Canon M400, M40 & M41 - a trio of camcorders at bargain prices



I'm usually wary of Black Friday sales, as I get enticed into buying something that's old or discontinued, and that I don't really need.

That said, several online retailers are offering Canon's M400, M40 and M41 camcorders at substantial discounts through November 26th. These camcorders were released just this year, and have received pretty positive reviews. Features include:

  • 2 x SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card Slots
  • 2.37MP 1/3" CMOS Sensor
  • 10x HD Video Lens
  • Dynamic SuperRange Optical IS
  • Canon DIGIC DV III Image Processor
  • Microphone and Headphone Connections

The M4x range is Canon's mid-level consumer camcorders, but with the $250 rebate, the M40 now costs as much as Canon R21, which is in their budget line!

Differentiating between them? The VIXIA HF M400 [$329] is the base model. It has only the dual SD SD/SDHC/SDXC slots for recording. The VIXIA HF M40 [$349] adds 16GB of internal memory, and built in HD-to-SD down conversion. The VIXIA HF M41 [$399.95] has 32GB of internal memory, and adds a color viewfinder.

Which to get? I'd probably choose either the M400 if you're looking to save the most money, or the M41 if you will be shooting outside and like to use a viewfinder. 16GB cards are going for about $20, so the M40 isn't a bad choice; though if 16GB isn't enough space for your regular shooting, then it may be better to just buy a 32GB SDHC card, which are currently selling for $40.

According to several sources, these cameras share the same sensor as the HF G10 [$1,499] and the XF100 [$3,795], and while they don't have the same inputs, features and image processing, they'd make excellent B or C cameras to work with those camcorders.


Resources:
  • Canon HF M41 vs HF-s100 vs 7D | Bob Nagy | Vimeo
    Compares video shot with the HF M41 to the HF-S100 (previous generation) and the Canon 7D.

  • Vixia HF M40 | Kaitlyn Chantry | Camcorderinfo
    It turns out that Canon’s gamble to put all new sensors into the 2011 consumer lineup has really paid off. The flagship HF G10 put up impressive numbers in low light performance—without much of a penalty to sharpness. For just [], you can get virtually the same stellar performance in the Canon Vixia HF M40.

  • Canon VIXIA HF M400 | Lori Grunin | C|Net
    A fine follow-up to last year's M3xx series, the Canon Vixia M4xx series should please most home-movie-oriented videographers despite its relatively high price. If you don't need the EVF, the M400 is your best buy, but if you'll be shooting a lot in sunlight, it's worth it to step up to the M41.


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