Canon Legria HF R48 review

You can either search for SSIDs or connect the R48 to a router using WPS, and the touchscreen interface makes it easy connect to your network thanks to the proper onscreen keyboard. Indeed, it’s better than some much more expensive camcorders in this respect.

The Movie Uploader app (available from the App Store and Google Play) lets you upload MP4 videos stored on your R48 to your Facebook and YouTube accounts. You can also save videos to your mobile device’s photo library. The app is very simple, and you only need to choose the source of the video (SD card or built-in memory) and the video you want to upload. Transfers are pretty quick, too.

The CameraAccess app, also available from the App Store and Google Play, lets you use your smartphone or tablet as a remote monitor. You can also choose to record video to your mobile device or the HF R48, and it shows the amount of recording time each can provide among other things.

FEW CONNECTIONS

The HF R48 has Mini HDMI and Mini USB ports, but nothing else. This is a great shame, because many cheap camcorders have a 3.5mm headphone output at the very least. Enthusiast users who need a microphone input will need to look elsewhere.

The HDMI output is certainly handy. Although you can stream video to your TV or PC using the HF R48’s built-in Wi-Fi adaptor, you’ll need the HDMI output if you don’t have a smart TV or if, for whatever reason, you can’t stream video to your TV without dropped frames or interrupted video.

We really like the Canon Legria HF R48. It has a fantastic user interface that makes good use of its responsive touchscreen, great image quality and a relatively low price. It’s also currently cheaper than the Panasonic HC-V520, which is its closest rival. At two hours, the HF R38’s battery life isn’t too bad, either. It’s a definite Best Buy.