Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I had expected a lot from this camera after seeing so many good reviews about the same, but that didn't really happen. Every picture i have taken with this camera has some kind of blueish-ness in it and the switch that moves from still picture to movie mode didn't work very well either. Also while reviewing the pictures/videos it took a long time to fetch them from the flash memory card. So, in short i'm not really happy with this one.

Basically, it works as advertised. But with a few hiccups.

The image stabilization is poor. Combined with the light weight of the camera, it's hard to hold without jitter, practically impossible at maximum zoom. Walking with the camera makes the picture jump all over the place. And these fast movements don't make the compression algorithm happy. As a comparison point, my old Sony Hi8 camcorder can handle even the vibration in a race car without any of it showing on the screen.

Light sensitivity is poor. In low light it drops the frame rate and the video looks funny, blurred and stepped.

If you just leave the camera on without shooting, it still eats the battery like it is shooting. Turning it off and on takes a while, a few seconds. You'd think that this should not be the case in a device without mechanical moving parts but it is.

The file format is weird. There is a good reason why they sell a special DVD writer as a separate (not cheap) option. You can't just copy the files to DVD and expect them to work on normal players, you need some weird codec (I had a whole pile of them already installed on my computer, so I don't know which one did the magic). The format must be converted. This means that postprocessing and editing of the material is mandatory, I'm normally too lazy for this kind of stuff.

The editing program just hangs every time when trying to open the file, but this might be because of some conflicts with the codecs I had installed. I haven't looked deeply into it yet.

For playback, there seems to be no way to set the screen ratio, and the picture looks compressed horizontally on the normal (not-wide-screen) TV. And it has no digital output that my DVD writer could understand (it understands I think DV but not HDMI).

I don't know how does it compare to the other digital camcorders, maybe all of them have the same issues.

If you wonder, it has no inputs for external cameras (such as something you could mount outside the car), not that I had any expectations for that.

There was also a minor issue with the battery, that after a couple of days started reporting all the time that it's running out but otherwise worked fine. This issue went away by itself after a week or so. The larger extra battery I bought separately didn't have this issue.

High definition put a new level in home video quality after I've been using standard definition for the past 8 years with my Sony camcorder. What I do appreciate is the absence of moving tape mechanism and spinning disc. This would reduce noise and hopefully, improve on reliability. My last camcorder failed due to the tape mechanism. However, speaking of reliability, the battery that came with the camera failed in less than one month of usage - it just refused to be charged.

The image quality is prety good, and it is very easy to operate. its weight is very light,I like it. The battery usually can last 80-90 minutes, if you want to take a long time video outside, you may need a spare battery.

I was a little skeptical at first. This camera seems too good to be true while reading all of the specifications listed. But I really have to say that it lived up to all of my expectations. In a well lit area the picture is absolutely stunning--a sharp and true-to-life image. In darker rooms the picture doesn't get grainy at all from my experience. Obviously a darker room isn't going to be quite as stunning as a brighter one but I'm still impressed. The mic picks up wind but not to a distracting point. Burning to DVDs/Blu-rays is actually pretty easy as well. I use Sony Vegas Movie Studio and it imports the video and is easily edited. My computer isn't the most amazing, so the video may take a second or two to buffer before I can preview it but I've been cutting videos and burning them easily since I bought the camera just a couple months ago. The battery that comes with the camera doesn't last all that long (probably an hour+). I would buy the extended battery for something like $85.00 but it's only made in black and the HF100 is silver. Kind of funky if you ask me. I may just buy a second smaller battery. The memory cards used are SUPER cheap to buy making this the camera to get!!

In summary (i.e. the only part everybody will probably read):

PROS:
- Sharp HD picture.
- Small camera size.
- Easy to edit and transfer video.
- SDHC cards are CHEAP to buy.

CONS:
- Supplied battery has a short life.
- Mic picks up some wind noises.
- You really should purchase a different editing program.

Great camera but: this camera takes just wonderful video but: it seems that in order to view the pictures on tv you must first buy a dvd recorder hw100 for $177.00 and then in order to play this dvd you must purchase the blu-ray dvd player $299.00. i guess it was worth it but: i guess i would have bought these items anyway but: the camera just made me do it. if you are ready for high def? this camera is the way to go....

I got this as a wedding present and it got some immediate use as it was used to film both our wedding and subsequent honeymoon. The low lit church was not a problem although we could have benefited from an external microphone. The picture quality was magnificent and I was extremely happy with it! The honeymoon came next and we charged off to New York City for a week with two 16GB SDHC cards (Great Buy: Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader).

New York in all its glory on sunny days this camcorder just kept me happy. It was put to the test as well. Time Squre at night, views from the top of the Empire State Building, from ferries, during meals ... it was great and the resulting picture quality was outstanding even coverted to regular DVD instead of Blue Ray. Image stabilization was a major boon. At one stage we were on the ferry going to visit the Statue of Liberty and a dragon fly landed on my wife's purse. She zoomed right in it and the pictures we got afterward were quite stunning. From a distance shot to almost macro quality close-ups in the space of 60 seconds ... fantastic.

