Canon Vixia HG20 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Sep 24, 2008 3:45 PM
|
Advertisement
|
|||||||||||
Ease of Use (7.5)
Consider the two types of users for whom "Ease of Use" is important. On the one hand, there are strict point-and-shooters. These people don't wish to do more than turn the camcorder on, hit record, and point it in the direction of their child. Canon has those users covered. A clearly marked "Easy" button in the LCD cavity really does make the camcorder easy. In fact, it's virtually idiot-proof. You can only record and zoom. The menu is inaccessible, and therefore no accidental settings can be implemented. But...
What of those users who are a little unsure of their camcorder prowess, but know that they need/want to tweak the exposure or activate an AE mode? That's where it gets complicated. The Canon HG20's manual controls are spread out across three separate menus. The navigation is confusing and imposing for beginners. Once you learn the lay of the land, it's not too bad, but we don't envy those starting the uphill hike on the learning curve.
By comparison, Panasonic has done a great job improving ease of use little by little over the last few generations of camcorders. Its camcorders now include a little scrolling text at the bottom of the screen that explains each menu item. Brilliant! Sony and JVC suffer from the same problem as Canon – lots of options, but no intuitive means of organizing them.
Handling (6.5)
The Canon HG20 feels good in the hand; don't underestimate the importance of that element. You'll probably spend more time simply holding a camcorder than you'll ever spend actively recording video. The right side of the body provides a solid grip for normal to larger hands. Smaller hands beware... you may prefer something a bit smaller. Most users can agree that the hand strap is well-designed, featuring a lot of padding and anchored in way that helps the camcorder find its center of balance.
The Canon HG20 in hand
Most of the interface with the menus is done via the joystick. Right off the bat, we can see that Canon got this right, while Panasonic failed. Canon's joysticks are located on the edge of the LCD panel, facing the user in a location that their hand is naturally going to find. Panasonic, conversely, placed its joysticks in the LCD cavity and made them flush with the surrounding surface. Granted, Panasonic redeemed itself with the latest generation of HD camcorders – the HDC-HS100 and HDC-SD100 – by adding a ring control around the lens.
Canon's sole reliance on the joystick should definitely cost them some support amongst power users. Panasonic's ring controls and the Cam Control dial on the Sony HDR-SR12 / SR11 are far superior for controls like focusing, where a slow, controlled movement is vital to a good shot. The jerky, clicking sounds of Canon's joystick are annoying.
Overall, the Canon HG20 is comfortable, and the manual controls are accessible, but the implementation of the interface is losing ground to better design from Sony and Panasonic.
Menu (6.5)
The menu on the Canon HG20 received a modest redesign, limited to the "administrative" portion of the menu, which we'll discuss in a moment. Overall, the menu remains well-implemented for the regular user but too confusing for beginners.
There are three separate menus, which is perhaps the most confusing part. If you tap the button labeled "Function" on the LCD panel, the Function menu appears. This is where you'll find most of the manual controls that immediately pertain to image quality (i.e. white balance, etc.).
The Function menu contains the following options:
| Function Menu |
|
| Scene Modes | Program AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Cine Mode, Portrait |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Manual |
| Image Effects | Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, Soft Skin Detail, Custom |
| Digital Effects | Fade-T, Wipe, Black & White, Sepia, Art |
| Image Quality | MXP (24 Mbps), FXP (17Mbps), XP+ (12 Mbps), Standard Play (7Mbps), Long Play (5Mbps) |
| Photo Quality | LW (1920 x 1080), SW (848 x 480) |
| Menu | Menu |
The Function Menu
"But wait!" you ask. "Where are exposure and focus, surely two of the most important controls?" Why, those are located in an entirely different location, of course! You'll need to exit the Function menu, then press the joystick to activate the Joystick Menu.
| Joystick Menu |
|
| Tab 1 | Instant Playback |
| Tab 2 | Manual Exposure |
| Tab 3 | Manual Focus |
| Tab 4 | Microphone Levels |
The Joystick Menu
Finally, there's the administrative menu, which contains all the elements that you don't need at your fingertips while shooting, but should be easy to access. This menu is accessed by first opening the Function menu, then scrolling down to the bottom of the list to the item marked "Menu." This is the portion of the menu that has been redesigned in the HG20. It's more a cosmetic upgrade than functional. It looks very nice, and it gives you about the same ease of access as before.
The Admin menu contains the following options:
| Admin Menu |
|
| Tab 1 | Rec Media for Movies, Rec Media for Photos, Self Timer, Focus Assist Functions, Onscreen Markers, Photo Review Time |
| Tab 2 | Zoom Speed, AF Mode, Focus Priority, Image Stabilization, Auto Slow Shutter |
| Tab 3 | Font Size, Output Onscreen Displays, LCD Brightness, Language, Component Output, AV/Headphones, Headphone Volume, Demo Mode |
| Tab 4 | Wireless Remote Control, Notification Sounds, Power Saving Mode, Quick Start, Control for HDMI, Initialize, Photo Numbering, Drop Sensor |
| Tab 5 | Time Zone/DST, Date/Time, Date Format |
| Tab 6 | HDD Info, Memory Card Info, Battery Info, HDMI Status |
The Admin Menu
Portability (7.0)
The Canon HG20 is not the smallest camcorder in Canon's line-up. Hard disk drive models tend to need more room for the disk drive itself, as well as cooling fans and all the other innards of a camcorder. The HG20 measures 80 x 77 x 138mm (3.1 x 3.0 x 5.4 inches). By comparison, the Canon HF11, a sister model that records to solid state media, measures about 30% smaller.
The Canon HG20 won't fit in your pocket, not by a long stretch. However, a small camera bag or medium-sized purse would suffice. One of the benefits of a hard drive camcorder is the lack of extra media to tote around – 60GB built in. If you want to expand beyond that, SDHC memory cards don't take up nearly as much space as a tape or DVD.
LCD and Viewfinder (5.75)
The Canon HG20 features a 2.7-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 211,000 pixels. This is standard for the price range. Sony distinguishes itself in a big way from the pack with a 3.2-inch LCD sporting a whopping 921,6000-pixel resolution. Not only does the picture on that particular Sony look very good, it also makes manual focus easier.
The 2.7-inch LCD has a 211,000-pixel resolution
The Canon HG20 does not have a viewfinder, falling short of the competing Panasonic HDC-HS100 and Sony HDR-SR11 and HDR-SR12, both of which do have one. It's clear that viewfinders have fallen of the list of "necessaries" for most consumer camcorder owners, but they're certainly useful. Using a viewfinder is more battery efficient. Also, making adjustments via the LCD screen can be very difficult on sunny days.
The upgrade to the HG20, the Canon HG21, features an upgraded LCD that has a wider angle of view. It also includes a 0.27-inch, 123,000-pixel viewfinder that the HG20 lacks.
Battery Life (9.6)
The Canon HG20 ships with a BP-807 rechargeable battery pack. The battery fits snugly into the battery port, running flush against the back of the camcorder. We tested that battery for its life capacity by shooting continuously with the LCD open. No manual controls were engaged during the test. In total, the battery lasted 95 minutes and 40 seconds (1 hour, 35 minutes, and 40 seconds).
The solid state-recording Canon HF11 sister model lasted only a few minutes longer. The Panasonic HDC-HS100 lasted 111 minutes, and the Sony HDR-SR12 lasted 92 minutes. In short, all the battery lives on these camcorders are roughly the same.
|
Advertisement
|