Posts Tagged ‘Image Stabilizer’
Canon’s storied S Series gets a revitalized new leader in the slimmer, lighter, new PowerShot S90, the perfect everyday camera for people who are serious about great photography. Image quality is superb thanks to the new High Sensitivity System and higher ISO speeds, plus an exceptionally bright f/2.0 lens that makes portraits and low-light shots come to life. Photography enthusiasts will love the new control ring at the base of the lens barrel, designed for intuitive, pro-style manual control. A Wide-angle 3.8x Optical Zoom (equivalent to 28 – 105mm) with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG for the ultimate creative control Large 3.0-inch PureColor System LCD for even greater true-to-life color reproduction Effective Pixels – Approx. 10.0 Megapixels Type – 1/1.7-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD) Lens – Canon 3.8x optical zoom Lens Focal Length – 6.0 (W)-22.5mm (T) f/2.0-4.9 (35mm equivalent – 28-105mm) LCD Monitor – 3.0-inch TFT color with wide viewing angle Shutter Speed – 15-1/1600 sec. ISO Sensitivity – Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600/3200 Exposure Control Method – Program AE, i-Contrast, Manual; AE Lock, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift White Balance Control – Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater), Custom Built-in Flash – Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro Shooting Modes – Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, Special Scene, Night Snapshot, Stitch Assist, Low Light, Movie Storage Media – SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus Card, HC MMCplus Card File Format – Still Image – Exif 2.2 (JPEG); Movie – MOV (Image – H.264; Audio – Linear PCM (Stereo)) Still Image – Up to 3,648 x 2,736 (Large); Movie – VGA 640 x 480 Dimensions (WxH
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars New King of Compacts
I bought this camera on 10/9, which is the first day it was available here in Kansas City. I have already taken a couple hundred shots with it comparing images side by side with my G10 at various settings. This review is of my initial impression based on the short time that I have had it. I was anxiously awaiting the release of this camera. I own a Nikon D90 DSLR, but there are many times when I prefer to just take a compact. In the past the Canon G10 has served that purpose, but the S90 boasts improved low-light performance and smaller size.
The first thing I wanted to test was image quality and noise at high ISO settings. Most photography hobbyists and pros know that low light performance is the number one factor influencing camera and lens prices. This is the main reason an f/2.8 zoom lens costs 3-5 times as much as an f/3.5-5.6 zoom. The S90 performs superbly in this regard. RAW images from the S90 set at ISO 800 were equal to or better than RAW images from the G10 set at ISO400. Both luminance and chrominance noise were lower in the S90 images. This represents a 1 stop improvement, which is what I was hoping for. These comparisons were made with all noise reduction disabled in camera and in the DPP software. I tested all other ISOs and found the S90 to be better at all ISO settings above 100 and the 2 cameras demonstrated equal IQ at the base ISOs of 80 and 100.
Canon also boasts about the S90 having a faster f/2.0 lens compared to the f/2.8 on the G10, but this part of the camera did not impress me. The lens only has the 1 stop advantage at the absolute widest setting and the max aperture closes down fast from there. The G10/G11 lens is faster at the telephoto end and the difference is negligible at all zoom settings in between. Both lenses are equally sharp throughout their zoom ranges.
The ergonomics of the camera will take me a while to get used to. I was looking for a smaller camera and the S90 definitely fits the bill. But now that I am using it, I wonder if it might be too small. I hope that it will become more comfortable in my hands as I get used to it. On the G10, I could operate all of the controls on the right-rear of the camera with the thumb of the hand holding the camera. With the S90 there are fewer controls that I can operate one-handed and at times I feel like I might drop this camera, because I just can’t get a good grip on it. Other ergonomic concerns are that the rear control ring turns too easily and I have found myself unintentionally adjusting settings because of this, which was never a problem on the G10. I think I might miss the external ISO and Exposure Compensation dials on the G10, but I have set the front control ring to adjust the ISO setting and I would honestly need to use it more before I say the controls are not easy to access; again this should improve with more use. None of the concerns I have about the size and controls on the camera would dissuade me from the purchase; the trade-off is worth it for the smaller carrying size and improved performance.
