Canon HV20

Picture & Manual Control (0.0)
Automatic Control (8.5)
The Canon HV20 is a camcorder that boasts stellar to excellent performance in standard HDV (1080i) Auto mode, and it’s easy to move from Program Recording mode to Auto using the two-position Mode switch on the right side of the camcorder, near the Power/Camera/Playback dial. In auto mode, exposure and focus reaction time are virtually identical to Sony’s HC7. The two camcorders also traverse their zoom range in exactly the same amount of time. White balance seems to make its auto adjustments similarly as well, though differences arise when controlling these camcorders manually (more on that below, in the Manual Control sections). All in all, the HV20 is an excellent point and shoot camcorder, and the fact that it goes toe to toe with the HC7 is impressive because Sony’s Easy Mode generally governs automatic image adjustments with slightly more refinement than Auto modes from competing manufacturers.

When the camcorder is switched to 24P, there is a slight drop in auto adjustment reaction time. This is a change that we’ve seen across the board in camcorders that support both interlaced and progressive recording, and stems from the slower frame rate in 24P. With fewer frames per second to assess, the image processor simply needs more time to make its adjustments. We noticed that the performance drop was especially noticeable in low light focusing situations in 24P versus 60i. The combination of low light and progressive frames was particularly challenging for the HV20, and response time slowed over 60i. In another scenario, we placed the HV20 and HC7 side by side to see how well they focused on a nearby object in front of a brighter, but still dim, background. The difference between the two camcorder’s auto focus systems was highlighted in this situation, with the Canon snapping into focus on the nearby object (about two feet away) and the Sony fixing focus on the brighter background. Clearly the two camcorders have differently optimized auto focus systems, but the Canon got this particular shot while the Sony failed. Of course, either camcorder could be thrown into a manual record mode, but working strictly with auto controls, the Canon’s focus performed better.

The Canon’s auto white balance was more accurate than most consumer camcorders we’ve seen. Typically, there is a notable if slight difference between auto white balance and the manual white balance setting under identical lighting conditions. On the HV20, the two settings yielded remarkably similar results under controlled studio lighting and in consistent outdoor lighting. In more challenging recording situations such as low light and low contrast, the Canon still ran into trouble in auto mode as do all camcorders. Focus continued to perform amazingly well, and the HV20 was able to lock in a crisp focus in lower light than any consumer camcorder we’ve seen.

All things considered, the HV20 was singularly adept in auto mode. Its white balance settings were unusually accurate in friendly lighting, and auto focus was the best we’ve seen on a consumer camcorder. Auto mode on the HV20 can be regarded as a viable tool by experienced shooter, and will deliver excellent results for point-and-shooters.

Overall Manual Control (7.75)
The Canon HV20 offers a very good manual control suite that matches the other top consumer HDV camcorder on the market, on balance. However like the Sony HDR-HC7, this Canon is good but definitely not what it could have been with a little more vision on the part of it’s developers. We hit the HC7’s primary manual controller hard. The Sony has a multi-function Cam Control dial that can be used to adjust focus, exposure, white balance shift, AE shift, and shutter speed. On paper, a multifunction controller that keeps a suite of key manual controls instantly accessible seems great – but the dial is too small to use with precision, and toggling from one Cam Control image setting to another is time consuming. The HDR-SD1, Sony’s first HDD-based AVCHD camcorder had a much better Cam Control ring that was much better than the tiny HC7 dial as a manual control interface. Panasonic’s HDC-SD1 offers another good manual controller in the form of the rear-mounted joystick, and adds independent gain control to its quiver, a control the Canon and Sony lack. So how does the Canon HV20’s much-anticipated manual image control suite stack up against its rivals? On balance, about the same.

The HV20 allows independent control over just about everything except for gain, in its Recording Program modes. Pressing the function button, and selecting the icon at the top left corner of the screen allows you to choose from Program AE, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Cine modes. In Program AE, designated by the P icon, the camcorder adjusted shutter speed and aperture automatically. In all these modes, it is possible to fine tune exposure by pressing the joystick once, to bring up the Set display in the lower right corner of the LCD. Manual exposure (in EV steps) is the first option in the Set display, and tapping up on the joystick engages control over exposure, while tapping down moves through the Set menu pages (Mic levels, and End Search). The HV20 adds two modes found on the company’s prosumer camcorders, like the XL 2S and XH A1: In Tv, or Shutter Priority, you can set shutter speed manually while the camcorder adjusts aperture. In Av, or Aperture Priority mode, you can set the aperture manually while the camcorder adjusts shutter speed. Thankfully, in Av mode, the shutter speed will not drop below 1/60 unless Color Slow Shutter is enabled.

