Product ReviewsCanon HF R30 (8192 GB) AVCHD Camcorder

R30 The light weight entry digial camera, I would recommend!

So when you break from Hi-8 and DV, what's next...The R30. Read the specs of this and other machines. You'll come back. Light weight, high quality, cheap media. The camera is basically split in half. The AVCHD, which this machine favors and MP4. On the AVCHD side it offers 5 speeds with LP at the bottom to MXP. Up there you better settle for a 32 or 64 gb. I can get 5hrs in LP with 16gb but resolution drops. Then you have it's playback side with multiple ways to sort and view the material. MP4 is great for quick shots or Parties etc. You could use an 8gb for that. The touch screen needs to be more sensitive and a greater navigation tool. They use the other two buttons, home and playback. The zoom and Iris control are also available on screen if you want, or you can decorate with a scribe or video spice like stars and bubles. I was impressed with its real zoom and digital take as well. The motor makes a little noise, so in quiet passages be careful. I used the camera as a sound recorder at an open concert. You can close the display and still record. Great sound and if you plug in a mic you'll get two sound levels for Cam and external mic. Transferring data was at first a problem, so I bought a usb to sd card reader and can easily dump my data to my pc. Wifi is for ipads and iphones. I also can use Eye-FI and send it right to my pc via router. When shooting at night forget it, except when there is enough light to read. This cam is only good down to .4 lumens or moon glow. Steady shot coupled with zoom, actually improves the close ups! So ya this is my best camera even thou I got it refurbished which has taken on a new meaning something is wrong. I can't use the relay device that allows you to auto switch your data from internal (8gb) to external during long shoots. I just use bigger sd cards. Easy fix. No moving parts, except zoom. Charge batteries, erase data and use over again. It's a huge asset to my recording services I perform. I use the raw data and edit to DVD using VideoStudio or Edit down to sound and use Magix Audio and Cleaner... All these devices work better because my source is good quality. Those who have Flat Screen, You can hdmi out or convert to RGB with cable. You can directly connect to your VCR or composite in and show off your works. The camera alone has a built in editor and you can convert the big HD down to a lower SD inside the camera. Comes with software and a few cables. Go buy bigger batteries right away, BP 727 (the coded type). Also I use those cheap China batteries cause you can charge them separately. Read the manual before you buy. It is a great deal.Read full review...

A good bargain, but buy a larger battery.

Actually, not a bad camcorder, particularly for the price. Image quality excellent, both photo and video. Others' remarks about difficulty of using touchscreen controls is, in my opinion, overblown. If you want manual controls, buy something different. What I really miss is a viewfinder, especially in bright sunlight. But this camcorder, like so many others in an affordable price range, doesn't have one. Some advice: buy the larger battery and a charger, though you can charge directly at the camcorder using the included power adapter. I use an external SD card, and the 8GB internal memory can hold a lot of video.Read full review...

Full HD, pay a little more, get a better picture and features from this.

I have been a fan of Canon products for some time. It seems that they always have the best cost/feature benefits for me, of all the camera brands. First, this is FULL HD, which means 1080p, not 720. It uses a touch screen, which works very nicely. It is so light that it is hard to believe the results. The color reproduction is simply a marvel. Once you try it, you would never want a disc or tape camera, again. The exposure and focus are not true manual, despite what it says, though. You touch the screen where you want the focus, and compensate for the exposure. You really need a good SD card, the internal memory is too small, and you should buy the extended battery, the supplied one runs out. Buy the Canon brand battery, others work, but give an error message. It has an external mike input (important) even though the internal mikes are very good. Unlike tape and disc cameras, this is silent in operation, there is no chance of camera noise in the recording. I did a music video of my friends, and you get the bass, and everything. While some cameras are a little cheaper, and look similar (may use some of the same parts) you should spring for the extra $50-$100, and get this. Also has decent image stabilization. This product would be both for family events, and for amateur video, except it does not seem rugged. Not for young children, who might pull on the flip screen, which is otherwise a wonderful feature. Bottom line: put this on your list, and budget for the larger battery, and extra-large capacity SD card, and you are set. Look also for a camera case for it, I don't know if they make one. Note: All serious photographers and videographers purchase extra batteries, and memory cards.Read full review...

Canon vixia HF R30

It can seem intimidating if your not used to Canon camcorders it took me a little bit to figure out how to change video quality and zoom settings because they are buried in menu's. I suggest reading the manual. The video quality is good on a bright sunny day, could be better in lower light situations. Photos are good enough for Facebook uploads and what not. The factory battery life is ridiculously low. I purchased a couple 2 hour after market batteries for it. Other than that it is a decent camcorder especially for the price I got it used on eBay for.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: purc2523

Excellent camera, great deal!

This camera has been exactly what I was looking for. The picture is really clear in a low light setting, which is what I needed. I love the touchscreen and the ease of moving recordings to the computer. This is my first video camera purchase in about 8 years and I am really happy with it. I wish the battery was better, which was the biggest issue in reviews I read. I did find good battery packs that last longer, but can't be read by the camera for battery life. I can live with this for the price I paid for a two pack!Read full review...

Amazing first camcorder!

I have used canon cameras for years, so it didn't surprise me that this camera had great quality. It is user friendly and has great picture quality

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: andregand_0

I have made thousands of youtube videos with mine and has a good mic

Good Camera with filp screen, so necessary when filming alone. It's all about the lighting

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: grumsphast

The external inputs are faulty & the battery life is horrible. Skip it!

I bought the vixiar30 refurbished from to different sellers & both had the same problems. They had faulty inputs for both mic & earphones along with a very very short battery life panning 5-15minute only. The camera touch screen was a nice feature as well as the wifi capabilities. However, if you can't use an external mic or earphones you are out of luck. The built in mic is ok but if you want use the camera outside you will need an external mic & this camera does not make this possible. I suggest buyers skip this canon vixiaR30.Read full review...

awesome product and great value for the money

excellent sound and excellent video camera , is a true work of technology as it has internal hard drive and has wifi cin to send videos quickly to the web , the recominedo quite apart from its price and quality is well above the restRead full review...

Happy

Awesome product thanks

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: service_se11er