Canon Vixia HF G10 Camcorder Review

Canon HF S21 Comparison

Canon's decision to redesign the sensor using a smaller number of pixels for the HF G10 was definitely a good one. The camcorder featured vastly improved low light capabilities and its performance in bright light was nearly as strong as its predecessor, the HF S21. The only downside of the HF G10's new sensor was that the camcorder captured slightly less sharp video, and the fact that it cannot take high-resolution still images. These are minor setbacks, however, and the improved low light performance of the G10 makes these other issues trivial.

This is not to say the HF S21 is a bad camcorder in its own right. It put on strong performances in a number of our tests, and its design has the same professional sophistication that Canon puts forth with the HF G10. The HF G10, however, has more features and even better performance than its predecessor, and that makes it a better choice for pros or advanced users. The set of controls on the HF G10 is unprecedented in the consumer camcorder field, although we weren't crazy about the interface for adjusting certain functions (the rear-mounted control dial is not up to snuff).

If recording great video is your primary concern, the Canon HF G10 is the best new camcorder we've seen so far. It has much improved performance over Canon's previous Vixia camcorders and its control set is fantastic. If, for some reason, you require a camcorder that captures high-resolution still images, then the Canon HF G10 is not the model for you. This would be the only reason to settle with the Canon HF S21 instead.