Even the stock battery has served us well - the upgraded batteries were out of stock everywhere when we purchased this camera (kind of a bummer) but we never had a problem with the original ... seriously how often do you really shoot hours a day even on holiday?

I figure when we upgrade to fanatical parents we'll get the the beefier battery.

The gotcha for me was the software that came with it -- it is basic and to be honest rather crappy but it gets the job done. The puzzler however was that I was having a hell of a time burning DVD's and it took a significant amount of time to realize that the software would not burn to DVD+R disks, only DVD-R! Once I had bought a punnet of these I was good to go and have not looked back since!

You'd be a fool to buy a standard definition camera in this day and age, just in terms of future proofing. This camera appears to be one of the best, if not the best currently available and I for one have absolutely no complaints at all!

This camcorder is a joy to use. The video quality is really amazing especially for the price. This was my 2nd HD camcorder. The first was a convenience, impulse purchase of a Panasonic HD-9 from Costco. Took it back-the video wasn't very good and image stabilization didn't work.
Then I did a lot of research and concluded HF100 was for me. No HV30 because of tape issues and microphone picks up hi-pitch tape noise. No HF10 because SD cards are so cheap anyway.
This camera is easy to operate, though you will want practice if you plan to navigate through the plethora of very useful custom settings. The screen brightness is great, it's useable in even the brightest outdoor settings. The image stabilization is really terrific. If you have somewhat of a steady hand you can take great video while hand held even with significant zoom.
I was a little apprehensive about the joystick control on the viewfinder but I find it is quite comfortable to use.
I use a Mac and it was no problem at all getting the video off the camera. If you have a 16 Gb card and it's pretty full of video it can take several minutes for the computer to go into import mode-seems it has to read the whole card first. So, be patient-it's working.
Though I've read some negatives about battery life, tri-pod mount and some about connector placement and such I don't share any of those as negatives. As for battery, we all have so many gadgets that need charging or syncing these days you just develop the habit of making sure they are fully charged. To me the amazing compact size and light weight advantages of the camcorder far outweighs connector or port placement issues.

I made a deep research. My goal from the beginning was Flash and especially SD camcorder. I think this is the future of this product - at least in the next 3-4 years.
I found HF100 the best in its class and answering perfect my needs - quality of picture; quality of sound, good variable speed zoom and all this - in an almost pocket size, easy to cary product. Despite the original bag was part of the deal, I found a small, "photo camera" bag. Now I'm carring the camera on my belt, having hands free during my trips. Amazing!
In addition to other pros:
- High picture quality;
- very good sound;
- very good zoom;
- easy and intuitive operation;
- small, compact size;
I like very much the function "power save mode" which lets you having your camera ready in half a second. You will not miss the moment, waiting the camera to start and load the tape...
I'm using A-Data 16G SDHC card for 2 hours of best quality HD pictures. It's fast and on quite attractive price. Then, it takes about 1G/minute to transfer the records to PC - via third party card reader. Fast and easy...
If there was option to give this camera 6 stars, I'll give it. But...
Poor battery life. If switching HF100 often on - power safe and playing with zoom, it takes less than 20 minutes of real recording per battery. Very often in one trip day both batteries I own are going empty. Then, it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to fully charge one battery.
It will be great, if the power supply will be charger too. This way one can charge two batteries at a time or charge one battery, while using the camcorder with the other - without carrying extra stuff.
Now - the worst thing - the video editing software. I know it's not Canon product - it's Pixela, but it comes with the camera and definitelly decrease the perfect impression of this really great product.
The software comes without help.
It takes a huge eforts to register it. It seems the registration is the ONLY important thing for Pixela. They have special site only to help you to register the product. There are a lot of promises in this site, but once properly registered (at the end!), you find no any help. Having in mind the software is not intuitive at all, it's practically unusual.
The bad software lead me to give only 3 stars to this great camera.

This is my first HD camcoder and first Canon brand after working with SD Panasonic. I am very happy with this camcorder, it is very easy to operate, the footage is excellent quality, it is small and easy to handle. I took 1 star off because of few things I think could be improved
1. It takes long time to switch between capturing photo and video. It often takes 15-20 seconds, which sometimes leads to lost opportunities.
2. The bundled battery lasts only about an hour and the supplied charger doesn't allow to charge it outside of camcorder.
3. I wish the captured photograhs had higher resolution, but even this way, I am very happy with them.
4. I wish there is a software for Linux to import and play (not necessarily edit) the footage. As of now the only way to import is to directly copy the .mts files and I haven't found a way how to play them on Linux (I used SageTV and HD 100 media extender to play them on TV with excellent results)

You got to hand it to Canon to make a subcompact camera with all the bells and whistles of a much more expensive/bigger model. Even better - the performance of this camera is amongst the best I've seen.

Pros:
* Excellent HD recording performance in different resolution - You can change the mode based on space you have left.
* Fairly decent audio recording with decent ambient noise cancellation.
* Easy to use controls and modes(I never had to read the manual to figure out different operations..!)

