Canon FS200 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by David Kender
Published on Jan 10, 2009 4:55 PM

 
Intro Audio
Compression & Media
 Manual Controls
Still Features Handling & Use
Playback & Connectivity Other Features
Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings



Compression
The Canon FS200 records video in the MPEG-2 format, outputting .MOD files. If you don't have the proper drivers, it can be a real pain to work with your clips in post-production. MPEG-2 compression is definitely at the end of its life cycle, having been usurped by the more efficient MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format for standard definition.

The camcorder offers three compression qualities: 9Mbps, 6Mbps, and 3Mbps.

Media
The Canon FS200 captures video solely to removable SD/SDHC cards. There is no internal memory. If you want the option and piece of mind, you can upgrade to the FS22 with 16GB of internal flash memory, or the FS21 with 32GB of internal flash memory, as well as a card slot.

Recording Media
Primary Media SD/SDHC card slot

Editing
Editing the MPEG-2 files from the Canon FS200 is definitely not as simple as camcorders that record in the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. MPEG-2 simply does not enjoy the same compatibility with a lot of editing software. The camcorder does ship with its own software, which can get you through the basic tasks of importing, stringing a few clips together, and making a modest home movie.




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