Good aspects: Exceptional video quality; extensive manual feature set rare in a camcorder its size; attractive, functional design.
Bad aspects: Somewhat expensive.
Product Review: Canon has improved upon their legacy quite well by releasing their latest flash-based AVCHD camcorders, the HF20 and HF200. The only difference between the HF20 and the HF200 is memory configuration and color: the HF200 has none, while the HF20 has 32GB built in. I would say that the HF200 is probably a better buy than the HF20, though the HF20’s all-black body is a bit classier looking. While it’s more expensive than its competitors, the Canon Vixia HF200 delivers a more extensive set of features for the extra money.
The HF20 and HF200 are smaller and less expensive than their high end brothers like the HFS10 and the HFS100. They also offer a very similar feature set excluding more enthusiast-oriented points like a pop-up flash, zebra stripes, and color bars, or a manual control dial. And while they’re both more expensive than competitors like Panasonic’s HDC-TM20 and the Sony handycam HDR-CX100, those camcorders lack features some users consider essential regardless of camcorder size. These include an accessory shoe, microphone input, and headphone jack, which the Canons provide. However, like almost all new models, the HF20 and HF200 lack an eye-level EVF.
The HF20 / HF200’s weigh 13.9 ounces which you wouldn’t call featherweight but is relatively light for a midrange camcorder. Its 2.8-inch-by-2.4-inch-by-4.9-inch dimensions also mean it fits into a jacket pocket, albeit with some bulging. The photo button and zoom rocker have a slight rise such that it falls naturally under your forefinger making it very comfortable to grip and use. In addition to the usual image effects, digital effects, white balance, still-photo size, video quality and a handful of scene modes, the camcorders offer real shutter and aperture-priority shooting modes. They have aperture options ranging from f1.8 to f8 and a shutter speed range of 1/8 to 1/2,000 second giving you more control over field depth than you generally see in consumer models, especially compact ones. It also offers Canon’s Cine mode for adjusting color and gamma to go with its 24F progressive modes. In still mode you can select drive and metering modes as well. Other high-end features include three fixed or variable zoom speed and x.v.Color mode.
Like the HF S models, the HF20 and HF200 incorporate this year’s Video Snapshot feature, which allows you to include 4-second clips used to create a “highlights reel” effect. You enter Video Snapshot mode by pressing a button on the left side of the camcorder in the LCD recess which brings up a blue outline on the display. When you press record, a highlight travels around the blue outline counting down your 4 seconds. The camcorder will stay in Video Snapshot mode until you switch to playback or press the button again. I like the idea of this feature but perhaps it would have worked better if a separate record button was used.
Performance and quality are top quality at both its maximum 24Mbps bit rate and at 17Mbps. Battery life is quite good (about 1.5 hours) and Canon sells higher capacity batteries to double or even quadruple that. The camcorder focuses quickly and accurately, even in low light. The optical stabilizer works well out to the end of the zoom range, as usual.
The video looks superb, especially considering the small lens: surprisingly sharp with excellent exposures and few blown-out highlights. Living-room light-level recordings look impressive as well. There’s a bit of softness and noise, but that’s to be expected. The audio is loud and clear too, though the microphone placement tends to pick up wind noise if you’re not careful.
The HF20 and HF200 have some flaws, however. The fringing isn’t as good as the high-end models, which causes outdoor shots do show a bit of haze over light, brightly exposed objects. Still, despite having lower resolution, the photos looked good and even a bit better than the HF S models.
The Canon Vixia HF20 and HF200 are excellent camcorders, but do cost more than the competition. Looking at it from the other hand however, they’re smaller and less expensive than the high-end models like the HF S10/S100, while offering a lot of the same features. You do get what you pay for with the Canon HF200 which is why we reviewed it as one of the best HD camcorders.
