The Casio Exilim EX-FH100 offers a wide range of practical and fun high-speed shooting options; the camera has a decent control layout and it has a lithe lens in a compact body.

Thumbs Down:

Casio Exilim EX-FH100 gives mixed shooting-performance, gives almost useless raw image capture and doesn’t have complete automatic mode.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Casio

Part Number: EX-FH100BK

Price: $306.95

Product Type: Compact Digital camera

Weight: 8 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 3.9 x 0.9 x 2.1inches

Optical Sensor Type: CMOS

White balance: Custom, Automatic and Presets

White Balance Presets: Auto, Overcast, Daylight, Tungsten, Shade, Daylight Fluorescent, Day White Fluorescent and Custom

Recording modes: Aperture priority, Program Auto, Manual, Best Shot, Shutter priority, Movie (High Speed and Normal)

Metering Modes: Multi, Spot and Center-weighted average

Color effects: Black & White, Sepia, Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple and Pink

Software: Photo Transport and YouTube Uploader (Windows only)

Connector Type: 1 x HDMI

Software: YouTube Uploader (Windows only) and Photo Transport

Storage media: SD/SDHC card

Input / Output Terminals: HDMI output (Mini)

USB: Hi-Speed USB, USB/AV port

Focus Adjustment: Manual   and Automatic

Flash Modes: Fill-in mode,   Auto mode,   Red-eye reduction and Flash OFF mode

Camera Flash: Built-in

Battery Type: Lithium ion rechargeable, 520 shots

Razzle Dazzle:

The Casio Exilim EX-FH100 comes in an all-black metal casing, which not only gives it a classy look, but also enhances a bit of its heft and high-quality feel. The metal casing also makes the camera slightly more durable, and although we are not sure how much abuse the camera could take, but still its design gives an impression that the camera surely will take abuse more than most of the other compact cameras in the market. The camera also is comparatively smaller and will easily get into a loose pants pocket or in a small bag. Though, the overall design of the camera is pretty decent, but still we have certain issues with its design, firstly the flash of the camera has been positioned so close to the right hand gripe that it could easily be obscured during operation, the second problem is pretty similar, but this time it is with the stereo mic, which is placed in such a position on the left that it could easily be blocked with a misplaced finger.

Inside Dope:

If, you hate loosing your shots because of the slow performance of your camera, then its time you switch to the Casio Exilim EX-FH100. The Casio Exilim EX-FH100 camera has a high-speed lens in a compact body and delivers high speed shooting performance. The high speed shooting capability of the camera could be attributed to a illuminated CMOS sensor, which captures movies at the rate of up to 1,000fps and 9 megapixel images at the speed of up to 40 frames per second and is positioned at the rear end of the camera. The good thing here is that the camera will prerecord your images prior to your pressing the shutter, as a result of which you don’t loose the shot you want. Casio combines all these features with a 24mm equivalent wide-angle lens having a 10x zoom, and gives you immense flexibility for capturing things you normally can not capture using the normal point-and-shoot.

Unlike the previous Casio models that have had a couple of apparently unnecessary buttons, which made them a tad confusing to use, the Exilim EX-FH100 has a lot more sensible control panel. The additional control options for the camera here makes a lot more sense as they provides access to two of camera’s key potentials: video and high-speed shooting of photos.

The top floor of the camera houses the shutter release with zoom ring, a power button, and shooting mode dial. There also is the switch for switching to nonstop shooting (either normal or high-speed depending upon the selection you’ve made into the main menu system).

The rear of the camera has the LCD display and on the right of the LCD there is a separate movie record button along with a selector to go in between the high and normal speed capture modes. Positioned underneath it are the switches for moving in between the capture and playback, a Menu button and a circular directional pad having a Set button in the center. Pressing both the capture and play buttons, turns on the camera into their relevant modes. There are a lot of other buttons as well to do a lot with the camera and if you don’t like to experiment a lot with your shots, you surely will be missing a lot of useful features of the camera.

The Exilim EX-FH100 comes with CIPA rating for a notable 520 shots and the camera delivers excellent battery life as well. Though, using the high-speed settings and the continuous shooting modes will dry up the battery a lot faster than expected. The huge rechargeable pack for the camera is positioned behind a locking door at the base of the camera, and so is the memory card slot. The battery of the camera doesn’t charges in the camera and hence you’ll have to remove it for charging. Finally, the camera comes with Mini-HDMI and Mini-USB/AV ports for connecting the camera to an external display and/or a computer behind a door positioned behind a door on the right hand side of the camera.

The shooting performance of the camera ranges from average to below average, outside the burst modes. The camera takes sluggish 3.4 seconds to completely get ready for capturing its first shot from a completely off state. The average shot-to-shot timings for the camera on an average are 4.1 seconds with flash and 2.3 seconds without it.

The good news although here is that the photo quality delivered by the camera is pretty good, and even decent at times. But the quality of the photos largely depends upon the size on which you are viewing them. The quality remains detailed and sharp when the pictures are viewed at 8 x 10 inches, but going beyond that brings apparent distortion in the quality. Although if most of the shots you have taken are viewed at small sizes or are viewed on TV and screens, then the shots taken from the camera are just fine.

Nitty Gritty:

The Casio Exilim EX-FH100 is a compelling Megazoom camera, offering high-speed performance. It is a perfect choice for the photography fanatics who are worried about missing a snapshot.

The latest Firmware update is known as Firmware v1.2.1 and is said to bring improvements in the performance of its EOS 7D digital SLR camera. Apart from enhancing the performance of its EOS 7D digital SLR cameras the Firmware v1.2.1 also fixes the bugs like the magenta banding, which could appear in still images that are being shot under very specific conditions in movie mode.

The Firmware v1.2.1 is easily available for instant download from Canon’s website. Doing further research on Firmware v1.2.1 we came to know that it’s another version the Firmware v1.2.2 fixes the display bugs occurring in particular shooting conditions, it fixes AF point selection and at the same time it also addresses an error in movie mode. One another interesting thing we found here was that it also corrects the misspellings in the Thai and Spanish language menus. The Firmware v1.2.2 can also be downloaded immediately from Canon’s website.

Another version of the Firmware update launched by Canon is the version 1.0.8, which has been launched for Canon’s EOS 1D Mark IV dSLRs and EOS Rebel T2i on their Japan support site. But now these updates are also available on Canon’s USA website i.e. CanonUSA.com.

