Summary: A few weeks ago Canon released a different kind of video camera. It kind of looks like a smartphone. It kind of shoots footage like a GoPro Hero. And it's kind of hard to describe with words, which I why I did a video review of it. The camera is called the Canon Vixia Mini and it currently retails for about $300 USD. Spec-wise, it's a touch-screen camera (articulating screen) with a fixed lens (no zooming) that shoots full HD video at 30 or24p in the MP4 format. At the highest quality setting, it records video at 24mbps (Blu-Ray quality). It can shoot video in full auto mode or there is limited manual control in Program mode. It records to microSD cards and has a built in microphone (sorry, no external microphone jack). So with all the techno-garbage out of the way, is it actually any good? Well, here's my short list of pros and cons: PROS Surprisingly good in low light, dead-simple to use, makes the process of shooting videos very fast, ultra-wide angle (fish-eye) lens, no need for a tripod CONS No external mic jack, picture can be fuzzy in some situations, battery life isn't the greatest In a nutshell, I'm kind of on the fence with the video quality it produces. With some shots it's great, with others not so much. But what do you expect from a $300 camera? What I do absolutely love is the speed at which you can shoot video with this camera. Just sit it on something and press a button...that's about all there is to it. Easy peasy. Of course the big question might be "why should I use this instead of my smartphone?". And that's a valid question. For me, the answers would be "it shoots better quality video", "it has an articulating screen" and "it has it's own built-in tripod" of sorts. Or to put it another way, it's faster and easier to shoot video (and then get it off the camera too) with the Vixia Mini than it is with a smartphone. But for you the answer might be different. The Canon Vixia Mini is definitely a niche camera. I don't think it's going to be for everyone. And for the money, you might get better bang for your buck elsewhere. Then again, it sure is a lot of fun to use...and so fast to work with. Here's a link to Canon's web site with all the tech details. And by the way, the video above was shot in full auto mode...the camera did everything and I did nothing.
