Canon Vixia HF11 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Aug 7, 2008 7:00 AM
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Ease of Use (7.5)For years, Sony camcorders had been the beginner's choice, thanks to their unprecedented Easy mode and killer auto adjustment—novices were given a giant set of training wheels and crash bars with Sony's help. Now Canon has caught up and placed an Easy mode on the HF11, just like they did with the HF10. When Easy mode is selected, access to the Function, Administrative, and Joystick menus is denied. This is extreme autopilot here. All beginners have to worry about is the Record Start/Stop button and zoom toggle.
Those who wish to graduate to the next level of camcorder operation will find that Manual mode is only mildly intimidating. (Yes, it seems that most camcorders are condemned to a life sentence in the coat closet because manufacturers have a hard time designing for simplicity.) The menu system is easy to navigate through once you get the hang of it, and is a blessing compared to the JVC GZ-HD40's hapless mess of options arranged in no particular order or structure. Exposure and Focus are readily available in the Joystick menu, which can be accessed instantly. You don't have to continuously return to a series of pages to adjust Exposure or Focus while shooting—it's just a press away. The Function menu will require some training in order to get a grip on what Shutter Priority is and how to set custom colors, amongst many other options. Manual reading and trial and error are required outside of Easy mode.
One of the few advantages the HF11 has over the HF10 is an extra 16GB of internal flash memory. 32GB is a lot of video, even if you record at the highest quality setting. So, the need to buy SDHC cards is not necessary as soon as you buy the camcorder, unless you plan on shooting a lot of video. AVCHD is coming along, and more video editing programs are able to support the codec now. It's still not the cakewalk that standard definition is, but at least you don't have to capture to the computer in real time.
The Canon HF11 in hand
Handling (6.5)
The Canon HF11 design is absolutely identical to the Canon HF10 and HF100, so if you didn't like those camcorders, or if you felt something vital was missing, you'll have to wait until at least January 2009 for new models to appear. The appearance is almost identical to the Sony HDR-CX12, but when both are in hand, it's clear that the CX12 is the superior design. You don't like a Sony touch screen? Fine, neither do we a lot of the time. But for manual control enthusiasts, the front-mounted Cam Control dial is a welcome addition, offering smooth control over focus, white balance, and exposure. The Sony CX12 also feels sturdier, while Canon draws the reprise of a common criticism this year: all the Canon camcorders feel cheap. When you shake it, there's a loud rattling. The zoom toggle feels like a toy (thought it does work well), and plastic feels easily breakable.
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| The joystick on the LCD panel is small but convenient. | |
The Canon HF11 and Sony HDR-CX12 also have identical hand straps, which are both quite good. The webbing seems strong and the part that touches your hand is very well padded, with a cushy mesh material to ease a long day of shooting.
In hand, the HF11 is well balanced. It's short, wide design prevents the body from leaning away from your hand, which can cause fatigue over time. The accessory shoe is located on top, all the way towards the back. While we hate the fact that Canon switched to a new, proprietary-fit shoe, the placement makes more sense than on Sony's CX12, which locates the shoe in the middle of the top. If an accessory is sitting in the shoe, you can scoot your hands up on the Canon and still grip it. On the Sony, there's no good place to put your hands anymore.
Since Panasonic stepped up its game with a full ring control on the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100, and Sony added the Cam Control dial to the HDR-CX12, Canon is falling behind in handling, even in this compact, flash memory category.
Menu (6.5)
As we've seen on most Canon camcorders, the Vixia HF11 employs three distinct menus: the Joystick menu, Function menu, and Administrative menu. The menu design is clean and uncluttered, but could be better organized. Nesting one menu inside another now seems a little archaic, as other manufacturers have moved towards "tabbed browsing," common to web design. And since options on the Joystick menu aren't duplicated anywhere else, one of your first tasks will be learning which features are located in which menu. (Hint: exposure and white balance are adjusted in two different menus.)
Compared to the competition, Canon could learn a lesson in user interface. The Sony HDR-CX12 has included a Home menu to help smooth out navigation, while the Panasonic HDC-HS100 has those handy tool tips that explain each of the menu options. The excellent Samsung SC-HMX20 features an intuitive, user-friendly menu design. The HF11's menus are comparatively inaccessible for beginners, who might be intimidated by having to decipher complex icons and wade through layered menus. These menus are geared more for the advanced user. The layout is certainly convenient, just not obvious.
