VIXIA HF M300
3.8
5
10
10
Good Basic Camcorder
I bought this camera to do basic EFP and ENG jobs, cheap camera for school projects and home videos. the camera has great quality, but lacks basic manual features that I would love to use easily. This is a great camera for a beginner who doesn't know what there doing, but if you want to be able to easily adjust focus, iris and white balance, this camera may not be for you. all the whitebalance, exposure, and focus controls are operable via touch screen, meaning that you may get a jitter in your video when u tap the screen (you move the camera). There is no easy gain control, and the manual focus is temperamental. The camera is lightweight and durable which is good, but doesn't have a viewfinder. This is a great camera for simple home videos and for school projects, but not suitable for someone with a good video background. T
September 15, 2011
I simply wanted a video camera to make videos of my family. 1month later a few people saw a video and 2 different people hired me to film things and events for them. I was encouraged to start a business. The biggest complement I get is how good the video looks. From small sized youtube videos to large screen video display at an art showing, the video looked crisp and hollywood movie quality. Sometimes the software was slow to start filming or to take a snapshot. I overcame this by just turning it on and shooting everything. 2 batteries is 3 to 4 hours of video.
June 18, 2011
Great value
In this purchase, I wanted and received a compact HD camera. It has multiple functions which a more adventurous videographer might choose to employ. I know that these are there but I also know that the competent fully automatic performance is what I will rely on. This seems to be dependable enough for me to capture the G-kids and our trips both as video and still frame shots. (I rarely print photos.)
The complaints that I agree with are the short battery life, cost of Canon accessories, and the lack of a printed manual.
A counter argument on battery life is that at max video quality on an 8 gig card, you'll get your card filled (40 minutes).
I will buy a larger capacity unit as a primary power source. I will keep purchasing 8 gig cards so that I can divide my 'artistic efforts' into comprehensible sizes. I do prefer cards to built-in memory. These memory chips weigh nada and are easily locked down to protect the information contained. Unlocked, means ready to use. Initializing/formatting these chips can be done in your computer. Internal memory can only be erased and readied by the camera and it's time and power consuming. Buy chips!
One issue that caught me by surprise was that my camera would rattle when off. It sounded like marbles were rolling around in there! I called Technical Support and was advised by Lauren that this is normal. The motors that are used for optical stabilization, when powered down, allow loose motion of the control mechanisms. I felt that this could have been mentioned in the manual. Like way near the front.
I got the 301 from Costco at a VERY good price and am more than pleased that my research led me to this jewel. If your demands are reasonable for what you are spending, this is a great value. If you understand that venturing into the menus can be daunting but that you normally don't have to, you'll be gratified. I felt that some of the negative comments here were generated by personal issues and unreasonable expectations.
As an incidental reply to one comment, all of my amateur camcorders over the past 25 years have had noise from the zoom motors included in recorded, otherwise quiet, passages.
Anything I do not mention here is of sufficient quality to me to be passable and an indication of good performance.
May 19, 2011
Needs Viewfinder
I bought this camera to take vacation and family video which is shot mostly in bright sun. It is impossible to see anything on the LCD screen. I even bought their optional LCD hood, but it was useless. Professional camcorders have view finders why not consumer camcorders. The battery that comes with it is too small. You have to buy a bigger one. On the plus side it takes great video and has a lot of nice features for the money.
February 11, 2011
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