Canon Vixia HF200 user reviews

Pros This camera has 1. HD quality, 2. optical image stabization, good warranty, multiple outputs including YUV & HDMI, and an external mic jack. A nice feature set, and I shopped for them.

Cons 1. The menus are kinda wacky, 2. the software is hard to use, even for a network geek like me, and 3. if you want to use it for a Webcam (for Skype) you'll need USB drivers AND an aspect conversion box (HD to SD)

Summary At the time of this writing, this camcorder is two generations old, but still has killer quality.

Pros I just picked up my HF200 and I have to tell you, I was blown away. This camera is beautiful, the quality is amazing and I didn't spend thousands of dollars on it. It is the best buy if you're looking to upgrade to HD or already have an HD camera.

Cons The only bad thing I can say about this camera is that it didnt include internal memory, which in my opinion is not worth complaining about. You can buy an 8gig SD card for about $20.00.

Summary This camera is simply amazing. The picture quality you get from this camera makes you feel like you're filming a big budget motion picture and simple things around the house become amazing to look at. The camera is small and very easy to hold in your hand and the LCD screen is easy to navigate which makes the multiple pages of settings a no brainer. This camera also gives you three different framerate options which gives you very different feels to your filming. Basically what I'm saying is if you're looking to buy a new HD video camera...buy the Canon Vixia HF200. It's perfect for upgrading to HD and you're going to be able to do so much with this camera and not spend thousands of dollars. Although it doesn't include internal memory SDHC cards are easy to come by.

Pros Wide range of features
Great HD quality
SDHC card recording=almost no moving parts! (won't break easily)
Small, and ergonomic
Good battery life
Built in lens protecting function!

Cons No viewfinder
Low light performance isn't amazing (noise can be prevalent)
No built-in memory

Summary If you feel like you NEED extensive built-in memory, then go with it's sister, the HF20. However, I can't think of a better suited camcorder for the consumer who's looking for extensive features and AWESOME HD quality, all for a relatively low price.

Pros Very good picture quality for stationary or slow moving subjects, menus easy to use once you get the hang of them.

Cons Terrible quality for recording moving subjects, cannot interface with PC unless power cord connected.

Summary I bought this camera based on expert reviews about the video quality and features for the price range. There were a number of user reviews complaining about poor quality for subjects in motion. I decided to try this camera, for the main puropose of motion recording. After fiddling with all the features and instruction booklet for about a week I decided to record a couple clips of fast moving objects, at the highest setting, and check out the quality. After transferring the clips the my PC, I played them back. The motion parts were awful. Anything moving was blurry. Hooked it up to an HDTV and same result. I should have listened to the complaints!! The camera was in the box to be returned within an hour.
The only other complaint I have is you need to connect the power cord to interface with a PC in any way, no matter what the status of the battery is.