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I got this camera for a couple reasons. Number one, it's HD, which is AWESOME! Also, I researched and found it has mnay manual options, and it's a tape camera (a big bonus when trying to edit video in realtime). I got it for Christmas. I've only toyed around with it so far, but it is VERY nice. The camera has a really nice feel in your hand. The menu interface is very intuitive and easy to use, unlike certain touch screen ones I've had the "pleasure" of using (Sony, cough, cough)... Anyway, for its price, mnaual options, and lots of bonus features (CINE Mode, anyone?), this is an AMAZING camera for anyone, whether you want a great-quality recording of a family event or are a professional. Definitely recommend it!!!
I've owned an HV20 for several years and been very satisfied with the quality and ease of use of this camcorder. The only reason I'm replacing with the newer HV30 version is that my HV20 was stolen. Not really the best for low light but a great picture for daytime video. I'd recommend keeping one of these in the car and keeping it charged for great roadside videos of anything you might come upon.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This a great little camcorder! I did some research before buying my first HV30 (I now have three of them) and it was the top camcorder for HD recording in its class with Consumer's Report. It has everything one needs to produce a great movie, public service announcement, or advertisement. I am planning a new TV show that I will shoot with just three of these. The picture quality is pristine; however the built in sound mic lacks the ability to cancel out the camcorder noise. I got a Rode's shotgun mic for my first one and was still dissatified. The third camcorder I bought had an attached Canon mic that finally satisfied me. This little guy uses video tape to record on; which is still the best picture quality of the formats, it has built in headphone and microphone inputs, takes still shots during recording and send them to memory card which downloads via USB. The video information downloads via firewire. This is the finest camcorder of its size and price range; of course, thats an opinion but having a degree in video engineering enables me to make that assumption (my opinion also)!Read full review
I have been using the VIXIA HV30 for several years now, and just purchased a second one for my production company in order to get two simultaneous camera angles. This camera has been replaced in the Canon line by the HV40, which brought true 24p recording and slightly better low light performance. The one main drawback of the HV30 is that recording in 24p adds a 3:2 pulldown to the footage, requiring pulldown removal through third party programs (Adobe After Effects or Cineform NeoScene). However, for me upgrading to the HV40 did not make financial sense, since I already own the Cineform software. The HV30 is now even lower priced because the HV40 exists. This camera uses the same CMOS sensors as its prosumer cousins, and is really only lacking in pro options such as interchangeable lenses and multiple audio ports. However, I have found its options more than adequate for my small independent films. It has an external mic port, which is very important for any quality filmmaking (though the onboard mic is also very good in many situations, where there is slight background noise and echos are not a huge issue). It gives you complete control of exposure, shutter speed, frame rate, and everything else the prosumer cameras can do... it just takes a little more effort to achieve it. I highly recommend that anyone looking into this camera for professional purposes google the "hv30 forum" and read the low light shooting guides there, specifically the "cell phone trick" for eliminating gain when you lock the exposure. This one tip will get you beautiful low light performance with this camera. I recently took my two cameras into a cave, pitch black inside, and lit my scenes there with four LED lanterns. The footage we were able to get even in this extreme low-light setting was breathtaking. This was achieved using the "cell phone trick" to lock the exposure with 0 gain (controlling the fstop in shutter priority mode). I also had to use manual focus, since autofocus fails in low light. I also use the Raynox 6600 HD Pro wide angle lens to get a little more light to the sensors (the 6600 is the best wide angle you can get for this camera, resulting in no distortion or vignetting). If this all sounds extremely complicated, yes it kind of is. However, to be able to get professional-looking footage from a camera you can now pick up for $300-$400 is remarkable. Even with the wide angle lens and external mic, you will probably come in under $1000 and be able to produce footage that looks like it came from a $3,500.00+ prosumer model. Both of my cameras came in under the base price of a prosumer camera, for which I would still have to buy many accessories. These are GREAT starting cameras for small production companies. If I had one major gripe about the camera, it would be the placement and ease of use of the manual focus button and focus wheel. In low light, the camera's autofocus is useless (and would be on any camera), and using the manual focus on the HV30 is a real chore. There are focus wheel attachments out there for the camera, but I haven't yet tried them out. In short, though I know many people are flocking to DSLRs for video now, the only advantage there is the depth of field. The compression artifacts alone in DSLR footage makes it unappealing. I am happy with my HV30s, and will continue to use them even with my paid work for now. I would recommend this camera to anyone.Read full review
I still use DV tapes, and have tons of hours of standard filmed video in that format. The Canon Vixia HV30 is the perfect upgrade because it lets me keep those DV videos for future transfer to my PC AND, once I erase those tapes I can re use them and record on them in high definition. The HV30 is awesome when recording outdoors, in broad daylight, and even in dim lighted situations it delivers a more than decent image. It has a built in light for dark shoots, although it's not very good and you'd be better of using a dedicated light (which can be placed on top of the camera, in the shoe section). The HV30 can also take 3.1 MP pictures, that come out fairly decent, easily beating smartphone resolution by far. The zoom is also very powerful and battery life is pretty decent (it can last over 40 minutes in constant use situations), althought it'd be wise to carry an extra battery pack for prolonged shootings. This Vixia HV30 is a replacement for a HV20 I had that broke down. So much I liked that camera that I decided to stay close to the design and opted for its updated version. Having said that, there AREN'T many improvements over the HV20; only a slightly better HD resolution and a more powerful zoom. I might buy a memory card/hard drive recording camera in the future, and if that day ever comes I'd still have my Canon HV30. Only bad thing about this purchase is the moron who sold it to me; he forgot that he had to leave me feedback. Thank god I'm not buying from this jerk anymore!Read full review
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