The camera ships with a newer version (3.7) of Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software. There is not much difference compared to older versions, but there is one nice improvement: the lens aberration section is enabled for images taken with the S90. This allows for correction of vignetting, CA and distortion. I do not understand why the same controls are not available for RAW files taken with the G10. There is still no straighten function in the software, which is a disappointment. Another disappointing factor about the software is that Canon has not yet released a new RAW Codec; the current version (1.5) does not support the S90 or G11. This allows raw files to be viewed in Windows and for thumbnail images to be created in Windows explorer. I am sure they are working on an update, but I wish they had this ready by the time the camera was released.
I went step-by-step through the menus and features of both cameras during my comparison and most functions are very similar. The S90 has fewer AF options and no remote control, but I do not think I will miss either of these.
I considered giving this camera only 4 stars because of the couple of hits I mentioned above, but then decided that would not be fair. The title of “Best Compact” has been debated feverishly on the web, with most votes going to the G10 and LX3. But now, I think Canon’s new release of both the S90 and G11 will put a quick end to these debates. There is no question in my mind that this pair sits above all competitors. Therefore a five star rating is the only logical choice. I highly recommend this camera.
5 Stars A Compact Camera Suited for Serious Photographers
My first impressions of the Canon S90 Compact Camera are quite good although I do have some nits:
Some functions should be easier to set. For example, Canon requires you to go into the menus to format the SD card. I would prefer to do that with buttons like I can on a DSLR. I also was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t set more functions in my custom menu (only five custom items can be set at one time.) It’s really easy to smudge the LCD because it takes up almost the entire camera back. And the manual setting of aperture is backwards. Canon set it to turn like you are looking at the camera, but it needs to be reversed because you are setting it from the back of the camera. It’s counter intuitive–and there’s no way to change the dial rotation to match what comes intuitively.
Post processing tests show that the S90 shots easy to manipulate photos. The biggest drawback are with marginal photos (extremely under exposed, for example.) I can bring back mistakes like that in poorly executed shots taken with my DSLR. With the S90, however, the photos blow out and become surrealistic looking when I try to recover them. But in fairness, we are talking about shots that should be greeted by the delete key anyway.
I shot some low light photos at ISO 2000 and 3200. Ridiculously high settings for a digital camera. And I must say that this camera handles noise extremely well. Sure, noise is there at high ISO settings. If you look closely enough you will see it, but it’s not objectionable. The image quality and detail is quite good. Focusing, even in low light, is fast and spot on the mark. There is almost no delay from the time I press the shutter button to the time the camera takes the photo. The camera does well in write speed to the SD card as well. Plus, I love being able to manually set aperture and shutter speed without using menus. That’s a terrific feature! And I haven’t yet missed having an optical viewfinder.
The S90 is a well designed, solid camera. The build quality is excellent. It’s small, but easy to handle. It has features that aren’t even on my DSLR and is quite capable. All-in-all, a very good camera and well worth the money.
5 Stars Keeper
Yes. Its a keeper. Easy to use, portable, some nice features, low light performance is amazing (tested ISO 400 and 800 mostly). Zoom is abit on a short side, but thats understandable. Love the front and rear rings and custom button. Waited a few years for this to come out. LX3 is also a great camera but zoom range and size killed it for me.
5 Stars Keeper
Yes. Its a keeper. Easy to use, portable, some nice features, low light performance is amazing (tested ISO 400 and 800 mostly). Zoom is abit on a short side, but thats understandable. Love the front and rear rings and custom button. Waited a few years for this to come out. LX3 is also a great camera but zoom range and size killed it for me.
5 Stars walk around photography
Took this out with my girls for an afternoon at the park yesterday. The ability to carry this in your pocket so easily is soooooo awesome. The quality I’m seeing so far has been great. Haven’t read the manual yet, and haven’t come close to denting what this camera seems able to do. It won’t replace my DSLR, nor did I intend for it to, but having caught the photo bug, this is an awesome tool to be able to carry with you wherever you are so you won’t be caught saying, “man I wish I had my camera with me”.
This camera is not for those who want an all in one. It takes video, but not HD. There are cheaper cameras that can take nice shots. If you want the ability to shoot RAW though, and really enjoy still photography, and never want to be caught without your camera….buy this. By the time I’ve actually played with this enough to know what all it can do, my 5 stars will be 5 stars with emphasis.
