Product Reviews
VIXIA HV20
The name Canon has always meant photographic and broadcast television cameras with optical excellence, advanced image processing, superb performance, and the latest in technological advancements. Canon's new High Definition video camcorders are no exception. Add to that our Canon Exclusives- Canon has long been a leader in bringing advanced features to its products, taking advantage of our superiority in optics and image processing. Thanks to a continuing effort to make better video easier to create and you'll find a host of features only available in a Canon camcorder.
The stylish Canon HV20 gives you the ultimate in HD video and digital photo quality with advanced features for the knowledgeable and demanding videographer. Among the Canon Exclusive features on the HV20 are Canon's own Full HD CMOS sensor and advanced DIGIC DV II image processor, ensuring meticulous detail and superior color reproduction. More exclusives are, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and Instant Auto Focus. With the Genuine Canon 10x HD video zoom lens and a host of other advanced features the HV20 is the right choice in High Definition camcorders. And, with its HD and Standard Definition recording modes, you can make the move to HD without making your SD equipment obsolete.
The HV20 is easy to use and delivers the high level of performance you've come to expect from Canon. It's the premium quality High Definition camcorder that sophisticated and discerning videographers have been waiting for.
Average Customer Rating:
3.7
out of 5
9 out of 13(69%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for VIXIA HV20
Review 1 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: wc_sd45_7500
Location: New Brighton, MN
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
HV20 reviewed
Date: December 13, 2009
Pros: Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Good Software Compatibility, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life, Poor sound/audio
I have now used this product for about one and a half years, and I have to say that overall it is a great camera. I use it just about every day, and for the amount of use it has seen, it is still performing very well. It does an amazing job under various daytime conditions, but lacks severely when it comes to low light settings. The camera is also pretty tough. It has rolled off the drivers seat a few times, and it still performs flawlessly.
While it is a great camera, it does have some operational issues. The lens cover ups automatically when you turn it on to film or take pictures. I was a little worried about when I purchased it. From time to time, the lens cover will not open all the way, and requires the user to restart the camera in order for it to open all the way.
The audio on the camera is excellent IF you take the time to tune it to the desired level. It is also easily falls victim to windy days. My suggestion is to get the external mic that is offered.
All in all, the HV20 is a great camera for its class, and the price you pay for it.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: citizenvern
Location: Rosario, Argentina
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Totally Impressed
Date: September 10, 2009
Pros: excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, durable, easy to use
Cons: no firmware updates
I have no qualms about giving this camera 5 stars. The model is a bit old now, but the camera is still impressing me. I've been torturing the thing down here in Argentina. I've dropped it on stone 3 times and tried my best to drown it, twice in the rain and also at Iguazu Falls. My only complaint is that Canon won't release a firmware update to fix things like th 2GB card limit.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Nickname: FD
Great camcorder!
Date: July 9, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life, Poor sound/audio, Poor Low-Light Performance
Canon HV-20 is a great camcorder! First of all, it's very steady and suprisingly smooth. The outdoor day time quality is outstanding, but indoors and outside during the night, the image is grainy and not as smooth as in daylight. It's battery life is dissapointing. I usually have to bring the charger with me when I film because the battery that comes with it lasts about an hour. It is also extremely simple to figure out and does not have complex manual settings. When I first set it up however, you set the time and city, and it doesn't have any citys in USA or Canada so I set it to Rio, which is the right time for where I live. Connecting to the computer is simple: just plug it in and turn it on! But of course it is high-definition so you have to purchase a program that supports HD. Connecting the camcorder to the TV is just as easy. One problem is when you rewind or fast forward by pressing the buttons on the camcorder, if it's not stopped first then rewound, you have to hold the rewind button. The rewind button is very sensitive so if you move your finger at all it stops then resumes. When you finish rewinding, and let go of the buton it keeps rewinding for five more seconds, so when you're trying to watch a certain part, you either go too far back or pass it and have to rewind again. The sound/audio is fairly poor also. The good of the camera, however, over rules the bad. The design of the camera is great and is super too hold, but the handle always re-adjusts itself to an uncomftorable position. It doesn't go blurry if you quickly move it from side to side, which is good for filming sports or other fast-moving things. I once zoomed up close on a squirrel and it did not lose focus and was still pretty steady for being zoomed up so close. Overall it is an outstanding camcorder and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light, simple, excellent quality, camcorder.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Satisfaction
2
out of
5
Nickname: George
Location: Califonia
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Video A Audio F
Date: July 5, 2009
Pros: excellent image quality, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, easy to use
Cons: Poor sound/audio, Limited Software Compatibility
I am very impressed with the video the HV20 take however the amt of HD noise produced over the audio is unbareable. If you are going to be laying separarte audio tracks over the video the camera is very good pic quality however the audio is distracting and for a good all around camera I would say go another direction. In todays market f you want a HD-HDV camera go static state memory!
