March Madness in a Flash from AT&TCanon Vixia HF100
Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 2708B001
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- One of a pair of Canon's first flash-based camcorders, the Canon Vixia HF100, delivers excellent HD video quality and performance in a tiny package.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 03/18/2010 |
| 4ElectronicWarehouse.com | | No | as of 03/18/2010 |
CNET editors' review
Canon Vixia HF100 price range: $575.00 - $1,499.95
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 04/16/2008
- 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: One of a pair of Canon's first flash-based camcorders, the Canon Vixia HF100, 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 one of its debut models, the high-definition Vixia HF100, gets it right the first time. A sleek, matte-gray compact model with a well-rounded feature set, great video, and excellent performance, the HF100 definitely deserves a spot on your short list of potential home-movie camcorders.
Unlike its brother, the HF10, the HF100 lacks built-in memory, including just a slot for SDHC removable flash. Aside from that and the color, the two models are identical. This review is based on our evaluation of the HF10. The petite HF100 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 HF100 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.)
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 HF100, 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 HF100 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 HF100 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 the HF10's internal 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 a bit more attractive than the HF100's gray. Decisions, decisions.
User reviews
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Excellent video quality
by JO_1 on July 31, 2008
Pros: Video quality, ease of use (while filming), records on SDHC cards
Cons: Editing AVCHD, low light performance is ok (not great)
Summary: I like this camcorder a lot. After 2 years with a JVC GR-D650 I decided to upgrade to a high-def camcorder, and I am extremely happy I did. I watch ...
Summary: I like this camcorder a lot. After 2 years with a JVC GR-D650 I decided to upgrade to a high-def camcorder, and I am extremely happy I did. I watch recordings on a 46" 1080p screen (using HDMI connection) and it looks really great. Difference with SD is very obvious of course. Only con is that Low-light performance is just ok, not great.
I just use this as a point-and-shoot (don't use any manual controls) and I find it's great for that. I've seen some complaints about the little joystick next the the lcd screen but I don't have any issues with it.
To me AVCHD seems to be the way to go since you can play native AVCHD files directly on a blu-ray player, and Blu-ray will be rapidly replacing DVD.
The software that comes with the camera is basically only for downloading the AVCHD files - pretty useless for editing but that is similar to other camcorders I've had.
Please keep in mind that software is still catching up with AVCHD format. I was using Adobe Premiere El, but that doesn't support AVCHD. So I switched to Powerdirector 7 Ultra.
Editing the footage is a bit of a challenge. You need a powerful computer! I'm running Powerdirector 7 Ultra on an AMD 2.2GHz dual core with 2GB of RAM and it's slow going. I consider this CPU is a bit too weak so I got a quad core on order. So far, I have been editing in AVCHD format and then burning to DVD in SD(unfortunately). I'll get a blu-ray burner later when prices drop. The rendering/burning to DVD takes some time but is OK. Please make sure you install latest DirectX 9 or higher, or your soundtrack will be off.
I like a lot that the camera uses SDHC cards. Downloading is very fast compared to DV tape, plus you don't get the whine from the DVI tape rolling on your soundtrack.
Having large hands I struggled a little bit with the small size of the camera and location of the controls. I think Canon should move the record button to the left side of the camera so you can wrap your hand around it. Since I put an extended battery on the camera I found out that I can rest my thumb against this battery that sticks further out of the back of the camera. This makes it much easier to hold the camera.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this camera. Just make sure your computer is powerful enough or you are willing to upgrade.12 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Pleased
by MiamiTechnoLawyer on June 18, 2008
Pros: Sharp Video,
Cons: Sharing Content
Summary: We just bought this for baby video and could not be more pleased. With a 16GB SD card (an A-Data purchased on Amazon for under $80) the whole set up ...
Summary: We just bought this for baby video and could not be more pleased. With a 16GB SD card (an A-Data purchased on Amazon for under $80) the whole set up came in under $740.00. SD is the way to go. A Blank DVD holds a little over 4GB, a Mini-DVD holds even less. With a built in hard drive if the drive crashes your camcorder is probably toast. SD is fast, small, and a 16GB card will hold a lot of footage without the need for a large amount of quality degrading compression.
