Canon VIXIA HG20 AVCHD 60 GB HDD Camcorder

I made the right choice!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My wife and I researched several camcorders. The reviews for the Canon VIXIA HG 20 had good reviews compared to others and it had the best price. We have had it for a month and we have used it frequently. We both agree that we made the best choice. The HG 20 feels good in the hand and is easy to operate. It takes very sharp videos and it stays sharply focused even when the subjects are changing from close to far, when zooming, etc. This was an important feature for us because we tested another camcorder that had a delay in focusing when zooming. The camera feature is very good. We can take still pictures while we video, or we can use it strictly as a camera. The snapshots are very sharp for a camcorder. We have a camera but it has become a little more convenient lately to just take pictures with the camcorder. What we really like about the snapshot feature is that it captures action shots without streaks. The camera feature has a built-in flash as well! I also like the auto lens cap. This camcorder hooks up to our television easily so we can view videos on the TV or easily transfer videos from the camcorder to DVDs. We have not encountered any negatives about this camcorder. For the money it is a great buy that I think we will enjoy for many years, even in this rapid technological age.

awesome camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
simply i liked this camera very much, it is my first and it is easy and friendly to use

Great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great camcorder, very easy to use and has the picture quality we were looking for. It was an extensive search, so we think we found the right item for our video’s. I’m not much for editing so I can’t speak to the software portion, but the camcorder itself is wonderful.

AWESOME CAMERA
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Camera is AWESOME. The image quality is breathtaking. The physical size of the camera is very reasonable, easy to carry.

Just a note for those who may want to record in high definition but do not have HD equipment. You will need a software to convert HD recording to MPEG 4 format.

The Camera package would be much better if Canon did include a charger with the camera. Now that said, it is good to order a charger (which is easy to travel with and is 110/220 V.

Since this is not a camera issue per say, I have 5 stars to this camera.

Camera is fine; wish the software was far better
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is a fine HD camera, but beware – the software that ships with it is woefully inadequate. I am recording in full cinema mode (the highest HD quality that the camera supports). First I thought that my computer was not fast enough (2 GB RAM, HP wide-screen laptop), so I went out and purchased a 2+ GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM laptop and the software still cannot even display the video without a lot of jerkiness (let alone edit it).

Finally, I tried viewing & editing the video on a friend’s Apple Macbook (2 GB ram, 1.83 GHZ processor) using iMovie ’09. Worked like a charm.

Needless to say, I’ve now purchased an iMac.

When I called Pixela Software (the company who provides the software), I was told to record at a lower resolution and then this problem would go away – yes, that’s what their tech support suggested – I kid you not.

So, moral of the story – if you want to edit your videos, you’ll have to have a Mac and so factor that into your purchase decision. Mac’s are not cheap but I had to get a new Mac (because the old one I have doesn’t support the latest version of iMovie v ’09).

Decent HD video camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have owned this since November 2008 for my trips and weddings and it gives excellent HD video for budget conscious users. I got a great deal on Amazon which gave a free extended battery with the purchase. You definitely need the extra extended battery (~3 hours) since the original battery gives around an hour of use. I bought it because it can shoot in cinema quality 24p but I noticed that the video is more jerky/shaky and blurred when moving around if you don’t have a steady hand. Low light video is also kinda grainy but the best is when shooting outdoors – beautiful colors. You might also need to invest in a powerful computer to process AVCHD footage with lots of memory and hard disk space. I’m not sure why transferring the files via USB to my Windows Vista PC took ages but it was much faster on my Windows XP laptop. It also gives the opportunity to use SDHC cards which are pretty cheap nowadays if you feel the 60GB HD is not enough (I find it pretty adequate). In conclusion, I have no regrets buying this and the icing on the cake was when friends and family were commenting that the videos were like a Hollywood movie.

Editing Software Bad
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Recently got the HG20. Am fairly pleased with the perform of the camera, so all is good there. Unfortunately, I’m not so happy with the editing software. It’s incredibly basic, and has a lot of issues.

Initially I was having some issues with this software using my laptop (which I discovered is a tad under spec with having only a Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2GHz), so I installed it on a friend’s new computer which is over spec’d with a Quad CPU processor and more than enough memory. The software requires at least a Core 2 Duo @ 2.13GHz. Thankfully, his system solved most of the blips I was originally seeing on my laptop, however, there were still many small pauses in the small editing screen playback feature. For example, if I put two different clips together, the playback feature worked fine up until it reached the second clip, after which the CPU went from being ~50% busy to 100% busy, which created many small pauses in the movie as the sound continues. When adding a transition between clips (such as a Fade into the second clip), or if I added words (Titler) to one of the clips, the CPU again jumped from ~50% to 100% busy and then many small pauses were seen. If you can live with this, the final saved version comes out fine once saved and created, but its not a nice program for making a movie requiring precision. To put this in more perspective, I’ve been using Windows Movie Maker for the past few months using the film footage from my digital camera, which I would say is a fairly basic program. However, Windows Movie Maker has a lot more options and freedom as compared to the HG20 software, called ImageMixer 3. What I’ve initially noticed that I’m not liking is that I cannot overlap text, and there’s no 90-degree rotation option (although you may not want to do this with widescreen shots), and there’s no features such as slowing or speeding up your footage. As a small example, Windows movie maker allows text that is fading away to be overlapped with text that is fading in so that you have a very quick transition between text. With ImageMixer 3, you have to wait for your first set of text completely fade away before you can have new set of text begin to fade in.

In summary, the very basic Windows Movie Maker is a much better editing software than the ImageMixer software designed for the HG20, which comes with a lot of pausing even with a sytem that has specs better than is required. If you buy this camera, which is good, you should consider trying to find something else to edit your movies with.

Great Hardware lousy software
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great camera. It’s HD quality is very high and has a vast CCD so even when the camera is moved quickly you get a smooth video with little or no jerkiness. Great color and easy functionality.

The software sucks however. There is really only one good way of getting video off the cam and Once off, it must be converted to anything other then it’s native format if you are to do anything with it. I found a AVCHD converter online for about $50 which lets me convert it for my purposes. YouTube, iMovie and Adobe Premier. Each is a separate conversion which requires about 4 min processing for each min of HD video.

That’s with my 2.8Ghz QuadCore & 8gb’s Ram on Windows Vista 64.

Stunning resolution
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Easy to use, stunning HD resolution.

The only drawback is the low zoom power

Very Impressive!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I did a ton of research on High definition camcorders and settled on the Canon Vixia HG20 HDD. The camera is easy to use, the pictures look great, and the hard drive has tons of space – even at the highest quality setting. I have a Mac, and the video clips imported very easily using iMovie and the photos imported right into iPhoto. I didn’t even bother to install the software that came with the camcorder.

My only disappointment is that the camera does not come with a battery charger – so you either have to buy one on your own, or you have to plug the camera in to charge it.

Aside from that…I could not be happier with this purchase!!

CANON HG 20
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I didn’t Like the video clarity with this one. I had used an older model of the Sony and felt the clarity and image stabilization to be better.

The video clarity os Ok but image stabilization is bad..The videos were shaky and software wasnt great. The video gets stuck when I play it on my Laptop. I was expecting a lot more from Canon but was a bit disappointed. I am not sure if this particular peice had a problem but I had to return it after purchase..I suggest you check it out in a store and buy it if you are happy with it.