Cons:
* Recording in SD cards is both a bane and a blessing - I recommend buying atleast a 16GB card with an external card reader - Transcend has a fairly decent one.

* Copying a 1GB movie(about 30 minutes in XP+ HD mode) takes a few minutes to convert into AVI or MPEG, after copying over the movie from the camera - I recommend backing up the movies often as SD cards are prone to failure

OVERALL: HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Search for a good price before buying it - Bought this camera after a lot of research - very pleased with performance

we cancelled are order. steel we haven't got refund yet.after three weeks we called tigerdirect and amozon. they hangup phone.then we called are amx credit card now they are going to investgateing.

A company I work for bought this camera to be able to use in our training division. The idea was to get a camera that could take some good still pictures, good video footage, be small and compact, and easy to use. We really liked the idea of no clunky video tapes since all the footage goes on a small SD card that you can pop in most any newer computer. For the record I would consider myself an fairly advanced user of digital media and editing software. No genius for sure, but I've spent many hours in front of a screen editing pictures and video and puting together many training videos. After using the camera for the past two months, many hundreds of pictures and several hours of video clips later, here is what I found.

The camera itself is awesome. The still pictures it takes are great quality and it's about as simple to take pictures on as a regular digital still camera. The video operation is similar to other video cameras and the quality of the video is stunning. The quality and ease of use in capturing the media you want just can't be beat. Anyone can operate this camera without any problems at all, regardless of your technical "know how".

Now for the reason I rated this camera so low... Once you have that stunning video inside the camera, there is no simple, easy, user friendly way to get it back out onto something you can pop in your 2 year old DVD player and show the family. The software that Canon packages with the camera to install on your computer is absolute junk. It's software that is comparable to what you'd find in a Dollar Store somewhere. The user interface is so poor that even advanced users will be pulling their hair out to get the thing to work what little features it has. No problem you say (like I did), you'll just use one of the easy programs like Windows Movie Maker to make your video....Sorry, Movie Maker isn't able to work with the format of video that the camera records. And that is the root of the problem. The AVCHD format that the camera uses has very, very, very few programs that will work with it and they all cost a hundred bucks or more to buy.

So, in conclusion, from an average guy that is pretty tech savy...stay away from this camera and any like it that use some special wiz-bang format to record with (specifically like AVCHD). The technology is good but the software to work with it still has a few years to go. Go with a good quality Mini-DV camera that you can actually use to make videos on with your home computer....and you'll save pulling your hair out!

This was an experiment for me as I had never played with a flash memory video camera. But I have used several tape based cameras, including professional equipment. The size is perfect it just fits in you hand and the unit is light. In fact it is so light you have to remember that it is there and avoid moving the camera too fast. A couple of minutes practice and I could smoothly and slowly zoom the 12x lens. Far better than any other tape camera I have used other than a $50K PROFESSIONAL SONY camera.

The camera comes on quickly.
A 16 GB SDHC class six card gives over 4 hours of video. Need more switch to another card.
The standard battery last 80-90 minutes. You may want a spare or a larger battery.

That "usability" which is great is still not the best feature. The actual video is stunning. I transcode the video into Final Cut Express for editing and I can create beautiful HD videos. I haven't played with the PC video software yet but when I get time I will write another review. Meanwhile, I rate this camera A for Amazing.

I must admit, this is my first HD camcorder, but I have not ceased to be impressed since it was first purchased. On the "Pros" side, the video quality is amazing (actually looks better than some of the lower quality HD-DVDs I have seen, and low light performance is the best I've personally seen), the ergonomics are great, and the removable SDHC card is very convenient and never an inconvenience. Also, the navigation of the controls and settings screens are intuitive. The only "Con" is the battery; for a camera in this price range, I'd like a battery that can last more than an hour on the highest quality setting. However, I do understand the power consumption at such high data transfer rates.
Overall, I'd recommend this camera to anyone. I'd also recommend one of the higher capacity batteries :)

Clearly the people who gave this camcorder 5 stars are either techies who are good at , super users who want to pay a few hundred dollars for editing software, or have a lot of money

This camcorder is ahead of its time. I'm resentful that both for my Mac and my PC I have to buy new software or learn all about transcoding, freeware, and all sorts of other "hacks" to get this to work.

I wish I'd known what a huge pain and expense this would be before the 30 day return policy was up.

After much research b/t different brands, I got this camcorder so I can have a friend record my wedding in High Def.
I got these to go along with this camcorder:
TIFFEN 37mm UV Protector Filter
Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD

These arrived in a few days and I open the box. It came with a remote, charger which plugs in to the back of the camcorder (not a separate charger), and the video cables so you can watch on your tv. 2 cables, 1 for hd and one for rca.

I inserted the card, put on the lens filter for protection and starting testing the recording.

The recording in bright day light is beautiful. But, then I brought it into the house in darker areas, the picture comes out very pixelly/grainy. This is the only reason for the 4 star instead of 5.

