The Canon VIXIA HF S200 is one of the three High Definition (HD) camcorders that will lead Canon’s prosumer camcorders for 2010.  The HF S200 is a Flash Memory camcorder with two SD/SDHC memory card slots and packed with features and controls that will suffice the needs of many beginner and intermediate users alike.  Its eight-megapixel resolution will deliver vivid images with crisp colors and details.  Features like Touch and Track, a native 24p video recording mode and a 5.1 Channel Surround Sound capability will provide excellent videos in any environment or setting.

The camcorder’s imaging system runs on a single 1/2.6-inch CMOS sensor with an RGB Primary Color Filter.  The imager records in AVCHD format with approximately 8.59 megapixels of resolution.  Video mode records in 3264 x 1840 or 6.01 megapixels and photo mode records in two options, a 16:9 aspect ratio at 3264 x 1840 (6.01 megapixels) and a 4:3 aspect ratio at 3264 x 2456 (8.02 megapixels).

There are five video recording qualities available.  There is an MXP setting (24 Mbps), FXP (17 Mbps), XP+ (12 Mbps), SP (seven Mbps) and an LP setting (five Mbps).  Both MXP and FXP quality settings allow 1920 x 1080 full HD recording capability.

Video quality is excellent with Canon’s superior imaging system.  Images and videos taken with this camcorder are lifelike with vivid colors and excellent details.  Bright light performance is one of the best among the camcorders in its category.  There are no noticeable errors in any of the major color and the images remain sharp in a wide range or lighting environment conditions.  Lowlight performance for this camcorder however, is below average.  There may be evident noise when recording images in lowlight conditions, resulting to grainy videos.

Like the other HF S models, this camcorder offers an option to record in native 24p format.  This capability is very useful for videographers who would prefer to edit videos using their video editing software.  Other formats include 60i, PF30 and PF24.

Programmed exposures available for this camcorder include Smart Auto, P, Av, Tv, Cine, Portrait, Sports, Beach, Sunset, Night Scene, Low Light, Spotlight and Fireworks.  There are enough automatic controls to provide convenience for beginners while maintaining high quality video output in the recorded videos.  The automatic mode for this Canon camcorder yields one of the best videos among the camcorders in its category.

This camcorder also features a dynamic Super Range Optical Powered Image Stabilization system to eliminate motion blurriness caused by hand shakes.

Its main recording media is thru the memory cards inserted to its two memory card slots.  The card slots sit inside the LCD cavity at the left side of the device.  This camcorder doesn’t have a hard drive or a built-in flash drive giving it an advantage in the price category.  For a single 32 GB card you can record three hours of video in MXP quality, four hours in FXP, six hours in XP+, 9.5 hours in SP and 12 hours in LP quality.  You can double the recording time with by inserting a second card in the other SD/SDHC card slot.  Remember that for MXP and FXP quality recording in 1920 x 1080, a Class four of higher SDHC card is required.  The camcorder also features a relay recording capability.  The relay recording will automatically move the recording from one card to another once the first card reaches its maximum capacity.

This camcorder also has a front mounted control dial like all the Canon HF S models.  This dial is a versatile control that will let users navigate and change the recording settings without going into the menu thru the LCD display.  The custom key button will let users navigate thru the menu, while the dial will let you adjust the settings to increase or decrease the value according to your desired preference.  This custom key can provide control for exposure, focusing, assist functions, mic volume level or AGC limits.

One of the main disadvantages of this camcorder is its inability to record in Standard Definition (SD) quality.  The camcorder, however, has a down-version feature that will allow users to convert HD videos to SD quality.  The process would require two media interfaces to run at the same time; in the HF S200’s case, it would be two SD/SDHC memory cards.

This camcorder also features a wide 3.5-inch touch screen LCD with a resolution of 0.922 megapixels.  The larger LCD screen makes navigation thru the menu easy.  The larger display will be very useful for live view recording, as this camcorder doesn’t have a viewfinder.

Audio input is thru the camcorder’s internal mic that records in Dolby Digital two channel stereo sound format.  Users can also opt to connect a Canon SM-V1 5.1 Channel Surround Microphone to the accessory shoe at the top of the device for a surround sound recording capability.

The camcorder’s lens has a 10x optical zoom capability with an additional 200x digital zoom feature.  Focal length is 6.4 to 64 mm and an aperture range of f/1.8 to f/3.0.  The filter diameter for the lens is 58 mm.  It has a variable, 3 fixed zoom speeds available.  Focusing system can be set to Instant AF, Face Priority AF or TTL.  The shutter speed is 1/500 for still photography and 1/2000 for video recording.

The camcorder’s dimensions are 3 x 2.9 x 5.5 inches (W x H x D) and weighs about one lb.  This camcorder comes with a Canon BP-808 rechargeable battery pack.  There is also a good range of terminals available to maximize the camcorder’s capabilities.  A built-in remote control port is LANC protocol compatible, one HDTV connection (HDMI port) and a headphone terminal.

One of its main competitors in its category is the JVC GZ-HD620.  The JVC camcorder runs on a smaller imager with its 1/4.1-inch sensor.  The smaller imager also means less resolution and less quality in the videos recorded.  The JVC camcorder though holds the edge in terms of recording media with its massive 120 GB internal drive.  Secondary recording media is thru the MicroSD memory card slot.  This camcorder also doesn’t have a viewfinder and features a smaller 2.7-inch LCD screen.  The JVC camcorder also features a larger 30x optical zoom and records in AVCHD format.  The JVC camcorder only records in 60i frame rate.  The Canon is more versatile in terms of options and manual modes but the JVC holds the advantage in its recording capacity with the 120 GB hard drive.

The Canon VIXIA HF S200 is a versatile camcorder with features and video quality to meet most intermediate users.  Its great Auto mode will be perfect for point and shoot application and will yield high quality videos even for beginners.  This is a perfect camcorder for beginners and videographers alike.  For longer recording capacity, you may also want to check on the other HF S camcorders the HF S21 and the HF S20 that features a 64 GB and 32 GB internal flash drives respectively. 

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