---
product_id: 5328904
title: "VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black)"
brand: "canon"
price: "VT176297"
currency: VUV
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
category: "Canon"
url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/5328904-vixia-hf-r20-full-hd-camcorder-with-8gb-internal-flash
store_origin: VU
region: Vanuatu
---

# Full HD 1080p video with 3.28MP CMOS sensor 8GB internal flash + 2 SDXC slots 28x advanced optical zoom lens VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black)

**Brand:** canon
**Price:** VT176297
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎬 Capture every frame like a pro—anytime, anywhere!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black) by canon
- **How much does it cost?** VT176297 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/5328904-vixia-hf-r20-full-hd-camcorder-with-8gb-internal-flash)

## Best For

- canon enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted canon brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Steady Shots on the Move:** Dynamic IS stabilization smooths out shakes and jitters, perfect for capturing action or travel without bulky rigs.
- • **Compact Powerhouse Design:** Ultra-lightweight and sleek, this camcorder fits in your hand and your lifestyle, ready to shoot instantly with Quick Start and Pre-Record features.
- • **Seamless Extended Recording:** 8GB internal memory plus dual SDXC slots with Relay Recording means never miss a moment, capturing up to 45+ hours with expandable storage.
- • **Crisp, Professional-Grade Video:** Genuine Canon HD lens with 28x advanced zoom and DIGIC DV III processor delivers stunning 1080p footage with vivid color and sharp detail.
- • **Intuitive Touch Control & Smart Auto:** Touch Focus, Touch & Track, and Smart Auto modes make professional-quality shooting effortless—even on the go.

## Overview

The Canon VIXIA HF R20 is a compact Full HD camcorder featuring an 8GB internal flash memory and dual SDXC card slots for extended recording. Equipped with a 28x advanced zoom Canon HD lens, a 3.28MP Full HD CMOS sensor, and DIGIC DV III image processor, it delivers sharp, vivid 1080p video. Dynamic Image Stabilization ensures smooth footage even while moving. Its intuitive touch panel controls, Smart Auto mode, and quick start capabilities make it ideal for both beginners and pros on the go. Lightweight and portable, it supports HDMI output and external microphones, making it a versatile choice for high-quality video capture at an accessible price.