Luckily, my wedding is outside during the day which this camcorder did a great job of capturing my wedding in HD. I looked at it and its wonderful crisp and the sounds is amazing.

On the new battery, I am able to get 61 mins per charge. This is with out any viewing in the middle. Just record. Hope this helps you plan out the amount of batteries you will need.

Now, if I have hire a videotographer , it would have cost me between 700 - 3000 dollars depending on the package. I got this on Amazon for 625 and I get to keep the camcorder at the end. Its a worthy purchase.


GL.

I must say, the quality that this camcorder produces is jaw dropping. This thing takes such good video I would not be surprised to see it used to film a low-budget film. Very easy to use and Canon quality - not much more you can ask for. The 30p made takes great video and the optical zoom is quite impressive.

The only complaint that I have, and the reason for the one star deduction, is that it forces you to have it plugged into power to do pretty much anything outside of filming. I hate that I have to plug it into the wall when I want to hook into a PS3 and show video. The means that I have to carry the AC adapter around anywhere I go if I think I might want to show video... I have an extra battery - why can't I just use that??? It also requires it be plugged in when importing video to your computer (which makes a bit more sense since you don't want it to die in the middle of that).

Other than this one complaint this is an amazing deal and product!

This camcorder is amazing. Don't let all the back and forth among the reviews scare you away. I spent many hours researching this camera, reading incredible numbers of reviews. I finally ordered and received it 2 days before my son's last football game of the season. I opened the camcorder, went outside and started recording to try it out. Very easy to use!!! A day later I recorded my daughter's basketball game. WOW!!!! Then I recorded my son's final football game. It was raining during the football game but you would never be able to tell it. The qualilty of the recording is wonderful. This camera is absolutely AMAZING. Don't hesitate to purchase this(unless you don't have a HD TV). I do recommend buying the extra extended life battery, sd card and HDMI mini/standard cord when you purchase the camera. I have read part of the manual and it is very simple to understand and takes you step by step through different processes. BRAVO Canon!!!!!!!

First of all I should have done this review with my camera if it had not been in use by an international broadcaster.

This camera is really one that amazes me every time.

It is easy to use for the beginner but also a semi pro can do nice things with it. A befriended director of an international broadcaster has used it already a few times and is still using it for recordings. Where the serious cameras too big (like in a giant Ferris wheel and on the roller coaster this camera does it all. Also in low light conditions it does what it needs to do.

Copying from card to Powerbook i use a card reader that came with one of the Sandisk cards I bought with it. It is a lot easier than connecting camera to computer and power socket.

Once you have set up your editing software it is really easy to do.

One thing: I recommend to get an additional battery to avoid disappointments whilst recording because of a flat battery. You can go for the Canon battery but there are also cheaper options available.

Oh yes, I of course bought a small camera bag as well to have it secure whilst on the road.

The camcorder is great. Very happy with optical stabilization, Flash memory storage, and image quality. I found that being able to quickly switch from video to stills and back was much more useful than I thought it would be. It is nice to have a series of high resolution stills to edit into a slide show with music to accompany the videos on a DVD. I am very impressed with the still images. Optical stabilization gives me sharp zoomed images that I could never get on my other camera, and with the capacity of an 8GB memory card, I can store thousands and thousands at the highest resolution.
Flash memory is the only way to go. It is so easy to transfer data to the computer. The absence of tape drive, mini-DVD, or hard drive motors really improves the sound quality. The low light video is not too good, but the low light still images are fantastic. Also, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the top 3 video recording modes, so I shoot most of my videos in the second-best mode, saving the best mode for tripod supported shots where the benefits might be apparent. That also saves battery life which is a little short, but I don't find it to be a problem. I was originally thinking of buying a second battery, but after using it every day on a two-week vacation, I don't need it.

I bought this camera for two reasons, one becase I just wanted to get rid of the old one that used tapes and was big and bulky, the second is because I was going on a trip cross country to a Wedding. The Camera is very small, and very easily fit in my pocket when I wasn't using it, which was fantastic. The quality of the camera itself and the video it records are stunning.
It is worth every penny I spent on it. The still camera setting was very usefull to, because I did not want to take both my HF100 and my Rebel, the camera on the HF100 took very good pictures.
Very pleased with this camera and will definately recommend it to people in the market.

This camera produces excellent visuals inside, no need for a flash or any other lightings, it adjust itself perfectly!

I've had the camera now for a month. It's pretty straight forward to use and all features seem to work as described. I bought a mini-HDMI cable (also from amazon) and played video back on my 50in plasma straight from the camera. Great pictures with good lighting...ie outside in the daytime and inside with all the lights on. The image deteriorates rapidly in lower light, gets very grainy. Sound is OK but if you want the sound to equal picture quality in good lighting, you probably need an external mic...I imagine this is the same for any camcorder.
I have yet to download video onto a computer however. I little apprehensive based on all the comentary about download speed and computer requirements. I actually am in the market for a new computer...so in the mean-time I bought a few of the 16GB cards. 4GB equals about 30 minutes in the highest resolution.
Summary. Very pleased. Worth the money. Straight-forward function. Need a good computer.

