Canon’s Vixias are meat-’n'-taters decent camcorders, spanning the $500-$1000 price range in editions using miniDV tape, flash or disk. And now there shall be new ones.
Highlighting the list of new features is Canon’s newest and most sophisticated image processor, DIGIC DV III. The new HD processor is featured in select VIXIA models and delivers stunning color reproduction, clarity and enhanced noise reduction. The newly upgraded processor’s high-speed engine powers a variety of other new camcorder features including: 8.0 Megapixel photo capture, Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology, and an advanced Auto Exposure system.
Other new features include a video snapshot mode designed to make creating sets of quickly-transitioning scenes easier, and, in pricey models, 24 Mbps recording.
Top of the range is the Vixia HF S10, with 32GB of internal flash, and Vixia HF S100, which records to SD card only. Both have an 8.59 megapixel sensor. The HF20 and HF200 have only a 4 MP sensor, but are much smaller. The HV40 has a 3 MP sensor and records to tape. It’s pitched as the first consumer model to have native 24p recording.
Filling the pack are new lstandard-def models. The FS22, FS21 and FS200 are a fifth smaller than the models they replace, and record directly to internal flash or SD cards. DC420 and DC410 record directly to DVD, with both models having extreme digital zoom modes offering more than 40x. Canon’s ZR960 does low-def MiniDV.
Pricing and availability is TBD, according to Canon.
“The HV40… It’s pitched as the first consumer model to have native 24p recording.”
What’s that mean? My HV30 can do 24p.
The sensor on the HV20 and HV30 can work at 24p, but it records to tape (and thus ends up on your computer) in 60i format via 2:3 pulldown. To get native 24p into your timeline from those cameras, you have to perform what’s called an inverse telecine, which is quite a hassle if you don’t have Final Cut Studio or After Effects.
I’m a little ticked that Canon just added the one little feature (which could probably be done very easily with a software update for the HV20/30) in an effort to sell people the same hunk of plastic over again.
That’s weird – my understanding is that there is no 1080p standard in HDV – everything rolls with 1080i60 with a pulldown. I guess that’s _new_. Seems odd that they’d make such a big change to the tape format. I wonder if those 24p tapes will playback in HDV decks…