Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Marco Maurer photo
United Kingdom, Belfast
1 Level
711 Review
38 Karma

Review on πŸ“Ή Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder: Professional-grade Video Recording with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Flash Memory by Marco Maurer

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great Camera - Camcorder

Looks like a great camera with tons of options. I say "seems" because I had it in less than a day. I like the button layout and the ease of switching between manual and auto modes. I have an HF M500 and these functions are performed via the touchscreen where the G20 has switches for this, as well as auto and manual focus. I made a test video around the house and the photos (video) are very good. I love the fact that you can adjust so many things like zoom speed and such. Some complained about the touchscreen. I'm guessing they're used to touchscreens on their phones. However, the very sensitive touchscreen can become a problem when recording videos. You can accidentally change the settings while recording, which can cost you a great shot. I'll stick with the intentional effort required to switch screens and scroll, given the possibility of a frame being lost. The Pixela software is terrible. Called a registry repair and there is a problem with other parts of it. I had to uninstall it because my computer was acting like crazy. This isn't my first issue with their software, I've had issues with their software for my Canon 7D as well. I'm using Win 7 Pro with 4 gigabytes of RAM and three 1 terabyte hard drives. Save yourself the hassle and don't even install it. You don't need it and its UI is weird. There are no clear paths to copy video from camera to your computer. I will post updates as I film and report the beach videos on Friday. Update: August 29, 2014: Too cloudy to photograph the beach. But one thing I came across while looking into the camera is a memory card issue. If you are in automatic mode, you can only record to the internal flash drive. If you want to record to an SD card in slot A or B, you must be in manual mode. Why? It would make a lot of sense to use SD cards instead of the built-in storage. There may be a technical reason for this, but I believe Canon can make changes with a software update. The manual for this camera seems pretty complete and I'm learning a lot from it. I don't use the movie modes but other reviews seem to like them a lot. Another update: August 30th: I played around with the camera a bit. I shot a test video and am very satisfied. Video is sharp and colors are great in automatic mode. I love how easy it is to switch between automatic and manual. Excellent (in manual mode) for focusing in more difficult situations. If you follow the rule of thirds and your subject is off-center, you can focus on it and the background is just the background. A small cornea, in turn, is associated with the manual mode. I like grid stripes on the screen so I know instantly if the image is flat. Not available in Auto mode. It seems easy enough. A flat image looks better and saves you time when posting. Basically I am very satisfied with the camera. He has a good price for what he does and how well he does it. If your needs go beyond what this camera can offer, you'll have to raise the price significantly to get more features. Keep in mind that while it's nice to have a lot of options, most people get used to a shooting mode that doesn't take full advantage of its features most of the time. Once installed, most people won't touch it again. With good editing software, so much can be done in one post that many "mistakes” can be corrected later. Always capture with your mind's eye to capture the best possible video with default settings, and everything else is almost a bonus. .For many people, this camera will satisfy their needs and still allow them to experiment.. Highly recommended. April 20015: After about 6 months of use on various levels, my biggest complaint is that the folding screen is practically unusable in bright sunlight. I bought different shades and blends but used a black towel on my head when shooting in bright sunlight. Otherwise I like the camera even better than before. I have sold several videos and have been very impressed with their use in a variety of settings. I use automatic and manual modes, not cinematic. That's just my shooting style.

Pros
  • Easy to read control panel
Cons
  • Contact seller

Comments (2)

Please, sign in to write a comment
February 15, 2023
Wow! Impressed with the quality!!
January 27, 2023
Great camera