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Customer Reviews for VIXIA HF S20
VIXIA HF S20
Canon's VIXIA HF S20 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder, with a 32GB internal flash drive and two SD memory card slots, offers Canon's most sophisticated feature set to date.
Average Customer Rating:
(16 Reviews) 16
Rating Snapshot (16 reviews)
5 stars
11
4 stars
4
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
15 out of 16(94%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for VIXIA HF S20
Review 1 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: Sorcese
Location: Fairfield County Connecticut
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
You Will Be Pleased!
Overall Rating
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
Date:July 28, 2011
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Good Software Compatibility, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
OK... this is a great camcorder. The quality of the video rivals that of tape camcorders however it's much easier to use. Downloading video from the flash memory is easy and makes you want to shoot more video. I first purchased an M30 however I didn't like the small size and the video quality was good but not great. I like the larger size of the HF S20 which seems to make it more stable to handle (less shake).
The larger size also allows for a larger image processor and thus the better quality video. It still fits in the pocket of my cargo shorts so carrying is easy. The two SD memory slots are very cool and the clarity of the viewing screen is incredible at almost one million pixels. You can access some of the features directly from the touch screen and while some folks say it's difficult to use... I would tell you it's great.
If you like shooting video even a little bit... go buy this camera.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: Butch
Location: Los Angeles Ca.
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Casual User
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: more than 20 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great camera, Lousy Manual
Overall Rating
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
Date:July 28, 2011
I am 71yrs old with poor reading abilities, and therefore am having very little luck setting up this camera,As an example,I am under the impression this camera will record on a simm card, but i can only get it to record still captures!
How about providing a SIMPLE quick guide to help us NON-TECHNICAL users!
How about providing a SIMPLE quick guide to help us NON-TECHNICAL users!
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: JonS
Location: Iowa
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great Camera!
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:July 24, 2011
Pros: Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
Cons: Poor Low-Light Performance, Uncomfortable to hold, Short battery life
I did a lot of research before buying this camera and then, when I finally made the decision to buy it, every store was sold out. I ended up getting a local store to sell me their display model. I'm so glad they did. This has been one of the best cameras I have ever purchased. I am really amazed with how well the still photos turn out and the video quality is with out question the best I have ever seen. The mic input is a great feature for recording from a mixer with multiple mics. I have used the Zoom h4n for audio which is a great fit. The built in stereo mics of the HF S20 are also very good and pic up sound better than I expected. My only complaints are the mini advanced shoe and the operation of the manual focus. Both of these hold back the camera from its full potential. Being able to use a flash transmitter and to use the flash for photos during video record would be great! It could also come with a separate battery charger.
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Review 4 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: nyjimmy
Location: Tucson, AZ
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Family & Friends
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Great Camera
Overall Rating
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
Date:February 10, 2011
Pros: Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Good Software Compatibility, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life
Excellent images, still and video.
Camera is easy to use and the images are top notch.
I would buy this one again!!
Camera is easy to use and the images are top notch.
I would buy this one again!!
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: tomcran
Location: FL
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Mostly used for: Landscape/Nature
Canon Enthusiast: 1 to 5 years
Product replacement: Yes
Amazing PQ; excellent features
Overall Rating
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
Date:February 9, 2011
I've owned this camera for 5 months now and have used it often. I've owned 2 other Canaon HD camcorders (HF 21 and HF M31) and this is best by far.
There are enough settings that if you are having trouble getting a good picture you can easily fix the problem through setting adjustments. For example, I was taking a lot of video of autumnal, brownish outdoors scenes in near-sunset light in Cinemode and they would end up with an unnatural, way too brownish overall look. I was frustrated and thought maybe something was wrong with Cinemode. But I found that by keeping Cinemode and setting the white balance to "Daylight" these scenes were turning out great - much more natural colors, and the brownishness was gone. Now I rarely use Cinemode, alone. I use it with "Daylight" for nearly any outdoors sunlight scene and am hugely impressed with the true colors and PQ.
I only recently started using the 24f setting and am amazed at that, under certain circumstances. For example, if filming a mossy tree, with the moss gently swaying in the breeze -- that looks incredible! in 24p. (I also find that edited films done in 24f are more compatible with Blu-Ray players, after you burn them to BD discs. I have two BD players and one has never played my edited films very well. But if filmed in 24f, it plays them perfectly.) But panning becomes more difficult (but can still be done, if careful) and fast-action scenes such as sports scenes don't turn out that great in 24f, but that's nota camera problem -- that's just the way 24f is.
The battery life is short, but I have two bigger batteries and also a separate battery charger and I have eliminated that as an issue. Mayn complain about the software, but I find it works fine for my purposes (downloading to computer from camera, editing -- merging, splitting, reducing volume, overdubbing, and burning the files to a Blu-Ray disc (BD-R or BD-RE) which always plays perfectly.
