Canon Vixia HF S10 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by David Kender
Published on Jan 9, 2009 11:00 AM

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



Auto Mode
The Canon camcorders that we've reviewed in the last few years have all had excellent automatic controls, so we expect no different from the HF S10, especially considering it has a new DIGIC DVIII processor and a new high-resolution sensor. Canon has been promoting the new processor's expanded dynamic range, which should improve auto exposure. We have not verified this with testing yet.

Canon's auto focus system, called Instant AF, has been rolled over from previous years. There's a small area on the lens that looks like a flash; it's actually the independent sensor that performs the gross focusing. This allows the internal processor to only deal with the fine focusing, thus speeding up overall focus time. The net result is of the Instant AF is a snapping effect that, while faster, may be not be aesthetically pleasing for everyone. You can turn Instant AF off and just use normal AF.

Low Light Modes
There is only one low light mode, called Auto Slow Shutter. This allows the auto shutter to drop below its normal baseline of 1/60th. There's also the Night option in the scene modes, which has essentially the same function.

Scene Modes
The Canon HF S10 has scene mode for Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, and Fireworks.

Zoom
The actual zoom toggle is located on top of the body. It's not an outstanding control; it feels cheap and drags across the plastic below it when you toggle back and forth. However, the effect on the zoom motor is good. We were able to achieve an excellent crawl with only a little finger pressure.

As in other Canons, the zoom speed can be fixed to slow, medium, or fast if you don't like the traditional method of applying varying degrees of finger pressure to effect speed.

Zoom Ratio
The Canon HF S10 has an optical zoom of 10x, which is more or less on par with the competition. We have seen some higher-end models creeping up into the 12x range. The digital zoom can be capped at either 40x or 200x.

Focus
The manual focus on the HF S10 one of the areas in which Canon is staking its claim in the semi-pro market. You won't find a better focus system in consumer camcorders. In addition to the standard, joystick-operated focus in the Function menu, you can use the dial located on the lens barrel.

But you don't just have to rely on your eyes (which is good, considering the LCD is only 211,000 pixels). New for this year, Canon has added peaking, a colored fuzzy news that appears on areas of the image that are in focus. It's the best method we've seen for manual focusing. JVC premiered the feature for consumer-grade camcorder a few generations back. To make the feature even better, Canon has added a one-touch option for shifting the entire picture into black & white, then adding the colored peaking fuzz on top to accentuate the effect. You can choose between red, yellow, and green peaking. In order to grant better access to the peaking, you can also set the Custom button to activate the feature.

Exposure
The manual exposure can be controlled in via the joystick in the Function menu, or with the dial and Custom button on the lens barrel. The range is the same as on previous models: 11 steps up and 11 steps down.

Aperture
To set the aperture, the Canon HF S10 offers an Aperture Priority mode. The range extends from f/1.8 to f/8, unchanged from previous years.

Shutter Speed
The HS S10 has a Shutter Priority mode for making shutter changes, with a range that extends from 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, and 1/2000.

In 24P mode, the slower shutter options change to 1/6, 1/12, 1/24, and 1/48. From 1/60 and faster, the settings are the same.

White Balance
The options are located in the Function menu. They include Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, and Custom (Manual).

Gain
New this year, Canon has added gain control, the first manufacturer to do so since Panasonic. It's a big deal for camcorder enthusiasts, because it allows you to limit the amount of noise. Unlike Panasonic, Canon's control is a gain limiter, meaning that you're setting the ceiling for the auto gain, rather than locking it in at an exact value. Options include 0dB, 6dB, 12dB, and 18dB.

Color & Image Control
Once again, Canon has more color controls than the average camcorder.

Color/Image Control Description
x.v.Color The xvYCC color standard, compatible with certain HDTVs. This feature can be turned on and off.
Vivid A one-touch control that enhances color saturation
Neutral A one-touch control that reduces color saturation
Soft Skin Detail A one-touch control that enhances skin tones
Low Sharpening A one-touch control that reduces sharpening
Custom Effects Allows you to create a custom setting. Each element - including Color Depth, Sharpness, Contrast, and Brightness - can be adjusted to -1, 0, or +1.
Cinemode Shifts the gamma curve to match closer to professional camcorders. It expands the mid-range, and compresses the detail in shadows and highlights.

Other Manual Controls
The Canon HF S10 also has a number of other controls that help you align, calibrate, or gauge the quality of your image.

Control Description
Color Bars and
Test Tone		 The camcorder can output SPMTE color bars, with the additional option of outputting a 1kHz audio reference tone.
Peaking Creates a colored fuzzy noise around areas of the image that are in focus. Options for red, green, or yellow peaking. Also, the picture can be shifted to black & white, while the peaking noise remains colored.
Onscreen Markers Lines appear on screen to help align the image. Options include a single, horizontal line (white or grey) or a grid pattern (white or grey).
Custom Key Dial The new Custom Key dial and button allow for more convenient, one-touch access to Exposure, Focus, Assist Functions, Mic Level or AGC Limit. Changing what the dial controls must be done in the Admin menu.
Zebra Zebra patterns can be set to appear at either 70 IRE or 100 IRE





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