The Canon Vixia HF R20 is a basic HD (hi definition) flash memory camcorder that is capable of producing very high quality 1080p video in MPEG4-AVC/H.264 format, thanks to its 1/4.85-inch CMOS sensor and DIGIC DVIII processor. The unit is rated at 3.28 Megapixels (2.07 effective).Canon positions this product as offering the ideal combination of price and performance for the budget-conscious consumer who wants Full HD 1920x1080 video.
The camcorder comes with 8GB of built-in flash memory, and accepts 2 additional SDXC memory cards, each of which can be up to 2 TB. Yes, that is terabytes. Suffice it to say, you can record a LOT of video on this unit if you make use of the expansion slots. The camcorder switches automatically from one storage device to another without interruption. Nice feature. With just the built-in memory, at highest quality, you can record 40 minutes of video. As inexpensive as flash memory is, there's no reason not to fill both slots with at least 16 GB SD cards in each ... 32 if you're feeling extravagant.
As a budget HD camcorder, the Vixia HF R20 seems a likely upgrade for pocket camcorder users. I shot indoor and outdoor video with this camcorder, and with a pocket camcorder that shoots 1080p video also. I viewed the Canon Vixia video first, and observed the quality, then watched the pocket camcorder video and made comparisons. I'll share comparisons at the end.
First, here are some Pros and Cons I observed while using the Vixia camcorder.
PROS:
Excellent 20x optical zoom lens produced very sharp video in adequate lighting. This means outdoor daytime, and bright indoor lighting.. There is a 28x "advanced" setting and 400x digital zoom. The advanced zoom is supposed to yield more zoom without compromising image quality. I'll stick to optical zoom myself, but it's a nice feature if you're into zooming.
Auto Exposure worked very well outdoors, exposing bright scenes and shaded ones very well, and smoothly transitioning between the two. Indoors, I was less thrilled, because even during the daytime indoors, the video seemed a wee bit contrasty.
Combined processor/lens/metering produced stunning outdoor video. Perfectly exposed, very sharp, vibrant color without being super saturated ... if this is the main way you use your camcorder, you would be completely satisfied with the product.
Opening the LCD doesn't turn on the camcorder. You have to press the on button too. However, once it's on, closing the LCD puts the device into a standby mode and shuts the automatic lens cover, so that opening the LCD again puts you into shooting mode in less than a second. While out and about, I recommend operating in this mode ... however it likely consumes extra battery, so be sure to power down completely when you're done shooting for the day.
3" touchscreen for settings and preview. It's a good size while maintaining the light weight of the device.
Face detection works well at acquiring faces. Even cat faces. Well implemented feature.
CONS:
No onboard light. There is no accessory attachment for adding light (you have to move up to the HF21 model for that), and unbelievably, there is not even a booster LED onboard. For a camcorder of this price, and for the quality of video it is capable of producing, this is just inexcusable. Even phones today have a LED for lighting. My $100 pocket camcorder has one. Seriously Canon? Because of this, indoors, even during daytime, the camcorder had a tendency to hunt for focus a bit, and indoor video was more contrasty than I like.
No viewfinder. While this adds cost, I have always found it very difficult to use LCD screens in the daylight for composing scenes. You have to move up to the HV40 to get a viewfinder. More than double the cost of this unit.
The image stabilization just didn't do that much. I tried both Auto and Dynamic modes. The jittery effect is most noticeable when zoomed in, so be aware of this.
Battery life seemed short to me. I shot video and looked through settings for no more than 1.25-1.5 hours.
So-So:
The GUI. Most of the settings are made on the touchscreen, and the menu system is easy to navigate without needing to go to the manual to figure everything out. Contrarily, there are actual buttons on the body of the camera opposite the LCD (record/play, video snap, auto/web, disp/battery info). Why the mix? I spent 10 minutes trying to find the playback button in the menu system, until I was forced to go to the manual to figure out how to playback video. Sheesh. It's 2011. Can't we be consistent with GUI design? Please?
Daylight and daytime indoor white balance was set properly by the camera, but under compact fluorescent light at night, the balance was very very warm.
Comparison with pocket camcorder:
Canon Vixia produces much sharper and clearer video. This is likely due to a larger sensor, better optics, and Canon's prowess at processing.
The Canon Vixia zooms in HD modes. The pocket camcorder does zoom, but only in SD modes.
Solid colors are noisier/grainier in the pocket camcorder.
