Digital Camcorder Reviews

Articoli marcati con tag ‘Canon VIXIA’

The Canon Vixia HF S100 (and its sister model, the HF S10) represent the top of the line from the manufacturer’s 2009 camcorders. The 8.59-megapixel sensor, large lens, still photo capabilities, and excellent new custom control dial are just some of the features Canon has included to up the ante in this year’s flagship models. Canon has also improved the overall video performance, although some low light performance was sacrificed in order to achieve incredibly high sharpness. With Panasonic and Sony both making significant strides in performance this year—and strong surprise performances from underdogs like Samsung and Sanyo—it will be tough to choose between the top contenders. If you don’t already have a particular brand loyalty, purchasing a new camcorder this year might be a hard decision, based on a lot of personal preference.

The Canon Vixia HF S100 is simply a Diet Vixia HF S10, recording solely to SDHC memory cards rather than an additional 32GB of internal flash memory. That means we get the same awesome AVCHD goodness and ample shooting features for 200 smackers less than the flagship model. So, if you happen to have a bunch of SDHC cards lying around, the Canon Vixia HF S100 is the ticket. 24Mbps 1920 x 1080 HD recording, stellar manual controls with a Custom dial and three different frame rates kept us occupied all week, in addition to the Vixia HF S100′s impressive Still image mode, which we found to be the best in the camcorder world. For just over a grand, the Vixia HF S100 is almost a steal considering what this beast can do. Our few gripes were limited to low light shooting and a conservative design approach. If Canon matched the Sony XR-520V’s low light capability and pumped external controls on their next generation top of the line Vixia, we’d be introduced to a whole new animal. But for now, the Canon Vixia HF S100 is one of the best HD camcorders on the market. Release: March 2009. Price: $1100.

Canon Vixia HF S100 Design

Looking at the camcorder head-on, one of the first things you notice is the odd built-in lens cover that uses a closing-eye type rather than aperture-blade type of design we usually see. It wouldn’t be notable except that when closed, the two plastic pieces tend to rattle against each other; since the camcorder is off it’s not a problem, just a minor irritation. Instead of putting the video light in the typical location on the side of the lens, Canon put it on the pop-up flash. The stereo mics sit on either side of the lens barrel. While they may be more susceptible to wind noise in that location (though I didn’t have any problems), it allows for larger mics with better separation than the typical positioning above or below the lens. If that’s not adequate, you can attach a mic via the mini accessory shoe on top of the camcorder. There’s a 3.5mm mic input on the grip side of the unit, and the other connectors–USB, component, and miniHDMI–sit in a covered compartment underneath the strap. The strap does get in the way a little when you’re hooking stuff up.

To one side of the lens Canon placed a new Custom dial, which looks, feels, and operates similarly to the control dial on Sony’s prosumer models. You press the button to enable it, then use the dial to adjust whatever setting you’ve programmed it for–choices are exposure, focus, assist functions (70/100 IRE Zebra and peaking), mic level, and automatic gain control limit (0 to 18dB). I like it in the Sonys and here as well; it’s a comfortable interface for adjusting options like exposure and focus, though I’m not fond of it for cycling through the Zebra and peaking options.

As usual, the zoom switch and photo button lie on top of the camcorder beneath your forefinger, with the mode dial right behind where an eye-level viewfinder should be; one of the biggest drawbacks of this model, geared toward enthusiasts, is the lack of an EVF. The power connector and 3.5mm headphone jack flank the mode button. One of the two record buttons lies under your thumb on the back. To the left of the zoom switch is the small, recessed power button which is a little to difficult to manipulate.

Most of the shooting controls live on the LCD bezel. The function button pulls up both the frequently used settings as well as the full menu system another level down. In addition to the usual–white balance, image effects, digital effects, video quality and still photo size, program and a handful of scene modes–the HF S10/100 offer real shutter- and aperture-priority shooting modes with a shutter speed range of 1/8 to 1/2000 second and aperture options ranging from f1.8 to f8, giving you more control over depth of field than you generally see in a prosumer model. It also offers Canon’s Cine mode for adjusting color and gamma to go with its 24F progressive modes, though it and 30F get recorded as 60i. In still mode you can select metering and drive modes as well. Other high-end features accessible via the menus include three fixed or variable zoom speed, x.v.Color mode, color bars, and a test tone.