Wonderful camcorder, Just a few things to consider before buying…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camcorder is excellent- it’s simple to use, it takes beautiful video, and the sounds a step up as well. The other thing that I really like about it is that it is convenient. I bought it before a summer trip, and it was great because I did not have to carry around a bunch of tapes or flash cards, or worry about when they would run out, and I’d need to re-fuel. So it was just me and the camcorder- which made it great to fit into a very, very small camera bag. You don’t have to ever worry if you’re recording over something, and it catalogs each scene by date and time. Everyone covered all the great things about the Vixia HG20, but there are things to consider as compared to other Canon HD camcorders that use Flash or HDV:

-You need to back up your recordings- if the horrendous editing/burning software it comes with somehow works on your computer then that’s great! (You need DVD-Rs). But if it doesn’t work, there may be a plethora of problems (as there is for me). It ALL depends on how POWERFUL your computer is. Another option is that you can buy the Canon DW-100 burner. Amazon sells it for $170.00- the cheapest I’ve ever seen. I have learned that even this may be a nightmare, as it has been said to leave extremely disruptive and annoying pauses inbetween EVERY SINGLE clip- terrible to watch, believe me. So for me that really is not worth it. But maybe it is for you. Canon DW-100 DVD Burner for Canon Hard Drive and Flash Memory Based Camcorders

The problem is that AVCHD requires a powerful processor in order to decode it. Mine is not, so I can burn DVDs with the High Def format, but it’s pretty much a nightmare- you really can’t edit (because the clips are extremely choppy and filled with a bunch of pausing), and it takes FOREVER (for 40 minuets of footage, it took an hour and a half to burn). I am using a duel core system, so I need a computer that is better if I really want to edit. But after all the pain- just to see my footage on the HDTV in its Hi Def brilliance, is incredible. It’s as if you’re looking through a window.

-I don’t see how you won’t need the Canon BP-827 battery pack for more time because the battery it comes with hardly gives you any time at all. (They did this on purpose- clever aren’t they?) I paid about $135.00- hopefully it’s cheaper by now. Canon BP-827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG 20/21, HF11/10 & 100 Camcorders

-Canon also makes you buy all the accessories separate- even a neckstrap (Canon’s neckstrap is $20.00). I used one from another older camcorder- but did not end up needing it. This camcorder does not come with a built in light or night vision either (it has a hot shoe for you to buy your own if you really need light).

-Once you have burned HD footage from the Vixia onto a DVD (it can burn HD onto standard DVDs), not all Blu-ray players will play it, because not all are compatible with AVCHD- most are but make sure to check out if yours is before you make the big decision here.

This really is an awesome camcorder (I really do love the thing), like I said, for me in the end, once it was on the HDTV it was truly worth the research and torture. Just be aware of all the other things you will need to buy for it as well, and the computer requirements it needs to work with (plus software that is actually usable). It won’t just be $650.00, it will end up being around $800. Will it be worth it for you in the end?

First time Canon buyer
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I had a 12 year old Sony (with tape) that I loved, but it died. To be honest I wanted another Sony but my Mac computer has some issues with Sony so I went with Canon and while I like it, it’s a chore to learn a whole new system as I opted to go with a hard drive with lots of whistles and bells. I have been constantly learning about it as I use it and as I do it gets easier. I love the size of it. The instruction book is good. If I had to do it all over again I would stay with Canon but I might have just gone up one more step and gotten the HG30 with the viewfinder. I use my camera outdoors a lot and the sunlight is an issue at times and the viewfinder would eliminate some squinting. I had a viewfinder on my old Sony that was very useful and I miss it. I never buy much of anything without doing a lot of homework. I go to stores, ask questions from salespersons, compare brands, price shop and when I buy I try to buy good quality for my money that I hope will last me for a long time and is as service free as possible. I hope I did that with this camera, only time will tell, but I like what I bought and the quality of what I see on my computer screen and HD TV on playback is amazing.

Great HD Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You can not base your review of the camera only on the editing software that comes with the camera. All HD camera’s come with just basic editing software which do not take advantage of hardware.

I purchased this camera 2 weeks ago, connect directly to my HD 65″ and the picture is incredible. I use Vegas Pro and the editing is great, burn to DVD DL with Blue Ray format and the play back is just as great.

Great camera for the price. I do have one question. What was included within the box when you recieved your camera?

Great!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The picture quality is amazing but the sound is vulnerable to slight wind. I kept reading that editing is difficult. Avchd also known as m2ts files can be difficult to work if you don’t have the right software. If you have the latest Adobe Premiere your in luck because they take avchd files without problem. It then encodes it a much easier to use file when your done. Overall I would recommend this if you have an editing software that can edit it. I also heard that iMovie 09 supports avchd so you can try it out there.

Outstanding Picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had this camera for the last 8 months and have been very satisfied with its picture quality. Sound quality is pretty good also.

Canon Vixia HG20 Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m pleased with this camcorder. Current usage has been making test videos using the various features available. The size takes some getting used to after my larger Sony tape camcorder. I like the remote feature which allows me to be included in the videos when using a tripod. Overall, I’m very pleased with this camcorder.

I love my camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am discovering the joy of recording events for posterity… The camcorder is easy to use and produces excellent video.

Would be perfect except for the video editing software…(I think I found the right software!!)
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camcorder about 2 months ago to use for a trip overseas.

Between then and now, I have lost the software disc that came with it and can’t edit the videos on the camera. Even worse, when I try to open the folder on my laptop, the laptop doesn’t recognize the file name because they are mpl, cpi, mts and bdm files. So now I have been hunting and hunting for a video converter that will handle these types of files but have had no luck.

Also, the original battery life leaves something to be desired so you would need to invest in a battery that has longer life.

I’d rate this five stars if it just had the right editing software. If anyone reading this review knows anything about converting these files, please leave a comment.

Other than this one issue, this camcorder records great and takes high quality pictures. The quality in both aspects are wonderful. I’m sort of bummed I spent six hundred dollars on this thing and I can’t even download my videos.

EDIT: I finally found the correct video editing software for this camcorder: Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9 seems to handle the strange files in this camer (cip, mts, bdm, mpl). Just did a test run on the free trial versio of this software and it worked as a wmv file. So we’ll see how it works as I do some more plaing around with it. !!

Broken Headphone Jack repaired for FREE in 7 days.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera about 2 months ago. It works fine. Especially using the vivid filter and cine mode. I am reporting a problem with a broken headphone jack which I sent back to Canon for a FREE repair. It came back in 7 days and in one piece. That is a great example of customer service.

Excellent Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After using tape for 2 years, I am thrilled how easy it is to transfer videos from the camera’s hard drive to my computer, just drag and drop.

Big Step from Sd MiniDV
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The HG20 is great. Super Picture. Sound is ok. The HDD makes some noise. SW runs on older PC with 1 GIG Ram and 2.5 GIG Pent. But its right at the edge. Could use a Video Light. Cost goes up and down on this model a good bit. Computer HDD space to edit and store will need to be high. Mini HDMI cable is a must for HD sets. Did a test with A HD tv, by recording the TV. Its interesting. Have not tired yet with a IR light source. When the Cam is off, the Lense protector shakes a little. Battery is min. Will get High cap battery for trips. Lots of Warnings on Care for this unit. But at a good price, this unit have a lot of value. The HF10 and HF100 are good buys also. the HF11 is much more. The HG21 is much more, but has some added features of a view finder. Camrea Mode take Point and Shoot Pictures will. But you have to be still. Lots of manual controls. The Menu system takes a little getting used if you are use to the old canon MiniDV. Wanted to wait a little more, but the old canon ZR45MC is past 6 years. But it analog pass thru. I may use that or a Dazzle unit to put video for family and the web instead of trying to convert the MT2S files. With the video files as big as they are, having a Laptop will not be good with the unit or any HD machine.

Again wanted to wait, but old camera was looking pale on HD TV.

Good Things:

60BG harddrive, LP and SP still good for video.

Optics are great. 12X. Attachments.

Easy Button

Connections (HDMI, USB, Analog outputs), Mic in, Head Phones,

Lots of things to add on with Canon (battery, Optics)

Card Slot option

Auto Lense Cap.

Bad things,

Joy Stick control on view finder.

Heavier than Full Flash based unit.

Some Rattles (Not in function mode, just in off mode with Lenses Protector.)

Not much Software or Hardware to edit with. (Vista Requirements seem twice that of XP).

Things to consider:

Add Battery Pack (One big one, or 2 small ones).

Tripod

Optics (Filters, Wide Angle, Telephoto)

Video Light for low light.

Quad Core, 6 MB Ram, 1 TB HDD computer for editing video.

great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It is a great gift to my parents! It can save the happy time of my family.