That one little LED makes the video shot indoors better exposed on the pocket camcorder. It's just enough light to fill in the shadows.
Stabilization works better in the pocket camcorder. It seems very weak in the Canon Vixia.
Outdoors, the pocket camcorder video is a little washed out, and overall exposure is a little brighter.
The pocket camcorder is much worse at processing panning video. The video image gets semi-scrambled by the pocket camcorder ... the Vixia keeps up with video processing during panning scenes.
The pocket camcorder does not handle bright to dark (and vice versa) transitions as well as the Vixia does. It's smooth as silk with the Canon. Choppy exposure transition with the pocket camcorder.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Canon Vixia HF R20 is an easy-to-use, lightweight camcorder that produces stunning full HD (1080p) video on the easiest media of all to use, flash memory. It operates at full default, full auto settings for the novice, and allows many manual settings for more advanced camcorder users. It even lets you shoot 24p cinema-mode video. The strongest features of this camcorder are the lens, exposure, and image processing capabilities. Daytime and bright indoor video is excellent. However, Canon needlessly compromised the indoor capabilities of the camera by failing to include any onboard light. As well, the image stabilization could use some improvement, as zoomed video seemed needlessly jittery to me. Still, an entry level product cannot be at the pinnacle in every aspect of use, and Canon rightly focused its efforts on excellent quality video in what it judges as the most likely venues of usage. Battery life could be longer, so plan to have a spare (or two) on hand for a full day of shooting.
I've use the Vixia HF R20 to record this review. The built-in mic and external mics show the real life results. Mac owners should note the great info around here about dealing with the AVCHD files. Get a monopod/tripod and decent mic, and you'll be ready to play Spielberg!
Buy Canon VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black) Now
For all the appeal of this small and proficient camera, the battery life is quite short, and the bottom-mounted battery doesn't allow for a larger battery to be used. And extra batteries are quite expensive! ($70 with no free shipping).Yes, the internal memory + two SD slots will allow for hours and hours of continuous recording...from an AC power source! But the battery? The "mini instructions" that come with the camera suggest a typical recording time of 45 minutes. 45 minutes? I've NEVER had a camcorder with such short life on a new battery!
I've been testing, and the actual maximum continuous recording time, with no zooming or focusing, is about 75 minutes to an external SD card. Recording to the internal memory increases the recording time slightly, as does setting the viewscreen to 'extra dim' mode.
Conclusion: the extended recording time of the multi-memory system is completely wasted, as the battery will be the limiting factor for almost every user.
Other issues: I like the touch-screen, but it helps to have fingernails.
The flashing red "access" light on the back of the camera is really annoying.
Low-light performance is not as good as previous Canon camcorders.
The lens mount has threads for an accessory, and there's a mic jack and headphone jack option (unlike an otherwise attractive Panasonic competitor).
The camera defaults to recording on the internal memory, even after you put in a memory card, which is confusing.
The full instruction manual is included only on a CD disc; very annoying.
Haven't yet looked into the file format, but if, as suggested, it's non-standard, that would be quite a drawback.
Sad to say, I'll be returning this camera AND the Panasonic. Maybe by next year chip cameras in this price range will be worthwhile. This year (7/2011), not so much.
--Gary ==Summary==
The Canon Vixia HF R20 offers many of the features found in a larger, more expensive camcorder, but is small and light enough not to be a burden. While the higher-end Vixia models provide some serious upgrades for the enthusiast for a significant price, the casual point-and-shoot crowd will find plenty to love about the Vixia HF R20 and only one thing to hate. The R20 shoots clear, vivid video with only minor weakness in low light, image stabilization and motion. The .mts file format will be alien to most users and may require time-consuming file conversion on additional (not the included) software to retain full HD quality for viewing on common devices.
==Construction==
Weighing only 9.5 oz. and measuring 2.4" x 2.4" x 4.8", the Canon Vixia is just small enough to it in a large pocket and light enough to pack in a backpack without weighing you down. The overall construction feels a little cheap simply due to the light weight and this will also make it harder to shoot steady video. The lens is noticeably smaller than those found on the more expensive Vixia models, but still vastly superior to the majority of cheap point and shoot video cameras that have been flooding the market.
The touchscreen measures 3", which should be big enough for most, but I'd have liked at least 3.5" and capacitive instead of pressure-sensitive response. Aesthetically the R20 is quite attractive and comfortable to grip. The buttons, ports and slots are all laid out efficiently and ergonomomically. Hdmi, composite and audio ports and two slots for SD/SDHX/SDXC cards round out the package.