The Version 1.0.8 does the following for both the models:

• Firstly, it fixes the problem of moving of the set aperture unpredictably while shooting movies in manual exposure mode with the help of some lenses like the macro lenses.
• Also on the EOS 1D Mark IV, the 1.0.8 also corrects some misspellings in the Spanish and French menu text.

Considering the price of the camera Samsung HZ35W has high-quality features, performance, design, and photo quality.

Thumbs Down:

The Samsung HZ35W has confusing GPS setup; then using the ASM mode is a real pain here, and the camera delivers middling low-light photos.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Samsung

Part Number: EC-HZ35WZBPAUS

Price: $319.00 – $319.99

Product Type: Compact Digital Camera

Weight: 7.5 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 4.2 x 1.1 x 2.4 inches

Optical Sensor Type: CCD

White balance: Custom, Automatic and Presets

White Balance Presets: Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent light (daylight), Tungsten light and Fluorescent light (cool white)

Software: Drivers & Utilities & Samsung Intelli Studio

Cables Included: USB cable& A/V cable

Connector Type: USB, Composite audio/video output, DC power input and HDMI

Additional Features: DPOF support , Built-in GPS , Face detection , USB charging , Date/time stamp , Audio recording , Face Recognition , Built-in speaker , PictBridge support , Exif Print support , Recycle Bin function , Photo album function , In-camera red-eye fix , Touch-screen control , 720p HD movie recording , USB 2.0 compatibility , Blink Detection technology , Dual image stabilization , Auto Contrast Balance (ACB) and Smile Detection technology

Shooting Programs: Food , Cafe , Text , Snow , Children , Sunset , Dawn/dusk , Close-up , Landscape , Fireworks , Beauty shot , Back light , Portrait mode , Night scene and Self-portrait

Focus Adjustment: Automatic

Flash Modes: Fill-in mode,   Auto mode,   Flash OFF mode,   and slow synchro and Red-eye reduction

Included Accessories: Carrying strap

Operating System Support: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, Apple Mac OS X 10.3 or later and Microsoft Windows Vista

Camera Flash: Built-in

Peripheral Devices: USB port & CD-ROM drive

Supported Battery: Samsung SLB-11A

Razzle Dazzle:

IN terms of design and build the Samsung HZ35W clearly is one of the biggest compact Megazooms we’ve tested this year. As a matter of fact, the camera has the longest and the widest lens in this class. The camera also has a 3-inch dazzling AMOLED screen with high-resolution, as well. The best thing is that the screen performed exceedingly well in direct sunlight as well. The body of the camera is a blend of chrome plastic and gray metal, and gives a sturdy feel when held in hand. With the lens retracted, the HZ35W is a good-looking camera and can easily slip into your jacket’s pocket or bag, but will be an awkward fit in a pants pocket. Despite the huge, heavy lens the camera is well balanced and is comfortable to use and hold.

Inside Dope:

The Samsung HZ35W came as a surprise to us, as its precursor the HZ15W, was kind of a mess and we actually doesn’t have any serious hopes with this camera as well. But happily, the HZ35W is, which it should be, an improved camera than its precursor. Samsung has made improvements in its photo quality and design, and has equipped the camera with some of the advanced features like a sharper, a GPS receiver, a longer, wider lens and higher-resolution display.

Though, on the downside, the shooting performance of the camera isn’t improved, but as the shooting performance was already good, there actually isn’t any major displeasure there. The menu system of the camera can stick use some improvement and the GPS setup for the camera still has got some wrinkles that needs to be addressed. Another downside here is the manual and semi-manual modes; they actually are pain to use. Also the low-light/ high ISO photo quality delivered by the camera could easily have been better.

The one thing that we can assure you here is that if you are someone who makes a lot of changes in settings changes or really wants the ASM mode, then this camera surely is not the right option to go with. But apart from this, on a whole the HZ35W is a solid compact Megazoom on a whole, particularly for those who are looking for a widest and longest lens in a pocketable body and built-in GeoTagging.

The biggest selling point for Samsung HZ35W is its en suite GPS receiver for GeoTagging photos while you are capturing them. Sadly, but yes, the experience of using the GPS out of the box is a tad less than instinctive. There is a switch given on top of the camera for turning the receiver on and off, which makes its operation fast and is surely better than going in to the menus and then doing it all.

The control panel for the camera is rather straightforward, and along with the GPS power switch positioned on the top are the power button, the shutter release button with a zoom ring and shooting mode dial. All these are angled, a bit downward which makes them comparatively comfortable to use. Positioned on the rear end, and at the top is a one-touch record button for movies that’s exceedingly more functional than the exposure compensation rocker button from its precursor HZ15W. Go further down and you will find a Menu button to access all the setup and shooting; there also is a four-way directional pad to navigate and to alter the display information, entering manual and macro focus, setting a timer, or for turning the flash on; a Function (Fn) button which brings up a context-sensitive shooting menu and a Playback button.

The controls on the camera are rather clear, but the same can’t be said about the menu system. Now, as for the outputs and inputs, the camera has a flip-open door positioned on its right side body. Under that cover is a Mini-USB/AV and Mini-HDMI ports. The camera also has a Mini-HDMI-to-USB cable included to connect the camera to a computer and charging.

The shooting performance of Samsung HZ35W is pretty decent for its class, but still we wont recommend it for shooting fast moving subjects like athletes, kids and pets, though you can use it for still subjects. The photo quality for the camera is pretty decent up to ISO 200, and the photos taken at these lower sensitivities are comparatively sharper, with very less to no noise, even when viewed at 100 percent. Though, by ISO 400 there is a significant shift in quality with the noise becoming apparent. The, photos taken here are decent enough for small or web uses, with very small or no cropping. Theirs is a significant detail loss at ISO 800. So on a whole the Samsung HZ35W is also like all the other compact cameras: impressive in bright light, but weak indoor and low-light photos.

Nitty Gritty:

The Samsung HZ35W is a completely refurbished successor of HZ15W, and hence is a worth considering GPS-enabled compact Megazoom.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 comes in a slim design; has a very fun and handy set of features; delivers quick shooting performance and considering its class the camera delivers really decent low-light photo quality for its class.

We hated:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 has a poor battery life and it delivers soft videos and photos.

