Home Videos Never Looked SO GOOD!

Already got the check in the “big screen HD TV” box last Christmas? Well, that probably puts you in the market for a new camcorder. If that is the case then the Vixia HF100 is definitely worth taking a look at. For starters, it provides high definition recording at a price that won’t break the bank. As of this posting, the camcorder can be had for under $700 from reputable online merchants. This represents a significant discount from the price that early adopters faced just a year or two ago. Today’s high definition camcorders will shoot the same great video, with more options, than the Sony models that were introduced as the world’s first consumer HD camcorders a couple years ago.

My favorite features

AVCHD Flash Memory

The use of flash memory for camcorders is going to revolutionize the industry in much the same way that hard drives did a couple years back. The obvious advantage of flash memory is that owners can upgrade their memory capacity as memory prices fall. Purchase of a hard-drive-only camcorder limits the capacity permanently. Models that have both hard drive and upgradeable flash memory are nice, however the buyer is still paying current prices for hard drive memory that could be cheaper to purchase as flash memory at a later date. Thus, the Vixia HF100 utilizes the most value conscious form of recording media.

Full HD Lens-to Screen (1920 x 1080 Capture and Recording)

Even some past camcorders that claimed to be HD are incapable of actually recording in HD. The footage may originally be shot in HD, but once the footage is transferred it is downgraded. This was primarily due to the amount of memory that is required to record in full HD. Now that SDHC cards have gotten large enough the new generation of HD camcorders can actually capture and record in full 1920 X 1080 resolution that everyone has come to recognize as true HD.

Canon Exclusive: SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization

Stabilization features are not groundbreaking, but I have found that the Vixia’s stabilization software is particularly good. I have shot some footage from my vehicle that would normally be quite erratic, but the Vixia footage was rock solid.

Canon Exclusive: 2.7" Multi-Angle Vivid Widescreen LCD

In conjunction with the HD footage it is an absolute necessity to have a viewfinder that allows users to review footage in the proper aspect ratio. This feature is nearly universal amongst the current crop of HD camcorders, but it still makes my list as a feature that must be included in any HD camcorder model.

24p Cinema Mode

This feature is somewhat unique, and I have yet to fully perfect its use, but Canon touts it as a really cool special effect that produces a more cinematic impression. I shoot primarily family home videos, but I am interested in messing around with fun new effects and this one caught my interest when I was shopping.

Conclusion

I have owned the Canon Vixia HF100 for a couple weeks now and have been very pleased with its overall performance. The camcorder is small enough to not get heavy with extended use, however feels heavy and sturdy enough to avoid the “cheap plastic feel”. I have had no reliability issues thus far and am confident that the lack of moving parts should keep the camera in working condition for years to come. My purchase of the Vixia followed a couple months of in-depth investigation on my part. The purchase decision came down to the following 3 key issues: price,
storage media, and picture quality.

Price: The latest Sony creations offer virtually the same options but are priced a couple hundred dollars more. It seems that Sony in satisfied to gobble up the $999 crowd and continues to price virtually every new year’s model at that pricepoint.

Storage media: SDHC cards are getting bigger and bigger. In my opinion there is no better media to record on. Most consumers have become familiar with this type of storage with their digital cameras, and now that the capacity has increased enough to accommodate video there should be a corresponding increase popularity.

Picture Quality: For me, there was absolutely no question that I was going to purchase an HD camcorder when my old SD one went bad. I was not about to fork over $300 for a low-def camera when $600 would get me one that would look good on my HD tv.

**Be sure and let me know if there are any questions you think of or ways that I can improve this review. I am always looking to share my buying experiences.**
-JB