Canon FS11 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Jun 5, 2008 8:23 AM
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Ease of Use (7.5)
This year Canon tried to steal some fire from Sony, implementing its own "Easy button" and "Easy mode" on most 2008 camcorders. The FS11 is a consumer's dream--16GB of internal storage, meaning no external media required to fiddle with and a cushy idiot-proof shooting experience. Canon's Easy mode places the FS11 in full lockdown mode. The Joystick menu, Function menu, and even Display feature are all placed behind bars, inaccessible to all. Record Start/Stop and the Zoom toggle are your only artillery in Easy mode. This could not get any simpler, and is practically on par with the Pure Digital Flip Ultra (Specs, Recent News, $149.99).
If you're a power shooter and want to venture out of the confines of Canon's Alcatraz-like Easy mode, the FS11 has a nice set of Manual controls that are easy to access via the Joystick and Function menus. The Function menu is a bit extensive, but once you get the hang of its straightforward navigation, it's cake. Beginners might get bogged down by the numerous menus and extensive options, so the FS11 is definitely a camcorder to grow with. Taking a little time with the manual is always a good idea.
The FS11's media options and battery life are two of its core strengths. With over 3 hours of battery life on a single charge and nearly 3 hours of recordable space in the highest quality, the FS11 is a trooper. You even have the option to increase your storage capacity using SD/SDHC cards. File transfer to a computer is painless and most major editing programs will work with the video clips right off the bat. Handling the FS11 is just dandy, so read on.
Handling (4.25)
The general consensus is that camcorders are shrinking--long gone are the days of the MiniDV titans that offered every kind of connectivity coupled with mammoth frames and solid handling. It's 2008 and Flash media is dominating the market. The FS11 is bound to be popular, not only for its choice of media and decent video quality, but also for the way it compliments the ergonomics and shooting patterns of the typical shooter. Panasonic has placed many of its camcorders on a strict diet, and the SDR-SW20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) and SDR-S10 are prime examples of the exceedingly compact route the company has taken. JVC's new Everios are now little munchkins compared to a few years back, and the new JVC GZ-MS100 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $269.00) is even smaller than the FS11.
The Canon FS11 in hand
The FS11 handles better than any camcorder in its class that we've seen so far. The SDR-SW20 leaves a lot to be desired in terms of onboard controls, and JVC's new laser touch panel is no picnic to navigate with. Canon stuck with the LCD Joystick, which was a wise, safe choice.--it's quick, accurate, and conveniently placed. For its size, the FS11 is well stocked--it even sports a Mic jack and a panel of Playback/Shooting controls along the bottom of the LCD panel. Architecturally, the FS11 is a sound camcorder with enough style to knock your socks off.
In hand, the FS11 is surprisingly stable. Your fingers will have a tendency to wrap over to the opposite side of the camcorder, but Canon has beveled a grip trench to catch the ring, middle and index fingers. The stereo microphone is mounted to the front of the camcorder, so as not to interfere with all the action up top. In back, a monstrous mode dial engulfs the vicinity and shifts with smooth precision. The hand strap is not your typical cheapo Canon strap either. Sure, it's not up to par with Sony's cushy hand straps, but it features a breathable mesh liner along the inside and is constructed of thick, synthetic material. The FS11's Zoom toggle is our only real area of complaint. It feels cheap and is not ideally placed. Also, because of the sheer diminutiveness of the frame, some test users complained that they couldn't get a decent grip and control the zoom. Overall, however, congratulations are in order. The FS11 is a winner for its size.
Menu (6.5)
Canon's menu system is not the easiest menu system in the market--it requires some acclimatization through trial and error. There are three distinct menus on the FS11: Joystick, Function, and Administrative. The Joystick menu is activated by pushing in on the Joystick. It's composed of 3 pages with the following options: Instant Playback, Digital Effects, Video Light, manual Exposure, and manual Focus. The Joystick menu is nice to have for on-the-fly adjustment, though a Sony-esque Cam Control dial would be nice here. Using the joystick to adjust focus can result in jerky movement during your shot. It's important to note that the Joystick menu is the only menu available while the camcorder is recording. The others can only be accessed while the camcorder is in standby mode.
