Canon Vixia HF10
Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 2573B001
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Canon's first flash-based camcorder, the Canon Vixia HF10, delivers excellent HD video quality and performance in a tiny package.
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CNET editors' review
Canon Vixia HF10 price range: $499.99 - $669.37
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 03/03/2008
- Released on: 04/08/2008
The good: Excellent video quality; fast focus; compact, attractive, and comfortable design.
The bad: Wind filter not as dependable as previous Canon models; manual focus pretty useless.
The bottom line: Canon's first flash-based camcorder, the Canon Vixia HF10, delivers excellent HD video quality and performance in a tiny package.
Canon may not have been first out of the gate with a flash-based camcorder--or second, or third--but its debut model, the high-definition Vixia HF10, gets it right the first time. A sleek, black compact model with a well-rounded feature set, great video, and excellent performance, the HF10 definitely deserves a spot on your short list of potential home-movie camcorders.
The petite HF10 weighs 15.1 ounces with SD card and battery and measures 2.9 by 2.5 by 5.1 inches--small and light enough to fit into a large jacket pocket, which is about as good as it gets on the horizontal designs. That's a hair smaller than its main competitor, the Sony Handycam HDR-CX7 and significantly more compact than its cousins, the hard-disk-based Vixia HG10 or tape-based Vixia HV30. The plastic body feels quite solid, too.
Fortunately, the HF10 doesn't seem to suffer from the usability issues that usually accompany shrinkage. The controls remain large and easy to operate, though Canon has relocated many of them. The Function button and joystick, which call up and navigate frequently needed shooting settings, now live on the LCD bezel. I'm not a big fan of designs that do this, mostly because I find it more difficult to simultaneously operate the controls and hold the camera steady when they're on the LCD than when they lie under my right thumb. In addition, manually focusing with the joystick on the camcorder's smallish 2.7-inch LCD can be a pain, regardless of the zoom-view focus assist. (For more on the design, click through to this slide show.)
The HF10 incorporates 16GB built-in flash memory and a slot for SDHC removable flash. (Its less-expensive little brother, the HF100, lacks only the built-in memory and comes in a more mundane silver.) It records AVCHD video at a maximum of 17 megabits per second (2 hours and 5 minutes of video), and can hold up to 6 hours and 5 minutes of video at the lowest bit rate of 5Mbps. That higher bit rate goes to support the full 1,920x1,080 capture, the norm for most of this year's new models, compared with 1,440x1,080 for older AVCHD camcorders that required only a 12Mbps maximum bit rate. You can record best-quality movies to the card as long as it's a Class 4 SDHC or better (Class 6 is currently fastest): the Class 4 16GB Kingston card I tested with worked fine.
Its optically stabilized f1.8-3.0 12X zoom lens has a longer reach than the typical 10x lens available in this class, but the rest of its features are pretty common in Canon's prosumer models. For video, these include aperture- and shutter-priority exposure modes, three fixed/one variable zoom speed options, a video light, Instant AF, and a wind-screen filter. You can also record in progressive 30 or 24 frames-per-second (fps) modes as well as 60i. For still photos, metering, flash, and burst and exposure bracketing options become available as well. The camcorder also supplies a complete set of ports and connectors: component or mini-HDMI out for direct-to-TV playback, mini headphone and mic jacks, and USB for downloading to computer. (You can find a complete list of the features in the product manual available via this PDF download.)
The new lens performs surprisingly well. Not only does the SuperRange optical image stabilization system work satisfactorily all the way out to the end, but the lens focuses quickly and holds the lock in both dim and bright conditions. Images look sharp, too. On the downside, high-contrast edges show more fringing than usual. The stereo microphone sits beneath the lens and generally delivers good audio quality. However, in recent models Canon changed the wind filter option from a forced-on to automatic, and ever since I've found it far less effective.
As is usual with compact designs, Canon provides a new 890mAh battery with the HF10, the BP-809, which is rated for about 55 minutes of typical recording time. The company offers an optional double-capacity battery, the BP-819. The larger battery likely ruins the svelte lines of the camcorder design, however.