Introduction:

For the point-and-shoot cameras, it’s hard to associate high price tag, with fast shooting performance or/and superb photo quality. As a matter of fact, whatever price you are paying for the camera, its all for the compact body of the camera loaded with immense features. For example, the all new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7, which comes with Sony’s Exmor R high-speed backside-illuminated sensors, a high-resolution 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD, a 1080i movie capture at 60 frames per second and a 25mm-equivalent wide-angle lens and all these features in a body measuring only just 0.7 inch thick.

The DSC-TX7’s sensor pooled with Sony’s Bionz image processor lets you do a lot of things that you generally can’t do with your typical pocket camera. Two of those things are great low-light photos and speedy performance, though, the overall photo quality for the camera is less exceptional. The photos taken from the camera are best suited for taking prints of about 8×10 inches or smaller, Web use and viewing on a TV. If you are not all that critic buyer, then the design and feature of the camera makes it a worth considering camera.

Build and Design:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is available in red, dark blue and silver versions. The complete metal body of the camera gives it an elegant feel and the rear end of the camera only has 3.5 inch high-resolution touch-screen display. Considering the features of the camera it’s rather slim and can easily is carried in a small handbag or pocket. Camera has physical controls like shutter and power buttons on the top of the camera; a small crux of a zoom rocker positioned on the right corner; and the playback and movie/photo mode buttons. Like most of the camera with internal lens, here also you will have to be careful with your finger placing, or else you can easily get your finger covering the flash.

The display on the rear end of the camera is Sony’s high-contrast Xtra Fine display, which is rather good. The display was easily visible even under direct sunlight, though, you will want to keep it clean and wipe out all the fingerprints. The touch screen interface of Sony makes navigation easy, all you have to do is just tap the menu icon in the upper corner and it will bring a pane of shooting options available, along with this you also will get a Toolbox icon to take you to a secondary menu for general settings.

The DSC-TX7 comes with Sony’s TransferJet technology for wireless video and photo transfer between the TransferJet-companionable devices and the camera. Using this technology you can transfer images without actually pairing the two devices, all you go to do is to bring both the devices within an inch of each other.

Positioned on the base of the camera is the compartment housing Memory stick/battery with a locking door, a tripod mount and a proprietary connector to be used with the included multioutput dock. Like most of Sony’s 2010 Cyber-shots, the TX7 also accepts both the SD/SDHC cards and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards for memory. Though, the camera only has a single slot for both the card types, situated just next to its battery compartment.

One another important thing here is that you can’t charge the battery inside the camera. We find it a shame, especially when even the battery life of the camera is really short. The company sells an AC adapter separately for charging the camera, but still the battery doesn’t charges in camera. Probably it is to charge the camera when using AV, HDMI and USB ports.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Sony

Part Number: DSC-TX7/R

Price: $342.10 – $399.99

Product Type: Compact Digital camera

Weight: 4.7 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 3.9 x 0.7 x 2.4 inches

LCD size: 3.5 inch LCD

Resolution: 10.2 megapixels

Optical Sensor Type: Exmor R CMOS

Operating System Support: Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, Apple Mac OS X 10.3 – 10.6 and Microsoft Windows Vista

Shooting Modes: Frame movie mode

Supported Flash Memory: Memory Stick Duo,   SD Memory Card and Memory Stick PRO Duo

White Balance Presets: Cloudy, Flash, Underwater, Daylight, Fluorescent light (daylight), Incandescent, Fluorescent light (warm white) and Fluorescent light (cool white)

Exposure Modes: Program &   Automatic

Peripheral Devices: USB port & CD-ROM drive

Software: Drivers & Utilities &, Sony Picture Motion Browser

Cables Included: USB cable & A/V cable

Connector Type: USB, Composite audio/video output, HDMI output and Component video output

Additional Features: Auto HDR mode , Direct print , Audio recording , Face detection , Time/Date stamp , Auto power save , Cropping an image , Built-in speaker , TransferJet support , PictBridge support , Progressive scanning , PRINT Image Matching , In-camera red-eye fix , Touch-screen control , Digital noise reduction , USB 2.0 compatibility , Sweep Panorama technology , Dynamic Range Optimizer , Smile Detection technology , Blink Detection technology , Automatic display brightness adjustment and Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN)

Shooting Programs: Snow , Pet , Gourmet , Beach , Landscape , Fireworks , Back light , Soft snap , Portrait mode , Underwater , Twilight mode , Reducing blur , High sensitivity , Hi-speed shutter , Twilight portrait , Handheld twilight , Twilight using a tripod and Backlight portrait

Features: AF illuminator

Supported Battery: Li-ion rechargeable battery

Performance:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7’s shooting performance is really superb. The shutter lag in decent bright condition for the camera is of low 0.4 second, while the same in decent lightening conditions goes up to 0.6 second. Without flash the shot-to-shot timing for the camera is of 1.6 seconds and bumps to 2.2 seconds with flash. The camera can capture 10 frames per second at full resolution in its burst mode. Even the time taken to capture its first shot from a complete off stage is pretty less and the camera captures it in 1.6 seconds.

The quality delivered by the camera is just as expected of a point-and-shoot camera. The quality is really great up to ISO 200, but at very high sensitivities the noise reduction softens the fine details, which becomes pretty apparent when the movies are viewed at 100 percent or when it heavily cropped. So like most of the point-and-shoots it better not to shoot at very high ISOs.

Expert Comments:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is a feature-laden, fast-shooting, slick ultracompact camera, but the price of the camera doesn’t ensure quality.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 is powered by AA-size batteries; has simple operation and a huge 3 inch display LCD.

