HD camcorders: Compare features & prices Canon HV40 review
The HD Canon HV40 is a compact and light camcorder aimed at the amateur videographer or occasional camcorder user. It boasts a 10x optical zoom lens and uses the Mini-DV or HDV format, so it should be of interest to anyone keen on exploiting the edit-friendly potential of the Mini-DV/HDV format. But does it offer great image and sound quality? We put it through our rigorous camcorder tests to find out.
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| Test criteria | Rating |
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| Video quality | |
Artificial light video
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Dim light video
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Overall video quality
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Image stabilisation effectiveness
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| Autofocusing |
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| Still photos | |
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Still photo quality
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| Usability | |
| Ease of use |
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Features
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| Sound | |
| Sound quality built-in mic |
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Canon HV40
- Which? score:
| Office Online | GBP810.10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Play.com | GBP885.99 | |
| Just Canon | GBP899.95 | |
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Artificial light video
Video quality under artificial light recording
Dim light video
Video quality under dim light recording
Overall video quality
Total video quality under various light conditions.
Image stabilisation effectiveness
How well the image stabilisation feature compensates for shaking hand motions.
Still photo quality
Receives "n/a" if no still photo function, or still photos recorded to tape. Image quality, shutter delay and other convenience rated
Features
How useful the camcorder's features are - a colour viewfinder gets a higher score than a black and white one, for example.
