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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.Panasonic HDC-HS60 Comparison
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12.JVC GZ-HD620 Comparison
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13.Canon HF S21 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Specs and Ratings
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16.Comments
Canon Legria HF M31
This review is organized into 16 parts
Next: Part 1
Product Tour
Introduction
The HF M31 is a new mid-range HD camcorder from Canon that is essentially last year’s Canon HF20 with a few minor tweaks and updates—including a new touch-screen interface and a slick menu redesign. The camcorder captured some high-quality video in our bright light tests, but its low light
performance was mostly a disappointment.
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Comparisons:
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| Section | The Good | The Bad |
| Product Tour | Automatic lens cover | Same size sensor as last year’s HF20 and HF200 |
| Colour & Noise Performance | Good saturation levels in bright light | Colour accuracy wasn’t great; noise levels were too high |
| Motion & Sharpness Performance | Excellent sharpness scores and good motion performance. | None |
| Low Light Performance | Noise levels weren’t much of a problem in low light. | Sensitivity was a disappointment |
| Compression & Media | 32GB internal flash memory; multiple quality settings for recording video | No standard definition record mode |
| Manual Controls | Most manual controls are covered—aperture, shutter speed, exposure, white balance, and gain. | All controls must be adjusted using touch-screen interface (no lens ring or dial). |
| Still Features | Built-in flash; multiple continuous shooting modes; good colour accuracy in still photos | Camcorder tops out with 3.31-megapixel resolution for still images. |
| Handling & Use | New menus are stylish and look nice; padded hand strap is top-notch | Right side is a bit uncomfortable; touch-screen can be frustrating to use at times |
| Playback & Connectivity | Good playback interface | The hand strap gets in the way of right-side ports. |
| Audio & Other Features | External mic jack is great; lots of manual audio controls | None |
| Canon HF M31 Comparisons | ||
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| Panasonic HDC-HS60 | JVC GZ-HD620 | Canon HF S21 |
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