Canon HR10 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Oct 25, 2007 10:00 AM
|
Advertisement
|
||||||||||||
Ease of Use (7.5)
The HR10 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $776.49), like its AVCHD siblings, features a robust set of manual controls and a relatively complex menu system. The point-and-shooter who wanders outside the cushy realm of Auto mode may be a little overwhelmed. In Manual mode, you'd better know what you’re doing or you could end up with all the wrong settings. (Of course, that’s how you learn, so leave yourself time to experiment.) The thing about high-end Canons is that you have to double check all settings because the menus are filled to the brim. This is time-consuming for the point-and-shooter who just wants to … well, point and shoot. In that case, slip the HR10 into Auto mode and the menu will appear less foreboding.
Actually working with the AVCHD footage outputted by the camcorder, as well as the DVD media, is less than pleasant. AVCHD files are relatively new and have limited compatibility. Files take up a significant amount of space and require a Rolls Royce of a computer to handle. Not many editing programs support AVCHD, and the ones that do are slow and entry-level quality, such as Ulead Video Studio 11. Furthermore, DVDs are the most annoying form of media on the market. In the highest HD quality setting, the HR10 can achieve a maximum of 15 minutes on one disc. That means you have to tote around a bevy of backup discs just to last throughout the day. DVDs also need to be formatted when starting and finalized when finished, which can take up to 10 minutes. We also experienced problems with DVD-RW discs during the battery test. Out of Canon’s three new AVCHD camcorders, the HR10 is the biggest pain to work with.
Handling (7.0)
The HR10 remains lodged between Panasonic’s HDC-SX5 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) and Sony’s well-crafted HDR-UX7 (Review, Specs, $762.19). Those who own or read about the HDC-SX5’s handling section know that the thing is bit bloated. On the other end of the spectrum, the HDR-UX7 sits proudly, sporting a solid construction, balanced feel, and a massive 3.5-inch touch screen LCD. The HDR-UX7 is the best handling AVCHD camcorder on the market, and there’s nothing the HR10 and HDC-SX5 can do to change that.
So, what’s it like to man the HR10? Unsurprisingly, it’s just like shooting with the DC50 (Review, Specs, $649.99). Structurally, the camcorders are fraternal twins. Both camcorders sport rear-mounted joysticks and a 2.7-inch LCD screen. Both lack accessory shoes, mic and headphone jacks, and an advanced dial or wheels for making manual adjustments (as found on the HV20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903) and HG10 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $549.95)). In addition, the DC50 and HR10 both employ enclosed battery designs, preventing the shooter from upgrading to a extra-long stamina battery packs (Canon does offer one upgraded battery,which is estimated to last a paltry 30% longer) The rest of Canon’s standard definition DVD line features the same cheap architecture, just on a smaller scale. The HR10, however, is the heaviest in Canon’s DVD fleet, though it still manages to weigh less than the HDR-UX7 and HDC-SX5.
In order to attain a reasonable grip on the HR10, you’ll need to play around with the hand strap, which is anchored significantly low in the back to allow clearance for the DVD hatch. As a result, the HR10 will flop to the side while you are not gripping the camcorder tightly. This is not only vexing, but recorded footage could potentially appear like it was captured from in the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Slide that hand in and ratchet that strap tight! You’ll notice the thumb and index finger rest atop the record start/stop button and zoom toggle, respectively. However, the middle, ring, and pinky fingers flounder along the edge of the disc hatch, slipping along the HR10’s smooth plastic body. A rubberized grip panel would have been a novel implementation here. Nevertheless, the HR10 is not as inviting as the HDR-UX7, yet it’s an improvement from the HDC-SX5’s gawky frame.
Canon’s rear-mounted joystick allows one-handed camcorder operation, yet it lacks the refinement of Panasonic’s joysticks. Shifting through the menu with the HR10’s joystick is a crap shoot sometimes — you press the center of the joystick to select an option and cross your fingers you didn’t inadvertently hit left, right, up, or down. While we’re at the grill, let’s talk about the HR10’s viewfinder. The HG10 gave us hope with its telescoping viewfinder. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. The HR10 is the most stripped-down HD camcorder in Canon’s lineup, and its viewfinder is simply a disgrace. The HR10’s viewfinder is not rubberized and does not telescope out or flip up. In fact, the shallow plastic stump only extends approximately 1/2-inch from the body of the camcorder. This is by far the cheapest, no-frills construction within the price range.
Menu (6.5)
The HR10 features three menus which are loaded with options. This is the same menu found on the HV20 and HG10. Compared to Panasonic’s well-organized menu structure and Sony’s user-friendly Home menu, the HR10’s menu might seem too complex. Point-and-shooters will feel bewildered because of all the options and odd icons. After a short learning curve, however, the menu’s thoughtful design becomes apparent.
