Canon SLR Reviews

Posts Tagged ‘Hard Disk Drive’

Canon BP 827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG 20 21 HF11 10 and 100 Camcorders

Canon Battery Pack BP-827 for the HG20 and HG21 Camcorder. Also works with VIXIA HF S10 Dual Flash Memory and the VIXIA HG20 Hard Disk Drive

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Excellent Hi-Capacity Battery
I bought this battery for my Canon Vixia HF100 digital camcorder, and man am I glad I did. I get over 4 hours of recording time out of this battery, around 3 times as much as the battery it came with. This battery is a must for any Vixia camera owners in my opinion.

5 Stars A must for your new camcorder
Why limit yourself to a hour with the battery that comes with. You will NEED this battery.

5 Stars A must for all camcorders
There is nothing worse than running out of battery life, this will add some wieght to the camcorder but is totally worth it.

5 Stars A must
This battery is a must for the HG21 camera. Lasts soo much longer than the original battery. This is a must have!

5 Stars Battery has more stamina than I do
I used this battery on an 11-day nature cruise to Alaska, in a Vixia HF200. The battery reported a recording capacity of just over 300 minutes when fully charged. I had the camera on, pre-recording, for extended periods to catch glaciers calving or whales appearing, but never got below 50 minutes remaining in a day. It recharged overnight in the camera and I never had to switch to my backup BP-809.

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Canon 2591B002 DM 100 Directional Stereo Microphone for HF HG Series Camcorders

DM-100 Directional Stereo Microphone for the VIXIA HF10 and VIXIA HF100 Camcorders. Compatible with the: VIXIA HF S10 Dual Flash Memory, VIXIA HF20 Dual Flash Memory, VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory, VIXIA HG20 Hard Disk Drive

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Get the Rode mic instead.
This mic is okay, and unfortunately that’s about it. It looks ridiculous, it feels incredibly cheap and flimsy, and it records semi-decent sound. The biggest problem I personally have with this mic is that it’s essentially crippled by begin limited to the “mini hotshoe.” What’s the point? Why didn’t Canon include the option to have an external jack so you could use it as a boom/over-head/portable off cam mic? Why does it have to be permanently restricted to the hotshoe of a super select few Canon video cameras? It doesn’t even work with the hotshoe of the Canon DSLRs capable of HD video like the 5D mark II and 7D.

Also, the mic just looks so cheap. Really, I wouldn’t care about this so much if it wasn’t for the fact that it looks cheap because it is cheap. It feels like if the wind blew hard enough that the thing could snap right off of my HF100’s hotshoe. Ultimately this mic does what you’d would expect… record higher quality audio than the on-board mic, but that’s it. The Rode mic will do that, and has better build quality, more versatility, and looks so much nicer.

3 Stars Better than the built in
This Canon microphone is clearly better than the built in. It was purchased for a Canon Vixia AVCHD hi-def (Blu-ray standard) digital video camera. Since the built-in microphones on the camera is virtually worthless (unless you’re on a tripod filming relatively remote stuff) I had to either find a solution or return the camera. This was a relatively expensive adder and I found it more or less useful in the following areas: 1) Eliminates ambient noise directly surrounding the camera – YES, very good. The camera’s built-in microphones pick up everything nearby from footsteps to normal breathing, usually with enough gain to wash out the intended distant audio. This mic virtually eliminates that problem and was the principal reason for mmy purchase. 2) Switches from “Shotgun (mono)” to “90 degree (stereo)” to “120 degree (stereo)” configurations – YES, marginally effective. While I don’t have the lab equipment to test this sort of stuff empirically, the practical matter is there isn’t much of a difference between these modes except the mono/stereo part. Stereo is obtained by sensing sounds along the horizonal axis of the mic on both sides. Works. Mono is obtained by sensing sounds directionally from just the front of the mic. Works. Discernable dispersion between 90 vs 120 degrees? – maybe. Not a reason to buy this mic, IMO. 3) Shotgun produces better audio for distant subjects. MAYBE. The best part about this is the elimination of nearby ambient sounds that would have otherwise washed out your distant subject’s audio. Does it amplify or increase the clarity of a distant subject? Not really. 4) Windscreen works. YES. Works very well. Really great if you’re going after the “Looks like a dead Guinea Pig on top of your camera” look. 5) General quality and construction. CHEAPO. Feels cheap. Plastic used for the hotshoe mount looks like it will break if you stare hard enough at it. Don’t ever put your camera in the bag or toss it around with the mic attached!! Once fitted to the camera it is steady and doesn’t slip off and is snug in its hotshoe. Overall I gave this three stars because I thought, for the money and the Canon name, I’d be getting a lot more. If I’d paid half or less of what I paid, it probably would have earned the extra star or two. But for me, despite the price, it was a completely necessary addition to my camera bag. Maybe what I should have bought was a universal wireless remote mic (or a different camera) instead. But then again, how often do you get to “mic” a distant subject?

