The VC-20 boasts excellent operability that makes sophisticated techniques easy for anyone. This is achieved with an exclusive built-in filter that enables auto white balancing anywhere with touch-of-a-button fine tuning, as well as a video control feature whereby the basic video recorder functions can be operated from the camera.

With an 8x zoom lens built in and an advanced level of computer simulation incorporated right at the design stage, the model achieves a high degree of magnification as well as excellent contrast without distortion, all in a compact design. With a focal length ranging from a wide angle of 10mm to a telephoto of 80mm, plus a macro mechanism that enables the user to approach the subject up to a distance of just 4mm from the tip of the lens, it can be used in a variety of different shooting conditions depending on objective. The zoom system utilizes an electric power system. The zoom speed is continuously variable from low to high speed during shooting, for smooth zooming anywhere, anytime.

In addition to being parallax-free, which means that, even in cases where the distance between subject and shooter fluctuates, the lens optical axis and ranging position remain constant, this model also features accurate ranging free of problems caused by brightness or contrast with Canon’s own built-in active auto-focus mechanism, which utilizes near-infrared light. The result is auto-focus shooting that fully utilizes the advantages of our new high-power zoom lens and our highly sensitive image pickup tube, enabling the user to concentrate on shooting instead of focusing.

The image pickup tube utilizes a 2/3″ five-mega saticon tube that boosts color variation frequency up to 5MHz. This image pickup tube not only clears a horizontal resolution of more than 300 lines, but also produces superb color reproduction, achieving vivid-tone, high-definition image quality. With the combination of a high-performance lens and auto focus mechanism, it also makes shooting possible in low light of 1.5-lux.

Utilizing a microcomputer, the VC-20 allows the user to choose between white, green, or orange lettering for title, stopwatch, and date displays with the multicolor superimpose function. In addition to the option of superimpose display combinations (the title and stopwatch or title and date), the display character size can be reduced and the position altered. Titles can also be stored in the memory for up to 24 hours.

Used in combination with the Portable Video Recorder VR-20, the user can check footage up to two seconds prior to the end of the shoot with the electric viewfinder. This is called the Rec. review function.