Data Rate
The Canon VIXIA HF10 records in four data rates, 5 Mbps (1440x1080), 7 Mbps (1440x1080), 12 Mbps (1440x1080), and 17 Mbps (1920x1080). The camera does not record in standard definition (DV). 17 Mbps is roughly equivalent to HDV. 5 Mbps is “web” quality and would be appropriate for video blogs.
SDHC Cards
The camera records to SDHC cards. “HC” stands for “High Capacity”. SD memory cards are rated by speed, with Canon recommending class 4 cards. (Many video professionals, however, recommend class 6 memory for video applications.) I found an 8GB class 6 SDHC card for about $70. The 8GB card will hold about 1 hour of video at 17 Mbps and close to 3 hours of video in 5 Mbps. One 16 GB P2 card for the Panasonic HVX200 sells for $900 currently, whereas two 8GB SDHC cards for the Canon VIXIA HF10 sell for about $140.
After a while, I started thinking of the data rate, quality, and record time in film terms. 17 Mbps on an 8GB card is kind of like 1 hour of 35 mm, 17 Mbps is like 2 hours of 16 mm, and 5 Mbps is like 3 hours of 8 mm. As you can imagine, I put the camera in the 1920x1080 17 Mbps mode and left it there most of the time.
Built-in Memory
The camera also has a built-in 16GB memory that can provide an extra 2 to 6 hours of record time. Of course that memory can’t be removed, so you have to connect the camera to a computer via a USB cable to transfer the footage.
To use the USB cable, you must connect the cable, put the camera into “play” mode, and then turn the camera on. The camera then requires that the power adapter be connected before it mounts the camera as a disk on the computer. The eject function appeared to work on the computer, but there was no method to turn off the power on the camera. And I got a “device removal” error even though it was already “safe to remove” according to the computer. (Canon assures us that that's not a normal occurence and it didn't prevent me from using the camera.)
The HF10 comes with software for still image processing and for HD video processing, including “direct to DVD” software that burns an AVCHD disk. None of this software was of much value to me because I wanted to convert the AVCHD to a more editable format (MOV files) and use it in my existing workflow. I don’t need an AVCHD workflow.
I’m accustomed to the P2-card tapeless workflow with Final Cut Studio. So I had very little interest in connecting the camera directly to a computer, or using any other software.
Battery
The HF10 comes with one BP-809 battery. The BP-808 battery has the same capacity, but has a square-ish base rather than the neat profile of the BP-809, so the BP-808 doesn’t look like part of the camera when it’s installed. The BP-819 battery has twice the capacity of the BP-808 or the BP-809. The good news is that I was able to pick up a couple of BP-808 batteries at my local store that sells Canon gear. As for the BP-809 or BP-819 – good luck finding them in stock. The capacity of the BP-808/BP-809 is about an hour when shooting in 1920x1080. Of course my use is filmmaking, so we will shoot for 10 minutes and then break to setup the next scene, during which I power down the camera. Also, I usually expend a battery before I charge it.
I’ve heard that others have complained about the battery capacity of the HF10. I am guessing that these people are either leaving the camera on constantly without giving it a rest, or using it for a little while and then re-charging it before the battery is spent.
There is a separate battery charger available. But instead of investing in the charger, I bought two extra batteries. I just charge up all three batteries in the camera the day before a shoot and I’m good for 3 hours of shooting. In an eight hour day we usually don’t shoot more than 3 hours of actual record time anyway, with breaks, setups, teardowns, and blocking.
CMOS sensor and Lens
The Canon HD Video Lens is much better than most lenses I’ve seen on smaller video cameras. In side-by-side shots with the HVX200 in 720p mode, the Canon image looked soft and lacking in detail, even though the HVX200 was 960x720 (691200 pixels) and the HF10 resolution was 1920x1080 (2073600 pixels). So even with three times the resolution, the big lens and lower compression made a big difference. However, I found that composition is key. And when I set up shots to use the look of the HF10, I got some very good filmic images.
