Canon Legria HF G10

I picked it up in the afternoon and was shooting work that night, and it never missed a beat. The basic functions are all set ready to use straight away. Usually I am happy with a PDF manual but this time I wished it had a paper version as I was keen to use many of the features if obviously has. The big lens needs a UV filter to stop it getting dirty like you would on a still camera. A fast SD card and expect brilliant videos that are best viewed on a big screen TV even HD DVD's don't look this good.

I have found that the camera is equal to the reviews that I read before my purchase and I am very happy with its performance. It is not a major problem but I do find that the battery life is not as good as I would like, but I can live with the current situation.

The Canon Legria HFG10 is considered a prosumer camcorder (which mean pro features in a consumer camcorder) at a $1799 (when I purchased) price tag its hard to justify general consumers purchasing it unless they are buying it for a specific purpose.

That being said the image quality is very high, the build quality is solid, although a bit bulky its still feel very nice to hold even with small hands. A few things I really like about this camcorder is the manual focus ring giving more control, having the ability to control aperture, white balance and shutter speed. I also liked the addition of the lens hood giving the lens protection from the sun.

A big issue with this camcorder is its battery life, at the highest recording setting I find the battery only lasts 70-80mins which for me is an issue. It's probably worth picking up an extra battery, but at $120-$199 it's pretty expensive. The LCD touchscreen can be an issue as sometimes it's not that responsive. The MP for photo taking is only 2.37 which is not that great, but its no big deal as its a camcorder which its main function is to take video which it does well. Another limitation I found with this camcorder is that it can't record 50fps, which for a camcorder this high up a bit disappointing.

Overall the camcorder has features that other higher end prosumer camcorders have such as external mic input, HDMI out, ability to record in 24fps, 25fps, 50i, dual SD cart slot, inbuilt stereo mic (which is actually pretty decent), proprietory accessory shoe (not a cold shoe mount) and the various manual control options which I mention above.

Who would I recommend this to? Probably not general consumers who want a basic point and shoot camcorder. This is more better suited for someone starting videography or beginner film making. And for anyone who films with a DSLR this is a solid addition to anyone's kit.

Anyone looking for a mid to high end video camera should not look any further than the Canon Legria HFG10. This is a must have camera with every feature you could want. Don't waste your time on products that don't deliver. This camera has everything you need!!!

Very impressive Lens. I also use a SONY HDR-SR12, so I miss the tilt on the Viewfinder.
The image is very good, except when I pan, the image is not sharp. I do use the image
stabiliser. The USB terminal not in a good position, just under the grip belt.
Otherwise I am very happy with the Camera.