Canon Vixia HF S21

While Canon spent a acceptable accord of accomplishment convalescent the appearance for the HF S21, it didn't do abundant (if anything) to advance the video achievement of the camcorder. In our testing, the HF S21 absolutely did worse with blush accurateness than aftermost year's HF S11, although it did do hardly added good with video accurateness and low ablaze sensitivity.

The new-and-improved flagship camcorder from Canon is Vixia HF S21 ($1399 MSRP). With 64GB of centralized beam memory, two SD/SDHC anamnesis agenda slots, and a cast fresh touchscreen LCD, Canon appears to accept put in absolutely an accomplishment in revamping aftermost year's HF S11.

As for the improvements on the HF S21, we thoroughly enjoyed them for the best part. The cyberbanking viewfinder is a amusement to see, and the 3.5-inch LCD absolutely helps back you're framing a shot. We had our doubts about Canon's fresh touchscreen system, but it added or beneath won us over in the end. The blow arrangement didn't assignment able-bodied for authoritative absolute adjustments or abyssal assertive menus, but appearance such as atom focus and AF/AE tracking formed so able-bodied with the touchscreen that we were able to absolve its faults. We additionally admired the slight modifications Canon fabricated to its ascendancy dial, the amplification of assertive chiral controls (like accretion control), and the attendance of two SD/SDHC anamnesis agenda slots (the camcorder is additionally accordant with SDXC cards).

The HF S21 is allotment of the HF S alternation from Canon, which additionally appearance the HF S20 and HF S200 (all three are fresh models for 2010).

Pros should additionally adulation the actuality that the Canon HF S21 offers a built-in 24p almanac mode—a affection that was ahead bare on non-tape customer camcorders. Canon additionally still has its PF30 and PF24 modes that almanac at 60i, but actualize the attending of 24p and 30p anatomy rates.

Overall, the HF S21 is an absorbing camcorder; it has aggregate the HF S11 has and more. The alone downside is that Canon didn't advance the video achievement enough. With arresting fresh flagship models actuality appear by Sony, JVC, and Samsung we'll accept to delay and see if the improvements Canon fabricated were abundant to accumulate it abreast the top of our ratings.