## Description

From the Manufacturer The VIXIA HF R20 allows you to record up to 3 hours of crisp high definition video to an 8GB internal flash drive or to two SDXC-compatible memory card slots. With Relay Recording, the camcorder automatically switches video recording from the internal drive to the next available SD memory card when the memory becomes full. No need then to worry about running out of recording time during a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime shot. With SDXC memory card compatibility, you’ll have card storage capacity from more than 32GB up to 2TB and ultra-fast data transfer speeds. You’ll also have the flexibility of copying video from your VIXIA HF R20’s internal drive to the removable SD memory cards. That makes it easy to insert the card into your computer or HDTV’s card reader and view your recorded footage immediately. Memory capacity MXP(app. 24Mbps) FXP(app. 17Mbps) XP+(app. 12Mbps) SP(app. 7Mbps) LP(app. 5Mbps) 2GB 10 min. 15 min. 20 min. 35 min. 45 min. 4GB 20 min. 30 min. 40 min. 1 hour10 min. 1 hour30 min. 8GB* 40 min. 1 hour 1 hour25 min. 2 hours20 min. 3 hours 16GB 1 hour25 min. 2 hours5 min. 2 hours50 min. 4 hours45 min. 6 hours5 min. 32GB 2 hours55 min. 4 hours10 min. 5 hours45 min. 9 hours35 min. 12 hours15 min. 64GB 5 hours55 min. 8 hours20 min. 11 hours30 min. 19 hours10 min. 24 hours30 min. * Size of internal memory in VIXIA HF R20. The maximum memory capacity and recording time can be substantially increased by the combination of the internal memory and the size of the SD or SDXC memory card chosen. For example, the VIXIA HF R20’s 8GB of internal memory, combined with two removable 64GB memory cards, would give 136GB in total memory capacity, and over 45 hours of recording time at LP setting. MXP and FXP modes record in 1920 x 1080 and require a Class 4 or higher SDHC or SDXC Card. The advantages of flash memory go beyond the added recording time. You'll also appreciate the quick response time, because there are no moving parts. Press the record button and your VIXIA HF R20 starts recording video faster than you've ever seen before. In addition, when you review, you'll have quick access to your footage. Another plus is the VIXIA HF R20's low power consumption rate, allowing your battery to last longer. It's just what you need so you don't miss that pivotal play on the field or the moment when they say "I do." Ultra-sleek, compact, and lightweight, the VIXIA HF R20 is, at approximately 9.5 ounces and 2.4” x 2.4” x 4.8”, a companion you’ll always keep handy while traveling or at home. While we certainly hope you keep your VIXIA HF R20 securely in your hand while shooting, if it happens to slip, or you accidentally knock it against something, you'll be happy to know that flash memory makes your camcorder more shock-resistant than other recording storage systems. It also minimizes the chance of data loss if you accidentally jolt or drop your camcorder. Canon’s expertise in imaging technology is clearly seen in its superb EOS Digital SLR cameras. The VIXIA family of camcorders is also a part of this achievement with Canon’s own Full HD CMOS Image Sensor. It brings stunning high definition video quality with exceptional low light performance, capturing video at 1920 x 1080 resolution and with remarkable detail. A Genuine Canon HD Video Lens with 28x Advanced Zoom delivers truly impressive image quality. Its aspherical lens minimizes spherical aberration, meaning sharper focus on your subject. With Advanced Zoom, you can seamlessly zoom both wide and long, retaining optical quality throughout the zoom range. The zoom is quiet, and optimized for flash camcorders. Together with the Canon Exclusive 3.2-megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor and Canon’s own DIGIC DV III Image Processor, this lens helps you capture high definition video and photos with astonishing detail, vivid color and enhanced reproduction of the full tonal range, including the most difficult purple and blue shades. With 24Mbps recording, video is captured at the highest bit rate in AVCHD. You get exceptionally lifelike tone and exacting detail. With the Canon VIXIA HF R20, you can be sure that even on the move your video will be smooth, steady and professional looking. The Dynamic IS system provides continuous adjustment throughout the entire zoom range to correct a broader range of motion. In comparison to conventional electronic image stabilization systems, extra compensation is applied at wide-angle focal lengths to eliminate unwanted vibration common when shooting while walking. See exceptional detail with a sharp 230,000 dot screen delivering brilliant color together with touch panel control for faster and easier menu navigation. Touch Focus lets you tap the subject on the touch panel to shift the focus for recording. It’s that simple. You have Touch & Track, which allows you to get precise focus and exposure on any subject, people, vehicles, fast moving athletes and more, by selecting your choice right on the Touch Panel LCD. Touch Exposure adjusts the exposure on the area of your image where you touch and sets the brightness needed. You may also drag on the panel to adjust the level. While shooting, Touch Decoration can be activated via the Touch Panel LCD allowing you to superimpose and record a variety of fun and exciting images along with your video. Animations such as shooting stars, thought bubbles, and others, freehand drawing, stamps, and various decorative frames can be added to give your video an amusing and creative flair. Smart Auto makes shooting great video easier than ever before. Using the power of Canon’s DIGIC DV III Image Processor, the VIXIA HF R20 intelligently detects and analyzes faces, brightness, color, distance, and movement, then