The Canon HV40 is basically a slightly improved Canon HV30 (which itself was a slightly improved HV20), with a few extra features. The HV line has been very popular the past few years and has a devoted following of fans and enthusiasts. There are even web sites devoted to the HV line. So if you wish to research the HV line in-depth, the resources are definitely there. Moving on to the HV40 in specific, the biggest new feature is 24P recording which offers footage more comparable to real film. To be honest, I doubt this feature will matter or make a difference to the average consumer, but for film students, enthusiasts, and professional videographers, it offers more creative control and that true "cinema" effect. There are plenty of sample videos posted on the web demonstrating the effect of 24P (and the HV40 itself). The HV40 maintains the Canon HV line reputation of being the cream of the crop among consumer HDV cameras. However, with AVCHD significantly closing the gap, both in image quality and compatibility, with HDV this past year, the HDV format is disappearing rapidly from the consumer market. The excellent image quality of the latest ACVHD cameras now surpasses HDV. Coupled with the speed and convenience of tape less recording, this makes AVCHD an almost irresistible choice if you are currently shopping for a video camera. Although I agree AVCHD is the more future-proof choice, there are several compelling arguments to consider the HV40. First, and most importantly, is its backward compatibility with HDV or SD mini-DV. If you have a library of mini-DV tapes, you can play them and capture to PC with this camera. Your existing video editing software (if any) is also more likely to be compatible with the HDV format, even if it's a few years old. Also, as I mentioned earlier, although ACVHD has made great progress, it's still not the most system friendly format. This can be a major hurdle if you have an underpowered or older PC. On a single core or budget CPU system, AVCHD may likely give you significant headaches. In fact, if your system is really old or underpowered enough, you may have to add a system or video card upgrade into the budget if you wish to use AVCHD files beyond basic capture. If you're simply looking for a high-definition video camera that you can use with your existing software and system, yet still capture amazing footage, the HV40 is a good choice, especially if you already use mini-DV. Another consideration is storage. HDV is self-contained. You can capture, edit, burn a DVD, and delete the footage from your system to preserve disk space, yet still have a backup of your footage on a cassette. With AVCHD, you have to allocate permanent storage space on a hard drive or burn your captured files to optical disk as backup, the latter being very inefficient with current 4.7GB DVD's. Of course, the downside with HDV is that you have to purchase tapes, but they are pretty cheap these days, especially for multi-packs. You can use regular mini-DV tapes. There is no requirement or need to purchase more expensive HDV specific tapes. This is strictly a personal choice. Frankly, I've tried both and see no difference between the two. And although AVCHD does not require tapes, you do have to buy SDHC cards for card-only models and/or an additional hard drive (internal or external) to efficiently back up your footage, especially with hard drive or solid state drive models. So the costs even out in the long run. Although the Canon HV line may no longer be king of the consumer video hill, the HV40 can easily hold its own in video quality against all but the very best consumer AVCHD cameras. Even then, the difference is slight at best. I have captured footage from both formats under similar shooting conditions on both PC and Mac. The HV40 performed admirably against AVCHD. In a lot of instances, the HDV footage was even noticeably better than AVCHD. Not all AVCHD cameras are created equal. You may or may not get a decent AVCHD camera, depending on your research. In some cases, you may actually take a step backwards in quality. All the sophisticated electronics in the world can't correct bad optics, sensors, and poor auto-focus performance. The HV40 slams the ball out of the ballpark on all three features, thanks to Canon optics & sensor, and swift reliable auto-focus. This brings me to my final point of comparison, watching and sharing video. After the footage is shot, if all you wish to do is connect the camera directly to your high-def television and play the footage through the camera, AVCHD might (and I can't emphasize the word "might" enough) be the hands-down winner. However, most people want to burn their memories to DVD. In this case, unless you have a drive capable of burning high-definition blu-ray disks and a compatible stand-alone blu-ray player to play them on, your footage will be encoded into a standard definition DVD anyhow. Footage from the HV40 will perform this type encoding quicker and more efficiently. Honestly, until high-definition blu-ray burners become more affordable, much of the high definition performance for either format is wasted unless you encode video files in high-definition for viewing on computer or, as I said earlier, plan to simply playback footage through the camera. The form factor and dimensions of the HV40 are identical to the HV30. One complaint that I, and many others, had with the HV30 was the awkward feeling in your hand. For some reason the HV40 did not feel quite as awkward. They appear identical, so I think I just got accustomed to the feel of the HV30. The only visible difference (besides the new name), is the change in name of the button on the lens barrel, from "BLC" to "Custom". The newly named button offers additional exposure and focus assist options in addition to the back light compensation of the former "BLC" button. Otherwise, the HV40 is virtually identical to the HV30.

Performance is great, as expected. Video is very clear, with crisp colors and razor sharpness. Performance definitely on par with its predecessors, the HV20 and HV30.I have not personally tried the 24P mode, however, as I mentioned earlier, there are several examples of this feature readily available on the web. Bright light recordings were sharp, vivid, and clear. Low light capability was pretty good with minimal noise unless the light was really dim. I've achieved okay footage by candle light, although it definitely starts to show limitations under such extreme dim light conditions. Auto focusing was fast and spot-on, especially the instant AF which quickly switches focusing from one object to another as you switch perspectives or angles. There is a choice to use manual focus which sometimes comes in handy with difficult focusing situations such as zooming in on objects at a certain distance or objects without enough contrast for the auto focus. Once again, there is plenty of test footage of the HV line readily available on the web. Sound was good, especially for a tape camera. There was no noticeable noise from the tape transfer mechanism unless you were recording in near silent conditions. Even then, it was minimal. The HV40 also has 3.1MP still picture capabilities with a few customizable features such as different metering and exposure options. Still pictures are adequate quality and comparable to low-end digicams. You will need to purchase a mini-SD card to capture pictures. Battery life was average.

The bundled software is a joke. It is literally useless for video. They bundle the same still-photo application (Zoombrowser EX for PC/Imagebrowser 6.2 for Mac) that is included with their digital still cameras but nothing for capturing or editing video. Fortunately, the HV40 is compatible with most editing software from the past few years. As for built-in video software, only the Vista Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Windows Movie Maker will capture and edit HDV. However, one caveat is that it is converted into a proprietary Microsoft format after capture. If you want a cross-platform friendly file, use a third-party app. On the Mac side, users should have no problems with any version of iMovie. (Thanks yet again Apple, for keeping things simple. And this is from a PC-biased guy!) Export options include firewire and USB 2. I prefer and use firewire on both Mac and PC. There are also component and HDMI outputs for connecting to a high definition TV. Thankfully, the HDMI connector is standard size, so you can use an existing HDMI cable if you have one, rather than buying the specialized one most cameras require. As usual, component cables are included but no HDMI cable. They also include a remote.

All in all, the HV40 improves on a time tested and proven model. Going back to the HV20, the HV line has consistently offered top quality, features, and performance. The HV40 is the latest in that outstanding line and offers a very compelling option for some not to jump on the AVCHD bandwagon just yet.Get more detail about Canon VIXIA HV40 HD HDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom.