Canon HG10 High Definition Camcorder Review
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Written To Better Inform Our Visitors Regarding These Deals: • CANON HG10 HD Camcorder $720 Instant Rebate [INSTANT SAVINGS] |
Canon delivered a first with the launch of the Canon HG10 camcorder. It is the first Canon high-definition camcorder that comes with a hard disk. The HG10 is smaller than its predecessor, the HV20 and weights only 1.1 lbs. It was once the smallest hard-drive based video recorder but that has changed when Sony launched the SR5. To sport a sleeker look, Canon has moved the position of the controls and done a lot of reshaping. It has a tall body for more grip and comfort. The Canon HG10 has a width of 3.2 inches, a depth of 5.1 inches and a height of 3 inches. It comes with a classic silver and gray color that makes this gadget inviting and professional-looking.
The Canon HG10 has a 3 MP CMOS chip that can shoot 1,920 x 1,080 high definition. video. Using AVCHD, it can be downconverted to 1,440 x 1,080. It can store up to 40 GB of audio and video data. That's about 5 and a half hour of video at 15 Mbps or full 15 hours at 5 Mbps. It comes with a 200 x digital zoom with a 2.07 megapixels camcorder effective video resolution. Total camcorder sensor resolution is at 2.96 MP with optical sensor size of ½.7 inches. The HG10 can capture 3 MP still photos, but too bad you cannot store images on the hard drive but on a MiniSD card instead. Still images are in JPEG data format. Another nifty idea from Canon, this gadget also comes with infrared remote control.
For home videos, you no longer need drastic editing to improve your movies. The Canon HG10 camcorders comes with special effects that you can use including vivid, neutral, cinema, low sharpening and skin detail effects. You can play around your videos without downloading them to your computer and editing them. You can choose from transition options including art fader, black & white fader and wipe fader. These transitions can really put some movement and excitement to you videos. For stabilizing images, you can use its Optical SuperRange features.
Professionals would love the various shooting programs that the Canon HG10 has to offer. You can choose from snow, sunset, beach, spotlight, fireworks, night mode, portrait mode and sports mode. These preset features would allow you to shoot faster without manually modifying the settings of your camcorder. Even amateurs can come up with superb output because of its shooting programs options. The HG10’s minimum shutter speed is at ½ sec and a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 sec. You can also customize white balance or choose automatic or pick from a list of presets. White balance presets include shade, fluorescent, cloudy, daylight, tungsten light and warm white. Exposure modes vary from automatic, programmable, aperture priority and shutter-priority. It has a built-in flash with auto mode and red eye reduction options.
The Canon HG10 Camcorder has a comprehensive and advance lens system. It has zoom lens with focal point of 6.1 mm to 61 mm (F/1.8-3.0) and an aperture of F/1.8-3.0 with 9 auto focus point zones. It has 10x optical zoom with built-in lens shield and a filter size of 43 mm. Focus adjustment can either be manual or automatic with a minimum focus range of 0.4 inches.
The Canon HG10 camcorder also comes with a self timer with a delay of 2 seconds or 10 seconds. You can use its night mode and low lux options. If you want to print your pictures right away you can use its Direct print option. You can also take advantage of its PictBridge support and Histogram display. You can easily connect your Canon HG10 with your computer via its USB 2.0 port. Enjoy taking photos while video recording and make use its Dolby Digital AC-3 recorder. You can also get a little lighting and audio help with its built-in light and microphone.
Each Canon HG10 camcorder that you buy comes with drivers and utilities that you can use to sync your videos with your computer. Other accessories include a battery pack, a stereo and video cable, compact power adapter, component cable, USB cable, and wireless controller.
The image quality of the Canon HG10 camcorder is at par with the quality Canon has been offering its consumers over the year. The HG10 produces well-exposed and sharp output, in both video and still images. There might be some visual noise that you would notice whenever you shoot your scenes on dim settings. You can also notice unusual highlights in bright settings. But nevertheless, these discrepancies are normal and can easily be solved with the right amount of lighting.
Video experts would also tell you that the color performance in HG10 has also been greatly improved. In fact, it is one of the HD camcorders that offer the best quality in color performance among other brands. It also offers sharpness in both static images and moving shots, even if they are slow moving.
The Canon HG10’s stabilization features also received praises. Its SuperRange OIS can effectively decrease the not-so-good effects that a shaking camera can bring to your videos. It also comes in two speeds. You can use the first speed option whenever you are taking a video while walking or you opt for the second speed that you can use when using your camcorder in a more unstable situation like when shooting inside a car.
