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



Ease of Use
The Canon interface could be simpler on its entry-level camcorders, considering the likely audience. The issue is not the number of features, which is healthy and expansive for its price range. It's that the options are scattered across three separate menus, and it takes a while before most shooters will know the lay of the land. Of course, once you're on the far side of the learning curve, handling is good, it just takes a while to get there.

There is the option to simply shoot in full auto mode and never even engage in the menu system. In this scenario, your video will probably come out looking fine, because the FS200, like most of today's camcorders, has a fairly advanced auto exposure/focus/white balance system.

Handling
The Canon FS200 is a small camcorder, undoubtedly one its primary draws. But portability isn't everything. Those with bigger hands may actually have a hard time handling the camcorder. We found that the big-mitted members of our staff tended to overshoot the zoom controls and almost wrap our fingers into the LCD cavity. Conversely, those with small hands liked the feel and balance.

The hand strap on the FS200 is very comfortable, as it is with all the Canon camcorder this year, thickly padded and fully adjustable.

The Canon FS200 is hand is very petite,
perfect for small hands.

Portability
The Canon FS200 is very small, measuring only 56 x 58 x 122mm (2.2 x 2.3 x 4.8 inches), and weighs only 286.3g (10.1 ounces) with the battery. The weight is kept down somewhat by the fact that the camcorder records to card memory only, which helps and hurts the overall "portability" of the device. Sure, they're light, but they don't hold much video, at least compared to a hard drive model. You'll want to pack a few cards, then make sure you don't lose them.

Battery
The Canon FS200 ships with the BP-808 battery pack. It loads from a large slot in the bottom, next to the SD/SDHC card slot. The fact that it's a closed battery slot means you won't be able to fit expanded battery packs.


The Canon FS200 has an internal
battery cavity that loads from
the bottom.

LCD & Viewfinder
The Canon FS200 has a 2.7-inch LCD with a 123,000-pixel resolution. These are standard specs for a camcorder in its price range. It's certainly not ideal for manual focusing, but it suffices if you only need to make a gross adjustment from one plane to another. There is no viewfinder.

The 2.7-inch, 123,000-pixel LCD


Menus
The menu system on the Canon FS200, along with the rest of the Canons, is not the simplest. On the upper-end models, it has the excuse of offering so many features that menu clutter is almost inevitable. On the entry-level series like the FS200, FS21, and FS22, there's no excuse to have such an arcane system. Controls are split across three menus, so it's easy to forget where each menu item is located. Many most manual controls are located in the Function menu, though some are in the joystick menu. The features you need less frequently are in the Admin menu, which is accessed through the Function menu. Expect a learning curve if you've never owned a Canon camcorder before. 

The screen in normal shooting mode The Admin Menu
 
The Function menu  

 



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