Though the HF10 incorporates a smaller, 1/3.2-inch 3.3-megapixel CMOS sensor than the HV30 and the CX7, the video still looks quite good: properly exposed, nicely saturated, and sharp. As expected, in low light the video displays more noise and a somewhat compressed tonal range, but retains a significant amount of detail and fares above average compared with the rest of its class.
An excellent choice for flash-based HD recording, the HF10 gives the CX7 a close run for the money, and it is a clear champion if you don't like the Sony's touch-screen interface. But then the real question becomes which model is the better deal--the Vixia HF10 or the HF100. The cost difference between the two exactly reflects the current price of 16GB of flash memory, which makes it tempting to recommend buying the cheaper model and springing for an additional card when the prices inevitably fall (or paying the same for a larger card, when they inevitably ship) later in the year. On the other hand, the HF10's black body is so much more attractive than the HF100's silver. Decisions, decisions.
User reviews
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Great for Macintosh Users
by boeingmd82 on June 30, 2008
Pros: Really nice video, good manual settings, great image stabilizer!
Cons: AVCHD format limits editing options for Windows users, no eye level viewfinder, no HDMI cable
Summary: The Canon Vixia HF10 is simply a great camcorder for taking great looking video wherever you find yourself. It's very small and easily be slipped into a large pocket. ...
Summary: The Canon Vixia HF10 is simply a great camcorder for taking great looking video wherever you find yourself. It's very small and easily be slipped into a large pocket. It has a great lens and lots of manual controls, if you're into that. I does not have an adjustment wheel or roller for the manual controls, joystick only, but the interface is intuitive and friendly. For Intel based Macintoshes (Apple does not support AVCHD on PPC Macs), you probably already have what you need to edit the footage from this camera. iMovie '08 will import the footage and convert it to Apple Intermediate Codec so you can edit the footage on the timeline and make Quicktime movies to share on the .mac web gallery, Youtube, AppleTV (720p24 even) etc. The newest versions of Final Cut Express and Final Cut pro (Pro Res 422) also supports AVCHD. PC options are more limited and not as elegant, but they are out there, by all means avoid the bundled software. The HF10 does not record in SD resolutions, so if you're just looking for a cool Youtube camcorder or you're going to be burning your projects to a DVD, you should consider a DV (tape) camcorder or an SD HDD / Flash model that records in Mpeg-2, you'll be much happier. The 16GB built-in storage is nice, but limited. If you're the type of person that likes to shoot video and hook it up to your TV to share and just likes to keep the video on the camcorder, you'll run out of space fast, definitely consider the spacious Sony HDR-SR11. The unit is expandable via SD HC cards, I would recommend getting the fastest ones you can, the bitrate for the best HD video on this camcorder is 17Mbs and you'll need one that can keep up.
17 out of 17 users found this user opinion helpful.
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IMPRESSIVE
by beta2007 on April 29, 2008
Pros: Size, style, video clarity
Cons: Battery life, no wall mounted battery charger included
Summary: An extremely impressive camera both in size and capability. The HD clarity is awesome. Packs a large punch considering how small it is. I was however dumbfounded to find that ...
Summary: An extremely impressive camera both in size and capability. The HD clarity is awesome. Packs a large punch considering how small it is. I was however dumbfounded to find that the only way to charge the one battery it comes with is by plugging in the whole camera with battery attached. One would think that for nearly $1000 you would also get a independent, wall plug, battery charger. Once charged, the battery life is a little on the low end. I ended up ponying up an additional $300 for NEEDED accesories. For example: charger (~$70), two batteries (~$90 ea), and a couple SDHC memmory cards (~$50 for 8GB and $80 for 16 GB). I would certainly do again, all things considered, because when it comes to HD in a small package, you're not going to find much better. ENJOY!
14 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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If looking for a progressive camcorder this is not it!
by dominicsotirescu on August 27, 2008
Pros: Nice finish
Cons: Frame rates 30P and 24P (P stands for progressive) are converted to 60i interlaced according to Canon's own support.
All video shows strong signs of interlacing.
The dynamic range is below average.