automatically selects the best settings for the scene. Whether you are capturing a sunset, a day at the beach, or a fast-paced soccer game, Smart Auto delivers exceptionally accurate results. And with new Tele Macro, the VIXIA HF R20 automatically zooms the lens to the telephoto end and sets the minimum object distance to approximately 1.3 feet (from 3.3 feet) giving you the opportunity to shoot spectacular close-ups with the dramatic look of shallow depth of field. Tele Macro is one of 38 scenes available in Smart Auto Mode. The same high quality Face Detection technology used in Canon digital cameras is available in Canon high definition camcorders. Up to 35 faces can be tracked automatically, ensuring razor-sharp focus and natural, accurate exposure. Of the faces tracked, 9 detection frames can be displayed at one time. In fact, the system is so intelligent that it will recognize faces turned downwards or sideways. In addition, a specific face may be selected as the main subject for continuous tracking. This feature is convenient in searching for clips which feature that specific subject's face. In search and playback, use of the Face Index will display those frames with the chosen face as a thumbnail in each shot in which it appears. Your selected face can also be linked as a timeline to further identify footage containing your subject. Advanced Video Snapshot allows you to capture the highlights of a once in a lifetime trip or a family milestone with the same ease as taking photos. Simply record a series of short video clips – or select your favorite clips while in Playback Mode – and blend in your favorite background music to create an exciting movie that will hold everyone’s attention. This version of Advanced Video Snapshot allows selectable recording time of 2, 4, or 8 seconds. Additionally, audio from an external source, such as an MP3 player, can be played along with the snapshot movie, and playback can be controlled from that source. HD-to-SD Downconversion allows you to convert recorded high definition video to standard definition files while safely preserving the original HD video. These standard definition files make it even more convenient to edit or share video online. The video can be transferred to your computer via traditional methods – i.e. USB connection, card slot – or wirelessly to sharing sites with an Eye-Fi SD memory card. The VIXIA HF R20 is also compatible with the Eye-Fi SD memory card. It’s possible to wirelessly transfer video and photos to your computer, or upload them directly to online sharing sites (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Shutterfly, Flickr) in a few simple steps. Insert an Eye-Fi SD memory card into the SD card slot on the camcorder, configure your computer to select the target site and you’re ready to share your files with family, friends, and the world! Canon camcorders are not guaranteed to support Eye-Fi card functions, including wireless transfer. In case of an issue with the Eye-Fi card, please consult with the card manufacturer. The use of Eye-Fi cards may not be approved in all regions, or from one region to another; please contact the card manufacturer for status of approval in the country/region of use. Canon makes no representations or warranties with respect to any third party accessory or product mentioned herein. Since Canon is acknowledged as a world leading maker of digital cameras, it’s not surprising that the VIXIA HF R20, in addition to being a brilliant camcorder, is also a very capable digital camera. Once again, Canon delivers features and technology that advance convenience and capability. The VIXIA HF R20 comes with a Level Marker feature to keep your camera level for more professional-looking photos. The VIXIA HF R20's Grid Marker feature lets you compose your shot accurately, according to the grid in your viewfinder. You can even choose from two different colors for the grid ensuring that you see the grid, no matter what the background color of your shot is. The versatile VIXIA HF R20 even lets you capture a still image from an already recorded movie. While playing the movie in your camcorder, simply press the photo button to capture a 1920 x 1080 still image onto an SD card or to internal memory. Additionally, the VIXIA HF R20 allows you to capture 30 photos from one second of video. Now, better photos, filled with action and expressions, are easy to grab, print, post and share. 24p Cinema Mode enables all aspiring moviemakers to achieve a professional "film-look." You can change the camcorder's frame capture rate to 24p (recorded at 60i), which provides the appearance of the same frame rate as movie film. In addition, you can use the VIXIA HF R20's CINE mode, which changes the color and tonal characteristics, evoking the look and feel of a movie shown in a theater. For added flexibility, these settings can be used together or independently. You would normally have to look to professional video cameras in order to find a sophisticated tool like 30p Progressive Mode at your command. In addition to the standard interlaced video frame rate of 60i, you may choose to set the VIXIA HF R20 to capture video in 30p (30 progressive frames, recorded to 60i), which is particularly useful for footage to be used on the Internet. It’s also excellent for action and sports shots. In addition, this setting gives enhanced quality to photos captured after recording. To maximize the usefulness and versatility of the VIXIA HF R20, you’ll find a range of terminals to extend the capabilities of your camcorder. Easy, one-cable connectivity to your HDTV is achieved through the VIXIA HF R20’s HDMI Terminal which also supports CEC and x.v.Color*. A Mini HDMI Cable is included with the camcorder. This camcorder also features 1080p output, converting 