I was concerned about image quality in low light. It has not been an issue to shoot indoors with just conventional indoor illumination (lamps, fixtures, florescent etc). The video is crisp and sharp. I am shooting in 24P Cinema Mode. The audio is clear (no tapes means no tape noise artifacts in recording or playback). If you compare this camera with a $3,000 3-CCD, Mini DV system or HD Discovery Channel you will be disappointed. If you comare it to any Mini-DV, HD, or DVD camcorder under $1,000.00 you will be delighted. For the price and size this is a superb great camcorder. Your amateur home video of friends and family has never looked this good before. The only problem is how to share the video once you shoot it.9 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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See demo's on Youtube
by mtmunsey on May 14, 2008
Pros: Unreal video and images
Cons: Haven't found any yet
Summary: I read the reviews on CNET and decided to buy from buydig.com which was the lowest price on the web ($649.00). I can not believe the video quality ...
Summary: I read the reviews on CNET and decided to buy from buydig.com which was the lowest price on the web ($649.00). I can not believe the video quality on this camera and how easy it is to use. I'm not a professional by any means, but this camera is nothing short of spectacular..I can't tell the difference between this quality and an HD broadcast. Watch the demo's on Youtube the HD quality is insane. I just hooked it up to my 56in Samsung and played the footage....UNREAL! I was suspect reading the reviews, but now I am a believer. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent!
by rob_runkle on July 23, 2008
Pros: Small, great image.
Cons: Slow to change modes, Included software is weak.
Summary: I held off updating my standard DV camcorder for years. Finally I found a camera that was HD, and used flash memory. In my research no one complained about the ...
Summary: I held off updating my standard DV camcorder for years. Finally I found a camera that was HD, and used flash memory. In my research no one complained about the compression quality either. I think that this technology has finally matured to work with good compression, with class 6 flash ram, etc..
I love the small size. That - along with the flash memory - was my strongest buying point.
I used it extensively over a recent hiking trip. Only had two issues. 1) It is slow to change modes from video to photos. Especially in that direction (video to photo). I think this is from having to read the card to verify space available. 2) I found myself sometimes erratically hitting the zoom button. No sure if my fault; probably.
The included software is ok, but weak. My computer can't handle the HD files very well, but I could upgrade the PC if I wanted to. The included software does have several options for me though. 1) I can export clips to SD file type, and that seems to work great. 2) I can save to standard DVD, and that seems to work fine also. I did find that there is a limit of 99 clips that can be written to a DVD at one time. I haven't gotten a chance to use the software for editing because my PC can't handle it.
I cannot get the camera to play into my HD TV through the mini HD. I think this is because of copy protection software in my TV, but not sure. I can get to play through the component out for video and audio out for audio. I think this is suppose to be HD quality (equivalent to HDMI) anyway. The picture looks great on HD. But, at this point the only way that I can see full HD is to run directly from the camera. I do not have an HD burner.
The video and photo quality is excellent. Even in low light, this is 10x better than my standard DV camcorder which is only 5-6 years old. A big part I believe is the large lens required for HD quality. So, even if you want to record in SD, this is a good purchase.6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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No Apple / Final Cut Support - Warning, Mac users don't purchase
by jhines18 on August 14, 2008
Pros: Nothing special
Cons: Can't use with Final Cut or Apple without a lot of expensive software and complicated conversions
Summary: I bought this camera excited to try it out and was quickly disappointed to find it couldn't work at all with my old G4. I had been thinking of ...
Summary: I bought this camera excited to try it out and was quickly disappointed to find it couldn't work at all with my old G4. I had been thinking of buying a macbook and decided this was the time to upgrade. I purchased the computer and found that in addition to not offering any compatible software, canon's proprietary format makes it so I first have to download with iMovie than from there to final cut. Besides taking forever to do this, I lose quality making the HD features pointless. I emailed canon and this was their response "If Final Cut Express does not support the files you should use iMovie to download them. We recommend that you contact Final Cut for assistance with inquiries regarding downloading using their software." Thanks for producing a PC only camera. I think it is false advertising to call it compatible with Apple.