Canon VIXIA HF20 HD Dual Flash Memory with 32 GB Internal Memory and 15x Optical Zoom
Canons new VIXIA HF20 Dual Flash Memory camcorder packs so
much excitement and high-quality imaging power into its small,
lightweight body, youll be inspired to keep it close. Capture vividly
colored, realistically detailed, high definition video and photos with a
Genuine Canon 15x HD Video Lens with SuperRange Optical Image
Stabilizer, 3.89-megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor, and Canons
latest DIGIC DV III Image Processor. The VIXIA HF20 lets you record
up to 12 hours of HD video to a 32GB internal Flash drive, and also
lets you enjoy the option of recording directly to removable SDHC
memory cards.Youll love shooting with the user-friendly layout and
switching seamlessly between shooting video and photos. The Canon
VIXIA HF20 is packed with innovative new features like Pre-Record
that captures the action 3 seconds before you press the record button,
so you never miss a memorable moment, Video Snapshot Mode that
lets you set 4-second video vignettes to music, and Genuine Canon
Face Detection that perfectly focuses and exposes selected faces–anywhere in the frame and even in profile. All this in one compact
camcorder! Canon USA 1-year limited warranty included.
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars Canon VIXIA HF20, Nice Camera but hard to use
I have been using a Digital Camcorder for several years and thought it would be a good time to upgrade to HD Video with the Canon VIXIA HF20. I was wrong.
First, the bad. I first shot some video and the results were much worse than my standard digital video. After reading through the manual I found how to set the camera up to shoot HD video and only after selecting the best HD video recording mode was the quality better than my standard digital video. Then I tried to download the video to the PC. Reading the manual for this was frustrating. But, After some effort I did it. I found the USB interface next to the clearly labeled HDMI interface. I installed the PIXELA software, got all the cables connected, set the camera to video mode, turned on the camera and hit the “picture of camera with two arrows and a play symbol” button. Yes, I was then able to downloaded the video onto my 3 Gigahertz Dell computer and attempted to play the video. The video playback was unacceptable. It skipped several frames at a time and only played the top third of the scenes. I assume the problems are due to my computer being underpowered. I upgraded the hard drive to see if there was an improvement but this just resulted in the software no longer working with tech support unable to tell me why. I’ll probably have to get a newer faster computer to see if the video playback and editing works. Of course, once I do edit the HD video, what do I do with it. There really isn’t a cost effective standardized media to write HD video productions at this time. I’ll leave the video on the hard drive until the Blue ray recorders and media become reasonably priced.
Now, the good. The 32 GB of memory provides for plenty of recording time, at least for me. After recording 11 days of vacation in High Dev I still have 1 hour 20 minutes of recording time left. Playing the video on a TV through the Component interface on the camera looks great. The camera is very compact and light and easy to handle. It takes good still photos that look very nice on the computer screen and TV.
Overall a nice little camera but as it is hard to learn to use and as the HD video really isn’t viewable on a standard computer configuration, I’m only giving it two stars.
5 Stars Awesome Camera
Great camera, very intuitive menus, very easy to use, extremely light and small. Battery life is not as bad as described by some. Would definitely recommend this over the hf200 which doesn’t have the internal memory. It is definitely worth the extra money if you research the price of high-quality, high-capacity SDHC cards.
5 Stars Great camera overall. Be aware of requirements
I’m not going to review the camrea, because it’s a great product from canon and it is a nice upgrade from regular digital video. I just want to comment on few “issues” people have with the camera and you need to consider before buying it:
+ Quality in low light. Most cameras perform better in regular light. In low light, the video is grainy and not nice. You need a LIGHT if you are planning to use it mostly in low light. Canon has some but they are quite expensive.
+ Computer edit. You need a newer computer for playback. To edit it will be also faster in a new computer. You also need a special video editor to edit the HD files.
+ Slow transfer to computer. It’s slow because of USB 2.0, but you can transfer it as you shoot the video, instead of doing it all at once. I believe they don’t added firewire because it’s not widely supported in most computers.
+ Battery life. Yes, it last around 1 hours, so? Get another one. Most product use lcd displays, replacing optical viewfinder. This makes them smaller and compact. Most camcorders will last the same.
+ HD Video + Blu Ray = Great videos. You should use HD with Blu Ray, not DVDs to get the most of it.
+ This is not a digital camera. Don’t expect great pictures. The technology to combine video and photos is still not here.
I am amazed people complain about little things when it has nothing to do with the camera. Why do you spend this kind of money if you don’t want to spend a few more in accessories? In order to use a product you need to meet some requirements AND GET EDUCATED. One of the reviewer gave it 2 stars because he can’t even read the manual.
