Photo: Spencer Higgins

This 1080p camcorder snaps still photos at a measly 2.07MP. That’s a good thing in this case. Where video cameras that boast 12 MP-plus stills have to cram pixels onto their sensors to get those bigger numbers, the Vixia opted for a CMOS sensor with pixels that are 61 percent bigger than on Canon’s previous flagship dual-memory consumer model.

The 2.07MP output is still plenty for HD video, while the bigger pixels absorb more light, for improved performance in dim settings. In our testing of the HF G10 in a variety of challenging lighting situations, we found that it lived up to the hype. We got clear, sharp and surprisingly bright footage of a child illuminated only by the candles she was blowing out on his birthday cake—a common but very tricky real-world scenario.

Along with the revamped imaging chip, the G10 has a 10x optical zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent of 30.4mm—304mm. That allowed us to zoom in with ease, even in the dark. A touch-and-track function let us lock in focus just via the 3.5-inch LCD screen. (If you want to get really precise, a manual focus ring on the front of the camera delivers tack-sharp control.) Though there was some noise in the shadow areas, the overall footage looked impressively clear and sharp—bright enough that we could make out detail even in the darkest areas.

While the G10 offered some of the best low-light performance we’ve seen from a consumer camera, its 60 fps HD footage was also impressive when we shot with it during a nighttime basketball game at a playground. Though there was a faint blur as the players went flying by, the camera’s optical stabilizer helped keep our video rock steady even while we aggressively panning.

We also liked the dynamic range we got from the camera; a flower garden came out vivid and bright despite heavily overcast skies. Our only complaint was the way skin tones came out slightly oversaturated.

Sound quality was above average, though we’d recommend hooking up a professional mic to match the pro-level video. We did appreciate that the mic was synced with the zoom, letting us capture the sounds of a pick-up football game that was taking place a good 100 yards away.

Canon’s frustrating, nonintuitive menu system leaves much to be desired, however. In led us astray whenever we tried to change settings. The 2MP images are only suitable for e-mail and Facebook. But as we said, photos are not the point of this camcorder. It’s designed for shooting sparkling HD footage even in hairy lighting conditions. And in that respect, the HF G10 delivers.

WIRED Full manual control will let adventurous filmmakers tweak their footage for a professional look; cinema mode offers nine cinematic filters producing a range of styles; 32GB internal flash drive and two SDXC-compatible card slots give you mucho room to record all your Oscar-worthy masterpieces.

TIRED Beguiling menu system will drive you batty; bigger and heavier than a typical consumer camcorder; one of the most expensive consumer camcorders on the market.