Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom | 
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| Brand: Canon
Category: Photography
List Price: $899.99
Buy New: $529.00
You Save: $370.99 (41%)
New (29) Used (1) from $519.00
Rating:  175 reviews
Sales Rank: 16
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Monitor Size: 270
Includes Software: Yes
Optical Zoom: 12
Digital Zoom: 200
Display Size: 2.7
Maximum Focal Length: 57
Minimum Focal Length: 4.8
Maximum Resolution: 2070000
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 5.1 x 2.9 x 2.5
nv:Size: 1/3.2-inch
Image Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Movie Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Storage Media: SD/SDHC Memory Card
Compressed Format: DPOF
Compressed Format: DCF Exif 2.2
Movie File Format: MPEG-4
Movie File Format: AVCHD (HD)
Optical Zoom: 12x
Digital Zoom: 200x
Focal Length: f=4.8-57.6 mm
LCD Monitor: 2.7-inches
LCD Pixels: 211,000 pixels
LCD Coverage: 100%
Maximum Aperture: f 1.8 - 3.0
White Balance Control: Auto
White Balance Control: Daylight
White Balance Control: Cloudy
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: HF100
Model: HF100
UPC: 013803092004
EAN: 0013803092004
ASIN: B00114162K
Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 months
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| Features:
| • | Capture high-definition video to flash memory | | • | 12x optical zoom; SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer | | • | 24p Cinema Mode; 30p Progressive Mode | | • | 2.7-inch widescreen Multi-Angle Vivid LCD | | • | Simultaneous photo capture |
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Product Description
Now that you've upgraded your TV to an HDTV widescreen, doesn't it make sense to consider a Hi-Def Camcorder? The Canon VIXIA HF100 captures videos at 1920x1080 for true 1080i display. There are no tapes or discs to concern yourself with. It has an SD SDHC slot for video storage. So let your videos fill your new TV screen. Use the VIXIA from Canon. DIGIC DV II Image Processor SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization Instant AF (Auto Focus) 2.7 Multi-Angle Vivid Widescreen LCD Superb Shooting Control 24p Cinema Mode / 30p Progressive Mode Stunning Digital Photography Focusing System - Instant AF, Through the Lens/Manual Focusing Possible Auto and Manual exposure modes; Programmed AE - Auto, Program, Av, Tv, CINEMA, Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, Fireworks Recording Media - SD/SDHC Memory Card (not supplied) Audio - Dolby Digital 2ch (AC-3 2 ch) HDMI Terminal Type C 480i/480p/1080I Format Supported Microphone Terminal - 3.5 mm Stereo Mini-jack Mini HDMI Terminal and Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe Dimensions (WxHxD) 2.9 x 2.5 x 5.1 in (73x64x129mm); Weight (not including lens and battery pack) 13.4 oz (380g)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 170 more reviews...
 Listen April 16, 2008
376 out of 380 found this review helpful
I've done more research on mass-marketed high-definition camcorders than any person with a job really should. After weeks of combing and considering the pros and cons of AVCHD vs. HDV, HDD vs. tape vs. flash, I decided on the HV30, since I was persuaded by arguments about and examples of video quality, especially in low-light. Got the HV30 and, indeed, the picture quality is stunning. The sound, though, was a great disappointment. Since I'm fond of capturing quiet moments - the subtle sounds of, say, my four-month-old daughter sleeping - the high-pitch whine of the tape motor present in my recordings with the HV30 proved to be a deal killer. (I'm well aware of wide range of solutions to this problem, from external microphones to post-production techniques, but I'd ideally like to avoid carrying around additional equipment and I only have so much time to spend on this hobby - I'll leave in-depth editing to those more dedicated, working towards different ends, and/or without family commitments.)
I should have stuck to my gut instincts and bought the HF100 the first time around. After sending the HV30 back (thanks to Amazon's excellent return policy), I purchased the HF100 and am simply delighted. Video *and* audio are pretty darn good if not excellent. Maybe someone can split hairs and demonstrate the "artifacts" present between video recordings of this AVCHD camcorder vs. an HDV one, but I simply can't see a difference when played at normal speed. The difference in sound recordings between this flash-based camcorder and comparable motorized machines is, to my ear, both obvious and dramatic. So if you're sensitive to white noise or if you're interested in minimizing/eliminating sounds from the recorder, think hard about the kind of camcorder you buy and what you're willing to tolerate or accommodate in terms of additional equipment or post-production.
A final note/aside on my own take on the HF10 vs. the HF100: I appreciate the allure of the black-body HF10 in terms of aesthetics, but I actually find the dual flash memory feature to be a turn-off. I'd personally rather just manage a single, removable media card. Seems like a minor inconvenience to deal with both internal memory and removable cards when recording hours of footage before transferring/backing-up to a PC (while traveling, perhaps?). I'd preferably swap and label cards. But this, of course, is a matter of individual preference and habit; I include my thoughts here in case anyone hadn't given this aspect some consideration.
