Canon LEGRIA HV40 Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on Nov 18, 2009 11:00 AM |
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| Introduction | ||||
 The Canon LEGRIA HV40 is an HDV camcorder, which records in MiniDV format. MiniDV isn't really the sleekest and newest technology out there, but there are still adherents to tape-based recording and the HV40 is one of the few HDV models on the market. It has a few improvements over the older HV30, including a native 25p recording, a Custom Key and some changes in the design. However, the HV40 is basically minor upgrade of last year's HV30.
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| (Page 1 of 17) | Product Tour |  |
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| Section | The Good | The Bad |
| Product Tour | 10x zoom lens has an automatic cover | Bulky, awkward design |
| Colour & Noise Performance | Strong colour saturation; low noise levels | Colour accuracy was only average |
| Motion & Sharpness Performance | Good selection of frame rate options (including native-progressive 25p mode) | Not as sharp as other high-end models |
| Low Light Performance | Decent low light performance overall | Alternate frame rates didn't offer improvement in colour accuracy |
| Compression & Media | Offers both standard definition and high definition recording | Photos are stored to MiniSD cards rather than the more popular SD/SDHC. |
| Manual Controls | Variety of scene modes, white balance presets, and image effects | Control dial can only be used to adjust focus; no fully-manual mode |
| Still Features | Still performance was better than expected | Maximum still image resolution is not very large |
| Handling & Use | Buttons are easily accessible; good battery life with provided battery pack | Joystick menu is terrible; bulky design isn't very comfortable; lacklustre viewfinder |
| Playback & Connectivity | analogue to Digital video conversion can be very useful | VCR buttons are poorly designed; back-side port cover doesn't stay closed |
| Audio & Other Features | External mic and headphone jack; numerous options for dubbing | Audio level control display isn't great; headphone jack is shared with AV-in/out |
| Canon HV40 Comparisons | ||
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| Canon HF S100 | Panasonic HDC-HS300 | Sony HDR-XR520 |
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