Canon Vixia HF20 Camcorder Review

Color & Noise Performance Summary
• Average color scores in bright light • Noise levels are high, but image quality still looks good • Image Effects allow for a decent amount of color and image customization
	Product Tour	(Page 3 of 17)	Motion & Resolution Performance

Color (8.37)

Our color tests didn't reveal anything too unusual with the Canon HF20. It scored a decent 4.18 color error with a saturation of 91.48%. This is an average score and it's a bit lower than the elite numbers we got from the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 and Canon HF S100. Looking at the color error map below, you can see the HF20 did very well with dark blues and purples, but faired poorer with reds, pinks and some greens. (More on how we test color.)

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Chart with Error Chart to the right
The Canon HF20 produced a color error of 4.18 and a saturation level of 91.48% in our bright light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

The Canon HF20 produced a very pleasing image at 3000 lux. Lines were sharp and colors were very well defined. Whereas the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 showed a warm, yellow tone in its image, the Canon HF20 had a cooler, bluish hue. We must say, the HF20 captured very pristine text and extra-fine detail—often rivaling the image quality seen on the more expensive Canon HF S100.

Canon HF20 Color Modes
Auto	100% Crop
Image Effect Vivid	100% Crop
Image Effect Neutral	100% Crop
Image Effect Low Sharpening	100% Crop
Image Effect Soft Skin Detail	100% Crop

The Canon HF20 has a number of preset Image Effects—Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, and Soft Skin Detail. Each of these does a decent job adding an extra element to the video image. If that's not enough for you, there's also a customization setting that lets you create your own effect by adjusting color depth, brightness, contrast, and sharpness. Canon doesn't offer much room for experimentation, however, as each setting only has a full adjustment range of +/-1.

Canon HF20 Color Comparisons
Canon HF20	Sanyo VPC-HD2000
Panasonic HDC-SD20	Canon HF S100

The Canon HF20 showed a very similar overall image to its big brother, the Canon HF S100. The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 also had a nice image, although lines didn't pop nearly as much as we saw on the two canons. The Panasonic HDC-SD20 was a notch below the rest, with blurry text, soft lines, and plenty of artifacting. The color accuracy of all four camcorders were good, with the VPC-HD2000 and Canon HF S100 leading the way.

	Close-Up Color Comparisons
	Ideal	Canon HF20	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-SD20	Canon HF S100
Red
	Ideal	Canon HF20	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-SD20	Canon HF S100
Green
	Ideal	Canon HF20	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-SD20	Canon HF S100
Blue
	Ideal	Canon HF20	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-SD20	Canon HF S100
Skin Tone 1
	Ideal	Canon HF20	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-SD20	Canon HF S100
Skin Tone 2

In the color chip close-ups above, you can see the differences between the Canon HF20 and the rest of the camcorders we tested. All the camcorders show a slightly darker image than the "ideal" color, but this is normal because camcorder manufacturers tend to oversaturate the video image in order to produce more vivid colors.

Color Performance Scores

Overall, the Canon HF20 had decent color accuracy in bright light and it's video image looked very sharp. Other camcorders in this group measured more accurate colors, but the differences weren't that significant. Worth notable mention is how well the HF20's bright light image compares to the more expensive HF S100. Both camcorders put up very similar results in our bright light testing.

Noise (5.65)

The Canon HF20 registered a high level of noise, averaging roughly 0.93% in our bright light testing. Canon usually has high noise levels on its HD camcorders and the HF S100 showed us similar numbers. Keep in mind, however, that in bright light this noise can be difficult to notice. It's really not until you start recording in low or moderate light situations that it becomes a problem. Also, the high noise levels on the HF20 seem to be directly related to the fact that its image is so darn sharp. The impeccable detail and high resolution appears to boost the level of noise. (More on how we test noise.)

Noise Comparisons
Canon HF20 100% Crop	Sanyo VPC-HD2000 100% Crop	Panasonic HDC-SD20 100% Crop	Canon HF S100 100% Crop

Looking at the crops above you can see the level of detail we're talking about. Take a glance at the numbers running down the left side of each frame and notice how much easier they are to read on both Canon camcorders as compared to the Panasonic and Sanyo models. The Canons also show higher levels of contrast, which gives their images more pop. All these things factor into the higher noise levels present on the Canon HF20 and HF S100. The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 finds a happy medium—it has a relatively detailed image with rather low noise levels. The Panasonic HDC-SD20 has the blurriest image, but it also recorded the least amount of noise. This is mainly because everything in its frame is so soft and the image captures a low amount of detail.

Noise Score Comparisons

We score this section based on the noise levels we measure in the video image. So, even though the Canon HF20 showed us a great picture, the Panasonic HDC-SD20 wins this round (it measured 0.4175% noise). Check out the Video Resolution section of our review to see the HF20's impeccable performance in that arena.