Canon Vixia HF R800 Camcorder (Black) Review

Highlights Of the Canon Vixia HF R800

  • Regular minimum lighting
  • Dimension Of the screen: 3 in.
  • 3 Modes available
  • Battery, Power Cable and USB cable included

Vixia HF R800 Specs.

  • Camera dimensions: 4.6 x 2.1 x 2.3 in.
  • Weight: 8.5 oz.
  • Kind of battery: Lithium ion 

Pros

32x optical zoom and 57x advanced zoom offer exceptional capture range
1 / 4.85 “CMOS sensor and fast DIGIC DC 4 processor for high-quality rendering
Intelligent optical image stabilization
Good responsiveness of the touch screen
Several practical functions
16GB of internal flash memory
Good value for money

Cons

Battery a little big for the template of the device
Not too many physical buttons for manual settings

Canon camcorders are often the most sought after. For good reason, these are affordable products for all ages and offer good

Features:

Today, we decided to test a new digital camcorder on the market: the Canon VIXIA HF R800.Canon is known for offering products of very good quality. This was also the case of the Canon VIXIA HF R800 which had impressed us enough in terms of image Rendering. Let’s see what this digital camcorder is really promising!


Our opinion

For its selling price, we can say that the Canon VIXIA HF R800 does a great job. It includes flash memory, smartphone remote control, live streaming connectivity, good optical image stabilization, and a powerful 57x zoom. We recommend it to anyone who wants to buy a camcorder that is easy to use, lightweight and fits well.

Introducing The Canon VIXIA HF R800

Unlike the other Canon camcorder, the Canon VIXIA is more oriented for automatic use. Of course, there are basic manual functions but no physical buttons to adjust them. Because of this, it is really very compact and lightweight. For the control, the device is equipped with a 3 “LCD screen of 230,000 points. With this screen, you can focus, follow a moving subject, control the exposure in manual mode. Other settings are made using Canon’s intuitive menu.
In addition to the camcorder, Canon includes a 3-hour battery, AC adapter, Mini HDMI cable and USB interface cable. The camera is also compatible with the CT-V1 Panoramic Tripod.


It is a camcorder relatively simple so far but knows that he is the only one at this price to directly integrate an internal memory. Its 16GB internal flash memory can hold up to 6 hours of HD video.

VIXIA HF R800 Video Performance

This model is equipped with a ¼.85 “3.28MP Full HD CMOS image sensor and a 35mm lens. Canon’s highresolution CMOS HD sensor offers improved sensitivity. This way you get realistic Full HD movies with a natural color even in low light. But the sensor was not the only one to have been perfected. The Canon HD DIGIC DV 4 Image Processor, too, has been revised to optimize the streaming video. For this, it evaluates the signals sent by the image sensor to determine which ones are sent by mistake and then cancels them to produce a more impressive video stream.


For a pocket camcorder, the zoom options of the Canon VIXIA are staggering. The 32x optical zoom, the 1140x digital zoom and above all the advanced 57x zoom allow you to capture your subject wherever you are without loss of quality. It is ideal for wildlife, sports or filming. Note that the advanced zoom is only available in manual mode. The focal length of the camcorder is 32.5mm to 1853mm, which is relatively flexible.


To stabilize images, we find Canon’s sophisticated SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer. It instantly corrects the camera’s movements, so even hand-held videos at long focal lengths are crisp and stable. In other words, the dynamic image stabilization system of this camcorder stabilizes motion by continuously adjusting the entire range of zoom – and thus on several axes. This allows smooth, distortion-free video even when you walk while shooting.


In the end, the Canon VIXIA HF R800 features a 2-channel Dolby Digital microphone. Several settings can be made to optimize the sound during the video. Unfortunately, the microphone does not have a zoom recording function, which can be a little bit constrictive depending on your shots.