Manual focusing impossible to use with a joystick.Summary: The bottom line is Canon should not hide this information (interlaced camcorder) from potential buyers on page 121 of their manual, in small print.
Your review makes the same mistake, ...Summary: The bottom line is Canon should not hide this information (interlaced camcorder) from potential buyers on page 121 of their manual, in small print.
Your review makes the same mistake, mentions progressive 30P and 24P modes when both formats are converted by the camera to interlaced 60i right before recording.12 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Wooow No Moving Parts
by JackTheBearTexas on August 25, 2008
Pros: Really fine video
Cons: No view finder
Summary: Would have given this a 10 plus if it had a view finder, but then I guess that would take more parts and space. Did a lot of research before ...
Summary: Would have given this a 10 plus if it had a view finder, but then I guess that would take more parts and space. Did a lot of research before I replaced my expired Sony TR 350 - It died after 6 years - a mechanical failure - too expensive to repair - so I went on the hunt. This camera does the AVCHD codec - I process this with Ulead Video Studio and output to an ordinary DVD. Played the DVD in a Panasonic DMP-BD30K in an electronics store and those viewing were really impressed as was I. The HF10 has enough memory to capture more than 5 hrs without going to SD Card. More than enough for anything I will ever need it for. SDHC cards are getting cheaper everyday - I got an 8 gig at Frys for $29! Will also get a 819 battery for back up. Oh, don't forget to buy a nice sturdy monopod for this camera as it is a light weight. Your videos will look like a pro shot them. I don't think you can beat this little jewel for the price and the quality.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent overall camcorder
by rogeridaho on May 12, 2008
Pros: Easy easy easy to use, excellent picture, excellent sound
Cons: Difficult to achieve steady picture/can't record to internal and external flash at the same time.
Summary: Love the picture! Love using SD cards. Can't record to internal and external flash at the same time may not be a big deal to most users. Still new ...
Summary: Love the picture! Love using SD cards. Can't record to internal and external flash at the same time may not be a big deal to most users. Still new to this camera so have not tried 24p/30p modes. Thought lack of a firewire port would be problematic but runs fine on USB2.0.
Didn't waste my time on bundled software. FCE log and transfer feature works fine, but will crash once in a while.
Edius will edit AVCHD files converted to .avi (conversion software provided by Edius)3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Buy
by grazlo on May 12, 2008
Pros: Size, Video Quality
Cons: Wind filter - not great
Summary: I bought this camera to replace my 7-year old miniDV camera that eats tapes. 16GB of internal flash memory is great - about 2 hours of 1080p video. I only ...
Summary: I bought this camera to replace my 7-year old miniDV camera that eats tapes. 16GB of internal flash memory is great - about 2 hours of 1080p video. I only really record family video in chunks of 30 - 45 minutes anyway. I may go the full 2 hours at a time when my new baby arrives in a month.
Video quality is superb. Saves as m2ts, uses h.264. The software is intuitive. You don't need much instruction to figure it out. I just use it to view and download the video to my PC. The viewer is great. I don't know what it does, but it allows me to view the video seemlessly while mp classic and vlc cannot, even with the most updated codecs. (My PC generally has a hard time with 1080p, but freezes completely when I try to play video fromthis camera). Downloading the video is easy. I'm not concerned with editing my video yet, so I can't give any review on that. I'm just archiving it for when I get a more powerful PC.
The size is great. Decent size LCD screen and the thumb toggle stick isn't really a nuissance.
CONS
- The wind filter is not great
- There is no viewfinder. You have to record with the LCD open. That takes more life fromthe battery. I haven't had a new camer in 7 years, so I don't know if this is standard or not these days.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great video in a small package
by sakenu16 on July 7, 2008
Pros: Video quality, clarity, hd capabilities,
Cons: software, battery life
Summary: Overall, this camera is great. The quality and clarity of the video is great. Since the camera uses flash video, the size and weight of the camera are amazingly small ...
Summary: Overall, this camera is great. The quality and clarity of the video is great. Since the camera uses flash video, the size and weight of the camera are amazingly small and light.
