I think this is the best you can do without going into the prosumer +$2000 level. Here is what sets it apart from the average cheap camcorder:

1. The ability to shoot progressive frames. This is invaluable for those filming for the internet. Plus, progressive frames compress better; one of the reasons store bought movies look better than average joe's.

2. The ability to white balance. Especially with blue/green screening, this is very helpful. Good luck finding it on the average consumer camcorder.

3. Native 1920x1080 sensor times 3. This camera is not FakeD - it's real HD. When it scales, it scales DOWN, not up. It has three sensors for each primary color of light, and the sensors are larger than the Panasonic DVX100's (which is around $2,300). Granted the DVX100 is an SD camera, but it sure helps.

4. External mic jack. This feature is seldom found on consumer cameras.

Drawbacks: Viewfinder doesn't move and doesn't have impressive detail. Low light video with a CCD would probably come out better than with this camera's CMOS sensor, so keep in mind you'll want to light well for great video (as usual). The running of the tape mechanism will mess with your audio, so either use the external mic jack or record audio separately. The included battery isn't so hot. Order the better one when you buy this camera.

It does not have all the ease of control that a prosumer camera would, but notice I'm comparing it to cameras of that caliber to show its shortcomings. My five star rating is based on other cameras in the HV30's price range; and of them I think it is the best. Also keep in mind that with prosumer cameras, an accessory like a tripod is going to cost you a lot more than it will with this little camera. And with its current sale price, if you don't have the budget for a high end camera but want a picture that is just as good or better, this is the one for you! Seriously, even if I had one of those high-priced cameras, I'd still get an extra HV30 because this price is so good and it wouldn't be bad to have it around as a spare.

I bought this camera for filming my 1 year old boy. It is a great camera and it does a good job and is very easy to use. I don't like the amount of gain added to the video when shooting in low light. Although I love the 10x optical zoom (big fan of zoom) it causes a lot of problems when you need wide angle footage or you are in tight spaces. You need to be around 7-10' away to be able to get people standing on the film. A wide angle lens helps this a lot.

A few tips for people looking at this camera:

1) Buy larger spare battery

2) Do not switch tape brands, I use Sony but if you buy a brand of tapes, stick with them, or you can damage the camera

3) Buy the WD-H43 wide angle lens (expensive, but worth it!)

4) You do not need to use HD tape, standard DV tape works fine. Although quality differs greatly between tapes.

I know a lot of people do not like tape or want to get away from tape, when I originally looked for a camera, this was my goal but after reading a lot on HD camera, I found a lot of comments about the format used by many HD and DVD camera AVHD or something has a lot of compatibility problems and issues. I originally wanted a HD camera, but backing up 30G of data every shoot on at least 2 external sources is nearly impossible. Tapes work great as an easy archive.

This camera has performed above and beyond my expectations. As an amateur filmmaker I have been comtemplating purchasing a Panasonic AG-HVX200A which can cost upwards of $5000. I instead decided to save my money and buy the Canon HV30 at almost one-tenth of the price. I will start off saying that the image is amazing. The camera allows you to shoot both HD and SD (not sure why anyone would should Standard Def anymore), and it also gives you the option to shoot in 24P or 30P format. I recently shot a short in 24P and added the camera's "Cinema" mode, and the result was astonishing. Keep in mind, this is a a handycam, not a prosumer 3-chip camera. I also bought an external microphone, which I highly recommend. The camera has a built in sound meter that helps you monitor the sound for a more professional recording. I was also very pleased with the camera's manual functions. You can manually control most of the camera's basic functions including focus, exposure and white balance. Battery life is marginal, so I recommend purchasing some longer life batteries. Whether you just want to shoot your family vacations or begin your career as a filmmaker, the Canon HV30 has the versatility to handle it all, and at a very reasonable price to boot.

I previously owned a Canon ZR930. I bought it for web and other marketing video. It is a great budget, entry level camera, but the resolution is not stellar and the lower light performance is not great, either. I had to return 2 of them before getting a ZR930 that worked--one had a blown mic port and another had a blown Firewire port. Third time was the charm and the ZR930 is a great entry level camera that can be had for less than $300--and it includes a mic port, which is a must.

