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Canon Vixia HG20

Manufacturer: Canon USA Part number: 3085B001

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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$599.00 - $899.99 at 8 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 19 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Product series; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Like its cousin, the flash-based HF11, Canon's Vixia HG20 delivers excellent HD video quality and performance albeit in a slightly larger, heavier package. However, you do get more storage space and a lower price.
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CNET editors' review

Canon Vixia HG20

price range: $599.00 - $899.99

Reviewed by: Joshua Goldman and Lori Grunin
Edited by: Lori Grunin
Reviewed on: 09/29/2008
Released on: 09/15/2008

The good: Excellent video quality; 60GB hard drive; attractive, understated design.

The bad: Wind filter not as dependable as previous Canon models; manual focus pretty useless.

The bottom line: Like its cousin, the flash-based HF11, Canon's Vixia HG20 delivers excellent HD video quality and performance albeit in a slightly larger, heavier package. However, you do get more storage space and a lower price.

Read full review

The Canon Vixia HG20 is an excellent HD camcorder that's reasonably easy to operate out of the box and looks good, too. It's almost identical to the company's Vixia HF11, but rather than recording mainly to internal flash memory, it records to a hard drive. As for performance, it's as good if not better than the Sony Handycam HDR-SR11. So in the end, it comes down to a preference for flash memory or hard-disk drive as your storage medium of choice. And if it's for flash, your willingness to pay extra for it.

In addition to the price differential--which varies quite a bit on the Web, so it pays to shop around--there's only a few spec variations between the flash-based HF11 and the HG20. The obvious is the HG20's 60GB hard drive versus the HF11's 32GB internal memory. In recording time, it's 5 hours and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 55 minutes at 24Mbps (and both can be supplemented with SDHC cards). Ironically, there's more differentiation between HG20 and its brother, the HG21: in addition to a larger 120GB hard drive, the HG21 offers an eye-level viewfinder.

Aside from capacity, it's really just a matter of size and weight separating the HG20 and HF11; the HF11 is smaller and lighter at 2.9 inches wide by 2.5 inches high by 5.1 inches deep and 15.1 ounces to the HG20's dimensions of 3.1 inches wide by 3 inches high by 5.4 inches deep and 17.6 ounces. Positions for controls and I/O jacks are slightly altered between the two as well. Most notably the dial to switch from video/still record to video/still playback is on the back for the HG20, on the side for the HF11. However, regardless of the model, the controls are large and easy to operate.

A five-way joystick and Function button--which navigates frequently needed shooting settings--live on the bezel of the camcorder's smallish 2.7-inch LCD. Putting the controls out on the LCD instead of under the thumb can make it difficult to simultaneously change settings and keep the camcorder steady. In addition, manually focusing with the joystick can be a pain, regardless of the zoom-view focus assist.

The HG20 records AVCHD video at a maximum bit rate of 24Mbps, and can hold up to 22 hours 55 minutes of video at the lowest bit rate of 5Mbps. (There are five quality settings in all, which I find excessive.) 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, which required only a 12Mbps maximum bit rate. You can record best-quality movies to SDHC cards as long as it's a Class 4 or better (Class 6 is currently fastest).

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, 3 fixed/1 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 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.

The 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 we've found it far less effective. The microphone attenuation (zoom mic) works pretty well, too.

Video overall looks quite good despite the use of a small, 1/3.2-inch 3.3-megapixel CMOS sensor. Recordings were properly exposed, nicely saturated, and sharp. As expected, in low light the video displays a good deal of 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.

For the most part, the 24Mbps video is indistinguishable from the 17Mbps except in low light; when viewed on a large-screen plasma TV, the higher bit-rate video displayed significantly more luminance noise than the lower bit rate. The lower bit-rate video looked slightly softer, however. The difference between the two was still noticeable, but not as pronounced, when viewed on my calibrated CRT display. Even when extracting individual frames, I didn't really see any fewer artifacts that would affect video editing. On the upside, there were no software incompatibility issues with the 24Mbps files.

