Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD Dual Flash Memory w/32GB Internal Memory & 10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD Dual Flash Memory w/32GB Internal Memory & 10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL
Customer Review: Canon VIXIA HFS10 vs. Canon HG10
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I am a year long owner of the last generation Canon HG10 HD camcorder. I have used it to shoot high definition video of several events both indoors and outdoors, and it has performed admirably. It produces high quality DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, and it outputs HD directly to my 1080p HD television through component and HDMI connections (the camera only outputs and records up to 1080i though). So, I am going to review this new model, the HFS10, as a well pleased owner of the HG10.
When I received the new generation Canon Vixia HFS10 model, I immediately sat them side by side and looked at them, held them in opposite hands and fiddled with them. They seemed to weigh pretty much the same to me. I looked up their official weights on their product pages, and found that the HG10 weights 1.18 lbs and the HFS10 weights 1.10lbs. As you can see, they weight pretty much the same, with the HFS10 coming in less than a full ounce lighter.
In a side by side technical comparison, they are both AVCHD devices, they both use Canon HD CMOS sensors with genuine Canon 10x HD video lenses. Both of them are solidly constructed, and feel sturdy in your hand. They both offer a 2.7 inch LCD viewfinder/display, they both record in 1920x1080 resolutions and they both offer 24p frame rates with an optional "cinema" mode which enhances the affect. This is, theoretically, supposed to produce the highest quality video with the best detail and exposure. It doesn't produce 1080p recording resolution though. It will still be encapsulated in a 1080i stream. From what I understand of products on the market right now, only certain models of Panasonic camcorders record in true 1080p24 mode, and even fewer at 60HZs. They both come with the same set of cords & cables (one USB, one component, one composite + standard audio, one DC power adapter) for viewing content on your TV straight of the camera. They both include software for authoring and basic editing of DVD/Blu-Ray discs and for backing up video and photos to a computer. They also both come with the same sad little battery with about an hour's worth of juice in a maximum charge (upgrade to the larger capacity battery, it is worth it). They also both boast a range of nice features such as advanced image stabilization and different modes of recording (indoors, fireworks, low light, subject in motion, etc.), automatic focusing and exposure controls, etc. Finally, both cameras support: external microphone jacks, an automatic lens cover, built in camera flash, built in video light (the HFS10 hides both lights under a pop-up flap near the lens which engages automatically when needed), component/composite output, HDMI output (HDMI to mini HDMI cable not included), USB output and standard audio output (if you want digital audio, you will need to use HDMI as there are no separate digital audio out jacks for either model).
Other features:
INTERNAL STORAGE:
The HG10 uses a 40GB hard disk drive (HDD), the HFS10 uses 32GB of flash memory. As far as recording times are concerned (how long it takes to save a photo to memory, or for video to finish processing and save to memory) I see no real difference. However, start up and shut down times are VERY different. The HG10's HDD meant that from the moment you turned it on, until it would respond to you and start recording or allow you to take a picture, was about 3-8 seconds, depending on how full the hard drive was. That has been my own experience with the camera, other people's mileage may vary. In contrast, the HFS10's flash memory means it is ready pretty much as soon as you turn it on. I was consistently able to turn it on and take a photo or start recording in just a little over a second when I tested it. When I shut down the HFS10 it pretty much just always shut down. When I shut down the HG10, if there was more than about 200MB of data on the hard drive, especially if I had just been recording video (and most especially if I had been recording video AND taking photos), then I would get a "please wait, processing tasks" message and have to wait a good few seconds or so before it finally shut down. As far as recording SPACE goes, when recording in the highest quality resolution, the 8GB difference means about 30 minutes less time to record on the HFS10 -- this can be compensated for with a large enough SDHC memory card used as expansion memory. More on that below. On a final note, I never had it happen to me, but I have seen it widely reported that the HDD in the HG10 meant that it was more susceptible to loss of data due to a jarring/rapid motion, etc. You were also more likely to lose data if you dropped it -- not that flash memory is all that more concrete resistant, but flash memory has no moving parts, so a fall is LESS likely to result in the memory being damaged.