5 Stars Very good
I really like this camera.
Really compact and I could carry this in my jacket pocket. Picture quality is good though night time recording is not so good.
Still photographs are good and it gives me the control on exposure on shutter speed as well.
5 Stars Finally I can transfer good quality video to the computer – FAST!
This won’t be a long review. I really don’t do reviews. But I’ll tell you what I like.
I can shoot a video. Go home and back it up to my computer in minutes. And erase the video on my camera. Nowadays hard drives are cheap. Get a terabyte drive for about [...]. or so. Who cares if it’s the fastest on the planet. It’s a place to store you high def videos.
I don’t burn to Blue ray. It’s too expensive still. So I convert my hi-def video to Mpeg2 and burn the result to DVD. The quality is outstanding! I have a [...]OPPO dvd player with built in “up-conversion” and the resulting videos I make “pop” off of my HDTV screen.
You’ve heard by now that yesterdays computers bog down handling hd camera files. That’s true. If you don’t have a dual-core processor and a decent computer you will get frustrated. But… one day you WILL have a better computer. And the same files that frustrate you today will be easy to use tomorrow… so don’t dispare.
I have a vision too… that more and more people will buy the HD camcorders and store their precious moments to a hard drive. And someone will build an inexpensive interface that allows you to connect your terabyte drive directly to your HD TV and control it with your TV remote. No more conversions. Just watch your HD videos with the push of a button. They are working on it. Maybe a year or so away. You just watch.
I have posted a link to a youtube video made with my camera. This was done in subdued lighting in a church standing about thirty feet away. The anti-shake is turned on. The video is cruched down to be able to upload it to youtube. Still… for the setting, I think the quality is great!
[...]
Great little camera!!! Love it!
Canon EF 24 105mm f 4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras
The L-series is Canon’s flagship professional lens range, designed to include outstanding image performance, ultimate operability and weather resistance. The EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM offers a lightweight alternative to the renowned EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. offers the highest possible optical quality with no change in aperture over the full focal range of the lens. This allows photographers to set exposure at the widest aperture and zoom all the way through to 105mm without having to vary the shutter speed. Image Stabilizer (IS) dramatically reduces image blur caused by camera shake. Gyro sensors detect unwanted vibrations, triggering the corresponding movement of a correcting lens group perpendicular to the optical axis. This alters the light path, returning the image to its correct position on the sensor or film plane. The 3 stop advantage means that photographers normally shooting a 105mm lens handheld at 1/125 sec can obtain a shake free result with a shutter speed as low as 1/15 sec, for vastly extended options in low light conditions. The ring-type USM motor found in the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM employs ultra-sonic frequency vibrations to drive auto focus with unrivalled speed and near-silent operation. A powerful CPU and improved AF algorithm contribute to speed performance. Good holding torque stops the lens with precision and accuracy, the instant it arrives at the correct focus point and without overshoot. Photographers can choose manual focus instantly and at any time simply by moving the manual focus ring without first having to switch out of auto focus mode. Circular aperture producing attractive background defocus Inner focusing, ring USM and new AF algorithms for fast and quiet autofocusing Manual focusing enabled even during AF mode (full-time mechanical manual focus) Only environmentally friendly lead-free glass used in lens construction Filter diameter 77 mm / Dimensions (dia x len)
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Wonderful lens, a true L performer
Canon has created a gem with the 24-105 f4. Yes, it would be nice if it were f2.8 but then it would be a longer and heavier lens and more expensive, so I think the compromise is worth it. I have 4 other excellent Canon lenses but I nearly always end up shooting with this lens, and it’s the only lens I travel with.
I use it on my Canon 40D and get excellent shots that are crisp and clean, with good saturation and pleasing color. It performs even better on full-frame Canons (5D II and 1Ds III) as it allows you to take advantage of the full 14mm wide angle. On Canon’s C-size cameras (Rebel, 10-50D, 7D) there is a conversion factor of 1.6, so the 24mm is actually 38.4mm (very mild wide angle) and the 105mm is actually 168mm (respectable telephoto).
Image stabilization is excellent which means you can take full-range telephotos hand held and still get crisp shots.
Picture quality is nearly comparable to a good quality prime lens, so unless you get a lot of bang for the buck. I highly recommend this lens to advanced amateurs. Most semi-pros and professionals already know how good it is.