1080i video to 1080p through the HDMI terminal. A Microphone terminal with manual audio level control and a Headphone terminal provide exceptional audio adaptability. For the ultimate in flexibility, the VIXIA HF R20 is compatible with the optional Canon wireless microphone WM-V1**. Using a receiver which plugs into the microphone terminal, its audio can be captured from up to 164 ft. (50m) away. Use it to record audio from a distant subject, or as a transceiver to cue shooting from a third party. * x.v.Color is a trademark of the Sony Corporation. ** This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained. Express Your Color Preference The VIXIA HF R20’s sleek, compact form can be had in your choice of three stunning colors, black, red or silver. Express your creative vision even before you begin to shoot and make this camcorder a fashion statement wherever you take it. Focus Assist To enhance focusing capability, the VIXIA HF R20 also features Focus Assist. This helps in capturing your subject in razor-sharp focus. It works by providing a 2x magnification of your subject, which is automatically cancelled when you start recording. This is a feature normally found in professional broadcast-quality cameras. Filter Threads Filter threads on the lens of the VIXIA HF R20 give it compatibility with the Canon TL-H34 II tele-converter and WD-H34 II wide-converter. With these converters, you can expand the shooting range of the lens for greater creative options. Built-in Electronic Lens Cover The built-in Electronic Lens Cover means you never have to go looking for your lens cover again. Turn your camcorder on and the lens cover automatically opens. Turn it off, and the cover closes. It couldn’t be simpler. Intelligent Battery The Intelligent Lithium-Ion Battery accurately indicates remaining battery time down to the minute. Quick Start Never miss a quickly unfolding shot again, as it’s possible to shoot the moment the LCD is opened. No worries about using up power with Quick Start – by keeping the LCD screen closed between shots, Quick Start allows you to save battery power so you get longer battery life. Pre-Record The Pre-Record feature places your VIXIA HF R20 in a stand-by "pre-roll" mode. With this feature the camcorder continuously records three seconds of video to memory before you even press the record button. When you start recording, the additional video is recorded too. It will be easier than ever to capture the moment when the bat hits the ball at the start of that home run. Pixela Video Browser Software is bundled with the VIXIA HF R20. You can easily perform a variety of functions, including AVCHD Editing in which you can trim, reorder, and combine scenes, as well as add music, titles, and transitions. This software also allows you to play your AVCHD movies on your computer and will let you share copies of your movie with friends and family through flash memory to hard drive copying. Transfer and store your movie onto your computer's hard drive with the software and easily convert your high definition video to standard definition video as well. This software will also assist you in converting video to the optimum resolution for transmission over the Internet. The bundled application is compatible with Windows XP (Service Pack 2 and 3), Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Review: Hard to figure out but worth the effort in the end - Canon Vixia HF R20 I purchased this Canon Vixia HF R20 last spring. I now love it, but it has taken me a long time to figure out how to operate the thing since the printed book that comes with it is less than helpful. Probably if you have been working with camcorders in recent years, the step over to this would not be difficult, but the last camcorder I had was back in 1987, a Sony mini-cassette and the jump to this has been a steep learning curve. Having said that, and having spent time jumping between the PDF operating book on my computer and back to the camera, I have to say I am very impressed with the quality of the finished video. I can watch it at full res on my 32" TV and it almost looks like broadcast. But I do agree with many of the reviews of other users. But when you consider the price and the tiny package that produces so much, I am truly amazed. I can certainly use this to produce professional "for YouTube" videos for my clients. I use iMovie 11 and it easily imports the files directly from the camera, lets you manually select the clips or automatically downloads them all and easily lets you edit and create videos complete with multiple sound tracts, lift sound from one clip and paste it into another, adjust exposure, contrast and color and crop. You can mix in stills as well. It easily saves the movie into iTunes and YouTube easily uploads and converts it to their format automatically. You can then embed that video into your website where it then will appear as well. You can choose the viewable size yourself. Gone are the jerky pans of just a few years ago. So now that I have used the camera a while and gotten the various controls, settings, different placement of buttons and where to find controls and in what mode they show, I can say, this is a good buy but expect to spend time learning how to use it if you have never used one before. But it is also true that you could just leave it on AUTO and be shooting video out of the box. Suggestions: 1. Get a spare battery! Battery life is short and it seems to bleed out even when the unit is turned off. Always top it up before using. 2. The widest angle is more like a normal lens on a 35mm SLR. I bought the Raynox Angle Conversion Lens RAHD5050PROL HD-5050PRO-LE High Definition 0.5x Wide for $130 with shipping from B&H Photo [...] and it doubles the viewable field. So indoors, scenics, groups and everything that just does not fit into the standard range of the fixed lens becomes included. It also helps if you walk with the camera since it reduces the apparent camera shake. A very sharp image at all zooms except extreme telephone. And make sure the lens is clean before shooting as it depth of field is intense and at extreme wide angle, any bit of dust or spec shows up. Carry a lens brush and/or lens cloth in your camera bag. 3. I bought this version because it has a mic socket. The onboard mic is not bad but tends to pick up everything whether you want it or not (iMovie can help reduce background noise clutter too). My next purchase will be a mic but sadly there is no shoe for either it or a movie light. Probably because the plastic housing would not support it. So you need to buy a standard movie light/mic bracket that you screw the camera onto using its tripod mount. It has a solid hand grip to the side. Not a bad idea anyway since it also helps to hold this very lightweight unit steadier. A mono pod would help with that too. So as a professional still photographer working to add some video into his coverages for internet use, I can highly recommend this unit.
Review: Very Impressive Little HD Camcorder - Just received this yesterday, and I've had a chance to experiment with it in a nearby park today, a beautiful, sunny day in Southern California. Let me first say that I have relatively big hands, and have no trouble whatsoever operating this unit. It's very lightweight and fits quite nicely in my hand, with shooting controls (start/stop, zoom, power) pretty much where I expect to find them. Despite some reviewers' complaints about difficulty using this camcorder, I've had no trouble getting it do what I wanted without referring to the manual much at all (although I found that when I did have a question about a more obscure control or setting, the abbreviated printed manual is not very useful and tends to refer you to the PDF version on the accompanying CD-ROM disc annoyingly often). A key consideration for me with this purchase is the ability to not only create very high quality 1080 resolution video, but also to have a way to easily watch the recordings on our 60" plasma TV and then store them on a shelf. The camcorder does have an HDMI port, but this is kind of a hassle when you want to watch your videos, as connections are not always convenient to make. So I wanted to make use of this camcorder's AVCHD function that allows a lossless transfer to DVD-R discs that will play on most Blu-ray players. To record an AVCHD Disc, you should use the FXD quality setting while shooting, which is the second highest bit rate (17 Mbps); using the higher MXD setting (24 Mbps) will require the accompanying PC software to scale it back down to 17 Mbps, so there's no point in using the highest setting if you want to make AVCHD Discs. Fortunately, the FXD setting looks great, and I was able to make a test AVCHD Disc without any difficulty using the "Video Browser" software that's bundled with the camcorder. Don't bother with the "Video Transfer" application that also comes with, as it's just a subset of the Video Browser tool and does not have as many features. While the AVCHD Disc function was a huge selling point for me, I also wanted to ensure this unit would do the job with respect to HD video quality. I experimented with a number of settings during my park outing, and learned some things along the way. According to the manual, this camcorder always records using 1080i (interlace), but offers two other frame rates: 30 frames per second (fps) and 24 fps. These last two appear to be synthesized by the camcorder from the actual 1080i recordings in the memory -- the idea apparently being that limiting the temporal (motion) resolution to 24 or 30 fps will make your videos look more "cinematic". They really don't in my opinion. I tested this with a relatively quick pan across a park scene, and while the 1080i/60 motion was smooth, the 30 fps setting just made the pan look less smooth and annoyingly "juddery". I will stick with the 1080i/60 setting, which is also what Canon recommends as "suitable for most situations". Outdoor use seems to yield the best results quality-wise. The few indoor tests I've done suggest that you'll need pretty good lighting to get rid of the noise and compression artifacts that become more apparent in lower lighting conditions, even at higher bit rate settings (MXP and FXP). This camcorder does not support an accessory light, but for $349, who can complain? 8GB of internal memory is sufficient for short recordings, but it's not really enough for a full day of use. So I also bought a 16GB Sandisk Ultra Class 4 SD card (quite a mouthful), which works fine and adds plenty of recording time. Recording on the SD card does seem to use slightly more battery power than the internal memory for some reason. In fact, based on my use today, I recommend getting a second battery if you'll be out in the field for very long. Battery life is not one of this model's strongest points, but this is most likely due to the very small size of the camcorder and its very light weight. Engineers must make tradeoffs like this when designing a product that is, by definition, intended to be highly portable. $70 for a second battery seems pretty steep, however, so this should be kept in mind when considering this unit; realistic battery life is less than one hour when using HD (FXP) mode and the zoom control fairly regularly. In summary, I would not hesitate to recommend this unit for casual high quality HD recordings during family events such as vacations, soccer games and the like. You can't beat the performance and high portability for the remarkably low price. I'm quite impressed and pleased with the unit.

## Features

- 8GB internal flash drive and 2 SDXC-compatible memory card slots
- Genuine Canon HD video lens with 28x advanced zoom
- Canon 3.28-megapixel full HD CMOS image sensor
- Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
- Dynamic IS stabilizes a wide range of movements for smooth, steady video

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B004HW7E7E |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Best Sellers Rank | #449,029 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #1,564 in Camcorders |
| Customer Reviews | 3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars (114) |
| Date First Available | January 1, 2011 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | Yes |
| Item Weight | 2 pounds |
| Item model number | R20-Black |
| Language | English |
| Manufacturer | Canon Video |
| Product Dimensions | 7 x 6.22 x 5.2 inches |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Canon
- **Connectivity Technology:** HDMI, USB
- **Flash Memory Type:** SDXC
- **Maximum Aperture:** 2.8 f
- **Maximum Focal Length:** 60 Millimeters
- **Photo Sensor Technology:** CMOS
- **Screen Size:** 3 Inches
- **Supported Audio Format:** AAC
- **Video Capture Format:** h.264
- **Video Capture Resolution:** 1080p

## Images

![VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31eetXPQEQL.jpg)
![VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812MZixiG3L.jpg)
![VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/816pgAHzLIL.jpg)
![VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black) - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81LoMwnzuAL.jpg)
![VIXIA HF R20 Full HD Camcorder with 8GB Internal Flash Memory (Black) - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81NGWTYvJsL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Does the hdmi output on the camera go to full 1080p or 720p?**
A: Full 1080p.  I recommend this camcorder for recording public meetings.

**Q: Compatible with Windows 7 Movie Maker?**
A: Yes, works very well.  We've made several movies and uploaded them to facebook with no problems.

**Q: how to transfer  internal memory to computer**
A: When you plug the usb cable from camera to USB. There is a button that you press on the camera (top left button...sorry forgot the name). It's the button when you open the screen, buttons are on the body of the camera. then on the display it will give you the option to select where you want to view/edit files. select which memory (memory card a, b or internal). I usually select all by touching that option on the touch screen. Then your computer will read it as a memory card/thumb drive/external drive. You can now save onto you pc.

**Q: You said this only comes with the camera and the charging cord. I'm assuming it has a good battery, yes?**
A: No- It has to be charged regularly..One bad thing about the camera. otherwise -its great

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hard to figure out but worth the effort in the end
*by K***R on April 30, 2011*

Canon Vixia HF R20 I purchased this Canon Vixia HF R20 last spring. I now love it, but it has taken me a long time to figure out how to operate the thing since the printed book that comes with it is less than helpful. Probably if you have been working with camcorders in recent years, the step over to this would not be difficult, but the last camcorder I had was back in 1987, a Sony mini-cassette and the jump to this has been a steep learning curve. Having said that, and having spent time jumping between the PDF operating book on my computer and back to the camera, I have to say I am very impressed with the quality of the finished video. I can watch it at full res on my 32" TV and it almost looks like broadcast. But I do agree with many of the reviews of other users. But when you consider the price and the tiny package that produces so much, I am truly amazed. I can certainly use this to produce professional "for YouTube" videos for my clients. I use iMovie 11 and it easily imports the files directly from the camera, lets you manually select the clips or automatically downloads them all and easily lets you edit and create videos complete with multiple sound tracts, lift sound from one clip and paste it into another, adjust exposure, contrast and color and crop. You can mix in stills as well. It easily saves the movie into iTunes and YouTube easily uploads and converts it to their format automatically. You can then embed that video into your website where it then will appear as well. You can choose the viewable size yourself. Gone are the jerky pans of just a few years ago. So now that I have used the camera a while and gotten the various controls, settings, different placement of buttons and where to find controls and in what mode they show, I can say, this is a good buy but expect to spend time learning how to use it if you have never used one before. But it is also true that you could just leave it on AUTO and be shooting video out of the box. Suggestions: 1. Get a spare battery! Battery life is short and it seems to bleed out even when the unit is turned off. Always top it up before using. 2. The widest angle is more like a normal lens on a 35mm SLR. I bought the Raynox Angle Conversion Lens RAHD5050PROL HD-5050PRO-LE High Definition 0.5x Wide for $130 with shipping from B&H Photo [...] and it doubles the viewable field. So indoors, scenics, groups and everything that just does not fit into the standard range of the fixed lens becomes included. It also helps if you walk with the camera since it reduces the apparent camera shake. A very sharp image at all zooms except extreme telephone. And make sure the lens is clean before shooting as it depth of field is intense and at extreme wide angle, any bit of dust or spec shows up. Carry a lens brush and/or lens cloth in your camera bag. 3. I bought this version because it has a mic socket. The onboard mic is not bad but tends to pick up everything whether you want it or not (iMovie can help reduce background noise clutter too). My next purchase will be a mic but sadly there is no shoe for either it or a movie light. Probably because the plastic housing would not support it. So you need to buy a standard movie light/mic bracket that you screw the camera onto using its tripod mount. It has a solid hand grip to the side. Not a bad idea anyway since it also helps to hold this very lightweight unit steadier. A mono pod would help with that too. So as a professional still photographer working to add some video into his coverages for internet use, I can highly recommend this unit.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Impressive Little HD Camcorder
*by G***Y on July 2, 2011*