A closer look at the joystick

The Sony HDR-HC7 and Panasonic HDC-SD1 both allow for better independent control over aperture and shutter speed than the Canon HV20, however the Canon manual control interface is arguably at least as fast as the Panasonic, thanks to both joystick controller. The focus dial is a disappointment, just as the Cam Control dial on the HC7 was – but it offers even less functionality, as it is only a focal control. On the plus side, the Canon keeps exposure, audio level control, and End Search a few taps away. These are functions that you’ll be likely to access frequently, and Canon has smartly kept them close at hand. Canon also adds a Focus Assist option that both magnifies the image and adds peaking. Even though the dial is small, this assist function makes finding focus an easier process than on the HC7. In the end, the Canon is a good camcorder when it comes to manual controls, but like its competitors, it’s flawed. The Sony provides an even higher level of independent manual image control…but the Canon adds a very useful Focus Assist feature to the mix, and keeps exposure and audio levels close at hand. Despite the Sony Cam Control dial that beats out the Canon focus-only dial, Canon’s manual controls remain as easy to access and use as those on the Sony, and Canon serves up some juicy assists that will make this a better camcorder for getting a shot before the moment has passed.

Zoom (5.0)
The primary zoom control on the Canon HV20 has a general design that resembles the excellent rocker found on this year’s Canon ZR Series camcorders, as well as on most Sonys – but this is one control where Canon falls shot. Whereas most rocking lever type zooms extend several millimeters above the top of the camcorder body to improve handling, the HV20’s winks through a thin little slot. The point of contact consists of a thin plastic ridge, while most similar zooms offer a larger surface area that allows for better leverage and fingertip control over zoom speed. This zoom controller is not the worst we’ve seen, but it is disappointing on a $1000 plus camcorder, and a rather puzzling flaw. The action of the HV20 zoom motor is nearly identical to the Sony HDR-HC7, but the rocker itself is mediocre. The Canon also includes three fixed speed options in the Camera Setup sub-menu. Speed 3 is moves at a constant medium speed, speed 2 is slow and speed 3 is a slow crawl, which proves very useful for fine framing adjustments. In video recording mode, the VCR buttons along the base of the LCD frame offer a secondary zoom control, and will move the zoom at the current fixed speed setting (speeds 1 to 3) or if the speed is set to variable, at a fixed medium speed (speed 3).

The Canon also includes a digital zoom feature that can be disabled, capped at 40x, or set to a maximum of 200x. As always, the digital zoom on this camcorder should be used with caution because there is a steep drop-off in image quality when the optical/digital zoom boundary is crossed. Digital zooms work by magnifying the image information available at a camcorder’s top optical zoom power, so rather than a 40x image, you’ll be looking at a 4x digital blowup of a 10x image. When the 40x digital zoom is engaged, the normally white zoom indicator bar at the top left of the LCD screen adds a light blue segment to the right of the white area, that corresponds to 10x-40x. When the digital zoom is set to its 200x maximum, a darker blue segment is added to the right of the light blue one, indicating 40x-200x territory. The different colored segments allow you to be aware of when you cross the optical/digital threshold, and when you cross from into 40x-plus territory, but the Canon ZR camcorders feature another quality control feature. At the optical/digital boundary, those camcorders will pause for a second. That "speed bump" gets in the way of a smooth optical to digital transition, but does help to ensure that you’re never magnifying pixels when you don’t want to.

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)
Camcorders like the Canon HV20 and the Sony HDR-HC7 have massive imagers compared to most consumer camcorders. While large sensors like the HV20’s 1/2.7" CMOS produce dazzlingly sharp video, they lower the optical zoom power of high-end HDV camcorders into the pedestrian realm. Canon’s HV20 and the consumer HD camcorders from Sony and Panasonic all have optical zooms that top out 10x, placing them at the low end of the consumer camcorder market. A camcorder’s dimensions and the focal length of the lens limit optical zoom magnification. 10x is modest, but the performance dividends offered by the large imager make it a worthwhile trade-off.

