Used Canon VIXIA HF M41 Flash Memory Camcorder

2012-03-03T19:00:00

Excellent video quality for such a small video camera. I wish it came with the bigger battery (which I am about to order). I wish the LCD Menu was more "user friendly". All in All I think this is a great video camera.

Paul B.

2012-01-15T19:00:00

aewsome site with good pricing, most places want 600 to 700 or more $$$ adorama had in for [$]. i love adorama

george h.

2012-01-01T19:00:00

I am certainly not a professional videographer but have some experience with camcorders and consider myself a tech geek. I wanted to upgrade to an HD camcorder but did not want to spend a fortune. Prior to purchasing this HD camcorder, I read many reviews and articles and I am very pleased with my purchase. First of all, the HF-M41 is fairly compact, easy to hold and it's easy to operate the basic functions (e.g. zoom, record, playback, remove the battery, etc). The overall image quality is very good, especially when set to MXF (highest recording quality). The fact that the HF-M41 comes with an EVF is wonderful. The EVF certainly helps improve ones ability to shoot quality video when outdoors in bright sun light. Although, I am using a UV filter on the camera which may also be helping improve the image quality when shooting in bright sunlight. Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of image in low light situations. I shot video, during a holiday party, in a rather dark room and the quality of the video was far better than I expected. The HF-M41 also provides better sound quality than I expected. The built in microphone seems to be very sensitive. However, I do plan to buy the optional mic in order to get 5.1 sound. I also love that this camcorder has 32GB of internal memory. In standard recording mode, this is good for about 10 hours worth of video. I added a 32GB memory card and can now shoot about 20 hours of video in SP mode before having to worry about moving the video to my PC. This will be great for an upcoming vacation. Other positives, regarding this camcorder are that it comes with a remote control, an HDMI cable and with photo and video software. This camera is not without faults though. The reviews I read were correct. The menu takes some getting used to but this could also be a positive because this camcorder has a lot of features that the menu has to accommodate. As also indicated in many reviews I've read, the touch screen does not respond to touch as well as one would like. However, it was not as bad as I expected. Perhaps that's because my expectations were low, due to all the negative reviews but it could also be that, as a long time gamer, I have slightly better ability to operate the touch screen than others do. Another down side is that the software that comes with the HF-M41 seems quite limited in capability. But, the software is certainly sufficient to 'do-the-basics'. This too was not a major issue for me as I already have quality photo and video editing software. A final negative comment is that the battery that came with the camcorder could last longer. It seems to last about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before needing a full recharge. However, this was easily remedied by purchasing Canon's BP-819 rechargeable battery, which has a significantly longer run time and fits perfectly in the HF-M41's deep battery well. Regardless of these few negatives, I believe the positives greatly outweigh the negatives and would definitely recommend this camcorder to others; especially if you get a good deal as I believe I did from Adorama.

MidiJoe

2012-01-01T19:00:00

Great in lowlight conditions for movie-making. Need to learn camera adjustments for photos as the pics taken in same lighting as movies were considerably more grainy. Great cam for beginner in auto mode and much upside to grow, including manual options.

Newbie F.

2012-01-01T19:00:00

Great for shooting the kids. Excellent battery life.

BDS

2011-12-25T19:00:00

This is a great camcorder although somewhat difficult for the technically challegened as I am.Produces top rate HD video's, even for us newbies. Initial operation is easy enough but all the sophisticated stuff this camera can do is going to take awhile to understand. I did much research before I purchased and it payed off. Everything you need is in the box. I would recommend a monopod to help with steadiness. I am very happy with this purchase (somewhat pricey compared to other brands but worth the price with what it produces). I went with the M41 because I wanted Eletronic View Finder (EVF)

jonvandriver

2011-12-18T19:00:00

I like the product. Easy to use and yes works well in low light without additional lighting. I went with the view finder version for shooting outdoors. I would recommend this model to friends. The two small complaints is the limited wide angle shooting and the zoom button seems backward to me, in other words the way you push it to move in seems like it should zoom out and vise versa. Otherwise no complaints. I use Nikon for still shooting but also think Cannon make great products.

Hoovey

2011-12-18T19:00:00

Have used it a couple of times. The picture quality is very good. Battery life is a concern. Recommend to have a back-up battery. Could have used a standard shoe so that I could have used a canon video light that I already have.

ragu

2011-12-11T19:00:00

I have been making videos of my niece indoors and outdoors and I'm very pleased with the results. I purchased this camcorder because I was not happy with the videos that my Canon Powershot took in an auditorium. I have not yet used this new camcorder in the same setting, but it has to be an improvement. I had read that the touch screen was not user friendly with this camera, but I navigate with it well as I have used it more. I also read that it was difficult to download the videos to a computer, but the Apple folks helped me with the process and now it is seamless. I did not have to purchase anything else, simple use iMovie.

Cynthia D.

2011-12-02T19:00:00

It is very easy to use; any one who has no experience in video making can use it. The power and record button are in an accessable place for the fingers to get to. The quality of the recording is fantastic and it is very good in low light. Overall this camcorder is very good. However the construction is a bit flimsy, and it is not as solid as other Canon video cameras I've seen. The touch screen is a little hard to use (it comes with a stylus. But other than that, it is a good camera.

Shutter B.

2011-09-03T21:00:00

I use this camera for news coverage and interviews in a small city. It was a very good purchase, but as I started to work "in the field", the camcorder started to display some limitations. First --and I know this is not the intended usage for the camera-- when I need to interview someone, I have to keep a relatively long distance because the lens is too small and it tend to "cut" either the head dome of the interviewed, or the mic cube branding (or both). This is a problem to me because I'm the cameraman AND the one doing the interview, so I need to keep the mic close to the person I'm interviewing, and at the same time keep the camera a few feet away from the aforementioned person. This is very uncomfortable to me, as I need to keep my arm totally extended for several minutes, and it's very tiresome. At the en I had to purchase a wide angle adapter, and this solved the problem. Another issue is the built-in microphone. It tends to catch a lot of noise and wind, and in some shots I end with some footage whose sound would make your ears bleed. I use a normal michrophone connected with the camera, for the interviews. But for everything else, I had to bough a shotgun mic. Another issue is the user menu. Is awful, and the touch screen doesn't help either. I like to make a lot of manual changes when I shoot indoors, or outdoors, or when interviewing, and this camera interface makes it very difficult. The last problem, and this is a big one to me. The battery only last less than 80 minutes! This is a huge issue to me. I know that maybe the battery is not intended to last as much as I would like, because the extended usage I make to the camera (and the energy that the external mic consumes), but it's very annoying to have to "dosage" your shooting time because the danger of draining battery. So the only solution for me is to buy the expensive and very bulky BP-827 battery. Overall, I think it was a good purchase. But you need to spend a little more in accessories (lenses, battery, microphones, etc.) if you want to use your camera shooting something else than family parties or personal events. Sorry if the review sounded very negative, but it's far easier to remember what's wrong (or annoying) about something than to remember the good stuff. I don't regret the purchase, specially because buying a professional equipment is a big no no to me (carrying a big camera and interviewing at the same time? No thanks). I would still recommend the equipment.

Kosmonaut K.