Features
Battery Information
Inputs And Outputs
Software
Features
HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor: The Canon VIXIA HF G40 HD
camcorder features a 1/2.84" HD CMOS Pro image sensor. HD CMOS Pro uses fewer pixels (3,090,000) which
are 61% larger and more sensitive than those found in most consumer camcorders.
The result is outstanding video resolution, superb low-light performance, and
wide dynamic range. The effective pixel count is 2,910,000 for video and photos.
3.5" Widescreen OLED Touch Panel Display: The HF G40 features a
3.5" TFT color widescreen OLED touch screen (1,230,000
dots) to make it easy to compose and review your shots. Compared to LCD
displays, OLED offers an incredible 10,000:1 contrast ratio with wider viewing angles, better color reproduction and
contrast, and more touch responsiveness with less required pressure. You can rotate the
display panel 270° allowing the subject to monitor the screen. The
OLED screen also features adjustable brightness and color balance controls.
Viewfinder: In addition to the 3.5" OLED display panel, the
camcorder also features a separate 0.24" TFT color viewfinder with 1,560,000
dots. You can switch from the OLED screen and the viewfinder by pulling the
viewfinder out. The viewfinder can be tilted up to 45 degrees from its normal
resting position to enable more shooting freedom. You can adjust the viewfinder
to your eyesight using the dioptric adjustment. The viewfinder includes a large,
comfortable eye cup, similar to those used on Canon's professional camcorders,
for blocking out excess light to improve
visibility.
Built-in Wi-Fi: The HF G40 is equipped with built-in
dual-band (5 GHz/2.4 GHz) Wi-Fi technology for wirelessly sharing your HD movies
with your friends and family or sending to a PC. You can upload videos virtually
anywhere on compatible networks, wireless hotspots, and to your iOS device with
the free Canon Movie Uploader app. In addition, you can wirelessly control key
camcorder functions, exposure functions, and focus settings through the Wi-Fi
Remote application, available for iOS and Android devices.
Recording Formats: The camcorder records movies in AVCHD
(MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) video compression format with Linear PCM or Dolby Digital 2-channel audio,
using the built-in microphone. You can record in 5.1-channel surround when using
the optional SM-V1 Surround Microphone.
Movies can also be recorded in MPEG-4 (MP4) with AAC audio for internet-ready, easy-to-share
videos. Still photos are recorded in JPEG compression.
Recording Modes: The camcorder offers the following video recording modes:
Movie Format | Recording Mode | Resolution | Audio Format |
AVCHD | 28 Mbps LPCM (59.94P) | 1920 x 1080 | Linear PCM |
28 Mbps (59.94P) | Dolby Digital |
24 Mbps LPCM | Linear PCM |
24 Mbps | Dolby Digital |
17 Mbps |
5 Mbps | 1440 x 1080 |
MP4 | 35 Mbps (59.94P) | 1920 x 1080 | AAC |
24 Mbps |
17 Mbps |
4 Mbps | 1280 x 720 |
3 Mbps | 640 x 360 |
Still Image Recording:
The HF G40 flash memory camcorder is also a high performance digital camera
capable of capturing stunning photos.
Photos are recorded at 1920 x 1080. You can also capture photos from recorded
movies at 1920 x 1080 (AVCHD and MP4), 1280 x 720 (MP4 @ 4 Mbps) or 640 x 360
(MP4 @ 3 Mbps). The number of photos that can be saved on a 1 GB memory card are
660 (1920 x 1080), 1490 (1280 x 720), and 5800 (640 x 360).
Dual Memory Card Slots: The HF G40 is equipped with two
slots for inserting SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards. When the memory card in slot
A becomes full while recording movies, the recording will continue uninterrupted
on the card in slot B (Relay Recording). You can also record the same
scene simultaneously to both cards (Dual Recording), either in the same movie
format or different formats.
Converting Movies to MP4: Movies that are recorded in AVCHD
format and saved to a memory card can be converted to MP4 movies. You can also
convert MP4 movies into smaller MP4 movies, ideal for uploading to the Web. When
you convert a movie on one memory card, it will be saved to the other memory
card. A cinema-look filter can be added to a converted movie, if desired.
Genuine Canon Video Lens: The HF G40 comes with a
Genuine Canon HD video lens with a 20x Optical zoom (35mm equivalent: 26.8 -
576 mm) with a minimum focus distance of 23.6". The lens is equipped with a manual focus ring for
more control and accurate focusing. A 20x digital zoom
can be applied to the 20x optical zoom for a 400x total digital zoom. A lens hood
with a flap-type barrier is included
to reduce the amount of stray light entering the lens.
8-Blade Circular Aperture: The lens has a newly developed
8-blade circular aperture. A circular aperture reduces the "starburst" effect
found in camcorders with non-circular apertures, creating a more aesthetic
background in the out-of-focus areas.
DIGIC DV 4: Canon's powerful DIGIC DV 4 image processor,
along with the Canon HD Video lens and HD CMOS Pro image sensor, enable you to
capture impressive video, especially in low-light situations. This Full HD
System delivers excellent image quality for most any application.
