Deal of the Day: Canon HV20 Camcorder for $729

Posted Nov 04, 2007 | 8 Comments
tags: canon hv20, deals, filmmaking

I have been drooling over this HD camcorder for a while now. I almost bit late this past spring when I found a deal for just under $900. Now it’s $729 shipped from ZipZoomFly.com and Dbuys.com. No rebates, no tax, free shipping. Who knows how long this price will last, but I don’t see it dropping much further before supplies run out and they move on to a newer model.

There’s been no official word on a true successor yet. I’m all for an HV30, but there’s no guarantee they are even going to make another HDV-based model. The HV20 records in HDV format to good ol’, cheap, reliable DV tape. The footage is captured with amazing detail, and transferring it to a computer is as easy as it’s ever been. Both the HG10 and HR10 – hard drive and DVD-based models, respectively – use the same HD sensor as the HV20, but record in AVCHD format. This new format, although promising, has proven inferior because it is too compressed, which results in more image artifacts and less sharpness. This is unfortunate, as the HV20 has shown the outstanding results its HD sensor is capable of.

To learn more about the greatness of the HV20, see the review on Camcorderinfo.com. It is widely considered the best consumer HD camcorder to date. It has a film-like 24p mode that gives it amazing low-light performance. Of course, it records in glorious 1080p, and when you combine it with a 35mm adapter, you can get unbelievably cinematic results. Unfortunately, that adds another $1000 or so to the cost. Buy the HV20 now, the 35mm adapter next year :).

DBuys has lowered it to $723 shipped. ZZF jacked it up to $849 already though.

#1 Andrew Swihart (Author) Nov 5, 09:38 AM

ZZF changes their prices wildly from day to day. At the least (what I’ve seen), they’ve made the following price changes in the last 36 hours: $729 -> $825 -> $798 -> $899. What kind of sick strategy is this?

DBuys is still hanging in at $723. I hesitate to order from them based on iffy feedback I’m reading, although most of it is positive. I may cave later today.

Also I’m tempted to buy at Costco for $799, since you get a 90 day unconditional return policy and free 2 year extended warranty.

#2 Andrew Swihart (Author) Nov 6, 07:06 AM

I made an awesome impulse buy last night, getting the HV20 for $799 shipped at Costco.com. I shipped to WV to avoid tax, and used the code in this FW thread to avoid the non-member surcharge. I figured the $75 premium was well worth it for the peace of mind of a 90 day unconditional return policy and 2 year manufacturer’s warranty extension.

I’ll post my first clips in the next few weeks. I should have footage from Naples and Key West, FL, and my hometown, the village of Fairmont, WV.

#3 Andrew Swihart (Author) Nov 7, 09:23 AM

So, my Costco transaction was interrupted by Chase’s fraud prevention on my Freedom card, which is reassuring, but annoying in this case.

When I went to reorder it, I double checked Pricegrabber and noticed Dbuys.com lowered the price further to $713 shipped. I started to question the nearly $100 premium for buying at Costco.

I pulled the trigger at DBuys. There is still a 10-day return window if there is something wrong, and Canon provides a 1 year warranty on top of that. So, I still have some peace of mind, just a bit less than if I'd bought from Costco. Dbuys does not seem like a 5-star retailer from what I’ve read, but I should at least be able to guarantee myself a new unit free of defects. I’ll post back about how the unit is on arrival (assuming it ships on time).

#4 Andrew Swihart (Author) Nov 7, 03:22 PM

I got the camcorder from DBuys. It was in a very industrial looking Canon box, not the glossy nice one you’d get if you bought from Circuit City or something. It makes me think this was actually a refurb. The wrapping around the camera was all wrinkled and the camera had clearly been packed more than just once. The camera was cosmetically immaculate, however.

I took 2 minutes of footage, everything went fine. Then, when I went to capture the video to my computer, it would not power on. After several repeated attempts, the camera will power on sporadically. It seems to need a break every once and a while to get up the nerve to power on again. There is something seriously wrong with it, so it’s going back to DBuys. They agreed to take it back with no restocking fee. I’ll just have to pay the return shipping, which I feel is unfair. My order from Costco is in now, so I’ll wait on that one, and cross my fingers for better luck.

The video looked great when I was finally able to get it off the camcorder. I can’t wait to do more with it. Maybe I'll make a documentary about people walking around Johnstown, with ultra-cinematic shots and slow motion effects to add to the intense drama of walking. I seriously feel like I could film paint drying with this thing and it would be an amazing movie. Or maybe water boiling, that would rock.

#5 Andrew Swihart (Author) Nov 13, 11:39 AM

I got my second HV20 from Costco just before I left for Florida. This new one works perfectly with no power issues. It was packed identically to the one from DBuys, a dull cardboard box with no seals. Still, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the defective unit came from DBuys while the one from Costco works perfectly.

I have some great footage to share after the break. Quoting my dad, “it looks like the Discovery channel in hi-definition.”

On another note, this morning I see prices for the HV20 have been lowered at most online stores to $800 or less. If I were buying today I’d consider Buydig.com or Beachcamera.com, both selling it for $789.

#6 Andrew Swihart (Author) Nov 22, 02:35 PM

Just picked one up from Best Buy for $679 before tax. That was the Circuit City price (plus 10% coupon code). I had BB price match. Can’t wait to play with it!