Canon VIXIA HF100 High Definition Camcorder - review

Canon has been doing reasonably well in the world of camcorders. Recently there have been more affordable high definition camcorders in the market and the Canon VIXIA High Definition Camcorder is definitely worth getting. After all, you don't get many high definition camcorders from Canon for $599. I remember the times when you couldn't even get a 1 CCD camcorder for this price. Anyway, let's take a closer look at the Canon VIXIA HF100 high definition camcorder.

First things first, the Canon VIXIA HF100 High Definition Camcorder comes with a built in flash memory which makes it compact and light weight. It uses an MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) video codec and is able to record videos in full 1080 HD format.

The other advantage of having a flash memory as the recording media is the fact that its extremely robust. Even if you were to hit a wall (not too hard or intentionally please) the flash memory will be more forgiving than a conventional hard disk drive or a DVD recorder. This is certainly a good value for those who use cameras while playing sports or outdoor activities.

The Canon VIXIA HF100 also sports a Canon Full HD CMOS sensor which ensures that your images are captured in high definition as well. This is the same CMOS sensor that is being used in the EOS series digital SLR cameras.

The DIGIC DV II image processor which is built into this camcorder is specially made for high definition format. Since video and still images have different color requirements, DIGIC DV II HD digital signal processing ensures optimal image quality for both HD video and still images. The result is an excellent reproduction of color tones - especially that of the human skin.

Another feature that this high definition camcorder boasts is the 24p cinema mode. 24p Cinema Mode is a feature demanded by professional filmmakers and previously available only on pro-level camcorders. Having this mode on your camcorder ensures that your videos have the "film-look". I'm sure that many aspiring young directors out there would like to try their hands on making their own movies and you could probably be one of them. So if you are one, I'm sure you would love this feature.

Other features such as the 2.7 inch LCD, HDMI terminal, image stabilization and Auto Focus are pretty standard which is expected in even entry level camcorders. Overall, I would say that this is a pretty neat camcorder - IF you are looking for a high definition camcorder that is!

If you've got yourself a brand new HDTV but yet to upgrade your camcorder, then I would suggest that you get the Canon VIXIA HF100 High Definition Camcorder. It certainly is value for money and you will be able to watch your precious moments in full high definition on your brand new TV.