The HV10 is Canon’s first consumer-level HD (High Definition) model. It records compressed widescreen HDV video – roughly four times the resolution of standard definition on Mini DV tapes. If you choose to shoot in HDV mode, the manual recommends using HD Mini DV tapes. JVC HD tapes cost roughly twice as much as the regular variety. Sony charges considerably more.
Our little journey together was probably the worst possible test for a videocam. Because we were literally out the door before we remembered the HV10, we had no time to read the manual, to check that the batteries were fully charged, and practise using the controls.
And because Canon doesn’t include a tape in the package – they also don’t give you a Firewire cable for digital downloads – we had to bung in a partly-used standard tape. Despite those considerable handicaps, we managed to capture all the right moments – in impressive resolution, in focus, and correctly exposed. With more familiarity and better preparations, the onboard equipment means you could expect to turn out some outstanding videos.
With an RRP of $2200, the HV10 is not a cheap camera, but we’ve seen it for as little as$1480 on the Internet and $1750 in camera stores.
It has a superb 10x 6.1 to 61 mm Canon HD lens and Digic DV II HD processor, an image stabiliser, and Instant AF, for faster auto focus. In most lighting conditions, the images are sharp, colour balance and contrast are impressive, and there is minimal “noise”.
There are a couple of trade-offs for the HV10’s convenience and image quality. The first is that because this is a Very Small camera, it also has Very Small controls. Until you master where everything is, you’ll probably feel you’ve got far too many fingers, and fat ones at that.
It’s a vertical or matchbox format, with a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and the designers must have had to do quite a bit of juggling to fit everything in. Your fingers seem to fall naturally on the angled zoom control, but while we didn’t have any problems, if you’re not particularly dexterous, you could mistake it for the camera/card mode switch just behind it, clustered with the still image shutter button.
Most of the controls are at the rear of the camera, under the viewfinder. Just below it is the rotating shoot/play/power off control, and the shooting button, which took us a while to remember wasn’t press and release, but had to be toggled on and off. There’s another layer of controls around that, which switches between manual and auto control, or scene mode – automatic pre-sets for a variety of conditions including Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, and Fireworks.
Below that, to the right, is the Function button which controls options like white balance and shutter speed. Immediately below that are two buttons to adjust focus and exposure.
Set into a cowling to the right of the power control, is the Menu button and a handy jog dial, that controls set-up features.
If you venture outside the automatic mode, and you use the viewfinder rather than the LCD screen to frame your shots – we’re prepared to bet you won’t - we’d recommend several sessions of weapons drill to familiarise your fingers.
If you’re an average point-and-shoot customer, you probably won’t notice the second limitation of the HV10: there’s no external mic. For that matter, there’s no accessory shoe. You’re going to have to live with the in-built microphone – you’ll have to take a vow of silence whenever you start shooting - or synch your frames to a digital tape recorder.
Another thing you’re going to have to live with is the fact that the HV10 is not a top performer in low-light conditions. You can get around this by shifting into shutter priority mode, and dropping the speed to 1/30th of a second. Although moving subjects will blur, it can produce quite a filmic effect.
We suspect there are a lot of space-conscious, snatch-and-go, point-and-shoot enthusiasts who would find the HV10 the perfect camera, Particularly if they get around on two wheels.