I bought this book to go with my HF S100. As compared to the owner's manual, which several reviewers have done, it is definitely more colorful and of better quality. That should be no surprise to anyone who has a Canon manual; they're clearly low-cost publications that are basic at best.
Things to note about this book:
1. Very high quality; easy to read; well laid out.
2. Since it covers a number of different VIXIA models, you'll find a lot of "wasted" pages. If it was, for example, tailored to only my model, it would probably have about a third less pages. Then again, it wouldn't be as marketable to such a large audience and would not sell as well. I spend a lot of time flipping pages trying to find the section pertinent to my particular model.
3. You'll still need your Canon manual. I wanted to check how to format the SD card inside my camera, and when I finally found mention of this within the book, it told me to refer to the manual that came with the camera. Huh?
4. A lot of information within the book pertains to shooting video in general (shot composition, types of microphones, etc) and not how to use the VIXIA specifically. I would prefer to have it only focused on the technical aspects of my camcorder in greater detail, but maybe that's just me.
5. I would have liked to have seen more information explaing the various settings that are available for video resolution and frames per second, with the pros and cons for each.
Lastly, although the book is very well designed and colorful, I find myself taking the manual that came with my camcorder with me on trips/outings and leaving this book at home. Although the manual is very basic with no color photos, it does include the answer to most every "how to" or "what's that button for?" question I come up with, whereas this book doesn't. Plus, it only gives me information for MY camcorder model. The manual is also much smaller and therefore easier to travel with. I feel much safer having it with me to use as a practical "go-to" guide as opposed to this "field guide." Canon VIXIA HD Camcorder Digital Field Guide
I bought this book for my HG20, and it delivers. This Guide should be shipped with the camera, because what good is knowing that a camera has a certain function if you don't know how to apply it to everyday shooting? This book does a great job showing you why and when you would use your camera's features. It also explains what the camera can't do very well, and gives you solutions. This book is also quite comprehensive on the functions of the cameras. My instruction manual is in the trash.
I talked my local library into ordering this book and I am certainly glad I did. The book is very informative, gave me great information I didn't know, and useful information on subjects I thought I already new well.
The information on lighting and manual settings for my HF11 were especially helpful. My only complaint is that for a given setting, the author does not cover the differences between the different camera UIs. So a little extra searching on my part to find the where the settings were on my camera was necessary.
I found this book to be the easiest way to learn my camera. The instruction manual that came with the camera gives insight into nothing. This book tackles features one at a time and delivers clear and concise explanations born from the authors own experience as a professional videographer. Canon should put this book in the box.
I'm a teacher and my students use the Canon VIXIA cameras to gather their news stories. I have started using this book to help my students learn to use the cameras and for lessons in videography. This is a very thorough field guide for each camera and is not based on theory. The author actually shows you which buttons to push and explains when you would use a feature in the field. This is very important for my students. The section on sound has already improved the overall quality of their videos, by showing which internal settings to adjust, and how to properly use mic accessories in the field. We use the HF11, HG21, and HV30 and I found the explanations for each camera to be seamless. This book is very helpful.
Lonzell Watson's latest addition to Wiley's "Digital Field Guide" series is an easy-to-read and informative guide to using the new Canon VIXIA HD camcorder. Watson's chapters are neatly organized with bullet points, tips and lots of pictures. I especially liked the "cross reference" tabs throughout that point you to different chapters where a topic, mentioned in passing, is covered in-depth.
The Quick Tour up front will get you oriented right away. And for those new to videography altogether, chapter 4 is a great, basic primer on how to compose, white-balance and adjust your images for better results. If you want to capture nature/wildlife in particular, be sure to check out the section in chapter 3 on continuous shooting (you can move easily between still and video capture with this camera). Another plus: Watson details exactly what the various VIXIA models in the series can and can't do, so if you have an HF10 or an HR10, you're covered.
Anyone who owns a VIXIA should definitely own this book!
Beth Marchant
Editor-in-Chief
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