Great Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i purchased this camcorder, after having owned all the other camcorder formats. my main concern when getting this, can i make a high def DVD using dvd-r, or DL DVD’s. i don’t own a blu-ray burner, so this was important. to answer, yes i can make a HighDef dvd, in the AVCHD format, which plays in my Sony playstation 3, in 1080i wide screen. I use the PC program Pinnacle Studio Ultimate to edit and create the disc. the disc does have a menu, and chapters, ect.. I get about 30 minutes of 1080i on a DVD-R, and about 60 minutes on a DL DVD.

what the camcorder does is create video files with the .MTS file extension. You don’t want to try process the video files from the camcorder, because the file transfer speeds are not fast enough to process the videos. You connect the camcorder to your computer and copy the files to your local hard drive. You must have the camcorder plugged into the AC adapter to copy any files from the camcorder, your PC will not even recognize it until you do. You then can process the files from your local hard drive into a workable/playable DVD.

the video quality the unit gives you is fantastic, as compared to Hi8 or miniDV. My daughter does a lot of theater, so I purchased the Canon DM-100 mic, and when that is added, the audio pickup is wonderful. I can be dozens of yards away from the stage, and still hear their dialog.

you get about 60 minutes of recording time from the included battery, so if you need to record more, then get another battery. You can record about 8 hours of great quality video on the camcorders internal Hard Drive.

Great HD Video for Great Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve always been a Sony guy when it comes to video, but I use Canon for my stills. I decided to try the Canon this time for video and I’m more than satisfied. The video quality is very sharp and detailed, and the auto white balance helps capture some great footage when recording with auto on. I also messed with manual white balance, focus, and shooting modes. All worked as expected. There are a couple things that this model does not have that would be nice (i.e. infrared night shooting, firewire), but my main interests in my new camera were picture quality. I didn’t bother installing the editing software as I use Adobe and Pinnacle software for that. If you’re looking to capture some stunning detailed video, I would recommend this camera. 60 GIGs of HD space is a nice perk as well. Thanks Amazon for the quick shipping. Just in time to get some HD video of my new 8 week old german shepherd pup!

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the camera for home and travel use. It makes super pictures, very easy to use and to hold. Sound is ok. The screen is great. Small battery will hold for 2-3 hours only charges on the camera – no separate battery charger; There are cheaper camcorders but this cam gives a good value for the money. Amazon’s service was great as always.

Real thing !
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The best camera I evre had!

GREAT! Canon as always is on top!

It lacks a viewfinder but this makes the camera cheaper! Evem though I do not need the viewfinder.

great camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent camera. The HD is excellent. Low light performance is somewhat grainy. I would buy it again!

Canon vixia hg20
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I took it on a trip to peru. I was affraid I would run out of hard drive space so I set it on the middle quality setting. Turned out I could have put it on the highest quality setting and wouldn’t have run out. The quality of the video is still outstanding and I really don’t think I could have seen any difference if I had used the highest setting. It’s the best camera I have ever used. It’s awesome!

Great Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera a couple weeks before Christmas and about a month before my son was born. I have not had any problems with it and have been very happy with the picture quality and ease of use. I am somewhat tech savy, but my wife can easily use the camera too. The picture quality is great and I like how I can record to the hard drive or an SD card. And I also like how if the hard drive fails I can still save to the flash memory. I have not tried editing any video yet, but I don’t anticipate any problems with that. Playback on my TV looks great and photos come out nice too. I still use my digital camera, but I like being able to snap a couple quick pics with this camera when my digital camera is not close by. So far I am very happy with my purchase.

WOW!! This camera is awesome!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am so glad I bought this HG20 Vixia by Canon. It was between this and the Sony SR11. This camera is amazing. The quality of the recordings is awesome. You can play it back through your HDTV via the component cables it comes with, or through a HDMI cable you can purchase here at Amazon. The HDMI cable is HDMI on one end and Mini-HDMI on the other.

The files created with this camcorder are .mts files. These can be burned onto a disc as data and then played back through a Playstation3. I am telling you the quality is outstanding. You can also save the .mts files on your computer and load the raw .mts files into YouTube, if you’re into that. The only problem is the lack of software/applications that can play/edit the .mts files. Evidently, the software world is a little slow to keep up with this technology at the present time. I have

Sony Vegas Pro, which handles the files with ease.

I cant tell you how incredible the picture is with this camcorder. At $600 it is well worth the money. Five stars all the way….

Has flaws but its quite good.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great camera. The biggest flaw is not the 60 gb drive which is bigger than you will ever need, or the menu interface which is easy, intuitive and user friendly, the biggest flaw is the lack of the view finder on this camera. Big deal you say, its got a modern screen instead of a view finder, but that modern screen in really bright sunlight kinda washes out (like all those screens do) and might lead you to adjust the settings or force you to trust your autoexposure when you are taking those priceless outdoor shots. The hg 21 has the eye piece viewfinder which is a reliable indicator of what you are shooting in those conditions, but for the extra 300 USDs it’s hard to justify. The AF is super in this camera, no distiguishable periods “out of focus” as you rapidly zoom in and out. Also the head set or yellow AV jack, is a must have. Ever record tons of footage and find out the only thing you can hear is the wind buffetting your microphone? Record wearing regular ipod type headphones and you don’t have to review the footage to find out if you have the shot. Don’t get a camcorder without that or the mic input which this camera has. Terrific simultaneous video record and still photo to the regular full size SD card, cool, works great. Requires class 4 SD card, the speedy type. I think the HG21 with the 120 gb has tons of storage, but it’s overkill and takes longer to do a full hard drive clean than the 60gb hg20, but both have a quick clean function for the hard drive. Finally don’t expect much from the packaged software if you really want to edit. Corel has pro x2 which works great for avchd. Last thing is the battery. It charges when the camera is pugged in and it works great. I was made to believe that this camera is useless without an external charger and tons of extra batteries, which is not true, 95 min is good. Or just stay plugged to the wall. As a guy who typically struggles with technology, I hope all my “research” helps some one else and as the owner of the hg20 this camera delivers and is simple for anyone to use.

Apple Mac Users + AVCHD as of Dec 2008
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Please read the other reviews to get an idea of how this camcorder runs for a consumer/pro-sumer camera.

I just wanted to point out for those that are not PC users but instead own an Apple Mac Pro or any other Mac computer that can run High Def. that the software that comes with this is for PC. Yes I know you can run “Bootcamp” or “Parallels” and run Windows that way. But for those who want it native on your Mac with software for your Mac, it won’t run.

The only reason why the software is so important is that since the files are recorded/digitized on the HG20′s hard drive vs a physical tape, the file names are not the common video file names that are currently out there (.mov,.avi, etc). The file names used are “.mts”. So you think you can just drag and drop to your computer from the camcorder. Or if you’ve already done that, you’ve tried double clicking the file. But still nothing. And that’s why it’s so important to note the extension of “.mts”

What the software does or should do is convert the files from the camcorder so you’ll be able to see your video and even edit it. But since it’s for PC, Mac users are out of luck. I knew about the AVCHD file extension situation so that’s why my rating is still a four star. A five star would be an Apple Mac friendly software shipped with the camcorder.

A solution after some digging and some other users’ Reviews:

iMovie08 ($79)

VoltaicHD ($35)

?? Final Cut Studio 2 ($1299) Haven’t tested

(again as of Dec. 2008 – the HD industry might have better solutions to deal with this new AVCHD file/.mts extension.)

I would test VoltaicHD first. They have a demo but reading some reviews, file conversion can take hours.

iMovie08 though can read and import the video from the HG20 just fine.

But….

exporting it out to a “.mov” file extension for other software to use like After Effects or Premiere can only export to size that is 960x540px which is not “True” HD which is 1920x1080px. It is actually half the dimensions of HD.

Now why does iMovie do this? I don’t know.

To conclude, that’s my only caution about buying this or any other HD camcorder that records on the Hard Drive that records 1920×1080. So if you see AVCHD, be warned that it’s a fairly new file format and getting your video from your camcorder to to your computer might cause some headache.

Great bang-for-buck ratio! – REVISITED!!!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camera was on sale for $300.00 off MSRP at a local chain – Amazon.com had it even cheaper, but I was in an unusual hurry to tape my son’s event that evening. I wasn’t looking for an HD quality recorder, but for the price, I couldn’t really pass it up!