An excellent choice for hard-disk-based HD recording, the HG20 gives the Sony HDR-SR11 a close run for the money and is a clear champion if you don't like the Sony's touch-screen interface. However, the real question is do you want more storage at a lower price or give up some storage space and extra cash for the smaller, lighter HF11. The HG20 gets my vote in that scenario.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 19 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 19

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10 stars

Superb optics! Great color, easy to use, focus is # 1.

by bigfoot216 on September 23, 2008

Pros: Great steady shots with the quality picture you expect from Canon. No fuzzy picture with panning or a moving subject. Great instant auto focus. True life collors. All the buttons are in great position.

Cons: Not really any except I would expect to get a mini HDMI cable with it since there is a port for one, but not worth nocking them a point for it.

Summary: I have owned or used over 5 different brands of HD Camcorders over the past few years, most recently was the new Panasonic Hidef HD Camcorder and that thing was ...

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Summary: I have owned or used over 5 different brands of HD Camcorders over the past few years, most recently was the new Panasonic Hidef HD Camcorder and that thing was pathetic. I had 2 of them b4 I finally I returned it and got my money back. I did have the Canon Vixia HG 30 and loved it. I bought it after the panasonic, and after having a hard drive camera I didn't like going back to a mini dv like the hg 30. That was the only problem with it and when I learned that Canon was coming out with basically the same thing in a hard drive version, I returned it and waited for this one to come out.

It to me is in a class of quality all by itself. The color, clarity ( both still and moving scenes), the instant focus, fit in hand ( I have huge hands ), easy to use buttons. Easy menu to navigate. Great features.

I love to be able to grab it when the kids are doing something cute or funny, and within seconds it is recording. I don't have to worry if I am recording over something like I would in a min dv tape format.

All in all, it's the amazing steady clear shot, that doesn't go out of focus with every little movement, and the great color that is best about this camera.

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13 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Great camera with a not-great Battery life

by siftin-com on November 5, 2008

Pros: liked how well it works in indoor lights (even in evening)

Cons: - battery life
- extra battery is expansive

Summary: This camera is a great deal compared to other similar cameras from Sony or panasonic. On top of everything else, I liked how well it works in indoor lights (even ...

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Summary: This camera is a great deal compared to other similar cameras from Sony or panasonic. On top of everything else, I liked how well it works in indoor lights (even in evening)
Canon should add a second battery for free, I don't think people mind paying maybe extra $25 for that

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4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Best bang for your buck; great color quality and speed.

by dansen926 on December 25, 2008

Pros: * Comparable image and color quality
* Battery life is excellent
* Ample space for hours of recording (up to 22 hours max on the hard drive)
* Very intuitive controls--I love the 5-way joystick

Cons: * No viewfinder!
* Difficult shots for low-light conditions
* No choice in video or image formats
* The power adapter must be used to have full access when connecting to the computer

Summary: The CMOS sensor has its overall limitations, but its comparable speed makes for excellent frame rate recordings as well as higher shutter-speeds for an excellent built-in still capture feature.

My ...

Read more

Summary: The CMOS sensor has its overall limitations, but its comparable speed makes for excellent frame rate recordings as well as higher shutter-speeds for an excellent built-in still capture feature.

My full review of the product can be found here:
http://www.haiensheng.com/blog/bige/2008/12/22/hg-20-vixia-canon-hd-camcorder-review?cid=1319

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Very, very good camera

by vanillahip on April 13, 2009

Pros: The picture is simply stunning!

Cons: Battery life is bad...and extra batteries are so $$$ that I am trying a "no-name" battery that is about 1/3 the price. So far it works great!

Summary: The first time I hooked it up to my HDTV I was blown away at the quality of the picture! Never before has my driveway, backyard, neighbors dog, etc. looked ...

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Summary: The first time I hooked it up to my HDTV I was blown away at the quality of the picture! Never before has my driveway, backyard, neighbors dog, etc. looked so good! I can't wait to get some real footage of my kids to play around with. It took me awhile to decide between an HD camera vs SD. I finally decided on this because the price was decent plus I fugure it is more "future-proof" than the best SD cam I was looking at. So far I have no worries whatsoever about having bougt this HG-20.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great Camera for the Price

by RogMJ007 on January 13, 2009

Pros: Small and compact enough to fit into coat pockets. Large hard drive allows you plenty of video footage. Video quality is great. The IS works well in the short range. However, longer zooms dictate a tripod for stability.

