So who's all got an HV30 then?
 

I just wondered how many of these there are about now. OK, I know it's much the same as the HV20 but the HV30 I ordered for the school arrived today. It's a lot smaller than the cameras I've had before, especially after becoming used to an XH-A1!

Do I remember someone posting a link for the pdf manual for the NTSC version? I couldn't find it in a search here. It's the PAL version I'm interested in but I think it's to soon. Canon Europe doesn't seem to list the HV30 yet in their support pages yet. I will of course be studying the printed manual but I like to have a pdf manual of all equipment that I use available for quick reference.

I held an HV30 today here (rental house)... does that count?

I'm in Victoria, Canada. A year ago, I got the first HV20 in Victoria, on March 30th, 2007, so the HV30 (on March 17th) is coming out slightly before the HV20 did a year ago.

The 30 felt a bit heavier than the 20 (could have been my imagination) and I liked the textured feel the black/dark gray body has - slightly rubberized rather than cheaper silver plastic feel that my HV20 has. The zoom button felt more defined, and the LCD was shiny and punchy.

If you treat it like a more pro camera (tripod, slow pans, properly lit subjects and set exposure, etc) it will turn out images you can cut with your XH-A1.

I got one a few days ago. (NTSC) I had the HV20 and still have an HV10.

The HV30 looks a lot better in person, than on the web. The dark dark grey and black looks very nice (kinda with a metallic specking in it in outdoor light) The top is glossy and the sides and bottom is a matte finish, which like Chrisopher said provides a much better grip than the HV20. In my opinion it looks way better than the HV20, and feels nicer to hold. This is the first camera I've bought that has stickers on it, on the outside of the LCD Door. In previous models, like the HV20 and HV10 and XHA1, I've seen ads and publicity photos of the camcorders with stickers on them, but the stickers were never on the ones I received, until this one. So if anyone has any suggestions on how to remove them, I'd be appreciative..

The zoom toggle is much easier to get to and use, though it has the same short travel. The slight upgrade of a taller toggle button doesn't seem like a big deal, but I use the zoom in variable speed mode and found it much easier to control the speed, so a slight bonus there for me.

The LCD is a shiny, glossy surface, unlike the HV20 and HV10. I am finding it a lot easier to see outdoors, it was sunny here today and still it was noticeably easier to see. The biggest point with the new LCD, is that as I am moving the camera around up and down and to the side, I can still see the image just as well as looking straight into it. (with the HV10 and HV20, I had to look dead straight on into the LCD to see a proper image).

I had been a big fan of 30F Frame Mode since 1999, when I discovered it using my Canon GL1, then XL1, GL2, and then 30P on the XL2, and 30F on the XHA1, etc. And was personally (for my uses, and my tastes, and what I shoot for, so no frame rate wars, please) a disappointment that it wasn't on the HV20, and the main selling point for me for the HV30.

I was playing around today with 30P and Cine mode together. Cine mode in conjuction with 30P, the cam stayed at 1/60 and everything went nicely. (I was wondering if Cine would play nicer with 24P and not as well with 30P, and was happy to find that it worked well)

I'll probably head to the SD Zoo tomorrow and do some more 30P, Cine, and maybe some comparisons so I can see what 30P is actually doing, and if it's worth using all the time.

I got the new larger capacity battery as well, and looking forward to the extra time it will give me.

I can't think of anything else that I've noticed so far between the two models.




Colin:
The NTSC manual should be found here:
http://www.usa.canon.com
direct links to the manual don't seem to work for me, but you can navigate to the Vixia HV30 page, I think it's under the drivers and downloads tab. I downloaded one last week to look it over before I ordered one.

I dumped my HV20 for the HV30 just for 30p too. I just got it this weekend and haven't even opened the box yet. Can't wait to test it out. My 1080p LCD TV has a poor deinterlacer and I'm looking forward to testing 30p out on the TV.

Wow, no one has posted sample footage yet? I'm really anxious to see the look of 30p! The deciding factor for me right now.

working on it
 

I am working on getting some sample footage of 30P in M2T to post. Thought I should shoot something with some motion to it... Not sure what, the critters at the zoo were all just lying there today, same with the other critters at the beach. But I'm heading back out in a bit....

I bought two HV30 for $688 each from meijer.com two weeks ago. It went out so fast now it's all gone. The black body is so sexy. 30P mode is great. That's pretty much the reason I sold HV20 and get HV30. Also have one mounted on a Merlin and it was quite fun to operate. :)

And again...
 

I just got funding for a second HV30 for work, so I'm in here twice now.

Looking for the high capacity battery BP-2L24H but in the UK the prices are silly - the same in UK £ as it is in US $. Any good deals around?

I have brand new BP-2L24H for sale

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=116942

You can email me at takyc@hotmail.com see if I can get you a discount. I can ship to UK to you.