| I was delighted to find, after months of shopping and research, and frustrating months of doing without one as my old antiquity from years ago had finally given up the ghost, that I could get an exceptional camcorder from Canon. I could afford the high quality of its second-best camcorder, in my view of course. Finally, I stumbled across a sale and there I found my new baby, the Canon HV40 Vixia camcorder, and oh, what fun we have had in the past weeks!
I have a bit of understanding of the workings of Canon products and so this camcorder has been somewhat challenging to adapt to, but only because I was used to my former camcorder. Though I will not become a world class movie director or producer, the Canon HV40 was an investment that I am glad that I made.
Am I just biased toward Canon products or is there something really special about this camcorder? The answer would be yes to both, but realistically I am too practical to be influenced by brand names. When you go through the list of outstanding features, I believe you’d be inclined to agree with my assessment of this camcorder. So here goes :
• 680k resolution
• 1/6” CCD sensor
• LCD display of 2.5”
• MiniDV format with improved resolution that far exceeds that of the analog version
• resolution of 500+ lines
• 16-bit pulse code modulation audio type dubbing and sound capturing with CD quality output
• VCR and TV connections
• good LUX illumination
• headphone and microphone jacks
• white balancing with auto, daylight, manual and tungsten modes
• scene settings for beach, fireworks, night, portrait, snow, spotlight and sunset
• auto and manual focus
• color filter effects including art, black and white, mosaic, neutral, sepia, soft skin and vivid
• video lighting
 I have been told by friends who own this camcorder, one of whom is an independent film maker, that it is perfect even for professional work, though my work is purely amateur stuff. The Canon HV40 is remarkably easy to use, care for and, most importantly, it fits easily into my jacket pocket. I find it slower than my last one to get set up and prepared for filming, but all the same, it has proven to be very reliable. Price-wise, I would say that it is marked up higher than it should be in relation to the number of features provided, but all in all, it is a fun camcorder and I have no complaints.
I think that the Canon HV40 in the right hands can be used for far more than people may realize. Canon has a proven reputation for excellence, and I am happy that I can access up to a year of warrantee covered service for labor and parts. If you are looking for a good quality, basic camcorder, then this is an ideal product to try. |
