HV30 vs HFM40, low-light, sensor size.

[BarryTheCrab]

I have an HFM40 I am trying to match up with my HV30. The HV30 has a 1/2.7" sensor as opposed to the M40's 1/3" sensor. Low-lite shots make it difficult. Why is the HV30, with a bigger sensor than the M40, so bad in low-lite? The M40 rocks the dark!

[Tim]

BarryTheCrab,

I am sorry to hear that you are having difficulty with shooting in low light with your VIXIA HV30. 

The HV30 has a special scene mode which is specially designed for shooting in low light.  I would suggest that we try this, to improve the quality of your low light shooting. 

Put the camera in 'P' mode and go into the FUNC. Menu.  From FUNC. go to Recording Program> Special Scene> NIGHT. 

This will enable the night recording program and make recording at night much easier for you.

[BarryTheCrab]

Hi, Tim, thanks for the response. I have had the camera for a few years and am familiar with it's settings/menu. I find the low light setting to be choppy and difficult to watch, In the past I have tried 30P, set to Cinema, Spotlight, tried just about everything, I''ll look at Low Light setting again, but perhaps I expect too much. Even among people who are devoted to this camera, such as members of the HV20-30-40 Forum, this is a popular topic, the grainy low light capture.

It's low light video falls between my HF20 (utterly horrid) and my HF M40 (totally awesome).

[BarryTheCrab]

The shutter speed is just too slow...1/15.