BZ

5 Stars Great Microphone–Far Exceeded Expectations
I purchased a Canon VIXIA HF11 High Definition (HD) camcorder to take on a once-in-a-life-time 15-day family vacation to Hawaii. I needed to minimize the risk of capturing bad video/audio because I’ll probably never be ever to afford to vacation in Hawaii again. This camcorder picked up a lot of wind noise while testing on a windy day. Wind noise can be very distracting to viewers, so I wanted to minimize this problem as much as possible. The Canon DM-100 directional stereo microphone had mixed reviews, but I thought it was worth a $150 gamble to dramatically improve the quality of audio captured on my family’s Hawaiian vacation.

As usual, Amazon.com provided great service in fulfilling my order as I received the mic within just a few days. The mic looks huge when mounted on the camcorder. However, both the mic and its windsock cover appear to be made of high quality materials.

We spent 15 days in Oahu visiting all of the major tourist attractions (e.g. Pearl Harbor, Kualoa Ranch, etc.), Waikiki Beach, and Turtle Bay up on the North Shore. I used the Canon DM-100 mic on at least half the scenes taken, and forgot to use it for several other scenes. Three days after returning home from Hawaii, I took the camcorder and DM-100 mic with me on a trip to northern Minnesota, and recorded some scenes of my Dad on his bass boat fishing.

After I returned home from Minnesota, I tranferred all of the captured video to my video editing computer. Bottom line, it was absolutely amazing to hear how effective the DM-100 mic was. Several scenes taken without it contained a lot of wind noise, while scenes captured using the mic contained little or none. For example, I could clearly hear the crashing waves while viewing beach scenes, and the noise of the waves made by my Dad’s fast-moving fishing boat (as it traversed across the lake)–with little or no wind noise.

Bottom line, the Canon DM-100 mic was well worth $150 Amazon purchase price, and I highly recommend it to those who will be using their Canon HF/HG series camcorders extensively outdoors.

5 Stars It’s a great addition to my Canon Vixia
My wife and I were looking for a good digital camera to document our kids’ performances in school choir and band. I initially bought and used an HDD (hard disk drive) JVC Everio digital camera for a while. It was good but then I decided to go High Definition and chose the AVCHD Canon Vixia HF100 (SD memory card). There is no way you can compare the quality of video and sound between the JVC Everio and the Canon Vixia. They are on two different levels. I was very impressed with the Vixia’s high definition quality and stereo sound. Canon had just come out with the DM-100 telescopic microphone with the “fuzzy” cover since the Vixia’s hot shoe was specific to the Vixia. My wife and I noticed a huge difference when using the DM-100 telescopic microphone. We usually video from a long distance and there are instances when we video the marching band during parades or during band performances at school games. We have noticed the digital camera’s built-in microphone does well but picks up whatever people say or yell when they are right next to you. The telescopic microphone does not pick up these nearby sounds. We’ve had people yell and scream while the band plays and these sounds were not picked up. The band’s performance was recorded flawlessly. I’m so happy with the Vixia HF100 (SD memory card slot) that I decided to buy a Canon Vixia HF10 (built-in 16gb memory and sports an additional SD memory expansion card slot). I just found out Amazon was selling the DM-100 microphone at this great price and bought it. I’ve been so happy with the first DM-100 telescopic microphone that I know I would have regretted not buying this second one for my new Vixia HF10. This DM-100 microphone’s ability to change from shotgun, 90 or 180 degree coverage is very handy. I only wish I had run across this price when I bought the first microphone

