Black Friday see store specials
The Canon HV30 is the successor to the award winning HV20 camcorder, building upon the same core as the HV20 adding some extra features in response to fans and critics. On the surface the cameras look very similar with the HV30 coming in black instead of silver and retaining the same barrel shaped form factor to accommodate the 10x optical zoom lens. Alongside the same lens the HV30 uses the same progressive capture 1/2.7" CMOS sensor that records video in the HDV format (1440x1080 resolution) onto miniDV tapes. The major improvements come from fixing some annoying design decisions of the HV20 and the addition of a 30p recording mode for Internet content.
MSRP $1,000.00
Release date February, 2008
love it
want it
have it
tag it
Pros & Cons8
Reviews2
Details
Buy It
Competitors2
Related4
Gallery8
Pros & Cons
1 positive
1 mixed
0 negative
![[i]](/images/info.png)
How is the ProSCORE calculated?
show me!
The ProSCORE is calculated based on the ratio of Pros & Cons about this product as voted by
approved reviewers from the ProductWiki community.
ProSCORE = 100 x (Pro votes) / [(Pro votes) + (Con votes)]
Numbers used for this ProSCORE:
Pro votes = 6
Con votes = 4
Total votes = 10
If you want to help improve the accuracy of the results, register and start voting!
» see the top ranked reviewers
[close]
Details
Specs
- 10x optical zoom lens
- 3.1MP CMOS sensor
- up to 1080i video recording
- miniDV tapes for storage
- 2.7" LCD monitor, 211K pixels
- Internal lens cover mechanism
- Battery life: 1 hour
- Data ports: USB2.0, Firewire
- Video ports: Component, S-Video, HDMI
The instant auto focus mechanism uses a separate AF sensor to determine distance to the subject, with the image processor handling the finer adjustments. In good lighting conditions and using the standard 60i recording mode the AF takes about 2 seconds to work. The number decreases when the lighting is lower and can be dramatically increased if the AF sensor is covered, and the 24p/30p shooting modes are used.
The 24p shooting mode is a carry-over from the HV20 and attempts to simulate the more blurred motion of natural film movies. Canon also includes the cine shooting mode that changes gamma and color settings to achieve a more muted film-like look. New for 2008 is the introduction of the 30p mode. This mode captures a progressive image at 30 frames per second. The benefit of 30p is that it converts better to Internet formats that are usually viewed at 15 frames per second. Alongside the natural blurring that occurs at the 24p/30p modes, these slower capture rates have the added benefit of better low light performance.
Submit a link
This report was started
January 30, 2008 at 11:23 am by
Omar
with the last edit occurring
April 11, 2008 at 11:44 am by
Amanie
This page has been viewed
5111 times,
with
32 edits by
4 contributors.
See the
full report history »
Buy It
Competitors
Canon HV30 is ranked 2nd among it's competitors.
See the
top picks in
Camcorders »
MSRP $1,099.00
Released February, 2008
Pros
- HDV is a standard format that all video software recognizes
- Plenty of manual controls
- Good selection of outputs including USB2.0, Firewire, Component, HDMI
- Great video capture quality
- Internal, automatic lens cover
Cons
- Still limited to proprietary Sony accessories
Canon HV30
25%
vs.
Sony Handycam HDR-HC9
75%
MSRP $1,499.00
Released --
HD on an HDD. In non-acronym terms that's high-definition on a hard drive disk is what the JVC Everio GZ-HD7. This Everio by JVC contains a 60GB hard drive for storing recorded video eliminating the need for removable tapes. At the camcorder's highest quality setting of 1920x1080i recording, the hard drive can capture up...
Canon HV30
vs.
JVC HD Everio GZ-HD7
Reviews
January 30, 2008
approved
reviewer
want it
Pros
- 30p mode is a very welcome addition
- Same great recording performance as HV20
- Much improved hot shoe cover that doesn't fall off
- Great manual controls
- Fast auto focus
Cons
- No focus ring
- Worse than Sony for ease of use
- Auto-Focus snaps to focus instantly
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
February 7, 2008
approved
reviewer
Pros
- 30p mode is a very welcome addition
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
Price comparison information by:
This product is also known as:
HV, 30, HV30
