Yes, the Canon VIXIA HF G30 has a recording limit based on time.
This post tells you what this is and also addresses another unexpected way the camera might turn off…
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How Long Does The Canon VIXIA HF G30 Record Before Stopping?
The recording limit on the Canon VIXIA HF G30 is different depending on whether you are using slow motion or standard recording formats.
Recording Time Limits
Standard Recording
The maximum continuous recording time for a single standard speed video on the Canon VIXIA HF G30 is 12 hours.
After 12 hours is reached, the camcorder will automatically stop recording.
Slow Motion Recording
The maximum continuous recording time for a single slow motion video is 12 hours of playback time.
After the playback time of 12 hours is reached for slow motion videos, the recording will stop so you will have to restart a new clip.
Since this is based on playback time it depends on the slow motion setting used.
For example, if your slow motion is 0.5x normal speed then playback of 12 hours will be equal to 6 hours of recording.
Are there File Size Limits For Videos on The VIXIA HF G30?
Video files will be split when they reach a file size of approximately 4GB, however their playback will be continuous on the camcorder.
The camera does not stop recording at the 4GB file size limit so you can continue recording without interruption up to the 12 hour limit.
You are also able to join these separate clips on a computer using the ‘MP4 Join Tool’ so that they can be saved as a single clip.
To give you an idea of the total approximate amount of time you can get out of each SD card here’s a screenshot from the manual.
The screenshot shows the total approximate time of recording you can get for different SD cards at different bitrates.
My Canon VIXIA HF G30 Automatically Turns Off Unexpectedly
If your Canon VIXIA HF G30 is turning off unexpectedly you might have the ‘Auto Power Off’ function on.
The ‘Auto Power Off’ setting automatically turns the camera off after 5 minutes of it being idle to save battery power. This only happens when the camera is being powered by a battery pack.
You can turn the camcorder back on by using the ‘power switch’.
To change the ‘Auto Power Off’ setting do the following:
- In your ‘Menu’ go to ‘system setup’ (this is the one with the wrench icon).
- Find and select the ‘Auto Power Off’ option.
- Select whether you would like to set this to ON or OFF.
Note*
The auto power off option will not be available when ‘Rec Command’ is set to ‘ON’.
Conclusion
You should now know the recording limits on the Canon VIXIA HF G30.
To summarise, you can record continuously up to 12 hours of video for standard speed recordings and 12 hours of playback time for slow motion recordings.
If you need further details about the Canon Vixia HF G30 I’ve linked to the support page with the manuals below.
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