OPTIONAL STORAGE:
The HG10 allows for miniSD card memory expansion, but it can only be used for photos. It doesn't support the higher speed SDHC cards which the HFS10 supports, which allow for capturing video as well. So, in effect, you can double (or even surpass) the storage space of the HFS10 with a large enough SDHC memory card (which is why they call it a "dual flash memory device"), whereas with the HG10 all you can do is offload all photo storage to the card, to free up space on the HDD for video -- and they don't recommend using too large of a miniSD card either, the manual mentions 2BG as recommended. As an added bonus for the SDHC format, the HFS10 supports taking photos while also taking video, which is a nice touch, they call this "Simultaneous Photo Shooting" and it is pretty neat. If you use that feature, you don't need to switch between photo and video modes, you can just press the "take photo" button while shooting video or while in video mode.
POWER ON/OFF & RECORDING MODES:
The HG10 powers on/off with a dial control on the back which you can easily thumb on/off. The HFS10 has a power button to the left side of the body of the camera. For recording modes, the HFS10 uses a handy dial to switch between video/camera, whereas the HG10 has a switch you have to flick which was much more onerous to manipulate. For all other recording modes, both cameras require that you use their function and menu options via the LCD to set the mode you wanted.
VIEWFINDER:
The HG10 has a standard eye piece viewfinder which you use by keeping the LCD display closed. You may use it as it is, or pull it out on an extending scope if you wish. The HFS10 does away with the standard eye piece viewfinder all together. Nobody really uses the eye piece these days anyway, and it was taking up valuable real estate. HOWEVER, there is one instance where I could anticipate wanting it -- and that is when recording in a dark room with others around you -- maybe for a child's school play or some similar event. In that case, a bright LCD (almost 3 inches across in size!) would produce a glare that would be sure to irritate the people around you. Thankfully, Canon anticipated this, and has built in controls to allow you to dim the LCD brightness in the HFS10 model. It doesn't allow you to dim it super dark, but it is better than nothing. You will probably irritate your fellow parents maybe 50% less when using the dimmer option.
DIGITAL CAMERA:
Both cameras sport digital cameras in addition to their digital video capabilities. The HG10 has an underpowered and low resolution 3.1 megapixel camera (which makes no sense when you consider how powerful its video recording resolution is!), and it shows in the shots I have taken with it. It takes worse photos than my standard Kodak "easy share" digital camera does. However, the HFS10 boasts a very nice 8.0 megapixel camera, and it works quite well and takes gorgeous high resolution photos. A word of warning though, the HFS10's built in flash is extremely powerful and tends to white out the subjects if you are within 5 feet of them. Either use a plug-in (more advanced) flash, or take all photos in good lighting.
AC POWER:
I vastly prefer the AC power input of the HG10 over the HFS10. The HG10 has just a simple port in the back that you just plug into and you are done. With the HFS10, they have moved it to the upper left corner of the rear of the unit, and covered it with a rubber plug which you have to wrestle out of the way to get to the port. Additionally, the plug which comes with the AC power unit is bent at a right angle, so getting it in and out of that tiny area while also wrestling with the rubber plug is not pleasant at all. Hands down my least favorite part of the HFS10.
OUTPUTS & INPUTS:
Canon has made the outputs on the HFS10 much easier to access than they were on the HG10. My same complaint about the power cover on the HFS10 applies to the output cover on the HG10. They are all located under a hidden flap on the HG10 which snaps firmly into place, and it hard to get loose (and you don't want to use too much force in fear of breaking it). The HFS10 does away with all of that nonsense, and simply provides a heavy duty pop-up flap right along the bottom edge of the right side where your hand goes when recording. You can easily access the HDMI/USB/Component output plugs on the HFS10. However, for some odd reason, if you need to use the standard left/right audio out (or want to use standard composite video as well), they have moved THAT plug to the rear of the HFS10 in the upper right corner, under another little rubber plug as irritating as the one covering the AC power in. It isn't a major irritation, but it can be annoying if you want to do that. I went ahead and spent the money on a nice HDMI to mini HDMI cable, so that isn't a major consideration for me.
