The Canon Vixia HV40 is Canon's latest offering in their Vixia line of cameras. Camera enthusiasts are already aware of the HV20 and HV30 models, which are some of the most popular cameras in use today. This model continues where the other two left off, offering both the features current users have come to know and love along with some welcome new additional features. In this HV40 review, I'll give you a good overview of what you can expect from it.
One of the great things about this line of products from Canon is that they offer both great picture taking and video recording capabilities. The camcorder function of the HV40 allows you to record in 1080 high-definition video. The camcorder uses MiniDV cassettes, which hold up pretty well and aren't especially difficult to obtain or store. The resolution has an aspect ratio of 16:9, and you can connect the recorder to your HD television using a simple HDMI cable.
The recordings aren't just low level home videos, either. The HV40 has several different video modes designed to mimic the recording style of cameras used in filming professional movies. The 24p Cinema Mode has the same frame rate of a proper film camera, and can be used to make whatever you're recording look just like a real movie. There's also a 30p Progressive Mode that allows for even higher quality video to be recorded, and is especially useful for capturing scenes moving in a very high-speed that might otherwise blur.
The HV40's camcorder capabilities are all well and good, but you may be wondering about how it functions as an ordinary camera. Well, the digital photo functions are actually very good as well. It's a 3.1 megapixel camera, which is great quality, and it saves the pictures to a memory card the way any other one would. Unlike many other models, however, this one is capable of both taking a picture and recording at the same time. So, if you're using it to take footage of something and decide that you need a still picture as well, you can take that picture without stopping the recording. The footage will continue being written to the cassette, while the photo will be saved to the memory card. It's really simple to do.
Overall, my Canon Vixia HV40 review is positive. It's a great model for anyone who needs both filming and photography in one device, without losing any of the quality of either.
One of the great things about this line of products from Canon is that they offer both great picture taking and video recording capabilities. The camcorder function of the HV40 allows you to record in 1080 high-definition video. The camcorder uses MiniDV cassettes, which hold up pretty well and aren't especially difficult to obtain or store. The resolution has an aspect ratio of 16:9, and you can connect the recorder to your HD television using a simple HDMI cable.
The recordings aren't just low level home videos, either. The HV40 has several different video modes designed to mimic the recording style of cameras used in filming professional movies. The 24p Cinema Mode has the same frame rate of a proper film camera, and can be used to make whatever you're recording look just like a real movie. There's also a 30p Progressive Mode that allows for even higher quality video to be recorded, and is especially useful for capturing scenes moving in a very high-speed that might otherwise blur.
The HV40's camcorder capabilities are all well and good, but you may be wondering about how it functions as an ordinary camera. Well, the digital photo functions are actually very good as well. It's a 3.1 megapixel camera, which is great quality, and it saves the pictures to a memory card the way any other one would. Unlike many other models, however, this one is capable of both taking a picture and recording at the same time. So, if you're using it to take footage of something and decide that you need a still picture as well, you can take that picture without stopping the recording. The footage will continue being written to the cassette, while the photo will be saved to the memory card. It's really simple to do.
Overall, my Canon Vixia HV40 review is positive. It's a great model for anyone who needs both filming and photography in one device, without losing any of the quality of either.
