78

PC World says:

quote

The mix of image quality, controls, frame-rate flexibility, and format compatibility makes the Canon HV30 camcorder a top choice for home movies and indie filmmaking. The HV30 may be one of the last tape-based consumer HD camcorders, but it's also one of the best HD camcorders, period. quote


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Critic reviews

8.2
9 reviews
  • Video recording quality
    9.2
  • Audio recording quality
    8.0
  • Recording capacity
    7.4
  • Battery life
    8.0
  • Durability
    7.0
  • Portability
    6.6
  • Ease of use
    7.7
  • Design and form factor
    8.0

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User reviews

8.5
4 reviews
8.0
CNET Feb 25, 2008

An extremely minor upgrade from the HV20, the Canon Vixia HV30 remains a quality HDV camcorder with a couple of performance issues.

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8.0
PC Mag Feb 2, 2009

The Canon Vixia HV30 delivers excellent video quality, though recording video to miniDV tape feels low-tech and slows down your operation.

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8.0
Macworld Jun 17, 2008

In a world where consumer Mini DV camcorders are being phased out, the HV30 is easily a top choice. The camcorder’s impressive feature set and superb video quality should cater to both advanced and amateur video makers.

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7.0
PC World Oct 23, 2008

The mix of image quality, controls, frame-rate flexibility, and format compatibility makes the Canon HV30 camcorder a top choice for home movies and indie filmmaking. The HV30 may be one of the last tape-based consumer HD camcorders, but it's also one of the best HD camcorders, period.

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9.0
Washington Post Feb 15, 2008

The HV30 is a worthy investment. If you can endure under the minor frustrations that come with tape recording, you’ll be rewarded with outstanding video quality.

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9.0
TechRadar Oct 4, 2008

If you want a very good camcorder, then we recommend the Canon HV30. It has a higher quality image than the latest HDD models at the same price.

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9.0
Gedryn Gedryn

Quality: I have used the camera in multiple lighing conditions and have been happy with the quality. Buttons and controls: The only complaint I have had about it is the placement of the zoom. It sits right where I put my hand when holding the camera, which can make it uncomfortable....

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9.0
tatyr tatyr

Three years ago this camcorder was a best value for money, but now it is rather outdated. But it still has pretty good video quality, acceptable autofocus and so on. Main cons - DV-tape isn't most convinient data storage now and lens isn't wide enough (but contemporary rivals rare have wider).

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