You can edit AVCHD footage in two software programs- Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 and Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus. If you want to edit your videos in other programs aside from the ones mentioned, you can convert your AVCHD file video to a MPEG2 format or in other data format compatible with your editing software.
You can buy the Canon HG10 for about $660.00. Product price varies in different online stores and retail shops. But with all the features of the Canon HG10, each penny is worth it.
Canon gives its consumers 1 year warranty for service and support and a limited warranty for parts and labor for a full year.
Technical Specifications
The Canon HG10 has a 3 MP CMOS chip that can shoot 1,920 x 1,080 high definition. video. Using AVCHD, it can be downconverted to 1,440 x 1,080. It can store up to 40 GB of audio and video data. That's about 5 and a half hour of video at 15 Mbps or full 15 hours at 5 Mbps. It comes with a 200 x digital zoom with a 2.07 megapixels camcorder effective video resolution. Total camcorder sensor resolution is at 2.96 MP with optical sensor size of ½.7 inches. The HG10 can capture 3 MP still photos, but too bad you cannot store images on the hard drive but on a MiniSD card instead. Still images are in JPEG data format. Another nifty idea from Canon, this gadget also comes with infrared remote control.
For home videos, you no longer need drastic editing to improve your movies. The Canon HG10 camcorders comes with special effects that you can use including vivid, neutral, cinema, low sharpening and skin detail effects. You can play around your videos without downloading them to your computer and editing them. You can choose from transition options including art fader, black & white fader and wipe fader. These transitions can really put some movement and excitement to you videos. For stabilizing images, you can use its Optical SuperRange features.
Professionals would love the various shooting programs that the Canon HG10 has to offer. You can choose from snow, sunset, beach, spotlight, fireworks, night mode, portrait mode and sports mode. These preset features would allow you to shoot faster without manually modifying the settings of your camcorder. Even amateurs can come up with superb output because of its shooting programs options. The HG10’s minimum shutter speed is at ½ sec and a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 sec. You can also customize white balance or choose automatic or pick from a list of presets. White balance presets include shade, fluorescent, cloudy, daylight, tungsten light and warm white. Exposure modes vary from automatic, programmable, aperture priority and shutter-priority. It has a built-in flash with auto mode and red eye reduction options.
The Canon HG10 Camcorder has a comprehensive and advance lens system. It has zoom lens with focal point of 6.1 mm to 61 mm (F/1.8-3.0) and an aperture of F/1.8-3.0 with 9 auto focus point zones. It has 10x optical zoom with built-in lens shield and a filter size of 43 mm. Focus adjustment can either be manual or automatic with a minimum focus range of 0.4 inches.
Additional features and accessories
The Canon HG10 camcorder also comes with a self timer with a delay of 2 seconds or 10 seconds. You can use its night mode and low lux options. If you want to print your pictures right away you can use its Direct print option. You can also take advantage of its PictBridge support and Histogram display. You can easily connect your Canon HG10 with your computer via its USB 2.0 port. Enjoy taking photos while video recording and make use its Dolby Digital AC-3 recorder. You can also get a little lighting and audio help with its built-in light and microphone.
Each Canon HG10 camcorder that you buy comes with drivers and utilities that you can use to sync your videos with your computer. Other accessories include a battery pack, a stereo and video cable, compact power adapter, component cable, USB cable, and wireless controller.
Performance
The image quality of the Canon HG10 camcorder is at par with the quality Canon has been offering its consumers over the year. The HG10 produces well-exposed and sharp output, in both video and still images. There might be some visual noise that you would notice whenever you shoot your scenes on dim settings. You can also notice unusual highlights in bright settings. But nevertheless, these discrepancies are normal and can easily be solved with the right amount of lighting.
Video experts would also tell you that the color performance in HG10 has also been greatly improved. In fact, it is one of the HD camcorders that offer the best quality in color performance among other brands. It also offers sharpness in both static images and moving shots, even if they are slow moving.
The Canon HG10’s stabilization features also received praises. Its SuperRange OIS can effectively decrease the not-so-good effects that a shaking camera can bring to your videos. It also comes in two speeds. You can use the first speed option whenever you are taking a video while walking or you opt for the second speed that you can use when using your camcorder in a more unstable situation like when shooting inside a car.
Editing
You can edit AVCHD footage in two software programs- Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 and Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus. If you want to edit your videos in other programs aside from the ones mentioned, you can convert your AVCHD file video to a MPEG2 format or in other data format compatible with your editing software.
Pricing
You can buy the Canon HG10 for about $660.00. Product price varies in different online stores and retail shops. But with all the features of the Canon HG10, each penny is worth it.
Product Warranty
Canon gives its consumers 1 year warranty for service and support and a limited warranty for parts and labor for a full year.
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