We purchased the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder (Check latest price on Amazon) so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.
The Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder isn’t the most feature-rich camcorder on the market, and it lacks many of the advanced features found in higher-end models. To add insult to injury, the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder’s performance is inferior to that of many modern smartphones in a variety of ways. Despite all of these caveats, many users will find the HF R800 to be an excellent purchase.
As strange as it may seem, there are a few key selling points, ranging from the 32x optical zoom to the image stabilization capabilities. Let’s see where the HF R800 excels and where it could use some improvement.
Design and Features: Ultra-portable, ultra-simple
When you’re used to testing and using larger video cameras, unboxing this one is a bit of a shock. It’s a small device with a barrel-shaped design that anyone who has owned a consumer-grade video camera will recognize. It’s easy to dismiss the HF R800 because of its appearance and price range, but Canon quickly makes up ground on the camcorder’s merits.
Because of the touchscreen, one of the first things we noticed was how few buttons there are on the camcorder. A physical lens cover switch is located on the side of the camcorder (to the right of the user during operation). A zoom slider is located on the device’s top. The Record button is located on the back, awkwardly next to the battery. The power port is located beneath this.
The rest of the buttons and ports, including a playback button, On/Off button, SD card slot, Mini HDMI port, USB mini-AB port, microphone port, and a headphone/AV out combination port, are revealed when the LCD panel is opened. But that’s all there is to it. Some users may prefer physical buttons for more specialized control of all their functions, but for the most part, this reduced complexity may be a blessing.
The LCD display swivels outward and has tilt control, allowing it to swivel up to 180 degrees forward to face the device’s front and 90 degrees downward. This is especially useful for users who want to use their camcorder for vlogging. The touchscreen itself performed admirably, allowing us to navigate the menu system of the camcorder with ease. However, the LCD display itself was lacking in brightness and contrast, making it unsuitable for use in direct sunlight.
Despite its attractive appearance, the VIXIA HF R800 fell short in terms of video quality.
Despite its small size, the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder weighs 10.8 ounces (including battery, memory card, and grip belt). Most users will have no trouble holding the camcorder for normal recording times, but over time, it can cause fatigue. Canon makes no mention of any type of water or dustproofing, implying that there isn’t any.
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Setup Process: Unbox and go
The VIXIA HF R800’s setup gets a lot of praise from Canon. Without having to read the manual, we were able to unbox the product, charge the battery, and begin using the camcorder. Even the Basic Setup section of the manual consists of selecting a preferred language, setting the date and time, and then selecting between onboard memory and an SD card, which you should have inserted by this point.
You’re in good hands if you’re not familiar with video cameras and need a refresher before using the device. The Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder manual is clear and concise, with helpful illustrations to clear up any ambiguity.
Users should be aware that the lens cover must be operated manually, which is unusual given that all of the other camcorders we tested did so automatically.
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Software and Formats: Barebones options
The HF R800 shoots 1080p/60fps footage at 17/24/35 MBps and 720p/60fps footage at 4 MBps in terms of recording formats. Because you’re saving directly to a standard SD card, you can either use the provided mini-AB USB cable to connect the camcorder to your computer or remove the card and insert it into a card reader to import footage. We had no trouble retrieving footage from the camcorder, and the process was relatively painless. However, in order for the camcorder to establish a USB connection and be recognized by your computer, you must first press the play button.
Canon makes up for its video quality shortcomings by offering a sufficient amount of functionality at a competitive price.
Canon provides some basic functionality in the camcorder itself after taking videos, such as trimming clips and adding decorative effects on top of clips. This feature doesn’t appear to be heavily promoted and appears to be a bit gimmicky.
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Video Quality: A lot to be desired
Despite its attractive appearance, the VIXIA HF R800 fell short in terms of video quality. The video was grainy and had a lack of overall sharpness and clarity. The footage had a distinct green cast to it that was visible towards the edges of the frame. In addition, edge sharpness suffered significantly, with a noticeable drop off from the center of the frame to the edges.
On the plus side, we liked the 32x optical zoom (57x in Advanced mode) because it allowed us to get closer to the subject, which helped to compensate for some of the sharpness loss. In addition, when it came to image stabilization, we were more impressed than we expected to be. Even at the far end of the zoom spectrum, the camcorder struggled to stabilize itself when walking, but it did a fantastic job stabilizing itself in a handheld position. This was a pleasant surprise, and it was one of the few times the R800 outperformed its peers.
The HF R800 also has a time-lapse mode and a 0.5x slow motion recording mode, allowing users to shoot ratios ranging from 2:1 to 1200:1. Canon includes a zoom framing assist feature that allows users to tap on the screen to reduce magnification and find their subject before returning to the previous zoom level. Another intriguing feature is the inclusion of a highlight priority mode, which tries to correct backlight in bright situations.
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Photo Quality: Expected performance
Unfortunately, the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder does not impress with its still-image quality. While many camcorders take photos with a higher resolution than the highest video resolution, the HF R800’s stills are only 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2.1 megapixels. This is on the low end of photo resolutions these days, so those looking for a camcorder primarily for still images should probably look elsewhere.
Price: Cheap enough to have a place
Because the video quality of the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder isn’t great, the $349.99 retail price (often less on Amazon) is crucial in justifying its purchase. Canon has kept the R800’s price low enough for budget buyers who don’t want to rely on their smartphone to consider it. Overall, the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder offers enough features to make it competitive with other budget camcorders.
Canon VIXIA HF R800 vs. Panasonic HC-V770
Those looking to upgrade from the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder should look into Panasonic’s HC-V770, which has a much better feature set and captures noticeably better video. You also get a much better onboard microphone, improved low-light performance, and a shoe adapter, among other things. This comes at a premium, with the HC-V770 costing twice as much as the HF R800.
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The Final Word
The Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder isn’t the best choice for aspiring filmmakers, but it’s a good option for budget shoppers looking for a dedicated camcorder with a lot of features. Canon makes up for its video quality shortcomings by offering a sufficient amount of functionality at a competitive price.
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