Software could definetly be better. At times the video can be choppy, but I suggest to upgrade the software with the latest service pack or patch. The battery that is included with the camera is unappealing since it only tends to last about an hour. You may want to get BP819 battery.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Started out wonderfully, ended up dreadfully.
by stan coutant on May 12, 2009
Pros: Beautiful videos, great audio... at first.
Cons: After just over a hundred videos, the HF10 stopped transferring to the computer. Archiving also failed. Camera was returned to Canon, which deemed it defective, and a replacement was authorized. The replacement failed right out of the box.
Summary: We bought the Vixia HF10 new in April of 2008, and took it with us on vacation, where it produced 79 sterling videos. After returning home, we continued to use ...
Summary: We bought the Vixia HF10 new in April of 2008, and took it with us on vacation, where it produced 79 sterling videos. After returning home, we continued to use it, and it performed well until just over 100 movies were made. Then the camera stopped transferring videos to the computer. (Stills continued to transfer just fine.) We returned the camera to the point of purchase, where it would not even mount on their computers. (It still mounted on our computer, but would not transfer videos.) Canon authorized an exchange, which arrived in just over a week. But right out of the box the replacement camcorder could not transfer video. It still mounted on the computer, and we could review the movie on the computer, but it would not transfer from the camera to the computer. Again our attempts at archiving failed. Our computer is a Mac Pro running OS X Leopard. Application is Apple's iMovie. Stills were retrieved with iPhoto, which never failed. (Only videos in iMovie were unsuccessful, and only after more than a hundred videos had been successfully transferred.) Sadly two brand-new Canon Vixia cameras obtained at a "big box" outlet failed miserably. I am almost fanatical about wearing the wrist strap, being careful to not jostle the camera, never leaving it in the sun, and so forth. I am 66 years old and have always taken good care of my things, so this was definitely not a case of rough handling, dropping, et cetera. For example, I still have and continue to use an older Kodak EasyShare DX6490 that has never given a bit of trouble. Unfortunately my confidence in Canon cameras has been ruined. Thanks for reading.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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WOW! what a picture! It's totally wonderful
by zahmbee on May 10, 2009
Pros: The Vixia HF 10 is the best video camera I've ever owned. The controls are easy to use, the screen is clear and crisp, and the sound is clean. I'm surprised at the quality for the price.
Cons: The software is pretty useless. I use Sony Vegas 9.0 for extracting and editing. The junko Image Mixer 3 software that comes bundled in an unfriendly user experience.
Summary: The Vixia HF 10 is the best video camera I've ever owned. The controls are easy to use, the screen is clear and crisp, and the sound is clean. ...
Summary: The Vixia HF 10 is the best video camera I've ever owned. The controls are easy to use, the screen is clear and crisp, and the sound is clean. I'm surprised at the quality for the price. I took video at a party that was loaded with florescent lights and I had no noticeable color shift. Everything looked clean and clear even using the auto focus feature. I mean this thing locks in perfectly on the subject matter. The new AVCHD format is wonderful. I like the fact that the camera has the option to use a SD card. I am also impressed that it takes still shots that I can actually look at without cringing. Back in December I purchased the Sony DCR-SR45 and it was a bad choice for me. I ended up giving it to my 13 year old. I'm not slamming the SR45 because it was never meant to compete at the HD level. It just fell short of my personal expectations. Canon could have gone cheap with features but they kept the quality factor in. They managed to give you an external mic jack and a headphone out. This flash based video camera is an excellent value and it delivers exactly what they promised, and more.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice optics, battery implementation is an afterthought
by skids929 on December 3, 2008
Pros: nice form-factor, and good HD quality video. Flash memory is great for camcorders
Cons: incredibly poor battery life
in-camera charging is totally inconvenient
slow charge time, takes well over an hour to recharge the standard battery
no external charger included, and it is an expensive accessory.Summary: Incredibly slow in-camera charging at $700 price-point? A short battery-life of 60 minutes at best? External charger a $70 accessory? This is a critical component of any camera, and Canon ...
