Canon HG21

216 reviews

Apr, 2024

Positive
usability (118)
image quality (72)
portability (61)
price (38)
size (28)

Negative
battery (19)
reliability (4)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 216 reviews of Canon HG21. The average rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders for all reviews. Reviewers really like the size and price. The portability and image quality are also appreciated, but some have doubts about the reliability and battery.

usability, image quality, portability, price, size

battery, reliability

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Canon HG21 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 88/100 = Very good quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 216 reviews)

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Features

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portability
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price
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Showing 187 review(s)

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Showing 1 - 148 of 187 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (27)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Canon HG21

alaTest has collected and analyzed 5 user reviews of Canon HG21 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 5.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.co.uk. Reviewers really like the portability and usability, whereas views are divided on the image quality.

usability, portability

100% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Canon HG21

alaTest has collected and analyzed 133 user reviews of Canon HG21 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.com. Reviewers are impressed by the size and price. The image quality and portability are also mentioned favorably, whereas some have doubts about the reliability.

usability, portability, image quality, price, size

reliability

92% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Expert review by : Trusted Reviews (trustedreviews.com)

Canon HG21

Sporting a viewfinder and a 120GB hard disk, is Canon's HG21 HD camcorder a better buy than the HG20? James puts it through its paces.

Feb, 2011

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Expert review by : Stuart Miles (pocket-lint.com)

Canon HG21 HD camcorder

Canon's latest camcorder, the HG21 promises HD quality images and 120GB of storage, but should Steven Spielberg be worried? We made some movies to find out. The Canon HG21 is a good option if you are looking to shoot Full HD, however at almost £1000...

Full HD, capture still images at the same time, quick to focus on subjects

Needs to be connected to a power source to transfer footage to PC, mic isn't that good

The Canon HG21 is a good option if you are looking to shoot Full HD, however at almost £1000 it's not for the occasional user or someone just looking to catch video of their family at social gatherings.

Oct, 2008

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Expert review by : Alex Lindsay (techadvisor.co.uk)

Canon Vixia HG21 review

The Canon Vixia HG21 sports a 1/3in CMOS sensor and the sensor size has a positive effect upon the image quality. In low light and especially in well-lit situations, the HG21's video is of high quality and the image is remarkably clear for a consumer...

Despite a few missteps, the Vixia HG21 is one of the better consumer HD camcorders that we've seen. The overall video image quality is very high, and the features and usability are there. If Canon could include the more advanced manual controls from...

May, 2009

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Expert review by : Alex Lindsay (techworld.com)

Canon Vixia HG21 camcorder review

The Canon Vixia HG21 is a small, feature-filled high-definition camcorder that produces great video and image quality, and acts and feels like a workhorse.

May, 2009

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Expert review by (channel5.com)

Canon HG21

The Canon HG21 is a High-Definition camcorder capable of shooting 45 hours of Full-HD (1929 x 1080) video footage to its 120 GB hard disk drive. Fitted with a 2.7-inch LCD, it also comes with a Canon HD Video Lens with 12x optical zoom, a 3.3MP Canon...

It’s certainly pricey, but the HG21’s lightweight, compact build, huge hard disk drive and superb hi-def-capturing abilities make it an appealing prospect for any well-heeled home movie maniac. Canon HG21 is tagged with Canon, camcorder, hard drive,...

Sep, 2008

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Expert review by : Matt Tuffin (digicambuyer.co.uk)

Canon HG21

A camcorder that offers pro specs for the consumer

Superb focusing and colour reproduction are only slightly overshadowed by the occasionally below par build quality

Aug, 2008

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Expert review by : Chris Jager (goodgearguide.com.au)

Canon HG21

Nice video, shame about the price.

120GB hard drive, excellent Full HD video quality, impressive array of modes and features

Too expensive compared to the HG20, poorly constructed viewfinder

When judged on its own merits, the HG21 is an exceptional high-def camcorder that impresses on nearly every level — it even seems attractively priced. However, when compared to the near-identical HG20, its value for money is significantly diminished....

Oct, 2008

Partner Source

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Expert review by : Alex Lindsay (pcworld.com)

Canon Vixia HG21

Large sensor and high data rate result in great image quality ; 24p and 30p video support ; Good audio quality

Requires power connection when transferring video to the Mac ; Manual control difficult to use

May, 2009

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Expert review by : Derek Fung (cnet.com.au)

Canon HG21

Bedecked in black, the HG21 is Canon's top dog, second-gen, high-def, hard-disk camcorder. It features 12x optical zoom, a CMOS sensor, optical image stabilisation and an electronic viewfinder.

Oct, 2010

Partner Source

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Expert review by : Ricky (etechreviews.net)

Review Of The Canon Vixia HG21 Camcorder

When you turn the power on, the inbuilt lens shutter opens up and the magic begins to unfold. To the left of the camcorder you find the 2.7 inch, 211000 pixels, widescreen swing-out LCD. There also is a pull-out viewfinder when the lighting conditions...

Mind-blowing video quality; CODEC capable of recording 24Mbps; 120GB hard drive; full HD CMOS image sensor and advanced DIGIC DV II image processor; optical image stabilization; instant auto-Focus; viewfinder is at eye- level

Its design is bulky and pretty average; heavy to lug around; manual focus is of no use

The HG21 could’ve had a better LCD, been lighter in weight so that you could be more agile, the face-detection could also be included but it isn't and it is not light on fuel either. All are valid drawbacks, but should most certainly not stand in your...

Sep, 2009

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