Canon Vixia HF S100 – Interface and Menus

The Canon Vixia HF S100 shares the same excellent menu system as last year’s Canon Vixia HG21 and Canon Vixia HF10, and that means the best in the industry when it comes to navigation. Coupled with the LCD-mounted joystick, option selection is a breeze and we were able to fly through menus with the greatest of ease. Many shooters prefer Sony’s ample touch-screen LCD for its supreme ease of use, and the Sony Handycam HDR-XR520V showed admirable improvements in regards to touch sensitivity. However, the HDR-XR520V’s touch-screen, like all touch-screens, was prone to fingerprint smudges. The Vixia HF S100′s joystick may not have been as intuitive, but it was highly effective once we wrangled its wild ways. The quick Joystick menu offered a slew of instant options such as Video Light and Backlight Compensation, which could be toggled on and off within seconds.

We would like to see a larger LCD on the next generation top-end Vixias, for the Vixia HF S100′s 2.7-inch LCD was a little small. Sony’s 3.2-incher is the industry leader, and if Canon pumped up the dimensions of their screen, it would be superior in conjunction with the joystick. As far as the screen quality, we were impressed, but the 211,000-pixel resolution was a bit low for an HD camcorder in this class. The LCD resisted solarization at sharp angles, and the picture quality was sharp. Like we said with the Canon Vixia HF S10, this is a safe, yet functional interface. After a few rounds in the menu system, it became apparent that the trusty x-axis/y-axis could not fail us, thanks to its killer layout and arrangement of options. However, once in the Administrative menu we found a few options that should have seen a little more light of day. Take the Frame Rates and Image Stabilization for example. Those options should be available in the Function menu, but they’re tucked away in a drawer in the Administrative menu. Better yet, let’s see a designated Image Stabilization button and Frame Rates dial. Now we’re talking! Canon has a lot of work ahead of them if they want to achieve legacy status in our books.

Canon Vixia HF S100  - Performance and quality

Performance and quality are top notch at both its maximum 24Mbps bit rate and 17Mbps. (Recording capacities are about 5.5 minutes per gigabyte and 7.8 min/GB, respectively. Canon recommends a Class 4 or better SDHC card.) The camcorder focuses quickly and accurately, even in low light. While battery life is pretty average for its class, it recharges fairly quickly; Canon claims it takes 10 minutes per half hour of battery life. The optical stabilizer, as usual, works well out to the end of the zoom range. The video looks great: sharp, with saturated colors, and excellent exposures with relatively few blown-out highlights. The DigicDV 3 processing does a solid job maximizing the dynamic range. Living-room light-level recordings look quite good as well. There’s a bit of noise and softness, but that’s to be expected. The audio records crisp and clear, too. The camcorder’s not perfect, however. Outdoor shots do show a bit of purple fringing on high-contrast edges, and there’s some color shift in reds and blues. Still photos have a slightly overprocessed look as many camcorder stills do, and the flash does odd things to the saturation, but overall they’re not bad.

If you’re a video hobbyist or a pro looking for something cheap and portable to complement your workhorse equipment, the identical twins Canon Vixia HF S10 and HF S100 deliver a much better shooting experience than the current crop of $600 HD camcorders–as long as you can live without the EVF. The HF S100 is probably the better deal, since the price of a 32GB card should be less than the price differential between the two models.

Pros: Excellent overall video quality. Solidly constructed. Tons of shooting features, including multiple frame rates.

Cons: Canon could have made this thing a monster. Lots of blue noise in low light. Chomps through batteries.

 Canon Vixia HF S100 – User review

Before you think I knock it too much, I really like my HF S100. I bought it mostly to fill a need I’ve had for some time, namely a do-all camera that has a reasonable zoom, a lithium-ion battery, flash memory, and can take good video and decent still images. I spent quite a bit of time trying out different “bridge” and “prosumer” cameras before hitting on the idea of looking at a camcorder first. In that regard I’m a little disappointed, the still images have an over processed appearance and there’s limited manual controls. On the other hand, these are the first camcorder images I’ve seen that look like real pictures and not a frame grab.

