Canon VIXIA HV40 HD HDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

This is the Crรจme de la Crรจme of prosumer video cameras when it comes to picture quality. In my experience, as of February 2010, no other brand or camcorder comes close to the video quality of HV40. Using a tape based video cassette recorder feels antiquated after giving up audio cassette tape recorder years ago for digital sound on MP3 player but I tried one hard drive AVCHD camcorder and I had to be return it because the grainy picture was way inferior to my previous Canon HV-20 camcorder. Those hard drive or DVD camcorders are not compatible with every software either. And as long as you keep Mini-DV's and the camcorder, you can play them for ever because software format keeps changing with time and the software format in vogue now may be outdated in future.





The major advance in this camera over its previous incarnations, HV-20 & HV-30, is the 24P in native & cinema modes, which makes the picture look like professional movie. Otherwise I do not find much difference from earlier versions.





PROS


1. 2.96-megapixel Full HD CMOS sensor captures sharp, bright, color saturated HD video and beautiful, color infused pictures on Mini SD card. Vivid images will just blow your mind. You can even capture still images from the tape.


2. DIGIC DV II image processor is fast.


3. Good image stabilization.


4. The controls are well placed and intuitive.


5. Regular mini-DV tapes Sony DVC-60 PR/5 Premium Minidv Videocassette (5-Pack) can be used with excellent results and you don't have to buy expensive HD Mini-DV tapes Sony High Definition Minidv Videocassette (2-Pack).


6. Good images even in low light and then there is built-in flash.


7. Works well with both iMovie & Final Cut Express on Mac.








CONS


1.This Canon HV40 camcorder does not come with any video editing software. The still picture Canon software is slow and basically useless and does not add much to built-in Windows or Mac software. You do not even need to install Canon photo software.


2. Needs a very powerful computer with Firewire port.


3. But does not come with a Firewire cable! Canon is selling this camera for one thousand dollars (MSRP) and they can't enclose a one dollar cable? Make sure you order 4-Pin to 4-Pin FireWire Cable with the camera. I bought one for less than a dollar Firewire DV Cable Camcorder For Canon Sony Sharp JVC and it does the job.


4. No separate battery charger and if you record for more than an hour at a time you may want to buy one extra and keep a charged one with you all the time.


5 .So many components - Canon HV-40 camera, battery, charger, cables, Mini-DV tapes etc. - but no bag to store and carry them with this one thousand buck camera! They want to pick your pocket for another fifty bucks for a Canon branded bag for this camera and its accessories. But I bought Zeikos ZE-CA48B Deluxe Soft Medium Camera and Video Bag for ten bucks and it is almost as good, if not better than, Canon VIXIA HV40 HG21 HG10 DC410 DC310 HV30 DVD Camcorder Canon ZR960 MiniDV dc220 dc320 dc100 dc210 Camcorder Case Bag Messager Bag.


6. Huge files on hard drive. For me the HD files are coming to almost 750 MB per minute on Final Cut Express. Make sure you have a huge hard drive to be able to use and edit the HD files recorded by Canon HV-40. But this drawback is probably with all HD camcorders. I use Western Digital My Book World Edition 1 TB Network Attached Storage WDH1NC10000N (White) which works flawlessly but now it has its big 2TB & 4TB brothers - go for the biggest one you can afford. You are going to need it for all the HD video that you will record with this camera.


7. Of course, you need a high-priced HDTV to enjoy all those videos in HD!





Overall Canon HV-40 camcorder is is the best in this category but you may want to look at one of those pocket Flip camcorders or its competitors before you buy Canon HV-40: you will probably use them more. They are lighter in weight and pocketable so you can have them with you more often. And they are very easy to use and upload recored files to computer or web sites. Now with new cell phones being able to record good quality video, even Flip video recorders are in the process of becoming obsolete. After all, the best camera is the one you have with you!





Now you can use Canon HV-40 to record on mini DV tape, watch it on TV and store the tape and not even bother to use the computer. But if you want to edit or upload the best quality HD video or you if you are the budding or amateur film-maker, no other camcorder can beat Canon HV-40 for picture quality. If you add all the other ancillary stuff needed to transfer, edit, store and view the HD video recorded by Canon HV-40 - a mighty computer with Terabytes of hard drive space - it is pretty expensive purchase. Canon HV-40 has so many advanced features that I have just skimmed the surface. I am not an advanced user but my son is a film maker and he loves this camera. For an average Joe or Jane, this camera is probably an overkill but its earlier editions, are only slightly less complicated to use and not not any cheaper than HV-40. Canon VIXIA HV40 HD HDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom