Review: Canon HV30 HDV/DV Camcorder


So, it has a 2.96MP CMOS sensor, 1080i/25p shooting, choice of HDV and DV recording/playback, AV-input conversion, superb functionality, great handling and more..... Hang on, haven't we been here before?


Image of Canon HV30 with LCD open
Back at the end of 2007 when Canon showed us the HV30 for the first time, the unanimous reaction was that it appeared to be identical to the HV20 in every way except the body colour. Surely not!

The previous year's model boasted a 2.96 megapixel, 1920x1080 True HD CMOS image sensor, Instant AF, 10x Optical Zoom lens with Super Range OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), DIGICDV electronic image processing, a 25P cinema-style shooting mode, HDMI connector, LED video light and flash, an all-import AV analogue video and audio input, microphone input and advanced accessory shoe. It also offered a choice of recording and playback in HDV (High Definition) as well DV modes. In addition to all that, the incoming HV30 sports......... a black body colour. Now, hold on a minute - are we missing something here?

First impressions


Let's forget about all of the confusing stuff above for a minute and look at what we have right now. Yes, like its predecessor, the HV30 looks and feels like a really serious video-making tool. It's quite weighty for its size and however you choose to hold it, it just feels really good. When placed on a tripod for more serious shooting, especially with a microphone connected and headphones in use, most of its connector ports and controls are where you need them to be for smooth operation (with the exception of the focus control - more of which later).

I like the fact that the essential Power dial and mode selectors, etc., are at the back and that it features playback control buttons along the bottom of the frame containing the 2.7 in, 211,000 pixels, TFT colour LCD screen. I also like the way the right side of the body (as you're handling it) that houses the tape compartment is well shaped for hand-holding. The presence of a body-formed cover for the advanced accessory shoe (basically one that can carry power and signal information to a microphone or video light, etc) is also very welcome.

One thing I don't like so much - something which the HV30 has inherited from the HV20 - is the positioning of the Manual control thumbwheel; its placement immediately ahead of the opened LCD screen is such that when needing to adjust focus you're forced to effectively fumble around simply because the LCD screen is in the way and you can't see it. It would be so much nicer if Canon were to have given us a proper focus ring instead.

Features


The Canon HV30 uses a 1/2.7" CMOS imaging sensor to generate 2.96 megapixels of total picture resolution. This translates into effective resolutions of 2.07 MP (4:3 Movies), 1.55 MP (16:9 Movies) and 2.76 MP in the top three photo quality modes. Its very fine 10x Canon Power Zoom lens gives a focal range of between 6.1 to 61mm at between F1.8 and F3.0. In widescreen 16:9 movie mode, the lens provides a 35mm equivalent of 43.6-436mm. Minimum focus is 1 metre, but an impressive 1cm when lens is on maximum wide-angle. If you're looking to add screw-in lens accessory filters, the filter diameter is 43mm.

The HV30 utilises Canon's own excellent OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), and the camcorder has all the image control stuff like InstantAF distance sensor, White Balance options and manual input controls that can also be found on the HV20 so there's no point in repeating them all here! What you might appreciate is the fact that the HV30 can play back HDV tapes recorded with other Canon products like the XL H1, XH G1 and XH A1 in both 50i and 25F modes. However, material shot with these models in the HDV25 (PF25) mode will be processed by the HV30 as 50i playback only.

Menu options are clearly displayed, with easy navigation being achieved thanks to a mini-joystick control placed in the centre of the pwoer.function dial at the rear (right) of the main body. Also at the rear, behind a moulded cover, are a range of external video connectors including HDMI (for HDTV output) and FireWire (for export/input of HDV and DV video signals to computer). The USB 2.0 MiniB connector and MiniSD card slot are found inside the LCD screen recess and accessed by opening the screen itself. The external microphone input and combined (menu switchable) AV/Headphone output socket are positioned at the offside front of the body. An auto lens shutter cap operates when the camera power is switched on and off.

If you're keen to shoot in manual control modes, then there's a range of professional-style "Assist" functions, too - such as a Zebra Pattern display generator which provides peak video level monitoring in the viewing and offering a choice of 75% and 100% level peaking options. There's also an onscreen head-up display linear audio level level display gauge for monitoring input audio levels as well.

Cinema-style 25P shooting


As I've already mentioned, the HV30 allows you to take full advantage of its 1920x1080 CMOS image sensor by shooting what people like to think of cinema-style digital movies thanks to progressive scan technology. This, in effect, dispenses with the traditional method of building a video frame in two interlaced passes and instead creates one full frame in one single process. This is the difference between the "i" and the "p" - interlaced versus progressive frame sequences. Canon's HV30, like its predecessor, offers 25 progressive frames per second (24p in the USA and other NTSC markets) recording for the full effect. When combined with Canon's CINEMODE recording program preset, this HDV25 (PF25) mode will further enhance the cinematic look, we're assured by Canon. If, course, everything is left in the default HDV recording mode, you'll end up with standard 1920x1080i recordings instead.

