Canon VIXIA HF M300 Full HD Flash Memory Camcorder Reviews

1st off, as the title of my assessment states, this camcorder is not advised for users who do not want to fiddle with manual controls and just choose to point-and-shoot. If you only use the default plan settings (Plan AE mode), you will be in for a disappointment when utilizing this camcorder indoors. At the default system settings, this camcorder excessively jacks up the achieve control and makes use of a rapidly shutter speed of 1/60s resulting to horrible trailing noise in even comparatively vivid indoor circumstances. No issue nonetheless for bright outside circumstances if that’s what you intend to use it for. You just can leave it in the default ‘Program AE’ mode.
For indoor situations however and for most other dim lighting circumstances, I suggest you use the following manual settings
for the best video quality:

1. Shooting mode: Select Shutter priority with one/30s shutter speed (1/60s and above is only good for daytime outdoor problems).
Although the motion will be somewhat less smoother with a one/30s shutter speed vs. 1/60s shutter speed, the slower shutter will enable for far more light in demanding circumstances which will make the camcorder not jack up the obtain control (AGC) to the maximum setting.

2. AGC (auto acquire handle): Set this to 16dB or less. This is type of like an ISO setting in a digital camera. The increased the setting, the brighter the video capture but the much more horrible and visible the trailing noise is. Setting it at 16dB or much less limits the camcorder to manageable noise ranges which, in low light and on viewing in my Avia calibrated Sony LCD television, is acceptable and quite all-natural looking (grainy) rather than horribly blotchy in look which takes place when the AGC is set too higher (generally 18dB or greater). (The larger, the far more blotchy and trailing the noise is when recording in moderate to low lighting conditions.)

3. Image mode – choose ‘Custom’ and modify the settings as follows for much better colour and detail retention:
Brightness = +1 (a lot more shadow detail)
Contrast = -one (less highlight clipping even with brightness set to +one)
Colour = +1 (increases colour saturation to compensate for the desaturation brought about by ‘+1′ brightness and ‘-1′ contrast)
Sharpness = (improves video detail and changes the noise characteristics from ‘blotchy’[-1] to ‘grainy’[] [a lot more preferable])
(Some of you may favor the +one sharpness setting)
4. XV colour mode = ON (Set this to ‘ON’ for a wider color gamut video capture.)

There you have it. Utilizing these settings for your HF M300 camcorder must yield the greatest HD video quality in any indoor lighting situation, at least if you have calibrated your LCD tv like I do. (I use ‘AVIA guidebook to property theater’ in calibrating my 1080p Sony LCD tv.)

If after following the advised manual settings above, you even now really feel the camcorder’s HD video is horrible in indoor/reduced light situations and there are far better alternatives out there for the identical value variety, then go ahead, get them as a substitute of this reasonably priced camcorder (at least when compared to the Sony XR150 which I also reviewed and returned since of super clean, soft and mushy, ‘upscaled’ HD video). The Canon Vixia HF M300 is almost certainly the best performing camcorder for its cost (presently at 8.82) in all lighting circumstances. Basically magnificent in daylight, and quite very good in low light if you just try these customized settings. Forget the overpriced 9.99-$ one,499.95 Vixia HF one hundred (2008 model) and the 9.99 Vixia HF 200 (2009 model). They have since been replaced by this ‘touch screen’ ‘XV color’ equipped 8.82 HF M300 (2010 model) at a fraction of the expense of the earlier two models and with greater capabilities. Forget also about employing the MXP (24mbps) mode when recording your HD videos with this camcorder. You will not see any considerable improvement in video good quality as compared to the FXP mode (17mbps). Besides, utilizing the MXP mode will not enable you to burn your HD movies into DVDR for viewing later in its native HD resolution due to the fact of the bit rate output limit of the DVD media. (You will need to burn MXP (24mbps) movies in expensive BDR discs and burners for HD playback if you actually want the highest good quality which is practically indistinguishable from the FXP mode (17mbps)).
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Update: November 19, 2010

I would just like to add that this camcorder will take extremely very good photos! I when forgot to bring my digital camera to a college occasion so I had to make do with this camcorder’s photo choices. I am impressed!!! The photographs print nicely in four”x6″ up to 5″x7″ for the normal loved ones photo album. The colours are considerably far better also than my Fujifilm F30 digicam’s colors! Occasionally, if I never intend to print pictures larger than four”x6″, I just bring this HD camcorder with me and leave my digital camera behind as it does each photos and HD movies in 1 package. The developed…

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I’ve only had this for a couple of days, but I wanted to attempt out various scenarios that I may possibly be working with. I purchased this to have video documentation of my older kids in sports and special occasions as effectively as of my quickly to be born son. The camera is function rich with so several choices, that I an not probably to use a lot of of them. Getting enjoyed the good quality of Canon in my DSLR, this seemed like the logical alternative.

Pros:

Image stabilization – amazing stabilization! Every single video turns out smooth as silk with canon’s stability feature
Colour – It looks to be extremely true to existence with all-natural colours
HD video – with today’s HD tvs, it would be a shame to have anything at all else
Zoom – big adequate to get close from a moderate distance and the variable speed is nice too. Greater than some, not as excellent as other folks.
Mini hot shoe – great for adding accessories this kind of as a flash, even though I don’t have one particular yet
light excess weight – I can not feel this is only 11oz!
Lens ring threads – Filters/protective lenses can be added

Cons:

No internal memory – Type of pricey for not possessing anything at all, but I knew that finding into it.
Low light overall performance – It gets pretty grainy rapidly when the light disappears…even the light that comes with it doesn’t support a lot
Touch panel sensitivity – I have been acquiring a challenging time navigating by means of the menu by the touch screen. It would have been nice to have some physical navigation buttons to assist for this.

Conclusion:

General, this is a very good video recorder that turns out good quality movies every single time. My only difficulty real problem is with the graininess of reduced light movies. This is something I feel is better handled by Sony, which I could get if I make a decision not to maintain this one particular.

Purchased Canon HF M300 for 8(four one particular eight) on Amazon.

I have employed this for a week and my feedback.

Pros:
one. Size – Its smaller for mid-priced customer camcorders.
two. Seems trendy(I got a silver color)
3. 15x zoom is enough for most client use/goal.
four. Takes good even now images.
5. Touch screen

Cons:
one. Video looks grainy in reduced-level lighting. You may possibly need to have a bigger sensor but then most camcorder(s) have this problem.

2. Camcorder gets HOT and at times its a bit unbearable – the underneath of the camera(appropriate under the battery) gets hot and you can feel it.
My 4star rating given that this behaviour is odd for canon camcorder and this could be a deal-breaker for me.
I may have a defective unit but I’ll come back and make an update in the next few weeks(if required)

3. I can’t seem to transfer files making use of the USB cable. You are going to have to use the CD software that came along with the camcorder.

Items to store for prior to purchasing this camcorder:

one. The camcorder does NOT come with any internal memory, so its very best to store for a 16GB or 32GB SDHC card.
2. Canon does not provide a camcorder bag so buy a single.
three. Its touch display, so get a display protector.