Canon FS200

Lens & Imaging System

The Canon FS200 comes with a 37x optical zoom lens that can be expanded to 41x using the Advanced Zoom setting (which shouldn’t result in a loss of image quality). The lens has an automatic cover, which is actually something of a rarity for cheap standard definition models. Many SD cams have a manual lens cover switch instead of an automatic cover that opens and closes when the camcorder is turned on and off. The 1/6-inch CCD sensor on the FS200 is average for a camcorder of its class.

Lens
Filter Diameter	0.0mm
Focal Range	2.6–96.2mm
Focal Range (35mm equivalent)	45.8–1,695.0mm
Maximum Aperture	f/2.0–5.2
Optical Zoom	37x
Advanced Zoom	41x
Lab-Tested Wide Angle	50.0°	How we test wide angle

Sensor
Type	CCD x 1
Size	1/6 inches
Pixel Count (Gross)	0.68 megapixels
Pixel Count (Effective)	0.45 megapixels (video) 0.45 megapixels (photo)

Zoom Ratio Examples
Wide Angle	Mid Zoom	37x Zoom

LCD & Viewfinder (7.17)

There’s nothing special about the LCD featured on the Canon FS200. The screen is 2.7-inches in size (the standard for a consumer camcorder), and it offers a disappointing 123,000-pixel resolution. There is no doubt these are lackluster specs for an LCD, but you can expect to find similar screens on the competition. All the models we’ve used as comparisons throughout this review—the Panasonic SDR-S26, Samsung SMX-F34, and JVC GZ-MG670—include 2.7-inch LCDs. None of them have impressive pixel counts on the screens either.

You can set the brightness of the LCD manually with 45 increments of control. Canon even includes a little greyscale box at the bottom of the screen so you can calibrate the brightness levels to your liking. There’s also an LCD dimmer setting that lowers the backlight level on the screen to conserve battery life.

Feature	Canon FS200	JVC Everio GZ-MG670	Samsung SMX-F34	Panasonic SDR-S26
Display Size	2.7 in.	2.7 in.		2.7 in.
Display Resolution	123000 pixels	0 pixels		123000 pixels
Touch Screen	✗	✗	✗	✗
Viewfinder	✗	✗	✗	✗
Viewfinder Resolution	n/a	0 pixels	n/a	n/a

Since the trend for standard definition camcorders is to make them small and compact, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the FS200 lacking an electronic viewfinder. In fact, none of the new standard definition models released by the major manufacturers this year included a viewfinder.

Connectivity (3.00)

Connection	Canon FS200	JVC Everio GZ-MG670	Samsung SMX-F34	Panasonic SDR-S26
A/V output	✓	✓		✓
Component output	✗	✗		✗
HDMI	✗	✓	✗	✗
USB	✓	✓	✗	✓
FireWire	✗	✗		✗
Headphone jack	✓	✗		✗
External microphone	✓	✗		✗
Wireless Remote	✗	✗		✗
DC Power	✓			✓
WiFi	✗	✗		✗
GPS	✗	✗		✗

The Canon FS200 has your basic connectivity features, but it also includes a 3.5mm external microphone port, which is quite rare to find on a standard definition camcorder. Taking a peak inside the FS200’s LCD cavity you’ll find the bulk of the camcorder’s ports—the USB terminal, external mic port, and AV-output. The AV-out port can also function as a headphone jack, but you have to go into the camcorder’s menu system to designate the port’s control. These ports are all unprotected, although when the LCD panel is closed they aren’t really exposed to the elements.

Flipping around to the right side of the camcorder you’ll find a small DC-input port that is protected by a tough, round, piece of flexible plastic. This port is well placed for the most part, although it is slightly in the way when you grip the camcorder. This is only a problem, however, if you plan on doing hand-held shooting with the FS200 while it is connected to DC power.

There’s a few more connectivity features located on the bottom of the FS200. Opening up the camcorder’s battery compartment you’ll find the SD/SDHC memory card slot (just behind where the battery pack fits). The thick, plastic door that covers this compartment protects both the battery and memory card slot very well, but it does mean you have to take the camcorder off of your tripod whenever you want to swap out cards or batteries (that is, if you’re using the camcorder on a tripod in the first place). We’re also not crazy about the enclosed battery compartment, as it means you can’t purchase larger battery packs for the camcorder. The FS200 did have a stellar battery life performance with its provided battery pack, however, so this problem is diffused by that fact.

Battery (9.85)

Unfortunately, the Canon FS200 has an enclosed battery compartment, which means you cannot upgrade to larger battery packs. Still, the 3+ hour performance put on with the camcorder’s provided battery should be plenty of time for an average day of shooting video. The FS200 also has an interesting feature called quick charge that enables you to get more out of your battery pack. According to Canon, if you charge the battery for 20 minutes (while it is inside the camcorder), you should get 60 minutes of record time from the battery. We didn’t overtly test this feature, but we did notice the camcorder lasting for quite a while after limited charges. Find out how the FS200 performed in our battery life test.

Media (5.00)

Part of the reason the Canon FS200 is so compact is that it contains no internal memory or hard drive. All video is recorded to removable SD/SDHC memory cards, which are inserted in a slot on the base of the camcorder (next to the battery pack). This card-only recording can be convenient for transferring files, but it does mean you have to remember to bring along SD/SDHC cards whenever you plan on shooting video.

Since standard definition video doesn’t require the massive amount of storage space that HD video needs, a decently-sized memory card should provide you with an adequate record time. The table below lists the approximate record time available for various memory card sizes and video qualities on the FS200. According to Canon, once a video clip reaches 4GB in size, the clip is then divided and saved as smaller scenes (there shouldn’t be any breaks in continuity, however). Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.