If you have an HD-TV this camera is the way to go. it is much cheaper than the newer models and the picture quality is great! I am not a technically savvy person and found this camera very easy to use. Save money! Buy this one over the newer models.

Somewhat long/complete review...get a cup of coffee.

Gotta check out the quality of this thing before you buy, it is amazing. Go to youtube or vimeo, search HF100 (or HF10, same thing but with built in memory and different color).

Pros: Video Quality!!!, Size, Weight, look, LCD Screen Resolution, Stereo recording (Left and Right Mics), Flash memory (so easy, cheap, reliable?), 3MP Stills, onboard light (for camera flash or somewhat lighting up your videos), lots of manual options (mic level, zoom, recording qualities), External Mic Jack(important for us music/band folks), Menu is ok once you get to know it.

Cons: Could offer better optical stability, wind interferes with sound, battery life, cost of official replacement batteries

Cons to AVCHD (not camera): Limited editing software, requires powerful computer (I'm running off a NEW laptop, barely keeps up...3GB Ram, AMD 2GHz)

The video quality is highly dependent on the settings you use...60i, 30i, or 24fps? Cinema Mode, Portrait Mode, Auto, etc? LP, XP+, etc?

I suggest Cinema mode in 60i for most recordings. I tried the "easy" button at night, was grainy. I have yet to try the easy button in sunny conditions. I recorded a few scenes in 24fps Cinema, came out pretty choppy, I'm guessing it would be best on a tripod, capturing movement, instead of moving the camera around (I'm no pro).

Some people have mentioned long waits between switching from Video to Still mode...I have tried this with both a 4GB and 16 GB disk...it takes 3-5 seconds with the 4GB and 9-11 seconds with the 16 GB. As other folks have mentioned, it appears to be inventorying the empty portion of the disk, to inform you how many pictures you could take. I suggest recording with a 4GB card if you plan on switching between modes frequently. (Note: I was counting, not official Omega seconds)

For Memory, I have a 4GB PNY Class 4 and the Amazon recommended Transcend 16GB class 6. They both work great, I haven't been able to notice any speed difference.

As we've all read, AVCHD editing is limited. I tried the Sony Vegas 9 Platinum trial version, works well. The Corel Ulead trial software doesn't include the capability of importing the mts/m2ts files. However, I have purchased Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus [AMAZON.COM EXCLUSIVE] from amazon. I hope it works well with the avchd files.

One of the neatest things about this camera is the ability to shoot a full 1920x1080 HD movie, remove the flash card from the camera and plug it directly into the PC. Plays back in full HD, with full stereo sound immediately.

As for the HD quality, it's as good as anything I've seen on commercial TV.

And even though there are hundreds of options you can setup, I like the fact that I'm just two buttons away from shooting (the power button and the start button) ... so it's always ready to capture, even when I'm not.

The built in screen is incredibly clear, and the integrated joystick lets you set a custom option very quickly.

A unique feature that I've come to enjoy is the ability to take hi-res stills while filming a video. A separate button, on top of the camera, controls still shooting. Best of all, you can pre-set the desired resolution of the still image to be different than that of the video.

And finally, this thing is ultra-compact and ultra-light. That means I can take it anywhere and everywhere ... always ready to capture full HD. And in addition, it imports into both Pinnacle Studio 12 and Sony Vegas Platinum.

Not the greatest. I was much happier with the quality of the video clips from my little Canon SD1100--not high def., but better??? I don't understand why that would be the case.

This camera is amazing, small size, full Hi-Def 1080i, no worry about tape or disk, excellent image stabilizing, good zoom,
Would be nice to have a viewfinder so can save battery with LCD off.
Getting wind noise from mic, will check how to avoid.
Happy with purchase.

This is the first camcorder I've ever bought. This camera is awesome!! It looks great with a HDTV. The files are very big if you record in high def so I bought two 16 Gig memory cards. These are kind of expensive. Also, the battery the camera came with lasts about 80 minutes and you have to charge the battery while it's in the camera. I do suggest buying another battery and the separate battery charger. Also, the pictures that this camera can take are very high quality!!! If you have the money, buy this camera. You won't regret it. Flash memory is the way to go for camcorders.

* Video is wonderful.
* Audio is great.
* Low light indoor video quality is very good.
* Still picture is very good. I no longer need to carry my Olympus DC.
* Easy to transfer files to computer
* Even in a sunny day, LCD display has no problem.

I really like this camcorder. The only thing that I could complain about is that it is so small for my large hands. I'm amazed at how small it is, and the above isn't really a complaint as much as an observation that the location of the buttons are more well suited to a person with smaller hands.

There are other reviewers who've commented on the technical stuff, so I won't go into that here. I will say, that I'm glad I got this camcorder, and recommend it to others who want a simple to operate excellent quality camcorder.