5 Stars Essential accessory for the Canon Vixia line camcorders
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RHUTCGOBAKEY So, you bought a Canon Vixia camcorder? The picture is stunning – and it’s hard to believe you can get such beautiful images from such a compact camcorder. Unfortunately, there is no way you’ll get top notch sound from a compact camcorder, no matter how much you paid for it. This isn’t a matter of a design flaw; it has to do with the physics of sound: a directional microphone needs to be long; for best sound the microphone needs to be physically separated from the body of the camera; finally, some kind of muffle is needed to prevent wind and breath from interfering with sound. Canon’s DM-100 is designed to achieve all of these things for the sound of the Vixia line camcorders, without overwhelming the simplicity and ease of a compact camcorder. I’m very happy with it.

It plugs in directly to the mini advanced shoe on the Vixia camcorders. When it is plugged in it automatically becomes the mike for recordings – no need to fiddle with settings. Importantly, it is small enough that it doesn’t overwhelm the compact size of the Vixia camcorders. Sure, the “Dead Cat” looks a bit silly, but it makes a huge difference outdoors in the wind; and you can take it off for indoor shoots where you want to take advantage of just the directional aspects of the mike. There are three basic settings: shotgun (for focusing sound capture to sounds directly in front of the microphone), 90 degrees and 120 degrees.

ABOUT THIS VIDEO:

For this video I only focused on how this mike improves outdoor shooting, and also on showing what the DM-100 looks like on the Vixia camcorders – I have the HF10 and the HFS10, so I took pictures with it on both of these, with the “dead cat” on and off. I also used the HF10 (no mike attached) to shoot me shooting with the HFS10 with the DM-100 mike attached, then I synched up the sound so I could alternate between the sound with and without the mike. For the purposes of shooting myself in my front yard, I didn’t think the directional settings would be useful, so I left it on the DM-100 on the 90 degree setting the whole time. I also didn’t think there would be any good way to give a real sense for the quality of the sound via this (quick and dirty) video review – but the look of the mike and the wind elimination are obvious. Note that the video starts out with the sound from the onboard mike of the VIXIA HF10, and then I indicate with cool flashing text when I’m recording with the DM-100 (MIKE ON!) or with the HF10 onboard mike (MIKE OFF!). You should note that it’s not just wind noise you hear when I’m recording with the on board camera, there’s also just a low system hum that is almost completely eliminated when recording the the DM-100. I know the video is quick but I prefer to put most of my review in the text and think of the video as merely an illustration – if you want to look more closely at the pictures, just pause and gander all you like.

FINAL WORD:

If you care at all about sound, and especially if you will ever shoot outdoors, you probably need some kind of external mike for your Vixia camcorder. There are better microphones than this one, and even cheaper ones; but you have to remember that if you buy another mike you’ll also need some kind of adapter if you want it to mount on top of your Vixia, and it won’t power directly through the Vixia, plus you’ll have a wire hanging around that plugs into the external mike input mini plug. For most non-professional and semi-professional situations, the DM-100 will give you the sound you need, is easy to use with the Canon Vixia camcorders, and looks good on top of your camera.

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Canon VIXIA HG21 AVCHD 120 GB HDD Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom

The Canon HG21 AVCHD Hard Disk Drive camcorder sets a new standard for High Definition, delivering optimal image quality, long shooting times along with the extraordinary ease and versatility when viewing video on television or a computer. Capture amazing HD video with even greater detail and color reproduction with its innovative 24Mbps capability, and the addition of a video-capable SDHC card slot plus the extended 120 GB internal Hard Disk Drive allows you to now record up to 45 hours of video onto the internal hard disk drive so theres no need to worry about running out of space. And, like all Canon VIXIA camcorders, the HG21 features: a Canon HD video lens, FULL HD CMOS Sensor, and Canons exclusive DIGIC DV II image processor. Create the look and feel of Hollywood movies with the 24p Cinema Mode and even use Canons select Photo Grabbing function to capture still images from previously recorded video. If online video posting and sharing interests you, the HG21s 30p mode provides the perfect frame rate for the web and delivers clarity for fast-action subjects.

