Buy Canon HV10 3.1MP High-Definition MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical ZoomCanon HV10 3.1MP High-Definition MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Product Description:
- HDV camcorder with 1/2.7-inch CMOS image sensor
- High-definition 10x optical zoom lens; super-range optical image stabilizer
- Advanced photo features: up to 3-megapixel stills, histogram display, built-in flash, and more
- 2.7-inch color widescreen LCD; color viewfinder
- Easy one-hand operation; ultra-compact and lightweight
Product Description
The stylish Canon HV10 gives you the ultimate in HD video and digital photo quality - in the world's smallest HDV camcorder*. Its 10x optical zoom lens and 2.96 Megapixel CMOS image sensor ensure meticulous detail and superior color reproduction. And, with its HD and Standard Definition recording modes, you can make the move to HD without making your SD equipment obsolete. The HV10 is easy to use and delivers the high level of performance you've come to expect from Canon. It's the premium quality camcorder that sophisticated and discerning videographers have been waiting for. The HV10 is the HD camcorder to go along with everything else in your HD world. It captures true 1080 High Definition resolution video in 16:9 format, using MiniDV cassette tapes. The HV10's true 16:9 widescreen HD image is made for your new HD widescreen TV. High Definition and widescreen are the future. Be sure you invest in that future with Canon's HV10. At the same time, the HV10 gives you the flexibility to record in SD (standard definition) mode, too. That means you can enjoy the ultimate in HD video and photo quality, and still shoot SD video for viewing on your non-HD equipment. The HV10 is the world's smallest HDV camcorder. It's easy to take this ultra compact camcorder wherever you go, because it weighs in at less than a pound and has a slim design. That means you always have both an HD camcorder and a high quality digital still camera with you to capture the precious moments of your life. Along with its compact size, the HV10 is designed for easy one-hand operation, with all of its controls within easy reach.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
170 of 172 people found the following review helpful.
By D. Chien
Overview: Running on the HDV MPEG-2 standard, the Canon HV10 allows many users of miniDV camcorders to continue using and playing their miniDV tapes they've recorded and have, while providing them with the added option of recording in either HD or regular mode onto MiniDV tapes. The HV10 has a slim, pocketable body, so it's very easy to take with you on long trips without feeling like you have a huge rock tied behind you to slow you down.Minuses:* No external light/mic jacks - buy the HV20 if you want these.* No HDMI output - buy the HV20 if you want this.* Can't change tapes if the camcorder is on a tripod - bottom load, again - buy the HV20 if you want this. But keep in mind that bottom load reduces the amount of dropout causing dust from falling into the tape transport bay (a good thing).* Viewfinder is decent, but not the highest resolution viewfinder around - but I almost always use the LCD panel so it's not a big concern.* No manual focus/aperture rings around the lens. You can adjust manual focus using the rear menu dial, but it's not the same as a 'professional' camcorder like the $5000+ Canon H1 series. (then again, almost no consumer level camcorder for <$1000 has this feature....)* Low light, below 1 light bulb of 60w in a bedroom, will result in vertical lines appearing in the video if you do not use slow-shutter mode (which is on by default). Buy the HV20 if you want better super-low-light video. Otherwise, I'm not concerned because I don't film travel videos outside in such dark places - do you? I find myself filming in nicely lit places indoors and out, so video quality is great.Pluses:* Small, light, compact. The lightest, most compact HDV camcorder available today. I've tried the Panasonic, Sony, Canon, etc. and this is the lightest you can get today. It's also the only one that fits into my jacket pocket without a problem, and I can go all day long on trips using this camcorder without feeling like my arm has fallen off - it's light enough that fatigue doesn't settle in.