Canon HF10 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Alfredo PadillaPublished on Jan 15, 2008 4:00 PM 
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Ease of Use
Unlike the HG10 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1299.99), which had a switch for auto/manual mode the Canon Vixia HF10 has an Easy button, just like Sony camcorders which are currently the king of the “Easy” mode. This new Easy mode has also been simplified compared to the HG10’s Automatic mode. Whereas on the HG10 we felt like there were almost too many options in Automatic the Canon Vixia HF10’s Easy mode is really easy, with all the menus turned off. Although this definitely takes all the thought out of capture some users may be irked at the inability to make even simple adjustments in Easy mode, like changing the scene setting. There has to be some kind of happy medium. Sony seems to have found it but Canon hasn’t.
The reduced options in the Canon Vixia HF10’s Easy mode means the gap between the fully automatic mode and manual modes has become even wider. This reviewer found the menu system on the HF10 to be a little confusing, especially the Image Adjust menu you get when you press in on the joystick. You would expect that perhaps you could use up/down to switch between the different options and left/right to make the adjustments, but that simplicity seemed too straightforward. Down will take you to the next option, but up doesn’t take you to the previous one. Instead up will allow you to change the currently selected option, and then you can use left/right to make your adjustments. Learning Curve = steep. The menu system on the Canon Vixia HF10 isn’t too bad, it’s a simple tabbed interface you navigate with the joystick, but it lacks the clean look and nice large names that we saw from Sony camcorders.
Handling
We didn’t like the way the Canon Vixia HF10 handled. The camcorder seems to distribute a lot of weight horizontally across the body, so it always felt like it was ready to fall out of our hands. Our reviewer had small hands and found that the zoom toggle wasn’t in easy reach, those with larger hands may not have this trouble. The mode dial also wasn’t easy to use with the hand you’re holding the camcorder with, meaning you have to awkwardly reach around with your other hand to adjust it. The joystick to the left of the LCD is fairly easy to use, although we miss the rotating dial we saw on the HG10 and it does require two-hands to make any adjustments. The buttons below the LCD are not as easy to use, we had to press pretty hard to activate them, and they felt squishy and cheap. Though we’re loathe to suggest purchasing a DVD camcorder, they do tend to offer more comfortable handling. The Canon HR10 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00), for example, has a taller form factor, making for a more natural grip.
The Canon Vixia HF10 weighs in at only 380 grams without the battery and measures 73 x 64 x 129 millimeters. This is significantly lighter than the HG10 or HR10, which both weighed over 500 grams. It’s slightly thinner and shorter than the HG10 and slightly fatter, but significantly shorter than the HR10. Despite this rather diminutive size and weight, though, we just can’t seem to get over the fact that it didn’t feel comfortable in our hands.
LCD/Viewfinder The Canon HF10 has a 2.7-inch LCD
The Canon Vixia HF10 has a 2.7-inch LCD with a resolution of 211,000 pixels. This is the same size as the LCD found on the HG10 and HR10, but we must admit that it’s a little small for our tastes. We would have liked to see something closer to Sony’s new 3.2-inch display with 921,000 pixels. That being said the LCD does a solid job and the image on screen looks decent. If the anti-glare is similar to what we saw form the HG10 and HR10 it should also do well in bright light situations. Below the LCD is a strip of playback controls and a menu button. The Canon Vixia HF10 lacks a viewfinder, a trend we’re not particularly happy with.
