20 November 2011, Singapore – The Canon LEGRIA HF G10 is branded as a high end semi pro camcorder in the Canon LEGRIA range of products. The camcorder is semi pro because it’s designed to match the needs of experienced videographers with professional quality Canon components and extensive manual controls for exceptional HD movies.

Table of Contents

Canon LEGRIA HF G10 Features:

Canon HD Video Lens
Canon HD CMOS Pro sensor – A 2.07 MP HD CMOS Pro sensor – designed and made for professional camcorders. The light gathering area of the pixels is 160% greater than a conventional CMOS, for wider dynamic range and better low-light performance.
Full HD at native 1920×1080 resolution
Professional audio
AVCHD video to 32GB built in memory, with Dual SDXC slots for external storage
Full manual control
30.4mm Wide-angle HD Video lens
f1.8 to f2.8 maximum aperture
8.8cm Touch-screen LCD
Instant AF; Face Detection
Dynamic Optical Image Stabiliser
Creative Cinematic Features
HD-SD conversion

The Review

Look & Feel

The Canon LEGRIA HF G10 is considered nice, compact and weighing at only 545grams for the video quality and functions it delivers, which can be easily packed into a small carrier and brought around while traveling. Many may feel that the body is too “plastic” with its S$3099 price tag, but it does not feel cheap. On the contrary, the body feels very well made and sturdy.

Video quality:

The Canon LEGRIA HF G10 can capture crisp & sharp videos under almost any type of lighting condition or event. In the video below at 1:34, the video is taken at extreme low light the graininess is still acceptable with clear video quality. Even at 10 times zoomed at 1.22, the details on the ballerina flying in mid air are not compromised in the video.

Auto & touch to focus:

With a touch panel display, you can touch any area you wish to focus while you are filming. It also has a subject tracking feature whenever you select a focus subject. The Automatic focus will work well for most scenarios, which also comes with face detection focus.

Image stabilizer:

Like the Canon LEGRIA HF S30, that I’ve previously reviewed (Check it out by clicking review of S30), the image stabilizer comes in very handy when recording without a tripod. When recording at 10 times zoom, it’s recommended to turn on the Powered IS optioned to achieve more stabilization.

*Note: if you are using 10x zoom, its best to use it with a tripod, as any slight movement will be magnified 10 times (the videos will still be slightly shaky even with Powered IS stabilizer on).

Audio:

The microphone is very sensitive with Automatic Gain Control which will automatically adjust the sound recording when it is too loud or when there is too much feedback (noise) to minimize the distortion of audio.

Manual controls:

The Canon LEGRIA HF G10 comes with a lens focus ring that provides close control over focus during shooting, while there’s also a customizable dial allowing for manual exposure, shutter speed, aperture and mic gain while filming.

Battery life:

The standard battery that comes in the package when you purchase the Canon LEGRIA HF S10 allows you to use the camcorder for about 120 minutes on a full charge. It is best you carry with you extra batteries especially if you are traveling or if you are attending an important event. The package also comes with basic video editing software that lets you start your video projects immediately.

Conclusion:

The Canon LEGRIA HF G10 comes in a small package with full manual controls that are catered for both the professional videographer and the “hobbyist going pro”. Canon LEGRIA HF G10 retails at S$3,099

In my opinion, even though it is pricey, you get your money’s worth through the great quality video.