Canon FS11 – with Advanced Zoom Technology
Thumbs Up:
Microphone input socket; appealing design with compact shape.
Thumbs Down:
Wind filter is not so useful while recording. There is no optical image stabilization and headphone jacks.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
Canon FS11 is a 1.07-megapixel SD camcorder that has 16GB inbuilt memory and SD card slot that accepts both SD memory card and MultiMedia Card. It features CCD optical sensor, digital photo shooting mode, 2000x digital zoom, DIGIC DV II processor, remote control, and widescreen video capture.
Shooting programs are Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Spotlight, Night mode, Sports mode, and Portrait mode. The camcorder has three white balance modes: Automatic, Presets, and Custom. Its presets include Daylight and Tungsten Light.
The FS11 camcorder has inbuilt stereo microphone and 2.7 inches LCD display. Zoom lens has 2.6-96.2mm focal length with F/2.0-5.2 aperture that features 37x optical zoom. The minimum focus range is 0.4 inch.
Canon is providing one year limited warranty with the FS11 camcorder
Razzle Dazzle:
Canon FS11 is 2.4 inches tall, 4.9 inches deep, and 2.3 inches wide and weighs 9.2 ounces. It looks quite similar to its siblings – the FS100 and the FS10.
Inside Dope:
Canon has launched three standard-definition camcorders in its FS series – the FS10, the FS11, and the FS100. These three models only differ by their respective onboard memory and colors, while they have SD card slot and share similar look & shape. The FS100 comes in blue, silver and red colors, but does not have any inbuilt memory. The FS10 has 8GB internal memory and is available in silver only. In contrast, $449 priced the Canon FS11 has built-in 16GB memory and comes in dark gray color. These three FS series camcorders do not have headphone jacks and optical image stabilization. Their overall video quality is modest.
There is a large thumbwheel on the back of the Canon FS11. You can use this wheel to adjust the playback/record modes, and turn on/off recording. You can easily operate the zoom switch, photo shutter button, and power on/off switch with forefinger. You will find the SD card slot and battery cover behind the sliding panel at the bottom. There is also LED video light and inbuilt electronic lens cover.
The mini-USB port, standard 3.5mm mic jack, AV-out port, Easy button for auto-mode, and battery info button are located on behind the 2.7 inches flip-out LCD display. The joystick works for menu navigation and also shows the quick accessible controls on the LCD display such as option for video light, shutter speed, manual focus, and exposure compensation.
Canon has also debuted Advanced Zoom technology in the FS series camcorders including the FS11. It transforms the optical zoom of 37x to 48x by using the hybrid zoom. Noteworthy that this technology increases the resolution from 410,000 pixels (37x zoom) to 710,000 pixels (48x).
In fact the Canon’s FS series models are cheap camcorders that do have optical image stabilization. So, it is a bit difficult to avoid the control problems associated with the extra long zooms. We will recommend you to keep the zoom low enough for moving subjects to get the clear and accurate focus. However, you can use this extra-zoom feature with tripod mount for long-distant non-moving stationary subjects.
Three FS series models – the Canon FS11, the FS100, and the FS10 performs good to provide fast and accurate auto-focus as well as for speedy auto-exposure. As there is no electronic viewfinder in these three camcorders, so we like that LCD performs good and remains visible in sunlight. Their start-up and shut-down options are very quick. We appreciate the Canon to include instant standby/start mode that works while opening/closing the LCD display.
The Canon FS11 provides good video quality as compared to its price tag only. The videos appear soft, but blow out highlights except when zoomed in. The low light videos also look soft with image noise. The audio recording quality is good.
Nitty Gritty:
If you need an affordable standard-def camcorder with average video quality and inbuilt memory, then go for – Canon FS11. However, you can also check ultra-cheap high-def camcorder – Aiptek Go HD and DXG DXG-567V.
