Last Updated on January 13, 2019
Vixia G20 Review
Canon has released a variety of digital cameras and camcorder over the years, making it one of the trusted names in the photo and video industry. They’re not afraid to constantly upgrade models they have released to further improve prosumer experience as well. One of the latest additions they’ve made is the Canon Vixia G20. This is actually an upgrade of the Canon Vixia G10, which was released in 2011.
[vimeo height=”500″ width=”780″]https://vimeo.com/86417272[/vimeo]Vixia G20 Review
This Canon Vixia G20 review intends to give a lowdown of the good and bad of this particular camcorder. So what makes it better than the G10?
The Good
It has compact packaging. Although the G20 doesn’t have a lot of difference from the G10 on the design and look, being lightweight and compact definitely gives it an edge, especially when compared to other bigger and bulkier gear. With the Canon Vixia G20, you can use and carry for extended periods and it won’t even weigh down your bag. If you’re accustomed to using larger camcorders, the G20 will be a welcoming change.
It comes with a touch panel LCD screen. The display actually lets you touch and view at the same time. If you view other Canon Vixia G20 reviews, some might say that you need to apply pressure before the screen responds to your touch. But this idea could be subjective as it depends on who’s using the camcorder. Overall, the touch and view feature is a refreshing change from other models. What’s more, the display is a 922,000 dots screen that delivers brilliant colors and provides 100% coverage of the scene you want to shoot.
It comes with an image stabilizer. Don’t you just hate it when pictures come out blurry because your hands were shaking or that you’re subject won’t stay still? Fortunately, the Canon Vixia G20 is more stable even if you don’t use a shoulder rig. This results to better and quality images, regardless if the subject is moving or not. No more blurred and out-of-focus shots.
It is G10 minus the problems. As it is an upgrade of the older model released by Canon, the G20 has better features than its predecessor. It has better audio input and low light, has reduced noise in videos and shows cleaner and crisper shadows. All in all, it’s a small package with lots of amazing features.
It performs well even under low light settings. What made the G20 a cut from the rest is its dynamic range that results quality color reproduction even in low light. Not a lot of pro-level camcorders can give you impressive outputs, where images are vivid, sharp and detailed.
The Not so good
Its focus ring is hard to work with. As Canon Vixia G20 reviews aren’t all about the good stuff, know that the camcorder also has its share of flaws, although they’re not all that bad. One noticeable problem is the focus ring that, as some people say, is hard to turn. Because adjusting it is difficult, the video can get messed up.
Its battery is small. There’s no question about the battery life as it can last up to 111 minutes when recording a single video non-stop. Rather, the problem lies on the size, which happens to be the smallest battery compatible to Canon. This Canon Vixia G20 review, however, gives more emphasis on the life, which matters more, rather than the physical size of the battery. It is up to you to buy a back up, just in case the new one gets lost, which is fairly cheaper. So, it’s all good.
Regardless of which Canon Vixia G20 reviews you read, there’s no denying that this particular camcorder has a lot to boast about and it can definitely hold its own in the competition.
Vixia HF G20 Specifications
Main Unit Specs
| Standard Definition or High Definition | High Definition |
| Television System | NTSC |
| Video Recording system | MPEG4-AVC / H.264 |
| Image Sensor | 1/3-inch HD CMOS Pro, RGB Primary Color Filter |
| Total Pixels | Approx. 2.37 Megapixels |
| Effective Pixels | Video: Approx. 2.07 Megapixels (1920 x 1080) Photo: Approx. 2.07 Megapixels (1920 x 1080) |
| Maximum recording Time | 32GB internal flash drive in AVCHD:* LP (1440 x 1080) 12 hours 15 minutes** SP (1440 x 1080) 9 hours 35 minutes** XP+ (1440 x 1080) 5 hours 45 minutes** FXP (1920 x 1080) 4 hours 10 minutes** MXP (1920 x 1080) 2 hours 55 minutes*** When recording has continued for 12 hours, it will automatically stop and then start. ** Variable bit rate |
| Lens | Zoom Ratio: 10x Optical/40x/200x Digital (Movie mode only) Focal Length: 4.25-42.5mm (35mm equivalent 30.4-304mm) Zoom Speed: Variable, Constant: Fast, Normal, Slow (16 steps in each mode) Max. F/Stop: f/1.8-2.8 |
| Focusing System | Instant AF, Medium AF, Face Priority AF, TTL (through the lens) |
| Manual Exposure | Yes |
| Programmed AE | Smart Auto, P, Tv, Av, M (Manual exposure), SCN, Portrait, Sports, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Night Scene, Low Light, Spotlight, Fireworks |
| Max Shutter Speed | Movie: 1/2000 sec. |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 20mm (wide) / 60cm (across the entire zoom range) |
| White Balance | Auto, Set 1, Set 2, Custom (2,000K to 15,000K in 100K increments), Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Manual |
| Frame Rate | NTSC: PF24*, PF30*, 60i, 24P (24 progressive recording) *60i recording |
| Minimum Illumination | NTSC Auto mode 1.2 lux (with auto slow shutter selected – shutter speed 1/30 sec.) Low Light mode: 0.1 lux (shutter speed 1/2 sec.) |
| Image Stabilization | Dynamic SuperRange Optical (lens shift), Standard SuperRange Optical (lens shift), Powered IS, Intelligent IS Intelligent IS in Auto mode:
IS Modes other than Intelligent IS; Dynamic IS and Powered IS settings can be selected:
|
| Filter Diameter | 58mm |
| Viewfinder | .24-inch, color widescreen viewfinder (Approx. 260,000 dots; Approx. 100% field of view) |
| LCD Screen | 3.5-inch Touch Panel Widescreen Color LCD (Approx. 922,000 dots) |
| Recording Media | Built-in 32 GB memory and 2 additional SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slots*Use of Class 4 or above (4, 6 or 10) memory cards is recommended for recording MXP or FXP (1920 x 1080 pixel recording) movies. For other recording formats, a Class 2 or higher card is recommended. Also, movie recording requires cards with 128MB of memory or more. |
| USB Terminal | mini-B: Hi-Speed USB supported |
| Video Terminal | Component (output), Composite (output) |
| Audio | AVCHD Satisfied: Dolby Digital 2 Channel (AC3); 5.1 Channel (with optional Canon SM-V1 5.1-Channel Surround Microphone) |
| Accessory Shoe | Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe |
| Supplied Video Editing Software | Pixela Video Browser / Network Utility Disc Canon ImageBrowser EX Disc |
| HDMI Terminal | Available; mini connector (output only) |
| Microphone Terminal | 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack |
| AV Mini Terminal/Headphone Terminal | 3.5 mm 4 pole mini-jack (video/audio output only) |
| Operating Temperature range | 23° to 113°F (-5° to 45°C); 60% relative humidity / 32° to 104°F (0° to 40°C); 85% relative humidity (performance) |
| Dimensions | (W x H x D) 3.0 x 3.1 x 6.3-inch (77 x 78 x 161mm). Excluding lens hood and grip belt. |
| Weight | Approx. 1.3 lb. / 575g (including lens hood and grip belt) Approx. 1.4 lb. / 620g (Including Battery BP-808, memory card (x1), lens hood and grip belt) |
G20 Review Test Footage
Unboxing the G20
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