I have a Sony standard definition miniDV camcorder, and also bought the HF100 and the Sony CX12, both flash camcorders.
I found the Canon to be the better value: good to great video and audio quality in good lighting conditions, better user interface, and standard SD cards will save you money and hassle vs. the Sony CX12.

If you're not sensitive to a few hundred extra bucks (for the CX12 and overpriced Sony Memory Sticks), you get the following additional features: much better low-light performance (by low-light I mean indoor night-time videos of kids with under ordinary incandescent lighting (without lots of halogens)). Build quality is a little higher (LCD joints stiffer, battery/inputs door covers more firmly attached). Slightly better audio (I noticed you could sometimes hear "clicks" from the Canon's zoom button). Sony DVD HD DVD burner is more flexible than Canon's, for example, you can shoot video in HD, and burn a standard DVD for people w/o HDTVs and Blu-ray. I understand to do this on the Canon burner, you need to record in standard definition to begin with.

One of the best HD camcorder with such a great price compared with the functions it offers. I really recommend this for all camcorder lovers.

Its very small.
High quality wide screen movies.
It also takes great photos.

The Vixia HX100 is my 5th camcorder, the first AVCHD, and the first that records directly to SDHC media. To date I have shot about 50 GB of video, all of it youth sports, most of it at 1440 x 1080 HD resolution, and about 100 still shots using the cam's max resolution. The cam works flawlessly at even the highest video resolution using 16GB Transcend speed class 6 SDHC cards. I have filmed in bright Southern Cal sunlight and under baseball lights with good results. I use a 37mm haze filter, both to protect the lens and for outdoor shots. The supplied software works OK for downloading the memory, but I read the SDHC cards directly into my Sony Vaio laptop for faster transfer. The learning curve for the software is reasonably easy and the manual is good. I have played back the stored video directly into a 1080p Vizio TV using a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable and also recorded directly from the cam to a standard definition Toshiba DVD recorder using the cam's component output.

Two minor negatives - the supplied BP-809 battery is only good for about an hour and the higher capacity BP-819 batteries aren't currently available at any of about a dozen locations that I tried. I purchased a 2nd BP-809 and they do change out fairly quickly. The software starts to warn you with 5 minutes of battery remaining, and I took it down all the way to zero without losing any data. The other negative is that you have to leave the AC power supply connected if downloading via USB cable.

The lens at the widest zoom setting isn't quite wide enough to film a standard baseball field from behind the backstop, and a 0.5 to 0.7 wide angle lens would be a very good accessory for shooting sports.

I have a 37mm to 28mm adapter, and the cam works well with the Nikon 3X telephoto lens from my Nikon 4300 still camera, although you have to have the telephoto on the cam set all the way out to get full field in the cam.

As an aside, I use Pinnacle Studio 12 Pro to build my movies, and it handles the AVCHD output files from the cam without a hitch. You'd better have a fast PC with at least 2GB (better 4GB) to work with HD, however.

One thing that was left out in all the reviews is that if you want to edit the AVCHD clips you've recorded, you'll need a high-powered PC or MAC. The specs called for in the supplied software indicate that the user must have a Pentium D processor at minimum to edit clips. My PC was four years old with a Pentium 4 HD processor, and it was not able to play back the video clips smoothly enough for me to even edit them. I have an Nvidia GeForce 7600 video card with 512Mb of RAM and also 4Gb of RAM on the motherboard.

Also, the software only burns to DVD-R disks and my PC had only DVD+R capability, so I had to buy a new writer to burn the AVCHD DVD's which did play in HD on my Sony PS3. As far as MAC's go, there is no way to burn a DVD in full 1080i high-def on a MAC...even with Final Cut Pro. Yes, it will import the AVCHD files and you can edit them, but you cannot actually burn the edited movie in full 1080i high-def onto a DVD without having to use a 3rd party piece of software.

I visited the local Apple store and after 2 hours of them playing with it, they produced a DVD for me to take home to play on my PS3...and guess what, the PS3 would not even recognize the disk!

Don't get me wrong, this camera takes beautiful, full 1080i high-def video, but once you've downloaded the files to your computer, it's almost impossible to burn those AVCHD files back onto a DVD for playback in full 1080i high-def unless you've got a Blu-Ray disk player such as the Sony PS3. The people at the Apple store indicated that Final Cut Express would import the AVCHD files, but would then convert them into an intermediate codec which ends up downgrading the clips to less than full 1080i high-def.
They told me to actually burn the edited movie onto a DVD in full 1080i high-def, I'd have to buy Roxio's Toast 9! Is amazed me that even their $1000 Final Cut Pro required the purchase of an $80 piece of software to complete the process!

The AVCHD format is the future, but I'm afraid there's just too little in the way of a simple workflow to actually be able to import, edit, and then burn these AVCHD format movies onto a DVD for playback in full 1080i high-def on ones HD TV set. I have spent a month researching this, and decided that I was just not willing to upgrade to an entirely new computer with an Intel Duo Quad Processor to work with the AVCHD files that these cameras produce.