There’s a lot to like about the HF S100, video quality is outstanding, and I actually have to reduce the quality somewhat to play on my dual core Athlon. If I had a more powerful machine and a Blue Ray burner I could make some stellar movies. Definitely look into the detachable hot shoe microphone, it doesn’t let you amplify sound from a distance but does remove some wind and local noise and all the clicks and pops from handling the camera. I also like how the battery is not completely enclosed, so “extended power” batteries can be used. Every review I’ve read complains about the lens cover rattling when it’s turned off. Yes, it makes some noise but I barely notice it. A 16 GB SDHC card gives me about three and a half hours of video at the 720P setting, which is amazing considering how VHS-C Tapes used to be about 20 minutes.

So what makes me down on this camcorder? For one thing $1,100 is a serious chunk of change. It’s not quite into the realm of interchangeable lenses but a lot for a single CCD device. It can take excellent video, but is very complex and needs to be set up properly, something not all consumers may be prepared to do. While it looks amazing, with glossy black and gun metal gray, what should be metal is plastic, and it simply doesn’t feel very sturdy.

Do I regret getting it? A little as it doesn’t completely fulfill what I was looking for, and for the money I expected more. However, the video quality makes up for a lot of that.

Video review of Canon Vixia HF S100 digital camcorder

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Creating and sharing quality videos is effortless fun with the incredibly lightweight and compact LEGRIA FS306. Not only does it shoot great looking Standard Definition (SD) movies but its tiny size means you can take it with you wherever you go; plus it records straight to memory card so you can quickly and easily share your movies with friends and family. A versatile 41x Advanced Zoom with dynamic image stabilisation enhances your creative options as well as ensuring smooth professional looking movies. Add in features like Video Snapshot, Pre REC and Quick Start modes, Canon’s DIGIC DV II Image Processor and a 2.7-inch Widescreen LCD and you’ve got a LEGRIA camcorder that’s a joy to use, very affordable and still unmistakably Canon.

Stylish and compact

Weighing in at just 225g the stylish LEGRIA FS306 is not only extremely lightweight but also small enough to fit in your pocket, so you can carry it with you wherever you go.

41x Advanced Zoom

You can get up close and personal, even with far away subjects with the LEGRIA FS306’s 41x advanced zoom lens. Its versatility means you can really explore your creative options and its perfect for capturing the action at sporting events or concerts – plus zooming is smooth and steady throughout the range so you always be able to get the shot you need and with the quality you expect from Canon.

The LEGRIA FS306 also offers you additional flexibility to get just the shot you need by giving you the choice of Advanced Zoom in default mode or you can select a 37x Optical Zoom or 2000x Digital Zoom.

Smooth professional looking movies

Canon’s Dynamic Image Stabiliser compensates for almost every kind of movement from the gentle murmurs of your breathing to the vibrations of a car ride, so your movies will always have a smooth professional look. You can switch easily from Standard Mode to Dynamic Range when you want to stabilise heavy hand shake on the move, for example when walking or climbing up and down stairs, or when shooting at maximum telephoto range.

Fun short movies made easy

Using Video Snapshot mode it is fun and easy to create great video montages. Simply press the record button to capture 4-second clips, the average length of one ‘cut’ in a TV show. To make and playback a simple multi-shot movie is quick and easy and you don’t need a PC. All you have to do is select a series of clips and create a ‘playlist’. This can then be set to music, chosen from the pre-loaded rights-free tracks on the camcorder or the selection supplied on the accompanying CD. Alternatively you can upload your own WAV format tracks using the Music Transfer Utility supplied.

Power efficient with quick recharge

The LEGRIA FS306’s intelligent battery lets you shoot for up to 3.5 hours on a single charge. Plus all it takes is 20 minutes to recharge for a further hour’s recording. Shooting to removable flash memory cards is also incredibly power efficient, letting you shoot for longer.

Never miss a shot

In Pre REC mode, the camcorder starts recording three seconds before you even press the Record button. Three seconds of footage are continuously stored and automatically added to the beginning of your clip from whenever you start videoing – so you need never miss that crucial moment again. With Quick Start standby mode you can also power up the camcorder in less than a second by simply flipping open the LCD screen.

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