This thing has an “Easy” button, which meant I didn’t need to read the manual before heading out. I packed up my tripod and set up my camera within a few hours – I used the power cord.

The camera performed very nicely, auto adjusting for lighting condition and color, with the “Easy” button turned on. If you have ever video-taped in a gymnasium, you know how not-wonderful that light can be.

The next morning I installed the included software to convert the AVCHD format to AVI for editing in Pinnacle Studio 12, Ultimate. While I had a lot to learn about the editing software, the camera software transferred the file very simply [I had read terrible reviews of it, but seems to work well.]

My final movie was proof that the camera adjusted well for lighting conditions, and that the stabilization and auto focus worked nicely. I don’t think one could go wrong with this camera – it seems to be a lot of bang for the buck. I can’t wait to get into the advanced, priority modes, and other features.

Caveats??? – Of course you knew there’d be something – I’d only given four stars!

1 – Small battery, but detailed battery meter. You will need to get a back-up. A high-capacity battery is available;

2 – Battery only charges on the camera – no separate battery charger;

3 – No on-camera view-finder. For that you need the HG21, and a few more $$$.

4 – Only 12x optical zoom. BUT… I normally won’t use digital zoom, but I needed it to get in close enough – my son was across the gymnasium. The digital artifacts were not distracting – it did a very nice job. ALSO, note that a telephoto extender, and a wide angle adapter, are both available if you need this capacity.

So far, that’s all I’ve got. I thought I had some “buyer’s remorse” at first, but when I saw the output, that went out the window. Thank for reading – I hope this helps.

REVISITED 05/10/2009:

So… That was a very encouraging review, wasn’t it? Well, sorry to disappoint… I took the Vixia HG20 back… it even cost me a restocking fee to return it. “But why?” you ask… Go ahead, ask…

Although this camera made phenomenal videos, and was lightweight and very easy to use, and had great features, the most important factor for me was edited output. I don’t think it is this camera’s fault. From my research I have discovered that this AVCHD video format is simply not yet supported efficiently by the major editing packages. I have tried several, including Ulead, Pinnacle, Microsoft, etc… This format is unusable. I’ve even downloaded conversion software to create MP4, AVI, MPG, and other file formats. The AVCHD file is way too compressed, and this causes problems.

Don’t get me wrong. For straight-out-of-the-camera use, I don’t think you can find a better deal. Personally, I’m going to find a good digital tape recording unit – getting harder to find these days, and I’ll just suffer through the download times prior to editing. This will give me an uncompressed file, and a cheap media for backing up the original recordings.

I hope this helps. Please don’t take my word for it; research AVCHD and see what the rest of the world says.

Thanks.

Canon Vixia HG20
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have used this camcorder for about 8 months now. As far as picture quality, in MXP or Cine mode, the quality is excellent.

The audio recording is only average, and may benefit from attaching the optional mic. Audio levels can be adjusted on the fly for live music situations, which is a nice feature. The zoom is adequate and may be set to fixed or variable modes. It is quite small and portable. It has no optical view, so the LCD must be monitored while in use, but it tilts 360 degrees.

My main disappointment is the software supplied with the camcorder. The software is very limited for anything other than playback, and I had to purchase third party software to burn discs, and they still will only play on a computer. Canon is no help, either.

Awesome!! Totally worth it.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I was reading all the reviews of this camera I was all exited about buying one. This camera does not disappoint. It delivers outstanding video. Another cool thing that I love is that it has a 60 gig HDD in it. All you have to do is go into the HDD of your camcorder via the USB cable and drag and drop your videos onto your computer. What I didn’t like was that I could not watch them on my computer using the Media Player that comes with Windows. I had to download a program (PowerDVD) to watch them. Overall I think this camcorder is awesome.

amazing video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve never used this camera first hand, but I’ve seen the results and heard about the simple set up process from the cameraman. Oh my gosh!! The video is amazing, and for the audio I have not complaints. I was too awestruck by the video to really notice the audio quality in a nerdy way, but it was pretty darn high quality too.

Exceptional video quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got my HG20 camcorder on Thanksgiving sale with free battery pack (BP 827). I’m really impressed with the performance so far. Video and audio quality is top notch, both outdoor and indoor (with normal lighting). I connected it with my Samsung 4061 HDTV, the video quality is simply exceptional. The focus is crystal, and zoom is great. The hard drive is really quiet, unlike my previous Panasonic camcorder SDR-H18. I haven’t tried SDHC recording yet. The photos taken with this camcorder are really good too. The menus are user friendy, you don’t need to dig thru’ the manual a lot. The battery life is average, but I wouldn’t worry much since I got BP-827 for free.

The only downside is that you have to charge your battery with the camcorder since no seperate battery charger is included in the package.

The supplied software is for basic editing. It’s similar to the one supplied with Panasonic SDR-H18, but this s/w takes AVCHD format only. I have used the Panasonic software for basic editing (cut unwanted scenes, add transition between scenes, add title, music etc), so it’s not that bad and the menu’s are almost the same. But my Turion 64 laptop is too old/slow to edit the AVCHD format, so I’m collecting the videos for future editing with faster computer.

You can read the professional reviews on cnet.com and camcorderinfo.com which gives you indepth analysis.

I compared Sony HDR-SR11 before buying, but HG20 beat SR11 with price, quality and performance and is worth every penny.

I want to make love to this machine
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am an aspiring film maker as well as somebody who loves to shoot random videos… and I feel just as there is somebody out there for everybody… there is also some camcorder out there for everybody… and this is the one for me. This camcorder is very light weight, and sturdy. It’s super affordable but you would never be able to tell.

When I viewed the videos I shot on my HD LG TV I almost cried. I even appreciated the manual… which was actually quite useful, considering I never read manuals because they usually frustrate me and end up in the fireplace. I LOVE to record at 24 and 30p and the spotlight function is VERY useful in low light conditions (as long as you have one outstanding light source). For those who don’t appreciate the camcorders low light functions honestly just have to experiment with it alittle bit more, because even those, while not perfect, are watchable.

The only thing that would have made this camcorder perfect is if it recorded at higher frame rates… but for $599, that might be a BIT too much to ask for. ALSO… I have an external directional mic and it DOES NOT fit directly on the camcorder… I now have to buy an adapter.. but hey.. there our kids out there starving who am I to complain about that.

This was a very good investment.

Impressive!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this camera today, I wanted to get HG10 as it is cheaper, but I went with this one as it has higher Hard Disk capacity with small price difference.

The first test video taken was indoors and with low light, I noticed lot of dots in the frame, however, after setting the AWB to indoor and exposure to low light, the video looked much better, then I tried the sport setting with 24p and the video was impressive!! I hooked the camera to my 40″ HD LCD TV, and the colors and sharpness are breathtaking!!

One tip is to use the P (Programmed AE) setting with different selections of White Balance, the LCD screen is clear enough to make a quick decision on the fly to pick the best selection, I used 3 different settings walking in day light, then on a shady area, then inside a shop.

One thing to note that the battery works only 2 hours, Canon offers better battery with 4 hours duration priced around $100.

You also need to read the pros and cons of the video codec, there are lot of information on the Canon HG10 reviews, and very useful. In general the higher the frame bit rate and resolution, the longer it will take to process and edit the video and much longer to burn it on DVD or BluRay.

I actually found out that Google’s Picasa 3 application (free download) can open the videos recorded by the camera, this tool can export any clip (or portion of it) to wmv format, once the file is exported, you can use any video editor like Microsoft Movie Maker to compress the file or change it to DivX format, etc.