5 Stars Excellent quality walkaround lens
The Canon 24-105mm f/4 L lens with Image Stabilization is a fantastic lens for those times when you just want to have one lens on the camera but you also want to have a lot of options with your focal range. The range on this lens takes you from a decent wide angle perspective to a mid-range telephoto without any light loss (the maximum aperture is constant throughout the zoom range) and image stabilization keeps focus problems due to hand shake well away.
Optical quality is excellent, as you would expect with an L lens, and autofocus is smooth and fast. Keep in mind on a camera with a cropped sensor (any Canon DSLR model other than the 5D and 1D models) the focal range is equivalent to @40-170mm – you lose a bit of the wide angle advantage, but you get more telephoto, so it depends which end of the focal range you value the most as to whether that is a disadvantage or not.
5 Stars My Favorite Lens
I received my new lens as advertised and in perfect shape. I took it on a week-long vacation and took 100-200 photos using it. It is HEAVY (about 2 lb), but I immediately noticed how sharp these photos were, compared to my EF 18-55mm lens that came with my Canon Rebel XTi. I saw fewer chromatic aberrations with the 24-105. I also really like the fit and finish of my new zoom, making it worth the $1200+ price. This has been the first time I’ve used image stabilization, and I love it.
5 Stars A great walkaround lens
I’ve used the 24-105mm L lens on two camera bodies – the Canon 40D and now the 5D Mark II. For the amount of abuse I’ve put it through as my walkaround lens, it’s handled the abuse/dust/dirt perfectly in over 25 countries.
I’m amazed at the image quality of photos I’ve taken. Granted, the lens isn’t as sharp as a prime lens but it’s a trade-off. I don’t make money from my photos, so I try to invest in the lens smartly: I want to take awesome pictures and yet not spend a whole bunch of money. I replaced a 28-135mm lens with this, and am glad that I did.
On the 5D Mark II, I’ve noticed vignetting at f/4, which is sometimes a little frustrating getting those night shots without the benefit of a tripod at 3200 ISO. But at the same time, I’m able to take awesome pictures indoors in museums, etc where tripods/monopods draw unwanted attention. For moving subjects, it won’t help as much but it’s still doable.
The tossup between this lens and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras is a hard decision to make, for me at least. The f/4 isn’t as fast but it comes with IS and a larger zoom. For me, the versatility is what made me lean towards this lens.
5 Stars For me the best walkaround lens!
Awesome Lens! Although it is not f2.8, the IS and the additional range compensate for it. I took a lot of great pictures using this lens and I couldn’t be happier. Worth the investment 
Canon PowerShot SX20 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera is an automatic point-&-shoot for those aiming for the best shots possible. With the classically stylish Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, you can produce magnificent HD movies and dazzling photos. Loaded with features, it’s got a high-powered 20x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer, 12.1 Megapixels, a big 2.5-inch Vari-Angle LCD, Blink Detection and more. With a (35mm equivalent) focal length the 20x zoom lens spans from a 28mm wide-angle to 560mm telephoto. That just about covers any visual perspective you might need. This camera takes great stills and HD quality movies. Large 2.5-inch Vari-angle LCD enables easy viewing This AA battery powered camera enables you to easily power up Effective Pixels – Approx. 12.1 Megapixels Type – 1/2.3-inch type Charge Coupled Device (CCD) Lens – Canon 20x optical zoom with Focal Length – 5.0 (W) – 100 (T) mm f/2.8-5.7 (35mm equivalent – 28-560mm) LCD Monitor – 2.5-inch TFT color Vari-Angle LCD with wide viewing angle Shutter Speed – 15-1/3,200 sec. ISO Sensitivity – Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent Exposure Control Method – Program AE, i-Contrast, Manual; AE Lock, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift White Balance Control – Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash), Custom Built-in Flash – Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro Shooting Modes – Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Special Scene, Super Macro, Night Snapshot, Stitch Assist, Movie Storage Media – SD/SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus Card, HC MMCplus Card File Format – Still Image – Exif 2.2 (JPEG); Movie – MOV (Image – H.264; Audio – Linear PCM (Monaural)) Still Image – Up to 4,000 x 3,000 (Large); Movi
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Camera Fun
I have a trip planned to the Holy Land and wanted a camera with good zoom. I believe this will handle my needs but can report more after this trip.