FYI for those with XP you will not be able to edit in HDV using microsoft movie. You will have to go buy additional software to edit your HDV video.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
2
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Nickname: Steve
Will Die Eventually
Date: May 9, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Accurate, Vivid Colors, easy to use
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance, design flaw
In terms of quality the camera shoots pretty well and looks pretty nice, of course the low light conditions are very horrible and you get an excess amount of grain. I was found to be GREATLY disappointedwhen one day I found out my firewire port had been fried. After research it turns out this is a common problem due to them being plugged in while the computer is on, even though firewire was designed to do this (most video editing programs even say to plug in while the computer is on). So now I'm stuck with wondering if its worth the repair cost, it just might do it again in the future. Its a good camera overall in terms of video quality, but if its just going to die, it makes this item useless.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Canon Fan
Location: Orlando, FL
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
Fantastic Quality
Date: May 5, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use, Good Software Compatibility, Good Low-Light Performance, great value!
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity
Wow, I did not expect the quality that the Canon HV20 offers at all. The cinema mode, for example is wonderful. I recorded many shows, films etc. with it. This is a perfect camera for family/home videos, or for industrial as well.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
1
out of
5
Quality
3
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Nickname: CW
Location: Ohio
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
CONNECTIVITY FOR WINDOWS IS POOR
Date: March 15, 2009
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity, Difficult to use
I purchased this camcorder to do videos-and it seems it has more options for photo shots than video! I am having terrible connectivity problems-as it will not connect to a laptop w/ Vista for video-the main reason I bought it-and my desktop using XP has firewire-and the computer doiesn't even see the camcorder. So I can't transfer video to any of my 3 computers! I have a nice digital casmera-I don't need this as a substitute-I wanted a video camcorder-and I feel this is not performing up to expectations. The design is flawed if you can't connect to COMMON ports on both desktop and laptop computers. All my computers have enough power and memory to handle video-but with this camcorder good luck getting them into the computer. I've read post after post in the support blogs where others are having these same kind of problems with this camcorder. I will buy a camcorder next time that uses a USB connection! Signed-CW-Tired of all the cards and cables!
14 of 30 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: newtham
Location: Sparks, NV
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Best Camcorder I've Ever Used
Date: February 13, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, easy to use, Good Software Compatibility, Good Low-Light Performance
I did the research before I bought this camcorder, and I'm not disappointed. I looked at DVD cameras and HDD cameras, but I liked MiniDV the best, even though it is a slightly "aging" technology.
Works great with Macs and iMovie!
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Island Guy
Location: Coast of Maine
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Awesome using HDMI
Date: December 19, 2008
Pros: excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life
I am totally pleased with this camera. The video is true HD quality when viewed through the HDMI cable,
Other connection methods (like component) did not compare to HDMI, and in fact looked like a regular camcorder from yesteryear. I have not yet explored all of this cameras features, so will not form any opinions about them as yet. Also, I love being able to "capture" still shots from video onto the SD card.
Other connection methods (like component) did not compare to HDMI, and in fact looked like a regular camcorder from yesteryear. I have not yet explored all of this cameras features, so will not form any opinions about them as yet. Also, I love being able to "capture" still shots from video onto the SD card.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: HD beleiver
Location: Washington DC
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Awesome camera!
Date: November 29, 2008
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, easy to use
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance
I've had this camera for one year. Even today, I would buy the same camera. It produces outstanding quality video and still photos. I use regular Mini DV tapes (cheaper) and the quality is just fine. What makes this camera awesome? Optical zoom is great, especially for still photos! Unless you have a quality SLR camera, you will not get this zoom capability (great for kid photos--best taken from a distance). Plug and play feature via HDMI cable to an HDTV is painless, and the remote works great. Mini DV may not be the "hip" format, but I would rather have cheap mini-DV tapes for archiving purposes. Rapid Auto-Focus is amazing. But what made me write this is Canon's warranty service: the lens cover quit closing automatically (not sure why, maybe rough handled it): I sent it back to Canon for repair and got it back within one week. I was regularly email updated and completely satsified with the work done. CONS: low-light performance not great; mic on top awkward as your finger can slip over it and make noise; self-timer feature for photo is hard to get to (you have to dig thru several menu layers). No mini-SD included.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: BearVideo
Location: Gainesville, Virginia
Used this product for: more than 1 year
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Cold Weather Performance
Date: November 26, 2008
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance
Cons: zoom difficult to control, start/stop button placement
Camera performed superbly and flawlessly during a Polar Bear Photo tour in temperatures between -4 deg and 8 deg F with wind chills between -25 deg and 3 deg F. Camera on and standby time was about two hours per day while actually exposed to the elements. The camera was mounted to a window frame with a clamp and fluid head so the small size and placement of the start/stop button was not an issue. The zoom control was difficult to use and nearly useless for smooth transitions, but for the most part zooms will be edited out of the final DVD anyway. Manual focus was needed during heavier snow storms to maintain focus on the subject.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Nickname: Anonymous
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Great!!!
Date: November 4, 2008
I received this last year, and I love it! It was very good features, great quality, and it works perfectly! My only complaint is that it doesn't come with a Mini SD card, which is required for still pictures.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for VIXIA HV20
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
1
out of
5
Price/Value
1
out of
5
Quality
1
out of
5
Satisfaction
1
out of
5
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: Southern New Jersey
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Poor Quality
Date: November 2, 2008
Since I purchased this last year it has been in the repair shop 2 times. First it was splashed with water. No it wasn't dropped in water it was literally splashed and that cost me $$. After fixing it and paying the $$ now the protective shutter won't open. Not good.
16 of 83 people found this review helpful.
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