Canon Vixia HF R300 Full HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 51x Advanced Zoom

Got this Camcorder from my pre-order today, and like it so far, here are some of the things I have noticed so far.

Very small and light, similar to previous years models, I am using a Transcend 32GB class 10 card, which works just fine for it.

I plugged it in and can confirm that it takes about 2 and 1/2 hours to fully charge (my battery was completely dead when received)

Battery life is almost non-existent... I was surprised to read in the owner manual that when recording in FXP 1920x1080 mode that you could expect only about 25 minutes of battery life... I record in the slightly higher MXP mode and can also confirm that this is a pretty close guestimate as I have recorded around 10 15 minutes, and my battery indicator shows that it is at 50%, so more than one battery, or an extended battery will quickly become a must!

Also as the previous reviewer mentioned, the current title that amazon gives this camcorder "...with Dual SDXC Card Slots..." is incorrect, not an issue as I noticed this in the specs on Canon's web site before preordering it, but worth noting.

In all, video quality, as well as the IS modes make this camera wonderful to work with, and I love the videos that it produces!!

I purchased this camcorder when it was released and have used it for various projects. It is very pocketable, the video image stabilizer works well, the SD cards make it incredibly easy to transfer pictures to your computer and once you've selected the MPG settings that work best for you there's little left to chance. The zoom, color, exposure control, and even audio (I know, it's a consumer camcorder) is quite sufficient for most people who are looking for a great value in this price range.

But -far too many comments are based on the battery and not on the camcorder itself.

Buy they generic BP-727 two pack of batteries and get back to the camcorder.

BATTERY SOLUTION

The generic BP-727s and pair of chargers are EXTREMELY affordable. They are generally not chipped yet so the camcorder cannot tell you how much time you have left. I ran my own personal tests on a pair of full batteries and found that they provided 2hr 47min on the first battery and 2hr 53min on the second battery. If you start each day with a fully charged battery there is little need for the battery meter.

STORAGE

While a 32GB SDHC card works great for day of shooting this camcorder really shines with a larger capacity SDXC cards. I added a pair of 64GB SDXC cards to the rotation so I could carry a small 3-card aluminum wallet with me when travelling and not have to download for a week. SDXC is a great format but there will be those who will complain about compatibility and lack of functionality as well.

Understand that many of the would-be issues relate to the fact that the exFAT filesystem used on SDXC cards is not natively supported by Windows XP. You will need to install the Microsoft patch for XP that supports the exFAT (SDXC) formatted cards. After a reboot your card readers and SDXC cards will spring to life. That new memory card that you thought was incompatible or damaged now works like a champ.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE -If you are considering this camera because the features and price are attractive then do it. The battery and SDXC issues that have caused a great many people to feel disappointed can be corrected easily and with very little investment. Overlook every battery comment you see and look for comments on the camera, it's incredible zoom, decent low light performance, good audio and ability to accept a mic input and headphone output. It's a great camera that makes personal HD recordings easy to take and to share.

Buy Canon Vixia HF R300 Full HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 51x Advanced Zoom Now

I purchased this Camcorder on the day it came out and had high expectations. I had a number of Canon camcorders before and I really like their picture quality. However, when I used this one for the first time, I run out of battery after 20 minutes and had only about 12 minutes worth of footage. For a consumer product in this day and age, this is completely unacceptable. Also, the included software does not work on a Mac...

Read Best Reviews of Canon Vixia HF R300 Full HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 51x Advanced Zoom Here

Bought this camera as it was this years version of the Vixia R200 camera. The camera is fantastic! Image quality is great for the videos. You can download and view the videos on a mac computer, on the ps3, great. But then Canon, a brand that I really like, disappointed me completely with a battery that lasts 30 minutes tops!!! And the bigger replacement battery is 100+ dollars and I have no way of finding out if that one will last any longer.

I'm returning mine and will probably buy the R20 now. Which seems to have a longer battery life but I'll need to buy an extra one to get through the day anyway. Maybe I'll go with a different brand, still undecided.

Edit:

Fond some links at Canon's webpage that give insight in battery performances. All three possible batteries.

(...)

This one shows how long it takes to charge them. 7,5 Hours for the BP-727 on the camera!!! 7,5 hours!!

(...)

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I have been using a Sony HC-3 High Definition Camcorder since 2006 with very good results. The HC-3 records to mini-DV tapes. I purchased the R300 to save time by not having to deal with the hassle and expense of finding and using tape. To transfer two hours of video to my computer from the HC-3 it takes an additional two hours. The Canon HF R300 records to files of a number of different resolutions, compressions and formats. Many can be used without any re-encoding before being either uploaded to YouTube or written to Blueray discs. This is a huge time saver for me and the primary reason that I purchased this camcorder.