Thumbs Down:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 doesn’t have any modish features and comes delivers really soft photos.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Sony

Part Number: DSC-S2100

Price: $99.00 – $113.63

Product Type: Digital Camera Compact

Weight: 4.8 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 3.9 x 1.1 x 2.4inches

Operating System Support: Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows 7, Apple Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.6 and Microsoft Windows XP SP3

Optical Sensor Type: Super HAD CCD

White balance: Custom, Automatic and Presets

White Balance Presets: Cloudy, Flash, Incandescent, Daylight, Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (daylight) and Fluorescent light (warm white)

Software: Sony Picture Motion Browser and Drivers & Utilities

Cables Included: USB cable

Connector Type: 1 x USB and 1 x Composite audio/video output

Extra Features: Direct print , DPOF support , Auto power save , Face detection , Cropping an image , Built-in speaker , Resizing an image , Histogram display , Built-in help guide , PictBridge support , In-camera red-eye fix , PRINT Image Matching , Digital image rotation , USB 2.0 compatibility , Smile Detection technology , Blink Detection technology , Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN)  and Camera orientation detection

Shooting Programs: Beach, Snow, Landscape, Gourmet, Twilight mode, Soft snap, Twilight portrait and High sensitivity

Focus Adjustment: Automatic

Flash Modes: Fill-in mode,   Auto mode,   Flash OFF mode,   and slow synchro and Red-eye reduction

Included Accessories: Wrist strap

Camera Flash: Built-in

Peripheral Devices: USB port and CD-ROM drive

Service & Support: One year warranty

Razzle Dazzle:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 is a graciously built camera, which gives great feel for its price when held in hand. The camera measures 3.9 x 1.1 x 2.4 inches (W x D x H) and comes in three color options of orange, black and silver. One of the biggest assets for the camera is its AA batteries that powers the camera, and related to that is it’s another asset, the decent grip on the right of the camera. This extra room on the right of the camera was generated while creating space for the AA-batteries. Maximum part of the camera is made up of plastic, but in order to give it a high-end look, Sony has used a piece of brushed metal around its lens. One another highlight for the camera is its larger-than-usual 3 inch LCD display; we generally have seen 2.5 and 2.7 inch LCD screens in the cameras of this price bracket and class.

Inside Dope:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 is the only camera in Sony’s 2010 lineup, which is powered by AA-Size battery. Apart from this, another major selling point for this entry-level compact camera is its huge LCD. The camera primarily is for the basic users who actually doesn’t needs a lot of complex functions and can do only with the basic features and simple operation. Just as expected, the photo quality delivered by the camera surely isn’t exceptional and so is the case with the performance speed. Its better that you keep your expectations modest if you are buying the S2100; it will protect you from any sort of disappointment. But this not at all means that the camera is worthless; considering the price and class of the camera; it delivers decent performance. Also the respectable color quality of the camera gives you decent photos even in the dim lightening conditions.

The controls for the camera are rather basic. Placed on the top of the camera are power and the shutter release buttons. The remaining controls are all located at the back and at the right of the huge LCD display of the camera. the camera comes with a rocker switch for its 3x zoom; a button for switching amid the photo and movie modes; a play button to review the movies and shots captured from the camera and a four-way clasp for varying the flash and timer functions, displaying information, navigation and to activating smile detection. Most of the buttons positioned on the camera are comparatively smaller in size, but can be pressed easily. But the select button and the control panel for the camera definitely could have been a bit larger.

Just like the control system, the menu of the system is also rather clear-cut.  Pressing the Menu button opens the shooting modes along with the particular settings for the mode in which you actually are in.

The left edge of the camera houses an uncovered Micro-USB/AV port, which can be used for taking the output on a TV, monitor or computer. The base of the camera houses a non-locking door, covering memory card slot, the battery compartment, and the tripod mount. Just as most of the Sony’s 2010 Cyber-shots, the S2100 also has only one slot, which accepts Memory Stick Pro Duo cards and SD/SDHC.

The performance of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 is just as you expect from an entry-level compact camera; the camera is slow. But as we knew its class we were expecting the slowness and hence were not surprised with it. Though, the good thing here is that the camera is faster than most of the cameras of its class. The camera gets ready for its first shot in 2.3 seconds from a completely off state. The shutter lag here is 0.6 second in bright sunlight, while in low lighting conditions it goes to 1 second. The only thing that the camera does at a reasonable speed is that it shoots at 1.1 frames per second. SO seeing the performance figures for the camera we would recommend you to use the camera for capturing still or immovable objects.

Even the photo quality of the camera was somewhat entry-level type. The photos taken here were smeary and soft and it remained the same even in the very low ISOs. The condition gets worse as you move up at higher sensitivities. Though, the steady color performance of the camera up to ISO 800 will get you decent shots even in very dim light. In general, considering the class and cost of the camera, the performance was fine; although you got to be choosy in your purpose of using the photos.

Nitty Gritty:

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 is a simple entry-level compact camera powered by AA-Size batteries.

The Panasonic HDC-SD60S delivers imposing performance; comes with superior than standard autofocus; has immense battery life; and the camcorder with a comfortable design comes with manual shutter-speed and iris controls.

Thumbs Down:

The LCD touchscreen of Panasonic HDC-SD60S is a bit cramped and even has a low-resolution; apart from this the camcorder delivers soft video quality.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Panasonic

Part Number: HDC-SD60S

Price: $409.00 – $529.95

Product Type: Camcorder – 1080i

Weight: 9 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 2 x 4.4 x 2.6 inches

White Balance Presets: Cloudy, Indoor, Sunlight and Outdoor

Operating System Support: Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later, Apple Mac OS X 10.5.8, Microsoft Windows 7 & Apple Mac OS X 10.6.x

Software: Drivers & Utilities, Panasonic HD Writer AE 2.0

Cables Included: USB cable and A/V cable

Connector Type: HDMI output, Composite audio/video output, USB and Component video output

Additional Features: AF/AE tracking ,   DPOF support ,   Built-in speaker ,   Face detection ,   Pre-Rec function ,   Face Recognition ,   Built-in help guide ,   PictBridge support ,   YouTube capture mode ,   Touch-screen control ,   Backlight compensation ,   USB 2.0 compatibility ,   Smile Detection technology ,  Intelligent Scene Selector ,  Automatic display brightness adjustment ,  Intelligent Contrast Control and Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording

Shooting Programs: Beach, Snow, Scenery, Sunset, Low light, Fireworks, Night scene, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports mode and Night portrait

Focus Adjustment: Manual and Automatic

Included Accessories: Pen stylus

Camera Flash: Fitted Flash

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

Razzle Dazzle:

The Panasonic HDC-SD60S comes with an Intelligent Zoom function and a 25x optical zoom. The intelligent zoom function of the camcorder can easily go up to 35x. While shooting with Intelligent Zoom, the Intelligent Resolution technology of the camcorder lets you shoot at high zoom rates and preserve the image resolution.

