The Vixia HF S100 is a Flash Memory camcorder that caters to the advanced users by including several pro inspired features such as a professional quality lens. It is very similar to its sister model the HF S10, the only noticeable difference being that the HF S10 has a built-in flash memory of 32 GB, for an extra $200. Powered with all the top notch features, it still faces some competition from Sony (the HDR-CX520V), Panasonic (HDC-TM300), and Sanyo (VPC-HD2000).

The HF S100 weighs a little over a pound and its 2.8-inch-by-2.7-inch-by-5.4-inch body is light, but you cannot say that it is ultra light weight and nor is it very small. Despite not being petite, it sits comfortably in the hand and is easier to operate. It is not all that compact either. The functional design is good with the controls being placed well. It is bigger than most of the camcorders of its class.

One of the better features of the HF S100 is that you can capture high definition video directly on to a removable SDHC memory card. This card can then be placed in the card reader slot of a computer or an HDTV for immediate viewing or a portable video storage device for immediate archiving. You may also use a higher capacity memory card. Thanks to the flash memory, you can enjoy an extended recording time and also a quick response time. The flash memory makes the camcorder shock resistant and its lower power consumption enhances battery life. Read our comparison of flash camcorder and hard drive camcorders to see more benefits of flash memory as a storage technology.

It records 1080/60i video with a larger and faster f1.8 10x HD video lens. This helps take long shots. The 200x digital zoom lets you shoot from a long distance. It has three pre-set zoom speeds and one variable. It also features a high-resolution 8.59 megapixel HD CMOS image sensor. Add all these features up and what you get is an excellent picture quality with vibrant, clear, crisp, natural colors. You can also shoot videos or still photos in low light conditions, although there is a little noise and softness. But it does pretty well for a camcorder of its class.

One of the things that bother me about the HF S100 is the rattling sound that the lens cover makes when the camcorder is switched off. It is not a very big sound but a slight ratting of the plastic pieces against each other. As a matter of fact the sound is also mentioned in the user manual. The other fact worth mentioning is the placement of the stereo mics on either side of the lens. It tends to catch the sound of wind. On the other hand the placement of them in this particular position allows you to use larger mics with better separation. You can also attach a mic through the mini accessory shoe on top of the camcorder. There is a 3.5mm mic input on the side of the body, next to the grip. The USB and the mini HDMI are placed under the strap in a covered compartment. The strap does get in the way when you are trying to hook up the components and wires. There is a custom dial that is placed on the left side of the lens, which in fact is very similar to the one found on Sony’s high-end camcorders. The dial is thick and can be comfortably operated with the thumb. You can assign the functions most used by you, to this dial. I like this feature because of the ease with which you can operate the device and have the commands most used, at hand. But you will have to go deep into the menu to set the functions that you want to assign to the dial. It is a bit time consuming and you have to really get used to the menu to do this.

The DIGIC DVIII Image processor delivers high quality and true to life colors for both videos and still pictures. The other fascinating features of the HF S100 are the 8.0 megapixel photo capture,  6.0 megapixel simultaneous photo recording, the advanced auto exposure system and the face detection. The images can be processed faster to the memory card and it also lowers the power consumption rate.

The HF S100 can capture, record and output 1080/24p, 1080/30p, 1080/60i so that you get full HD from lens to screen. Its performance is top quality at 24Mbps and 17Mbps, giving the highest quality AVCHD video possible.  Because it does use AVCHD, your computer will need to be fairly new and have sufficient power to edit AVCHD video.  You should also ensure that you have editing software which is compatible with AVCHD.  Sony Vegas Pro and Final Cut Pro are two great options for the PC and Mac respectively. It is capable of focusing quickly and accurately in low light, too. The battery life is pretty decent and it gets charged fairly fast. The Super Optical Range image stabilization works great up to the end of the zoom. It corrects camera shake and vibrations well enough. It also delivers steady results when shooting from a long focal distance.  The audio results are clear. But the shots taken outdoors are not all that perfect. They have a little bit of purple fringing on high-contrast edges. The still pictures are kind of over processed and saturated due to the flash.

It has a 30p progressive mode and a 24p Cinema mode, both recording at 60i. The 30p mode is used to capture footage to be uploaded to the internet and the 24p Cinema mode gives your videos a professional, movie-like look. The other features of the HF S100 are the Auto Focus, Auto exposure modes, the Program AE mode, the level and grid markers, to name a few.

The HF S100 has most of its controls placed on the LCD. The Function button pulls up the settings used frequently and then the full menu system. The Video snap shot feature too is very helpful. You can get rid of all the extra and not so useful footage to get only important clips for clean and trimmed video.

Although the Canon Vixia HF S100 has good features it still suffers from a few negatives. The Viewfinder that finds its place in models like the HDC-TM300 by Panasonic and the HDR-XR520V by Sony, is absent in the HF S100. It also is not a very good choice for beginners because its manuals are spread in three different menus and navigating through the menu can be daunting for a beginner.  The ports, too,  are not placed in very secure positions.

Although, Sony’s HDR-XR520V costs $300 more than the HF S100, the features of both these models are very similar. Canon also faces a tough competition from Sanyo’s VPC-HD2000 that has most of the high-end features offered by Canon, Sony, and Panasonic, but is priced less than all of them. Overall we were very impressed with this camcorder. For an advanced user, the usability issues are minimal, and the quality is about the best you will get at this price point.  Canon has created a camcorder that will do very well among the prosumer market. You should buy the HF S100 if you are and advanced user, who wants high quality video, and have not already bought into Sony’s proprietary system (or are trying to escape).

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Technical Specifications:

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