Canon FS200 Camcorder Review

by Jeremy Stamas
Published on Nov 13, 2009 1:00 PM

 
Intro
 Product Tour
Color & Noise Performance Motion & Sharpness Performance
Low Light Performance Compression & Media
Manual Controls Still Features
Handling & Use Playback & Connectivity
Audio & Other Features JVC GZ-MG670 Comparison
Samsung SMX-F34 Comparison Panasonic SDR-S26 Comparison
Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings


Introduction
The Canon FS200 The FS200 is a stylish little standard definition camcorder from Canon that costs around $299 MSRP. The FS200 records to SD/SDHC memory cards, offers a 37x optical zoom, and is one of the best all-around standard definition cams we've tested this year.

The Canon FS200 is available in three colors: Misty Silver, Sunrise Red, and Evening Blue.
    (Page 1 of 17) Product Tour next

 

Section The Good The Bad
Product Tour Comes in three colors: silver, red, or blue. Nothing of note
Color & Noise Performance Good color accuracy and saturation Noise levels were only average; no customizable color controls
Motion & Sharpness Performance Motion and sharpness were decent for a camcorder of its class. No alternate frame rates for recording video.
Low Light Performance Good noise levels; decent low light sensitivity Color accuracy and saturation wasn't very good in low light.
Compression & Media MPEG-2 video is easy to edit on a computer. No internal memory; importing video files to a computer can be a pain
Manual Controls Decent set of manual controls; automatic features work reliably Joystick isn't the best for making manual adjustments; no manual aperture control
Still Features Still image mode is simple to use; color accuracy was decent Limited still features; sharpness and noise levels weren't good
Handling & Use Comfortable hand strap; durable, compact design; excellent battery life Menus feel outdated; there's nothing special about the 2.7-inch LCD
Playback & Connectivity Music can be added to clips during playback. Enclosed battery compartment means you can't use larger battery packs.
Audio & Other Features External mic and headphone jacks; Pre-Record can be a useful feature No manual audio level adjustment; video light has terrible range

 

Canon FS200 Comparisons
the JVC GZ-MG670 the Samsung SMX-F34 the Panasonic SDR-S26
JVC GZ-MG670 Samsung SMX-F34 Panasonic SDR-S26



Product Tour >>