Canon HF20 / HF200 Official Owner's Thread - Page 25

The Email I received from Canon was a bit strange... They claim in the email that the serial number is on the bottom of the camera.... Not so in my unit... Serial number is in the inside of the battery compartment, not on the bottom of the camera... On the bottom of the camera is the MFG's model tag, without the serial number.... Bought in Mid 2009

Here's what the email looks like:

We appreciate your continued correspondence regarding the shipping label
for your VIXIA HF200.

In 24-72 hours, you will receive the following Emails from:

carecenter@cits.canon.com
pkginfo@ups.com

Please add these email addresses to your email address book. The
download link for the shipping label will expire in 10 days.

The email from pkginfo@ups.com will contain directions for printing your
shipping label. The second email will be from us and it will be
addressed carecenter@cits.canon.com. It is the packing slip that you'll
want to print and include with the camera when you send it.

While working with other customers in this area, I find that many people
either miss the email or their ISP has filtered it to the Junk Mail
folder. If you have the opportunity, please review these areas to see
if these emails were directed there.

Upon arrival at the Factory Service Center, your product will be logged
in to our repair database and assigned a repair number. Next,it will be
examined and you will be advised of the findings. If the required
repairs are covered by the warranty, the repairs will begin immediately.
When the repairs are complete, the product will be shipped back to you
via Federal Express or UPS.

The length of time for the repair will be dependent upon the nature of
the repair and availability of parts, if needed. Usually, warranted
repairs are completed within approximately ten to fourteen business days
of the product's arrival at the Factory Service Center. Please be
assured that your product will be returned as soon as possible. We
appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter.

Once again, your satisfaction with our products is extremely important
to us. We are sorry for any inconvenience this issue has caused you.
Please be assured we are doing everything possible to ensure your
satisfaction.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please let us know if we can
be of any further assistance with your VIXIA HF200.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Robert
Technical Support Representative

Got the UPS Shipping label, and have a nice box to put it in...
I'll include a printout of the email.... and will ship it off tonight....

UPS has it now!!! Next Stop: V1.0.5.0 !

Can anyone tell me what to test and look for on the hf s200 model? I'm getting a refurb direct from canon and want to make sure I really cover all my bases to make sure it's in 100% working order.

Thanks!

Check that it works, the color is correct, it focus's, battery works, charger works, and memory card works? You know, everything you'd check if you bought a new one?

I understand what you are saying, I'm somewhat new to the extended features and without really having experience with this model I just wanted to make sure I cover all my bases. I would assume there have been a decent amount of these refurbished and want to make sure whatever that issue was that it's resolved and anything else.. Just trying to get some helpful tips.. Thanks!!

That's the firmware that was in my camera, (On it's way to Canon for firmware update...)
I didn't encounter any bugs in camera, Other than Mode 10 card being mis-interpreted....

I used some advanced settings.... Say a Contour at +1 and Color at +1, and that came up automatically... but the pre-record switch had to be manually set each power up... to the point where I didn't use it...

I wish ALL the advanced features could all automatically enable on power up...

We'll see.....

Can anyone explain why I'm getting this pseudo white flashing in some instances? I have seen it on 30p indoor, outdoor, 24 both modes and once on the 60i. I don't know if i has to do with a darker image in the middle of the frame and brighter colors surrounding it or what..

Does this happen to any of you? I was able to re produce it using a uv and a circular polarizer in the sunlight.. it seems a LOT more consistent on the 24 frame modes.. Is my camcorder bad? It's a hf s200. I can upload raw video if that will help..

Thanks!

I've never seen white flashing... on Highlights? with lenz capped? On all Cards, or just one card? What speed (MODE) is the card? I'm using Mode 4, 6, 8, and not seeing anything unusual....

Right now all I have is a class 4 8gig card. I have tried recording with 24Mpbs and 17Mpbs and it happens in both. It seems fairly random.. I should upload the raw file and link it.

It appears as I convert to 1080p with pinnacle and then upload it to youtube it's incredibly hard to see.. but the raw footage is so blatantly obvious..

It can be downloaded here!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/38636540/20110920180646.mts

It's pretty faint and you almost have to not focus if there is movement. For instance one short slip is someone diving and if you don't focus directly on her you can definitely see this flashing.. it's not the whole screen either.. it's REALLY hard to describe but it's extremely annoying.. I have some class 10 cards coming soon and will try and reproduce this and list all the settings I took it at.. it almost seems very random.. I produced it direct off the camera playing on my TV as well as the raw file on my monitor.. so I know it's not a codec issue.

Also how warm/hot does your camera get by the wrist strap? I recorded straight while plugged into the power adapter and filled up my 8gig continuous and I was surprised how hot it was.. very noticeable...

I have not felt camera getting hot. I'd beg/borrow another card to verify one or other.
See if you can get a Mode 6 or 8 card... This will determine if it's memory or the camrera

Give us a time and screen location of the flashes...

I think I was mistaken that it was reproducing on the TV so it appears it's definitely something to do with my viedo card drivers/video codes. My brother played the raw file on his PC and it's perfect.. so it's definitely my computer.

My class 10 should be here today.. however I don't think it will make a difference except for copying as I think the card is ok.

Now the heat issue is a whole different issue. Are you SURE you don't feel it getting even the slightest bit warm on your right hand holding it? I definitely noticed it.. not like OUCH hot to the touch, but I can definitely feel it warming up.