To access the Joystick menu, press the center of the rear-mounted joystick. A small menu appears within the right corner of the LCD screen. Pressing down on the joystick shuffles between pages, and all selections are governed by the left, right, and up directions. The following options are available within the Joystick menu:
| Joystick Menu | |
| Joystick 1 | Instant Playback, Digital Effects, Video Light |
| Joystick 2 | Exposure |
| Joystick 3 | Focus |
The Joystick menu
The Function menu is accessed by pressing the Function button located on the left side of the HR10. A vertical and horizontal panel appears, lined along the left side and bottom of the LCD screen. The following options are available in the Function menu:
| Function Menu | |
| Shooting Mode | Program AE, Shutter-Priority AE, Aperture-Priority AE, Cine Mode, Night |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Set (Manual) |
| Image Effects | Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, Soft Skin Detail, Custom |
| Digital Effects | Fade-T, Wipe, Black and White, Sepia, Art |
| Quality | XP+ (High Quality), XP (High Quality), SP (Standard Play), LP (Long Play) |
| Image Size | LW (1920 x 1080), SW (848 x 480) |
| Menu | (Leads to Administrative menu) |
The Function menu
The HR10’s Administrative menu is accessed by selecting the Menu option in the Function menu. The following options are available in the Administrative menu:
|
Administrative Menu |
|
| Camera Setup | Auto Slow Shutter, Digital Zoom, Zoom Speed, AF Mode, Focus Assist, Image Stabilization, Frame Rate, Self Timer, Wind Screen |
| Disc Operations | Disc Info, Disc Initialize |
| Display Setup | Brightness, TV Screen, Markers, Language, Demo Mode |
| System Startup | Wireless Remote, Beep, Power Save, Standby Off, File Numbers, Component Out, HDMI Status |
| Date/Time Setup | Time Zone/District, Date/Time, Date Format |
| Close | |
|
|
 |
|
Top level of the Administrative menu |
Camera Setup submenu |
Portability (6.0)
The HR10 is the smallest AVCHD DVD camcorder out there, so you can expect it to shine in the portability department. With dimensions of 65 x 93 x 133mm (2.6 x 3.7 x 5.2-inches) and a weight of 530 grams (1.3 pounds), the HR10 fits in a small camera bag with room to spare. This is a vast improvement over the Panasonic HDC-SX5 or mammoth HDC-DX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99). Canon includes a DVD disc for you right off the bat, but you’ll need to stock up for shoots that exceed 15 minutes. In addition, it’s important to lug around all included cables just in case you want or need to import from the field. A couple backup batteries are a necessity, due to the HR10’s mediocre battery performance and enclosed battery design.
 |
 |
|
|
The Canon HR10's LCD screen... |
and lackluster viewfinder. |
LCD and Viewfinder (6.0)
The HR10 is equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD screen with a 211,000-pixel resolution. The screen extends outward 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. The HR10’s LCD screen includes a strip of controls along the bottom panel, consisting of Zoom Out/Rewind, Zoom In/Fast Forward, Record Start/Stop/Play/Pause, and Playlist/Stop. The HR10’s LCD cavity is dominated by a cell phone-sized battery that engulfs 95 percent of the vicinity. Canon could have thrown some addition ports within the LCD cavity, like a mic or headphone jack, but you won’t find either of those on the HR10.
The HR10 also features a terrible viewfinder that does not telescope out or flip up and lacks a rubberized eye cup. The viewfinder has a 123,000-pixel resolution and its dioptric adjuster is located along the bottom ridge of the eye cup. Canon is notorious for slapping deplorable viewfinders on its camcorders, and the HR10 is a prime example. The HV20, in addition to Canon’s entire line of standard definition camcorders, fall victim to this lacking design. The HG10 is the only model in Canon’s fleet to show any promise with a telescoping viewfinder, amidst other design innovations. Sony and Panasonic equip most of their camcorders with telescoping or rotating viewfinders, and Canon should take notes.
Battery Life (10.6)
Before we get into the HR10’s battery life, it’s imperative to note that this camcorder features an enclosed battery design, just like Canon’s entire standard definition DVD line. An enclosed design means you can only upgrade to a slightly larger pack (the BP-218) that offers 30% more life. While an upgrade is nice, 30% isn't quite what we were hoping for.
We tested the life of the HR10’s BP-214 battery pack by recording continuously in Manual mode with OIS off and the LCD screen flipped out until the HR10 called it quits. When a disc needed to be reformatted, the external power was connected and the battery was removed. When all was said and done, the HR10’s battery lasted 105 minutes and 34 seconds (1 hour, 45 minutes, and 34 seconds). For a camcorder this size with an enclosed battery design, this is not a bad showing. On the other hand, the Panasonic HDC-SX5’s battery lasted a whopping 153 minutes and 34 seconds, while the Sony HDR-UX7’s battery held on for 121 minutes and 19 seconds.
|
Advertisement
|