4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I LOVE this camcorder. It is absolutely amazing.
by prettysavvy on May 30, 2009
Pros: I love the video quality of course. Crystal clear HD! Also, image stabilization is rather good. Easy to make dvds for standard definition if your home is not HD ready (like mine is not). Love the cinema fliming mode. What fun!
Cons: Hard to even complain, but: Tends to have a little trouble focusing really close on certain things. Camera and software manuals could be better. Software very basic. Strap is uncomfortable and hurts my hand after a few minutes. Short battery life.
Summary: Buying this camera was a great decision. I bought it used (not refurbished) for $525.00 (what a deal!!!) My fiance will be graduating from the United States Marine Corps ...
Summary: Buying this camera was a great decision. I bought it used (not refurbished) for $525.00 (what a deal!!!) My fiance will be graduating from the United States Marine Corps Bootcamp in July, so I wanted to make sure that I had a really good camcorder to film this VERY big and important day. I also wanted to make sure that I gave myself enough time to get to know the camera ahead of time.
At first I had actually purchased a Canon FS11 and very quickly returned it. It was just terrible! I was back at square one. Trying to decide which camcorder to buy can be overwhelming, especially during this transitional time going from standard definition to high definition. But I am SO SO HAPPY I PICKED THIS ONE!!!
As soon as I got it home and started using it, I was immediately THRILLED with the quality of the picture both on the camera and on my HDTV. I also hooked the camera up to my old tv just to see how that looked. It was okay for what it is (not even close to HD of course). Now I was ready to make some copies for my family and friends to have. Here is where my troubles began. I couldn't figure out how to do this! I got all stressed out and was actually ready to return this camcorder as well, because I thought it was too user-unfriendlly and limiting as far as viewing options go. Especially in a time when so many still do not have HDTV ready homes. I myself do not have any blueray, or blueray recorder. As far as easily sharing movies with others, I thought I was doomed. I read all of this stuff saying that I had to buy all of this expensive and complicated software just to enable me to convert these movies so I could put them on a regular DVD and I thought that perhaps I had made a mistake in my choice afterall. Well... that is just not so. There is an option in the Image Mixer software, when you first plug your camera in and it says "make disc". That's all you have to do. You don't even have to put the video on your pc if you don't want to. Just make sure that you are using DVD-R discs. Nobody tells you that, and that is why I was freaking out, I was using the wrong discs which weren't supported. Once I put a DVD-R disc in my PC, I was good to go. I find that watching the movies back on Standard Defintion TV from such discs is not too bad (better than my FS11 footage - LOL. I mean, eventually we will be ALL HD (all of us will... you included, no matter how much you might want to fight it), so all of this conversion stuff is only a temporary issue anyway.
A word of caution. If you plan on doing any type of editing on your movies in the future (i.e. after you get some good software, etc.) make sure that you keep a copy of the HD version (avchd / m2ts) on your pc or sd card.
I am really looking forward to purchasing some editing software and having some real fun with this baby. After reading what others have to say, I am thinking of getting Sony Vegas Studio 9 Platinum. I've also heard some good things about Pinnacle Studio 11 and 12, But the Sony sounds better to me. Let's also remember that avchd / m2ts is quite new, and therefore we are just seeing the tip of the iceburg with the editing software, etc. that will be available.
Also, one of the highllights of this camera for me is the cinema mode. It's just great. I also think that the light they they put on the camera is pretty decent for filming in a dark room (much better than using the night setting on the camera, which I personally think is horrible).
If you don't absolutely LOVE this camera, try reading up on it a little more and playing around with it. I think that for many of us this new HD thing can seem a little scary and overwhelming at first, but take a deep breath, research and have some fun. I'm glad I did. Returning this baby would have been a huge mistake.
I hope that my review here has helped someone else to NOT have to go through the dilemma that I did.