Mini Advanced Shoe: The top-mounted Mini Advanced Shoe
allows you to attach a range of optional accessories, such as video lights (VL-5
or VFL-2) and external microphone (DM-100). In addition, the HF G40 has a cold
shoe for attaching other accessories.
Zoom Speed: The zoom speed can be set to variable or your
choice of 16 constant speeds, plus three zoom speed levels. In the variable position, the zoom speed depends on how
far you push the zoom rocker on the camera or the zoom buttons on the
included wireless controller. The fixed zoom speeds give you a
smoother zoom transition. The available zoom speeds, measured from full
wide-angle to full telephoto, are as follows:
Zoom Rocker
Speed Setting | Selected
Constant Speed | Zoom Speed Level
Setting |
Slow | Normal | Fast |
Variable | --- | 0:04 to 4:45 | 0:02.5 to 3:00 | 0:01.9* to 1:00 |
Constant | 1 (slowest) | 4:45 | 3:00 | 1:00 |
16 (fastest) | 0:04 | 0:02.5 | 0:01.9* |
*Note: When zoom speed is too fast (1.9 seconds
end-to-end), the camcorder may have trouble maintaining automatic focus
while zooming.
Digital Tele-Converter: You can digitally increase the focal
length of the camcorder by a factor of approximately 2x and record the
enlarged image at full HD resolution.
Optional Converter Lenses: The HF G40's lens has a 58mm
filter thread, allowing you to attach optional converter lenses to increase or
decrease the focal length. The optional TL-H58 Tele-Converter increases the
focal length by a factor of 1.5 with a minimum focusing distance of 4.3'. The
WA-H58 Wide Attachment decreases the focal length by a factor of 0.75, giving you
a wide perspective for indoor shots or panoramic views. In addition to converter
lenses, you can also attach 58mm protective or natural density filters to the
lens.
Optical Image Stabilizer: The HF G40 has an Intelligent SuperRange Optical Image
Stabilizer system to compensate for camera shake. This gives you sharp images,
even hand-held video at long focal lengths. The Image
Stabilization system provides continuous adjustment throughout the entire zoom
range, plus extra compensation at wide-angle focal lengths. The system controls
rotational camera shake, including horizontal, vertical, and roll axis, for
smooth, distortion-free video. The Powered IS
function compensates for hand movement at the telephoto end of the zoom range. You can select the degree of
compensation:
- Dynamic: Highest degree of compensation, correcting
camera shake caused when shooting while walking; most effective at wide
angle zoom.
- Standard: Compensates for a lower degree of camera shake
- Off: No compensation applied. Recommended when camera is on a
tripod.
Operating Modes: Using the Mode Switch on the top of the
camcorder, you can select one of the following Operating Modes:
- Auto: The camcorder takes care of all of the settings while you
concentrate on recording.
- Manual: The manual setting gives you full access to menus,
settings, and advanced functions.
- Cinema: The Cinema mode gives your recordings a cinematic look.
The Cinema-Look filters help you create unique movies.
Video Snapshot: The camcorder's Video Snapshot mode lets you shoot a series of short video clips, then combines them with a pre-recorded music track or your own favorite
music track, to create an entertaining movie. You can select the length of the
video snapshot scenes: 2 sec, 4 sec or 8 sec.
Instant Auto Focus (AF): The HF G40 offers Instant Auto Focus, which uses an external sensor, in combination with Canon's auto focus system, to help significantly decrease the time
it takes to focus, even in low light situations. The Focus Assistance feature provides a 2x magnification of your subject in the
display screen before you start recording. When recording begins, the Focus
Assist is canceled. Other Autofocus modes include Medium AF and Normal AF.
Manual Focus Ring: The HF G40 has a manual focus ring that helps you achieve the focus you're looking for. The focus ring response can be set to fast, normal, or slow, plus the focus direction can be set in either direction.
Face Detection: The camcorder can automatically detect people's faces and use this information to adjust the focus and set the best exposure and color
control settings for beautiful videos and photos. When there are a number of people in the picture, one person will be determined to be the main subject. You can also select the main subject manually.
Smart Auto: The Smart Auto setting automatically
selects the best settings for the scene you want to shoot, including focus,
exposure, color, image stabilization, and image quality. You get
spectacular recordings every time without worrying about the settings.
Auto Exposure Modes: The HF G40's automatic exposure (AE)
recording programs help you obtain the optimal exposure by adjusting the shutter
speed and/or the aperture value. The auto exposure modes include:
- Programmed AE: The camcorder automatically adjusts both the aperture and shutter speed to obtain the optimal exposure for the subject.
- Shutter Priority: You choose the shutter speed to
freeze or blur the shot while the camcorder selects the appropriate aperture
for the scene. You can select 9 shutter speeds between 1/8 and 1/2000 (or 10
speeds between 1/6 and
1/2000 with a 23.98P frame rate).
- Aperture Priority: You choose the aperture to affect
the depth of field and the camcorder selects the appropriate shutter speed
for the scene. You can select aperture settings of F1.8 to F8.0 (wide angle)
or F2.8 to F8.0 (telephoto).