In general the design of the camcorder has a comfortable-to-grip design and a well-built feel. If you are not a very big fan of the tubular design designs of the flash-memory camcorders or just have slightly bigger hands, then here you will get a slight extra grip due to the hard disk of HS60. Its hard disk sticks out a bit on the right hand side of the camcorder and gives you a little extra edge for gripping. The camcorder belongs to the entry-level HD camcorder quartet from Panasonic, and hence like its siblings it also doesn’t have an accessory shoe. On the contrary, the top end of the camcorder houses a shutter button and zoom switch clicking still photos. Deviating from the traditional design for its price class, the HDC-SD60S comes with an LED video light for shooting in comparatively dim and low lighting environments. This definitely is a nice touch, as long as any one doesn’t clicks directly into your eyes.

Inside Dope:

The Panasonic HDC-SD60S is one of the four all new entrant from Panasonic into the entry-level HD camcorder market. We won’t say that it’s a bad thing to have so many entry-level HD camcorders from the same maker, but yes, we definitely think that it’s too much. Panasonic seems to be bombarding in between the $500 and $700 entry level camcorder range, rather than going for any significant improvement. But the good thing here is that, like all the other three siblings, the HDC-SD60S also delivers significant performance and battery life. So at least you don’t have to worry about the performance from the camcorder.

The HDC-SD60S comes with a switch for switching among its video, playback and still modes, on its rear end. This clearly is a lot more suitable than going through the entire complicated LCD touch screen. Positioned alongside the switch is a power connector. The LCD recess of the camcorder contains a complete set of connectors and ports, along with its power button. The ports and connectors include an SDXC card slot, Mini-HDMI and video out and USB. Now, although this is rather common in modern camcorders, but we still are not a big fan of this approach. As a matter of fact we think it’s a tad awkward, as your LCD will be open all the time when you connect the camcorder with any other device of your choice. A button positioned on the top of the camcorder lets you switch in between the intelligent manual and auto mode of the camcorder.

The relevant options for both the modes of the camcorder are accessible through a set of icons displayed on the touchscreen. The HDC-SD60S along with its other three siblings provides the manual iris and shutter speed controls, and while its tad uncommon, we don’t think it’s completely unique. The user interface of the camcorder here also is fairly straightforward.

The one satisfactory thing about the camcorder is the performance of the camera. As a matter of fact the performance here not only is good for its class, but in general as well. The zoom switch for the camcorder is easy to control and gives a decent feel. Unlike the autofocus of some of its competitors, the autofocus here is rather fast and precise and focuses the right subject only.

The video quality delivered by the camcorder was not the best we’ve seen, but it still was sufficient for its price class. So you can expect reasonable performance from HDC-SD60S and that too without any significant glitches. The HDC-SD60S also has a second image stabilization system in the form of Power OIS, which mainly is optimized for shooting while walking.

Nitty Gritty:

The Panasonic HDC-SD60S is an entry-level HD camera from Panasonic and like most of its other siblings; this camcorder also delivers respectable performance and has a decent amount of feature set.

The Kodak EasyShare Z981 comes with respectable incorporated sharing software and the camera has as catchy price.

Thumbs Down:

The Kodak EasyShare Z981 delivers really mediocre to poor photo quality and performance and the camera also doesn’t have a lot of basic options.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Kodak

Part Number: 1020304

Price: $249.00 – $329.99

Product Type: Compact Digital camera

Weight: 19 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 4.9 x 3.3 x 4.1 inches

Optical Sensor Type: CCD

Camera Flash: Pop-up flash

Shooting Modes: Frame movie mode

White balance: Automatic and Presets

Exposure Modes: Program,   Manual,   Shutter-priority,   Automatic and Aperture-priority

Shooting Programs: Text , Snow , Flower , Beach , Children , Museum , Landscape , Fireworks , Manor shot , Back light , Portrait mode , Sports mode , Night portrait , Self-portrait , Panorama assist   and Night landscape

Special Effects: Natural, Sepia, High color, Low color and Black & White

Peripheral Devices: USB port & CD-ROM drive

Software: Kodak EasyShare & Drivers & Utilities

Cables Included: USB cable

Connector Type: USB, Composite video/audio output, DC power input

Additional Features: Audio recording , Face detection , Histogram display , Auto power save , USB 2.0 compatibility, YouTube capture mode , Scene Detection Technology , In-camera red-eye removal and KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology

Shooting Programs: Text , Snow , Flower , Beach , Children , Museum , Landscape , Fireworks , Manor shot , Back light , Portrait mode , Sports mode , Night portrait , Self-portrait , Panorama assist and Night landscape

Flash Modes: Fill-in mode, Auto mode, Red-eye reduction and Flash OFF mode

Focus Adjustment: Automatic and Manual

Included Accessories: Lens cap, Camera grip and Neck strap

Supported Battery: AA

Battery Type: 4 x AA NiMH rechargeable battery

Razzle Dazzle:

The design of Kodak EasyShare Z981 is just like any other compact Megazoom camera we’ve seen min the market; so there definitely is nothing to impress you in terms of looks. Measuring 4.9 x 3.3 x 4.1 inches, the design of the camera is planned around the enormous wide-angle 26x zoom lens of it and that is the reason behind the design similarity with the other camcorders as well. Though, having a huge wide-angle lens lets you do a lot around the camera. But the design actually seems to be inspired by Kodak’s Z980 launched in 2009; though the Z981 is comparatively compact than this. Also the Z981 comes without the hot shoe of the previous model.

Inside Dope:

The Kodak EasyShare Z981 is a late addition in Kodak’s camera lineup. The EasyShare Z981 was released alongside the other cameras of Kodak at CES 2010, but it was not showcased at the same time. The only resemblance we found in the Z981 and the cameras rest of the cameras released alongside it were the built-in sharing software and the sharing button. The combination of the software and the button lets you share your photos over internet. Apart from this the camera on a whole is a pretty sloppy, with some of the basic yet important features missing from it. Even the performance delivered by the camera was not all that good, with the poor photo quality and sluggish operational speed. Even the design of the camera is rather clunky.

The camera houses the shooting-mode dial on top of its body, in conjunction with a spring-loaded power switch. The position of power switch is a tad awkward, with it being placed so in front that you actually have to put some effort to turn on the camera. Positioned alongside the camera’s Mode dial is an upright dial that lets you adjust and select the shot settings. Though, it’s nicely placed at its place, but we still think that it would have been better on the rear end of the camera from where you can easily operate it with your thumb. The camera comes with a secondary shutter release button positioned at the lower end of cameras front edge of the handgrip. There is a switch given on top of the camera to activate it, and for changing the directional pad into a zoom toggle.