Best of the AVCHD Camcorders April 14, 2008
355 out of 365 found this review helpful
I spent a very long time researching small SD based high def cameras and ended up choosing the Vixia HF100. This after owning a Panasonic SD3 for a brief period last year. After a full weekend playing with the HF100 I am quite pleased with my decision.
My motivation for choosing this camera over the competition was Canon's very wise decision to include a standard microphone input (and manual audio controls). Why other manufacturers are removing this feature from consumer camcorders baffles me since good audio is such an important part of making good video! Canon also includes a mini hot shoe on the top of the device, and there's already a mini shotgun mic available (Canon 2591B002 DM-100 Directional Stereo Microphone for HF10 and HF100 Camcorders).
In many ways the HF100 is not much different from its competition. It's about soda can sized (although not as tiny as the new Panasonic SD9), has no view finder, and records video onto SDHC flash memory. Flash memory is so cheap right now that spending the extra money for the HF10 (with the on board storage) really isn't worth it.
VIDEO QUALITY & OPTIONS
Excellent and consistent with other cameras in its class. Color quality is rich and perhaps a little over-saturated (as most consumer cameras are) but there are settings to wind back the saturation a bit (like switching into cinema mode). Artifacts are minimal but remember that AVCHD is a highly compressed video format. Those looking for the absolute best quality in a consumer camera will want to look at an HDV tape based solution. There are settings for manual white balancing as well.
Low light performance is so-so.. Gets a bit grainy but you can make adjustments to compensate both in frame rate and shutter/aperture settings. There's also a mini-video light that can be turned on but it won't have room-filling range to it.
The camera has multiple video quality options but you'll want to select the highest quality as it's not on by default. I am getting about an hour of video on an 8 gig SD card in the highest quality mode.
The camera also includes three frame rate options: 60i, 30p, and 24p. All of these are processed at 60i so you'll need an editor that can remove the pulldown for true 24P.
BATTERY LIFE
Like every other camera in its class, the included battery is pretty lousy. It charges quickly but you'll only get about an hour or so of recording time. Canon does make an extended battery which I plan on purchasing soon.
CONNECTIVITY & EDITING
I am a Mac guy so those of you using Windows will have to comment below on your success with it. On the Mac side both iMovie '08 and Final Cut Pro 6 recognize video from this camera even if I'm just popping the SD card into my USB card reader.
If you're coming from the HDV tape-based world, capturing video from an AVCHD camera takes a little longer than you'll be used to. I've found multiplying the original video length times two is usually about the length of time it takes to capture with iMovie on my Mac Pro (I haven't timed Final Cut's conversion yet but will update this review soon). I'm sure this will improve over time as computers and software get faster, but don't expect instant gratification when you're ready to bring some video over to edit.
CONCLUSION
I bought this camera to supplement some of the work I do shooting HDV video on a 'prosumer' Sony HDV camera. If you're serious about producing HD video you might still want to consider an HDV tape based camcorder like the Canon HV20 or HV30. You'll get better and more consistent quality along with nearly universal editing compatibility. Those cameras transfer video back to the PC or Mac over firewire, a standard that's been around for over a decade. The HDV cameras can also run live video back to the PC for editing or webcasting, something you can't do currently with an AVCHD cam.
If, however, you're in the market for a small flash based camera look no further. The inclusion of a mic port along with the multitude of shooting options make this a great choice for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
EXCELLENT April 13, 2008
91 out of 95 found this review helpful
I can't speak to the tech side of the camera, in the end it's about, does it do what I need it to do at the price I'm willing to pay? After reading and reviewing 102 cameras (yes I did), I was more confused than ever. I finally I had to admit my short coming with this type of technology and consult a video/mac (I'm a MAC user) professional with no bias. After hearing what my needs are and I use MacBook Pro (with the Intel chip) he strongly recommended the Canon HF100. the reasons he gave:
Seamless with Mac computers and ALL PC based computers
Works very well will all editing software. (I'm using Final Cut Express)
No moving parts (were are sportsmen and want an HD that is durable (there is a higher risk with a tape drive or DVD camcorder of failure)
Removal of the 16gb SD(separate purchase $140.) Plug it in to a computer and download your video. While you continue to shoot by using a second chip (time saver)
Only 1 second between pushing the rec button and recording.
Lightweight (no hard drive)
The tech stuff and features are outstanding, however, what mattered is it going to perform for me. We took it out on our boat for the day with seas 3-4 ft. The Canon HF100 performed extremely well. The stability in relation to a lot of swells was great, the color (brilliance), longevity of the 16gb SD, the battery (BP-819 not included, Canon includes the BP-809) were also incredibly!