Excellent Camcorder, but misleading description at Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Received the my camcorder HG20 from Amazon today. It’s a great camcorder. I bought it from Amazon, as Amazon was offering most cheapest price for this Camcorder. Almost $350 less than retail price, which was amazing. Initially I decided to buy a standard HDD camcorder and got JVC Everio 330 for $330 from Walmart. But found the camcorder video quality was very poor and returned it. Then I saw this HD Camcorder from Canon with 60GB HDD in Amazon, which is just $220 extra, but with lot of good features. Main thing is it’s HD with 1/3″ CMOS image sensor, where other camcorder at same price comes with 1/6″ sensor. Also I love plenty of HDD space to store video. Recently I took some video and those are stunning and I am very happy this time with my purchase from Amazon. Only one misleading information in Amazon site for camcorder description – “Built-in Video Light – Increase your low-light capabilities even further by shooting with the HG20′s built-in video light. This light enables you to shoot subjects in low-light at distances up to 4.9 feet away. “, which is wrong information. This HG20 camcorder has built-in flash for still photography but no built-in video light. The built-in video light photo that is shown in Amazon site is actually Instant AF Sensor of camera. The video light for this camcorder is sold separately, which is $109 at Amazon and $120 at Canon site. Except of the this everything about the camcorder is superb and the purchasing and delivery experience at Amazon are great.

Very good and worth serious consideration
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
PROS: excellent quality video, good size for travel and home use, 5+ hours of video on internal hard drive, less expensive than similar solid state internal drive camcorders, 10x zoom, easy menu navigation (altho I am used to other Canon camcorders’ menues), very easy to use, fits nicely in palm, pretty good image stabilization, HDMI output is nice to view video immediately and directly on hdtv, good LCD screen

CONS: AVCHD format is nice for viewing directly from camera but a pain in the b**t to work with in most editing software, included software is worthless (don’t waste your time fiddling with it), internal storage is hard drive based and possible to break if dropped (vs SSD or tape), battery life is only about 1-1.5 hours and decreases with time, Canon battery upgrade to 3-4 hours of use is large and $160+, generic batteries are more afforable but have less longevity and unpredictable quality, light weight means you need to be slow with movement and learn handheld stabilization techniques to prevent your audience from throwing up, no optical viewfinder

To be honest I do not know how much of a risk it is damaging the internal hard drive if the camera is dropped. There seem to be few forum complaints about it and I have had no trouble having dropped it several times on carpeted floor. I suspect something else vital inside the camera would break before the hard drive if it fell on rock or pavement.

This is a very nice camcorder and gets 4 stars only because AVCHD editing issue. I am a semi-professional videographer and use Premiere Pro on a high performance computer regularly. Directly playing the AVCHD files in Premiere is very jerky and I prefer to convert the AVCHD files to Quicktime for editing as a work-around. I would recommed Pinnacle Studio or Sony Vegas Movie Studio for consumer level editing as these are optimized for AVCHD editing. I use the HG20 as a secondary camera for event, wedding, and lecture videography work. I got it to try out the AVCHD format within my regular multicamera shooting and editing work flow. Because of the performance drag when I try to edit it directly in Premiere Pro CS4, I would prefer to only shoot in HDV, eg. with a Canon HV30 which is taped based. I also have a Canon HV20, HV30, and XH-A1, all HDV tape based cameras. If the HG20 was the only camera I owned and I edited with Pinnacle Studio 12 or Vegas Movie Studio, I would be very happy with my purchase. I could easily recommend this as a family or travel camera, because it is lightweight and stores over 5 hours of footage and can connect directly to your TV. I actually bought one for a family member who was about to start a family. The AVCHD format provides excellent image quality and can be off-loaded to an external hard drive for later use easily. If it weren’t for the AVCHD editing issue within Premiere, possible internal hard drive breakage issue, and no optical viewfinder, I would give it 5 stars. At the time I bought it I considered it a great price for the value.

Not what I expected.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I purchased this product because of the price, the size of the hard drive, and the Canon brand. My previous device was a Sony Mini DV and the video quality seems to be better. I chose not to go with a Sony this time because I didn’t want to be hostage to the Memory Sticks.

Here are my complaints:

1. No viewfinder. Granted, they are hardly used these days. But a viewfinder saves battery life. You’d have to upgrade to the 120GB HG21 for the viewfinder.

2. Does not save in formats that are compatible with Windows, i.e., .AVI, .WMV, or even .MOV. You have to install the [included] 3rd Party software to view the video.

3. Video quality playback on my computers were grainy and choppy. Yes, I’m aware that the it also depends on the type of video card, amount of RAM, and even processing speed. I have 2 high end gaming machines, one of which is less than a month old with a HD video card. Both machines show the same poor quality video. I even checked to see if there were any software updates. No help.

4. Transferring video files to the computer requires that you plug the unit in.

I would be willing to pay a few hundred dollars more for a device that would address the above. Too late for me…not too late for you.

Excellent camcorder, great video quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just received my Canon HG20 camcorder two days ago, first I had a great experience with the seller as I got my item the day it was supposed to be shipped (5 days in advance).

First when doing my homework, I was hesitating between the SONY SR11 and the CANON HG20 but after going through lot of reviews I went to CANON as the 150$ more for the SONY are not a real good investment.

The video quality is amazingly sharp, the build quality is perfect…

What can I say a great camcorder for less than 600$, I definitely recommend the HG20.

Update: I had this product since almost one year, still very happy with it.

Great video quality, but at a price.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
My wife and I were looking for something to replace our aging DV camcorder, and decided to step up to HD.

Since we’ve been happy with our Canon Digital Rebel XSi SLR, and the XTi before it, Canon seemed the logical choice.

The biggest obstacle in choosing a new camera was deciding between the HG20 and the Canon VIXIA HF10. After a ton of research, we found that the HG20 and HG10 are basically the same camera. The HG20 has a 60GB hard drive, the HG10 has 16MB flash. Beyond that, the optics and Digic processors are the same (though the HG20 is capable of recording at a higher bitrate, due to the hard drive).

Since the HG20 gives you the option of writing to SDHC cards, it seemed a better value.

We’ve had the camera for just over a week now, and the image quality is generally outstanding. In low light, the HG20 produces an acceptable picture, though it is a bit grainy and “digital” looking. With adequate light though, the picture is outstanding.

The image stabilization works better than expected, especially when you’re zoomed in, but keep in mind that this is the primary reason it’s there. If you have jittery hands and aren’t giving some thought to what you’re shooting, you’re still going to produce movies that look like they came from any old camcorder.

Taking still pictures is reasonably easy, and the camera’s ability to focus and take a decent photo at full zoom is incredible. However, if you have a digital camera that’s less than three years old, it’s probably going to take better pictures. This is definitely a “nice to have” feature, but you shouldn’t go in to this expecting it to replace a point-and-shoot digital camera.

If you’re familiar with Canon Digital Rebel, PowerShot, or Elph cameras, the menus on the HG20 will make perfect sense to you. All of the settings are where you’d expect them to be. And if you’re not familiar with other Canon products, learning the menu system is quite easy.

Now, some caveats…

Right off the bat, editing AVCHD video is going to pound on your computer. If you’re using a Mac, a current-generation MacBook Pro is probably the minimum you’d want to use for any sort of editing. On the bright side, iMovie 08 (and 09) will see this camera and do its thing without any hiccups. But actually getting a full-res movie from the camera to your computer is only marginally faster than DV (to those who may be confused: it takes about as long to import the video as it does to play it).

The next issue — which is true for so many Canon products — the Genuine Canon accessories are ridiculously expensive. Unlike their digital cameras to date, a third party battery isn’t going to work 100% properly in the HG20. So if you’re not prepared to deal with not knowing the “real” charge on your battery, plan on spending more for a battery. The included battery claims to get about 108 minutes on a full charge. Step up to the Canon BP-819 Lithium Ion Battery Pack, and you’ll get in the high 200′s without having a massive battery pack jutting out of the back of the camcorder.

On a similar tangent, a big irritation for me is that you have to connect the camera to wall power to import video to your computer. If you’re planning on going on the road with your camera and laptop, you might want to look at a power inverter for your car. Otherwise, you’re not dumping video until you get home (or somewhere with an outlet).

That said, there are some universal accessories you can pick up without breaking the bank. I own these all, and can confirm that they work just fine with the HG20:

Tripp Lite Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable (6 feet)

Lowepro – Edit 140 (Note: this bag is just about perfect for the HG20′s size, and can hold all of the included accessories, as well as an HDMI cable and two filters)

Sunpak CF-7026 UV 37mm Ultra-Violet Filter

Sunpak CF-7051 CP Circular Polarized Filters 37mm

Now that the 2009 models are out, you can pick the HG20 up for an excellent price. Considering the features and picture quality, the camera is a great value. And as long as you go in to it knowing you’re going to need to spend some more money for accessories (or computer upgrades, video editing software, etc.) you won’t be disappointed.

