Canon FS200

Color (10.14)

The Canon FS200 had good color accuracy in our bright light test, but we are accustomed to seeing these kind of results with standard definition camcorders. The FS200 managed a color error of 3.45 and a saturation level of 82.35%. More on how we test color.

Color Accuracy Performance
	Color Error Map
	The map on the left is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video. The Canon FS200 produced a color error of 3.45 and a saturation level of 82.35% in our bright light color testing.

One of the benefits of the FS200 is the fact that it includes a variety of color modes called Image Effects. These modes each allow the camcorder to produce a slightly different color effect. For example, Vivid mode boosts color saturation. There is no custom option for these Image Effects, so you only get the three presets shown below—Neutral, Soft Skin, and Vivid.

Canon FS200 Color Modes
Auto 100% Crop
Image Effect Neutral 100% Crop Image Effect Soft Skin 100% Crop Image Effect Vivid 100% Crop More...

All of the standard definition camcorders shown below did very well in this test, with the JVC GZ-MG670 coming out on top (2.55 color error). None of them had a bad color score and each produced a saturation level between 80% – 90%. However, when you look at the comparison images below you can definitely see some strong differences in color reproduction. The Samsung SMX-F34 has completely different color tones than the rest of the camcorders. Notice how yellow the colors are on the left side of its image. The rest of the camcorders have similar color tones to each other.

Canon FS200 Color Comparisons
Canon FS200
JVC Everio GZ-MG670 Samsung SMX-F34 Panasonic SDR-S26 More...

If you want a better look at the color differences between the Samsung and the other models, check out the close-up comparisons below. When looking at these colors, remember that much of what determines ‘good color reproduction’ is based on personal preference. Some may like the Samsung’s colors more than the other models, while others may find the Canon, JVC, or Panasonic to be preferable.

Close-Up Color Comparisons				Expand
	Ideal	Canon FS200	JVC Everio GZ-MG670	Samsung SMX-F34	Panasonic SDR-S26
Red
Green
Blue
Light Skin
Dark Skin

Low Light Color (5.67)

The FS200 showed a significant drop in color accuracy and saturation when we turned the lights down for our low light testing. The camcorder registered a color error of 6.27 and a saturation level of 56.94% in this test. While these numbers aren’t terrible, they are worse than average for a standard definition camcorder. More on how we test low light color.

Low Light Color Accuracy Performance
	Color Error Map
	The map on the left is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video. The Canon FS200 produced a color error of and a saturation level of in our bright light color testing.

While the Canon FS200 may not have had the best color accuracy or saturation level in low light, its image actually looked a lot better than the Panasonic SDR-S26. The Panasonic’s low light image was very blurred, washed-out, and soft. The other three camcorders in this set looked a whole lot better, and the JVC GZ-MG670 had the best color accuracy numbers of the set (just like it did in our bright light testing).

Noise (6.40)

The noise levels on the Canon FS200 weren’t bad for a standard definition camcorder, but there were other models we tested that had better numbers. The camcorder averaged 0.87% noise, which is more noise than we measured on the JVC GZ-MG670 and Samsung SMX-F34. More on how we test noise.

Canon FS200 Noise Comparisons
Canon FS200 100% Crop	JVC Everio GZ-MG670 100% Crop Samsung SMX-F34 100% Crop Panasonic SDR-S26 100% Crop More...

In the crops above you can see that these camcorders don’t capture a very sharp image—particularly if you’re accustomed to HD video. High definition video has three times more detail than standard definition, so there is no sense in comparing the two. Let’s be clear—if you want the best image quality, you shouldn’t be shopping for a standard definition camcorder.