Summary: Incredibly slow in-camera charging at $700 price-point? A short battery-life of 60 minutes at best? External charger a $70 accessory? This is a critical component of any camera, and Canon falls way short on battery implementation.
HD picture quality is nice, form-factor is nice, overall nice camera, with great optics. But think twice before about any good deals you find on this because it doesn't include and external charger, battery has to be charged in camera which is incredibly slow and inconvenient. Luckily they do make an external charger which is faster, but it is expensive.!
Take into consideration that this camera has a couple of accessories you will need to get:
1) extra battery approximately 60 dollars
2) external charger approximately 70 dollars
3) sdhc memory card approximately 70 dollars
So try and get this camera for as low a price as you can and be prepared to add some money to that price. Not sure what canon was thinking with the battery design on this camera, but it clearly falls short. Doesn't last long (60 minutes if you are lucky), and then charging is incredibly slow and inconvenient in-camera. I can understand a battery being an accessory, but the external charged should be included. Although the camera might be nice, it's quite useless without good power and overall battery implementation, because when it is sitting on the counter-top moonlighting as a charger instead of a camera you might miss that precious moment. Sorry Canon you missed the mark here in a critical area.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon USA
- Part number: 2573B001
- Description: With the light, compact Canon VIXIA HF10, you can have stunning AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) format recording with the ease and numerous benefits of flash memory. It's used in some of the world's most innovative electronic products such as laptop computers, MP3 players, PDAs and cell phones. Canon offers the best in flash memory with dual flash memory-record to both the camcorder's 16 GB internal memory and a removable SDHC card, extending your available recording space and offering added flexibility in file transfer and playback. Add to that the VIXIA HF10's Canon exclusive features such as Canon's own 3.3 Megapixel Full HD CMOS Sensor and advanced DIGIC DV II Image Processor, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization, Instant Auto Focus, Canon's 2.7" Widescreen Multi-Angle Vivid LCD and the Genuine Canon 12x HD video zoom lens and you have a flash memory camcorder that's hard to beat and unmistakably Canon.
General
- Product Type Camcorder - 1080p
- Digital Zoom 200 x
- Optical Sensor Size 1/3.2"
- Optical Sensor Type CMOS
- Digital Video Format AVCHD
- Image Stabilizer Optical (SuperRange)
- Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
- Shooting Modes Digital photo mode
- Shooting Programs Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Spotlight, Night mode, Sports mode, Portrait mode
- White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Shade, Cloudy, Daylight, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (warm white)
- Exposure Modes Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
Main Features
- Camcorder Sensor Resolution 3.3 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Video Resolution 2.07 megapixels
- Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 2.76 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Still Image Format JPEG
- Remote Control Camcorder remote control - Infrared
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory 16 GB Flash - Integrated (soldered memory - 16 GB )
- Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 1920 x 1440
- Media Type Flash card
- Recording Speed LP, SP, XP, XP+
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 4.8 mm - 57 mm - F/1.8-3.0
- Focal Length 4.8 mm - 57 mm
- Lens Aperture F/1.8-3.0
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 9
- Optical Zoom 12 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Min focal length 4.8 mm
- Max focal length 57 mm
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Features Built-in lens shield
- Filter Size 37 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Min Focus Range 0.4 in
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Digital Still Camera Function Yes
- Additional Features 24p Cinema Mode, Histogram display, PictBridge support, USB 2.0 compatibility, RGB primary color filter, Takes photos while movie recording, Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording
- Remote control Camcorder remote control - Infrared
- Software PIXELA Image Mixer, Drivers & Utilities
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.7 in - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Microphone, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x Headphones, 1 x USB, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Component video output
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included A/V cable, USB cable, Component video cable
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery
- Supported Battery Canon BP-809
- Supported Battery 1 x Canon BP-809 Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Form Factor Rotating
- Display Format 211,000 pixels
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2.9 in
- Depth 5.1 in
- Height 2.5 in
- Weight 13.4 oz
Manufacturer info
- Canon USA
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Canon USA products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://estore.usa.canon.com/
- Address:
One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-328-5000
- Email: mediacontact@cusa.canon.com
