Canon Legria HF M31

Ease of Use (6.0)

The dedicated auto mode on the HF M31 works well and is good for beginners. Our only problem with the mode is that it can be difficult to find and it has a confusing name (Dual Shot). We think a dedicated auto mode should be activated by a large, easy to find button labelled something like "Auto" or "Easy." Instead, Canon has a small auto mode switch that shows two green icons of a camera and camcorder on one side and a large "M" on the other (the M is for manual mode). We think first-timer users probably won't instinctively know that these two green icons represent the HF M31's dedicated auto mode.

In its defence, Canon always has some of the best instruction manuals we've seen for consumer camcorders. The HF M31's manual is easy to read, full of useful information, and doesn't get bogged down with confusing explanations. Unfortunately, the HF M31 doesn't have any help or info boxes on the camcorder itself, so you will have to rely on the manual to learn new features.

The menu system on the HF M31 is identical to what Canon implemented on the HF S21 (and other new touch-screen models in 2010). The function menu has two pages of commonly used options and you must go into the main menu to access the camcorder's more obscure settings. The main menu can be a bit difficult to navigate with the touch-screen as you must drag your finger up and down to scroll through settings. We found it hard to select a specific option this way—particularly because the HF M31 has a relatively small LCD (compared to the 3.5-inch screen on the HF S21). Still, the menu system looks slick and it is fairly easy to understand (after you use it a few times, at least).

The main menu on the HF M31		The function menu on the HF M31

Handling (6.75)

At first glance, the HF M31 looks very similar to its predecessor, the Canon HF20. There are a few important differences with the new model, however, with the most noteworthy being the touch-screen LCD. The screen is still 2.7-inches in size (just like last year's models), but it has a brand new interface that requires you to touch the screen to adjust manual controls, navigate menus, and select clips for playback. The camcorder does not have a navigation joystick like you'll find on Canon's entry-level line of HD camcorders (as well as last year's models), and it doesn't have an adjustment dial like you get on Canon's flagship models. So, if you don't like to use touch-screens, you might want to go back and purchase a model from 2009 (like the HF20 or HF11).

The right side of the HF M31 is a bit uncomfortable, but the hand strap is great.

The glossy coating on the LCD makes the touch-screen easier to use than most (particularly compared to JVC and Panasonic models). In fact, the touch-screen reminds us more of an iPhone or iPod Touch than anything else. The problem, however, is that this glossy coating does attract quite a bit of glare. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that, like most mid-range camcorders, the HF M31 does not have a viewfinder. You can tilt and swivel the LCD all you want, but you're bound to have at least some "glaring" troubles if you shoot under direct sunlight.

The camcorder is fairly compact, but that's the case with most mid-range models.

We also took issue with the uncomfortable bulge on the right side of the HF M31. Last year's HF20 had a similar problem, so we're unsure why Canon didn't try to improve things on its new models. We're not saying the HF M31 is terribly uncomfortable or anything, it just doesn't feel great in your palm with this design. On a brighter note, the camcorder has very good button layout and labels, and all the important buttons are easy to reach.

The camcorder offers a decent grip despite the fact that its right side doesn't have a great form factor.

Canon usually has very comfortable hand straps and the one on the HF M31 definitely follows this trend. The strap is thick, soft, and provides very good support. We do have an issue with the placement of ports directly behind the hand strap on the right side of the camcorder, however. The strap was often in the way when we connected HDMI or USB cables to the HF M31. The strap can be removed, of course, but that is something of a minor hassle.

Stabilisation (0.0)

Like many other new Canon camcorders, the HF M31 has a number of stabilisation settings—and the camcorder's main image stabilisation system is optical (OIS). While the camcorder's multiple OIS modes do help stabilise a hand held image, the HF M31 actually ended up being quite a failure in our test. It seems that the amount of shake produced by our rig was too much for the camcorder's OIS to accommodate for, so we saw no shake reduction when using any of the HF M31's stabilisation settings. (More on how we test stabilisation.)