The FS11 Joystick menu
The Function menu is accessed by pressing the Function button. Here, a majority of other image controls are available, including Auto and Manual controls. Up and Down navigates through the menu while Right and Left select options within a category. To access an option, press the center of the Joystick. The Function menu contains the following options:
| Function Menu |
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| Scene Modes | Program AE, Shutter-Prio. AE, Portrait |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Set |
| Image Effect | Off, Vivid, Neutral, Soft Skin Detail |
| Digital Effect | Off, Fate-T, Wipe, Blk&Wht, Sepia, Art, Mosaic |
| Quality | XP (9Mbps), SP (6Mbps), LP (3Mbps) |
| Menu | |
The FS11 Function menu
The Administrative menu is accessed by selecting that last item, Menu, from the Function menu. Here you'll find more of the business end of options, which consist of the following:
| Administrative Menu |
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| Camera Setup | Self Timer, Zoom Type, Zoom Speed, Img Stab, Widescreen, A. Sl Shutter, Wind Screen |
| Memory Oper. | Memory Info, Card Info, Media: Movies, Media: Images, Initialize |
| Display Setup | Brightness, Audio Level, TV Screen, Markers, Language, Demo Mode |
| System Setup | Battery Info, Wl. Remote, Beep, Power Save, Quick Start |
| Date/Time Setup | T. Zone/DST, Date/Time, Date Format |
The FS11 Administrative menu
Portability (8.0)
The FS11 resides within the snow-capped tip of the Portability mountain. While a number of other tiny camcorders stake their flags at the pinnacle--such as the Sony NSC-GC1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $199.00) and Panasonic SDR-S7--the Canon FS11 sits comfortably below, offering a little more to grab onto. Measuring 58 x 60 x 124mm (2.3 x 2.4 x 4.9 in.) and weighing in at a slight 260g (9.2 oz.), the FS11 will fit in a fanny pack or coat pocket with ease.The battery life on the FS11 is outstanding, offering over 3 hours of stamina per a single charge. Just one more pack should do the trick. The 16GB of internal Flash memory allows for over 3 hours of recording time as well, but if you're hellbent on capturing more video than 3 hours, you can add an SDHC card. This means a postage stamp-sized memory card and a compact battery to add to your camcorder bag. Yes, the FS11 is a portability star.
The Canon FS11's 2.7-inch, 123,000-pixel LCD screen
LCD and Viewfinder (4.0)
The FS11 is equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD screen with a 123,000-pixel display. the LCD screen flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. The FS11's LCD picture is not the most crisp image we've seen. You should also be aware that we found that the LCD screen could sometimes give the appearance that a shot was blown out when it wasn't.
A row of controls lines the bottom of the LCD panel and consist of the following buttons: Function, Record Start/Stop/Play/Pause, Zoom Out/Rewind, Zoom In/Fast Forward, and Backlight Compensation (BLC)/Stop.
The FS11 does not have a viewfinder, which is to be expected on a camcorder this pint-sized. We still mourn the loss of the viewfinder--what happens when the sun casts a fiery stare and the glare on the LCD is impossible to deal with? Also, when the battery is dying, a viewfinder can be a real battery saver. Luckily, the FS11 has an outstanding battery life.
Battery Life (19.3)We tested the life of the FS11's BP-808 Battery Pack by recording continuously in Manual mode with the LCD screen flipped open and EIS disabled. The FS11 features an enclosed battery design, which means you can't upgrade to a larger battery pack. What if the provided battery pack only lasts an hour at best? Fortunately, the FS11 is a different story.
The FS11's battery held out for 192 minutes and 53 seconds (3 hours, 12 minutes, and 53 seconds). This is one of the greatest consumer battery performances of all time, and you'll have no problem lasting a good portion of the day without have to recharge.
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