Canon Enters the Solid State Memory Category

by David Kender
Published on Jan 7, 2008 8:00 AM




Canon News Coverage

Canon 
High Def 
Solid State 
Camcorders

 Canon
High Def
HDV Camcorders 		 Canon 
Standard Def
Solid State  Camcoder

Canon
Standard Def
DVD Camcorders

 Canon 
Standard Def
MiniDV 
Camcorders

 

The new Canon FS11 records a 16GB internal flash memory
or removable SDHC cards

  
   
Today at CES, Canon entered the growing market of solid state memory camcorders with the three standard definition models – the FS100 ($399 MSRP), the FS10 ($499 MSRP), and the FS11 ($599 MSRP), along with two high definition camcorders. The entry-level FS100 model records to SDHC cards, while the FS10 and FS11 also include an internal flash memory. Canon is the last of the major manufacturers to embrace a non-tape, non-DVD medium in standard definition, having never released an HDD model. The company did, however, release a high definition HDD camcorder, the HG10, in mid-2007.

“HDD has a lot of benefits, but flash memory has other benefits” stated Mitchell Glick, assistant manager of Product Marketing, Consumer Division for Canon USA. “ It has a low power consumption… the lack of moving parts allows for an ultra-compact design…and the camcorders have a very fast response time in playback mode.”

The entry-level model, the FS100, records exclusively to SDHC cards, though no card is included in the box. This model, and only, this model, is available in three colors: silver, red, and blue.

The next model up, the FS10, is further equipped with a non-removable internal flash memory of 8GB. This capacity is expected to hold up to 5.9 hours of video. The step-up FS11 model has 16GB internal flash capacity that stores up to 11.9 hours.


The Canon FS10 camcorder is also dual memory, like the FS11
but has a smaller, 8GB internal memory

The three models each feature a 1/6-inch CCD with a gross pixel count of 1,070,000. Videos save in the MPEG-2 format, identical to Canon’s DVD camcorders. Quality settings range from 9Mbps, to 6Mbps, to 3Mbps. The camcorders are equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD and a video light. Stills up to 1152 x 864 resolution are recorded to the SDHC media.

As an added bonus for video enthusiasts, the FS100, FS10, and FS11 camcorders are outfitted with mic jacks., There is, however, no audio level control and no headphone jack. They also ship with intelligent lithium ion batteries that allow the camcorder to display the exact remaining time. Because of the low power consumption of flash media, recording time is expected to last up to three hours.


The entry-level FS100 only records to SDHC cards

Like all Canon standard definition camcorders for 2008, the FS100, FS10, and FS11 offer the new Advanced Zoom system, a processor/lens manipulation that allows the camcorder to use information from the imager that is normally discarded to push the zoom past its normal optical range. The optical zoom extends to 37x, and the Advanced Zoom pushes out to 48x.


The Canon FS11 in a side view

The FS100 retails for $399, the FS10 for $499, and the FS11 for $599. All three will become available in late April.