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I was a big fan of last year's mainstream Canon flash HD camcorders, the HF200 series, and much of what was great about them remains--solid performance and very good video quality. That's probably why I'm doubly frustrated by Canon's attempt to "improve" this year's models with its almost unusable new interface design.
The M series bodies are relatively small and lightweight, and though plastic, they feel pretty well-constructed. Plus, they're not too small for large hands to grip comfortably. Canon provides a physical switch for switching between manual and full auto modes. It's kind of annoying that you can't get into the menus in auto--which Canon calls "Dual Shot" mode--but if you adjust some settings in advance in Manual, they'll stick.
| Canon HF R100/R10/R11 | Canon HF M300/M30/M31/M32 | Canon HF S200/S20/S21 | |
| Sensor | 2.4-megapixel CMOS | 3-megapixel CMOS | 8-megapixel CMOS |
| 1/5.5 inch | 1/4 inch | 1/2.6 inch | |
| Lens | 20x f1.8-3.6 40 - 800mm (16:9) | 15x f1.8-3.2 39.5 - 592.5mm (16:9) | 10x f1.8-3.0 43.5 - 435mm (16:9) |
| Min illumination (lux) | standard: 5.5 low light: 0.4 | recommended: > 100 | standard: 4 low light: 0.3 |
EVF | No | No | Yes 123,000 dots |
| LCD | 2.7-inch 211,000-dot | 2.7-inch 211,000-dot touch screen | 3.5-inch 922,000-dot touch screen |
| Primary media | 0GB/8GB/32GB flash; SDHC | 0GB/8GB/32/64GB flash; SDXC | 0GB/32GB/64GB flash; SDHC |
| HD recording | MPEG-4: 1080/60i @ 24 Mbps; 1440x1080/60i @ 12, 7, 5 Mbps (all video interpolated up from 1,664 x 936) | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 24, 17 Mbps; 1440x1080/60i @ 12, 7, 5 Mbps | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 24, 17 Mbps; 1440x1080/60i @ 12, 7, 5 Mbps |
| Manual shutter speed and iris | No | Yes | Yes |
| Accessory shoe | No | Yes | Yes |
| Audio | 2 channels; mic, headphone jacks | 2 channels; mic, headphone jacks | 2 channels; mic, headphone jacks |
| Body dimensions (WHD, inches) | 2.4 x 2.5 x 4.9 | 2.7 x 2.4 x 4.8 | 3 x 2.9 x 5.8 |
| Operating weight (ounces) | 11.3 | 13.1 | 18 |
| Mfr. Price | $499.99/$549.99/$699.99 | $679.99/$699.99/$799.99/$999.99 | $999.99/$1,099.99/$1,399.99 |
| Ship date | March 2010 | March 2010 | March 2010 |
On top of the camcorder, the zoom switch and photo button are comfortably located under your forefinger, and the zoom is easy to control for maintaining a steady rate. The mini accessory shoe sits behind them. The only control on the back is the record button. An 890mAH battery sits flush with the back, which means that if you upgrade to the higher capacity battery--to compensate for the camcorder's subpar battery life--it will stick out awkwardly.
There's a single button on the LCD bezel that enables Power IS mode (for when you're shooting at the telephoto end of the zoom range) or downconverting videos to Standard Definition quality. In the LCD recess sit the record/playback toggle button, display options and battery release switch. Because opening the LCD doesn't turn the camcorder on (unless you're in standby mode), the location presents slightly less of a problem here than on Panasonic's models.
In addition to the SDHC card slot, the mic and headphone jacks live in the LCD recess; the miniHDMI, USB, and component out connectors are under the hand strap.