ADVANCED ACCESSORY SHOE:
The HG10 sports an "advanced accessory shoe" [I have no idea why they call it a "shoe" and not a port or a plug] which you can access by gently prying loose a cover which snaps into place over it. You can add a dedicated (and brighter) video light, or a dedicated (and more professional) microphone using the accessory shoe. There are other options, but those are the two most common. The HFS10 also sports an "accessory shoe" -- but it is a "mini" accessory shoe, which means all of your accessories you got for the standard sized shoe on an older model like the HG10, will not work in the HFS10 model.
REMOTE SENSOR:
The remote sensor for the HG10 is built into the front of the camera, right under the lens. The sensor on the HFS10 is on the side of the LCD which normally faces you when you record. This is a minor irritation at best, as the two instances where you would want to use the remote are when you are watching playback on your TV, and when you want to operate the camera remotely, which means you will have rotated the LCD 180 degrees anyway so you can see it from the recording side of the lens. But it does take some getting used to if you are used to the HG10.
Overall, the HFS10 is superior to the HG10 in many ways, and inferior in only a couple of minor ways. The "instant on" internal flash memory is a HUGE plus, as is the 8.0 megapixel camera. There are very few MAJOR differences between the two cameras. Most of the differences are cosmetic (except for the support of the SDHC cards, and the main memory differences). They both record in basically the same way, and in basically the same formats using basically the same technology. I would say that the HFS10 is a step up in most ways, but there is certainly nothing wrong with the HG10, especially where video is concerned. Overall, I found nothing to complain about the HFS10 in any serious discussion, so I highly recommend it.
Customer Review: Look up WOW in a thesaurus and find Canon VIXIA HFS10!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Easy enough for a novice yet top caliber expected by experienced shooters. I've been a loyal Canon user since I made my first film on the XL1. I since upgraded to the XL2 and also own a prior incarnation of this VIXIA HFS10 (the HF10.) Why have I been such a loyal Canon user? Because true quality brands are few and far between. Canon is reliably cutting edge, has a solid reputation, superior optics, and is considered amongst the very best in the indie filmmaking world. And the Canon VIXIA HFS10 doesn't disappoint!
The Canon VIXIA HFS10 was all the rage at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) this year and I was itching to get my paws on one and test it in the field. I must say, this little powerhouse was well worth the wait! And the video clarity is stunning. The HFS10 has officially blurred the line between "pro-sumer" and standard consumer cams. And Canon packed a lot of punch into this tiny thing! The feature set is rich and too exhaustive to go into detail in the limited space of a review, but I'll name a few of my faves:
>Top Quality Lens (as usual from Canon):
No matter the brand or price tag, what sets a great video camera apart from the rest is the lens. Think of a lens as the camera's eye - it can only record what it sees, and if it doesn't see well, then it doesn't record well either. Most people put little thought into lens quality; if anything, they just want it to be small. But when it comes to top quality optics, modern thinking of smaller = better doesn't apply. When was the last time you saw a telescope with a 3mm cell phone lens? No technology in the world has yet improved upon the tried and true mechanics behind focal length and quality glass lenses. Note I stipulated glass, not plastic. Plastic lenses are cheap and light for a reason. They have their place and applications, but if you're shopping for a quality video camera that delivers stunning footage, then HD resolution alone isn't enough. You need a quality glass lens and that's exactly what the Canon VIXIA HFS10 delivers. Quality optics is what sets apart Canon's pro-sumer XL series cameras, and the same holds true for the VIXIA HFS10, making it the top cam in its class. You simply won't find a better HD video camera on the market. Though for me, coming from a filmmaking background, buying the optional wide angle converter is a must in order to give visual variety and versatility to my shots. It's just a good idea for anyone really. Again, one of those options most believe they don't need, but trust me, you'll be glad you got one. The versatility and results speak for themselves.