The new Sony Vegas 8 Platinum will burn the AVCHD files to a DVD, but again, check out the required hardware specs on Sony's website and you'll see that the minimum requirements for hardware are probably much more than what you have unless you bought your PC within the last year.

Based upon all of this, I finally decided to return the camera and wait until this newly adopted AVCHD format is easier to work with. By the way, for most of us, a Blu-Ray disk writer and the BD blank media are just too expensive to buy. Most people will most likely want to burn high-definition DVD's instead, that will play in full 1080i high-def; 30 minutes on a single layer DVD and 60 minutes on a dual layer DVD.

You will see that virtually all of the software currently available; including Adobe's just released Premier Elements 4.0 will NOT burn AVCHD files onto a DVD! In fact, it does not even support AVCHD files created by Canon HD camcorders that are in the AVCHD format! And Sony's Vegas 8.0 Platinum also does not support Canon's AVCHD files.

It's all way to difficult for the average consumer. Pretty much your only option to see your movies in full 1080i high-def will be to attach the camcorder via an HDMI cable (not included) to your HDTV. This will allow you to watch your raw un-edited footage directly from your camcorder. However, the HDMI cable you'll need costs about $40-$50! And don't think you can use a standard HDMI cable...no, it takes a special one which has a MINI-HDMI at one end and a standard HDMI to plug on the other!

WOW...what a pain. The marketing information is very flowery in its description, but the reality is far different. Do your research and you will that the products out there for editing these AVCHD movies simply fail to mention anything about actually BURNING the results onto a standard DVD for playback in high-def on a regular DVD home player. Why? Because you cannot! You MUST own a Sony PS3 to do this!

In short, "buyer beware" on any HD Camcorder which records in the AVCHD format. And as a topper, each camera manufacturer who supports AVCHD format does so in their own way, so the editing software that will import AVCHD files from one brand of camcorder MAY NOT import is from another.

Even the Pixela SE software that Canon supplies (which is bare bones, but does work) will ONLY work with files from these "HF" series camcorders from Canon! Oh, by the way, the Instruction Manual for using the Pixela SE software that Canon includes with the camera IS NOT available for download on Canon's website, but rather, one must buy the camera first and it's included on a CD which you'll find in the box! Only the Installation Instructions are posted on Canon's website! Why you ask? Well once you see the manual you'll find out that the hardware requirements probably exceed what you own, rendering the software almost unusable.

Again, let me repeat...this is a fabulous camcorder and the HD video is spectacular! It's the bigger issue of "what do I do with the files on the SD card now that I've shot the video?" that will stop you in your tracks.

This is my first HD and flash memory video camera. The "out of the box" experience was very good. It is very small in my big hands. I found it awkward to hold in a traditional way using the included strap. I my case, it exacerbated camera shake due to the angle of the wrist - that just me. I found that I had better luck cradling the camera with 2 hands and bring it down to waist level for much better results.

The battery, as anticipated is minimal, but enough for the 4 GB card I got. The best advice I got was to use the 4 GB card, as I represents 1 hr. and can be burned directly to a DVD so you don't have to put everything on your hard drive. Further, I had much better luck using a USB card reader vs. the camera, which is a mess of wires and not very convenient.

The screen was good. The controls good. The quality was great except low light, but I didn't investigate further how to improve that. I don't have anything to compare it too, but I found the experience, quality and the bang for the buck to be terrific.Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The video quality is great - vivid color and impressive sharpness, no matter in High Definition or Standard Defition mode. It's a few steps above my previous Canon ZR800 miniDV camcorder.

My computer is quite old with Athlon 1.99GHz and 1G RAM. Nero 7 Ultra could play the AVCHD file, but of cause only in slow motion and with stutter in audio. I am pleased with the factor I can convert AVCHD file to DVD in Nero 7 with my old computer, although it takes 30 minutes for 3 minutes of record to complete. The DVD still looks much better than the one taken by Canon ZR800.

Great camera. I bought this to replace a Sanyo HD1000 which had unusable IS. This camcorder is up to Canon standards of quality and durability. Nice and small size and weight. Easy to pull video off and burn AVCHD, Bluray, or standard DVD with Ulead Video Studio 11.5 Plus. Optics deliver excellent color and clarity. Audio is free of hummm or other camera noise. This camera has the option to configure using with a wrist strap for people with larger hands or the traditional "slip through" strap for smaller hands. This camera works with my Transcend 16GB SDHC.

Negative. Battery is flush with back of unit, but it is small. I have not tried to use it all day at a place like Disney World, but based on my day-to-day use, I don't see it working "all-day" on vacation even though it is flashed based.

Camera is exceeded all my expectations. I wanted a small camera i can take everywhere that had "real" HD quality and this camera was perfect.

What really makes this camera great is how easy it is to transfer videos. i'm using a MacBook running final cut express. In final cut express, there is a feature called Log and Capture and it detects the card reader Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader. It list all the clips for you and all you have to do is add it to your queue. I'll never go back to tapes again. The one that kept me from editing my videos was having to sort through all the tapes.