Canon HG20
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great camera, easy to use, great pictures even in low light and good value for money

However……The worst software in the world. No technical support, no instructions on how to use it. Plan on getting another program to edit and just download directly to thew computer. I don’t know why Canon would even package this with the camera as it is an insult to a great camera. Battery life with supplied battery is poor. You will have to invest in a couple extra batteries

Canon Vixia HG20
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We got fast shipping and a great price on this camera. As others have stated, it has fantastic picture quality and the image stabilization is great. I am shooting long distance with no tripod and its quite steady. If you are going to shoot for more than an hour, get the 827 super long life battery.

Cons – battery for the remote not in the package. The software so far has been unusable. We have been burning to a DVD burner and then loading on computer to edit.

Great Movie Quality, AVCHD format causes problems
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love the camera and quality of movies when I play them from camcorder to TV using all connection formats (RCA, Component and HDMI). Getting videos to my PC was easy with the Pixela software that Canon included. However, Pixela has limited editing properties and you seem to only be able to use DVD-R/RW to record on (Rendoring 100s of my DVD+R useless). I seem to have other problems with AVCHD format that I was unprepared for: 1. I connot use “My Computer or Explorer” on my IBM / Windows XP Pro computer to copy movies directly from Camcoder 2. I also have used Roxio Media Creator 9 and learned to make nice DVDs from jpeg slide shows, AVI, and mpeg files. It will not work with the .NT2s format of movies that Pixela stored on my PC. The Roxio Support site claims that Roxio 2009 with a HD add-on will process these files ($100). I also have a work buddy that claims Sony Vegas software works on his Canon Camcorder that records on SD Cards. I also believe (but not 100% sure)that you will need a Blue Ray DVD player to play the DVDs created with this newer software.

Auxiliary Microphone!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camcorder offers what few HDD camcorders offer–a place to plug in an auxiliary microphone! This makes the Canon VIXIA HG20 AVCHD a perfect, versatile choice that provides the ability to record high quality sound to match the high definition picture.

Excellent item for a great price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this camcorder as a gift for my boyfriend. he had an older camcorder that took tapes. he loves the camera, great look and feel. Lighter than we both thought it would be and absolutely amazing.

also, Amazon is the best website for shopping!! I have never had an issue with getting my products when dealing directly with Amazon! thank you so much and have a great holiday season!

This Camera is great for a tech/artistic type person =] i love it
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
okay, a few things ANYONE that is gonna buy this camcorder is gonna need to get and or realize

this camcorder makes .mts video files,

the only easy video program i’ve found, which costs money, is avsvideoconverter,

which you can let convert while you’re at work or sleeping.

The setting i make it convert to is 640×360, which keeps the 16:9 aspect ratio, and @ about 800kbps so it Wont be choppy for youtube.

You will probably want to buy a 500gb-1tb external hard drive to store all the big files

—

If you know you’re way around a computer, and can google the things mentioned ^^^, then I think you’ll be fine

This camcorder shoots great video, and truly makes you feel like your video’s are better than tv.

The microphone is not good. i try to ignore it haha. it doesn’t bother me that much, but there is a microphone port,

The biggest negative for me with this camcorder is that you have to buy many accessories to complete the standard package,

- a better battery

- video converting software

- video editing software

- a vl-5 light, which mounts on the top and is about 100 times more expensive than what it’s worth

- more storage for heavy videos (to be expected)

- you might need to buy a new computer, if you don’t have the patience to let your computer do the work.

> I suggest intel core quad processor based computers

I know all of that sounds horrible to the standard user, but for me, as the early 20 something artistic nerd tech, i love it

Low Priced for the best camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I went through a lot of slow camcorders and atlast found this one as best.

I was reviewing all camcorders compatible in HD with Hard Drive one’s but found this so appealing at the provided price range.

Only drawback that I came across is not having viewfinder. But I dont really require it as the screen is too good. 60GB is too much for my use.

As a whole I like it and until next few years I dont want to loose this.

Uploading to your pc
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
While the images captured are excellent uploading video footage to your computer for editing is not simple. I have been trying for over 3 months to complete this task with no luck. What I’ve learned is that the technology of this particular camcorder is too advanced for most pc’s. Buy it at your own risk. I’m ready to throw this one in the trash!

camara
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
i will enjoy it more when i learn how to use it . could have better instruction

Great Product
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Used on a trip to Australia and performed beyond expectations. The pictures were excellent except in low light situations where it was OK. Maybe need to learn more about the options available for the future. The telephoto lens worked great for distant pictures even the digital zoom worked better than expected. It is very light and difficult to hold steady especially when using the telephoto lens. Took still pictures to the SD drive that were better than expected. The included software is Ok for data transfer but very poor for editing. I am getting Vegas 9 for that application. I am very pleased with the amount of video I can get on the hard drive and how easy it is to review video. Only other problem I had was that at times I was shooting video when I thought I had stopped it, need to pay better attention to the little red light.

Excellent video camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I could not believe how easy this camera was to use. When you get new cameras often the thick book of instructions is very intimidating, but within a half hour I was using this camera like I had it for a long time. The pictures– both still and video were outstanding. The camera fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and made using it a joy. The fact that you do not have to run out and buy tapes and worry about if you have enough room on them was another huge factor I liked. The 60 GB Hard Drive gives you many many hours of video. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone wanting a good quality video camera that is easy and convenient to use.

Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love it. Easy to use. Worth mentioning that if you have a Mac rather than PC, you’ll need Leopard and iMovie 08 to use this camcorder with your computer.

Camcorder is great
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The camcorder is absolutely great, the software is AWFUL. Don’t buy this camcorder unless you’re prepared to buy additional software

Great camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this for a few months and it is a great camcorder. Video does get a bit grainy in low light footage but I also bought the Canon VL-5 video light for this that works great, really improves darker video. The video you get when you have sufficient lighting is amazing. This camera also takes nice still photos too. I really recommend this camcorder, its the best for the price. The only reason I’m taking one star off is because a video light should have been included with the camera since that’s what the description says.

Easy to Use, Beautiful Picture, Can’t Go Wrong!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is perfect for everyday recording. The HD picture quality is fantastic, and it’s very easy to use. I have been searching for a camera for a long time, and this is the only one that has everything I was looking for. The 60 GB internal drive was really what sold it. I never have to worry about SD cards. The only flaw to this camera is the low battery life. But you can get larger battery from canon with a much longer life.

Computer connection is quick and easy. I have seen reviews by people complaining about it not being compatible with Mac or Final Cut Pro. I am a big editor on Final Cut, and this camera IS compatible with my mac and Final Cut. The files on the video camera are .MTS files because they’re HD. All you have to do in Final Cut Pro is use ‘Log and Transfer’ to upload your clips for editing. Of course the HD fottage takes up a lot of space, but it’s worth it for the beautiful crisp picture quality!

Great video quality but, audio susceptible to wind noise
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera in Nov ’08 for my daughter’s gymnastic recital. I was immediately impressed with the video quality. Although it has two HD settings, 24MB/s & 17MB/s, I use the 17MB/s option to save space and still retain the HD quality. However, my concern is with the wind noise. The CNET.com review commented on the fact the wind filter can no longer be set manually to the “On” position. Instead, it is either, “Off” or “Auto”. With that said, I experience significant wind noise whenever I’m outdoors. This is very distracting as people, who are several feet away, cannot talk over the noise because they don’t realize all the wind overpowering their voice.

Also, the AF has been slow to focus and on some occasions it just will not focus at all. I’ve had to zoom away from my subject, focus on something else, and then try again. My wife was wearing a black jacket on a bright sunny day and the camera could not focus on her.

