Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder (Black)

This camera failed on me 2 weeks after the one-year warranty expired. I think something on the sensor failed because everything was washed in a bright yellow.

We purchased this camera to do videos for RV refrigerator repair. Over all we are very pleased with the performance of he camera. Although it has a 57x zoom, the lens does not have the ability to gather light to make a good image at 30x. All in all I am pleased with all but the user manual. The steps and the screens to send out HDMI or AV are not accurate. For example, there is no way for me to set the resolution output for the camera. Also, one has to use trial and error before they can figure out how to output HDMI. STEPS: Connect to screen with HDMI > if camera is on, turn it off > start camera by using the "play back mode" button > if one wants to use the camera as a webcam, turn off the camera again and restart with the On/Off button.

This camera works really well and filled our needs.

I recorded 2 full videos with this camera in my sun-room and they came out beautiful! The indoor lighting pickup isn't that great, i haven't used a ring light yet, but natural sunlight so far is the best.

I am very happy with this camera the sound is amazing but it think the price is a little far fetch the camera i had before this was better and less than this one

Although it's video quality is very good and has some very unique features, my experience with this camera was ruined with the audio. The "autofocus motor clicking" sound is very loud and can ruin some videos. Otherwise, it isn't terrible, but the clicking is distracting.

My first time using the VIXIA HF R800 was really Great ! The camera did all that had been described to me as I asked questions during the purchase. Really glad that I purchased this camera. The expected need for a better camera has now changed. Stills and videos are easy to produce and access. This tool is going to be a Great addition. THANKS CANON for a WONDERFUL CAMERA.

This is a decent camera for the price. You can’t get cinematic video from random moments in life – say, blowing out birthday candles, trick-or-treating, or a sidewalk café at night – with anything less than a major investment in gear, shooting know-how, and taking yourself WAY out of the experience of life, and into a rabbit-hole of this demanding new craft. (Ever notice that massive army of folks in the credits of movies?) Similarly, this product (the Canon Vixia HF-R800) is not a total solution. It’s priced as a camera. I’m glad they did not add $50-100 to bundle in entry-level editing software. There is no free lunch. Meaning, if it’s worth anything, you pay a fair price for it. So, I’d rather chose my editing software separately, for myself. For home hobbyist use, Adobe Premiere Elements or Avid’s Pinnacle Studio are affordable but quite capable, with learning curves that won’t wear you out, yet have some depth of features if you get more interested. What this camera does best is capture family/personal moments with a minimum of fuss. It has several settings that allow you to think only once about how to shoot (but you still have to pick them!), then the camera keeps you out of “unwatchable video” territory. For example, it has four settings for low light. Three are Scene Modes: candlelight, night city, and spotlight (bright subject / dark background). I shoot mostly theater, and after some testing (which I highly recommend, to know your gear), I got best results from the Highlight Priority setting (an alternative to the Scene Modes). Is the HF-R800 video radically better than a flagship cellphone? Depends. If you’re viewing on larger screens, like monitors or TVs, then yes it’s better in image stability and somewhat better in with low-light. On phone screens, you may see only minor differences. Phones are spending mightily on competing with this kind of camera, and have made strides. Mostly phones “wow” us in bright light, where their tiny sensors get plenty of light, and their tiny lens’s giant depth of field (what’s in focus) work well. But, to cope with low light, phones do loads of digital amplification and smoothing, which can look fine on a tiny screen, but less-so on a TV or computer monitor. (Beats having nothing of course, when your phone was the only camera on hand.) But even an entry-level consumer camcorder like the HF-R800 beats a flagship cellphone on two counts. (1) The sensor is larger. Now, it’s nowhere near as large as a DLSR or cinema camera. So don’t expect Ansel Adams image quality. But it is larger than cellphone image sensors. So if you chose the right settings, you more often get video that’s watchable at TV-scale, despite challenging lighting. (2) Handheld video shakes a ton, making it hard to watch, esp. on any larger screen. Phones have only digital stabilizers. These help, but give a fine-scale under-water burbly look. Camcorders usually have optical stabilizers. These work vastly better. In my testing, the HF-R800 optical stabilizers are quite good. You still need to be aware of holding the camera steady / moving smoothly vs. large movements. But the small-scale constant hand jiggle is beautifully controlled.

Took this camera to Europe in the fall of 2017 and was extremely disappointed when it came to burning Blurays or AVCHDs. Unlike its competitors, Canon does not have software to do simple editing and then burning to HD discs. I have tested several software packages (editing and then burning) that have produced less than desirable results. Most of the software has more features than just archiving my HD videos. Come on Canon produce some software. Having said that, the camera's features preformed very well. Especially the time-lapse feature.

Used for taking video of halloween trick or treating on street in my neighbourhood. Video was dark with the Auto mode and Low Light Mode couldn't focus on anything moving. Smart phone did a much better job. Dissapointing fact is that a smart phone did a much better job in a low light condition than a camera manufacturer's camcorder.

Purchased in may 2017, dissapointed that I am unable to download any photos I take with this HD camcorder. I have always own canon products, this Vixia HF R800 seems to have missed the mark some what.

Such an amazing camera sound quality is amazing and the price is great