Canon Vixia HF100 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on May 13, 2008 3:09 PM 
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Audio (9.0)
Next to Panasonic, Canon offers a decent array of onboard audio options. Though the HDC-SD9 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) can independently adjust its surround microphones and has an Auto Gain Control, the HF100 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) has Mic and Headphone jacks and a hot shoe. Panasonic neglected to throw any of those ports on the HDC-SD9 and HDC-HS9 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00), which suppresses their ability to shine as advanced camcorders. A good shotgun mic will go a long way, and the HF100 lets you adjusts Mic levels via an onscreen level meter. If you want to manually adjust the microphone levels, press the center of the Joystick and page down to Mic. We prefer the HF10’s monitor over the HDC-SD9’s because it is composed of far more increments along the scale. The HF100’s monitor is composed of 24 bars while the HDC-SD9’s monitor is only equipped with 8 bars. Because of its advanced design, the HF100's audio level meter is more accurate and flows fluidly--the HDC-SD9's level meter is far too jumpy for serious shooters and does not display decibel levels. The HF100 also has a Wind screen and Mic Attenuator for reducing the amplification of sound, or increasing loss.
The mic levels control in action
Playback (6.0)
Switching the Mode dial to Video Playback or Photo Playback mode allows you to play back video or review still images on the HF100. A grey screen will appear in Video Playback mode, containing a set of two tabs at the top: SDHC Card Memory Playback, SDHC Card Playlist. Recorded clips are represented by individual thumbnails, or icons. You can access a video clip by scrolling over to its icon using the Joystick and pressing the center of the Joystick to begin playing the highlighted clip. The video clip will play within the entirety of the LCD screen. On the bottom of the LCD panel, you'll find a host of Playback controls: Play/Pause/Record Start/Stop, Rewind/Zoom Out, Fast Forward/Zoom In, Stop/BLC. The Joystick also controls the volume of the clip and allows you to scroll back and forth between clips. Stop returns you to the index screen.
The video clips as they appear in Playback mode
| Video Playback Menu |
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| Memory Operations | Card Info, Delete All Movies, Initialize |
| Display Setup | Brightness, Data Code, Language, Start Week |
| System Setup | Battery Info, Wireless Remote, Beep, Power Save, AV/Phones, Phones Volume, Speaker Volume, Image Numbers, Image Quality, TV Type, Component Out, HDMI Status, USB Setting, Add To Disc |
| Date/Time Setup | Time Zone/District, Date/Time, Date Format |
The Video Playback menu
When Photo Playback is selected, images will automatically appear onscreen with a detailed profile including a histogram chart, image size, Exposure level, White Balance setting, Date, and time the image was captured. Stop will bring you to the index screen. The Joystick allows you to shuffle between images, rotate an image 90 degrees, and delete an image. Play begins and ends the Slideshow.
The Photo Playback Function menu contains the following options: Copy, Protect, Print Order, Transfer Order, and Menu. The Photo Playback Menu consists of the following options:
Photo Playback Menu
Memory Operations
Card Info, Erase All Print Orders, Erase All Transfer Orders, Erase All Images, Initialize
Display Setup
Brightness, Language
System Setup
Battery Info, Wireless Remote, Beep, Power Save, Image Numbers, Component Out, HDMI Status, USB Setting, Add To Disc, Firmware
Date/Time Setup
Time Zone/District, Date/Time, Date Format
The Photo Playback menu
Connectivity (10.0)
The HF100 contains ports on almost every side. The Mic, Headphone, and DC jacks are located in back, shielded by a thick plastic enclosure between the battery and LCD screen. A Headphone jack located in back is handy because the cables will not interfere with the shooting process.
The LCD cavity houses the SDHC card slot and Component terminal. The card slot door is accessed by sliding the Card Door switch to the right and the spring-loaded plastic tab will open. You must manually shift the card door back down to close it. The Component terminal is covered by a square plastic enclosure that is attached to the LCD cavity by two flimsy plastic strips that cannot take a beating.
Underneath the HF100's hand strap live the HDMI and USB terminals, which are sheltered by an inconspicuous rubberized cover. You'll really have to search for these ports at first.
The HF100's has a hot shoe is mounted to the top and is compatible with Canon attachments. The shoe is housed by a hard plastic tab secured by two feeble plastic strips.
Component-out in the LCD cavity (above);
Mic input and AV/Headphone-out (below)
HDMI and USB 2.0 (above);
Miniature hot shoe (below)