Cons: The camera images on my phone better than the camcorder. The zoom needs to be longer than 10x. The software included is worthless. HD video is CPU intensive. Therefore, you'll need at least 4GB of RAM for video. It's an additional expense.

Summary: I thoroughly enjoy the camera. It comes on quickly and you can begin shooting within seconds. I purchased it for family functions and travel. I wish the zoom was greater--only ...

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Summary: I thoroughly enjoy the camera. It comes on quickly and you can begin shooting within seconds. I purchased it for family functions and travel. I wish the zoom was greater--only 10x. The camera is so small and lightweight that the hard drive on the side is not a issue. The 60 GB of space along with the SD slot is a great combination.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

The Hg20 is all one could want in a HD HDD camcorder.

by montpry on January 8, 2009

Pros: It is very light weight for a HDD model. The video quality is top notch and is sharp and clear. I got mine for a great price of below 600.00.

Cons: No touchscreen. Short battery life.

Summary: great cam. i would recommend it for anyone who likes great film quality without the price and hassel of difficult controls. get one and have fun.

Summary: great cam. i would recommend it for anyone who likes great film quality without the price and hassel of difficult controls. get one and have fun.

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Amazing image quality--especially for the price!

by Oatmeal4 on November 29, 2008

Pros: Very very good image quality
Instant focus is nice
Good sound quality
1920x1080 resolution
60i, 30p, 24p recording modes
Many manual features

Cons: Low light performance
Short battery life
Difficulty extracting full quality image out of 30p and 24p formats
Propriety accessory shoes

Summary: This was the first camera I have gotten in a long while (my last was a Sony Digital8), and the first high-definition camera. I was blown away by the image ...

Read more

Summary: This was the first camera I have gotten in a long while (my last was a Sony Digital8), and the first high-definition camera. I was blown away by the image quality--comparable to broadcast footage in my opinion (and I think it may have received higher ratings than the Canon XH-A1 in that category). Other people have complained that this camera seems big, but honestly I think it is very small (at least to what I'm used to). Any smaller and it would be difficult to hold steadily. Other reviewers have also said the camera feels cheap and plasticy, however, I think it feels well built. All of the manual controls for the camera are very nice as well. I don't think the lack of inclusion of a mini-HDMI cable is such a bad thing as some people make it out to be; the component cables give equivalent quality and I doubt anyone could really tell a difference (okay, it depends how high quality each cable is made... there's a CNET article on it somewhere...) The only things that one might not like with the camera is its fairly short battery life. Low light performance isn't terrible, although any camera with a small CCD (meaning under $5000) isn't going going to have perfect quality there. I have to say though, after actually watching the footage on a television, I've decided the noise looks much worse on the LCD on the camera than it does on the recorded video. I don't know if this is because it hasn't been processed yet or what, but there is definitely a difference. Also a bit of a problem--and I'm not sure many people would care about this much--is that the 24p and 30p require a bit of processing to get the "full-quality" image out of. This is because it stores video recorded in these modes in a 60-interlaced "container". I guess some televisions can remove it from this "container" (mine can't), but I am not aware of an editing program that can automatically correct this because it does not include flags in the files to indicate it should! (Unlike some higher-end Canon cameras). I emailed Canon if they would mind including the fix in a small firmware update but got a list of video editing programs instead. It's not too bad if the video isn't corrected, just it may look a bit stuttery. I'd honestly just stick to recording 60i format since most everything can handle that pretty easily.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Great HD cam Under 500$$ !!!!

by zoli818 on November 22, 2008

Pros: video,sharpens, auto focus,ease of use, 486$$ <-----

Cons: Battery life, NO View finder lame..ALL good Camcorders have them,....Why No usb cover?

Summary: Over All its a Great machine specially for 486$ !!!

Summary: Over All its a Great machine specially for 486$ !!!

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

My first HD camcorder and I'm Impressed.

by sppena on November 18, 2008

Pros: Auto focus and zoom is really impressive!
Large storage space.
Quick to startup and start recording.
Love the price!
Love the video quality!

Cons: Bulky and heavy compared to the ones I've checked out. (ie sony and panasonic)
I personally didnt like the navigation on the screen.