Canon HF M31 Stabilisation Effectiveness

0% correction at low shake (above) 0% correction at high shake (below)

We tested the HF M31 using all of its stabilisation settings: standard OIS, Dynamic mode, and Powered IS. Even Powered IS, which is meant to reduce shake when you are using lots of zoom, wasn't able to help stabilise the image during our testing. We must reiterate, however, that we did notice some shake reduction on the camcorder when we tried it out with our bare hands. The model wasn't capable of stabilising the image on our shake rig set-up, however. Frankly, these poor results aren't all that surprising considering last year's Canon HF20 also had a rather ineffective stabilisation system. We were hoping Canon had improved things with the HF M31, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Take a look at the above video and you can see the HF M31's OIS in action. It's hard to notice much of a difference between the camcorder's regular shooting mode and the camcorder's various stabilisation modes, which makes sense based on what our testing results revealed. If you want good optical image stabilisation, we suggest checking out models from Panasonic or JVC—most of which usually perform very well in this test.

Stabilisation Score Comparison		Compare the Canon HF M31 to the Panasonic HDC-HS60
		Compare the Canon HF M31 to the JVC GZ-HD620
		Compare the Canon HF M31 to the Canon HF S21

Portability (8.74)

The Canon HF M31 isn't a particularly small camcorder, but it isn't particularly large either. It is the perfect size for someone who likes things in the middle. It is small enough to drop into a bag or purse, but you probably wouldn't want to carry it around in your pants pocket (a coat pocket, on the other hand, would probably work fine). The camcorder is light—it weighs almost the exact same amount as the Panasonic HDC-HS60—and it fits in your palm with ease.

	Canon HF M31	Panasonic HDC-HS60	JVC GZ-HD620	Canon HF S21
Primary Media	32GB internal flash memory	120GB internal hard drive	120GB internal hard drive	64GB internal flash memory
Secondary Media	SD/SDHC memory card	SD/SDHC memory card	MicroSD	2x SD/SDHC card slots
Weight	380g (with battery)	375g (with battery)	310g (with battery)	520g (with battery)
Size	68 x 60 x 123mm	51.5 x 65.5 x 112mm	53 x 63 x 115mm	75 x 74 x 148mm

Battery Life (5.0)

The HF M31 lasted for 100 minutes in our battery life test (1 hour, 39 minutes, and 32 seconds to be exact). This is an average performance for a mid-range HD camcorder, but it's also a whole lot longer than the Canon HF S21 lasted with its provided battery. (More on how we test battery life.)

If 100 minutes of battery life isn't enough for you, well you're in luck. The HF M31 has an open battery compartment, so you can always upgrade to a larger, longer-lasting battery if you so require.

Battery Life Comparisons

The HF M31 with its provided battery.

LCD & Viewfinder (7.88)

The HF M31 has a new LCD touch-screen system that we previously talked about in our Canon HF S21 review. The way the touch-screen works is nearly identical to what we saw on the HF S21, but the main difference is that the HF M31's screen is only 2.7-inches in size (the same as on last year's HF200 and HF20). This smaller screen size makes using the touch-screen more of a pain than it is on the HF S21 and its 3.5-inch screen. While we like the feel of the touch-screen interface overall, we did find it rather difficult to make precise adjustments with the system (like when setting manual controls or targeting a specific menu option).

The new LCD has a touch-screen interface.

The HF M31 has no viewfinder, which is normal for a mid-range consumer camcorder. The glossy coating of the LCD does make the panel look very nice, but we did find it to attract more glare than other camcorder screens. This may be an issue if you're shooting outside on a sunny day.

	Canon HF M31	Panasonic HDC-HS60	JVC GZ-HD620	Canon HF S21
LCD Size	2.7 inches	2.7 inches	2.7 inches	3.5 inches
LCD Resolution	211,000 pixels	230,400 pixels	123,000 pixels	922,000 pixels
Touch-screen	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Viewfinder	No	No	No	Yes

Canon HF M31 Comparisons
Panasonic HDC-HS60	JVC GZ-HD620	Canon HF S21