New Media Gear 018: Canon VIXIA HF R400 HD 53x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Camcorder and 3.0 Touch LCD

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New Media Gear 018: Canon VIXIA HF R400 HD 53x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Camcorder and 3.0 Touch LCD

I produce a number of blogs and video series/podcasts, so I had been looking to upgrade my current video cameras to something with a few more features and better ease of use. While my  micro-four-thirds SLR camera did well with video, it was limited to how long it could record as one video clip and also lacked a reversible viewfinder so I could shoot videos without a camera operator.

Recently, I also had several New Media production opportunities come my way and an upgrade to full 1080p video quality was needed. I asked for recommendations from my social media followers and one of the first recommendations was this Canon camera. I found it for purchase locally and after trying it out, I decided to buy.

This camera has several features that I was looking for in a new camera:

  • Reversible viewfinder for single person shooting
  • SD Card video storage with the ability to record 1 hour + presentations as one clip
  • External mic input for lavaliere and shotgun microphones
  • 1080p/60fps recording
  • MP4 recording, as well as AVHCD

This camera has all of these features, along with decent quality in low light situations and ease of use. I have now used it in 2 projects, as well as my weekly podcasts, and I find it to be capable and produce good quality video. Sure, you could spend a lot more money for a much better camera, but for my own needs and finances, this camera has proven to be an excellent choice. You can see some examples of the camera at work on my YouTube Channel.

Canon VIXIA HF R400 HD 53x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Camcorder and 3.0 Touch LCD

 Product Features from Amazon.com:

  • Genuine Canon HD Video Lens with 53x Advanced Zoom and SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization
  • Canon 3.28 Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor and new DIGIC DV 4 Image Processor capture videos at 1920 x 1080 resolution and provide exceptional imaging performance
  • Record Full HD video directly to a removable SD memory card (SDHC/SDXC compatible) for fast and easy sharing of your memories.
  • 1080/60p recording in MP4 (35 Mbps) and AVCHD Progressive (28 Mbps) for high quality capture of moving subjects
  • 3.0-inch capacitive touch panel LCD

Previously on New Media Gear:

 

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