I upgraded to this camera (Canon VIXIA HV30) after alot of research and I am glad I went with the one I did. I decided on tape because of the flexibility and proven technology and ease of transferring to computer. Hard drive or flash cameras have a pretty fixed recording time. MiniDV tapes can be swapped out for longer recording. I use Sony Vegas Studio Platinum 9 to edit video and together, this is a pretty unbeatable combination. Imports video directly into my computer, and the quality is breathtaking. Th build wuality on this camera is SUBSTANTIALLY better than the lower end cameras like the aforementioned ZR930. No problems at all with this camera--it has worked perfectly right out of the box and looks and feel more solid in your hands. You are really holding a serious machine.

REALLY great picture quality. My rough estimate is better than broadcast tv and pretty close to cable HD channels and DVD quality. Very good audio with the built in mic. Includes a microphone input to add an external mic. MUCH better lower light performance than my ZR930. Normal room lighting is good enough to get decent video. Better lighting results is crisp video with great color.

Lots of picture setting that I have not even begun to investigate yet. A camera that is great to turn on and shoot, with alot of options to play with down the road!

Very happy with this camera. I find it to be light and comfortable to use. Small enough so that it fits right in a large jacket pocket.

Nothing bad to say.

This year's version of last year's camcorder of the year ([...]) with a black paint job and the addition of 30p mode. Great camera.

Pros:

-Amazing quality HD video

-Uses more common video format than the AVCHD of it's hard drive and flash memory siblings with less compression artifacting and more compatibility with current video editing software (AVCHD editing is very CPU intensive and resource hungry. IMPORTANT: Premiere Pro CS3 and earlier DO NOT support this format without buying an expensive codec. However, CS4 does support it)

-Suprisingly small size for a camera this good

-Manual focus dial

-Manual shutter and aperture priority settings

-Great low-light performance

-Three shooting modes (24p, 30p, 60i)

-Both a viewfinder and an LCD screen

-Accessory shoe

-Lots of ports (mic, headphones, AV, mini HDMI/firewire, USB, I may be forgetting a couple)

-Good image stabilization

Cons:

-Manual focus dial could be bigger

-Side strap isn't the softest

-Viewfinder doesn't telescope or tilt

-Cannot adjust both shutter speed and aperture manually, only one or the other (e.g. you can manually set shutter speed but then the camera automatically adjusts aperture, or vice versa)

-Front LED light is either too bright up close, or not bright enough from far away, would prefer IR night vision as an option

-Menus take a little getting used to, not the most convenient layout

There are more pros and cons here, but these are the ones that are important to me. Overall this camera is GREAT. I absolutely love the amazing quality of the pictures; the high resolution and the wonderfully saturated colors. Great camera, especially for $[...]!

Note: I also recommend getting a Raynox 6600Pro lens for this. I have the 52mm version with a 43mm-52mm adapter (read the recommendations on [...]). Many many uses for it and it works wonders with this camera. Also, if you want to see what this camera can do, just search HV30 in vimeo or youtube and you will find many videos showing off the quality this camera is capable of. Enjoy!

A rare consumer-grade camera that has a lot of pro features. Can shoot in 24p HDV... what every film student has been dreaming of!

Also the camera can go fully manual and has fantastic image quality for a camera of this size and cost. Crisp and good colors.

Get a beachtek XLR adaptor and a good tripod and you are in business!

I really like this camcorder. I researched camcorders of all formats, on the internet, in mags, word of mouth before deciding to purchase this Canon.

I had previously owned a camcorder (JVC) with a hard drive, and while the convenience of not having to buy tapes was very nice, running out of room on the hard drive was not. Video files are huge, and so when I transfered videos from my old camcorder to my computer to clear out my camcorder, the computer became overburdened with video files. Sure I could have burned them to a DVD and removed them from my computer, but that takes time, and the energy to want to do it. I like the fact that when I want to record something new, I can just pop a new tape in, and if I am on vacation, and run out of tape, I can run to the nearest Target and buy another one - I am not chained to the computer. Also the editing part of it can be done when I am ready to do it.

