On the back is the mode dial with just three options-video, photos and Dual Shot.
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At the very front is the left-hand portion of the stereo mic, and a custom dial, which you assign a function such as adjusting manual focus, exposure, mic level and others. You’ll also find the speaker and a compartment for an SDHC card. It’s not one of the most in-demand features we’ve heard of, but whatever. With Video Snap, you take short clips that are combined with music soundtracks (supplied or your own). On the body are Video Snap and display/battery info keys. The sensor for the remote is on the bezel too. The nicely laid out controls found here include a four-way controller with center set button, a function key, start/stop record, wide/tele zoom adjustment and playback. Fortunately, if you hit the display button on the body, you’ll get a brightness boost, which helps shooting with the sun at your back. However, the options to make adjustments to the screen are buried way too deep in the menu system. The monitor is rated 211K pixels, and works well in most conditions, even direct sunshine. Like any camcorder, you’ll do most of your work on the left side, using the 2.7-inch widescreen LCD to frame your shots and working the controls on the bezel. We like the ambience of surround, but this may be a nonissue for you. Unlike higher-end Sonys and Panasonics, the HF S10 is purely Dolby Digital 2-channel stereo, not 5.1 surround sound. You’ll also find a mic input for accessory microphones, and half of the built-in stereo mic. On the right side is a comfortable adjustable strap, and a compartment for component, USB and mini HDMI outs. There’s also a slide-back door covering the hot shoe, the zoom toggle switch, a dedicated photo button and a nearby power switch. However, both are hiding in a pop-up compartment on the top of the unit. Initially we did a little groan, not seeing a light, flash or both. Stare at the zoom, and you’ll see a venetian-blind lens cover that slides back when you power up. The 10x lens translates to 43.5-435mm, which is a good range, but we’d like it to start at a wider point, just as we prefer wide-angle digicams like the Panasonic ZS1. The $1,299 price tag is pretty serious too. We’re bringing this up to show that this is a serious effort, not just a basic point-and-shoot home video maker. Canon’s $2,800 standard-def 3-chip GL2 – beloved by film students everywhere – uses a similar-sized filter, as does the new SD card-only HF S100. It’s much wider than the typical camcorder lens, with a 58mm filter diameter (typical is 37mm or 43mm). The 10x lens really jumps out-having a silver highlight ring around it will do that. The Vixia broadcasts an extremely high-tech vibe no one will mistake it for a Flip. Let’s see if it’s a keeper – and if our search has ended.įorget cute and cuddly with this one. When Canon offered the Vixia HF S10 to test, we hoped for an early Christmas present. It even has an 8.59MP CMOS sensor, so it takes – you guessed it – 8MP photos at native, not interpolated, resolution. At this year’s CES, our hopes were raised once again when Canon announced the Vixia HF S10, a flash memory-based camcorder that records AVCHD video at 24 Mb/s (the best compression rate available) to 32GB of built-in memory, or Class 4 SDHC cards. A few come close, but none ever took the ultimate prize.
Like Indiana Jones, the Knights Templar and Don Quixote, we’ve been on this seemingly fruitless quest for years. The Holy Grail for camcorder owners is one device that takes great high-def video and outstanding stills, all in a compact package.