You can read all the tech stuff online and narrow it down based on specs. Sorry I can't help with that. What I can share with you is what happens after you buy it and whether or not it performs. This camera is the new standard. It will perform.
This camera is featured on the apple.com website, confirming its compatibility.
HF100 Review HF100 VS HF11 and AVCHD vs HDV All what you need to know about HD Camcorders July 22, 2008
50 out of 51 found this review helpful
With this review I will tell you everything you need to know to pick best camcorder for you
First of all about the HF100
Sound,Size,Video,Value are all perfect to be honest the video is crystal Clear and the sound is unbeatable even without an external mic
There is no viewfinder but the LCD is extermely bright,Battery 1Hour~, and its very light/small camcorder i simply put it inside my jeans
You need to know that HF100 do not record in SD (Standard Definition) or 720p "it only records 1080 videos"
So if you want the options to record in SD or 720p then you might reconsider another Camcorder
So lets start first of all Yes I wrote HF11 in the title its not a Typo Canon just announced TODAY (22 July 2008) that they will release HF11 very soon "September" (Only in Japan for now as I write this review) Which use 24MB/S instead of the 17MB/S max that the Current HF100 use (That's around 30% video BITRATE Boost over HF100/HF10)
So before I starts Some might say The hell with HF100 I will just wait for HF11 which have 24MB/S AVCHD
Well you need to understand First what does the 24MB/S means
1-There is a million Camcorder that use HDV tapes with 25MB/s recording yet HV30 wins hand down without any other camcorder getting close to its quality/price because HV30 lens, sensor, etc are way better than other camcorders in the market, Same goes here HF100 and HF11 both have the EXACT SAME lens, sensor, optical zoom, pixels 1920x1080i (or p) and even the body design!!!! So don't expect serious changes in video quality at all (Lens, sensor, etc matter the most than the codec of the video) what was changed in HF11 is that Canon added 32GB memory and new processor to record the new 24MB/S AVCHD (which of course require faster processor to play/record in the camcorder) (I am not saying 24MB/s is useless however I AM saying that HF11 wont be the camcorder to use the true power of the 24mb/s avchd
2-You CAN NOT copy these files to a DVD and share them with family/friends because All DVDS have "18MB/S LIMIT" and sharing 4-5GB files over the internet is something people try to avoid, yes you can edit the video and lower the BITRATE to 18mb/s however this will take a lot of time (AVCHD isn't walk in the park when it comes to editing) and the quality wont be as good as the HF100 17MB/S because HF100 video is unedited
Almost any BLU ray player can play normal AVCHD DVDS! (The PLAYSTATION 3 plays them too) and since BLU ray burners are very expensive (300-600$) and Each disc is around 10$ you don't want to deal with BLU rays for now (Unless you don't mind giving free 10$ discs to friends/family) DVDS cost like nothing these days for 10$ you can buy 100 DVD
3- 24MB/S = you need Bigger hard drives to backup/save your data
17MB/S 2hours and 5min for 16GB
24MB/S 1hour and 25Min for 16GB
4-Bigger files = Require better PC for playback/editing (But not huge jump like HDV to AVCHD editing/playback requirement)
5-HF11 is priced for 1300$ (HF100 is half the price) why waste more money for Same Exact camcorder even if you buy the HF11 trust me next year a new Camcorder will be released which will use the true power of the 24MB/S AVCHD but as of now HF11 lens and sensor is very limiting and wont use AVCHD 24MB/S real power Canon is just using the 24MB/S for Marketing~ save your money and get HF100 if you want memory based camcorder
Now AVCHD vs. HDV (HV30 VS HF100)
HV30 = Best Tape HD camcorder
HF100 = Best HD Camcorder that use Memory to record videos
HF100 pros over HV30
1-Its smaller
2-Record in full HD 1920x1080 (HV30 max recording is 1440x1080)
3-You just copy the files to your PC however with the HV30 you need to plug the camcorder to the pc and LIVE capture (HF100 is way faster and better tech also you can use your pc and browse the net while you wait for HF100 video file to be sent to your pc , but with HV30 using your pc while you live capture from the tape can cause slowdowns and frame drops in your video )
4-You can take your memory of the camera and insert it on any PC/PS3/blu ray player and watch your videos (With HV30 you need to plug the camera... because it use tapes)
5-With HF100 you do not need external microphone for acceptable audio sound which make it very portable since its already smaller than the HV30 however the HV30 without External microphone is completely not acceptable at all you can hear the tape noise and trust me its very LOUD
6-HF100 use AVCHD H264 Codec "To Me" it have better colors it depends on your taste some people do not like the cool blue effect that AVCHD videos use
7-With tapes you have 1hour limit for recoding then you have to switch your tape but with HF100 you can keep recording for hours (Depends on your battery + memory size)
8-With memory based camcorders you can shoot in 1sec!! But with HV30 you cant record fast you need to wait for tape to get active first
9-You can record with any settings/frame rate you want with memory based camcorders but with HV30 recording multi settings/frame rate in the SAME TAPE can cause problems when you capture the video on your pc
10-you can backup your AVCHD files and make them "playable video discs" to any DVD or (BLU ray in the future "now if you are rich") without any EDITING at all!! But with HV30 you are required to Edit/capture , with AVCHD its just drag and drop then burn voila !