Just received this yesterday, and I've had a chance to experiment with it in a nearby park today, a beautiful, sunny day in Southern California. Let me first say that I have relatively big hands, and have no trouble whatsoever operating this unit. It's very lightweight and fits quite nicely in my hand, with shooting controls (start/stop, zoom, power) pretty much where I expect to find them. Despite some reviewers' complaints about difficulty using this camcorder, I've had no trouble getting it do what I wanted without referring to the manual much at all (although I found that when I did have a question about a more obscure control or setting, the abbreviated printed manual is not very useful and tends to refer you to the PDF version on the accompanying CD-ROM disc annoyingly often). A key consideration for me with this purchase is the ability to not only create very high quality 1080 resolution video, but also to have a way to easily watch the recordings on our 60" plasma TV and then store them on a shelf. The camcorder does have an HDMI port, but this is kind of a hassle when you want to watch your videos, as connections are not always convenient to make. So I wanted to make use of this camcorder's AVCHD function that allows a lossless transfer to DVD-R discs that will play on most Blu-ray players. To record an AVCHD Disc, you should use the FXD quality setting while shooting, which is the second highest bit rate (17 Mbps); using the higher MXD setting (24 Mbps) will require the accompanying PC software to scale it back down to 17 Mbps, so there's no point in using the highest setting if you want to make AVCHD Discs. Fortunately, the FXD setting looks great, and I was able to make a test AVCHD Disc without any difficulty using the "Video Browser" software that's bundled with the camcorder. Don't bother with the "Video Transfer" application that also comes with, as it's just a subset of the Video Browser tool and does not have as many features. While the AVCHD Disc function was a huge selling point for me, I also wanted to ensure this unit would do the job with respect to HD video quality. I experimented with a number of settings during my park outing, and learned some things along the way. According to the manual, this camcorder always records using 1080i (interlace), but offers two other frame rates: 30 frames per second (fps) and 24 fps. These last two appear to be synthesized by the camcorder from the actual 1080i recordings in the memory -- the idea apparently being that limiting the temporal (motion) resolution to 24 or 30 fps will make your videos look more "cinematic". They really don't in my opinion. I tested this with a relatively quick pan across a park scene, and while the 1080i/60 motion was smooth, the 30 fps setting just made the pan look less smooth and annoyingly "juddery". I will stick with the 1080i/60 setting, which is also what Canon recommends as "suitable for most situations". Outdoor use seems to yield the best results quality-wise. The few indoor tests I've done suggest that you'll need pretty good lighting to get rid of the noise and compression artifacts that become more apparent in lower lighting conditions, even at higher bit rate settings (MXP and FXP). This camcorder does not support an accessory light, but for $349, who can complain? 8GB of internal memory is sufficient for short recordings, but it's not really enough for a full day of use. So I also bought a 16GB Sandisk Ultra Class 4 SD card (quite a mouthful), which works fine and adds plenty of recording time. Recording on the SD card does seem to use slightly more battery power than the internal memory for some reason. In fact, based on my use today, I recommend getting a second battery if you'll be out in the field for very long. Battery life is not one of this model's strongest points, but this is most likely due to the very small size of the camcorder and its very light weight. Engineers must make tradeoffs like this when designing a product that is, by definition, intended to be highly portable. $70 for a second battery seems pretty steep, however, so this should be kept in mind when considering this unit; realistic battery life is less than one hour when using HD (FXP) mode and the zoom control fairly regularly. In summary, I would not hesitate to recommend this unit for casual high quality HD recordings during family events such as vacations, soccer games and the like. You can't beat the performance and high portability for the remarkably low price. I'm quite impressed and pleased with the unit.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by W***H on June 28, 2016*

Really wonderful camcorder. Lightweight. Excellent value

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