Canon HF10 review
Verdict:
Keep your memories in high definition. A great all-round video camera with excellent picture quality.
Review Date: 18 Jul 2008
Price when reviewed: £680
Buy it now for: £902
Supplier: http://www.play.com
Our Rating
User Rating
While some manufacturers are experimenting with innovative shapes and ergonomics, Canon has stuck steadfastly to the tried-and-tested camcorder design with the HF10.
It may be closely modelled on hundreds of models that have gone before, but inside it's one of the best consumer HD cameras on the market.
Optical quality is remarkable, and we found it even fared well in low light thanks to its high-quality sensor and built-in lamp. The full HD 1920x1080 resolution makes playback on even the largest of televisions look crystal clear, and the 16GB of internal storage means you can shoot for hours before you even resort to an SD card. This versatility, combined with the plummeting cost of SD memory, means you could take the HF10 on holiday and shoot as much as you wanted without ever needing to offload footage onto a PC.
The HF10 also impressed us with its design. Canon's advertising stresses its usability, and we can't argue. It may not be the smallest camcorder on the market - try the Sony, left, if that's what you're after - but it fits perfectly in the palm. All the most important buttons fall naturally under your fingers, and the menu is a doddle. You can even continue shooting while you change settings, as the menu only takes up two edges of the screen.
External microphone and headphone sockets make pro quality sound recording possible. The accessory shoe will take an external light if needed.
Once you get your footage back home, viewing it on a TV couldn't be simpler, and with the included remote control you can review clips from the comfort of the sofa.
It isn't the cheapest, smallest or most powerful camcorder, but its design, image quality and features mean the HF10 will serve you far better than a cheaper model while leaving little to tempt you to spend more. Shooting your family videos, or indeed amateur movie projects, in HD gives you a degree of future-proofing, and the high quality lens will make your footage bright and clear.
Author: Matthew Sparkes
User Reviews
Independent customer reviews from Reevoo.com
Canon 2754B006 scored:
9.2 out of 10
The 2 most helpful reviews based on 6 reviews:
20 May 2008 Anonymous confirmed purchaser
10Good Points
Almost everything is superb on this camcorder, the image is amazing, the zoom is more than adequate, in fact the digital zoom, which I've never liked to use on cameras before - usually too gainy, is incredible. It weighs next to nothing, easy to hold, easy menu functions, once familiar with, so much better than the fiddly Sony on-screen menus. The battery life and power management is excellent too. Nice touch to have the battery flush with the body, I stumped for 2 standard batteries, which is more than adequate and thus leaves the same non-protruding super looks. Oh and the onboard flash, no moving parts means less weight and power conumption. Truly Excellent!
Bad Points
Bad points! Well... Canon could have used the standard hot-shoe rather than bespoke, there are limited and expensive attachments for this. Mini HDMI is ok, but when are manufacturers going to include this cable? Any sort of bag or protective cover should be included for as well. Come on Canon lead the way and start including extras for your loyal customers!!! Can't think of anything else!
26 Apr 2008 Anonymous confirmed purchaser
8Good Points
great image quality....low weight, relative ease of use for basic functions.
Bad Points
Small but can be uncomfortable to hold unless at 'eye height', but with no viewfinder there's no need to have it at eye height. If only I could play back the files on my high-spec PC without the picture jerking; and that's after the file has been transferred to my hard drive.
Best Prices
Best Prices
|
£902 | |
| Prices, delivery and availability at 1 retailer | ||
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