 |
| Date Reviewed: 01/26/2008 |
|
Strengths: Picture quality; storage capacity; quiet hard drive; compact; GREAT, simple controls; good zoom; size (form factor); ergonomics; viewfinder
Weaknesses: Included software is very basic; audio is not the best; poor LED video light
Summary: 2008-02-09 09:02:11 Let me start by saying that I am not easily impressed, and I have often regretted major technology purchases. So this time, I decided to thoroughly research my digital camcorder choices, mainly at www.camcorderinfo.com.... After about two weeks of reading articles and reviews on the web of both standard and high-def hard drive camcorders, I decided on the HG10, and I am glad I did! No regrets this time, even with the advent of new models following the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2008!
.
The Canon HG10 is very easy to use in full auto mode, but also has some great manual controls. When compared to its main hard drive-based competition from Sony, JVC, and Panasonic, the HG10 holds many advantages, such as its superior image quality (even in low light), image stabilization, controls (zoom rocker, LCD-mounted multi-function wheel/D-pad), features (accessory hot shoe), and no real shortcomings. When researching different models, each one seemed to have some minor or major shortcoming: JVC camcorders tend to have poor image stabilization; Sony's are pricey and have relatively poor low light performance; and Panasonic's have awkward port layout and poor low light performance.
.
If you're in the market for a high def camcorder that does not use miniDV tapes, then your only options -- hard drive or flash-based recorders -- rely on AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) encoding. The drawbacks with AVCHD are slightly worse image quality and more complicated video editing than HDV, the rival high def (HD) encoding standard used by tape-based HD camcorders. So let's address each concern:
.
1) Video Quality: Whereas most AVCHD recorders have problems with "tailing" (ghostly after-images like you might see when you move your mouse pointer very quickly on a dark background) and extremely grainy low-light video quality. The HG10 is really the first (and currently the only) AVCHD camera that does not suffer these drawbacks. This was probably the single biggest deciding factor that swayed me to the HG10.
.
2) Complex Video Editing: In my research, I determined the best software for AVCHD video editing was Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus (UVS11+). This and Nero 7 or 8 are the only two software packages out there with the ability to edit AVCHD and that don't demand a quad-core super-duper-mega-expensive computer to run the software. My humble 2.5-year-old computer needs all the help it can get, so it was important for me to get software that didn't require a brand new computer. I did, however, go ahead and upgrade to 2 GB of memory (RAM). The Ulead software is more advanced than the Nero Vision editing software. While neither is as full-featured as Pinnacle Studio or Sony Vegas (which I have read will only work with Sony camcorders), both Nero and UVS11+ are far easier to use and (as previously stated) don't require a super-high-end computer. Note that Adobe Premiere is currently unable to edit AVCHD in its native format; instead, it downconverts AVCHD to standard definition.
.
What about ergonomics? My wife and I both find the ergonomics with the HG10 to be excellent. I have pretty big hands, so it took me a while to adjust to using such a small camcorder, but the button and zoom rocker placements are perfect. I do wish the record start/stop button wasn't shaped like a cat's iris, but oh well, no big deal. The viewfinder is a very nice addition which many other camcorders in this price range do not offer. Note that the viewfinder extends about 1.5 inches, too.
.
Speaking of extending the viewfinder... when the viewfinder is extended, it exposes the edge of the accessory hot shoe cover, a very nice bonus, especially when taking into account the not-so-great integrated video light and microphone. Between the two, the light is the worse performer, but I don't find myself needing a better light source because of the excellent video quality, even in low light situations. The audio quality from the integrated microphone is not the greatest, but it's livable. At this point, I don't plan to buy an accessory microphone, but if I change my mind, the camera will accept one using the hot shoe. Note, by the way, that the integrated still image flash is quite good. The still image quality is also pretty good, but not as good as what you'll get from most still cameras (digital or film).
.
Overall, the HG10 offers excellent image quality, great optical image stabilization, advanced manual controls, an accessory hot shoe, and good ergonomics in a small, lightweight package. Its shortcomings are few -- weak integrated microphone and LED video light, complex AVCHD video editing -- but these shortcomings can be overcome by adding accessories and by improved video editing software, which inevitably will come. I and -- more importantly -- my wife are very happy with our purchase.
 100% of People (64/64) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 01/02/2008 |
|
Strengths: Instant auto focus and excellent image quality. Superb optics and colors. Usability (handling) is great. 60i is very good for overall use.
Weaknesses: 24p mode is of limited use. Good to have multiple playlist options.
