This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I've been researching entry to mid-level consumer cameras for months. Finally broke down and purchased the HF G40 and am very happy with it! Went down in price $200 recently. I will be using the camera for family videos and some weddings, paired with Final Cut Pro X.
A couple of reasons why I chose the Vixia HF G40:
-I needed better image stabilization than my mirrorless Lumix camera (however I do love the larger APS-C sensor size on the Lumix for shallower depth of field)
-I don't need 4k resolution at this time, just 1080p HD
-This camera has the same HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor with improved low-light performance, as the higher-end Canon xa30 ($1,599), but without the XLR inputs. I actually use a Zoom H4N Pro for my audio, which has 2 XLR inputs, along with a stereo mic pair, when I need something more professional
-Nice, large focus ring, that can be switched between Focus/Zoom. I can't imagine trying to set manual focus via touch screen
-Ability to assign manual controls to specific buttons based on the type of video shoot you are doing. You can manually control exposure, white balance, etc.
-Nice OLED touch screen
-Dual SD Card slots. You can record AVCHD to card slot A and mp4 to card slot B at the same time, giving you more flexibility later when editing and posting to website/youtube, etc., or use A for video and B for still shots
-Has a number of other professional features like Zebra/color bars, test tone, etc. that you can activate and use.
Overall I am very pleased with this camera for run and gun type shooting! Solid purchase!
