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

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.