Anyway - I tape my family events, my daughter's basketball games, son's gymanastics. I have never had a problem with blurring. The picture is crystal clear, and the color is wonderful. I am taping inside a gym most times. My last camcorder had a yellowish cast on everything, so I was very excited at the picture quality. I have not noticed a problem with noise or rattling on the camcorder - of course I am mostly taping noisy events so it could just be drowned out by the background stuff going on.

The buttons are in a little awkward positions. The first time I used the camcorder, I kept pressing the little toggle button, and wondering why my camera wouldn't turn on! (haha) When you get used to the placement, its really no big deal.

As far as playback, just plug in a cable into one of the numerous ports available, plug the other end to your tv, and its all set to go. The picture is amazing on my Sony 46" tv. Canon does not provide a battery with the remote - which I thought was pretty cheap considering how much I paid for it. You need a 2025.

The hand grip is not the greatest either. Its not like its going to fall out of your hand, but it does not feel very natural. Not sure if the handle is too low on my hand or what. I have tried tightening, and loosening, but still have not found the "perfect" spot.

Those are very minor nitpicky stuff. The camera is very easy to operate, takes great videos, having the camera feature is very nice also. Not into night shooting, so do not know about that. Transfer is very easy also.

You won't regret buying this camera!

Wrestled with this decision for a long time. Reviews were so helpful, I decided to post mine. I will try to address the main things that concerned me from other reviews before I purchased.

Battery Life: I bought the extended battery, but probably wouldn't do that again if I had a do-over. Battery life is fine for my needs (couple hours of clock time, 60-90 min recording time). Try it yourself before you buy the extended one if you're looking to save $.

Start/Stop Record Button Location: The location of the start/stop record button, but to me it feels very natural in it's location. The "joystick" is a bit weak feeling, but not to the point where it annoys me.

Sound/Mic: Just not a problem at all for me. I'm a consumer-level person who makes family videos in Final Cut Express, and the sound quality is no better/worse than the last three camcorders I've owned. It was nice to know, however, that I can attach a directional mic if it ever becomes a problem.

Rattle Noise: I am VERY glad I read the reviews on this or it would have freaked me out. The thing does rattle when you move it around and boy does it sound like something is broken. It is not. Others have explained what it is, but suffice it to say, it saved me some panic time knowing it was there in advance.

Only complaint I have (and boy is this a small nitpick) is that the cover to the component jacks doesn't easily go back into place nice and tight. I feel like one day this is going to break or lose its tight fit, but hopefully not.

So far, so good. Quality is great. Final Cut Express recognized it right away. Imports fine in both SD and HD recordings. One thing you may want to be aware of is that when you import into FCE, your sequence settings will show 1440x1080, not 1920x1080 as you may have thought. There are TONS of info on this on the forums, but again, it is normal. MiniDV tape requires 1440x1080 anamorphic to fit on the medium. I didn't know that when I bought, but now am very glad it is like that because FCE handles 1440x1080 without any issues, which isn't true of 1920x1080. So it turned out to be a blessing. Very happy so far. All the features I need, and nice that it came with the component cables when I want to plug right into an HDTV for playback before editing. Used the light to film the kids goig to sleep on our vacation in a dark room and was just enough light for a cool "bedtime" effect. Good stuff. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I have been taking family/travel DV for the last 5 years on a Canon ZR50MC, processing it on a PC and burning it to DVDs. I had this work flow down to a fine art. I replaced that (now worn out) camera with the HV30 about 5 months ago. It has been a 5 month learning experience (with a pretty steep curve).

The HV30 is deceptively powerful and complex camera. It has the potential in the right hands to film jaw droppingly good footage. Canon have included some pretty advanced features in the camera, but have omitted to explain the pros and cons of some of these features in the manual. This can lead to a lot of hair pulling and anger management classes, and frustratingly sub par footage. This is NOT a standard issue DV camcorder like the ZR50. It is waaaay more powerful, and can get you into trouble much more easily. You will need this website: hv20.com.

In full auto mode this camera shoots fantastic "local-news" style super sharp HD video - and if that's all you want then you will be one happy camper!!! My camera is also close to silent compared to the old ZR50MC - a big improvement.