Summary: For my first HD camera, I really did pick a good one. The quality, space and brilliant zoom & focus all for $799 CAD is really hard to turn down.

Summary: For my first HD camera, I really did pick a good one. The quality, space and brilliant zoom & focus all for $799 CAD is really hard to turn down.

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 stars

Does not work with Windows Vista 64

by jbaum99 on January 11, 2009

Pros: Samll, Good picture quality

Cons: Was told that there would be no problem transferring files from the camera hdd to my computer.

Turns out, it only works for 32 bit O/S.

Summary: This camera is useless to me. Don't companies like Canon know that 64 bit O/S for computers is widely used. Heck why not stay with DOS 5.1 ...

Read more

Summary: This camera is useless to me. Don't companies like Canon know that 64 bit O/S for computers is widely used. Heck why not stay with DOS 5.1 programs!

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1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 19

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Canon USA
Part number: 3085B001
Description: Continuing Canon's industry-leading reputation for technology and product quality, Canon's latest high definition camcorders deliver the optical excellence, advanced image processing and superb performance found in the photographic and broadcast television lenses. With Canon Exclusives, you get more advanced features, enabling to more easily take your video to a higher level than ever possible before. Canon VIXIA HG20 Hard Disk Drive Camcorder combines the ease of recording video directly onto an internal hard disk drive with the advanced AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) format. Its 60GB Hard Disk Drive allows you to record up to 22 hours and 55 minutes of crisp, high definition video (LP Mode). It also is a dual system camcorder, with the capability of also recording video and still images to an SDHC card as well. The VIXIA HG20 boasts 1920 x 1080 Full HD, and has a CODEC capable of recording 24Mbps - the highest AVCHD bitrate - through Canon's own Full HD CMOS Image Sensor and advanced DIGIC DV II image processor. Other exclusives are Genuine Canon 12x HD video lens, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and Instant AutoFocus and a host of other advanced features including an HDMI Connector. Enhanced and simplified controls give you more choices and easier operation. Remarkable image reproduction and advanced features are yours in this compact AVCHD Format Hard Disk Drive camcorder which easily goes along with you, wherever you are, to capture those unforgettable moments in life- in true HD.

General
Product Type Camcorder
Digital Zoom 200 x
Total Pixels 3.3 megapixels
Optical Sensor Size 1/3.2"
Optical Sensor Type CMOS
Min Illumination 0.2 lux
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, Fluorescent, Tungsten light
Exposure Modes Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
Camera Flash Built-in flash
Widescreen Video Capture Yes
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
Floppy Drive None
Digital Storage Media Hard disk drive - Built-in - 60 GB
Image Storage JPEG 1920 x 1080
Media Type Flash card, Hard disk drive
Recording Speed LP, SP, 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
Optical Zoom 12 x
Lens system type Zoom lens
Min focal length 4.8 mm
Max focal length 57 mm
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
Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
Additional Features Direct print, 24p Cinema Mode, PictBridge support, Accessories hot shoe, Progressive scanning, USB 2.0 compatibility, RGB primary color filter, Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording
Remote control Camcorder remote control - Infrared
Software PIXELA Image Mixer, Drivers & Utilities
Included Accessories Battery pack, Compact power adapter, Wireless controller, USB cable, Component cable, Stereo video cable
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type None
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 HDMI, 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x Component video output, 1 x Headphones
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 1, 1 x USB cable, 1 x A/V cable
Power
Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery type - Lithium ion
Battery
Supported Battery Canon BP-807
Supported Battery 1 x Canon BP-807 Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 1 year warranty
Viewfinder / Display
Display Form Factor Rotating
Display Format 211,000 pixels
Viewfinder Color Support Color
Environmental Parameters
Min Operating Temperature 32 ?F
Max Operating Temperature 104 ?F
Physical Characteristics
Width 3.1 in
Depth 5.4 in
Height 3 in
Weight 16.4 oz

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Product series

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- Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

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Canon Vixia HG20

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Specifications

General

Main Features

Memory / Storage

Lens System

Additional Features

Viewfinder

Display

Digital Player (Recorder)

Microphone

Connections

Audio Input

Miscellaneous

Power

Battery

Manufacturer Warranty

Viewfinder / Display

Environmental Parameters

Physical Characteristics

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