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Canon BP-827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG 20/21, HF11/10 & 100 Camcorders is the battery it should have came with though it sticks out a little more in the back. The only negative thing I could say about this camera is that the battery life is pretty short so you'll have to buy a spare if you plan on recording for an extended period without being near a recharging outlet. Still I'm happy with the purchase and have no regrets. The picture is excellent and the camera is easy to use. Video editing is a cinch using Final Cut Express.
Editing in particular is so painful I've given up on it.Battery dies too fast; even the upgraded battery doesn't last all that long. It also puts the videos in folders based upon date of filming, not date of download. Had mine over a year now. Keep several spares or get a cigarette lighter adapter or seperate AC plug-in charger (the installed battery can be charged only if in the camera, which is a problem if you're using it at the time).Another minor quirk is that when you download the videos to a computer, it gives them filenames that are useless and too long. Sometimes this is useful if you don't remember the date of filming, other times it's just a hassle to change it, especially on many videos.Still, all in all, I'm very happy with the camcorder. Relatively easy to use; this was my first camcorder, and having both the "easy" automatic feature, plus manual controls for adjusting lighting types, etc is nice.Only complaints I have: lousy software included with it. Not easy to use, low on features.
3) I wish this camera had a wider-angle lens. I take videos of my dogs, car, sporting events, weddings, everything and am always impressed with the video when I play it back on my HDTV. I have found that in medium to low-light situations it is best to turn the I.AF mode off, since it only really works in bright light. Overall, I like the "Cinema" setting for indoor settings the best, and outdoors "P" mode on "Vivid" really makes the colors pop. While its a bit pricey, you will be able to get much more of the room in every shot, making the video feel more "expansive" in its coverage. EVER.
Video and focus is sharp at all zoom levels, showing off the quality Canon optics. There's an advanced one you can mount to the hotshoe. The image stabilization is not as strong as on some other cameras, but I feel it is a good compromise between shaky video and sloppy panning. Want more microphone sesitivity. For anyone doing lots of indoor shooting, I would recommend the Canon WD-H37 II Wide Converter Lens for HD camcorders.
There's a wide angle lens too. There's a hotshoe light available too. In medium to low light, the camera will try to use the I.AF sensor for a couple seconds before resorting to "cruder" methods, leaving you with fuzzy video until the AF catches up. There are many capacity options available. In medium to low light, I feel that its performance is as good or better than the competition.
4) The styling and ergonomics of the camera are comfortable, and well thought out. 3)I love the size of the camera. It's a sleek looking camera, and one people can be jealous of. It's definitely small enough to carry in your pocket or stuff in some extra space in your backpack, and the video it takes makes you wonder if a larger more professional-level camera is behind the video. More light. I have had this camera for a bit over 6 months now, and have to say it is a very impressive piece of technology. To combat this, I bought a Canon BP-827 Battery (2670 mAh) which is three times the storage of the included Canon BP-809 battery (870 mAh). Need more zoom.
The larger battery does stick out the back and somewhat ruin the look of the camera, but the extra capacity is worth the pain. As with all cameras don't bother trying the digital zoom. Small, lightweight, yet still feature-rich and a strong performer in full-HD. Expect around 1 hour and 20 minutes of recording before it's time to change.
etc. 2) The zoom is strong, and has a well-matched image stabilization system to match. As an added plus, there are also a lot of aftermarket 37mm filters available. With the two batteries, I get a total of around 5 hours of recording time, which matches the memory I have (40Gb of SD cards are good for about 5 hours at maximum resolution/quality settings). It's a great camera that you can carry in your pocket and take near-semi-pro level video (in good light).
2) The autofocus can be slow and inaccurate, especially in medium to low light. More battery life. That being said, it has certain limitations that you have to be aware of when shooting: 1) Battery life is not great with the included battery. Even then, I often find the camera will automatically focus on the incorrect subject unless you subject is direcly in the middle of the screen, a minus for "artistic" framing. The memory cards I use are Sandisk Ultra II 16GB, they work great.
More wide angle. You can select decreased resolution for the less important stuff, you can select 3 framerates to adjust the feel, you can change the white balance, the aperture, shutter speed, etc. 5) I like the available accessories for the camera, making it possible to customize the camera to your needs rather than buy a camera that fits all needs. I may be asking too much, but I feel like the autofocus takes a long time to decide to work.
Overall my favorite features are: 1) Plethora of video settings. Overall, you have some flexibility in customizing the camera to your shooting style. You can by a 2X telephoto attachment. I feel the 12X zoom is enough for most situations, but a 2x tele attachment is available for the so-inclined (although I would recommend a tripod to go with it).
It's hard to wedge a lot of buttons on a small camera, so most of the camera's features are available through internal menus, which I'm fine with.
Get the cable for $11 at MonoPrice.com; it works great. They have capacity for 2-hrs each of high def video; plenty of space, and the card reader helps for plugging into a PC USB port since my memory slot does not read the high capacity SD cards. I'm glad I got the flash memory rather than the hard drive as I run around at times trying to capture some good footage. I had bought a Tripp Lite Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable (6 feet) and it had a very poor connector and did not work. of usage and use the original battery (1-hr) as a backup. I bought the Canon HF100 Flash memory and I'm very happy with it.
Wow. To connect directly to HDTV you'll need a separately purchased mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. I use it for my son's track & field and cross country events and my daughter's soccer and basketball. I also got 2 Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card with Compact Card Reader. Overall excellent camera with these extras. I don't yet have an HDTV, but hooked it up to a 50" HDTV using an separately purchased HDMI cable and the color an images are stunning.
I purchased the Canon | BP-827 | Battery Pack for 4-hrs.
Can't say enough about it. This camera takes great video, is light and compact. I am going to order a spare battery just in case - probably one of the cheap non-Canon ones. Had a Sony HD prior (lost in Florida) that didn't compare. controls are easy to use. SD chips are the way to go for storage.
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