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| Brand: Canon
Category: Photography
List Price: $899.99
Buy New: $529.00
You Save: $370.99 (41%)
New (33)
Avg. Customer Rating:  141 reviews
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
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great daylight video but mediocre low light performance May 1, 2008
26 out of 27 found this review helpful
I bought the Vixia HF100 for the fantastic all-in price of $750 at Amazon/J&R. I chose this Canon over comparable flash-based Panasonic and Sony cameras because it had better reviews, and I liked the external microphone option because I record a lot of concerts. After 2 days of experimentation, my conclusions:
PROS: Small, light, quiet. Also, it wasn't clear from the reviews, but you can actually adjust the volume of the built-in mikes, and not just external mikes. Audio level control is a big plus for recording loud rock concerts without distortion. There are also windscreen and mike attenuation options, but I haven't had any loud outdoor concerts to test these as yet. Sound was very clear. Daylight and bright light video was crystal clear. I didn't notice any "purple fringing" or any distortion when viewed on my 50" plasma. Unlike another reviewer, I had no problems snapping multiple photos while recording video -- I'm using a class 6 SDHC Transcend card, so it may be function of using a higher speed SDHC card. For 2/3 megapixel snapshots, the photos look decent, better than one would expect if you took a screencapture of the video, but not really good enough to make enlarged prints. The autofocus works as advertised, superfast.
CONS: Doesn't include mini-HDMI cable, only component and RCA. Most important, I was not pleased with the video shot in indoor lamp light (around 200 watts incandescent lighting for a 20'x15'room). There was a lot of noise, which suprised me because most reviewers gave this camera above average low-light performance. The low-light video looked a little better when you changed the default settings -- decreasing the sharpening or using cine mode. Also, I'm a video amateur so I can't explain why, but the low light video quality was less noisy in 30p mode versus 60i mode (I thought this setting would only affect fast motion scenes). Ergonomically, I wish it had some rubber on the grip for comfort, and that some of the functions which require the joystick could be accessed using the same hand holding the camera.
I haven't played around with the bundled software so I can't comment; but I was perfectly willing to shell out the extra cash for Pinnacle or Sony Vegas software to handle the AVCHD format.
For me, the poor low light performance is a dealbreaker, so I'm sending this puppy back. I don't see the point of having a high-def camera which produces a lot of noise/grain on the video. I'll wait for the next gen AVCHD camcorders, and will make do with a standard def HDD camcorder for less than half the price for now.
4 stars because everything else besides low-light video was great, the price isn't too outrageous for new technology, and the audio input flexibility is welcome.
UPDATE 5/2/08: After mulling over this overnight, I've decided to keep this camcorder as the pluses outweigh the minuses for me. If you're considering buying this model, I would STRONGLY suggest you go to a bricks-and-mortar retailer and test drive this camcorder yourself, not in the well-lit camera display but in a darker section of the store, like the home theater section. You will be able to see the noise even on the small 2.7" LCD, and you can judge for yourself whether you find it acceptable.
UPDATE 6/25: When I bought this camera, I was concerned about the ability to edit the AVCHD format due to horror stories on the net. Well, I've found i was needlessly concerned. Although I'm a huge fan of opensource/freeware software like VirtualDub, I decided to spring for the Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 software as it was relatively inexpensive. I installed it on a laptop (dual core 2.4ghz, 4gb, 128mb video, 7200 rpm hdd, vista home prem) and have had no problem editing 20 minute videos while on vacation. First, make sure you have a cardreader that reads SDHC format (not all do), so you can just pop the card from the camera into your cardreader. That way you'll not have any issues with plugging the camera into an electric outlet to capture the video or traveling with the usb cable. AVCHD video files have a directory structure which is visible on the card; I've been told that some video editors require a diskimage of the SD card to preserve the directory tree, and have a tedious import/capture procedure. Ulead captured my videos quickly and I was able to return the card to use in the camera in minutes. I'll write a full review of Ulead in a few days, as the software has it's quirks. But so far, editing the AVCHD format is a nonissue.
 AVCHD Is Hard To Work With August 12, 2008
21 out of 24 found this review helpful
One thing that was left out in all the reviews is that if you want to edit the AVCHD clips you've recorded, you'll need a high-powered PC or MAC. The specs called for in the supplied software indicate that the user must have a Pentium D processor at minimum to edit clips. My PC was four years old with a Pentium 4 HD processor, and it was not able to play back the video clips smoothly enough for me to even edit them. I have an Nvidia GeForce 7600 video card with 512Mb of RAM and also 4Gb of RAM on the motherboard.