Summary: HG10 appears to strike a balance between picture quality and ease of use. 2. 60i is very good for overall use (day light, sports, trip videos, fast moving scenes, etc.,). Got mixed results on 24p (Found this mode useful only in limited occasions with no pan or little object movement. 24p is ideal for conversations, presentations, and low-light indoor shots where the combined picture quality of 24p+cinemode is outstanding!!). Given that no other consumer AVCHD camcorder has 24P feature, I consider even the *limited use* 24p mode in HG10 as a bonus feature on top of superb 60i. Data transfer between HG10 and PC using the USB adapter is very fast (1GB transfer takers ~1 min). Like the zoom rocker and LCD dialer controls. Attached battery is good for 75-100 mins under normal use. An extra battey is worth having in long trips. Include software is good enough for basic opertations such as clip backup, and play. Check out Ulead Video Studio 11+ or Pinnacle if need advanced editing using a modern PC (Core 2 Duo 2Ghz+video card with HD decode support).
100% of People (4/4) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 12/27/2007 |
|
Strengths: strong, high quality and easy to use.
Weaknesses: size is a little bit big compared to SONY similar product.
can't use my Apple Mac to download movies from it, but still pictures are fine.
Summary: Good quality, we dropped our HG10 2 times, it still works great. The 2.8MG still image camera is fantastic, better than my 5MG Olympus camera. pictures' colors are very bright and beautiful. Anyway, I love my HG10.
100% of People (4/4) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 01/03/2008 |
|
Strengths: 1. exceptional clarity
2. lightweight and compact
3. hi definition
Weaknesses: battery life could be better
Summary: I bought this item to replace my canon elura and the difference in picture quality proved to be spectacular. The image is clear and crisp, stereo sound and image stabilization are among the top qualities a home user will love about this item. The screen is huge and vivid. Response time from start to shoot is about a couple of seconds. Battery time a average. And since it has 40G of hard drive space, recording without tapes is so so much easier and fun. I don't have to rewind/ff anymore to get to my recorded scenes. This is definitely a great buy for me--in terms of picture quality, and value in terms of the price I paid and money saved from not having to buy any more tapes. So if you are in the market for a hi definition home camcorder, definitely consider this. You wont regret.
100% of People (2/2) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 06/25/2008 |
|
Strengths: Excellent Camera and very good service from Click for Digital
Weaknesses: Done for camcorder
Summary: Have used this camcorder and am very pleased with how easy it is to use and the quality of the pictures and sound is excellent. Have my dogs running at full speed and there is no blur or camera movement.
100% of People (1/1) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 01/14/2008 |
|
Strengths: Excellent picture quality, easy to operate, very handy. Hard drive protection technology is awesome.
Weaknesses: Softwares are not sufficient. A very powerful computer is needed to operate especially graphic card and CPU.
Summary: Canon DVD Burner DW-100 would be an excellent complement which will show up on may 2008. Overall HDD Canon camcorders are better than the Sony equivalents. Corel softwares needs improvement. It takes so long time to convert AVCHD to DVD.
100% of People (1/1) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 12/27/2007 |
|
Strengths: Ease of handling, excellent LCD screen, good battery life, low light performance and excellent image quality.
Weaknesses: Control switches small.
Summary: This product is very well done. Either the eyepiece or the LCD screen is easy to use. The overall size is convenient to a large pocket or purse. The low light operation is excellent and the faithfulness of the images remarkable. Considering it has HD the price makes it a very good value.
100% of People (1/1) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 12/26/2007 |
|
Strengths: Excellent video and still quality, good price ($300 less than main competitor), lightweight
Weaknesses: avchd format is complicated to learn for novice users, can't save stills to HDD, doesnt come with HDMI cable.
Summary: I bought this camcorder for capturing my first baby's precious moments. Edged out Sony HDR-SR7 by price. I was put off by Sony's products and accessories. So far I am very pleased. It took me a while to get used to this new format and all associated software. I had to search through the internet for days to find good guidance on the format and software. Took some footage of Christmas lights and came out good on both computer and HDTV. Will definitely recommend this to friends
100% of People (1/1) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 12/21/2007 |
|
Strengths: -Good video quality.
-Hard Disk based but really quiet.
-Easy interface with TV and computers
-Corel software that comes with HG10 is easy to work with.
-Satisfied with the sound.
Weaknesses: -Ergonomics/controls - OK, but not the best. The mode button and the start stop function could be better. Strongly recommend anyone thinking of buying HG10 to go to a store and feel the controls.
Summary: I was looking for a good HD quality camcorder and I am happy with this camcorder. I have not tried half the features on the camcorder or the software. Recording at low light is OK, might end up buying canon video light. Buying this camcorder from Amazon was a pleasant experience. I need to stock up on Batteries and perhaps battery charger.
100% of People (1/1) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 12/09/2007 |
|
Strengths: Crystal clear video; good low light performance; good sound.