This camcorder is wonderful!!! AAA+++ and 1/2!2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great camcorder
by mmedic123 on October 10, 2008
Pros: Great pic quality. Image stabilization works well. Decent stills.
Cons: Takes getting used to. Cannot move it around fast while recording. Battery that comes with it has only 60-80 mins of recording time.
Summary: Get a bigger battery, Pinnacle Studio 12 and you're golden.
Summary: Get a bigger battery, Pinnacle Studio 12 and you're golden.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fabulous Liittle Camera
by Losttsol on September 24, 2008
Pros: Easy to use. You'll be shooting HD video in 2 minutes upon opening the package. The video is superb for a sub $1000 amateur camera. The sound quality blew me away more than the video even. I've never had a camera with this level of sound clarity.
Cons: Bundled software is way low end. After playing around with it to make sure your camera works, go buy a good editing package. You will need it to do HD editing. Older software doesn't support HD content.
Summary: Perfect family camera. No reason to not buy an HD camera nowadays. Your kids won't ever know what a 4:3 picture even looks like anyways.
Summary: Perfect family camera. No reason to not buy an HD camera nowadays. Your kids won't ever know what a 4:3 picture even looks like anyways.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Little HD Cam
by robsargeant on September 20, 2008
Pros: Canon lense does great job creating amazing HD images. Has many manual features found on much more expensive cameras. Removable SDHC memory is a great plus too.
Cons: The joystick takes a while to get used to. Battery charge could last longer.
Summary: So far I'm impressed with this camera. I think it's ahead of its time. The editing software provided works well for me. My computer, (AMD 64 Athlon 2....
Summary: So far I'm impressed with this camera. I think it's ahead of its time. The editing software provided works well for me. My computer, (AMD 64 Athlon 2.7 Ghz, 1.7 gig ram ) recognized the files when I attached the supplied USB cable, and down loaded the footage in less than ten minutes. Rendering slow, after editing but that's to be expected with HD. Please read the owners manual to figure out how to activate the cameras many manual features, i.e. Manual Focus (page 50). It does work.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Worth every penny!
by gregzoe on April 9, 2008
Pros: Awesome video, great stills, perfect size.
Cons: None that I can find.
Summary: First off the video quality is excellent. I took some video indoors at low light and then took some outside where it was a sunny day. Both scenes played back ...
Summary: First off the video quality is excellent. I took some video indoors at low light and then took some outside where it was a sunny day. Both scenes played back with excellent color reproduction and clarity. The outside video was very impressive, the color reproduction and clarity were spot on. Blue skies were a perfect blue and green grass was a vibrant green. The sharpness of the picture was very clean.
The inside pictures were not quite as good, but that is because of the low light in my house. I needed to do some tweaking first, but even at the factory settings the picture was very good.
The auto focus is quick and the image stabilization works like a charm. The 12x zoom really gets you in tight and brings in those distant shots fast. The camera really takes some fantastic video.
The menu is easy to navigate and gives you loads of options. All the controls fit well in my hand, and I would say I have average size hands for a guy. Love the small size and it hardly weighs anything at all.
One thing that really impressed me was the still photos, they are above and beyond what I expected. Now granted this isn't a DSLR, but I think most people would be impressed with these photos, especially considering they are from a camcorder. Honestly for me this is all I need, why carry a separate point & shoot when this camcorder does it all. Very impressive photo quality.
Now please understand that I am a novice so I do not have the knowledge or experience as a lot of users. But as far as I am concerned the HF100 is worth every penny. Nothing better than being completely satisfied with a purchase. Awesome camera top to bottom.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Canon USA
- Part number: 2708B001
- Description: From Canon's long history of optical excellence, advanced image processing, superb performance and technological innovation in photographic and broadcast television cameras comes the latest in high definition camcorders. Now, with the light, compact Canon VIXIA HF100, 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. Add to that the VIXIA HF100's Canon Exclusive features such as Canon's 3.3 Megapixel Full HD CMOS sensor and advanced DIGIC DV II Image Processor, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization, Instant Auto Focus, 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
- 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
