The Canon Vixia HF M41 does some things extremely well, it has a couple of flaws as well, whether this is the right camcorder for you depends on what you are looking for. With regard to the most important feature of a camcorder, video quality, the HF M41 performs extremely well producing very sharp video with gorgeous colors, accurately reproduced. The other standout feature of the Vixia HF M41 is it’s low light performance which is excellent and probably the best in it’s price range. The low light performance is due largely to the HF M41’s outstanding 2.07-megapixel HD CMOS Pro sensor. For those to whom low light performance is critical, the HF M41 could well be the best choice in this price range.
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The primary drawback to this camcorder is it’s non user friendly touchscreen and menu system. A tip for this camcorder is that it is considerably easier to use the wireless remote control to access the menu than the touchscreen. Another drawback is the lack of a wide angle lens. A separate wide angle lens can be purchased to eliminate this as a problem.
In most areas this camcorder is a strong performer. Autofocus, a critical area, is excellent. Storage is handled well with 32GB of internal flash memory providing up to 12 hours of HD recording and there are two SDXC-compatible memory card slots. The HF M41 has relay recording, the camera can be set to automatically switch storage to the memory cards when the internal memory is full. Battery life is good averaging out at about 2 hours. Image stabilization is average for a camcorder in this price range. The VIXIA HF M41 has a viewfinder which is useful for shooting outdoors on very sunny days when it may be difficult to see the LCD display. Canon’s HD CMOS Pro uses fewer but larger megapixels, this creates higher quality video but lower quality still photos, so still photos are not a strength of the HF M41. There is a good range of manual controls. Instant Focus is very effective, as is Touch to Focus and Face Tracking.
High Quality Audio
Another strength of the HF M41 is audio. The camcorder has a high quality built-in stereo microphone that records bright, accurate sound in 5.1ch Surround Sound. The direction of the microphone can be adjusted 4 ways to create different audio effects including monaural, stereo, wide, and synced with zoom. This feature also allows for adjustment between low, mid-range, and high frequencies. There is a built-in microphone terminal with manual audio level control and also a built-in headphone terminal. An attractive separate purchase option is Canon’s new WM-V1 Wireless Microphone. With this microphone you can wirelessly record high-quality audio from up to 164 feet, a great feature for music recitals or a graduation speech.
For more detailed info on the M41’s features, please see below:
HD CMOS Pro
HD CMOS Pro is a 1/3” native 1920×1080 image sensor which creates superb video resolution and low-light performance. HD CMOS Pro uses a a smaller number of pixels than most camcorders in this price range. The pixels are substantially larger in size and more sensitive, creating outstanding video performance.
Canon 10x HD Video Lens
The Canon 10x HD Video Lens provides outstanding image quality and smooth background images due to its 6-blade iris effect. It creates video with stunning resolution, spectacular low-light performance, and a wide dynamic range.
24Mbps Recording
24Mbps Recording creates enhanced lifelike tone and details due to recording at the highest bit rate available in AVCHD. The VIXIA HF M41 records and plays back at 1920 x 1080, so you get Full HD from lens to screen.
24p Cinema Mode
24p cinema mode creates a professional "film-look" by emulating the frame rate that movies are shot at. You can also use the Cine setting to create the color and tonal characteristics of a movie shown in a theater.
Image Stabilization
The VIXIA HF M41 utilized Canon’s proprietary Dynamic SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization. This creates continuous adjustment thru the zoom range to correct a wide range of motion. Powered IS is Canon’s most recent image stabilization development, it improves compensation for hand-shake while using the zoom.
Wirelessly Transfer Video to your Computer
If you purchase a Eye-Fi SD Memory Card you can wirelessly transfer video and photos to your computer. This card is not produced by Canon and they do not provide technical support or guarantee this process.