Camcorder Settings Canon Video VIXIA HF R800

As a recent camcorder, the Canon VIXIA has rather up-to-date recording functions. It allows to record MP4:
1920×1080, 35 Mbit / s, 50p
1920×1080, 24 Mbit / s, 25p
1920×1080, 17 Mbit / s, 25p
1280 × 720, 4 Mbit / s, 25p

It will not have any trouble to suit you thanks to its various possibilities of high quality. Also, note that you can record both formats simultaneously with Dual Recording. In addition, you can easily transfer your videos from flash memory to the card. Among the practical functions of this camcorder, there is the function of assisting the framing when losing a subject in the zoom or the file lock function that prevents an accident.


There is also the Highlight Priority mode which is very useful in case of high exposure. This mode prevents the loss of detail in areas of high brightness. It also corrects the backlighting. The image is correctly exposed even when the background is bright. You can also play HDR quality video with this mode.


If you like to play with the speed of your videos, you will not be disappointed either. This camcorder offers the possibility to record ultra-fast movements (up to 1200x) or very slow videos 1 / 2x. For more original renderings, have fun with Cinema mode that has 8 creative filters or the baby mode that allows you to capture the most beautiful moments of your children or animals. To finish with the settings, let’s go to those of the sound. For optimal sound, the Audio Scene Select function has 5 sound adjustment modes. It’s up to you to choose the setting that best fits your environment. It would be a shame to have beautiful pictures but a sound that leaves something to be desired?

Connectivity of The Canon vixia hf r800 Camcorder (Black)

If you are looking for a connected device, that’s good because the Canon VIXIA is equipped with high connectivity. Connect to your iOS or Android mobile devices using the free Canon Window application to upload and share your videos and photos on social networks.


You can also record and view live video on your compatible Android or iOS device and even control your camcorder from a remote location.


Technical characteristics

Sensor: Full HD CMOS ¼.85 “
Video resolution: 3.28 mp
Maximum definition: Full HD
Maximum recording speed: 50p / 50i
Photo resolution: 2.07 mp
Optical Zoom: 37x
Advanced Zoom: 57x
Digital zoom: 1140x
Focal length: 2.8 – 89.6 mm
Opening: f1.8 – f4.5
Standard minimum lighting: 4 lux
Low light minimum illumination: 0.4 lux
Stabilizer: Optical Image Stabilizer, Intelligent Image Stabilizer
Screen size: 3 inches
Modes: 3 modes
Special effects: 8
Connectivity: AV out, mini HDMI, USB 2.0, mains
Accessories: USB cable, power cable, battery.

Canon Vixia HF R800 Video: How To Transfer A video To A PC

After starting your PC, check that you Vixia is not tuned on. Then using the USB cable that comes with the camera, connect both devices. Using an adapter connect the camera to a power outlet. Then start the Vixia and choose the playback mode from the menu.

When the LCD screen is opened the USB screen will appears, showing the PC/printer option that must be chosen to transfer the data using either the Corel Application Disc software or the Backup Utility CD-ROM to finish the process between the PC and the Canon Vixia HF R800.

Video-How to connect the canon Vixia HF R800 Black To An External Microphone

We strongly recommend that to avoid the recording of the sound emitted by the video camera when using it in a really quiet area, the use of an external microphone that will allow situating it at a reasonable distance from the machine.

Most of the microphones that have plugs o 3.5 mm can be connecting it, but of course of the sound it will depend on the quality of it. There are many microphones available on Amazon, and it is a good idea to research about which is the best value microphone for the Vixia Camcorder HF R800.

The WiFi Function On The Vixia Comcorder

These Comcorder’s function allows the users to control the machine remotely,  using a smartphone, no matter if is iOS or android, the use of the CS 100 connect station to save the user’s footages, or saving them on a different WiFi capable device.

To remotely control the camera it is necessary to install the Camera Access plus app to your mobile device, allowing using it instead of a remote control. With this feature is even possible to stream videos from the camera to your mobile machine.

The CS 100 connect facility is an optional feature that using NFC technology lets the users to save , share and play back their recordings using a WiFi connection.