>Image Stabilization:
I've never used image stabilization in any video camera I've owned. I'm of the mindset that electronic image stabilizers degrade image quality and I've never been willing to make the sacrifice. But the VIXIA HFS10 truly has broken that barrier for me. Nothing compensates for an experienced hand, but this stabilizer comes close and doesn't sacrifice image quality. The secret seems to be in combining multiple technologies as opposed to most cams which rely solely on digital compensation, hence the degradation of image quality.
>32gb internal memory:
The basic difference between the VIXIA HFS10 and its predecessor, the HF10, is "more" - more memory capacity, more mega pixels; though it has a slightly shorter focal length of 10x as opposed to 12x on the HF10. A minor trade-off I guess. But with double the internal memory the VIXIA HFS10 makes shooting more convenient. As always, I recommend you get additional SD cards. Think of them as video tapes - you don't just want one tape; and you'll want more than one memory card. Obviously you'll reuse the memory cards, but give yourself the flexibility of having at least one or two SD cards. Personally, I always buy the largest capacity available at the time of purchase. I never want my shooting to be constrained by available storage. And flash memory works similar to hard drive performance - the more free space you have, the faster and better they perform. For video, you generally want double the capacity you expect to use. A drive that's packed full to capacity with data responds more sluggishly than one with plenty of available space. And memory has dropped significantly, so the expense isn't what it used to be. So do yourself the favor of getting at least one SD card and max out your camera's capability. You'll be glad you did. Just be sure to get a extended life battery too!!
>8 mega pixels - Digital Cameras are Officially Obsolete:
The VIXIA HFS10 eliminates the need to own both a digital camera and a video camera. Why lug two different devices around? For a while now, I've been wishing someone would create a quality video camera that takes quality photos as well. I mean, they both work on essentially the same technology, and now that everything's gone digital and storage capacity is cheap and plentiful, it's really gotten to the point were there's no excuse to not fuse the products together into one. I imagine manufacturers would rather sell you both items separately, and perhaps that justifies the higher price tag on the VIXIA HFS10. But at the end of the day, it's well worth it to have one quality device that shoots superior HD video and 8mp pics too. It's really the best of both worlds.
>Simultaneous Video/Photo Recording:
The VIXIA HFS10 improves on previous models by allowing higher mega pixel photo captures while shooting video. That's right, shoot video AND pics at the exact same time!! Very cool little feature! You can also extract any frame of video as a digital image. Frame captures to pics has always been possible with any video editing software but now it's easier than ever. And there are situations like sporting events or even weddings where shooting simultaneous pics and vids is just more convenient and less time consuming. Just be sure to get plenty of memory like I mentioned before. More SD cards = more versatility!
>Simple for everyday users. Versatile for discerning Indie Filmmakers:
The true test of any product's user friendliness is apparent right out of the box -- can you just pick it up and start using it, or is reading that big thick User Manual a prerequisite? Personally, I liken User Manuals to a dictionary - you don't need to read every word in there, but every word needs to be defined in case you want to look up its meaning. Similarly, any electronic device should be easy to use out of the box with the User Manual being a reference tool only if you have questions or need more details. Every electronics device should be simple, straightforward and easy to use with no explanation required. The VIXIA HFS10 is simple enough for the everyday user and versatile enough for discerning indie filmmakers. Beginners can keep everything set to automatic and just point and shoot. While experienced pro-sumer users will be pleased with the level of control and feature rich capabilities of this cam. The VIXIA HFS10 is easy to use but complex enough to handle most any need. So go shoot a birthday party or your next independent film for Sundance!
