Canon HF M4xx Owner's Thread - Page 5

Hi, just wondering how it went? I'm also curious as to why you decided to limit the gain (AGC) to 13db? In my brief experimentation it seems that higher levels of gain can give acceptable results, though I have not studied this in detail.


Yes, or for those who are not setting the shutter manually, changing the recording mode to 30p does the same thing (assuming that auto slow shutter has not been enabled).


Agreed!

No problem! Don't forget to set the Conversion Lens setting on the camera when using a wide or tele converter lens.

How many of you are using the Filter Effects? I've found the output from my M41 to be a bit too "hot" with the default settings. Setting Contrast and Color Depth both to -2 seems to give a more natural look. I'm just not sure if doing so will add artifacts or noise (I haven't noticed any yet).

I haven't spent a lot of time with it yet, but my first impressions are that it's quite powerful, but is not intuitive and has poor documentation.

I had been using Pinacle's Studio. It's very user-friendly, but was also really buggy-- at least a version or two ago-- so I didn't upgrade. I then picked up Powerdirector, which is easy to use and a bit faster at rendering than Vegas, but I found it was very restrictive when making disc menus. You can't edit the root menu and I could find no way of making text-only buttons. Vegas seems quite popular and I suspect once I get the hang of it, I'll be using that one from now on.

Frank

so whats the deal with the M41 & the M40? B&H & Crutchfield are both showing these as discontinued...? Didn't they just come out earlier this year?

I would go for the M400 but once you buy the flash disk(s) for it, you end up more than the M41 was going for only a few weeks ago. Also I am a bit concerned with the M400 and its inability to convert HD to SD in camera.

anyone know where you can still find a M41 without a reputable dealer (read: no gray market)?

I was really excited about the M41 because included a EVF (I'm a bit old school) but now it appears you don't have the option unless you bump up to pro-sumer.

could Canon be on the verge of releasing a revised version?

They are due for a refresh, so the timing of their discontinuation seems right.


Did you check on Amazon? I recall seeing the M40 for $349 and M41 for $399 just yesterday.


Yes, all signs are that this is the case. However, I worry that the new models may not be a step forward. ie- are they pressured to jump back into the megapixel race in this price range due to consumer ignorance? OTOH, perhaps the new models will support 1080/60p recording.

My issue with Amazon is gray market goods. I have had bad experience with Amazon 'stores' before. Is there any way to tell if you are getting a legit US version of a product?

That is a valid concern, however both of these were being sold by Norman Camera and Video whom I believe is reputable. I don't know of a good way to tell if it's gray market or legit, but I would always check resellerratings at a minimum. Good luck!

I see they list the M40 but no longer the M41

Unfortunately, that appears to be the case. It's even out of stock on the Canon Direct store (http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs...0051_270660_-1). I would keep checking Amazon for the next few days - hopefully you will be able to snag one for $399.

I think I bought one of the last M41s from B&H Photo(yep its best not too buy a gray model}
I saw early today that amazon had the M41s at $399 with free shipping from Onecall.
I went to onecalls website and they don't have them in stock.
There was also another dealer that had them on Amazon for $449 but the also didnot have them in stock from the companys website.
Yes you might be able to order and wait for one(I did that with JR.com and the iten never came in.
Best to buy it when you see its in stock......JT

It went well. I did end up raising the gain to 18db and there was no noise in the shots and I could probably have raised it a bit more but didn't need it.


I prefer the look of 60i so I never tried 30p yet. Will try it indoors and see how it looks. So far I really like what I'm getting from this Camcorder. Much better than my previous hf-S11 which cost 3 times as much. I bought this camcorder mainly as a stopgap and hope to purchase the next version which replaces the HF-G10. I almost bought the HF-G10 but this late in the product cycle I figured I'd get a cheaper one and wait. Maybe the next models will have a better touchscreen interface and 60p.


I tried the different modes and wasn't really disappointed with the mic, just thinking I'll probably get better results with the DM-100. I might even pick up a
portable recorder soon and try syncing the audio in post also, just for fun, and maybe I'll also get more effective surround using both. Tascam and Zoom seem to have some interesting models for about 100. U.S.

I'm glad to hear that your shoot went well, and also that there were no issues with setting the gain limit to 18db.


Just to clarify, what I meant was that if you need to drop the shutter speed to 1/30 then you might as well shoot in 30p mode. I don't think there is any advantage to shooting in 60i mode with a shutter speed of 1/30.


I had borrowed an HF-10 from a friend for a month and a bit prior to getting the M41. I am floored by how much improved the M41 is in low light. Yes, I knew it was good (from the review on camcorderinfo.com), but it really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.


It will be interesting to see what the next models bring. I just hope that Canon continues to stay with the current approach for the sensor, rather than succumb to market pressure for more megapixels. Of course, 60p would be a welcome addition.


Keep us posted on how you make out. While I will be using my M41 mainly for home videos, I have dabbled in audio recording in the past and who knows, I may end up revisiting that hobby.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

First time poster. I just picked up the M41 after using Best Buy's Buy Back program. I got $250 back from my HF R21 6-month trade in. Used that money and applied it to the M41. I was originally looking for an M40 because of the wireless controller, but none were to be found in any BestBuy store, online or onground, in the local area. I figured the unit was discontinued. On the way out of the store I found an Open Box M41, so I gave it a try.

Apparently, the M41 was purchased as a X-mas gift and returned. The previous owner left 5 or so Christmas day videos on the camera.