However, if you want (like me) to dig into the progressive film modes (24p and 30p) things can get pretty weird, pretty quick. This film-ish HDV is somewhat prone to frame jitter / judder / shudder, MUCH more so than SDV. This is not a fault with the camera, but you could say it was unexpected and unwanted baggage. Jitter is when the edges of frame jump irregularly and potentially make the viewer feel somewhat seasick (not good). It becomes difficult to focus on elements in the picture. This is generally caused by pans and movement with an uneven or variable rate. Pans and movement must be very smooth, much more so than SDV. Smooth/even rate of change is more important than slow - for example filming through a speeding car windscreen is low jitter.

You might find yourself reading up on how frame rates and shutter speeds work to solve common judder and jitter problems with the HV30. The manual does not mention these very common problems. I can say you almost always need a tripod or a steadicam to get good low jitter footage, with the optical image stabiliser (OIS) turned OFF. However, the OIS is quite good when you are actually filming a static thing, but do not happen have a tripod in your pocket at that moment. Image stabiliser + any movement = Jittery Footage (bad). Hand held in general is really not a good idea. The manual does not address any of these subtle (but vital to success) points.

This brings us to pulldown removal and interlacing. This can get seriously weird. Again, it is not a fault with the camera - but it is yet ANOTHER issue to learn all about. The manual does not mention it. I can say that I now avoid 24p due to this problem - even on some TVs (which are meant to deal with this automatically) I can see interlace artifacts. After 5 months I am thinking that life is too short for amateurs to deal with this. Plus it gives me a headache.

Another important point is that you cannot faithfully assess this HDV footage on a PC. I have a dual core E6600 and a P4 - they both can add an additional layer of judder to the footage, since they cannot play it smooth enough. I use sensible settings in Vegas Pro for preview. To properly assess the footage you must use a TV. That was unexpected! Also there are major performance differences for mp4 video playback between the current media players. Something that plays/looks great in Quicktime will suck in VLC - yet more detailed trivia to be figured out.

All in all - this is great camera, but if you want to use it to its full potential, then you will be paying your dues for the next 6 months. It comes with A LOT of hidden baggage. If somebody could do a 1 hour training video, or an idiots guide on how to use it, I think it would be a much more appealing product (with hindsight). I will not be selling my HV30 due to the time invested; but I will never ever be upgrading a camera again.

I question the value of most reviewers who write something after a short experience with a product. I fall into that category myself but here goes. I've "played" with this camcorder for a month and did one serious shoot - a talking head interview miked with a lavalier mike. I used professional studio tungsten lighting. It looked very, very good for a camcorder at this price. Sounded great which had more to do with an external mike than the camcorder. The sound may suck with the camera's mike but I don't intend to use it much. I am thinking I will have to do some rube goldberg adjustments to get what I want from this camcorder but so be it. I shot the interview at 30p and cinema mode(vivid) which seemed to work nice. The image under my lighting looked washed out so I over rode the auto lighting minus two. Worked fine in this instance.

I was attracted to this camera because most reviews suggested the video quality was very good. I concur. Also like the 30p & 24p and cinema mode and ability to use external microphone. With good technique I think I can produce videos that rival the models that cost 3-4K, particularly when you convert to quicktime or flash for the web.

I use a new MAC and Final Cut Express to edit my stuff. The HD footage from this camera takes some horsepower to edit i.e. hard drives, processor, video card, etc. If all I wanted was some family stuff to play back on my TV through the camera I wouldn't go with this camera -- probably would get one of the camcorders with a card and avchd format.

I'm a professional still photographer. This camera is meant to be an extension of some of the work I do in that capacity. So far I'm happy with it. It's a consumer camcorder with enough bells and whistles to make decent video if used carefully. The price is outrageous (in a good way). Am anxious to do more with it.

The only negative I might bring up is that the zoom is only around 48mm (35mm camera equivalent) at the wide end which makes basically a normal field of view. Lots of telephoto reach but I would prefer it the other way around. I notice that the Canon wide angle converter lens is .7x which would be around 34mm when attached. Still not extremely wide but so it goes.