Canon Vixia HF S11 Camcorder Review

by Kaitlyn Chantry
Published on Sep 11, 2009 12:52 PM

 
Intro
 Product Tour
Color & Noise Performance Motion & Sharpness Performance
Low Light Performance Compression & Media
Manual Controls Still Features
Handling & Use Playback & Connectivity
Audio & Other Features JVC GZ-HM400 Comparison
Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison Sony HDR-XR520V Comparison
Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings


Introduction
The Canon HF S11 The Canon HF S11 is the latest flagship camcorder from Canon. The market is always interested to see what Canon has up its sleeve, but the HF S11 offers very few advantages over the HF S10, released earlier this year. Sure, you have the same solid video performance, but nothing has changed to improve the camcorder's low light sensitivity or the peculiar design elements that make this series intimidating for beginners. What you do get is 64GB of internal flash memory (twice that of its predecessor), an extra level of image stabilization, and compatibility with Canon's RA-V1 LANC adapter (see Connectivity section). These are certainly useful features, but they might not warrant a race to the stores for the HF S11.
    (Page 1 of 17) Product Tour

 

Section The Good The Bad
Product Tour Huge lens/sensor and a sleek design aesthetic No viewfinder
Color & Noise Performance Multiple color modes give you added flexibility Higher noise levels than many competitors
Motion & Sharpness Performance Excellent sharpness outperforms the competition; 30p and 24p alternate frame rates available Some small amount of motion trailing
Low Light Performance Nothing of note Below average low light performance in most aspects
Compression & Media Increased internal flash memory (64GB) gives you plenty of space AVCHD files can still be large and unwieldy to edit
Manual Controls Incredible depth of manual control offerings; fantastic new custom control dial Nothing of note
Still Features Excellent sharpness, 8-megapixel stills; simultaneous video and photo capture; plenty of manual controls Above average noise levels
Handling & Use Custom control dial is great; camcorder is comfortable in the hand New stabilization system doesn't really show a marked improvement; frustrating three-menu system
Playback & Connectivity Playback is versatile and offers some neat extras; compatible with Canon's new LANC adapter (sold separately) Ports are cheaply designed and inconveniently located; some playback controls are annoying to use
Audio & Other Features Some great added features give you better audio control; pre-record is useful and convenient Video Snap feature isn't as cool as it sounds

 

Canon HF S11 Comparisons
 
  JVC GZ-HM400 Panasonic HDC-TM300 Sony HDR-XR520V

 



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