3. Canon HV20 High Definition Camcorder

by Barry Gerber

Canon’s HV20 hi-def camcorder got lots of raves this year. Like Panasonic’s HDC-SD5, the HV20 is small and light, and it has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a consumer-level HD camcorder-if perhaps not all the ones you might want. However, most user praise focuses on the camcorder’s excellent image quality, and the technology behind it.

The HV20 has two settings that create film quality images: 24p and CINE. Videos are normally shot at 30 frames per second, while the 24p setting slows capture to the movie theater rate of 24 frames per second. CINE creates colors typical of those you see in movies at a theater. Either setting can be used independently of the other. These two settings combine with the camcorder’s 1920x1080 true HD CMOS sensor to produce images that, as one HV20 owner I talked to said, “...literally pop off the screen like a photo with the proper Curves settings in Photoshop”. Canon has also found a way to make all of this possible while using a 1/2.7” 2.96 megapixel single CMOS image sensor (2.07 for 1920x1080 16:9 HD movies).

Also contributing to image quality is Canon’s specially designed HD video lens. Canon has been in the lens business for quite some time, and from all reports that experience shows well in the HV20’s lens. For the record, the zoom covers 6.1 - 61mm and the aperture goes from f/1.8 to f/3.0, depending on the zoom setting.

The HV20’s dimensions are 3.5” x 3.2” x 5.4”, and it weighs 1.2 lb (544.3g). That’s slightly larger and heavier than the Panasonic HDC-SD5, but still qualifies the camcorder as a sub-mini. The HV20 records on high-definition or standard MiniDV cassettes. Canon recommends the HD cassettes.

Bettering Panasonic’s HDC-SD5, the HV20 has a range of input capabilities, including an A/V Minijack, so you can record from other audio/video sources, USB and Firewire ports for various functions, and a most welcome microphone input jack. The A/V Minijack is bi-directional, so you can output from the camera to other devices. Other outputs include HDMI and component video, and there’s also a headphone jack. Manual control is available for focus and exposure, while white balance and audio level settings are auto only.

The main drawbacks I’ve heard about from owners relate to the camcorder’s weak low light shooting capability, lack of manual white balance and audio level controls, and a tendency for image capture to stop a second or two after the record button is pressed. That’s not a lot to worry about in a camera with such stellar credentials, though, making the HV20 certainly worth considering, especially with prices seemingly coming down every day.

Here’s Sarah with Canon’s new HG10 HD camcorder. A bit smaller and lighter than the HV20, the HG10 records to a 40GB hard disk in the same AVCHD format as the Panasonic HDC-SD5. Its features are very similar to those of the HV20, adding manual white balance.