* 2MP 16:9 / 3MP 4:3 still photo mode I love how I can push the photo snap button anytime I'm filming, and get a nice 2MP photo at the same time w/o interrupting my filming! It's so nice and my 4x6" prints come out looking saturated, colorful, and nice w/o much adjustment, if any. They really pop with color, and I'm very happy with the photo mode on this camcorder. (I'm the type that looks at the individual pixels on prints, worry about the little things on digicams, but honestly, for what it is -- a camcorder camera photo -- I'm happy and satisfied with what I'm getting. Just keep in mind, you are not going to get the same as a 10+MP dSLR off any camcorder! For 4x6" prints, you will get a nice print.) You can also capture still frames off the video as it's playing back, and make photos from these as well! 1GB MiniSD card will let you go for days on a trip and let you take 600+ photos w/o a problem. It's so wonderful how I can just keep taking snapshot after snapshot w/o worrying about running out of space!* MiniDV tape. Yes, there are camcorders with hard drives, flash drives, etc. but in the end, where are you going to archive HiDef videos? Right now, nobody knows if it's going to be HD DVD or BluRay that'll win out, so realistically, there is no 'standard' optical format that you can archive HiDef videos that'll stick around for a long time. HD camcorders are good for those that have long filming times and will convert to DVDs later on the PC -but if you run out of room on a trip, without a PC, you're dead in the water; flash drives are great for sports, extreme activities and locations (think super cold, super hot) - but again, are limited by the small sizes of the cards (consumer camcorder-wise. Pro-level P2 Panasonics at $5000+ can go longer, but expensive..) Tapes last a long time - most of us have VHS tapes from 10-20+ years ago that we can pop into the VCR and play today. miniDV tapes will last a long time in proper storage, and are the most ideal format for long-term archival storage of HiDef videos until some form of HiDef optical standard is decided upon. Additionally, everyone has MiniDV tapes in all of the major travel spots - so when you're out of tape, you can easily buy more tapes!* MPEG-2 HDV format. Look around people. You see Sony/Panasonic pushing their AVCHD MPEG-4 format. Great, so what's the difference? HDV uses the MPEG-2 format, same as on DVDs. It records 1440x1080i format onto tapes, and uses the 1.33 aspect ratio on playback to fill a 1920x1080 HiDef monitor screen. (stretches it out slightly horizontally to fill the screen). AVCHD uses MPEG-4 format, which is newer than MPEG-2. It records into true 1920x1080 format, so it's a 1:1 ratio on playback. MPEG-4 at the same bitrate as MPEG-2 can produce better images, theoretically, but every single Japanese consumer magazine review of the current (5/2007) AVCHD camcorders vs. the HDV camcorders finds... that the Canon HV10/20 series are among the very best out there, beating everything except the very latest Panasonic AVCHD flash drive, 3CCD, 1920x1080 camcorder that just came out (which has similar image quality as the HV10/20 series). Thus, for now, there is no advantage of the AVCHD format for consumers image wise because HDV produces similar quality. Also, playback of MPEG-2 HDV video takes far less computer power than MPEG-4 AVCHD playback. Try playing AVCHD on a 3Ghz P4 and you'll find it stuttering and praying it can keep up! (ie. on a computer that's not that old at all) HDV video has no trouble at all playing on a 3Ghz P4. Thus, AVCHD forces users to buy a new dual to 8 core PC just to edit, playback, view their videos w/o stuttering full-screen! (and I've tested quite a bit -- you can too! Download and try playing HDV vs AVCHD raw full screen videos. Nero Showtime, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, Media Player CLassic, etc. all can't make the AVCHD play smoothly on recent, older computers; HDV plays fine.)* Editing Oh, thankfully, the HV10 is NOT a AVCHD MPEG-4 camcorder! Why? Because=== not one ===major video editing program today supports AVCHD video editing! Not Final Cut Pro, not Premiere, not Vegas Video, not Avid, etc!!!! Thankfully, all of them support HDV MPEG-2 video editing, so unlike the sorry AVCHD camcorder buyers who can't make edits, HV10/HV20 owners can. Videos drop right into Sony Vegas Video 7 w/o a problem, load up just like any regular DV video, and effects/edits happen just as smoothly! The workflow is identical for capture, editing and output, so it's a very, very smooth transition over to HDV. (Vegas Video and it's counterparts from Sony are very nice editors to use. They've got lower end software for $100 that'll work nicely.) Also, keep in mind that HDV requires less processor power to decode/encode vs AVCHD, so doing renders of the final edited video is faster using HDV source video vs. AVCHD.* TV Output Stunningly crisp. Honestly can't see why I'd even need HDMI, and composite/RCA does just fine for viewing the videos on HiDef & regular TVs. This is the stuff that you'd typically see off HiDef broadcasts, and you've just brought it home after buying the HV10!