Editing on a MacBook(2.16 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB ram):for final cut express you'll need to record on lowest setting for your macbook to handle the editing, but it's still sharp and higher resolution than Standard Definition. On iMovie, it works even better. iMovie handles HD files great, i just don't use it because you can't edit on multiple tracks, but iMovie is perfect for quick home movie edits.

For the price, i prefer this better than canon vixia HF10 because you save $200 dollars and you can get a 16gb card and reader for less than $60. make sure you get the a SD card that is Class 6 so it can handle the HD.

Cons:
- Battery is short.. about an hour. Just get an extra battery and your good.
- Auto Stabilizer is so-so especially on zoom.. Just use a tripod or rest against a wall or table to stabilize yourself.
- on camera light is sucks as usual

The camera is great, regardless of the ridiculously cheap price.
Don't let the cheap price throw you off.

After reading so many reviews and articles, I chose this model. The video quality is good when the light is good (outside), the indoor performance is so so. If you are looking for one working nice indoors, try some other model. Otherwise, it is a nice selection. It is very light and won't a burden if you travel. The quality of the display screen is not so good.(medium resolution) not very fine. you can see the small dots of pixels even. Overall, a good toy. FUN

All I can say is wow. Great movies for the money and Im never going back to any other format unless its better than HD. Small lite and easy to use.

this canon HD camcorder rules! build quality, video and audio quality as well as feature list are all excellent. a camcorder like this would have cost $20,000 10 years ago (if tech. possible).

here a few observations:
i found the second highest resolution setting to be more than adequate (1400x1000 or so) for most projects. the 24fps mode may be of value to some, i found the footage shot in this mode to lose some clarity and presence (which may be the intention)

i have macs in my house. no problems importing footage into imovie, final cut express. i understand that in the windows world the avchd format is not quite supported that well yet, but the product comes with 2 cdrom with software that i assume do the job. just understand that you cannot hook up the camcorder to a computer via the included usb cable and just download video files for immediate playback. the sofware on the computer extracts the footage in the desired resolution from the acdhd files!

low light resolution is not great but not bad either. all consumer camcorders struggle with this and even news reporters with their really expensive gear work with extra lighting.
i personally find the coke can shaped camcorders a bit more awkward to hold and operate than the pistol shaped ones.
love the fact that there are no tapes to insert or rewind, no non standard mini dvds to buy, etc. even the cheap 4gb sd card gives me plenty of recording time.

The features I wanted at a great price. Product is sized right and well featured. Overnight delivery was perfect.

HF100 is the best choice for home HD. Buy a 16GB class 6 card. I bought the Canon burner that goes with the camera and love it. Take the disk from the burner and put it in the Sony Blueray player and watch great homemade HD. Spending extra for the HF10 with built in memory did not make since to me but what ever turns you on. Camera starts up very fast and ready to shoot in seconds. Went to a fire works display and recorded them and was very pleased with results.

I did a fair amount of research, and this camera has the best quality and features for the price.

It's small, easy to use, and has no moving parts. Wonderful little camera. The only bad things i can say about it is the quality of the still photos is good but not awesome, and the sound quality is also not professional. If you're looking for something that's broadcast quality, you'll need to spend more and go prosumer; otherwise you can't beat this one.

Transferring the video and still photos to an intel Mac with OSX Leopard is easy:
- for Still photos, take the card out and use an external USB reader. The card mounts and you can preview and drag the ones you want to your computer (or use iPhoto).
- for Video, you need iMovie to capture, but it's easy. The video files will expand to 10x their filesize, so you'll definitely need an external HD.

I have a 16GB SDHC card and even at maximum resolution i can get a couple hours of video and/or 10,000 photos.

After an intensive search and analysis of video recorders. I came out to the conclusion that this camera is simple the best option out there right now. Small, SD, HD resolution, decent battery life and the price at Amazon was great. I tried couple of other guys on the web, with lower prices, believe me it was a nightmare; the start with low price and then after you place an order they call you to tell that tha price is w/o battery and they want to charge a lot more, then you said you want the price you picked and then put you on back order for months. Believe me Amazon it by far the best option.

This is my first camcorder and I absolutely love it. It's compact, easy to use and you can't beat the price. Check out some of the videos people have made using the HF100 in youtube. I do have to point out that the software in this bundle isn't worth the CD it's burnt on. Get a good video editing software like Pinnacle or Vegas and you are all set. Have fun making great pro-quality videos!

I did research and compared several models and brands. I am glad with my purchase. The HD videos are amazing, much better that anything I have ever seen from a non-profesional camera. Pictures are great; I like the 16:9 photos you can take simultaneously while the camera is recording video. The zoom is impresive for videos or photos.
HD video playback form the camera to a HDMI TV is perfect but if you plan to play videos using a PC be prepared to have a graphic card like NVIDIA 128MB minimum, otherwise the movie looks broken. You might need a big HD or NAS to store videos as they are pretty big (for HD res), unless you have a HD recorder.