The HV20 includes a digital zoom option that can be set to 20x, or disabled. When the digital zoom is enabled, the horizontal zoom bar on the LCD display is divided into two sections to indicate the boundary between optical and digital zoom territory. As always, digital zoom should be used judiciously because it literally blows up the available pixels in the image to create the illusion of greater magnification. On the positive side, this digital zoom maxes out at a relatively low 20x, or twice the optical zoom power. This means that the pixels will only be enlarged by a factor of two rather than the outlandish digital zooms on many consumer camcorders that range up to and beyond 1000x.

Focus (6,5)
The Canon HV20 is well equipped with manual focus options, including an excellent Focus Assist feature that makes this arguably the best consumer HD camcorder on the market for locking in an accurate manual focus. When operating in any Recording Program, the small Focus button allows you to toggle between auto and manual focus. The dial just forward of the Focus button is used to adjust focus. As a controller, this dial is very similar in form and function to the Cam Control dial found on the HC7 (though that dial adds control over several other image settings in addition to focus). The Canon dial in and of itself is a good controller, but lacks the finesse of a real ring controller that allows for larger hand movements when making focal adjustments.

What makes this camcorder stand out is the Focus Assist feature, which is engaged by pressing the VCR Stop button on the lower right corner of the LCD frame while focusing manually. Focus Assist combines peaking with a 2x magnification of the displayed image, which does much to compensate for the small size of the LCD screen. In the realm of consumer camcorders, the 2.7" LCD on the HV20 is actually average, but relative to the resolution of an HD frame, it is tiny. Focusing a high resolution HD image accurately using any on-camera display is notoriously difficult, and cost of a slightly soft HD image is steep, since soft focus on a 40" screen is glaringly apparent. Rather than equip the HV20 with a larger LCD (some Sonys have screens that measure up to 3.5" diagonally), Canon has added a quick access assist that allows you to focus manually with confidence.

The camcorder’s Instant AF feature (and auto focus in general) deserves mention here. It works very well, and responds more quickly, more accurately, and in more challenging recording situations than virtually any camcorder we’ve seen since the Canon HV10. Instant AF works well enough for us to give it our endorsement for a wider range of recording situations that most camcorders can accommodate, and is a viable option for run and gun shooting. We would not say the same about nearly every other consumer camcorder’s auto focus we’ve tested, so Canon deserves kudos for delivering an exceptional auto focus and a manual focus with an assist function that makes it easy to focus an HD image quickly and accurately.

The remarkably similar-looking dial on the Canon HV20 and Sony HDR-HC7
proved to handle slightly differently. Overall, we preferred the Canon.

Exposure & Aperture (7.1)
The Canon HV20 allows you to control exposure in EV (exposure value) steps in any Recording Program mode by pressing the joystick, and selecting the Exposure option. Keeping this adjustment (along with Mic levels and End Search) immediately available without entering the menu is one of the very practical videographer-centric features that we love about this camcorder. Yes, we’d prefer that Canon some additional options like shutter speed and white balance equally accessible, but exposure is something that is adjusted as often as focus and users are well-served by fast joystick access.

What the HV20 does not offer (that the Sony HDR-HC7 and all Panasonics do) is fully independent control over all the parameters that govern the brightness of the image. If independent control over aperture and shutter speed is something you demand, you should think hard before purchasing this camcorder and make sure you have a thorough understanding of what it can do and what it cannot. For most purposes, the HV20’s exposure adjustments should be more than adequate. In the P, Cine, and Special Scene Recording Programs, control over exposure is limited to modifying exposure in EV steps on a scale from -11 to +11. When the exposure control is engaged, a horizontal blue scale appears near the top left corner of the LCD screen, and pressing the joystick left or right modifies exposure in whole number increments.

Two additional Recording Programs allow for either shutter speed adjustment or aperture adjustment. In Tv (Shutter Priority) mode, shutter speed can be set while the camcorder adjusts aperture automatically. In Av (Aperture Priority) mode, the iris can be adjusted in f-stops by pressing up or down on the joystick. The current f-stop setting is displayed at the upper left corner of the LCD, and the available settings are f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.7, and f/8.0. One last feature is worth mentioning. In the Image Effects sub-menu, under Custom, brightness can be set to -1, +1, or left at the default of 0. This is a rudimentary exposure compensation feature that will raise or lower the brightness of the image slightly over the HV20’s default settings.