Hi all, just ordered Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11. Anyone else using this for editing? My plan is to be fairly simple with it. Pretty much just trim clips and combine them with transitions. Should be pretty straight forward. Just looking to see if anyone had some direct feedback on doing that? I've got a WD media player, and will probably use that to play my finished movies but I want the option to burn to Bluray too.

I just got the strangest email... From Canon....

My "Free" firmware Update is $232.52....

I've been on the phone on every Number they supplied... for hours...
No one Picks Up!!!!!

This can't be right! Website said FREE FIRMWARE UPGRADE!!!

Called 866-510-1335 and talked to "Sandy"

She checked, and discovered it IS A FREE UPGRADE!!!

She is removing the charges, and put it in the Que for the update....

7-10 days to my door.....


Amazing!!! (Almost ruined my day!!)

I'm a big fan of Adobe software.....

So I'm using CS5.5 Production Premium....

Have no issues from edit to BluRay Creation....

Just out of curiosity: Are you able to generate the output (with transitions) with the original 1080i, *without* recompressing the original video?

Adobe believes in reading native files, rather than transcoding to some other format...
I take my 24Mb/sec HF200 files, edit in PPRO, DL the project to Encore, and create an H.264 @ 40Mb/sec BR disks....

I prefer not to transcode because any time you transcode you run the risks of creating artifacts that weren't there before....

If I need to change any file to any other type file, I'll use Adobe Media Encoder....
I create "Watch" folders, and anything that falls into this folder, gets converted to any number of other type files, and placed in other folders of my choice....

Thanks, it is good to know that Adobe allows keeping the original video streams without transcoding.

I am right now using the trial version of the Aunsoft Final Mate, and it does a very good job (and it is really fast!) in joining a bunch of MTS files from my HF200 into a single MTS file. The good thing is that it also allows generating MKV files (with the original content without transcoding).

My basic need is to archive my home videos in my NAS so I can playback them in my Tvix/Xtreamer players via network. The current problem is that these players introduce a "black screen" of more than 3 seconds when they switch from one MTS to the next, and so having a way to join MTS files without recompressing them is my major requirement.

I've tried a bunch of free MTS join apps, but I had problems of audio going out-of-sync with these apps. Aunsoft Final Mate was the first app that I was able to successfully join a bunch of MTS files without transcoding and having audio and video in sync.

Anyway, before buying Aunsoft, I will give Adobe a try. But I just checked the price of Adobe Premiere Pro 10 is quite expensive for my basic needs (although I would really appreciate the ability of doing some additional editing such adding some transitions and subtitles).

EDIT: I just checked the price of Adobe Premiere Elements 10 and it is within my budget. Do you know if the Premiere Elements also support editing without transcoding the MTS files of the HF200?

Off topic...

Can't help you with Elements...
You'll need high horsepower CPU/Memory/Disk & Display, OS, and great edit software, for any video edit system.

Truly, It's always cheapest to go "First Class". Because: It will be the "Weakest Link" that will get you, every time, without fail...

I know from Painful experience... and have the removed, perfectly good, but un-useable disks, cards, computers & software to prove it..

$800 is within your budget (that's just for cd 5.5 pro)?? Damn, must be nice.. I use pinnacle studio and have tried Avid which sees more stable but it's a little different getting around etc.. This Final Mate looks really interesting, I'm going to download the trial.. same with vegas 11... Adobe just looks incredibly intimidating and I generally pick up on applications.. even my brother who is really incredible at editing says it's ridiculously hard to use. He told me don't even bother trying Adobe Effects or whatever it's called..

btw I fixed all my video issues on my PC. Just a hint, NEVER EVER EVER EVER disable windows aero on Windows 7!!! It completely kills the way Windows uses your dedicated and or even on board video...

Definetively $800 is NOT within my budget! I am looking for alternatives that allow authoring my HF200 MTS files without recompression that are up to $100 or so (this is for my home videos only).

Please let me know if any of the software you are trying allow to do so!

Thanks!

Surprise, Surprise... Go a letter with $232+ bill from Canon yesterday (Camera still in NJ for firmware update)....
So, just to cover my butt, I called them, and spoke to Jennifer, and she confirms that it is a No Charge Firmware Update, and it is 'in process' to be updated...

Apparently one part of Canon doesn't talk to another part of Canon!!

I think Final Mate does this however I only played around with it for a short time and it looks incredibly limited.. for $50 not sure it's worth it to me..

I got my HF200 firmware updated and my 32GB class 10 cards works now, but... my on-OEM / Aftermarket battery BP-827 3400mAh (chipped) stop working
Actually battery work, but cant charge on camera and doesn't show battery life time.
Canon probably change chip coding or something, so sad because I loved to use that 4-5hrs lifetime battery rather than original.

Yeah it would be hard to trust if you are not using it in consecutive hours.. that really does suck... maybe use it when you would use it for 4 hours straight or just use it when you don't care when the battery quits and you lose a minute of video.. at least you can still use it.

My HF200 with Firmware 1.0.0.0 gave a "Warning" prompt when I put on a non OEM Battery, but only one of the Non-OEM Battery's would charge on the camera charger, and other will only charge on it's own charger....and NONE of the Non-OEM batteries show remaining life.... with V1.0.0.0 firmware...

My camera is being updated to V1.0.5.0 now, and when it comes back I'll check to see what the differences are...

I've been told that a firmware change list from V1.0.0.0 to V1.0.5.0 WILL BE INCLUDED with the camera on it's return... Did you get one?