>Form Follows Function:
The VIXIA HFS10 fits nicely into my hand with a good feel and fit. The buttons and controls are intuitively placed and simple to operate. The buttons feel solid, responsive and durable. Touch sensitive zoom controls will give you professional looking camera work. The onscreen menus are easy to navigate and understand. The joystick button has always been a personal fave on any device and this one makes menu navigation a snap. The video screen is crisp and clear from most any angle. I love the automatic lens cap! Not to mention the automatic video light and flash that pop open with the push of a button! Cool! And the stereo mics are placed on either side of the lens delivering truer separation. The mics are actually quite good for everyday use, though you'll still want to plug in a boom or shotgun for more professional applications.
>Solid Entry Level Software:
Any serous filmmaker will want Final Cut or Premiere, but the good news is, the VIXIA HFS10 comes with great software for everyone else. Importing and editing video is a snap. And you can print digital pics right off the camera too. Truth is, for certain applications I find Canon's software a simple alternative if I just want to post something fast to YouTube, do simple conversions or burn something to DVD. If you're just starting out, the software is more than adequate and actually pretty versatile. It's not necessary to spend extra money on editing software unless you have the need for a professional editing suite.
>The Latest Technology:
I officially equate video tapes to the now defunct 8-track or VCR. Anyone with a TiVO or DVR understands the tedium of a VCR by comparison. Well, the same now holds true for a video camera that uses tapes as opposed to flash memory or hard drives. The future is here with the VIXIA HFS10 and there's no going back!
I'm very picky about my video cameras and expect a lot out of them. Once again, Canon has delivered a very impressive video product. I don't mean to sound like a corporate crony because I'm not. But for me, their track record speaks for itself. I'm a loyal Canon customer because they've earned it and keep exceeding my expectations. If you're in the market for a cutting edge HD cam, get the VIXIA HFS10. You'll be glad you did.
Customer Review: Can I give it 6 stars?
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I'm blown away by this camera. It sounded pretty good in print, but it has exceeded my expectations. I've had it a little over a week. It just so happens that I have had a university commencement and a grandchild's first solid food that I wanted on film--not to mention a pre-commencement barbecue, and "playing around" time.
The camera feels good in my hand. It's not too large to fit in a purse, but not that small that you could accidentally touch the wrong button. The controls are logically placed and labeled and you could start shooting w/o reading the manual. The menus and functions (where they are and how to set them) are also logical, but do require a little familiarization with locations and terms (cine mode, AGC limit, AiAF frames) so you do need to read the manual (more on that below). There are a lot of options and choices but, while you're deciding, the preset defaults work great.
When my battery finally charged, I had nothing to shoot. I was in the middle of a tropical downpour, so I couldn't go anywhere. I stood in my porch and filmed the rain falling on the pool using all the default settings. The results were gorgeous even though the sky was a deep gray and there was little light. The camera maintained the "mood" lighting conditions but every part of the scene was recorded clearly. The soundtrack was clear and sharp and sounded like one of those meditation/white noise tapes that have rain, wind, and thunder.
The next day, we had the barbecue for my daughter's friends and some of their parents in town for the graduation. The first part was bright and sunny, the second part rainy. I shot outdoors and the camera adjusted beautifully from bright sun to overcast and back again. No over or under exposure; I only had to hold it and it did the rest. Since we couldn't trust the weather, I had arranged to eat indoors. The indoor shots were very surprising to someone who is used to shooting with a DSLR camera. I didn't have to think about lighting or white balance at all. The camera adjusted to mixed lighting conditions. It adjusted automatically (and did an incredible job) on back-lit captures (no faces in shadows). I have no idea how--I had "face detection" turned off since there were so many people. It picked up sound clearly, even the baby hiccupping and background conversations. It all sounded less "noisy" on playback than it did in person.
The least ideal shooting conditions I've ever experienced where at the graduation in a sports arena. None of the photos taken with my regular DSLR could be rescued, even though I shot in RAW. It was too dark, and unevenly lit, and the lights were dimmed and colored for the most part and too high up to do much good. It didn't help that all the gowns were black. Only the stage was well lit. The movie, however, came out pretty good. I am able to clearly make out my daughter in the crowd (the zoom responds quickly and smoothly and so does the auto focus), in the march, I can read the banner of her division and make out the colors of the different schools. Of all the people in my group who were taking movies, mine are the only useful ones and now I have to make copies for everybody. There is no detail in the deeper shadows, but I was able to capture detail from the upper third of bleachers all the way to the students sitting on the court well enough to identify faces. I didn't think to use the photo option of the camera since I was depending on my usual camera. I might have captured some good still shots.
I was worried when I read some reviews that emphasized that quality is degraded in low light situations. No medium can capture the full spectrum and I prefer that my camera handle bright and normally lit situations well since that is where my subjects are more likely to be. Even so, this camera did amazingly well in a situation in which my subject was dimly and unevenly lit and, even in a very strange lighting mix, it kept skin colors pretty normal. There is an optional light you can purchase that attaches to the camera, but I doubt I would get much use out of it (or be permitted to use it in public events such as a graduation).
Image stabilization is my new best friend, and I'm getting the hang of "face detection." I loved the way the two options worked when filming my grandson eating. The movie came out adorable (of course!), the color balance (again) was perfect in mixed lighting conditions; the audio captured every slurp and comment; the image was steady even though it was hand-held (and I was talking and laughing as I filmed) and the camera knew to focus on the baby's face, not on my daughter's hand going back and forth.
I'm still experimenting with options. I still haven't decided whether I will need flash memory (32 GB is quite a bit) and, if so, when to use each one. The movies look and sound great on my HDTV with a "mini" HDMI cable (not included in the box).The still photos I've taken look great and haven't required post processing. Since I am used to RAW workflow, I will probably use stills only as a backup. But it's one tremendous backup from what I have seen and I was happy to see the histogram display.
All in all, I VERY HIGHLY recommend this camera.
There are some things I would like to criticize, but they are not related to the performance of the camera:
1. The batteries don't last very long and shooting while watching how your "remaining time" counter dwindles is no fun. When you order your camera, order at least one (preferably two) extra batteries.
2. This is a biggie. The camera does not come with a battery charger. You are supposed to recharge your battery by plugging your camera to the wall. Not only does that stop your shooting right there, but you are risking your camera to power spikes or surges whether at home or traveling. I'd rather risk a charger and keep the camera safe. This is another thing to order at the same time you order the camera.
3. Minor inconvenience. The manual is in 3 languages. The sum of the 3 sections makes for a manual 3/4" thick. Not exactly something you can tuck in a small camera bag pocket. I would have preferred to receive three 1/4" manuals. Other than the size, however, it's one of the better manuals I've seen.
Customer Review: Exceptional camcorder for amateur and home video use; powerful and flexible enough for semi-professional productions
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Canon folks have really outdone themselves with their latest, top-of-the-line, HD flash memory camcorder. It's about the size of a Coke can, and fits easily in the hand, but it performs at a very high level. The images it makes are really quite lovely, thanks to the high quality 10x telephoto lens, the unprecedented in this class 1/2.6in., 8.59 megapixel sensor, and Canon's very powerful image processor. Whether played directly on an HD television, using a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable (like this one that I have), or converted for editing using Roxio Toast 10 Titanium or Final Cut Express 4 (for Mac users), the images it produces (at 1080i) are really quite nuanced and lovely. What makes this even more handy is that it can also take quite impressive 8 megapixel still photos, which means you can finally leave the camera at home and bring only one recording device.
This is a very nice step up from the previous "generation" Vixia camcorders. I have the HF10 and I love it - it makes beautiful video, allows me a great deal of flexibility with my image capture (shutter speed, focus, aperture, etc.) - but what Canon added with the HFS10 are several new features that certainly make it more convenient for amateur and home-video users, but that also make it even more usable for independent and professional work. Altogether, this is a very fine dual function prosumer camcorder/still camera.