Manual Recording: In the Manual mode, you can enjoy full
access to the menus and manually adjust the exposure, focus, white balance, and
many more of the camcorder's settings to your preference.
Special Scene Recording
Modes: The camcorder features the following Scene Recording Modes to match
special conditions: Portrait, Sports, Night Scene, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Low
Light, Spotlight, and Fireworks.
White Balance: The camcorder's white balance system
helps you accurately reproduce colors under different lighting conditions so that white objects will always look truly white in your recordings. You can choose from the following modes:
Automatic, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Tungsten, Color
Temperature, and Custom WB.
Cinema-Look Filters: The
HF G40 allows you to record with the following cinema-look filters: Cinema
Standard, Vivid, Dream, Cool, Nostalgic, Sepia, Old Movies, and Memory.
Wireless Remote Control: The HF G40 comes with the WL-D89
Wireless Controller. With this remote, you can control the following
functions of the camcorder: Start/Stop, Play/Pause, Menu Navigation,
Display, Photo button (for taking still images), and zoom in/out.
Pre-Recording: When Pre-Recording is activated, the camcorder starts recording video continuously into a temporary 3-second memory. When you press the Start/Stop button, the scene
recorded will have started 3 seconds before you started shooting. This is especially useful when it is difficult to predict when to start recording.
Built-in Microphone: You can change the directionality of
the built-in microphone to control how sound is recorded. The options include:
Monaural, Normal (stereo), Wide, and Zoom.
Built-in Speaker: The camcorder has a built-in speaker so
you can review the soundtrack as well as the picture when you're using the LCD
screen to playback a recording. The built-in speaker is monaural.
Playback Functions: The camera uses the following
special playback modes: Fast Playback (5x, 15x, or 60x normal speed) in either direction, Slow Playback
(1/8x or 1/4x normal speed) in either direction, and Frame-by-Frame Playback.
During these playback modes there is no sound.
Battery Information
Lithium-Ion Battery Pack: The Canon HF G40 is powered by
the supplied BP-820 rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery Pack. The optional BP-828
battery pack is a high-capacity alternative. The battery recording and playback times are as follows:
Battery Pack | Function | OLED and Viewfinder |
BP-820
1780 mAh | Maximum Rec | 150-170 minutes |
Typical Rec | 90-100 minutes |
Playback | 260-280 minutes (OLED) |
BP-828
2670 mAh | Maximum Rec | 225-260 minutes |
Typical Rec | 140-155 minutes |
Playback | 395-415 minutes (OLED) |
Charging Times: The BP-820 battery charges in 275 minutes when charging through the camcorder with the supplied
CA-570 AC adapter. The optional BP-828 charges is 405 minutes. The optional
CG-800 battery charger will charge the BP-820 in 190 minutes and the BP-828 in
260 minutes.
Auto Power Off: After 5 minutes without any operation when
powered by the battery, the camcorder automatically powers off. Approximately 30
seconds before the camcorder automatically turns itself off, a warning message
appears in the display.
Inputs And Outputs
HDMI Output: The HF G40 features a mini-HDMI (Type C) terminal that offers a high-quality digital connection that combines audio and video in a single convenient cable. The HDMI
port is compatible with HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), allowing you in many cases to control the camcorder with the remote control of the connected TV.
The HDMI can be set to output 1080p signals. A 59" HDMI cable (HTC-100/S) is included.
AV Output: The camcorder features an AV
output to playback audio and video on your television using the supplied
composite video/stereo audio RCA cable (STV-250N). You can select between a 4:3 aspect ratio
or a 16:9 aspect ratio for the video out based on your television's aspect
ratio. The built-in speaker will be muted when the AV cable is plugged in.
USB 2.0 Connection: The camcorder features a USB 2.0 High
Speed terminal for fast transfer of photos and videos. A 2' USB cable
(IFC-300PCU/S) is included.
Microphone Input: In addition to the camcorder's built-in
microphone, the HF G40 features a 3.5mm microphone input for connecting an
external microphone, such as the
WM-V1 Wireless Microphone. With the optional SM-V1 Surround
Microphone, you can record in 5.1-channel surround audio.
Headphone Output: A dedicated 3.5mm headphone output is
provided, allowing you to monitor the audio as you record movies on the
camcorder. You can also monitor the audio during playback as well. The built-in
speaker will mute when headphones are plugged into the camcorder.
Remote Control Input: The camcorder features a 2.5mm
sub-minijack terminal for connecting an optional wired remote controller.
Software
Downloadable Software: The Canon HF G40
camcorder does not include application software in the box. Instead, you can
download Data Import Utility to save your AVCHD and MP4 movies to a computer,
and CameraWindow to save your still photos to a computer. An Internet connection
is required to download the software. The software is compatible with the
following Operating Systems:
- Windows: Windows 10 (desktop mode only), Windows 8/8.1
(64-bit/32-bit), Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit/32-bit)
- Macintosh: Mac OS X v10.10, OS X v10.9, OS X v10.8
(Data Import Utility only)