Canon Vixia HF M400 review (Black)

With the Vixia HF M4xx series of HD camcorders, Canon maintains its reputation for delivering a solid midrange consumer camcorder, once again at slightly higher prices than those of the competition. The series consists of three nearly identical models. The cheapest, the M400, has no built-in memory, the M40 adds 16GB, and the M41 adds another 16GB plus an electronic viewfinder. All use the same HD CMOS Pro sensor found in the HF G10, but paired with a smaller, less expensive lens. This review is based on the Vixia HF M41.

Overall, the camcorder's video looks relatively sharp--and like most looks even better played directly on a TV. There is some aliasing on edges, generally a result of the interlaced video format; one difference between the M4xx series and its step-up sibling is the lack of a native 1080 progressive encoding format instead of the AVCHD standard of encoding 24fps and 30fps video as 60i.

Exposure and color rendering look very good, with a broad tonal range--there's no excessive clipping in the highlights or shadows. Though the M4xx series uses the same sensor as the more expensive HF G10, the lenses are very different, and it shows in a variety of ways. In this case, the more pentagonal aperture renders less pleasing out-of-focus highlights. That probably won't matter to most potential users of this model, but will affect those seeking a more artistic look.

The camcorder's low-light video (about 17 lux) looks quite good; a little soft, but with a nice balance between sharpness and color saturation and accuracy in its noise reduction. Lower light--dim living-room quality--displays more softness and color noise, but I think most people would consider it acceptable.

For shooting stills, the low-resolution sensor may not suit some folks' need for large still photos. Like the G10, the stills look sharp and fall just short of looking too digital; they look fine onscreen and printed, but I wouldn't recommend printing them larger than 4.5x8 inches.

As for audio, the stereo microphone is quite sensitive with a bright sound, but the automatic wind filter doesn't work as well as I'd like. It has a decent set of audio tools, including the ability to mix internal and external levels, set directionality (mono, normal, wide, zoom), equalize (boost LF, low cut, boost MF), boost HF+LF), and attenuate.

	Canon Vixia HF R200/ R20/R21	Canon Vixia HF M300/M30/ M31/M32	Canon Vixia HF M400/M40/ M41	Canon Vixia HF S200/ S20/S21	Canon Vixia HF S30
Sensor (effective resolution)	2.07-megapixel CMOS (Dynamic IS on: 1.47 megapixels Advanced Zoom on: 1.04 megapixels )	2.99-megapixel CMOS	2.07-megapixel HD CMOS Pro	6-megapixel CMOS	6-megapixel CMOS
	1/4.85 inch	1/4 inch	1/3 inch	1/2.6 inch	1/2.6 inch
Lens	20x f1.8-3.6 41.2-824mm (Standard IS)	15x f1.8-3.2 39.5-592.5mm	10x f1.8-3.0 43.6-436mm	10x f1.8-3.0 43.5-435mm	10x f1.8-3.0 43.5-435mm
Closest focus	0.4 inch	0.4 inch	0.4 inch	0.4 inch	0.4 inch
Min illumination (lux)	recommended: 100 standard: 5 low light: 0.4	recommended: 100 standard: 5.5 low light: 0.4	recommended: 100 standard: 1.5 low light: 0.1	recommended: 100 standard: 4 low light: 0.3	recommended: 100 standard: 4 low light: 0.3
EVF	None	None	None/None/ 0.24-inch 260,000 dots	None/None/ 0.23-inch 123,000 dots	0.27-inch 123,000 dots
LCD	3-inch 230,000 dots	2.7-inch 211,000 dots	3-inch 230,000 dots	3.5-inch 922,000 dots	3.5-inch 922,000 dots
Primary media	0GB/8GB/ 32GB internal; 2 x SDXC	0GB/8GB/ 32GB/64GB internal; 1 x SDHC (SDXC on M32)	0GB/16GB/ 32GB internal; 2 x SDXC	0GB/32GB/ 64GB internal; 2 x SDHC	32GB internal; 2 x SDXC
HD recording	AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 24, 17 Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i @ 12, 7, 5 Mbps (also encodes 30p and 24p as 60i)	AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 24, 17 Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i @ 12, 7, 5 Mbps (also encodes 30p and 24p as 60i)	AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 24, 17 Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i @ 12, 7, 5 Mbps (also encodes 30p and 24p as 60i)	AVCHD: 1080/60i/24p @ 24, 17 Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i/24p 12, 7, 5 Mbps (also encodes 30p and 24p as 60i)	AVCHD: 1080/60i/24p @ 24, 17 Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i/24p 12, 7, 5 Mbps (also encodes 30p and 24p as 60i)
Manual shutter speed (video)	None	1/6 - 1/2000 sec	1/6 - 1/2000 sec	1/6 - 1/2000 sec	1/6 - 1/2000 sec
Manual iris	None	f1.8-f8	f1.8-f8	f1.8-f8	f1.8-f8
Built-in ND filter	No	No	No	No	No
Accessory shoe	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Audio	2 channels; mic, headphone jacks	2 channels (5.1 via optional mic); mic, headphone jacks	2 channels (5.1 via optional mic); mic, headphone jacks	2 channels (5.1 via optional mic); mic, headphone jacks	2 channels (5.1 via optional mic); mic, headphone jacks
Body dimensions (WHD, inches)	2.4 x 2.4 x 4.8	2.7 x 2.4 x 4.8	2.9 x 2.8 x 5.2	3.0 x 2.9 x 5.5/ 3.0 x 2.9 x 5.8 (S21)	3.0 x 2.9 x 5.8
Operating weight (pounds)	10.9 (est)	13.1	14.3	18	17.6 (est)
Mfr. Price	$379.99/ $399.99/ $499.99	$549.99/ $599.99/ $699.99/ $999.99	$649.99/ $699.99/ $799.99	$899.99/ $999.99/ $1,299.99	$1,099.99
Ship date	March 2011	March 2010	April 2011	March 2010	March 2011