We knew they were coming, now Canon's
VIXIA family of HD camcorders is official. All the new VIXIA cams feature a Genuine Canon HD Video Lens, HD CMOS image sensor for Full HD 1920 x 1080 image capture, DIGIC DV II Impage Processor, Instant AutoFocus, and SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization. The HF10 (pictured above) main claim to fame is Dual Flash Memory -- it records to both 16GB of internal flash and removables SDHC cards. It features a 12x HD Video Lens, 3.3 Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor, 2.7-inch LCD, microphone terminal, 24p Cinema Mode, and 30p Progressive Mode once limited to pro-level camcorders for fast action events sporting events and the like. The HF100 model is pretty much the HF10 without the on-board flash. The HF10 dual flash and HF100 flash models should rollout in April for $1,099 and $899, respectively. A $999 HV30 model brings all the VIXIA goodness to MiniDV cassettes.
posted Jan 7th 2008 11:21AM
The HF10 specs sound great - except - for those of us who frequently prefer to use an eyepiece for recording. The new flash memory Canon cameras have none!
I have an HG 10, which has a great widescreen eyepiece. I'll keep that.
Of course! I just bought an HV20 last month! (and no, I couldn't wait, it was for a few events in December)
It's a minimal upgrade over the HV20, so I wouldn't worry.
If you just bought the HV20 then you took advantage of the discounting of the HV20 price. I doubt you'll find the HV20 for too much cheaper anyway, even with this new release.
Looks good, hope it plays nice with iMovie 08.
Sweet! Now I can finally make the plunge. I've been waiting for Cannon to get on with the flash goodness. More specs please!
I just read the specs and these machine have:
- Full HD lens-to-screen (ie 1920x1080 resolution for capture, recording and output)
- 17 Mbps AVCHD (which is about 50% higher bit-rate than other AVCHD camcorders)
So, they should be pretty good quality. I'm now thinking of buy one...
That HF100 without onboard flash sounds sweet. I'm envisioning recording everything to removable flash, then popping in the computer and editing directly from the flash memory without any transfer. Anyone see any problems with that sweet setup?
It won't be an easy choice between the Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and these, hope some reviews will come out soon.
Uncompressed HDMI out? (please please please)
Any 3 CCD models?
from what i could see on the spec sheet, it only supports 1080i via hdmi :/
that doesn't even make sense to me, but there it is.
Does it force users to do AVCHD? iMovie '08 doesn't process AVCHD with an iMac G5.
All of the specs are now available on the Canon USA website along with all of the other models in the series!
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=173
there is the direct link
Hmmm.... According to Canon's website, there's only minor improvements from the HG10 to the HF10. What isn't said on Canon's site is that the older HG10 had problems motion blurring and ghosting with AVCHD; so hopefully the HF10 fixes those problems. "We got it right THIS time" is never a catchy marketing sloan...
I'm liking the HF10. I'd also like to know if by 1920x1080 and FullHD, they mean 1080p or 1080i. Naturally, that, along with a 17 Mbps bit-rate, I'd assume 1080p, but the specs show 1080i output via HDMI (they don't even show 720p output, either), so I'm unclear. Maybe it records in 1080p but can't output the same via the HDMI port, which of course, would make no sense. Or maybe it's just a typo. I guess we'll know soon enough.
Oh, and lo and behold, it also has a headphone jack! Small detail, but it seems every manufacturer has been omitting this very useful feature from their camcorders as of late.
Wish the optical zoom was double, though. 10x and 12x is growing tired.
No, the continual emphasis on zoom is tired. The wide end of the zoom range is the far bigger problem with all consumer cameras, video and still. Yet consumers have the tele range rammed down their throats in marketing materials, but don't stop to think that most of the time they're shooting indoors or otherwise trying to fit MORE into the shot, not less.
I understand what you're trying to say, but try that argument with digital still P&S and SLR cameras. Who is anyone to determine how often people do and don't use zoom? Your words don't apply to everyone and for every moment. Maybe YOU feel the issue of zoom was crammed down your throat, but it wasn't crammed down mine. I want more zoom, and of course, I'm not the only one. Your comments reveal how YOU primarily use YOUR video camera. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with what you said, but you're trying to talk for everyone, instead of just yourself.
And quite frankly, the point ISN'T how often I'd be using zoom, the POINT is, that when I AM making use of it (even if I don't use it often), I want as much optical range as I can get. That allows for more flexibility.
The wide-end of the lens is a separate issue altogether.
I'm not an uneducated consumer or technology user, and the 10/12x *IS* tired. Just like the tired 3x zooms we always see on P&S cameras.
I'm sorry, I have to agree with the "zoom marketing" comment. It's well known that manuf. use the "big zoom numbers" to impress casual camcorder users. I NEVER use the max zoom on any of the camcorders I've had because they are usually "digital" zoom, and we KNOW how useless that is. If we're trying to get smaller and more compact, and yet have a wide range of OPTICAL zoom....I don't know. I guess if you're in the private eye or paparazzi business, you'll want a large zoom, but most of the time, we're shooting in tight quarters. I guess either way you go, you can add adapters for either end, but in the end, if it means keeping the whole package small, I don't need the long zoom, especially if it's digital zoom.
If I wanted a long zoom, I'd get the "white" Canon prosumer camcorders and then use my Canon 100-400L USM lens on it. Now THAT is a zoom!!!
Overall, I'm glad Canon has finally gone flash. I didn't want DVD or hard drive (have nightmares of being in the field and maxing out my HD with no place to unload!) so I'm ready to jump from tape to flash.
I just bought a HG-10, but after look at the spec's I think I will keep the HG-10 and order a VIXIA HF10 at like later on so I that I can can do home movies from two angles.
it states 30p and 24p....that means 1080p right
so im no the hippest when it comes to camcorder, but how does the HF10 fit 6 hours of hd onto 16GB while the HG10 fits about the same on its 40GB? Is it compressed better or whats going on?
I hear that flash based camcorders have poor video quality. Does anyone know if that is true for this camera?