The Vixia HF G30 is an upgrade from previously released models from Canon, which are Vixia HF G10 and Vixia HF G20. Among the camcorders released by the company, the G30 is highly anticipated as it contains fixes for bugs and problems that prosumers may have encountered with the two previous models. Not to mention, the various upgrades that come with it.

But how different is the Vixia HF G30 from its predecessors?

Better image processor

Compared to the G10 and G20, the G30 now comes with a DIGIC DV 4 processor that offers an increase in dynamic range. And, the more range a camcorder has the better the quality of its video output, which was lacking in the DIGIC DV 3. With the previous versions, colors and skin tone tend to look flat because of lower dynamic range and tonal values. Fortunately, such problems have been corrected, as you will see in this review.

Canon VIXIA HF G30 2.91 Megapixel HD...

• This Certified Refurbished product is...
• Newly designed Genuine Canon 20x HD...
• 1080/60p recording in MP4 (35 Mbps) and...
• New Canon 2.91 Megapixel HD CMOS Pro...

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Features

Larger image Sensor

The G30 comes with a 1/2.84-inch HD CMOS Pro sensor that is larger than the sensor the G20 had, which is 1/3. This means that the pixels are larger, allowing more light to reach them, this will then result to better shots even under low light. In fact, the Vixia HF G30 is rated 1.5 lux, which is better compared to older models.

Upgraded OLED display

With the Vixia HF G20, the screen size may be similar to the G30 at 3.5” but the difference lies in the touchscreen interface. Because with the older models, you’ll have to press harder on the screen before the camera responds, especially when scrolling. This can be a bit difficult to control for some users. Fortunately, sensitivity has been improved with the latest model, with the new screen just gliding smoothly when swiping or scrolling videos and menus. This Vixia HF G30 review, also gives emphasis on the viewfinder that has approximately 1,560,000 dots, which make it easy to see the subject even when the sun is very bright and using the OLED display is difficult. What’s more, the viewfinder can be titled by 45 degrees from the normal position, making it easier to capture images and videos.

Canon Vixia HF G30HD Review

Better recording modes

This camcorder has two memory card slots, but they’re not the only things that make the device impressive. It is the fact that it can record directly to the memory cards with a choice of using one or both simultaneously and whether using the same or different formats. Users can choose between AVCHD and MP4. The former is best for recording videos that will then be saved on discs to be used on DVD or Blu-Ray device, while the latter is for saving videos that will be uploaded on the web.

Added Wi-Fi feature

Aside from using the Vixia HF G30 to stream and upload videos, the Wi-Fi functionality acts as a remote control of the camera. That is, you can use the computer or any mobile device to start or stop the recording, zoom, and to manually adjust settings to get the best shots. This makes the entire video recording process quite convenient.

So what’s the catch with this camcorder?

It’s quite hefty in the price department and doesn’t even come with any internal memory. Nonetheless, the improvements the Vixia HF G30 has over the older versions are worth the increase in price. The G30 showcases the amazing results you can get when different technology comes together. The Wi-Fi functionality alone that lets you control the camera remotely and then use it as a media server at the same time is impressive enough. When combined with other features, what you get is a high-end, feature-rich camera that will more than satisfy anyone looking for a moderately price professional camcorder.

Don’t forget to check out other Vixia HF G30 reviews to learn more about the camcorder.

Canon Legria/Vixia G30 Product Specification

Canon HF G30 HD Test Footage