New Toy - Canon HF G10

I've been thinking of getting a new small camcorder because, though I've been very happy with Sony HDR-XR500, it doesn't shoot in 30p or 24p, and I really wanted something that could shoot in those video formats. Also, something with a few more manual controls was appealing.

The Canon HF G10 first got my attention back when it was announced. I liked it for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it has a sensor specially designed for HD video, so in theory it should produce an improved image. Also, it has manual controls; even if you have to access them through a touch-screen interface.


After several weeks of back-and-forth on the pros and cons, I finally broke down and bought one this weekend, partly because it's the Massachusetts tax free weekend and partly because Best Buy had them in stock and I had a 12% off coupon, as well as $105 in gift certificates. It just seemed like an excellent time to buy one!


First Impressions
I'd played with the camera briefly at a show a few months ago, but it was a bit of a surprise to rediscover a) how plasticky it seems and b) how physically wide it seems. The later is really an illusion; compared to the Sony HDR-XR500 the HG F10 is only fractionally wider, but for some reason it just seems very fat!

HDR-XR500 (left), HG F10 (right) Without the lens hood, they are of similar size

It's not so obvious in the picture above, but the build quality does seem to be a little below par. The matte black plastic seems cheap and light, and the HDR-XR500 just seems more solid - particularly the LCD swivel - though that might be because it's stiffer.

The focus ring on the front of the HF G10 is very nice, and while playing with it I once again wished that it could be used to adjust the zoom range, as well as for focusing.


The camera comes with an AC adapter (you have to charge the battery in the camera) AV cables, and even an HDMI cable. I particularly like that it includes a lens hood, though you'll want to be careful you don't break it accidentally; it's thin plastic.

I was a little surprised that no shoulder strap was included; is this a recent item that manufacturers have stopped including, or have I only just noticed? I must admit that I hardly ever attach them to camcorders, but that's beside the point!

I'm still figuring out the menus; you have to drag on the touch screen to scroll some of the menus and I've found this a bit of a hit-and-miss affair so far. Half the time I accidentally select something instead of getting the thing to scroll. They do include a mini-stylis which I might try, though I'm sure I will lose it within a couple of days.

As with nearly every new camera I pick up, some things just don't seem to be in obvious places in the menus. It took me much longer than it should have to find where to change the recording compression and frame rate settings. And I only found the waveform monitor by accident; what? I'm supposed to read the manual?!



I was happy to discover that the battery from the Canon HF100 fits the HF G10, but not so happy to discover that because the lens on the front is so big, none of the wide-angle lens adapters I have will fit it, and the one that Canon sells specifically for the camera costs $400.

I'm still learning how to use this camera, and will post more in a few days.

Amazon: Canon VIXIA HF G10 Full HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory[Note: price varies between $1,448 and $1,499]
Amazon: Canon WD-H58W 0.8x Wide Converter Lens[$399]




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sony GV-D200 review

Image
Sony GV-D200 I've been using a Sony GV-D200 deck to transfer old Video8 and Hi8 tapes. Some of these tapes are over twenty years old, and no longer having a Hi8 camcorder that worked I was concerned that if I didn't do something about transferring them to a more modern format soon, I might never be able to. While Sony no longer make camcorders that use these tapes - that I know of - Sony does still sell the GV-D200 deck (or Video Walkman, as it's sometimes labelled.) They also offer the GV-D800, which is almost identical but adds a small LCD screen for about $120 more. I didn't think I'd need a screen since I was using this to capture to the computer, but you will need an external monitor when you first set it up. Physically, the device is small. At 5 7/8" wide, 5 3/8" deep and 2" high, it's the smallest video deck I've encountered. I used to have a Video8 deck that I thought was small; and it was twice as deep and twice as high. The t...
Read more

Response: Which iPhone to Get?

Image
In response to my iPhone musings, I got the following reader email which actually sums up a lot of my second and third thoughts too: You might have a point about the fancier camera, but otherwise I would buy the smaller model. Its screen is about the same size as that of my Nexus 4, and I don't feel at all like it limits me with a too-small screen. But I do sometimes stretch to get my thumb the reach to the other corner of the screen. It is plenty big for a phone. A phone is a pocket thing. (Well, in my case it lives an ancient REI soft sunglasses case that I have on my belt.) Ubiquitous, handy, convenient, almost always with me. Small is crucial for all of that. Certainly a large screen is cool, but you need a place to put it: don't break a fundamental feature of a pocket phone by getting too big. That is what your small tablet is for. I have my phone with me almost always. I have my Nexus 7 tablet with me nearly as much. The bigger screen is great, yet it fits in some...
Read more

Should you buy the Sony NEX-FS100 Kit Lens?

Image
The Sony NEX-FS100 is available in two configurations: B & H : NEX-FS100U Camcorder only $4,999 B & H : NEX-FS100U (with 18-200mm lens) $5,599 But what does that extra $600 get you? It get's you this: Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Zoom Lens for NEX Camera This lens is also available separately for $799.99, so at $200 off you'd think everyone would be jumping on it. But not so fast... In his article about switching from the Canon 5D Mark II to the Sony NEX-FS100 , Paul Antico  at Need Creative says of the kit lens: 7) Its 18-200 F3.6-6.3 kit lens absolutely sucks and should be avoided (thankfully, you can order it without one) [ 1 ] But is it that bad? At B & H 's site, 43 reviews give it an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars. That's not a bad rating, though many of these people are using it for stills, and the most common complaint noted is how large and heavy it is. Of course this feeling of size would be exacerbated when you put it on a tiny camera ...
Read more