Weaknesses: We must buy loks more disk!
Summary: This is our first high-def videocam and our first hard disk camera. We're very happy with our initial impressions. My husband used the camera to record our son's madrigal concert in low light and it produced nice clear images and very good sound. It's quite light for what it does. Easy to handle. Many, though not all, of the controls are intuitive. The feature where you can choose a frame of vide to become a still picture is very cool. Called Canon customer service to clarify a usage question and they were very helpful. All in all, very satisfied with out purchase. Only downside is the SIZE of HD recordings. Time to investigate terabyte drives.
92% of People (11/12) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 02/06/2008 |
|
Strengths: Very Easy Too Use and Downloading onto Computer was Fast and Easy
Weaknesses: Must be careful not to drop the camera as you could lose hours of material.
Summary: 2008-02-22 16:33:35 I found the HG10 superior to any other video camera I have owned. My last Sony Camera was a $5000 Semi-Pro model, but was bulky and not so easy to operate. This camera has an extensive manual, but is very simple to use. The low light capability and picture quality are amazing. I like the fact that I don't have to carry tapes with me everywhere I go and don't lose important shots when I have to change tapes. It downloads quick and easy to my laptop computer. Holding over 11 hours of material on the hard disk is fantastic. The only problem is that if you drop the camera, you could lose hours of material on the hard drive. I don't know how Canon will deal with this problem in the future. So far it hasn't happened to me, but the possibility still exists. Also I have purchase a 500 GB external Hard Drive to hold all the material I plan to shot with this camera. My laptop only has a 40GB Hard Drive the same as the camera. So this is something else you should think about.
80% of People (4/5) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 01/02/2008 |
|
Strengths: AF works great. Menus are easy to manuever in/out of. Awesome image quality.
Weaknesses: Battery life. I am happy that the batteries for my Digital Rebel XT work for the HG10 as well.
Summary: Overall I am very pleased with the HG10. I have not played with the downloading/editing yet but will soon. I love the fact that I don't have to worry about changing tapes or DVDs, it worked out well for the holiday season and continuous shooting.
75% of People (3/4) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 12/21/2007 |
|
Strengths: Size, weight, ease of use, surprisingly good in low light, stabilization, excellent picture
Weaknesses: Can't store video on extra card
Summary: This is the first digital camcorder I've owned. I am impressed by the quality and ease of use. The HD digital is light years from my old analog High8 camera. I am amazed at how clear it records in dim lighting -- which was always a problem in analog. The stabilization is also impressive, as usually hand-held home video will give you a headache when viewing. I have to get used to the sensitivity of the start/stop recording button, as sometimes, I have hit it thinking it was off, but instead it had been on, so then I lost the shot. I am sure this has many bells & whistles that I don't even know about yet. We purchased the high end filters, which not only protect the lens, but improve the picture. Carrying extra batteries is a must when on any trip or extended shooting day.
67% of People (2/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 10/09/2008 |
|
Strengths: HD recording, size, auto focus,color depth,
Weaknesses: poor audio, corel software CD missing in purchased pack,
Summary: 2008-10-11 19:55:20 i was planning to purchase a SD camcorder but i was very much impressed to sony SR5 and SR11, when going through the user's reviews in cnet.com and in Pricegraber.com i was chosen canon HG10, I hv purchased the camcorder online,when i received the HG10, it is the far better while comparing with SR5, so i was happy to shoot everything, but while transferring the video to DVD, the software supplied was missing in the pack, so i was helpless to write in DVD and share with friends and relatives, where to download the corel dvdwriter software is million $ question, if any one know the site for free download kindly inform
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: 02/03/2008 |
|
Strengths: Excellent video quality; 1080 24p Mode; handling;
Weaknesses: Weight; can't store still pictures in HD;
Summary: I did a lot of research on HD camcorders before I bought this. The final list went down to Sony HDR-CX7 and Canon HG10. I made the decision because of the longer recording time of HG10. Actually this decision didn't disappoint me. Till now I have shot 5 hours 1080i videos and about 30 minutes 1080p videos. I have to say 1080i is good enough for normal customers and did perform better than the 1080p mode. There are noticable distortions of the pictures in 1080p mode when the objects are moving fast. All the controls are intuitive and comfortable to handle. You can control all the recording functions using just one hand. The downside of this camcorder is that a miniSD card is necessary to take still photos even it has a large harddisk. HG10 is not as light as Sony CX7. You may feel tired if you hold it for more than 20 minutes. Anyway, it is cheaper and has bigger storage capacity than CX7, and most importantly, it has better picture quality. Overall, I am very satisfied with this excellent HD camera.
There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.
|
|
|
Report this as 