* Reliable, FAAAST autofocus! The dual AF (probably using infrared active focusing in addition to passive AF) is the best invention since swiss cheese! Beats the other camcorders on the market by far!!! Locks onto subjects in <1 second if not faster all the time, and it's really, really nice and reliable. No more annoying hunting or waiting for AF to lock like I used to worry about on my older camcorders. Nothing is perfect, so you will still have the rare hunting/AF problem, but otherwise, I can't find anything better on the market from Sony, Panasonic, etc. No worries for me at all here=)* Daylight viewable LCD panel No LCD panel will retain the 100% quality under the harshest direct outdoor summer sunlight, but this panel does a darn good job indoors and out. You can always see something on the panel, and it works good for me. I'm not squinting or turning at all to see what's on the screen, so it's a nice panel. Indoors, it's simply juicy colorful and playing back videos and photos look better than on my Sony T9 camera's screen!---So that said, the HV10 is well worth the $800 or so it's going for today (5/2007), and money well spent for anyone looking to buy the best available compact HiDef camcorder today. Other camcorders may have marginally better image quality (that Panasonic 3CCD 1920x1080p camcorder that just came out), but they certainly don't produce more than 1/2 a star on any Japnese consumer ranking, nor do they have the compact size and shape (and the Panasonic's LCD screen, AF reliability, and weight are just horrible vs. the Canon HV10). I had time to sit and play with all of the latest and greatest this week in Akihabara, and I still couldn't find anything better in a compact HiDef camcorder than my HV10 released last year. That's how good it is! The only thing that'll beat a HV10? It's replacement, which I suspect will be out closer to Christmas this year (since most makers are on a twice-yearly or once a year release schedule for camcorders).
159 of 167 people found the following review helpful.
By P. Vu
Positives:Works fast -- power off-on time, record start, autofocus are all very fast. Great white balance in daylight/well-lit situations -- better than the Sony FX1 and HC3. Excellent resolution and contrast. Unbelievably small size makes traveling easy -- you will end up taking the video camera everywhere with you instead of leaving it behind. Allows Contrast, Sharpness, Brightness, and Color Saturation picture adjustments to suit your style of video that is not available on the Sony HC3 (closest competing model that I compared with). Great automatic mode that will decrease the shutter speed to 1/30th of a second in order to improve low light video (great feature because it saves the user from having to go into semi-manual mode in order to get decent low-light footage). The Super Optical Stabilization works better than in most cameras, considering the small size/vertical orientation of the camcorder. Built-in light definitely improves picture quality when filming casual footage of friends/family -- without it, you would not see anything.Negatives:Slightly difficult to hold for those with large hands. Buttons are too small. Very Low light video is not just grainy and noisy, but has vertical bands in it also. Colors may appear more muted than on a 3CCD camcorder if the subject is not well-lit. White balance in low-light is poor, video quality improves significantly if manual white balance is used in those situations.I also own a Sony HDR-FX1 HDV Video Camera and used that as a reasonable basis of comparison.
74 of 76 people found the following review helpful.
By Max J. Pucher
My place looks like a video store ... ;-)I own several Sony HDV camcorders including the HC1 and the FX1 which are both excellent products. For photography I have however switched some time ago to Canon because of the color quality and use a EOS1 and Rebel XTI. When the HV10 came out I decided to give Canon a swirl on HD video. I was not disappointed. Canon has the edge (potentially a subtle one) on color reality on Sony. The resolution of the HV10 is actually higher.I prefer the HV10 in terms of picture quality to the Sony HC1. Both cant match the FX1 in low light conditions because of the 3 CCDs. The HV10 is substantially smaller and easier to use. If the use of a wide-angle converter also produces the annoying darkened corners as on the HC1 I will still have to see. I recommend the use of the larger battery pack as the cute small one does not last one hour. Sony is much better there and always was.PC editing hints for HD:Dont forget that HD needs a dual-core processor for editing and enormous disk space. Get a few external USB 2.0 disks rather than storing to DVDs. Rather than big disks with extra power supplies I only use several USB bus powered disks. Reading from the one and editing to another disk gives you better performance.
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