Canon HR10 - Expert Reviews

Pros: Good quality video, extensive range of manual options, HDMI capable

Cons: Mini-SD card slot prohibits recording options, viewfinder poorly placed, a bit on the chunky side

Verdict: The Canon HR10 is a decent enough DVD camera, offering impressive high-def visuals at a relatively affordable price. However, there are several competing models on the market which offer a superior performance.

Review summary: Canon's new HR10 high-definition video camcorder has many features in common with the HG10 and HV20 models we have already reviewed. All three have the same optically-stabilised 10x optical zoom lens and 1920 x 1080 True Progressive HD CMOS sensor. ...

Verdict: Video quality from the test camcorder was similar to the recordings we made with the HG10 and HV20. Pictures were sharp and detailed with elevated saturation and contrast. These qualities were duplicated in still shots from the camera and confirmed by ...

Review summary: The HR10 brings DVD-based recording to Canon's camcorder line-up. Does it perform as well as we've come to expect?

Verdict: Although the HR10 continues the high video-quality theme of the HV20 and HG10, it's not quite in the same league. Aside from the lack of enthusiast features, what really lets it down is the DVD recording format itself. The limited storage has always ...

Review summary: The HR10 represents Canon's third dip into the waters of high-definition video; although it's still something of a departure from what has gone before from this photographic specialist.

Pros: Highly effective, Washing analogy works well, Versatile, No drivers required, Powerful, with good performance, Excellent warranty, Small footprint, Cheap, Well built and comfortable in use, Compact, Decent system spec, Strong battery life, Sturdily ...

Cons: Resource-hungry, Quite bulky to lug around, Battery life could be better, No card reader, Underpowered, Dated design and aspect ratio, Bulky aerial, Disappointing battery life, Older CPU, Dated design, Requires two USB ports, Not overly portable, ...

Verdict: An impressive selection of features and a generally very good picture and sound performance make the £600 price tag something of a surprise.

Review summary: The Canon HR10 is camcorder that records to DVDs in the AVCHD format. It has an excellent complement of manual controls, including some nice image and digital effects, as well as Instant AF for changing the focus quickly. All in all, this camcorder ...

Pros: Manual exposure controls ; 24p support ; full-size HDMI connector

Cons: DVD initialisation and finalising operations are slow ; relatively short battery life ; can't charge while camcorder is powered on

Verdict: Though the Canon HR10 is a decent camcorder, there are better choices for the same money because format performance and compatibility issues make it hard to recommend a DVD-based AVCHD model