Turn to the back end of the camera and you’ll find a 3 inch LCD and an electronic viewfinder. The camera comes with a switch on the rear end of the camera on the left of the EVF for switching in between the two. The Menu, Playback, Info/help and Delete buttons for the camera can be found on the right down right hand side of the LCD. On the right of these buttons, the camera houses a directional pad for navigating menus, movies and browsing photos. The aforementioned Share button for Kodak EasyShare 981 is also positioned on the rear end of the camera. This share button lets you share your photos instantly on any particular social networking websites like YouTube, Orkut, Facebook and Flickr etc; you even can share photos on any compatible Kodak digital photo frames.

The camera has a rather simple menu system, with only two tabs given there: one is for camera set up while another one is for camera setup. The ports and slots for the camera include the one and only Micro-USB/AV port. This port is positioned under a door, on the right side of the camera.

The performance is the real downside for the camera and the Kodak EasyShare Z981 performed somewhat in equivalence with the other CCD-sensor-based megazooms. So it’s pretty clear that neither the quality, nor the speed of the camera was exceptional or even impressive. The camera took decent amount of time in all  the respective speed test departments, so be it the 2.5 seconds for starting and getting ready for its first shot, or be it shot-to-shot time of 6.3 seconds, you surely cant expect a lot from the camera. This was quite upsetting as we know Kodak cameras to be fast.

Not only was the speed, the photo quality of the camera also was not that impressive. The photos taken even at the very low ISO had apparent noise and were soft (the noise were more apparent when we checked the photos in 100 percent). The photo quality delivered by the camera was more of like taken from videos than being taken from still. Though, the video quality was acceptable (considering the web usage purpose only).

Nitty Gritty:

The Kodak EasyShare Z981 has a catchy price tag around its neck and has pretty decent sharing in-built software; but the camera lacks some really basic shooting options and delivers really mediocre performance and photo quality.

The Canon Powershot SD4000 IS delivers really decent quality low light photos; the camera comes with nice lens and delivers fast shooting performance.

Thumbs Down:

Most of the shooting modes of Canon Powershot SD4000 IS are hidden in the menu system; also the camera has limited shooting options in comparison to some of the other competing models.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Canon USA

Part Number: CanonPowershotSD4000ISwhite

Price: $349.99

Product Type: Digital Cameras

Weight: 0.4 lbs

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 3.9 x 0.9 x 2.1inches

Optical Sensor Type: CMOS

White balance: Automatic

White Balance Presets: Cloudy, Automatic, Fluorescent, Tungsten light, Custom and Fluorescent H

Software: Drivers & Utilities

Cables Included: A/V cable & USB cable

Connector Type: AV output & USB

Additional Features: AE/FE Lock & DPOF support

Shooting Programs: Portrait , Automatic , Kids , Night snapshot , Smile shot , Pets , Smart shutter , Indoor , Low light , High speed burst , Color swap , Color accent , Foliage , Fisheye , Beach , Snow , Stitch assist , Fireworks and Normal movie mode

Focus Adjustment: Automatic &   Manual

Flash Modes: Red-eye reduction,   Auto mode,   Flash ON mode,   Auto red-eye correction mode,   and slow synchro and Flash OFF mode

Included Accessories: Battery charger, Lithium-ion battery pack, USB interface cable, Wrist strap and A/V cable

Camera Flash: Built-in

Special Effects: Neutral , Vivid , Sepia , Black & White , Lighter skin tone , Positive film , Vivid blue , Darker skin tone , Vivid red , Vivid green and Custom color

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

Razzle Dazzle:

The Canon Powershot SD4000 IS pretty similar to some of the Canon’s high-end Digital Elphs. The camera is a tad thick, but still is immensely pocketable and comfortable in holding and using. The camera is available in silver, black and red editions, in addition to an optional white version. The white version is the part of Canon’s deluxe kit, which includes a leather case and a metal next strap. We won’t rate the camera as a catchy model, but yes, the camera is attractive.

The camera has a huge 3-inch wide-screen LCD on its rear end. Though, the LCD here is decent on a whole, but the resolution for it is comparatively lower than expected from a higher-end pocket camera. The LCD gets sufficiently bright, and can be easily used even in bright sunlight. One of the strong points of the camera that even can compel a lot of potential buyers to get this camera is its 28mm equivalent wide-angle lens having a maximum aperture of f2.0. For plenty of photography fanatics, these features are way more important than the zoom range, which here is 3.8x, rather short in comparison to today’s market standards. Though, the combination of the two is great for landscapes and portraits in addition to its capability to let additional light in, so that you need to use comparatively less, higher ISOs and slower shutter speeds for low-light shooting.

Inside Dope:

The Canon Powershot SD4000 IS comes with the high-flying f2.0 lens from Canon’s PowerShot S90, which is one of the most prominent cameras since it was launched in 2009. The reason behind the success of S90 was its feature set (its f2.0 lens and manual shooting controls, primarily). This is what made is a catchy option for digital SLR users. So capitalizing on the fact that the f2.0 lens has benefits which the Snapshooters can also appreciate, Canon came up with the SD4000 IS we are talking about here.

The Powershot SD4000 IS also is one of company’s very first Digital Elph to have Shutter and Aperture priority modes, but still there is no raw capture support, no complete manual option and the camera doesn’t have the control ring, which made S90 a fun to use camera. Though, you do get 720p HD movie capture, which was not there in S90. The camera also is company’s very first model to feature a high-speed backside-illuminated CMOS sensor (BSI), although it’s still the emblematic compact-camera-size sensor, 1/2.3-inch type.

The top floor of Camera’s body houses a three-way shooting mode switch; a power button; and the shutter release having a zoom ring around it. The Power button here is flushed completely with the body, so it can be hard to find it out without looking at it. The zoom of the camera is controlled by a miniscule nub positioned on the on the ring. Though, it clearly is not easy and our fingers frequently slipped off it during the use.

