Camcorder Review:
Canon HR10 DVD Camcorder

The HR10 is part of Canon's second generation of AVCHD camcorders attempting to deliver the DVD format for consumers. Using the AVCHD codec, the HR10 takes the next step by giving consumers HD on a DVD. DVD-recordable formats made a big impact on consumers, because of the simplicity of random access and the ability to pop what you just recorded directly into your DVD player.

Following on the heels of Canon's HV20, which received high praise, the HR10 attempts to make its own mark on the consumer mind. The HR10's innovative design shines in many places, but its technical breakthrough may have bled too far over into the "user-friendly department" one expects from a consumer camcorder.

Taking the HR10 out of the box, you immediately note its unique and stylish round design. It's always nice when a camcorder that is using the latest technology looks like it. The light weight is just one of the very impressive features that we noticed right away.

The HR10 carries its battery conveniently behind the pop-out LCD screen. In the front is the built-in microphone, which records average sound quality - not bad if you're just taping vacations or family birthdays. If you want to move on to something more professional, you are out of luck. The HR10 has no mic or headphone jack and no accessory shoe. The back side of the HR10 has a joystick for focus, exposure and an onboard light. Joysticks are always troublesome and may take time to master. During our testing, there were many times when we switched between focus and exposure by mistake. Just trying to focus was more of a hassle than we wanted. However, Canon did give the consumer a plan B.

One of this camera's major selling points is its Instant Auto Focus. Designed to snap quickly into focus, the HR10 leaves little need for manual focus for most consumer shooters. In our test, the Instant Auto Focus was very impressive. Focus from a chair about 3 inches in front of the camera to a door about 10 feet away was about two seconds. The change of focus appears to be more of a pop, instead of a gradual change.

The Canon HR10 sports several other features that we liked. The optical image stabilization (OIS) cuts down considerably on the natural jitters of holding a camcorder, and we could really see a difference with just a casual walk while recording.

To help make sure you get the best picture, Canon has given the HR10 several Scene files to help in different shooting conditions. You can select Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight and Fireworks. Other video image effects include Vivid, Neutral, Low Detail and Soft Skin Detail. There are different presets for lighting conditions as well, such as Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Fluorescent H. You also have the option of selecting a Cine-Mode that adjusts the gamma to create a film look.

Another nice little HR10 touch is the Quick Start function, which is basically a standby button. After you turn the camera on, pressing the Quick Start will put the camera to sleep, saving all your settings. Pressing it again gets you up and going in under a second, a great feature for those who need to save battery life.

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