I am hugely impressed with this camera and it has enough settings that no "problem" is insurmountable.I keep learning new things to improve performance.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: CWTay
Location: So Cal
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
It's All That
Overall Rating
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
Date:November 25, 2010
Pros: picture quality, touch screen, ease of use
I have the Canon FS10 and wanted to go HD. Sticking with Canon I expected to get a nice cam. What I didn't expect was picture WOW!! Ease of use WOW!, The product quality WOW! I didn't get the S21 didn't need the WOW! but I got WOW with the S20. WOW am I happy.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: Yummy
Location: Savanah, GA
Used this product for: 6 to 12 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Difficult to use.
Overall Rating
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
2
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
3
out of
5
Date:August 27, 2010
Pros: add a pro
Cons: add a con
I have been able to download pictures without a problems. The pictures are wonderful. Down loading movies is a problem. There has not been adequate support.
15 of 26 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: JohnnyBoy
Location: Dallas
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: No
Nice!
Overall Rating
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
Date:August 25, 2010
Pros: light and easy, professional
Bought one, loved it so much bought another one.
I shoot event video, and these babies are wonderful. Even for the price of two, it is still less expensive than one of the monster pro cams.
I shoot event video, and these babies are wonderful. Even for the price of two, it is still less expensive than one of the monster pro cams.
My clients love the work they see, even in SD!
Yes, there's a lot of noise out there about video with DSLR's. I have the 7D and shoot video on it and yes, it is beautiful. But when everything is boiled down to the end product, the S20's are favorably comparable, IMHO.
For most of the still work I do, the built in cam works great for what it is. No, it's not a DSLR. You can also shoot at 24p and make nice frame grabs, send them into your editor and come out with some really peachy stuff.
Personally, I hope my clients never find out how easy it is to make great video with this product.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: DW IN OHIO
Location: DAYTON, OHIO
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
MY FIRST VIDEO CAMERA
Overall Rating
Date:August 11, 2010
ALTHOUGH THIS IS MY FIRST VIDEO CAMERA, IT IS BY NO MEANS MY FIRST CANON PRODUCT. I BOUGHT IT ON PAST EXPERIENCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER. I HAD A CRASH-COURSE LEARNING THE PRODUCT. I HAD 2 DAYS TO LEARN THE MOST I COULD BEFORE I GOT TO DRIVE MY NEW CAR ON THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. NOT TO BE A COMEDIAN, BUT THIS IS THE BEST VIDEO CAMERA I'VE EVER OWNED! EVERYTHING WORKED EXTREMELY WELL! THAT WAS 2 WEEKS AGO. NOW IT'S EVEN BETTER! IT'S ALL I HOPED IT WOULD BE! I'M GONNA TAKE IT (AND MY NEW CAR) TO THE GRAND CANYON SOON. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE RESULTS THAT I KNOW WILL BE FANTASTIC!
AS MANY TIMES PRIOR, CANON HAS LIVED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS! I LOVE THIS CAMERA!
AS MANY TIMES PRIOR, CANON HAS LIVED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS! I LOVE THIS CAMERA!
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: StevieB
Location: Boston, MA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Great camcorder
Overall Rating
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
Date:August 10, 2010
Pros: amazing hd video and photo
Cons: somewhat expensive
I purchased this great HD camcorder in May 2010. I used it around my home, then took it on my Southeast Asia travels. Besides the ease of use, clear colorful HD video and high pixel camera, it took my many plane, bus, car, taxi, motorcycle, and walking trips. I bought two fast 16 GB SD cards, but only used one. The life of the battery was about 3-4 hours of intermittent use. I had no trouble uploading the video to my Apple MacBook. I used iMovie to edit the video and iPhoto to edit the photos. I am a young professional photographer and I was very pleased with the photos from this camcorder. Lastly, this Canon camcorder is so light that I was able to take it everywhere and for all day events!
Thanks, Canon
Thanks, Canon
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: Anonymous
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
Great first impressions
Overall Rating
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
Date:July 25, 2010
I am very happy with this purchase. The quality of the video is excellent and I like the ability to manually control aperture and shutter speed. If you are used to SLR still cameras you will want manual control - but the fully auto mode works quite well.
I probably would buy the S200 and a 32MB SDHC card next time. It is convenient having a good amount of memory internal (for the same price as a 32MB card), but if you can put SD cards into your BluRay player, it is a really convenient way to play your video clips on your TV.
My only real regret is the poor software support (only Windows, the editor doesn't seem to work so well). I use Linux (Ubuntu) and KDEnlive video editor can edit the AVCHD files (though I have to find them buried in folders on the SD card). I have yet to get the supplied importer program to work on Ubuntu with WINE (WINE allows Linux users to run most Windows programs, but doesn't have USB support built in). After some geeking out, I think I will get the importer program to work in Ubuntu. Some programs (PiTiVi for one) have trouble with the first and last video clips on the card, but can edit the ones in the middle (so there is an easy work-around if you remember to add a dummy clip at the beginning and end).
