Backpacker Magazine – January 2009

Canon Vixia HF10 Digital Video Camera

Small and compact, Canon's Vixia HF10 produces great HD-quality video and easy-to-use interfaces for any budding outdoors filmmaker.

by: Anthony Cerretani

Tags:
• Gear
|
• GPS
|
• Cameras
|
• Digital cameras
|
• Camcorders
|

---

With HD capabilities and dual hard drive/SD card flash memory, Canon's Vixia HF10 is a portable movie studio that's the size of a soda can. The HF10 gives you two hours of HD footage on the 16GB hard drive (or more than six hours on the lower-quality setting), which is more than enough for most day and weekend treks. The SD card port gives you even more storage space. It's quick and responsive–great for fleeing wildlife–and rugged and reliable: Our testers have consistently come home with great footage and sound, whether they were caught in drenching rainstorms or shooting next to loud, raging rivers. The HF10's joystick and easy-to-navigate interface (on a 2.7-inch LCD screen) make it easy to review footage in a cramped tent, and deleting scenes and creating playlists is easier than on many comparable models. And with attachable features like wide-angle and telephoto lenses and directional microphone, you'll be making your own adventure flick in no time. Bummer: The built-in 2.76-megapixel digicam beats a camera phone, but barely. $1,099; 15.1 oz.; canonusa.com. Reader service #115

Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter