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Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Lowest Price: $1,499.95

Product Overview

Product Details

Summary: Great video quality, battery life not so much

Detailed: I've purchased this camera because I use my car at track day events and wanted a camera that I could mount to the inside of the car to shoot HD footage of high-performance driving offense that I attend. This camera is not a good choice for that simply because it gives a lot of shake and it shows up in the footage. The still camera is great and the flash is strong. The video looks good if the cameras hand held or on a tripod, but if you move the camera around too quickly, you get a little bit of ghosting in the images. Like any video camera it will appreciate and use use as much light on the subject as you can get. I do recommend it because I had a hard drive based camera prior to this and it was a battery gobbler and ran hot as hell. This one runs cool and while the battery is not great, it's much better. I also like the tiny SD cards because they're cheap, fast and easy to handle. I also purchased a wide angle lens adapter which screws right in, works great. And I also purchased a depth of field (DOF) adapter which allows me to get a very good film look. Again that screws right into the threads on the front of the camera. I like it and will continue to buy the brand.

Summary: Wish it worked better in low light

Detailed: I love this camera for its portability and ease of use, but I just wish it had a better picture in low light. The picture looks pretty grainy when filming in low light - kind of disappointing as we bought it to record our first child. Most of children's early life shots are in low light! Overall, it's a great HD camera for the price.

Summary: Problematic Camera

Detailed: I've been a Canon user for many years. I've owned three Canon DSLR models, and been very pleased with them.

So upon needing to buy a video camera, I did my research, wanting an HD model that was completely Flash-memory based. And I was pleased to find Canon's HF100 was the best of the bunch.

I have not been disappointed in the image quality. But I've encountered two huge issues:

1) Soon after my 1-year warranty expired, the zoom switch on the camera started malfunctioning. If left alone, the camera will eventually start slowly zooming in without touching the switch. On one shoot where I left it recording on a tripod, it zoomed in and ruined the recording (of a once-in-a-lifetime baptism, nonetheless).

2) The software that ships with the camera is seventeen flavors of ugly. It is poorly-crafted, poorly-translated-from-Japanese crapware that is hideously difficult to use. BUT, because Canon records to a proprietary format, there's no way to get data off the camera without using the software.

As for the zoom switch, I am currently negotiating with Canon to see if they will honor the warranty even though it has expired. However, I had to send my 40D DSLR back to the shop when the shutter failed soon after its 1-year warranty expired, and Canon wouldn't budge on the repair costs. So this is two Canon products within a year that have failed on me. I take meticulous care of my equipment, and any hardware of this caliber should NOT fail as these have.

So, for what it's worth, I'm your cautionary tale.

I may be done with Canon. It may be time to switch to Nikon.

Summary: Beautiful

Detailed: This is a beautiful camera, great to use, smooth operation, great build quality, wonderful video and pictures...would recommend it to anyone, easy to use flash memory, buttons are well placed, screen is crisp, might want to get a second battery...

Summary: Just bought a used HF100

Detailed: As my title says, I bought a used HF100 from a private seller.
He included in the deal:
* Canon WD-H37 II Wide Conversion Lens
* HF100 Remote control
* All the required cables + an HDMI cable for the HF100
* 3 extra Canon OEM batteries
* 16GB SD card
* Canon CG-800 Lithium Ion Battery Charger (not the charger with the cord)
* Hoodman HD-300 Video Camcorder Hood
Not a bad deal at all for a few bucks over $400!! And the HF100 performs like a champ. The previous owner took real good care of it. No blemishes at all on the HF100.
I've only had it a few days and I've shot some test vids. Converted the mts files using TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress. Results are very good, but takes a while for the conversion to complete.
I may have given the HF100 5 stars, but I've only had it a few days. I will reevaluate my rating when I have more experience using it. The only cons that I have now are less than desired battery life and the time it takes to convert the mts files... but I knew about the conversion requirements prior to purchasing. So no big deal. If you want true HD from a camcorder, you need to figure in the time required for the conversion process prior to purchasing a Canon HD camcorder. Be sure your PC's guts can handle that conversion process without hiccups. And for true HD to be viewed on your home video setup, be sure to have a BlueRay burner and player, and of course a TV that can view HiDef.
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After using this camcorder for almost a month, I've increased my original rating from 4-stars to 5-stars. I really like this camcorder. I've done indoor and outdoor videos and I've learned how to use this camcorder in the various lighting environments and get great results.