Canon Vixia HF S200

Pros: Much improved image stabilization.
Larger viewing LCD.
Dual memory card slots. (SD, SDHC,XDHC)
Excellent quality video.
Fantastic low light video at 24 fps.

Cons: Touch screen isn't easy to navigate with.
Common items are buried in menus.
Glossy LCD screen is difficult to use in bright sunlight.

Summary: This is a great camcorder! I started with the HF100, then the HFS100 and now I own the HFS200. I love it but am not happy with some of the changes.

I prefer the "joystick" navigation, rather than the touch screen. The HFS100 LCD screen was difficult enough to see in bright daylight, but this new touch screen is very glossy - which makes it even more difficult to view on a sunny day. Not only that, but you cannot keep it clean. As soon as you start using it you will notice the screen is covered with fingerprints!

The image stabilization is much improved over the HFS100. It now has three levels of stabilization: standard (like what the HFS100 has), dynamic (much improved), and powered IS (fantastic for telephoto shooting). You won't need a steady cam for this camera!

The camcorder has 24P and 30P modes, as well as 60i modes. You can set the record quality from LP (5 Mbps) to MXP (24 Mbps). I try to record mostly in FXP (17 Mbps) - unless I want the best possible quality. It is difficult to see the difference between MXP and FXP. Some say the video quality is the same.


Bottom line - I love it, but after seeing the Panasonic TM700K - I now own both this and the TM700K. I like the Canon for low light video, and it takes much better still photos than the TM700K. But both are great camcorders. I would be hard pressed to choose only one to keep.

Updated on Dec 29, 2010

Update: One more negative for this camera. The hot-shoe is non-standard. It fits only a few Canon accessories. I had to buy a converter for about $30 so that I can use a LED light panel on it.