Canon VIXIA HF R21 Full HD Camcorder with 32GB Internal Flash Memory

I purchased this camera for a specific vacation to Zimbabwe, Africa. Functionally, it behaved well, and is very lightweight. But that might be part of the problem since the battery life is very short. I would rather have a tiny bit more weight, and twice the battery life. But that can be solved with having more batteries...The problem I'm currently facing is trying to transfer the stills and video to my computer after arriving home. Other canon products I simply connect to my computer, it sees the camera, and can download the stills and video. Why doesn't this one make it that easy? It's such a hassle, that I would recommend looking elsewhere if you're thinking of getting a video camera, as it shouldn't be so difficult. I also tried to share my pics with people during my vacation, but nobody could figure out how to download. Tried with PC and with Mac. Very significant problem...

I spent a fair amount of time (four hours) reading reviews and comparing features of Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and Canon videocams. I also read all the reviews on Amazon regarding all the Canon videocams in the consumer line. Overall the Amazon had a slightly negative undertone, but I decided to go with Canon because of good experience with a point and shoot camera I had bought several years ago. But once I got the Vixia HFR21, I had a difficult time loading some test videos I had shot.I remembered an Amazon review that said the .mts video format and the software used to upload Canon video was questionable. That's when I was a minute away from packing it back up and returning it. I am an above average computer guy, and I am an expert on Photoshop; a good user on Adobe Illustrator; above average on Microsoft products; and generally can do what I need to do to make things work via a pc. The mistake I made was following the directions included with the videocam that said if I don't have Windows 7, don't use the "VideoBrowser" software--it said to use the "utility" software. Wrong!!!!!!!!!! The VideoBrowser worked just fine with Windows XP.After I discovered that, I pulled back from the brink of returning it. And now I've spent more time with HFR21, I am impressed. It's easy to upload video to your PC; it's even easy to watch a video you just shot on your flat screen TV. Also, of critical importance to me, is that .mts videos that Canon shoots, is readily useable by Adobe Premiere Elements 9. I'm updating my software (haven't yet) and any video I shoot must be compatible with Adobe. And it is.All that is the backstory (but what good is video if you can't quickly upload it or view it????).About the HFR21: the video is sharp; shoots GREAT video right before sunset, when the dusk makes it difficult for a person to see really, really clearly. Video I shot last night at dusk looks as if the sun was shining; it wasn't, but you couldn't tell by watching the footage. Unbelievable really!The battery is good; the size of videocam is SMALL and I LOVE IT! I want to be able to put the cam in a pocket and take a walk on the beach. I would never argue it's too small as some have on this website. The smaller the better.The touch screen is good, average sensitivity. The size of the screen and the size of the icons is good. I have Polish-sausage sized fingers and the icons on the screen work fine.I highly recommend the HFR21, especially at $449!One other thing: this is not a fake review written by a competitor to Canon or by an employee of Canon. I'm telling like it is.

I'm returning this item and have placed a pre-order for the HF M500. There are a couple of things that led to that. First of all is the overall quality of the video. Honestly, I just expected better. In spots it is very, very good and in other places not so much. It was an odd experience with this HD camcorder. Low light filming was actually quite good, I expected much worse. There was very little grain and the picture was quite sharp. Yet, in good lighting I would occasionally get shots that were out of focus and grainy? Out of about an hour and a half of test footage I probably had 10-15 minutes of stuff that just didn't turn out well. I guess overall I need better consistency in video quality.What's good about it? Well like I said, when it does capture a good image it is very good. Impressive in spots, not doubt about that. It is small, lightweight and easily carried. In a way I almost felt like it was too small though. Depending on your own preferences this could be good or bad. The battery life wasn't as bad as some suggested. I was able to record and watch back (twice) about 45 minutes of video. Again, I expected worse. Another feature I liked was the "cinema mode" which provided an extremely enjoyable picture. Colors were accurate with a nice overall tone. Another plus for this model is the 32 gigs of on-board memory. That's a good chunk of recording time without a need for a memory card.Ultimately this just wasn't the camera for me. I'm stepping up to better optics, optical image stabilization and hopefully a more consistent image. If you're not overly picky about the picture and are needing to stick to a strict budget I would say it's worth a look. Otherwise you may want to look elsewhere.