The rest of the controls of the camera are rather simple, but finding instantly what you need can be really hard. Positioned on the right and in between the huge Menu and Playback buttons, there is an unmarked directional pad/Control Dial. Touching the dial brings up the description of the button on the display screen, this makes it easy to find out which direction to press for changing exposure, flash, focus settings and self timer. The only problem here is that even the slightest of the touch pops it up, so it will appear frequently while shooting, obscuring what you actually wants to shoot.

The dial here does help in fast navigation, though and for speedy changes to aperture and shutter speed in the semi manual shooting modes. Though, the movement of the dial is rather free, but you still can feel its individual stops while rotating it. On the right hand side of the camera body, there are the Mini-HDMI and Mini-USB ports, to let you connect the camera to monitor, HDTV or a computer. Positioned at the bottom are the memory and battery compartment, under a nonlocking door; though it does closes firmly. The battery life of the camera is rather slow and most importantly it doe not charges in the camera. Though you can get slightly extended battery life if you can limit the number of switching between shooting stills and video.

The shooting performance of the camera was slightly different from what we’ve seen in other Canon’s PowerShots and the camera turns on and gets ready for a completely off stage in 1.9 secs.   Even the shot-to-shot timing here was decent, and without flash it was 2.4 secs, while with flash it becomes 3.6 secs.

The best thing came with the photo quality and the SD4000 IS delivered some of the finest photos we’ve seen from a camera having a BSI CMOS sensor. Canon has done a commendable job in balancing the noise and noise reduction. The color accuracy of the camera is pretty good and the camera delivered bright and vivid results.

Nitty Gritty:

The Canon Powershot SD4000 IS comes with vivid, wide-angle lens and a high-sensitivity sensor, both of which add up to a really fast and imposing low light performance.

The Canon Vixia HF S200 has a respectably designed user interface; the phone has dual SDHC slots and superb set of manual features.

Thumbs Down:

The Canon Vixia HF S200 has a really small battery life; the camcorder doesn’t support SDXC; its default to inferior video mode; the camcorder has a really inadequately designed touch-screen menu system and it’s comparatively expensive.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Price:  $1,399.00 – $1,399.99

Product Type: Camcorder – 1080p

Manufacturer: Canon USA

Part Number: 4374B001

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 3 x 5.8 x 2.9 inches

Weight: 16.6 oz

Shooting Modes: Digital photo mode

Optical Sensor Type: CMOS

Exposure Modes: Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority and Aperture-priority

White balance: Custom, Presets & Automatic

Software: Drivers & Utilities and Pixela ImageMixer 3SE

Peripheral Devices: CD-ROM drive and USB port

Cables Included: Component video cable, A/V cable and USB cable

Connector Type: USB, Composite video/audio output, Component video output, Microphone, Headphones and Control-L (LANC), HDMI

Additional Features: Direct print ,   Face detection ,   24p Cinema Mode ,   Contrast control ,   Relay Recording ,   Sharpness control ,   Histogram display , Built-in speaker ,   Brightness control ,     PictBridge support ,   Saturation control ,   Video Snapshot mode ,   Accessories hot shoe ,   YouTube capture mode ,   Progressive scanning ,   Backlight compensation ,   Touch-screen control ,   HD-to-SD downconversion ,   USB 2.0 compatibility ,   Face-priority AF function ,   Touch & Track technology ,   Digital tele-converter ,   Display brightness control ,   Scene Detection Technology ,   5.1 channel surround sound ready ,   Takes photos while movie recording and Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording

Focus Adjustment: Automatic and Manual

Shooting Programs: Beach, Fireworks, Snow, Spotlight, Sunset, Sports mode, Low light, Portrait mode and Night mode

Search Modes: Date search & Face index search

Supported Battery: Canon BP-808

Included Accessories: Stereo video cable, Compact power adapter, Wireless controller, Component cable and Battery pack, USB interface cable

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

Razzle Dazzle:

The Canon Vixia HF S200 is the heaviest and largest models of their class, buts despite their weight and size, these camcorders are immensely comfortable to hold and to use. Though it won’t fit in every pants pocket, but you can carry them in a spacious jacket pocket or can even use a handbag. Every model from the HF S2 family comes with little rubberized bumpers at the front of the zoom switch of the camera. These small bumpers not only provide a decent grip on the system but according to us are also a decent design touch. Just like its precursors, these cameras makes us of an oddly fitted lens cover which is more of a closing-eye type rather than being an aperture-blade design, which we’ve seen in most of the cameras. Though, the difference is hard to notice, but when the cover is closed the two plastic parts of the camera clatter against each other; it’s not a problem as the camera is closed, but still is a bit annoying.

Inside Dope:

The Canon Vixia HF S200 belongs to Canon’s 2010 HF S series of AVCHD camcorders. The good thing about the camcorders of this series is that unlike the camcorders from Canon’s 2009 Prosumer Vixia HF S1x series, they possess the EVF. And even though we liked the Vixia HF S1x series we just could not completely endorse the HF S10/S11 because of the same reason. Although the inclusion of EVF in the camcorders has given a steep rise of $200 to the price of these new series of camcorders, but if you look at the HF S200, you will feel that its worth paying, but at the same time the rise in price makes the camcorder expensive than its reasonably priced, EVF-free siblings and on a whole more expensive than most of its direct competitors. This hike in price could stop a lot of buyers from getting this system.

Canon’s 2010 HF S series of AVCHD camcorders has three models, each of which differs from the other by the abovementioned viewfinder and memory configuration. Though, the key specs for the system remains the same as that of their precursors. The camcorders come with Canon’s all new optical image stabilization technology, together with the fresh Powered IS ability to provide enhanced stabilization at the telephoto end.

Canon has packed a lot of functions in the cameras’ recessed LCD, such as the key for switching in between the shooting and playback, video snapshot (it makes use of a four-second clip to create a “highlights reel” result) and a pair of SD card slots. The inclusion of double memory slots is yet another feature that deserves appreciation, but that’s not the case here, as we think it’s just a way of making up for the omission of SDXC support in the camera. This means you’ll be using two 32GB SDHC cards if you want a 64GB, whereas had there been the SDXC card, it will be the minimum you’ll be getting.

Under a slide down cover there are the component, wired remote jacks and headphone/composite slots of the camcorders. The headphone jack is located somewhat awkwardly, especially if you use headphones and EVF a lot while recording. One another setback here is that if you use EVF and LCD at the same time, it will put extra burden on the already weak battery of the HF S200.

The top of the camcorder is unnecessarily crowded; it hosts the typical zoom, power and photo switches, apart from this there also is a wide assortment lights and labels. The camcorder also has a pop-up flash-video light and accessory shoe combo.

The performance of the camcorder has been improved a bit’ especially the low-light performance has a better sensor this time and the camcorder comes with an improved Digic DV III processor for enhanced depiction of blues and purples. Even the overall performance of the camcorder was better than some of the other camcorders we’ve seen in the past. Though the still images shot from the camera appeared a bit overprocessed, but we think, it still were better than some of the interpolated photos generated by Sony and Panasonic’s lower-resolution sensors.

Nitty Gritty:

The Canon Vixia HF S200 belongs to the superb trio of camcorders, the Vixia HF S21, HF S20, and HF S200. But they all are significantly highly priced than most of their relevant competitors, particularly the S20 and S200, which even doesn’t have electronic viewfinders. So if slight manual control subtleties of HF S200’s manual controls are not what you are interested in, then there is a strong chance of you getting a better and cheaper camcorder.

The Canon Vixia HF S21 has got a wide array of manual features, has dual SDHC slots and the camcorder also flaunts a well-designed interface.

Thumbs Down:

The Canon Vixia HF S21’s touchscreen menu is really poorly designed; the camera can’t hold up SDXC; it’s defaults to mediocre video mode and is rather expensive.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Manufacturer: Canon USA

Part Number: 4374B001

Price: $1,399.00 – $1,399.99

Product Type: Camcorder – 1080p

Weight: 16.6 oz

Dimensions (W x D x H) in inches: 3 x 5.8 x 2.9 inches

Optical Sensor Type: CMOS

Shooting Modes: Digital photo mode

White balance: Custom, Automatic and Presets

Exposure Modes: Automatic, Program, Aperture-priority and Shutter-priority

Peripheral Devices: USB port and CD-ROM drive

Software: Drivers & Utilities and Pixela ImageMixer 3SE

Cables Included: USB cable, Component video cable and A/V cable

Connector Type: Component video output, Composite audio/ video output, USB, HDMI, Microphone, Headphones and Control-L (LANC)

Additional Features: Face detection ,   Direct print ,   Relay Recording ,   24p Cinema Mode ,   Contrast control ,   Built-in speaker ,   Sharpness control ,   Histogram display ,   PictBridge support ,   Brightness control ,   Video Snapshot mode ,   Saturation control ,   Progressive scanning ,   Accessories hot shoe ,   YouTube capture mode ,   Touch-screen control ,   Backlight compensation ,   USB 2.0 compatibility ,   HD-to-SD downconversion ,   Digital tele-converter ,   Touch & Track technology ,   RGB primary color filter ,   Display brightness control ,   Face-priority AF function ,   5.1 channel surround sound ready ,   Scene Detection Technology ,   Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording  and Takes photos while movie recording

Shooting Programs: Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Sunset, Spotlight, Low light, Sports mode, Night mode and Portrait mode

Focus Adjustment: Automatic and Manual

Search Modes: Date search & Face index search

Included Accessories:  Stereo video cable, Wireless controller, Compact power adapter, USB interface cable, Component cable and Battery pack

Supported Battery: Canon BP-808

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

Razzle Dazzle:

The Canon Vixia HF S21 comes from the family of HF S2 camcorders from Canon, and is one of the biggest and heaviest models of its class. The big size and heavy feel of HF S21 gives it a strong feel and makes it easy for the shooters to hold the camera and use it. The HF S21 can easily be carried in big pants pockets and big handbags, so it will be comparatively easy to carry the camera. There also are little rubberized bumpers on the top of the camcorder and on the front of the zoom switch. It provides a decent grip on the camcorder and gives it a decent design touch. The lens cover for the camcorder is also the same old inherent lens cover, which we’ve seen in many of the earlier models from Canon. It uses the closing-eye kind of design rather than the aperture-blade design; this also we’ve seen in many of the expensive camcorders. So, on a whole in terms of design the camcorder has got everything one expects from a camcorder from Canon.

Inside Dope:

Canon’s Prosumer Vixia HF S1x series launched in year 2009 was an impressive series even from many aspects, but still we just can’t support its HF S10/S11. The reason here being the missing features such as an electronic viewfinder and is appreciated by a lot of high-end camera buyers. Camcorders that have EVFs are rather easy to operate, while shooting videos and the EVFs are rather easy to see in intense sunlight. But it’s nice to see that finally Canon has opted to fit in an EVF in their high-end Camcorder the Canon Vixia HF S21 for 2010. But sadly, the HF S21 is priced $200 more than its rival EVF-fitted models.

Canon’s Vixia HF S21 series of AVCHD camcorders has three models for 2010, and the major difference in all these three models is of memory configuration and viewfinder. The major specifications for these models are the same that has been with some of their precursors, and have the same optics and sensor.

Canon HF S21 has its LCD recessed in its body, and some of the other major controls for the camcorder include buttons for switching between the shooting and playback modes, video snapshot and pair of SD card slots. The camcorder has a couple of memory card slots, which according to us is a respectable move, but some might take it as an alternative or replacement for the missing SDXC support; so you will have to get two 32GB SDHC cards, in order to get a 64GB memory. But had there been a SDXC card support it would be the minimum memory.

The Vixia HF S21 doesn’t support Eye-Fi wireless uploading. It also doesn’t allow you to convert the HD video into standard definition video on the camcorder and also you can not copy the video to an Eye-Fi SD card positioned in the second slot. The composite/headphone, component and wired remote jacks of the camera are placed under a slide-down cover. The positioning of headphone in particular is a tad awkward, especially when you use the headphones and EVF frequently while recording.

The biggest disappointment came in the form of its performance and the Canon Vixia HF S21’s performance clearly doesn’t support the high-end status of the camcorder. That’s also one of the reasons why we don’t agree with its high-price as well. The camcorder’s output is as good as you will get from any $400 priced camcorder. But if you are shooting in bright lightening conditions then you surely can expect a much better performance from HF S21.

Nitty Gritty:

The Canon Vixia HF S21 comes from the family of excellent camcorders from Camcorders: the Vixia HF S20, HF S21, and HF S200. It’s much highly priced than most of its rivals available in market, especially considering the fact that the S200 and S20 doesn’t have EVFs. And finally most of the features offered here can easily be obtained at a much lower price.