The Joystick menu is a selection of the features Canon thinks you'll want right at your fingertips. (The latest from Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung all have something similar, though controlled differently on each.) The Joystick menu can be accessed while recording, which means you can adjust focus, exposure, and microphone volume on the fly. You can also assign one of five art effects to the Digital Effects button, giving your Joystick menu a small amount of customization. Strangely, down on the joystick takes you to the next page, but up does not return you to the previous page—scrolling through the pages only works in one direction. In order to access the Joystick menu, press the center of the joystick. A small square pane will appear in the bottom right corner, consisting of four pages:
| Joystick Menu |
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| Page 1 | Instant Playback, Digital Effects, Video Light |
| Page 2 | Exposure |
| Page 3 | Focus |
| Page 4 | Microphone |
For more advanced options, the Function menu can be accessed by pressing the Function button. Icons representing each feature line the left side of the screen, while the specific settings available for each appear across the bottom. These settings are also represented by icons (highlighting the icon brings up the name of the setting). The Function menu contains the following options:
| Function Menu |
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| Scene Modes | Program AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Cine Mode, Portrait |
| White Balace | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Manual |
| Image Effects | Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, Soft Skin Detail, Custom |
| Digital Effects | Fade-T, Wipe, Black & White, Sepia, Art |
| Image Quality | MXP (24 Mbps), FXP (17Mbps), XP+ (12 Mbps), Standard Play (7Mbps), Long Play (5Mbps) |
| Photo Quality | LW (1920 x 1080), SW (848 x 480) |
| Menu | Menu |
The Administrative menu, as mentioned above, is nested within the Function menu. Press the Function button, then select the Menu option. Within the Administrative menu, you will find:
| Administrative Menu |
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| Camera Setup | Self Timer, Digital Zoom, Zoom Speed, AF Mode, Focus Assist, Image Stabilization, Frame Rate, Auto Slow Shutter, Wind Screen, Mic Attenuator |
| Memory Operations | Memory Info, Card Info, Media: Movies, Media: Images, Initialize |
| Display Setup | Brightness, Audio Level, TV Screen, Markers, Language, Demo Mode |
| System Setup | Battery Info, Wireless Remote, Beep, Power Save, Quick Start, AV/Phones, Phones Volume, Image Numbers, Component Out, HDMI Status |
| Date/Time Setup | Time Zone/District, Date/Time, Date Format |
| Close | Close |
Portability (8.5)
Since the body design is nearly identical to that of the HF10, there are no surprises in the arena of portability. The Vixia HF11 is not the smallest of its kind, but it is smaller than many comparable camcorders. Measuring 73 x 64 x 129mm (2.9 x 2.5 x 5.1 inches) and weighing 380 grams (13.4 ounces), it is slightly smaller and lighter than the Sony HDR-CX12, the Panasonic HDC-SD100, and the Samsung VM-HMX20. You can't fit the HF11 in a pocket, but it will fit nicely inside a small camcorder bag.
Like other internal memory camcorders, The HF11 lets you escape from the burden of carrying around DVDs and tapes. And while the HF11 has twice the internal flash memory capacity as last year's HF10, we recommend carrying an SDHC card to avoid the inevitable bad luck that comes with putting all your eggs in one basket. Also, be sure to back up to a computer's hard drive or DVDs routinely. With just the camcorder, a couple spare batteries, and a memory card, the HF11 is still a good, portable camcorder.
LCD and Viewfinder (5.75)
While we continue to lament the lack of a viewfinder on the HF11 and its competition, Canon has provided us with the same excellent LCD for viewing shots. The HF11 is equipped with a 2.7-inch Multi-Angle Vivid Widescreen LCD with a 211,000-pixel display. The LCD screen flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. Without a viewfinder, it's a relief to be provided with a sharp, colorful image, even in a variety of lighting conditions. (The LCD screen resists solarization at steep angles.) In addition to the Joystick, Canon has placed several controls along the bottom of the LCD panel. The layout continues to be logical—your fingers don't have to block the screen to operate controls or navigate menus.
Battery Life (9.6)
We tested the life of the HF11’s BP-809 battery pack by recording continuously in Manual mode with the LCD open at 1080/60i. The HF11 lasted 106 minutes (1 hour and 36 minutes). This is not the greatest performance, but it's better than the HF10's 83 minute performance. With a small battery, the HF11 is already given a handicap, but no moving parts should translate to more efficiency. The higher capacity BP-819 will last longer throughout the day and can be found on Canon's website.
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