Canon FS10 – ultra-mega telephoto lens
Thumbs Up:
Attractive design and compact body.
Thumbs Down:
Lacks headphone jack and optical image stabilization; average video quality.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
The Canon FS10 is a 1.07-megapixel SD camcorder that has 1/6” CCD optical sensor. It features 8GB internal flash memory, DIGIC DVII Image processor, Electronic Image Stabilization, 2000x digital zoom, Widescreen video capture, and digital photo shooting mode. The still capture resolution is 0.8-megapixel and still image format is JPEG.
The shooting programs include Portrait mode, Sports Mode, Night Mode, Spotlight, Fireworks, Beach, and Snow. The FS10 has three types of white balance: Automatic, Custom, Presets (Tungsten Light & Daylight). Its exposure modes are: Automatic and Program.
The Canon FS10 has inbuilt 2.7 inches color display and built-in stereo microphone that features wind-filter. The zoom lens has 2.6-96.2mm focal length with F/2.0-5.2 aperture that features 37x optical zoom. The camcorder has TTL contrast detection auto-focus and inbuilt lens shield. The minimum focus range is 0.4 inch. The zoom adjustment is motorized drive and focus adjustment is automatic.
The additional features are Dolby Digital (2 channel) AC-3 recording, USB 2.0 compatibility, Night Mode/Low Lux, and PictBridge support. The connector set includes 1×USB and 1×3.5mm stereo microphone – mini-phone.
The FS10 camcorder has Canon BP-808 lithium ion rechargeable battery. Accessories supplied inside the package are one A/V cable, one USB cable, drivers & utilities disc, wrist strap, user manual, and battery. Canon is providing one year warranty with the FS10 camcorder.
Razzle Dazzle:
The Canon FS10 camcorder is 2.3 inches wide, 2.4 inches tall, and 4.9 inches deep; and weighs 9.2 ounces. It comes in silver color and fits easily while holding in hand.
Inside Dope:
Canon has launched its FS series camcorder that contains the FS10, FS100, and the FS11. These three models vary in terms of memory and body color. In contrast, they have similar shape and stylish look. $435.96 priced Canon FS10 features 8GB internal flash memory, lithium ion battery, and 48x optical zoom. It incorporates Canon DIGIC DIV II processor for good color accuracy and clarity. However, there is no headphone jack and optical image stabilization. On the other hand, the FS11 has 16GB internal memory, while the FS100 does not have nay onboard memory.
2.7 inches LCD display is a good choice for a standard-definition camera, especially for the Canon FS10. You will find the Easy button for auto-mode, battery info switch, micro-USB port, standard 3.5mm microphone jack and AV out connector behind the LCD display. The joystick will work for menu navigation and instant access to controls such as video light, shutter speed, exposure compensation and manual focus. The latter manual focus does not magnify the focus area. There are few membrane buttons, such as playback controls, start/stop recording, and backlight compensation, located on the LCD’s bevel to launch respective menus.
You can turn/off recording and adjust the record/playback button using a big thumbwheel on the back. The switches like power on/off, photo shutter button, and zoom switch can be operated easily by the forefinger. The battery and micro-SD card slot is located behind a sliding panel on the bottom. We like that the Canon has also included the electronic lens cover and LED video light.
We like that you will get a shutter-priority mode in the Canon FS10 with exposure and various scene mode. The other shooting options are image and digital effect, white balance, and speed of 3Mbps, 6Mbps, and 9Mbps bit rates. In addition, there are some options inside menus including three constant and a variable zoom speed, wind-screen filter, and 16:9 wide-screen recording mode.
The power/on off switch is flush inside the body and requires a firm press. The USB port is inconveniently located beneath the LCD display. While testing, we found that the zoom switch was a bit loose. Therefore, we will recommend you to keep the hand steady while using it.
Canon has debuts its Advanced Zoom Technology that changes the 37x optical zoom to 48x by moving the lens elements to change the sensor’s focused area. It also increased the video resolution while using the same. So it is not digital zoom technically; still does not maintain the resolution around the full zoom range. You can also depict it as hybrid zoom. However, this zoom is better than the digital zoom.
There are also some issues associated with these extra-long zooms. There is no optical image stabilization on the Canon FS10 to maintain its cost. Therefore, you have to use the zoom after attaching the camcorder at a tripod mount. In addition, it is quite difficult to focus the moving objects, especially while zooming out. So, what is the benefit of this 48x zoom of the ultra-mega telephoto lens? You can shot non-moving distant objects by using a tripod mount. It also works for moving objects, but the video quality does not remain good.
The Canon’s FS series performs fast and great with speedy auto-exposure and accurate auto-focus. The LCD display remains viewable, even in direct sunlight. The startup and shutdown times are very quick. Thanks to Canon for including instant start/standby mode, which toggles on opening and closing the display.
The overall video quality was good for the FS series camcorders including the Canon FS10. The video appeared soft, but the highlights looked blown out. The colors were washed out and the low-light video was softer with more visible noise. The wind-filter was ineffective. Overall, the videos were only good for Web use only.
Nitty Gritty:
The Canon FS series – the FS100, the FS10 and the FS11 – provides typical budget video quality as per their affordable price tags.
We will recommend you to purchase the Canon FS10 if you are a fan of standard-def camcorder and Web quality videos. However, you can also go for ultra-cheap DXG DXG-567V and HD unit – Aiptek Go-HD.
