Canon’s lower to mid-price range of camcorders have always been good value for money for delivering quality video with ease of use and great features. This year’s mid-priced models the Vixia HF R40 and HF R42 are decked with more new features like Wi-Fi connectivity, powerful 53X zoom, DIGIC DV IV image processor and a 3.28-megapixel full HD CMOS image sensor, along with full HD at 60P and 35Mbps AVCHD recording. And with Canon’s new CameraAccess app you can now control the camcorder from another room!
Even though they are priced below $500, the R40 & R42 are solidly built but light and handy. With its built-in Wi-Fi and custom apps, remote shooting and streaming is now made very convenient for bloggers or those who just want to share videos on the go.
Picture quality is commendable as they come with 60fps Full HD capability, a wider-angle 32mm lens with an improved optical zoom. It’s also a bonus that they can record MP4 and AVCHD simultaneously.
Battery life is also an area of improvement Canon has been working on. These new camcorders use a new battery that will see them go twice as long, which is important since the Wi-Fi function can be a real drainer.
The HF R40 (8GB) costs $399.99 while the higher model HF R42 (32GB) retails for $499.99.
Look out for a full review of these camcorders.