Here's a quick & dirty video clip in .wmv format (30 sec., 640 x 480) showing how the selector wheel on the Canon HG10 controls manual focus. Download the file first, and rename the extension from "wmx" to "wmv" before opening it locally.

www.dvinfo.net/media/hurd/hg10focuswheel.wmx

great new feature !

thanks Chris

Looks like it works pretty well.

Yeah I prefer this over all the other little nubs. A ring would be better, but this is a great idea and step in the right direction placing it on the screen.

Thanks for posting this!

Chris, your finger seem to slip while you rotating the wheel. Is it because you are not pressing well enough making sure that the LCD panel stays still?

Mechanically, putting the wheel on a panel that can rotate does not seem like a good idea. On the other hand, the wheel is small and is located close to the axis of the LCD screen.

So the question is: does the screen tend to rotate when you turn the wheel?

On the HV20, with the focus roller, we a lot of us have made our own focus wheels that allow more control of the roller. With this viewfinder control, it looks like that is out the door. Couldn't see from the video whether there is any access to focus when using viewfinder only. I may have missed that somewhere . Anybody know ?

This is the only access to focus, so the LCD must be flipped open in order for it to work.

Chris:

Any difference you can tell in close focus capability. I am assuming it uses same lens system as HV20. I am asking because the HV20, mounting to something like the Letus or Cinevate achromats , is right on the edge getting into vignetting at times. Sure would be nice is it had a bit closer focusing capability.

Hi Chris, it appears to be the *exact* same lens system as the HV20.

Played with HG10 today at Fry's. Solid looking thing, feels much better on touch than squeaky HV20. Better, deeper shade of silver paint, looks like better plastic too. The dark parts are also darker than on the HV20 and has some gloss to them almost like the HV10. Overall, a definite improvement over the HV20.

The wheel is a cool-looking thing, easy to use, better than the thumbwheel on the HV20, but there is no way to attach a follow focus to this thing. The wheel can be rotated with LCD cover closed, but you have to call up the "focus" pictogram on the screen. Without pictograms the camcorder does not change any parameters. I would prefer it changed the most recent parameter I selected, anyway the way it works is safer. The wheel is small, so when I was turning it the LCD stayed put. It takes several turns to rack focus, I like it better than some Sony camcorders that are way too fast. This small wheel seemed even more precise than Sony's focus ring.

Focus assist works in pause mode only, does not work when you roll the... er, disk. I wish there was a setting for this, because rack focus is very hard without assist.

I did not like the way QuickStart is implemented. The camcorder can be put to sleep with quickstart button, I'd prefer another position on main power/mode controller, but maybe this is ok too. What is worse that one has to press quickstart again to bring the camcorder from sleep into record/pause mode, and then "Record" to start recording. I would prefer to press "Record" while in sleep mode and to start recording instantly. As usual, Canon's UI is far from perfect.

Another inconsistency that goes on for ages is shooting modes like Tv or Av. Say, you are in regular "P" mode, when you press the joystick you can list through exposure/focus settings, you switch to next setting by pressing down, you lock setting by pressing up. Well, pretty reasonable algorithm. Now, when you select say Tv mode, you press joystick and see the same settings. To change shutter speed you need to exit back to no-pictogram mode, then if display info is off you need to turn it on, then you can click up/down to change shutter speed. What's up with that? Bad, bad, bad usability. Just add shutter speed pictogram to the list of other pictograms in Tv mode, or aperture pictogram in Av mode.

So... good features, bad usability. I see why Panasonic and Sony are still in business.