Shutter Speed (7.1)
In Tv (Shutter Priority) mode, the HV20 offers a wide range of manual shutter speed options, depending on whether you are recording in standard 1080i, 24P, or memory mode. In 1080i, the shutter speeds available are: 1/8, 1/15, 1/30 1/60, 1/100, 1/250/1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000; in 24P: 1/6, 1/12, 1/24, 1/48, 1/100, 1/250/1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000; and in memory mode: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500. This range is narrower than the options offered by the HDR-HC7, which goes down to 1/4 and as high as 1/10,000, but it should be more than adequate for most shooting situations. In addition, the 1/6 shutter speed setting in 24P offers more light gathering power than the HC7, and perhaps any comparably priced consumer camcorder, thanks the HV20’s stellar low light performance. With the shutter speed set to 1/6, the camcorder captures a surprisingly good (if blurred) image, with decent saturation and less grain than most camcorders in low light.

White Balance (7.5)
Canon’s HV20 includes a good selection of white balance presets, including Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, and Manual. This adds up to more presets than you’ll find on competing camcorders, which often only provide daylight, and indoor presets. The white balance sub-menu is thankfully just below the Recording Program option on the left side of the LCD screen, and the Manual white balance icon is at the far right end of the list of white balance options. Once you’ve selected the manual white balance option, pressing the center of the joystick locks in the setting; when the icon stops flashing, white balance is set. We noticed that manual white balance on the HC7 consistently locked in faster than on the HV20 (one second versus a few seconds) though they both yielded good results.

Gain (0.0)
The HV20, like most consumer camcorders, does not offer independent manual control over gain. Panasonics, including the HDC-SD1 are the notable exception to the rule, offering gain control from 0 to 18dB. This is also one of the many distinctions between the Canon HV20 and the Canon XH A1, which has a robust gain control outfitting.

Other Manual Controls (5.5)
Custom Image Effects - Image Effects are accessed by pressing the function button, and navigating to the Image Effects sub-menu mid-way down the left side of the LCD screen. The options available include: Image Effect Off (default), Vivid (boosts contrast and color saturation), Neutral (lowers contrast and color saturation), Low Sharpening (lowers in-camera sharpening), Soft Skin Detail (softens edges in "skin toned" areas), and Custom. The Custom setting allows you to adjust several parameters on a three-point -1, 0, +1 scale. These parameters are: Color Depth, Brightness, Contrast, and Sharpness.

Full resolution images here.

Zebra Stripping - Zebra Striping is an assist function that can help with setting exposure correctly found in the Display Setup sub-menu within the Assist Function option, and can be set to 70 IRE or 100 IRE. When the zebra option is engaged, diagonal "zebra stripes" are superimposed over those areas in the frame that surpass the current zebra setting. This is a tool that can be invaluable for setting exposure manually, and is generally only seen on high-end consumer camcorders though it’s standard-issue on prosumer models.

Peaking - Peaking is a focus assist feature also found under Menu > Display Setup > Assist Function. When peaking is enabled, the edges of objects in the frame are sharpened to make it easier to dial in sharp focus manually. Peaking also makes an appearance, bundled with display magnification, when the Focus Assist button is pressed. Unlike Focus Assist, which appears momentarily, and then disappears after use, Peaking remains in effect until it is disabled in the Display Setup sub-menu.

Manual Audio Level Control - Manual audio level control is closer at hand on the HV20 than most consumer camcorders that offer this feature – buried in the menu. On the HV20, pressing the joystick during any Recording Program mode brings up the Set menu, and pressing down cycles through the options, labeled EXP (exposure), MIC (audio levels), and End Search. When you’ve reached MIC, pressing up on the joystick engages manual level control, and pressing left or right raises or lowers the audio recording level. Mic levels are displayed at the lower right corner of the screen, with markers at -40dB, -12dB, and 0dB.

Microphone Attenuator - The Mic Attenuator applies a digital pad to the audio levels, and is useful for recording sound in dynamic or very loud environments without clipping. Canon does not list the specifications for this control, but it appears to apply about a 10dB pad to audio levels.

Headphone Volume - Headphone volume can be adjusted using the joystick in the Play/Out sub-menu. This adjustment is rare on consumer camcorders, and a very welcome addition to the HV20’s audio suite.

Markers - The Canon HV20 offers two marker display options to assist with shot framing, and each option can be displayed in white or grey. The Level marker option superimposes a horizontal line across the vertical mid-point of the screen, with a small vertical mark at the center; the Grid option superimposes a nine-box grid on the screen. Markers are not recorded, and their default setting is off.