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: caryb
Location: Alabama
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
The Perfect Upgrade
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:June 8, 2010
Pros: Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, Good Software Compatibility, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life, Poor sound/audio
I purchased my Canon Vixia HF S20 almost one month ago. I wanted to give myself enough time to get familiar with the camera before writing a review. This camera replaced my Digital 8 and all I can say is wow! The camera is much more compact, provides far more user options, and the HD quality is simply amazing and the microphone input jack is a bonus that you won't find on most AVCHD cameras.
The first thing I noticed was the touch screen menu. Admittedly it was a bit intimidating initially. However, after navigating it several times it became second nature. I really love the support of manually adjusting white balance, focus, microphone volume, aperture, and other options. If manually adjusting options is not for you the camera supports a fully automatic mode. The ability to track subjects is something that I use regularly. You simply tap the subject on the touch screen and the camera will keep it in focus, even if it's moving. Ergonomically, the HF S20 fits nicely in the palm of your hand and all controls are easily accessible. In low light situations you can enable a built in pop-up LED spotlight or if you're taking a photo the built in flash will automatically fire, unless you manually disable it.
My video editing software recognized the Canon and imported the AVCHD video with ease. While editing I realized that the audio stream is not recorded in 5.1. Not satisfied with the audio quality I purchased a Wireless Lavaliere Microphone Package. To my disappointment the camera still only recorded stereo audio. After reading the fine print I learned that you must purchase an optional shotgun microphone to record in 5.1. I also discovered that the cold shoe mount of my wireless microphone will not fit the hot shoe on the camera. I'm currently in the process of purchasing a mini hot shoe adapter to resolve this issue. Another thing to be on the lookout for is a rattling lens cover. For some reason when the lens cover is closed it rattles a bit, nothing major but enough to make you search a bit to discover the source. One more thing, be sure to purchase an extra battery. Spend a little extra and purchase the BP-819.
Overall I am happy customer. This camera is sleek, sexy, and offers everything I need to record high quality videos, even if the audio is in stereo.
36 of 37 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: tripShoots
Location: Atlanta GA
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Awsome HD Videos
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
out of
5
Date:May 31, 2010
Pros: Good Low-Light Performance, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity, Short battery life, Limited Software Compatibility
Awasome results in daylights. Powered IS does its job in controlling Camers shakes. Ok results in low low light shoots som visible grains though but not bad. Great sounds capture. Cons Battery life is bad, you need to buy a spare for sure. Software provided is not good. AVCHD editing you loose video quality as most Editors are not meant to fiddle neatly with 24/30 bit rates. But still ok, as you need to buy an additinal software , supplied one wont work to your satistaction.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: Maxstar
Location: Piscataway, NJ
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: No
A Great Camcorder
Overall Rating
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:May 21, 2010
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use, very attractive
I found this camera to be well designed and easy to use. The viewfinder is large and very clear. The face recognition feature is truly remarkable. It locks in on the faces of the subjects being filmed and keeps the picture in sharp focus.
Some say that the computer connectivity needs improvement. I disagree. I use an Apple Macintosh laptop that is about 4 years old. The camera connected and uploaded the video to my computer effortlessly. It even downloaded the archived video footage quickly to a backup hard drive. I was then able to connect to the back up drive and upload the video into iMovie, a program that shipped with the computer. I completed my first video with no previous knowledge of camcorder use.
This camcorder is expensive, however, it is really worth the money. Buy it. You will not be disappointed.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: texasfred
Location: austin,texas
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
works great
Overall Rating
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
4
out of
5
Date:April 18, 2010
Pros: good battery life, excellent image quality
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity, menue navigation not good
overall operation is good, nice battery life.advise getting spare batteries for backup for longer shooting time. Feels good in the hand. However,the menue is hard to navigate thur, especially using the touchscreen on the Lcd. You wind up with finger prints all over it. Should have stayed with the toggle switch, it was better. I would recommend using another download program rather than the supplied Pixela program supplyed. Its not the best and is hard to use.
16 of 21 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for VIXIA HF S20
Nickname: Andy
Location: Chicago IL
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Grea camera horrible software
Overall Rating
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
Date:February 28, 2010
Pros: Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, easy to use
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity, Limited Software Compatibility
I have always bought canon products and never had anything but good things to say about them. This camera is great, works great, functions are easy to use. Love It!!!!! However, I can not beleive that canon has allowed themselves to include the PIxela software with this camera to download and edit movies. I have never used a more unfriendly product in my life. I felt like I was back in the stoneage just starting out using a computer. It is hard to navigate, impossible to edit movies with and exteremly slow or unrespoinsive on many occassions. I have a 4 month old computer so I know thats not the problem. It the software!!!!! If you do buy this camera just throw away the software they include and buy something else.
67 of 76 people found this review helpful.
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