==Video Quality==
The Canon Vixia HF R20 provides an Auto shoot mode as well as scene modes for more specific environments. In auto mode it only takes a few frames for the camcorder to adjust from shooting indoors to outdoors. The image stabilizer (dynamic/standard(default)/off) works great overall, except for close-ups. The lens provides a very clear image with only minor distortion and provides a 20x optical zoom (28x advanced zoom). Low light performance is only okay.
Frames rates of 24p, 30p and 60i are available. Five bit rate qualities are available, the two highest shoot in 1920x1080 resolution while the 3 lower ones shoot in 1440 x 1080. The following bitrates can be selected: MXP-24Mbps, FXP-17Mbps, XP-12Mbps, SP-7Mbps, LP-5Mbps. The default shooting mode is SP with 60i frame rate. You can shoot 2hr 20min in deault SP, 1hr in FXP or 40 min in MXP using the internal 8GB. Keepn in mind that higher quality bitrates may not save onto lower speed SD cards. Maximum shooting time is 12 hours. Pictures are saved at either 2 (1920x1080) or 2.4 megapixels depending on aspect ratio.
==Ease Of Use==
Most owners should be able to dive right into using their R20 for shooting home videos. The buttons are (for the most part) clearly labeled as to their function(s) and logically laid out so you can find things intuitively. Both composite and hdmi (mini-hdmi to hdmi) cables are included as well as 8GB of internal memory. The only times I had to look at the manual were to figure out the Vid Snap button (sets camcorder to shoot for 2/4/8 sec at a time) and look up how to get at some of the more advanced settings (touch "Func" on the touchscreen when NOT in Auto mode). A minor complaint is the inability to shoot stil pictures WHILE you're filming video.
The major complaint I have for the R20 is the file format that every video is saved in: .mts. It took me a while to find adequate software to convert the .mts files into .avi and even longer to convert a few short videos (on my last generation computer). I suspect most people don't have software on their computers already that will convert or even play MTS video files. I've been a long time user of Pixela software for my photos, but video software is a joke (the video browser disc required me to uninstall what i had installed only minutes before from the image transfer disc). The included video converter will not convert the MTS files without reducing the resolution significantly! Thankfully the pictures save as .jpg files. I ended up removing the included software from my computer and simply drag and drop the files from the Canon onto my desktop.
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A nice little affordable digital flash memory video camera from a trusted name. I'm glad I purchased it on Amazon. I would highly suggest buying additional batteries and a battery charger. I find I have to swap out batteries if I record for a long time.PROS:
1)small
2)light
3) easy to operate
4) built-in-features are nice
5) zoom is good
6) records to flash memory
7) expandable memory with added cards (upto 128G with 2 64G cards) [be sure to get class 10 cards]
8) quiet operation
9) USB
10) wonderful quality picture
11) nice resolution
12) nice recording options
13) affordable
14) automatic lens protection mechanism
15) touch LCD screen from which most features can be controlled
16) external mic connection available
17) HDMI output connection
18) easy access to memory cards
19) easy access to battery compartment
20) standard camera mount for tripod
21) DOLBY stereo
22) batteries charge relatively fast compared to others.
CONS:
1)battery life is just barely adequate best to have a spare battery or two or more on hand
2)the zoom control is located in the usual place, but the small size of the camera makes it a little difficult for someone with big hands to operate optimally. Will take some getting use to.
3) proprietary video upload utility software to get video from camera to PC which is very slow. To transfer video from the camera to the PC requires use of a proprietary software utility (provided). It would have been much better had the camera had the ability to import video simply using native video import functions built into Windows. This is very inconvenient especially if you want to import the video to a machine that does not have the proprietary software installed.
4) despite having the ability to control how video is recorded to memory such as setting the mode that will first fill internal memory then automatically continue onto added memory cards, the camera loses this configuration selection when powering off the PC and goes back to the default mode of recording only to internal memory. It's easily remedied by setting the configuration option again after powering up, but it is very inconvenient that the camera does not remember these settings between power ups.
5) the battery and electric power is provided via a proprietary AC Adapter with a very proprietary connection. I would have preferred they use the USB connection to provide electrical power and battery charging perhaps the camera draws more current/voltage than a standard UDB connection can provide to be able to power the camera or charge the battery. It is very inconvenient having to carry around a special adapter like this if one has a PC USB connection available.
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