Canon VIXIA HF G30 HD Camcorder, worth it?

honaichas — Thu, 18 May 2023 05:34:37 GMT

I'm at a crossroads right now. Do I spend about $500 upgrading my DSLR (lens, mic, rig), or finally make the splurge for a camcorder? 1080p/60p is really appealing, and I've found multiple sites offering it for about $1200.

I've been checking out countless buyer's guides, so I thought I'd check here too. I can't see myself spending too much more than that, however if something is that much better for only a few hundred dollars more I'd consider it.

I mostly shoot football games, although not in a traditional sense. I work in football recruiting so I normally just follow one player around with a tight frame. My DSLR has gotten the job done, although it's less than ideal and time to upgrade.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Re: Canon VIXIA HF G30 HD Camcorder, worth it?

rs-eos — Thu, 18 May 2023 10:48:03 GMT

What lenses and camera do you currently have?

I would not pick up a Vixia G30. A new Vixia G70 is currently $1,250.

Advantages of a camcorder (with G70 specifics in mind):

Dedicated video unit.
Dual card slots
Motorized zoom
Focal length equivalent of 30 to 600mm zoom range.
Can capture 1080p60
While it has a variable aperture lens, at/near the telephoto end, it’s still good at f/2.8

Cons:

Low light will be challenging. So you may end up with noisy footage for nighttime games. Though depending upon what lenses you currently have, perhaps your current footage requires high ISO?
Rear screen can be very difficult to see in sunny conditions.

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Canon VIXIA HF G30 HD Camcorder, worth it?

Re: Canon VIXIA HF G30 HD Camcorder, worth it?