Canon HG10 AVCHD High Definition Camcorder with Optical Image Stabilizer

the camecorder is great , but softwear truly sucks, after hours of fighting with the Corel product I give up, do not even download into your comp. just throw it away

Overall I've enjoyed this camera, but there are a couple of shortcomings:

1. AVDHD codec (.m2ts file extention)is not supported by the majority of popular players and editing software, including WMP and quicktime. Additoinally, the software included with the camera, which ostensibly provides basic viewing and editing/disc authoring functions, is terrible to the point of being virtually useless. If you buy one of these cameras you will need to buy some fairly expensive editing software if you plan on viewing your footage on anything besides the camera itself.

2. Some parts of the camera have a cheap feel, such as the pull-away dust covers over the aux microphone and output jacks - these do not fit snugly on my unit and will come out of position, exposing the jacks, just from shaking the camera. The selection dial next to the screen is too small for average man-size fingers and it's action has a loose, undapened (cheap) feel to it. Although I can't complain with the performance of the camera, it's dissapointing that a product that purports to be made in Japan has such a low-end feel to it.

3. Will not store still photos to the HDD!! What is that about? I don't understand why Canon not only forces you to use a serperate storage media for stills, but also chose the 'mini SD' format (halfway between standard SD and micro SD), which is arguably the rarest of card formats around. Even sony's proprietary 'memory sticks' are easier to find. The only way I could get a 'mini SD' card for my HG10 was to buy an adapter that accepts a 'micro SD' card.

Aside from these few complaints, this is a great camera and I have enjoyed using it to record hours of precious memories with nary a glitch in performance. Good battery life and brilliant picture quality in either HD mode. Considering it rivals some cameras in the $1000 range for performance and features, this is an excellent value. The OIS is possibly the best feature, and it quells the jitters from hand-held shooting even at the lense's longest focal lenth.

It was August 10th, 2008 when this camera's price got lowered $100-$150. I had to jump on that deal asap, and I haven't looked back since. The quality is everything you would deam of, and the sound, despite what some reviews say, is great. There are some things to consider before buying though. The battery that it comes with will only last around 2hours...(Maybe a little more if you lower the quality).. Also, the packaged software doesn't have a lot of editing options. It is basically just cut and put on DVD..If you are on windows, you might want to check out Pinnacle Studio Plus ($90...which isn't bad at all)..Also, I had some problems with getting the activation code for the Corel software. I am guessing that the website is only up during business hours, because the next day I was able to connect and get the code...So, if you are having trouble getting the activation code...Take a deep breath...try again the next day at various times, and you should get through eventually. If not, you can call support and get the run-around by Canon and Corel...Their customer support (When dealing with this software) is insulting...but then again, so is the software...heh..All in all, though..The video and sound is beautiful! Just try to activate the software during business hours or get better software all together. With this price, you seriously can't go wrong.

This camcorder has everything I needed...high definition video quality, internal hard drive (AND flash drive), user-friendliness, etc. Using to create training videos at work.

I purchased the HG10 through Amazon to do video auditions which require download to my computer. Amazon got the camera to me within 24 hours. Other than some terrible instructions, the camera worked great and I was totally satisfied with it. The problem came when I tried to download to my computer which has an AMD processor. I exceeded all specs, but couldn't get the Corel download software to work. After numerous calls to both Canon and Corel, I gave up. Corel said I had loaded the software and therefore wanted $15 to give assistance. I tried to explain that it had never worked at all. Canon said they couldn't find anyone who could intercede. I also developed a probelm with the USB connection on the camera, and that was the last straw, so I returned it to Amazon. My return was handled promptly and Amazon refunded the full price including their shipping and they also refunded my cost of return shipment.