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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Colour & Noise Performance
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03.Motion & Sharpness Performance
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04.Low Light Performance
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05.Compression & Media
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06.Manual Controls
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07.Still Features
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08.Handling & Use
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09.Playback & Connectivity
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10.Audio & Other Features
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11.Canon HF S21 Comparison
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12.Panasonic HDC-TM700 Comparison
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13.Sony HDR-CX550V Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Specs and Ratings
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16.Comments
Canon Legria HF G10
Previous: Part 2
Colour & Noise PerformanceNext: Part 4
Low Light Performance
Motion & Sharpness Performance Summary
Sharpness on the camcorder was a bit worse than its predecessors (only slightly), but motion looked nearly as good. The camcorder also offers an alternative frame rate.
Motion (9.7)
Like the previous Canon models, the HF G10 handled our motion test quite well. In addition to recording regular 50i video, the HF G10 also has a PF25 frame rate for HD video recording. The frame rate the camcorder is lacking that we'd like to see is a 1080/50p mode, which is found on the Panasonic HDC-TM700 as well as new 2011 models from Sony (like the HDR-CX700V). (More on how we test motion.)
| Canon HF G10 | Canon HF S21 | Panasonic HDC-TM700 | Sony HDR-CX550V | |
| Frame Rate(s) | 50i, PF25, PF24, 24p (native) |
50i, PF25, PF24, 24p (native) |
50p, 50i, 24p Digital Cinema Mode | 50i |
| Artefacting | Artefacting was low—just as good as the Canon HF S21. | Minimal artefacting; one of the best consumer camcorders in this category | Almost no artefacting noticeable in 1080/50p mode, but 50i settings show some artefacting. | Slightly more artefacting than the other cams in this set, but very good overall. |
| Smoothness | Video looked smooth, again on par with the HF S21. | Motion video was very smooth, although not as good as the HDC-TM700's 50p setting. | Extremely smooth video, particularly when using 50p mode. | Video was usually smooth, but we saw some choppiness every now and then during playback. |
| Trailing | Blur was noticeable on the rotating pin-wheels. | Some trailing was present, but it wasn't a big problem. | Trailing was noticeable in all shooting modes. | Trailing wasn't much of an issue in our motion test. |
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Frequency Interference |
The camcorder showed little in the way of interference. | Some minor interference with tight vertical and horizontal lines. | We noticed some interference in the black and white pin-wheel in our test. | Random bits of choppiness were noticeable during playback. |
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Slow Motion Mode(s) |
None | None | Time Lapse Record | Smooth Slow Record |
There wasn't much artefacting in the HF G10's motion image, and the video produced by the camcorder was very smooth. The only problem we noticed was some slight blur on the rotating pin-wheels in our test. Other than that, the HF G10's video looked as good as the best motion performers we've seen. It's video wasn't quite as smooth as Panasonic's 1080/50p mode on the TM700, but it was close.
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Canon HF G10 click here for large HD version |
Canon HF S21 click here for large HD version |
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Panasonic HDC-TM700 click here for large HD version |
Sony HDR-CX550V click here for large HD version |
Video Sharpness (11.32)
Sharpness was an area where the HF G10 couldn't quite match the results of its predecessor, the HF S21. However, even though Canon reduced the pixel count significantly on the HF G10, the camcorder only lost a bit of sharpness compared to its predecessor. We measured the sharpness levels on the G10 at 850 lw/ph horizontal and 600 lw/ph vertical. These numbers aren't too shabby, particularly with all the image sensor tinkering that Canon initiated on the HF G10. This is very good news for Canon, and, as you'll see in the next section, the HF G10 offers a superb low light performance in exchange for its slight drop in sharpness. (More on how we test video sharpness.)
| Video Sharpness Score Comparison |
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Compare the Canon HF G10 to the Canon HF S21 |
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Compare the Canon HF G10 to the Panasonic HDC-TM700 |
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Compare the Canon HF G10 to the Sony HDR-CX550V |
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