One of the members of this site left the name of this forum on Amazon in his/her feedback for some Cannon accessories I was browsing through. I do not remember what the person's name was, but THANK YOU VERY MUCH for pointing me here to this wealth of information.

Respectfully,
MadScientist06

Good choice. I love this camera and I am adding a few things to it like a Zoom H1 Recorder with this adapter Shock mount.
Also a Raynox wide angle lense (i have a cheaper one now) and a Steadicam by Lensse and that should have me covered for now.

Welcome to the club! I've had my M41 for a week now, and I'm really thrilled with this camcorder.

IMHO, a must-buy accessory is the Digital Concepts 0.45x wide angle converter (though note that it is actually closer to 0.7x) - this will bring the wide angle to around 28mm:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001EL...5454719&sr=8-4

For $17 (incl free shipping) you really can't go wrong buying this.

And if you need more battery time, this Wasabi Power battery and charger kit seems like a great buy as well:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004TH...5460639&sr=8-1

Have fun!

Thanks for the warm welcome. Excellent! Yes, I ordered the:

Wasabi Battery and Charger Kit
Pyle-Pro PDWM96 Lavalier Wireless Microphone System
CN-126 LED Video Light for Camera or Digital Video Camcorder
Digital Concepts 0.45X Professional 43mm Wide Angle HD Lens with Macro

listed in Icyman's post (thanks Icyman) yesterday.

Looking forward to the arrival of my second round of Christmas presents.

I just went back and had another read of icyman's post, and realized that he was recommending the BP-827 battery kit rather than the BP-819 kit that I linked to. At only $3 more, the BP-827 kit seems to be a better value since you are getting 36% more capacity per battery (3000mAh vs. 2200mAh). The only caveat is that the BP-827 extends a bit beyond the battery compartment on the M41, so there is a small aesthetic disadvantage. But that is a small price to pay for nearly 400 minutes of recording time per charge!

according to B&H the M4x line is officially discontinued, the 40,41 and 400 .

Which means I will have to wait for the next iteration of the Vixia M-series which will debut at $500-$600 msrp and have no reviews for a few months.

<--very disappointed right now..

There's some confusion with this, at least for me.
I contacted Canon last week, who told me the 40 and 41 were not discontinued.
I contacted them again after seeing the B&H statement. Still waiting for the reply.

Even if they are technically discontinued, there is still stock @ Amazon.

they are in stock at Amazon with MUCH higher prices than they were only a few weeks ago. The cheapest in stock M41 is $730, last week in was in stock for $411 shipped. The cheapest M400 was $329 shipped, now it is $429 shipped. And these are at IMO, no-name shady camera vendors.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...HF+M41&x=0&y=0

so yeah, technically you can still get them if you want to pay a premium. Honestly if I am going to spend that much I might as well jump up to the S30

EDIT: apparently the apple store shows them as available Feb 11th (at $699)?

If it's about price, you could wait a bit;
the HFM40/41 will eventually show up in the Canon refurb store.
Right now the HF M30 is $299. I remember when they were new, they were going for a lot:

http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs...0051_273612_-1

It is interesting how just a week or so ago you could land a M41 for $399 at most reputable sites. Now everyone has it back up to retail pricing of $699. Hmmm makes one wonder.

It looks like they cleaned out what they had left before discontinuing it.

I'm fine with the battery extending beyond the compartment, although it looks rather odd to have a one that is not flush (larger or smaller). I actually love the fact that you can add different size batteries--pretty excellent feature.

Something fishy is going on with inventory and the recent changes in price. I believe I saw the M41 for sale at Amazon for $799! Insane!

I'm glad I picked up the Open Box M41 now looking back. When I did a search and found the unit was not available at 10 surrounding Best Buys in my area (total 0), I figured they would not be restocking them. I was told newer models were coming out the first of the year. Goodluck to the rest of you guys still looking. I hope you are able to secure one at a good price as well.

Respectfully,
MadScientist

yeah I don't get it. I started doing some research because I plan on splurging on an HD cam for my birthday in a few weeks. I was dead set on the M41 because I can't imagine having a camcorder without a VF. Literally the price went from $411 on Amazon about a week ago, to now in the $700 range. The M41 is an exceptional camera but that is more expensive than that 3chip 1080/60p Panny TM900 is currently priced at. That's kind of hard to ignore.

I have considered the M40 but I shoot choir concerts frequently and don't want to deal with the being required to have the LCD out to shoot.

I think it's simply supply and demand. Right now there is little supply, and it is likely to stay this way.

The first time the M41 got discounted (around Black Friday) to $399 was due to a $300 rebate from Canon. I suspect the same was true the second time it went on sale after Christmas. Presumably the rebate has now expired, and that most retailers have cleared out their remaining stock. The ones with a few units left are not in a rush to sell and are charging full price.

There is a vendor on Amazon that is still selling the HF-10 - their price is $899.

Yes but the M40 and the M400 are also disc. but their prices have not jumped as high.

Hello everyone, can you confirm that the only difference between the M40 and the M41 is 16 vs. 32 internal storage? Also, the M40 has SD slots, so I could expand the 16GB if needed, correct?

I am also a little upset of the price jumps....but, with that being said, from my research and this thread, the M40 is still a good camera. What is a close second concerning this higher price ($478).

Finally, the photo option seems like a nice feature. I would be able to only bring my camcorder instead of a camcorder and digital camera. Can you transfer photos only to your PC, leaving the video on the camera?

thank again.

HF M400 for $389.