This product does not have an external microphone input. USB Charging- DC 5V 800mA
$300.00
Camcorders may sound outdated what with the fierce competition from smartphones that let you capture short videos quickly and even let you share them instantly on social media. But there is just one hitch. You can get quality videos only if you are lucky enough to own a flagship smartphone.
But if you are budget-conscious you won’t want to splurge on a flagship model phone. So what can you so instead? You can simply buy a quality camcorder that is a fraction of its price. What’s even better is that you can even buy affordable camcorders some of which are comparable to high-end models due to the great features they have. One such camcorder is the Canon Vixia HF R600 which we will review below. Read on to find out if this will be the right one for your requirements.
Canon Vixia HF R600 Specs
32x optical zoom and advanced zoom of 57x to capture moments in great detail
28 Megapixel Full High definition CMOS sensor with Image stabilization
A high output resolution of 1920 x 1080
High-quality 0-inch touch screen for ease of use
Super-advanced baby mode to track your baby’s development
Extremely user-friendly features like frame assist, smart auto etc.
Is The Canon Vixia HF R600 The Best Affordable Camcorder On The Market?
The Canon Vixia HF R600 is chock full of features that let you make your happy moments more memorable. Not only can you take great and high-quality videos effortlessly but you can also share them easily and edit them to add decorations or make them more professional with filters and more. Below we tease the feature of this wonderful little camcorder for you.
Zoom
The R600 comes with a 32x optical zoom but it also has an advanced zoom option of 57x so that nothing escapes from the view of your camcorder. So whether you want to shoot your kid playing soccer or shoot a wild animal from a distance, you can do so with ease with the R600.
Intelligent Image Stabilization
The problem with zoom is that even if you are able to get a close-up view of what you’re shooting, minor hand movements can result in a lot of shaking in the video. But the HF 600 is amazingly steady even when you use the maximum zoom of 57x.
This is because it has a Super-Range optical stabilizer that controls camera shake with full rotational control. So you can even walk and shoot your videos and enjoy distortion-free videos every single time.
Video Quality
The R600 is equipped with a 3.28 Megapixel Full HD CMOS image sensor that gives videos with a high resolution of 1920 x 1080. The sensor ensures that the scene you capture is reproduced with all natural colors and the required exposure even if the light conditions are poor. The processor also ensures that video noise is greatly reduced to improve the clarity of your images. The resultant recording is so clear that there is no reduction in clarity even when you view the recording on a large screen.
Frame Rate
One feature that most budget-friendly camcorders lack is that you won’t be able to shoot videos at a lower frame rate than 60fps. But the R600 gives you the ability to record at variable frame rates from 60 fps to 30 fps and 24 fps. This gives a more cinematic and professional feel to your videos as opposed to shooting your videos at a constant frame rate of 60fps.
Baby Mode
If you are a new parent or a parent-to-be or even a second-time parent you will love the R600 and its baby mode feature. With this mode turned on you can record the baby’s developments and treasure them for life.
A thoughtful addition to the baby mode is the pre-record feature which allows you to record three seconds before you press the record button. So you don’t have to beat yourself up for having missed you baby’s first step or her goofy expression when she first tasted ice cream etc.
Another interesting feature of the baby mode is the touch decoration which lets you include your baby’s height and weight. But the best part is that once you enter the baby’s birth date the camcorder will automatically include the age every time you feed in the height and weight measurements. You can also add your own drawings, animations and more making the video more fun and memorable.
Frame Assist
The advanced zoom lets you zoom to a great extent that sometimes it is possible to lose focus of the subject. But the R600 comes with the framing assist feature which will automatically reduce the zoom when you lose the subject while trying to zoom in. All you need to do is simply press the frame assist icon on the screen and it will decrease the zoom. This helps you quickly zoom back in properly on your subject without losing precious time.
Vlog-Friendly
If you regularly vlog or post YouTube videos then you will need a camcorder that lets you see yourself as you record the video. The R600 comes with a fully articulated screen that you can move in order to see yourself clearly as you record your vlogs. This is very important to ensure that your face is properly focused at all times. The screen is also touch-sensitive and so lets you change the focus when necessary as you record.
Mp4 Output
Once you complete shooting your videos you want don’t want to be sitting at the computer to change its format so that you can easily edit and share it. The people at Canon have thought about this and included a feature that lets you directly record your videos in the mp4 format. So you can directly edit your videos and save a lot of time and frustration. However, you can also choose to record in the AVCHD mode if necessary.
Processor
At the core of the camcorder is a powerful DIGICDV 4 image processor which is the latest sensor in Canon sensors. Therefore, the videos captured are of high quality even under low light conditions thereby improving the overall performance of the camcorder.
Filters
You can add cinematic effects to your videos when you use the R600 as it comes with 7 different filters that add these special effects. But the best part of this feature is that you can use these filters either during or even after you have completed shooting giving you complete peace of mind while shooting important events. You can choose the best filter later and make your videos look completely professional.
LCD Display
The R600 comes with a 3-inch LCD touchscreen that makes operating your camcorder a breeze. You can change all functions directly from the screen making it very intuitive. Even as you record you can make a lot of changes such as change the focus, track a moving object and choose the amount of exposure and more.
Not only does the LCD display let you change video settings as you record, it also lets you see the video being recorded in high-quality. So you have a very good idea of how the output is going to be.
Memory
Sharing your videos is easy with the Canon Vixia HF R600 as it has a slot for SD memory cards. You can directly save your recorded videos in full high-definition to these cards which can then be removed to quickly share your videos.
As if that wasn’t enough the camcorder also lets you use high capacity SDXC cards which have a memory capacity of up to 2 TB. So not only can you store a large amount of data on your memory card, you can also transfer data much quicker.
Battery Life
It can be quite frustrating if you run out of battery charge when you are in the middle of an important recording. But the R600 will let you shoot for long hours as it comes with a powerful BP-718 battery pack that has a long battery life. It is a Lithium-ion battery which can be recharged and it will be alert you when the battery level goes down in minutes so that you don’t run out of charge at a critical moment.
Pros
High definition 1080p videos for its price point
Image stabilization for shake-free videos
5 different audio modes to suit different shooting conditions
High features to price ratio lets you do more for less
Easy to use for beginners
Cons
No external light for shooting under low light conditions
Conclusion
An easy way to buy a good camcorder is to buy a name-brand but if you have a small budget then you will be forced to choose from budget-friendly models. Sometimes you may even fall into the trap of buying a cheap camcorder only to find out that they end up wasting your money.
But you can get yourself a great camcorder with a lot of features thrown into in when you buy the Canon Vixia HF R600. It is very affordable and has some great customer reviews that stand testimony to its performance. No wonder it is a top seller in many of the e-commerce websites. We hope that our review has helped you understand its capabilities and who knows it might very well become your next camcorder or your very first one if you are a beginner.
