The Canon VIXIA HF G20 has already a newer model on the market. However, this older model is still one of the best options if you want a camcorder for vlogging. In fact, this camera is the cheapest camcorder with a good full manual mode and great image quality. It’s still a good camera for vlogging, although it has some flaws that can be overcome if you have the tools.
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What Makes the Canon VIXIA HF G20 Good for Vlogging?
Max. Recording Quality: 1080p60 | Min. Illumination: 0.1 lux |Flip Screen: Yes | Touchscreen: Yes| WiFi: No| External Mic. Port: Yes | Video File Format: AVCHD (24Mbps) | Sensor: HD CMOS Pro | Internal Memory: 32gb | Battery: Between ½ and 2 hours of continuous recording | Focal Length: 30.4 – 304mm | Max Aperture: f1.8 (wide) – f2.8 (tele)
It’s the cheapest camcorder with a good manual mode – One of the main disadvantages of using camcorders is their lack of true manual mode. The G20 is the best cheap choice if you want to keep in control of all the camera’s capture settings.
When you enter its manual control mode, you will be able to adjust aperture, shutter speed, focus and gain. You can change these settings with a nice dial, excepting the focus, which can be modified with a precise manual focusing ring the camera has installed.
It comes with 6 white balance presets and 2 manual settings. It has a histogram available -which can stay turned on whilst recording- to see the light and color distribution in your image. Finally, you can adjust color temperature too.
This is why the G20Â is more expensive than the average consumer camcorder. It’s an entry-level camera for video professionals.
It records 1080p60/30/24 video – 60fps recording is standard for camcorders. However, you can also choose to record at 30 or 24fps. This option is not found in every camcorder. This will give you a lot more creative possibilities.
The standard cinema frame rate is 24fps. You can give your recordings a cinematic feeling if you choose this mode. This lets this camcorder get pretty close to the quality of a DSLR.
It’s also important to notice that camcorders will need more lighting to record at higher fps rates. This means that you can set less than 60fps if you don’t have enough lighting to work with.
It’s an amazing camera to work with without any lighting kit–The last point about lower fps rates is a plus factor for the G20’s performance in low light. However, that’s not the only thing that makes this camera great in low light. It also has one of the lowest lux ratings you will find: 0.1 lux.
The Canon VIXIA HF G20 can record in low-light conditions without losing much video quality. This might help you a lot if you need to record at night.
Even if you use artificial lighting in your room, most cameras still need more lighting than that. You can count on the G20 to do a pretty decent job in these situations.
Also, it has a maximum aperture of f1.8 at wide. This helps vloggers a lot in their recordings. You will be able to record high quality video in lower light
You might not need to get a lighting kit to record amazing video quality with the G20.
Its touchscreens helps set things faster– Touchscreens are a great invention to save space. It is also great to navigate through the menus and set things faster. Having a touchscreen is always a great thing to have.
It comes with internal memory – Most camcorders don’t come with additional space to work with, but this one does. It also comes with a good amount of space available; 32GB will allow you to save some hours of videos without having to buy a really expensive memory card.
What isn’t so good about theCanon VIXIA HF G20?
There are some things to bear in mind before getting this camcorder:
It can only record in AVCHD file format, which won’t save you any time – To edit this kind of format, you will need a really good PC. Most people don’t have one available. If you’re one of them, you will need to convert every video to another file extension before editing. You will need to dedicate a lot of time to this process.
No WiFi – New cameras are coming with wireless connection. This makes transferring files much faster, and you could also use your smartphone to control the device.
It’s a shame this is lacking in a camera at this price.
It comes with low battery life for its price – You might want to get another battery for this camera. This is what most people do when they buy it. When making video blogs, it’s common to run out of battery, especially if you’re a perfectionist. Be aware of this additional cost if you plan to buy this camera.
Will has been a full-time content creator since 2014. He’s an audio, video, and tech hobbyist dedicated to reviewing products and giving you the best tips he knows to grow your audience.