It does come stock with a very small battery and I understand other users frustrations. I have always purchased at least a couple of extra batteries immediately for every camcorder that I have ever purchased. Taking video and especially high definition video has always been a power hungry application. Most of the video that I take is actually in auditoriums; the first thing that I do is try to find a good spot that has both a good view of the stage and a power outlet. I have always had issues with batteries giving out on me at the most inopportune times.

I purchased my Vixia in a bundle that included an additional OEM medium capacity battery, a case, and an 8gig SD card. I immediately purchased two additional generic high capacity batteries and a wall charger for $24 including shipping. With three extra batteries I have the battery capacity that I need even if I am not able to park myself next to an outlet during an event and I got it all at a price that I cannot even mention here on Amazon because it was so low.

My Sony HC-3 has a 1/3" CMOS sensor and it had the best low light capabilities of any consumer camcorder in 2006. The Canon HF R300 has a smaller 1/4.85" CMOS with more pixels, so it is at a disadvantage because each pixel is receiving a smaller amount of light at a given brightness level. However there have been improvements in both pixel sensitivity and density over the years and the Canon HF R300 while not quite as good as some higher priced camcorders in low light... is more than adequate for what I use it for. The results are very similar to my Sony HC-3. For what I use it for the most the 30x zoom lens is a very big plus as compared to the 10x lens in my Sony HC-3 and the more expensive Canons. I am willing to give up a little in low light sensitivity for the more powerful zoom.

For my purposes the ability to plug in an external microphone or the line out of a PA system or mixer is essential. Every camcorder that I have purchased over the past 30 years has always had the capability to plug in an external sound source or microphone. The Sony HC-3 did not initially have a mic jack but both bluetooth mics and a mic jack adapter was available which added the mic or line input through the hot shoe. An external mic jack is generally available on most high end camcorders, but on less expensive camcorders this is one of the first options to be dropped. So I am very grateful that the Canon HF R300 has both an external mic jack and a headphone jack.

Every camcorder in this price range is going to have a few compromises. Mine came bundled with adequate batteries and I purchased additional high capacity batteries and a wall charger for a nominal amount so I do not consider that to be a negative. My assumption is that Canon will most likely include a larger battery on this coming years model. I would have appreciated a hot shoe for powered accessories such as a light or bluetooth microphone. This camcorder has a lot of options and adjustments that can be accessed through the menu system; it would have been nice if a few of these could have been accessed through programmable buttons. I also would have loved a LANC terminal so that I could control the Zoom and other functions from a tripod.

Overall this is an incredible camcorder for the price. It has too many features to list in my review. I especially appreciate the choice in file formats, frame rates, resolution and compression. This allows a user to easily burn a DVD that will play HD video in a blueray player without re-encoding. It also allows one to upload HD content to YouTube without re-encoding. This is a feature that is a big improvement over the prior years comparable Canon Camcorders. Inexplicably this major improvement is not mentioned in most reviews, but will save me hours of time and frustration. This is an incredibly versatile camcorder with a lot of hidden bells and whistles. It records very good video and has an easy to use automatic mode, but enough options to keep a more experienced user happy.

**** follow up after several months ****

After using the Vixia R300 for several months... I am happy to report back that it has performed flawlessly for my purposes. The most useful "upgrade" that I made was buying a stereo bluetooth sender and receiver set designed for using headphones wirelessly with your stereo. The range can be up to 300 feet depending on whether there are obstructions or other sources of interference. One plugs the line out of a PA system into the sender and the receiver's stereo output into the mic jack on the R300. You then monitor the sound using a pair of headphones.

There are several options for setting the sound levels using the internal controls on the R300 and the volume controls on the bluetooth wireless headset adapter. Since the headset adapter has aa female input and so does the camcorder you need to buy a short 1/8" stereo mini-cable with males on both ends for the camcorder side and a rca to stereo mini adapter for the line out side. I also set up a wireless microphone with the same system for situations where there is no PA. It all works extremely well... far better than the proprietary sony system that I have been using for the past several years with my Sony HC-3 HD Camcorder.

My only frustration is that I have not been able to find a 12v car adapter that can be plugged into the camcorder. This is a minor issue, because I can use a small inverter with the normal charger. I would like the option of plugging the camcorder into a small portable 12v source when it indicates that my battery life is nearly up. The charging plug on the camcorder is some type of proprietary plug that does not seem to be readily available, otherwise I would just make up my own.