11-You can record over hundred and thousands of videos in the same memory without any problems and its free but with HV30 "tapes" first it costs money to buy tapes and secondly you cant repeat recording in the same tape after 3-4 times you will see lot of video quality drops the more you record over same tape also keep in mind that with HF100 all what you need is your camcorder and you are ready to go, but with HV30 you need lot of tapes with you if you going in trips and tapes are big which will kill the idea of having a portable camcorder
Now lets talk about HV30 pros over HF100
1- It have a Viewfinder which a lot of people prefer over the LCD
2- It can record in SD (standard definition) and 720p (HF100 can only do 1080)
3-It use HDV format which is way easier to play or edit in pretty much any pc nowdays
4-HDV format have worldwide support programs wise because its very old almost any video editing program can edit HDV, not the same for AVCHD which is new (Sony vegas 8 pro edit AVCHD just perfect but its very limiting to have few programs that really work with AVCHD unlike HDV any program is fine with it kinda, i guess by the end of the year everything will be solved remember AVCHD is new format"
So after reading all this you should know that waiting for HF11 isn't really good idea and which camcorder is better for you HV30 or HF100
And that's about it I hope it was helpful to you :)
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Update "AUGEST 14" Camcorderinfo.com just confirmed what i was saying from the start about the HF11 you can read there review at there website (heres what they said about HF11)
"Out of the lab, we put the HF11 and HF10 side-by-side in some difficult shooting situations
and examined the playback footage with an extremely critical eye. After much deliberation,
we came to the conclusion that most people can't tell the difference between the two.
You'd have to spend an insane amount of time and energy--as we did--to see a variance." -Camcorderinfo.com
HF11=1299$ HF100=649$ (Half the price of HF11 save your money people ;p)
Why I bought the HF100 instead of an HV30. May 12, 2008
35 out of 35 found this review helpful
Before I bought an HF100, I first bought an HV30 due to reports of it having better video quality. But I ended up returning that camera the moment I heard the audio play - the tape noise was LOUD and distracting. Totally unacceptable.
I knew Canon made the highest quality HD cameras, though, so I went with the HF100 as a replacement based on good reviews and the fact that it had no moving parts that create noise (like the tape drive on the HV30 or the hard disk drive on some other models.)
Having now shot several things (a baby shower, a friend's farewell party) I can tell you with confidence that I absolutely made the right decision. I think the video quality is just as good as the HV30. I was worried it wouldn't be, but it absolutely is. (Low light footage is expectedly a bit grainy just as it was with the HV30 - and always is with small handheld models - and daylight footage is near perfect.) And the audio quality is as good as I've ever heard from a consumer camcorder. No unwanted noise.
And then there are the bonuses:
- This camera is noticeably smaller and lighter than the HV30. Very very nice.
- The AVCHD format is 100% functional with a current Mac (I tested footage shot with this camera on a MacBook and the lastest version of iMovie). The process is seamless, in fact. Absolutely handier than importing from tape.
- I was worried that I wouldn't be able to backup the footage for long-term safe keeping. What would I do without mini DV tapes? Well, problem solved (for Mac users). You can simply create a little disk image copy of your camera footage (using Disk Utility, which comes with all Macs) and drag that image over to a blank DVD. Burn the DVD and voila - perfect backup. I even tested the process of loading footage into iMovie from the backup DVD and it absolutely worked. iMovie thinks the backup disk image is a camera and will let you import from it no problem.
- If you happen to have a PS3, you can pop your HF100's memory cards right into the system and the PS3 will play your footage in full HD immediately. Talk about handy! Yes!
That's about it for me. Oh, I also HIGHLY recommend getting the Transcend 16GB card that amazon recommends near the top of the page. Not only does it work great, but the card reader it comes with is awesome. It enables me to pop the card directly into the PS3's USB slots (as I mentioned above) and also works for popping the card directly into my Mac's USB slots (so I don't have to fiddle with hooking up the actual camera to import footage.) Gotta love it!
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