Canon High-Definition MiniDV Camcorder (HV20),

So I’ve been shopping for a video cam lately for class. An instructor recommended the Canon HD MiniDV (HV20) – firewire capability, shoots HD, and it has external mic connection. Of course, the stubborn me would think that may not be smart spending. So I went ahead to research on video cam.

Here are some things I considered:

1. Hard Disk vs. DV tapes/ DVD: It seems that the latest cameras now have this hard disk feature – some of up to 60Gb!
2. High-Def vs. regular/normal: Well, I thought it would be nice to have high-def since most TV and computer monitors are HD.
3. Name Brand: Okay, so there’s JVC, Canon, Sony. They’re all equally strong brands, but which one’s the best?
4. Price: Of course, I have to go with something reasonably priced and smart!
5. OS compatibility: Is it compatible with both the MAC and PC environment?
6. Special Features: Each camera has different features. It’s kind of like their competitive advantage. For example, some may have remote controls, touch screen capability, large viewing screen, image stabilizers, etc. Know each features and what YOU want.

So I was shopping online for a video cam. The best site I’ve been to were:

1. Future Shop: I was able to compare features between 5 cameras (you can compare 5+ of course)
2. Forums: One being HV20.com. It’s always good to hear what others have to say about a particular video cam.

Then I visited 3 stores (2 Future Shops and 1 Best Buy). Sorry Best Buy, I wasn’t impressed with their sales rep’s lack of knowledge. At Future Shop, however, I was lucky enough to meet reps that knew what they were talking about. One of them even has a background in the film industry, and another, in photography.

Anyways, here are some of the top reasons the sales reps said about the Canon HV20:

1. It is the most preferred video cam by rookie videographers
2. It is used and preferred for documentary filming
3. MiniDV is better that hard disk (although hard disk seems to be the new “wow” thing in video cams). See, when you break a hard disk cam, your data is lost. With a miniDV, you’ll always have a back up
4. I can use the battery from the Canon XTI Rebel (digi cam). I still have to test this one out. Lucky for me, a close friend of mine owns the camera!

Now here are the reasons why I bought the Canon HV20:

1. I bought it on sale at Future Shop for $769.99. Original price was around $1049. That’s almost $300 on savings. So now I have room for a case, and miniDV tapes. Somehow, the website is still posting a $799 sale price.
2. It has external mic input/connection
3. Firewire capability
4. It’s hi-def
5. Compatible with both the PC and MAC environment

For more info, check it out the Canon HV20 website.

What do you think?

I have 14 days before I can do a full exchange/return. Would you know of any flaws that this camera has? Got any recommendations? Feel free to post and share your thoughts!