H battery life,easy-to-use,great features,quiet operation. Negative: little heavy,could be smaller,electronic lens cover.

(4 out of 5)

Very usable and great image quality

I got this as a more portable alternative to my Canon XH-A1. It's small but solid (feels very well built) and very easy to use. I'm especially pleased with the excellent viewfinder, which I often prefer to the LCD (which is itself pretty good), and the 3.5mm external mic connector (uncommon on consumer camcorders).

Image quality is excellent, and there's a high degree of control. I'd give this 5 stars but for 2 shortcomings: first, I always prefer to have a complete manual control option (goes back to my still photo days). Although you do have a lot of flexibility, there is no pure manual control of exposure. Second, I still have some reservations about the hard disk/AVCHD approach. It means you have to start thinking about how to archive footage, and it's not as easy to edit. Longer term, I expect some development of cards to be the way to go

Note for Mac users (includes me): do *not* buy this if you have a PPC Mac. Editing software doesn't support AVCHD on non-Intel Macs

(5 out of 5)

Vista 64bit Compatible

Excellent camcorder, though heavy on the batteries.

This camcorder is windows vista 64bit compatible, it appears as a usb drive letter. Software that comes with it is also 64bit compatible. I was going to purchase the Sony HDR-SR5E , but sony do not support vista 64bit.

Does not include minisd card or HDMI cable (mini hdmi to hdmi)