The HG21 offers the unparalleled combination of Canons exclusive SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer to stabilize a wide range of movements, Instant AF for accurate focusing thats critical when shooting in HD, a built-in video light to easily shoot in dark settings, and the Canon exclusive 2.7-inch Multi-angle Vivid LCD Screen to view from various angles with true color representation and contrast. The HG21 features the latest HD technology, excellence in Canon optics and engineering in a compact, sleek design that delivers the high level of performance youve come to expect from Canon.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Happy so far
I haven’t had the camcorder for too long. What I can say is that I am soo thankful I bought the larger capacity battery. The original lasts about 30min on the highest settings. The high capacity battery is almost 3 hrs. The stabilization really makes this camera worth every penny. I am still messing with some of the settings to get the best picture for me. Quality is really high, almost too high. Transferring about 80min of video (60i mode) via the included USB took about 80min!!! I have since turned down the resolution a bit.

I do recommend this camera and have shown it to a few friends who are now looking to get it. The additional battery is a must, so factor that in the price. I have an Apple (running 10.5.7 iMovie ‘09) and had no issues importing and editing video without the need for Canon’s software.

All in all, this camera was worth it for me. It has everything I want at a reasonable price. This will keep me for the next 10 years.

5 Stars Great little HD camcorder
After several weeks of research on the best HD camcorder for under $1000.00, I bought this one. I hadn’t had a camcorder in about 7 years and the last one I had was a lot bigger. I wanted something small and easy to hold with a hard drive. I was originally going to buy the 60GB model, but for a few hundred more I thought it was worth getting the 120GB model. This camera is wonderful. I can shoot video of my daughter who plays soccer for Barry University in Miami, without any difficulties. I went all out and bought the extra battery, the light and the camera bag. I didn’t realize how small it was until it was shipped to me. The picture is awesome on my 65″ lcd Sharp Aquos TV and the sound is fantastic. The zoom is wonderful and the extra battery lasts around 4.5 hours for me. (it was worth $125.00) to be able to record longer lenghts then what the original battery lasts. I can tape the entire soccer game and the half time activities without needing to change the battery out. The software is OK. I wanted to buy a different software program that I can use with my Windows Vista 64 bit that runs in my computer, but I need to make sure it is compatable with 64 bit and not just 32 bit. ANY SUGGESTIONS???? Anyway if you are considering this camera- you will not be disapointed- I love it!! And with Amazon Prime, It arrived the next day for $3.99-can’t beat that. Canon makes great products and I am extremely happy with this one!!

4 Stars Great camera but no FireWire/IEEE port
This camera has a great image quality but only support USB computer connections. Mac based systems require IEEE for direct connect and recording. Nonetheless I get great video quality from this camcorder.

One feature that I really wanted was manual focus and manual exposure control, and with this camera you get both.

5 Stars Great pics!!!!
We simply love this item. Easy to take both movies and pictures with it. Have yet to learn how copy items off, but the book is very instructional and easy to follow. The pictures are clean, the audio very good, and the replay on a TV is great quality. Would strongly recommend to all.

5 Stars Excellent HD camcorder!
Fantastic color, easy to use, great viewfinder which works perfect for outdoor recording. This camcorder is a bit bulkier than many other HD models out right now, but is comfortable to hold while shooting.

The software included is needed to download videos to your computer, but I am using Pinnacle Video v.12 Ultimate for editing my videos. The manual is a bit lame also but gives enough of the basic info to get you started.

One of the biggest reasons to buy this camcorder over the HG20 is the viewfinder though! Also, first time out I recorded about 36 minutes at the highest quality which used 6.55GB on the hard drive. When I downloaded it to my computer it only took 7 minutes! This is awesome as my old camcorder recorded to tape which meant the download time was minute for minute. Uggghh. I really like the hard drive feature and expect to use this awesome camcorder alot!

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