As of now, the only change I could suggest is some way to make a more sturdy lens cover or one that could be attached to some type cord. This may be the first thing I loose.
5 Stars I love this camera~
I just received this camera a few days ago and I love it. It takes a while to figure out all the features, but once you get the hang of the settings you end up with some fantastic looking pictures. I mainly bought this for photographing my jewelry that I sell online, and it does an amazing job. I also enjoy taking nature photographs and so far this camera has delivered some terrific outdoor shots. I love the macro and super macro settings, they’re perfect for getting super-tight shots of my products. Everyone who has given this camera a bad review obviously didn’t take the time to tweak any of the settings. It takes a bit of patience to get the settings just right for your shot, and I am still learning all there is to know about this camera, but overall I am very happy with it. My only complaint is that the lens cap isn’t attached to the body of the camera and I have to put it in my pocket when I’m taking photos. I highly recommend this camera to anyone considering purchasing it.
5 Stars Annoying Lens Cap~ Great Camera
I am using this camera for college football. That means afternoon outside sport shooting. I have gotten great action shots. The video is easy enough.
I really like the adjustable viewfinder so I can shoot and watch the game. I have handed the camera off to 13 year olds and they are taking good pic’s.
I just changed batteries today,I have a couple hundred photo’s a handful of video. Changing out the batteries was awkward the fitting seemed off. The batteries lasted longer then I expected. I plan on doing the rechargeable route with 2 sets so I always have charged ones on hand. The lens cap is a huge hassle!! I would pay for a better lens cap. This one is cheap and doesnt fit well. It leaves the lens unprotected because it will pop off. I also would like a old fashioned type of camera bag that fits the camera. Other then the lame lens cap and bulky camera bag options this is a great camera for my use.
4 Stars SX20IS Delivers – Almost
This is my first Canon product. Overall I am very pleased. I purchased early September 2009 just before a trip to the northwest including Victoria British Columbia. Comments from friends and family after seeing the pictures of whales, harbors, city lights, volcanic mountain peaks, and sunsets on the Oregon coast support the quality of the camera and the ability of an average photographer when coupled with a good camera. I do wish Canon would provide accessories to include U/V Clear Filter to offer basic lens protection, polarized filters to remove the sun reflection from my whale pictures (this would have doubled the quality of the pictures), and lens cap lanyard. Oh, a printed Users Guide sure would be nice. I ended up printing a dozen key pages from the installation disk to carry in the camera bag, a bulky alternative. I would buy the camera again.
3 Stars Questions/Help!! This thing shakes and ticks.
Just bought this 3 weeks ago and on numerous occasions it makes ticking noises, shakes, vibrates, and other strange internal noises. Is anyone else having similar experiences with this camera?
Canon VIXIA HF200 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom
Canons new VIXIA HF200 Flash Memory camcorder packs
tons of excitement and high-quality imaging power into its
small, lightweight body. Capture vividly colored, realistically
detailed high definition video and photos with a Genuine
Canon 15x HD Video Lens, SuperRange Optical Image
Stabilizer, 3.89-megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor, and
Canons latest DIGIC DV III Image Processor. With the VIXIA
HF200, youll enjoy the convenience of recording to removable
SDHC memory cards.Youll also love shooting with the userfriendly
layout, and the ability to switch seamlessly between
shooting video and photos. The Canon VIXIA HF200 is packed
with innovative new features like Pre-Record that captures the
action 3 seconds before you press the record button, so you
never miss a memorable moment, Video Snapshot Mode that
lets you set 4-second video vignettes to music, and Genuine
Canon Face Detection that perfectly focuses and exposes
selected faces–even if theyre looking down or to the side.
All this in one compact camcorder! Canon USA 1-year limited
warranty included.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars You Little Beauty
I have had this camera now for about 10 days and I have used it and tested it under a variety of conditions trying to work out what it does well and what it doesn’t do well.
My summary is that this is a fantastic little camera taking amazing video in most lighting conditions although not very low light and of course Pixela software is so bad it is embarrassing for Canon and should never have been released (just be honest and say BUY YOUR OWN SOFTWARE).
The quality of the camera is evident really in every detail of the camera including the nice screen for the lens that activates when shooting, no more loose lens caps. Having solid state memory is fantastic, no worries about vibration, less power consumption (imagine a battery with 90 minutes life that comes standard with the camera, used to be 30 minutes with my older canon MV digital camera).