Also, the software only burns to DVD-R disks and my PC had only DVD+R capability, so I had to buy a new writer to burn the AVCHD DVD's which did play in HD on my Sony PS3. As far as MAC's go, there is no way to burn a DVD in full 1080i high-def on a MAC...even with Final Cut Pro. Yes, it will import the AVCHD files and you can edit them, but you cannot actually burn the edited movie in full 1080i high-def onto a DVD without having to use a 3rd party piece of software.
I visited the local Apple store and after 2 hours of them playing with it, they produced a DVD for me to take home to play on my PS3...and guess what, the PS3 would not even recognize the disk!
Don't get me wrong, this camera takes beautiful, full 1080i high-def video, but once you've downloaded the files to your computer, it's almost impossible to burn those AVCHD files back onto a DVD for playback in full 1080i high-def unless you've got a Blu-Ray disk player such as the Sony PS3. The people at the Apple store indicated that Final Cut Express would import the AVCHD files, but would then convert them into an intermediate codec which ends up downgrading the clips to less than full 1080i high-def.
They told me to actually burn the edited movie onto a DVD in full 1080i high-def, I'd have to buy Roxio's Toast 9! Is amazed me that even their $1000 Final Cut Pro required the purchase of an $80 piece of software to complete the process!
The AVCHD format is the future, but I'm afraid there's just too little in the way of a simple workflow to actually be able to import, edit, and then burn these AVCHD format movies onto a DVD for playback in full 1080i high-def on ones HD TV set. I have spent a month researching this, and decided that I was just not willing to upgrade to an entirely new computer with an Intel Duo Quad Processor to work with the AVCHD files that these cameras produce.
The new Sony Vegas 8 Platinum will burn the AVCHD files to a DVD, but again, check out the required hardware specs on Sony's website and you'll see that the minimum requirements for hardware are probably much more than what you have unless you bought your PC within the last year.
Based upon all of this, I finally decided to return the camera and wait until this newly adopted AVCHD format is easier to work with. By the way, for most of us, a Blu-Ray disk writer and the BD blank media are just too expensive to buy. Most people will most likely want to burn high-definition DVD's instead, that will play in full 1080i high-def; 30 minutes on a single layer DVD and 60 minutes on a dual layer DVD.
You will see that virtually all of the software currently available; including Adobe's just released Premier Elements 4.0 will NOT burn AVCHD files onto a DVD! In fact, it does not even support AVCHD files created by Canon HD camcorders that are in the AVCHD format! And Sony's Vegas 8.0 Platinum also does not support Canon's AVCHD files.
It's all way to difficult for the average consumer. Pretty much your only option to see your movies in full 1080i high-def will be to attach the camcorder via an HDMI cable (not included) to your HDTV. This will allow you to watch your raw un-edited footage directly from your camcorder. However, the HDMI cable you'll need costs about $40-$50! And don't think you can use a standard HDMI cable...no, it takes a special one which has a MINI-HDMI at one end and a standard HDMI to plug on the other!
WOW...what a pain. The marketing information is very flowery in its description, but the reality is far different. Do your research and you will that the products out there for editing these AVCHD movies simply fail to mention anything about actually BURNING the results onto a standard DVD for playback in high-def on a regular DVD home player. Why? Because you cannot! You MUST own a Sony PS3 to do this!
In short, "buyer beware" on any HD Camcorder which records in the AVCHD format. And as a topper, each camera manufacturer who supports AVCHD format does so in their own way, so the editing software that will import AVCHD files from one brand of camcorder MAY NOT import is from another.
Even the Pixela SE software that Canon supplies (which is bare bones, but does work) will ONLY work with files from these "HF" series camcorders from Canon! Oh, by the way, the Instruction Manual for using the Pixela SE software that Canon includes with the camera IS NOT available for download on Canon's website, but rather, one must buy the camera first and it's included on a CD which you'll find in the box! Only the Installation Instructions are posted on Canon's website! Why you ask? Well once you see the manual you'll find out that the hardware requirements probably exceed what you own, rendering the software almost unusable.
Again, let me repeat...this is a fabulous camcorder and the HD video is spectacular! It's the bigger issue of "what do I do with the files on the SD card now that I've shot the video?" that will stop you in your tracks.
