EXCLUSIVE: Canon HV20 Review
Quick rundown:
Pros: Top-notch image quality. 24p.
Cons: Some awkward handling issues.
As HD camcorders go, you won’t find a device much more capable or smartly put together than the Canon HV20. With ease-of-use for the new parents and ample manual controls for the prosumer, the HV20 caters to a wide crowd. It has its caveats, but they are few and far between, making the Canon HV20 a winner of a camcorder.
The back of the Canon HV20 is where most of the main menu action takes place. On the right you have the function button atop which resides the 4-way-plus-select joystick. Just left of these is the start/stop button, and next to that the DC, Firewire, and HDMI jack.
The electronic viewfinder cannot be extended. This could pose a problem if you use a long-life battery, which would make impossible to put your eye up to the viewfinder. If you are the type that only uses the LCD, this will be no problem.
The right side of the camcorder has more things of interest than just the usual handstrap. On the top left you will find the Auto/P and tape/memory card toggles. Though awkwardly placed, these are not switches you need to reach for while recording. Toward the front of the camcorder, underneath a flap, are the microphone jack, AV jack (which doubles as a headphone jack), and the component output jack.
The left side of the HV20 houses the LCD screen and a few quick-access buttons. On the front near the lens are the backlight and focus buttons. These are accompanied by the focus wheel, which is just a little too small to be really useful.
Of course the left side of the camcorder would be incomplete without the 2.7″ widescreen LCD. Along the bottom of the screen are four buttons that double as both playback controls and various recording controls. Canon stripped all of the buttons out of the LCD cavity so that all you have to worry about is the MiniSD memory card slot and USB port. Just above the cavity are two buttons: display and video light/print.
The top of the camcorder is fairly simple. It houses the Canon HV20’s Advanced Accessory Shoe and the built-in microphone along the left side. On the right side, or the tape side, are the photo button, camera/play toggle, and ill-designed zoom rocker (more on this later).
On the front of the HV20 are the flash, the Instant AF sensor, and the tiny video light. There is a retractable lens cover that opens and closes when you turn the camcorder on and off.
Really not much to say here besides, “Wow.” Sure, tape camcorders are becoming a dying breed, but you can’t dismiss the fact that, for the moment, they still have the edge in quality. The Canon HV20 is no different. As consumer camcorders go, the HV20 will get you the best quality your money can buy.
Footage from the Canon HV20 is saturated, which is common in consumer camcorders, but the average user will relish the look as colors seem to really pop.
And then you have the 24p mode. This is a major reason that the Canon HV20 has become the camcorder of choice for so many. Here you have true 24p, which, up until now, has been reserved for more expensive, high-end camcorders. 24p refers to the fact that the HV20 can record 24 progressive frames (or full frames) per second. This gives you a film-like effect (note film-like; it does not look like film), especially when it comes to motion in your scenes. Indy filmmakers or professionals wanting a backup camcorder will find the true 24p mode perfect for capturing the progressive effect.
For the average consumer, what 24p means is amazing low-light performance. The Canon trumps Sony’s top HDV model, the HDR-HC7 when it comes to low-light. The HC7 isn’t really that bad, but the HV20 is better. Because fewer frames are being shot per second, the HV20 can let more light hit each of those frames, resulting in impressive low-light performance.
The Canon HV20 feels solid when you pick it up, and it fits well in the hand. All the controls you will use the most, save the zoom, are located just where your fingers naturally come to rest.
The zoom toggle represents a very poor design choice by Canon. It is just a small sliver of plastic, especially when compared to, well, any other camcorder. The problem is that, to really use it, you have to use the tip of your finger, which makes holding the camcorder feel a little awkward.
For the point-and-shoot user, the Canon HV20 may seem to have more buttons than you might want. Don’t be scared off too quickly, however. Take about 5 minutes to play with the camcorder and you will find that every button has a purpose and a place. Even the menu is quite intuitive, with everything easily accessible and in the spot you would naturally look for it.
Canon was very selective with the features they included and discarded on the HV20, and it really works out well.
The HV20 offers a nice suite of manual controls that should satisfy even the more advanced users. You have the usual like aperture priority (you set the aperture, the HV20 sets the shutter) and shutter priority (vice versa), but also get some extras like a microphone level monitor and Focus Assist. Unfortunately, the HV20 does not allow you to set the shutter and aperture independently, which is a major loss in the manual control interface.
The focus assist works by magnifying the image on the LCD and adding a peaking effect. This makes the edges of your subjects look like they really stand out when they are in focus. By using the focus ring on the front of the camcorder, you can dial in the focus fairly easily. I say fairly because the focus dial is so small. It takes some getting used to, but you can get some very good results with practice.
On the automatic side of focusing, if you have not read about Canon’s new Instant AF system, prepare to be impressed. The Instant AF system works by, more or less, roughly calculating the distance to the subject, and then fine tuning that measurement for the perfect focus. The result is fast and accurate. Change what you are focusing on, then with a snap of your fingers the HV20 snaps into focus.
This is the one of the most, if not the most instantaneous focus system you will find on a camcorder. It is interesting to note that the effect of the image instantly coming into focus may look a little weird at first. We are all so used to the more gradual automatic focus most camcorders offer that the HV20’s Instant AF may be a little jarring.
For those who like to set everything to auto, you will be pleased to know that the Canon HV20 performed quite admirably in every condition. Auto exposure was fast to adapt to changing brightness, and the auto white balance was very accurate, keeping everything looking the way it should.
The optical image stabilization worked admirably on the HV20, although it was not the best I have seen on a camcorder. When things got pretty rough it couldn’t keep up as well as I would have liked. However, it kept the majority of shakes from being an issue.
Still images from the HV20 will never stand up to a standalone digital camera, but are definitely usable for emailing or posting on personal blogs and the like.
Playback can be achieved by switching the camcorder from camera to play mode on the power dial. Though not as easy as tapeless camcorders, where you are presented with thumbnails of your recorded scenes and can jump directly to them, the playback buttons along the bottom of the LCD proved to be easy for controlling playback.
The Canon HV20 comes with the HD component cable in the box, but, as is common, lacks the HDMI cable. If you want to connect the HV20 to HDMI input, you will have to go out and buy a cable.
If quality is king to you, buy the Canon HV20. It’s that easy. Though it is not for everyone, the HDV tape format is still the highest quality, most easily archived consumer format available. Canon takes it a step further on the HV20 by offering an excellent camcorder with a great set of manual controls, ease-of-use, and 24p to boot.
Yes, the Canon HV20 has a downside or two in the handling arena and manual control set, but what manufacturer wants to make the perfect camcorder? I mean, really! For the features it does offer, and for the price at which it offers those features, the Canon HV20 cannot be beat.
Unless another manufacturer makes a surprise announcement before the end of the year, or Canon tries to upstage themselves, the Canon HV20 is almost a shoe-in as camcorder of the year.