The menus and controls are all well designed and thought out. I found though you have to be very careful to hold the camera steady and I often use both hands.
The auto focus of the camera is exceptional and most of the time works so fast you don’t even notice it. I know from my experience of cameras over the years that this is quite a technical feat. My old Canon MV camera would hunt badly especially when using the zoom at maximum. Even taking video of my budgies int their cage, the autofocus correctly focussed on them and did it quickly whereas most cameras would just focus on the cage wires.
The colour accuracy is exceptional as is the saturation and and dynamic range. I shot some video late in the afternoon and had a good look at the footage (megabittage) and was very impressed with the colour accuracy of lit and shadow areas.
The resolution of the camera is exceptional which means that the lens must be very good and this sharpness and clarity extends to the extremes of the zoom range which is unusual. Detail drops when light drops such as indoor shots but that is to be expected and detail remains very good with indoor shots under reasonable light.
The exposure control is also very quick and accurate. Dynamic range is exceptional and it generally prefers lighting darker areas at the cost of some blow out in bright areas but no camera is as good as the human eye so still very impressed.
Low light performance is still very good on a reasonable lit indoor setting but if the indoor lighting is poor can become very grainy indeed and not nice to look at. I think most people won’t find this too big an issue. I found that the low light performance of my old mini VHS Sharp was better than my Canon MV mini DV camera and this in turn was better than the Canon HF 200!
I tested about five trial video editing software packages and settled on Pinnacle Studio 14 which just came out last week. Pinnacle was the only one that I tested thoroughly that didn’t crash on my Windows 7 64 bit system (pre release RC software). Adobe disappointed me in that it came with ‘trial software’ adorning all the video images so I didn’t even bother testing it, as it annoyed me. What were their propellor heads thinking? A trial is just that, give the customer the real software and let them evaluate. Mind you they were one step ahead of Roxio Creator who won’t even let you trial their software so needless to say they didn’t get my money either. Pinnacle is very nice easy to use software. Vegas was great but randomly crashed, Corel crashed the computer with a driver error and Cyberlink crashed when editing. In the end Pinnacle was the most expensive but hey this software will last for years (I hope).
Overall an excellent camera and I would thoroughly recommend it although I also had my eye on the Panasonic TM200 (marketed in most parts of the world as a very similar TM300) but this camera is quite a lot dearer.
5 Stars Amazing Quality!!!
Files are hard to deal with – But the Quality is AMAZING.
Buy an extra battery… You’ll need it.
A great camera!!
4 Stars Picky Picky
I just received the camera, extended battery, bag, card, etc. I always appreciate the reviews left on Amazons site. I go there first because I believe most of its customers are knowledgeable about the products bought there. However I must admit I was, and still am a bit surprised at the thumbnail photos that are in the ad. One shows the two Cannon cameras. If you scroll over them they say HF 200 terrible camera? Huh. So far it is a great camera and takes great video. I don’t understand how Amazon allows that picture to stay up on their site?
I think the regular Joe Schmoe that buys this camera is going to think the video quality is awesome for the price, but as mentioned a million times the software should not be downloaded to your computer. I have the Adobe and use that to edit all my videos. Of course that is a costly program for some so Cannon should definitely set you up with better software right out of the box than that Pixela crap. Anyway I think the camera, so far, is quite good. Not a $2000 camera, but still takes very good vid. I bought this for a bang around camcorder instead of taking my Cannon S10 on Bike rides. It is Autumn up here in NH so hopefully I get some leafy shots on Youtube soon.
5 Stars Good Buy!
This one come with a remote and is pretty sturdy. i just wish that the battery life was a lil more than 90minutes.
5 Stars Love this camera
I really like this camera. I have used it in many different scenarios, from home movies, to professional corporate productions, and it has not disappointed me yet. With so many reviews, there’s not much left to say. I will say one neat feature is the HDMI-out, which let me both record and preview on a large LCD display at the same time, the video that was being shot. Apparently this camera doesn’t work with Class-10 SDHC cards, which is a bummer, since in the near future Class-6 cards will probably become harder to find, so hopefully there is a firmware upgrade for that. Other than that, I love this camera, it was very affordable, and no matter if you’re shooting your kids’ soccer game, making a video for your company, or looking for a nice budget camera for an indie project, this camera will do the job for you!
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