For the home video enthusiasts, there are several powerful new functions that help the HFS10 deliver excellent imagery with very little tweaking. The face recognition software is revolutionary - not only does it detect faces and aim to keep them in focus when you have it turned on, but it also can tell the difference between faces, so that you can follow focus on a particular face in a crowd. Say you are capturing a child in a theme park, the HFS10 will stay on your child as he or she moves close or far away among many others. There is the instant autofocus feature, that helps make images stay constantly in focus rather than, as with older camcorders, look like the camcorder is constantly hunting for the right focus around whatever objects happen to be near the middle of the frame. The real clincher for the home video and amateur user (and what makes this decisively better for casual use than the HF10 and most other camcorders I've seen) is that finally with this camcorder you can leave the still camera at home. Most camcorders capture photos, but most don't capture photos at anywhere near the quality of even an inexpensive digital camera. With this one you can capture high quality photos, with a wide range of adjustments possible, right on the same memory card you capture your video on. I used to carry my Nikon Coolpix in my pocket and my VIXIA HF10 on my shoulder. Now I can leave the camera home, since this gives me comparable quality - especially given the superior lens - and I can capture then shoot as I please, no reaching into the pocket to switch gears.
For the semi-professional or more advanced user, the noticeable improvements include the bigger lens (if you look at this carefully you'll see that roughly the front half of the camcorder is devoted to the 10x telephoto lens), the 1/2.6" sensor, the ability to shoot at a very high 24Mbps quality (which appears to me to eliminate the jolty look that I occasionally detected on my HF10 when I moved the camcorder quickly while shooting), and of course the 24p recording and "Cinema Mode" (that makes automatic adjustments to give a film-style contrast and range). The microphone is better on this one than the HF10, especially due to a greater separation between left and right inputs that gives a more genuine stereo recording capacity. It still allows both a stereo mini-plug external microphone and/or Canon's proprietary hot shoe mike - which is very handy for reducing noise outdoors and focusing the sound for semi-professional indoors shooting.
All video on this camcorder is captured in the new AVCHD format, which is an HD playback format that allows you to record very high quality footage using a relatively small amount of memory. While you can play it back directly through the camcorder on an HD television, or burn it using Canon's own dvd burner, if you plan to edit your footage it will need to be converted first (there are a few programs on PCs that will edit AVCHD files directly, but they require high processor speeds and a lot of RAM - since what they are basically doing is converting on the fly). On a Mac, I've found the best solutions to be iMovie '08 or '09, Final Cut Express 4, or Apple Final Cut Studio 2, which all convert the files into high quality quicktime files that can be edited directly. An alternative solution is to convert the files using the Roxio Toast 10 Titanium, which also gives a high quality output that can then be worked with using whatever editing program you like.
Anyhow, this is an excellent little camcorder that has the convenience of a consumer camcorder but with features that are superior to that of most professional camcorders just a few years ago. It is ideal for vacations and home movies, and would be a nice supplement on professional productions or even as a stand-alone solution for small scale independent documentary or feature filmmaking. I'm very impressed and very happy with this camcorder.
Customer Review: Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD is as close as you can get to professional camcorder in terms of video quality
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Canon VIXIA HFS10 is currently the top-of-the-line Canon consumer camcorder. It takes very good quality full HD video (one of the best among consumer level camcorders). The optical image stabilization is very useful and face detection is accurate. Autofocus is very fast and the menu system is intuitive. Low light capability is decent (but improved a lot by using the video light for video recording or internal flash for taking photos). The pre-recording mode is very useful for shooting sport, action, fireworks, child and other scenarios where it is often hard to predict when those Kodak moments will exactly be until it has happened/passed. It also has filter thread so you can install lens filter to enhance the video/image and to protect the lens. The LCD is very sharp and clear from wide viewing angle. It has a dual shooting mode where video recording and photo taking can be done without switching settings.
