Canon HV30 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Jan 28, 2008 5:00 PM 
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Audio (8.0)
The HV30 (Review, Specs, Recent News, ) is one of the few camcorders on the market to offer an array of audio options for the shooter looking to transcend the stifling capacities of the onboard microphone. First off, the HV30 has Mic and Headphone jacks and a hot accessory shoe mounted to the top of the camcorder. If you plan on shooting your own film, a mini boom mic is an essential investment. Any serious shooter will gush on the value of using headphones, and the HV30 is fully capable of making that dream a reality. One caveat is that the Headphone jack shares duties with the AV-out. One or the other must be selected in the menu before use. If you plug your headphones into the jack while it is set to AV output, you’ll be treated to a loud feedback.
The audio levels in action
One of our favorite attractions on the HV30 is its manual Audio levels. To activate, press in on the joystick. A small menu appears in the lower right corner of the screen. Toggle through the options until you see MIC. A scale will appear in the menu. Shooters can adjust the mic using the left and right controls of the Joystick. As long as the levels in the scale remain green, the sound will be fine. Sound that is nearing distortion or blowout is mapped by a yellow section and red zone, much like that of a prosumer camcorder. The HV30 is a true champ when it comes to audio.
Playback (4.5)
MiniDV/HDV tape is essentially a miniature version of what you used to toss into your trusty old VCR. Flip the Mode Dial to Play and a blue screen will appear. Play/Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, and Stop controls are located along the bottom of the LCD panel. Pressing the center of the Joystick cues the playback volume control, adjusted by shifting left and right. The Video Function menu is accessed by pressing the Function menu and contains the following options:
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Function Menu (Video Playback) |
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| Record Pause | |
| End Search | |
| Digital Effects | Fade-T, Wipe, Black & White, Sepia, Art |
| Image Capture Quality | Super Fine, Fine, Normal |
| Menu | Menu |
The Function menu in playback mode
The Video playback menu is accessed by selecting Menu from within the Function menu. The Video Playback menu contains the following options:
| Administrative Menu (Video Playback) | |
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Rec/In Setup |
DV Record Mode, DV Audio, AVàDV, File Numbers |
| Play/Out Setup1 | Playback STD, TV Type, Output Channel, Audio Out, Mix Balance |
| Play/Out Setup2 | AV/Phones, Component Out, DV Output |
| Display Setup | Brightness, , TV Screen, 6 Sec. Date, Audio Level, Data Code, Language |
| System Setup | Wireless Remote, Beep |
| Date/Time Setup | Time Zone/District, Date/Time, Date Format |
| Close | |
The main menu in playback mode
Playing back Photos is achieved by shifting the Tape/Card switch to Card. As outlined in the Still Features section, each image is accompanied by an ample amount of image data, including an Exposure histogram and shooting mode used. In Photo playback mode, the Joystick selects the Next and Previous images by shifting right and left. Up allows you to jump to multiple images by either every 10 or every 100. Down allows you to delete the image. When an image is selected, you can magnify it using the Zoom lever and scroll using the Joystick.
Connectivity (10.0)
All the essential ports are present on the HV30. On the right side you’ll find a rubberized strip that houses the Mic, Headphones, and Component-out jacks. The right side is generally an optimal placement for audio options, providing the least cable interference. In back is the HDV/DV out jack and HDMI terminal, covered by a thin plastic strip that is a pain to snap back into place. The round DC input is mounted below and remains securely connected while the HV30 is charging.
The LCD cavity is home to the MiniSD card slot and USB terminal. The USB terminal is not protected by any type of port cover, so make sure that LCD screen is closed during transport. The MiniSD card slot’s rubberized door is burly, yet the placement of the slot is a little too close to where a tripod shoe would be mounted. And why did Canon go for MiniSD instead of good old SD? The space it saved is surely minimal. As a result, you’ll have to be sure not to lose the MiniSD-to-SD adapter that comes standard with all MiniSD cards – one more thing to carry around.
Finally, we’d like to thank Canon for picking up on one of our shrewd observations of the HV20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903), which features a hot shoe on top, covered by a plastic shield that is not connected to the body of the camcorder. On the HV30, that shield is secured by two thin plastic bands.
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The accessory shoe on top. |
The HDMI and Firewire on the back. |
The mic input, Headphone/AV-out, and Component-out. |