Great camcorder, poor software April 14, 2008
18 out of 21 found this review helpful
5 stars for hardware, 1 for software
I had this camcorder and a canon HV20. The HF100 a much better camcorder in several ways that are important to me. 1) Tapeless - that means I can transfer to computer a lot faster and earlier. 2) Responsive - little time lag between press of record button and actual recording, compared to HV20. 3) Same great image quality - i can't tell much difference in quality between HF100 and HV20, even though HF100 had higher recorded resolution, and the HV20 had a larger sensor. 4) compactness. Similar to the HV20, the HF100 had not much of a wide-angle to speak of, but the wide converter lens (which i do not have) is lighter and cheaper.
The HV20 does have better battery life. The HF100 had about 1.5 hour. I never had to worry about battery in the HV20. The H.264 video recorded by HF100 plays fine on a core 2 duo 2.4 GHz, but cannot keep up on a dual core 2.0 GHz AMD box -- you need relatively fast computers. Not canon's fault though.
The bundled software is unstable to a point of being unusable (on two separate XP boxes I tried). After many attempts (amid reboots, etc) I finally managed to convert one video clip to a resolution for web use, but the image quality is shameful. I tried several software that claimed to support AVCHD without success, and eventually worked out a conversion workflow that involves storing downscaled uncompressed video, which is rather painful.
 AVCHD isn't ready for primetime yet May 27, 2008
18 out of 40 found this review helpful
I purchased this camera as a replacement for my JVC GR-DVM70. I loved the idea of recording to solid state memory, and creating videos in high definition since I have two high definition tv sets.
What I have learned is, the video format AVCHD is just not supported yet. I purchased a game console to view the videos and that works well, but since I am the only one who has the game console I am the only person who can view my movies. :(.
The software that comes with the camera is bare bones. It will not allow you to convert AVCHD to standard DVD except directly from the camera. The problem is, the video on the camera is not edited hence if you choose to do this, the dvd will have all the junk that you taped that you don't want to see. The software has edit capability, but it is not intuitive. And I edited a 30 minute movie to remove some footage, and it took 3 hours for the software to save the small edited file! Supposedly you can save the file back to the camera and then save the file from the camera to dvd. I tried this, but canceled the operation because of the time constraint. It takes 5 to 6 hours to do this for a 30 minute video.
The camera does not have an auto fade, the specs are wrong. It has semi-auto fade. While video taping, you need to press the joy stick to tell the camera to fade out when the pause button is pressed. Pressing the joystick while recording makes the camera shake and ruins the video. Another pet peeve is that the date and time can not be retained on the final video. And the stabilizer isn't very good once you zoom out to about 10X and beyond. And it has no view finder, for those bright sunny days. Also it insists on being plugged into the wall outlet when you hook it up to your PC.
The movies that this camera takes which I play on the ps3 in HD look no better than the video that my 8 year old JVC took. Go figure. No motor noise on the movies from the HF100 however.
The nice things about the camera are it's size, it is very portable and it records directly to solid state SDHC. It does a decent job of recording in low light. The still images it takes are decent.
I will take the gamble and continue to make my AVCHD movies and store them. Hopefully editors and blue ray players will be developed and be affordable so that I can share my movies one day.
Impressive video quality May 5, 2008
17 out of 19 found this review helpful
I bought the HF100 as a replacement for the 720p Sanyo Xacti HD-1. The Xacti is compact, but has poor video quality indoors, its smallness results in a lot of camera shake, and it required repair after a few months, indicating poor manufacturing quality. The Canon HF100 kind of fits in a jacket pocket or in the side pockets of baggy pants or shorts, but it weighs down your clothing significantly. But the key point is that the video is stunning when viewed on a 24" 1920x1200 computer monitor. The sharpness is incredible, with good sensitivity for indoor movies. Image stabilization is pretty good as I was able to obtain sharp images of craters on the moon at full zoom. I was pleased that iMovie '08 recognized the SD card immediately and I had no problem transferring and playing movies on a high-end desktop (Mac Pro 3.2 GHz). The 24p mode seems like a gimmick given that you have 30p, and the "cinema mode" merely gives you less saturation and the appearance of higher dynamic range, which is useful in sunlit situations. I like the video light, which is quite strong, and I consider an "effect" a la the Blair Witch Project. I wish that these types of camcorders had a better built-in wide angle capability, but the wide screen aspect does give you back some of that in the horizontal direction. Also, a 2-yr old SD card that I had worked fine, but could not record at the very highest data rates (yet the picture was still very sharp). Photos are very good, rivaling a 7 MP Kodak point-and-shoot that I recently bought (V712), which goes to show the benefit of having a good Canon lens.
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