Nevertheless, I enjoy the compact size. The hard drive makes it bigger than those without. However, the 60GB drive and the slot for SD cards provide a winning combination. You can continually upgrade cards as they grow in size and you have approximately 5 to 8 hours of hard drive space when you need it.

As far as petty irritants go, plugging the camera to the adapter, to transfer the video to the PC is annoying. Also, the bundled software is horrible. However, the camcorder shouldn’t suffer in it’s review because of that no more than my DSLR being pegged for the software that comes with the camera.

Excellent camera in a small package.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Recieved this camera without having had a camcorder previously. The hg20 allows you to basically pick it up and start recording. Very easy to operate. Instruction manual is also helpful. Video’s are amazing, and I was also impressed with the sound quality as the device was picking up all the different conversations at our christmas party. Camcorder is very good in low light as well. My only complaints are not about the camcorder but about canon, send us a mini HDMI cable to go with the camera and develop better editing software. My intentions with this camera is to put movies on a portable harddrive and streamline the movies from the portable harddrive to the tv, this camera makes this very simple, and at 1080i what a bonus. THANKS FOR AN EXCELLENT CAMCORDER.

Good Product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
An imovie must when you own a MAC. I have had it for 3 months now and have had no problems yet. The sound quality is great. I’m glad this camera has worked out. The ability to pause a video in playback mode and push the camera button on top to take a snap shot is fantastic for getting a more natural looking picture. Mega Pixel not awsome however it is good enough for a 5×7 pic. Hope this helps.

Canon HG20 Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Pros: High Quality, great value, light, compact, easy to use, plenty of storage space

Cons: Battery has a slight amount of wiggle room

Note: Battery lasts a couple hours before needing to be charged, so you may need to purchase additional batteries to enable extended use

just great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is just amazing, is my first camera and i am so excited, It works really good with my mac, it is really small and light and easy to use, thanks.

Great Camcorder!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great camcorder!! What more can I say? We did extensive research to find the best camcorder to buy and we found it. The Canon HG20 is a great camcorder and does everything you need it to with great video quality. Thank you Amazon for giving me a great price on this fantastic camcorder!!

Best camcorder for low light condition
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was able to find this camcorder for [...] including free shipping at [...]

great price for a great camcorder

Wow
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Unbelievably crisp video quality. Easy to use. The only thing I wasn’t impressed with was the software bundled with the camera. Garbage. I’m going to invest in a home digital video software bundle. The camera itself is wonderful.

Excellent Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first camcorder and I’m more than pleased with the overall quality. The picture settings are quite versatile. If you’re interested in fine tuning the white balance, focus settings, audio settings, etc., you have the option. If you’d rather not deal with all the various settings, you can pretty much set everything to ‘auto,’ then point and shoot. Even though the menu is very simple to navigate and understand, I recommend giving the manual at least a cursory glance so you understand what some of the pre-settings mean, along with understanding your frame rate and mbps quality settings. The camera is equipped with a stereo mic which even has a ‘windscreen’ setting. This basically cuts the low end volume down to reduce wind noise. You can turn this off or on as necessary. You can plug headphones into the camera so you can hear the audio as you record. You can even pan the mic volume up or down and there is an indicator which shows your audio levels, where they should be and when it gets into the red (distortion). You can even plug in an external stereo mic to enhance your audio quality. From what I’ve seen so far, the picture is incredible. I don’t have a PC powerful enough to handle high def video editing. My clips play rather choppy on my PC, but I only have a 1.6g Athlon and 2gb ram. Recommended hardware is 2.6g processor and 4gb ram. I would recommend a dual or quad core and a good video card. You can see some sample clips on youtube – search for canon hg20 and click on ‘watch in HD.’ Here’s a good example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j02y6e-XP4&feature=related :This clip appears to be in cinema mode.

If you’re interested in some more in depth information, here’s a good website for camcorder reviews: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ They posted an in-depth review of the canon hg20: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-Vixia-HG20-Camcorder-Review-35510.htm

Another feature I like is the optional line level on the LCD. It shows a level line to help you keep the camera lined up with the horizon line. This camera also has an optional drop sensor that locks the hard drive if it senses it is falling. Pretty cool. I guess if you’re filming on a roller coaster you’ll need to turn this option off. The canon hg21 sells for about an extra $300 and gives you a 120g hard drive, a viewfinder and supposedly a better LCD. Other than that, it’s the exact same camera. Personally, I couldn’t justify the extra cash. To me, a 60g hard drive is plenty and although I would like a viewfinder, I probably wouldn’t use it most of the time. The still pictures look good, especially for a camcorder. You can also snap still pictures while you’re filming if you so desire. I gotta say, I love this camera. Now I just need a better computer.

Perfect for Aviation!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Pictures speak louder than words: Visit my YouTube page for HD samples of what this camera can do in extreme situations: http://www.youtube.com/fight2flyphoto

I have been wanting a nice digital video camera for some time now. On the weekends I’m a professional aviation photographer, and over the last twelve months or so have been receiving more and more questions about providing video for clients. Last June I purchased an inexpensive Sony camcorder that was nice for casual shooting. However, I quickly found myself wanting more.

A local store was going out of business and had the Canon VIXIA HG20 for about 50% of its normal asking price, so I quickly grabbed the last one in the store.

After playing with this camera for about a month, I have become very fond of this camera. It is simply a joy to use! It offers many adjustable settings, such as shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, and mic. volume, just to name a few.

I have produced a number of videos and have uploaded them to YouTube in full HD for everyone to enjoy. One such video was created for a local airshow pilot.

One of the greatest features, in my opinion, is the ability to adjust the microphone sensativity. Pilots LOVE to be able to hear the crisp, clear sound of airplanes. And this camera catches it beautifully, even without the optional external microphone! Also, I am able to select slower shutter speeds in order to get a full disk of propeller rotation on Warbirds, as well as super-fast shutter speeds to capture the detail of fighter jets as they fly-by.

Color saturation is really great as well. I’m able to accurately capture the detail and real-life color in nearly every lighting situation.

This coming summer I will be using my HG20 more so than my DSLR.

All that said, I would buy this camera again in a heartbeat! It’s simple to use, has many adjustable features, is lightweight, and shoots tac-sharp video at a reasonable price!

Good value for money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This video camera does all that it says, the only thing that is a bit of disappointment is the battery life. It hardly lasts about 60 mins in use. You would definitely need extra battery if you plan to use it for longer recordings.

Excellent camcorder, Software needs help
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this camcorder before X’mas 2008. Got it at excellent price ~$599. I like the camcorder a lot. Picture quality is excellent, can’t complain about 60GB HDD. But the standard Canon software is inadequate.

Have researched several software and I like Power Director among all the ones out there. Even when I compress hi-def AVCHD to high quality WMV or MPEG, the picture quality way outperforms the quality I get with Canon mini DV camcorders.

Excellent!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent HD camcorder. The recorded HD video and audio is amazing. Buy an extra battery as the one that came with the camera only lasts for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The built-in camera is pretty decent too.

Fantastic Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The battery that comes with this camera does not last very long, so you’ll want to buy a secondary battery off somewhere like ebay, and the microphone on it doesn’t seem to be the greatest in windy conditions, but few microphones are (there may be a setting for these condition, I just haven’t had time to read the manual yet)… The video quality is fantastic though. I don’t think there is another camera out there with this good HD quality for this low of a price.

Great camera..if you don’t want to edit your video…
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera 2 months ago and love the picture quality, when I play it back on my HDTV it’s as if it were professionally shot (I have it on a tripod when filming).

That’s where the love affair ends however…

The software that comes with the camera is actually 2 seperate programs. You can only upload with one program and then have to open the other in order to view it. Why 2 seperate programs? And why name the program ‘Image Mixer’? There is no editing capability whatsoever with the program, therefore no ‘mixing’ involved. 1 program to upload and a second one to view. Would it have been too much effort to incorporate them both into one program and give some editing capability?

Since I couldn’t use their software program to edit the video I had to use my own, fortunately I have Adobe Photoshop CS3, the latest and greatest in photo/video editing. But alas, the video is recorded in a format that only their programs understand (M2TS?). I also tried opening with Nero which was able to open the video (not in optimal quality) but when I tried to burn it to DVD it wouldn’t let me. So back to the manual to figure out what was wrong, which is where I found that in order to burn it to DVD all I had to do was purchase a seperate Canon DVD burner. Sound like a ripoff to anyone?