Image of Canon HV30 Front View with reversed LCD

Performance


The camcorder might be a virtual carbon-copy of its predecessor in all but its body colour but it still produces fabulous pictures and sound in both HDV and standard definition DV modes. Recording in 16:9 HDV (1920x1080i) mode, it was clear that the HV30's CMOS sensor can go to places other camcorders can't really manage despite the fact that CMOS is generally regarded to be less capable in such circumstances than CCD equivalents; even after shooting outdoors in bright light (where it generated some lovely, rich and vibrant images) into a variable-light interior, the HV30 didn't put up any opposition to shooting colourful objects like flowers in full bloom that were placed in the corners of the room. Both in Macro (between one and two centimetres away from the object) and on the end of its 10x Optical zoom, the pictures were very good indeed. Even with less light than sensible camcorder users would normally consider, the HV30 seemed to cope reasonably well and didn't show signs of picture noise or graininess as we'd expect from lesser mortals.

Shooting in manual modes produced markedly better results than in fully auto, too. As a simple test, I set up the HV30 for a tripod shot of a bunch of carnations positioned in the light of a large window and framed in close-up. Under manual control I was able to stop down the iris (exposure) manually to achieve a pleasing and properly-exposed image (given the lighting conditions). The result was this frame (reduced in size from a captured 1920x1080i frame):

Image of flowers taken with Canon HV30 in manual exposure mode

The camcorder was then switched to fully Auto mode, and allowing for a very slight change of composition (a shot that is a little bit wider) but with no change in lighting conditions whatever, the image circuitry produces a picture that is just a tad hotter in peak areas, such as on the tips of the leaves.

Image of flowers taken with Canon HV30 in auto exposure mode

By switching back to Manual and then reducing the aperture by one stop, the image reverted to that of the first. It's not a major issue or problem, but it's worth noting that - like many modern medium-priced consumer camcorders - the Auto circuits tend to cook image detail just a little bit too much for the sake of overall compromise and users really do need to be careful if they're looking to achieve the best results they can. It's particularly relevant to material that will end up on large HDTV displays, of course.

However, it's a minor issue; all in all, the picture quality is excellent when shooting in both HDV and DV modes. The full-frame grabs of the scene above from which these images are derived display very little extraneous picture noise at all - which is impressive - and the images shot both indoors and outside in mixed lighting conditions look superb on a reasonably-sized and specified HDTV display when using an HDMi connector (not supplied) or Component Digital cable-set (supplied).

Audio recorded using the built-in Electret Condensor mic is also very impressive when shooting indoors and with people in conversation. Outdoors it is, like so many equivalent models, prone to even the slightest contact with wind and that's a pity, but when there's no wind-noise the sound quality is very good - with overall stereo separation and definition as to be expected when played back in stereo using our Mac-based editing system.

What I do like is the degree to which we can monitor what's going on in the camera at any time and in any mode; the Zebra level indicator (something that's standard on professional cameras and camcorders) is very useful indeed - especially given that it has 75% and 100% peaking mode options - as is the linear audio input level monitor. With it, the level of sound coming from an external tie-clip microphone (as being used to record a short interview indoors) was controlled during recording using the thumbwheel in front of the lens (with some physical difficulty, for the reasons previously explained).

In general, playback performance in HD is very good indeed, and we were very impressed with what the HV30 had to offer. Even its standard definition DV (PAL 50i) output looked better than expected when fed by the supplied AV output connectors to a widescreen HDTV display!

Conclusion


All in all, the HV30 is a very good camcorder indeed and every bit as good as the model it replaces. It is, of course, very odd that a company like Canon should seek to replace one year's model with another whose specification and even form-factor is apparently identical to that it replaces, especially since the only change seems to be its body colour, but that doesn't really matter. The fact is that as a new product coming to market, buyers can be assured of benefiting from the excellent example set by the HV20 among serious users - even some quality-conscious professionals - and that's no bad thing at all. That said, if you just rished out and picked up your very own HV20 don't worry - you're missing absolutely nothing that we can see!

There are a couple of criticisms: the manual thumbwheel - required to make manual adjustments to everything from exposure to audio level - could be better placed as it makes it very difficult to adjust properly when the LCD is open. Secondly, the colour viewfinder (which I've so far not mentioned) is too small to be of any use, and its fixed position makes it impossible to use at all in the majority of situations. Please amend this, Canon!

The HV20 was considered to be quite possibly the best consumer HDV/DV camcorder currently on the market and is therefore a hard act to follow. This new model manages to provide the serious digital video-maker with everything they'll want to shoot great movies at an affordable price, and at its price point the HV30 must surely be the best tape-based high definition camcorder on the market. Excellent job, Canon....... again!

Reviewed by: CB. March 2008. Canon HV20 product images courtesy of Canon UK. Other images Copyright 2008 Colin Barrett/SimplyDV Limited.

Editor's note: Please note that the Canon HV30 supercedes the Canon HV20 (Reviewed March 2007).