Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

This camera is amazing, small size, full Hi-Def 1080i, no worry about tape or disk, excellent image stabilizing, good zoom,
Would be nice to have a viewfinder so can save battery with LCD off.
Getting wind noise from mic, will check how to avoid.
Happy with purchase.

* Video is wonderful.
* Audio is great.
* Low light indoor video quality is very good.
* Still picture is very good. I no longer need to carry my Olympus DC.
* Easy to transfer files to computer
* Even in a sunny day, LCD display has no problem.

This is the first camcorder I've ever bought. This camera is awesome!! It looks great with a HDTV. The files are very big if you record in high def so I bought two 16 Gig memory cards. These are kind of expensive. Also, the battery the camera came with lasts about 80 minutes and you have to charge the battery while it's in the camera. I do suggest buying another battery and the separate battery charger. Also, the pictures that this camera can take are very high quality!!! If you have the money, buy this camera. You won't regret it. Flash memory is the way to go for camcorders.

I really like this camcorder. The only thing that I could complain about is that it is so small for my large hands. I'm amazed at how small it is, and the above isn't really a complaint as much as an observation that the location of the buttons are more well suited to a person with smaller hands.

There are other reviewers who've commented on the technical stuff, so I won't go into that here. I will say, that I'm glad I got this camcorder, and recommend it to others who want a simple to operate excellent quality camcorder.

I have a Sony standard definition miniDV camcorder, and also bought the HF100 and the Sony CX12, both flash camcorders.
I found the Canon to be the better value: good to great video and audio quality in good lighting conditions, better user interface, and standard SD cards will save you money and hassle vs. the Sony CX12.

If you're not sensitive to a few hundred extra bucks (for the CX12 and overpriced Sony Memory Sticks), you get the following additional features: much better low-light performance (by low-light I mean indoor night-time videos of kids with under ordinary incandescent lighting (without lots of halogens)). Build quality is a little higher (LCD joints stiffer, battery/inputs door covers more firmly attached). Slightly better audio (I noticed you could sometimes hear "clicks" from the Canon's zoom button). Sony DVD HD DVD burner is more flexible than Canon's, for example, you can shoot video in HD, and burn a standard DVD for people w/o HDTVs and Blu-ray. I understand to do this on the Canon burner, you need to record in standard definition to begin with.