Bottom line is I love the video quality but unfortunately all I can do is watch it on my TV or computer.

The price was right…until you factor in having to buy a seperate program to convert the video to a user friendly format, another program to edit the video and a seperate DVD burner form Canon in order to burn it to DVD!

Avoid this camera at all costs, because the costs add up very quickly!

Canon VIXIA HG20 AVCHD 60 GB HDD Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an amazing camcorder. Very compact, powerful, and a lot of features/settings. Produces video quality second to none. I would recommend buying a second battery if you will be using the camera for extended periods of time.

Great camera! Great Price!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Pros: Compact Design, Excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy to use, Good Low-Light Performance

Cons: Short battery life, remote can be somewhat awkward as it doesn’t work from every angle, no full HD cable provided (mini HDMI cable is sold separately)

We just had a baby and wanted to get a good quality HD camera. I’ve used the camera video in the house and outdoors, and all have come out great. The videos look great on my computer and/or my 52″ HDTV. I am still figuring out the settings, but so far this camera has worked out great for us.

The camera also has an SD card slot, so I do recommend purchasing a high-capacity SD (HCSD) card even though the camera has an internal harddrive (HDD). I purchased a 16GB card. The SD card makes taking pictures and video simultaneously much easier, plus transferring video to the computer is much easier with the SD card. Just pull the card out and put it into the card reader/slot on your PC. No wires needed. For me the SD card has sufficient capacity for shorter videos (90 mins at highest quality setting). You can switch back to the HDD for longer videos or when the SD card if full. Though, the transfer speed can be noticeably slower when transferring videos and pics from the card versus over the USB Cord. This may depend on your computer as well.

The battery life is unimpressive. If you plan to be out and about for a long time, it might be worth buying an extra standard or extended life battery. However, from the various reviews that I’ve read, battery life is generally an issue with most hi-tech cameras, so this was not really a determining factor for me. As long as I make sure it’s charged before I leave he house, having only one battery hasn’t been an issue as of yet.

The fact that there is no viewfinder can be frustrating at times, especially when shooting quick targets (i.e. sports), but the swiveling screen has served me well so far. In fact, I’ve gotten some of my best shots with the screen turned towards my daughter while she’s on camera. She loves seeing herself. I also use it this way sometimes when I have the camera on a tripod to ensure that what I’m shooting (usually me playing with my daughter) is still in frame.

As mentioned above, this camera does not ship with an HDMI cable, which is required to show videos in full HD on HDTV (1080p). I would suggest purchasing an cable when/if you get the camera. This is probably the case for all HD video cameras. I purchase mine from Amazon also (Tripp Lite Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable (6 feet)) and it works great.

Also consider getting a Blu-Ray burner, as the size of the videos will be too much for standard DVDs if you record in full HD. I downgraded the video so it would fit on a standard DVD and the picture quality was severely diminished. I will never do that again. I purchased a Blu-Ray burner from Amazon also (LG GGW-H20L Super Multi Blue – Blu-ray Disc Burner / HD DVD-ROM Drive w/ Lightscribe – 6x2x6x/3x – Serial ATA – internal – 5.25″).

Canon HG20 is Fantastic!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have owned the HG20 for one week and am amazed with the clarity of the HD picture especially in low-light conditions. Definitely need a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable for playback to LCD TV’s. Very happy with the performance. Autofocus is very smooth. Battery life is limited but once you have the extra battery, there’s no problem….

Not Great
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I didnt find this camcorder very great.

Pros :

– Good quality in sufficient lighting.

– Good for its price.

Cons :

– Manual focus dont work.

– Too much shaking while zooming in or zooming out.

– Too many NOT OT DO things as it is hard disk based and as it contains moving parts.

I expected a lot. May be thats why I am not very happy. Still thinking whether to return it or keep it.

It’s CANON – you will never go wrong
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this small baby about a month back from Amazon for an excellent deal. I spent some good hours on this by trying both video and photo in almost all the available setting.

Pros :

Picture quality is amazing. I assure you that you can’t get better than this if your budget is below $1000.

Very handy, sleek, light weight to shoot the moving objects and image stabilizer works pretty good.

Very intuitive settings and control mode. No need to spend hours to learn.

If you have a reasonable light, the results are very close to some high-end camcorders.

Cons:

The first and foremost – it looks like the outer body is made up of some cheap plastic. It’s not sturdy.

Your index finger should be at least 4 inches long to reach the click button if you take still picture. I think this is just because of the hard drive.

It comes with some basic software which is very poor for you to manage your videos and photos. (Probably I haven’t spent good time to research)

Actually I took some videos at higher resolution and used Nero to convert it to DVD format and burned it in DVD. When I played the same in my PS3 with 1080i, it’s very close to 1080i resolution streamed directly from CAMRA to my TV through HDMI.

I also recommend to get additional battery (will be bulky) for your travel.

On the whole (4.8 out of 5) I strongly recommend this baby if you are looking to buy a decent camcorder without draining your bank account.

NOT BAD
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
It’s cool.. for my sister and family uses.. but if it was for me.. i look up for the HG21.. worth the extra $$$.

Dakota Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is a “great” piece of equipment. It produces amazing images and will do so for a novice. Sound quality is good using the internal mic and better using a quality external mic. Wind noise is easier to control using the external microphone. Nature shots in quiet surroundings is a sound problem. It is discussed in the instruction manual. The camera picks up on machine noises in the camera if there isn’t adequate noise to occupy it extenal to the camera. This will also happen with a good non-canon external microphone attached to the camera’s shoe. A mini-boom to hold the external microphone might be the solution that quiets the camera and keeps the birds chirping.

This is a fine camera and I would recommend it to anyone. It holds hours of video at the highest resolution (1080p) and speediest frame rates (30fps).

I wonder if the flash drive VIXIA models without a mechanical hard drive have the machine noise when you record in quiet surroundings? This won’t be important to everyone but if it is to you, check out the flash drive units. The tradeoff will be a 32gb flash for a 60gb hard drive.

perfect for gift
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
AMAZING!! true HD video, very Good for lowlight when shooting at night.

Picture printout GOOD just only 3 Mb pix.

Excellent camcorder for the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After doing much research on various internet tech sites I had my choice narrowed to the Sony HDR-SR11 and Canon Vixia HG20. I chose the Canon because it was rated higher for its picture quality and it was slightly cheaper, the two things that were most important to me. I got the camera before Christmas and got a free Canon litium ion battery (BP-827) with my purchase. After viewing the Christmas footage that I shot I couldn’t be more satisfied with my purchase. The picture quality is amazing on my standard definition TV. I can only imagine what it will look like when I get a HDTV. I haven’t done any video editing but I have put footage on my computer and the included software is adequate. I would recommend this camcorder to any amatuer home movie maker who wants the latest in HD technology at a moderate price.

Color was off and quality in less than bright situations not high def
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Used over Christmas and watched it together with the family. All the kids marveled at how my 2 year old’s Barney doll was red in the video!! Every situation that was less than full bright was totally pixelated. Also, when I zoomed in at the mall, it got totally grainy. I used it to record the kids with Santa and figured why bother buying a photo package, i’ll just capture stills from the HD video. Well, it is all unusable pixilated garbage. Every still I captured and every bit of the video totally pixelated in the less than bright conditions. I wouldn’t even call the conditions generating the pixelation low light.

Other than that, if it is bright, it works great!

Canon VIXIA HG20 Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Its a great camcorder for hi definition 1080p shoot or everyday average use.easy to use and excellent video quality even in easy mode setting.60 gig hardrive great for capturing anything all day long,additional advantage SD card slot.(must get class 4 or 6 SD card,+ higher gig capacity for video shoot. bit expenssive but worth it).Suggestion get longer charge hold rechargable battery,Canon bp 827or819 has much better longer standby charge,comes handy when you are out for the day and dont have to worry about low power and not being able to recharge the original one.Overall im pleased with the brand,easy use and value.