Consumer HD camcorders are starting to hit the market in full force. Last year, Sony released their HDR-HC1 for prosumers and less feature-rich but cheaper HDR-HC3 for consumers. Now Canon has released their first HDV consumer camcorder, the HV10 in direct competition. This is defnitely the year for point-and-shooters looking for HD quality without having to break the bank. The Canon HV10 can be bought for $1299 from most authorized dealers.
The Canon HV10 utilizes a large 1/2.7†CMOS chip that records in 1080/60i mode giving a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 60 interlaced fields per second. If you’re looking to record your upcoming vacation in HD, this is the camcorder to get. It’s compact size and built-in optical image stabalization make it the best portable HD camorder in the current market. No microphone input is included, but most casual shooters won’t miss having this feature,.since the built-in microphone will cover sound duty.
I am looking for this Camcorder but in my country dont have this model….
I bought a Canon IXY Digital when I was in Japan roughly 3 years ago and it’s still working great. Can I assume the same from Canon Camcorders?
They use the same optics, and the build is excellent. I wouldn’t have any worries about their camcorders, especially the HV10 which has better optics than Sony’s HC3.
what’s the word on battery life? also, what about zoom and such?
good to know, thanks Terry!
The battery lasts for about an hour. I would suggest getting a backup battery for any kind of real world use.
Terry, would you say an hour is long? if that is, this camera is a battery hogger. Good to bring along an AC/DC converter if you’re going on a vacation (hoping that you can recharge it). The price is reasonable, and the design looks nice too so I would considering getting myself one.
“This is defnitely the year for point-and-shooters looking for HD quality without having to break the bank. The Canon HV10 can be bought for $1299 from most authorized dealers.”
Without breaking the bank? $1299?!?! Um… sorry, but that broke my bank about 3 times.
I’m looking for a camera, but something close to $300.
I’ll probably end up getting something like the Sony DCR-HC46.
Thanks for the review, which will definitely help buyers to make a more informed decision when selecting high-definition consumer products.
I would like to add one comment, though. The review states that “Canon HV10 records in 1080/60i, that’s a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 60 interlaced fields per second”, which is not accurate. Although the full resolution of 1080i ATSC standard is indeed 1920×1080 pixels, but HDV resolution is limited to 1440×1080. The pixels are anamorphic, i.e., they are stretched horizontally to provide 16:9 aspect ratio of the whole picture.
Lance
http://www.camcorder-battery-shop.com