Canon HG20 review

One of a trio of new AVCHD-format high-definition models to have been announced by Canon since the summer, the HG20 looks to be yet another excellent offering from the company.

The HG20 writes to and reads from not only an internal hard disk drive, but also SDHC cards right up to the maximum 32GB capacity. Like its siblings, the HF11 and HG21, it manages to save its Mpeg-4 AVC/H.264 video clips at a rate of 24Mbits/sec, which is the maximum possible bit rate under existing AVCHD specifications.

The HG20 differs from the HG21 in that it has a smaller 60GB internal hard drive instead of the HG21's larger 120GB HDD. It also lacks that model's electronic viewfinder and improved multi-angle 2.7in LCD screen. In every other respect, it's identical: its full-specification, 1920 x 1080 pixel movie pictures are produced by a generous 1/3.2in single 3.31-megapixel Cmos image sensor, which in turn allocates 2.07 megapixels to video and 2.76 megapixels to Jpeg still images in five image-capture sizes.

High-definition video is captured at the full 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution, with the default mode being 1080i interlaced frames, although there's a user-definable option of recording in 25P progressive frame and Cine mode designed to add that 'film look' to clips.

In common with the company's other new AVCHD offerings, the HG20 possesses not only an external microphone input socket, but also a switchable AV and headphone-output socket. This feature has been lacking on tapeless camcorders for some time now and its inclusion here will no doubt make the HG20 an attractive option for the more serious HD camcorder user for whom such a feature is a must.

In order that users might get the most out of the capacity of both the hard disk drive and any SDHC card in use, the HG20 offers a choice of five video-recording compression settings. At its highest MXP setting (producing 1920 x 1080i VBR clips at a bit rate of 24Mbits/sec), it's possible to save up to five-and-a-half hours of AVCHD clips onto the internal drive. Users have the choice of recording either to the HDD or to an external SDHC card (Class 4 or above required for high definition), in addition to the flexibility of copying internally from one medium to the other.

USB 2 connectivity is provided for the transfer of movie clips and images to a Mac, and it should be noted that an Intel Mac using Mac OS X 10.5 or higher is required to handle AVCHD clips natively in iMovie 08, Final Cut Pro 6.2, Final Cut Express 4 or Adobe Premiere Pro CS4.

Ergonomically, the HG20 handles very well indeed, whether you're holding it through the strap or by supporting it in a range of other modes for flexible hand-held shooting. The LCD screen is bright and offers reasonable visibility in bright, outdoor light through its 360° range. Canon hasn't gone overboard with knobs and buttons, either: simple, clear controls and connectors are dotted around the body, and all the main controls that require manual adjustment while recording are neatly positioned around the frame of the LCD screen where menu options are selected. Manual settings (including audio levels) adjusted and camera operating controls (including record start/stop) can be accessed by the user's left hand.

As with many current camcorder models at this price point, Canon seems to have cranked up the auto picture exposure level to the point where peak white objects are very slightly overcooked in bright light. However, this is easily rectified by switching into manual mode and stopping down a fraction. Resolution is superb, with colour, exposure and contrast ratios of the resulting clips looking very impressive. Its 12x optical zoom lens, Intelligent-Auto image control and mini-advanced accessory shoe ensure all the must-have features are covered.