Taking photos with Canon VIXIA HFS10 is also very good. Image quality is very sharp with 8.59-megapixel CMOS image sensor that is also found in Canon DSLR. Taking photos in continuous mode is also very good (about 4 frames per second, comparable to DSLR cameras), however, the shutter response is nowhere near the DSLR (it's slower than DSLR), and I'm used to the DSLR almost no-lag shutter response so I will continue to use my DSLR cameras most of the time. For point and shoot customers, they won't notice the shutter lag (as it is the same if not better than most point and shoot camera) and they will probably be able to replace their point and shoot camera with this camcorder as it produces image quality better and sharper than most point and shoot cameras.
Pros:
1. Video quality (1920 X 1080 Full HD) comparable with many professional camcorder and is one of the best quality for consumer level
2. Image quality for photos are sharp and vivid (8 megapixel).
3. Zoom Covers super wide angle to semi-zoom (6.4mm to 64mm) before the 1.7x magnification.
4. Built in 32GB built-in flash memory
5. Very effective optical image stabilization (a combination of optical and image sensor stabilization)
6. Lens filter thread (I installed 58mm UV/Haze filter to reduce UV and also help protect the front glass element)
7. Autofocus is very fast and includes a very accurate face detection to keep people's face in sharp focus
8. up to 24 hour recording in LP mode (with 64GB total memory, 32Gb built-in, and 32GB SD card)
9. Innovative Pre-record mode is available (and never miss critical shots anymore)
10. Video snapshot mode (shot short movie clips and blend with music tracks)
11. Almost instant on and record (stand-by to recording in less than 1 sec and from off in less than 2 sec)
12. Continuous mode for taking photos is very fast (though the shutter lag isn't nearly as good as SLR cameras)
13. Record HD videos and take 6MP photo to memory card simultaneously
14. Small but bright video light and photo flash.
15. Built-in automatic lens cover
16. Wireless remote control included
17. Bright and clear 2.7 inch lcd screan (and the image is sharp)
18. Very easy to navigate the menu (even though there are so many options and settings available)
19. 24p cinema mode and 30p progressive mode included
20. pre-programmed video and photo mode (sunset, night, beach, spotlight, fireworks, etc)
21. Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and Program mode available (in addition to Auto setting)
22. Dual shot mode (capture video and photo without having to change setting)
Cons:
1. Only 10x optical zoom (not sure why Canon doesn't make this top-of-the-line camcorder 20x or 30x optical zoom)
2. No seamless recording transition from one memory to the other memory
3. Included batteries only last about 75-90 minutes of recording time
4. Shutter response still not as fast as DSLR
5. Low light performance is average (improved if using the video light or internal flash)
6. A bit bulky compare to many other flash memory camcorders
7. Not the lightest camcorder but still lighter than DSLR cameras
8. 24Mbps recording mode has many restriction (require fast speed flash memory, and not all DVD player can playback)
9. No touch screen LCD
10. Non-standard accessory shoe terminal (better than none though. can use VL-5 video light or DM-100 microphone)
11. Must plug in ac adapter to transfer internal memory data to computer
12. No optical viewfinder
13. HDMI cable not included
14. Doesn't come with external battery charger (use the camcorder to charge the battery instead)
15. Top-of-the-line price
In conclusion, Canon VIXIA HFS10 is targeted for those who are looking for a consumer camcorder with the best video quality with a lot of internal flash memory (32GB) that can also take photo with the best image quality and the largest megapixel to date for a canon camcorder (8MP). Basically, Canon Vixia HFS10 is currently the top-of-the-line Canon consumer level camcorder.
Also check out the following Canon camcorders that has comparable main feature (Full HD video and DIGIC DV III image processor) before deciding to buy Canon VIXIA HFS10 (and decide whether any of these camcorders will fit your needs therefore avoid paying the premium that Canon VIXIA HFS10 command):
- Canon VIXIA HFS100 (no internal flash memory, 10x optical zoom, 8.59-megapixel CMOS image sensor)
- Canon VIXIA HF20 (32GB internal flash memory, 15x optical zoom, only 3.89-megapixel CMOS image sensor)
- Canon VIXIA HF200 (no internal flash memory, 15x optical zoom, only 3.89-megapixel CMOS image sensor)
Sidarta Tanu