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VIXIA HF S100
Easy and Convenient to Share HD Video
Canon has a well-known and highly-regarded reputation for optical excellence, advanced image processing, superb performance and technological innovation, built on our legendary photographic and broadcast television lenses. Based on that experience, we bring the latest in high definition camcorders. The Canon VIXIA HF S100 Flash Memory camcorder is one such example.
The VIXIA HF S100 delivers brilliant video and photos through a new Canon exclusive 8.59 Megapixel CMOS image sensor and the latest version of our advanced image processor, DIGIC DV III. It combines lightweight, compact size and the ease and convenience of Flash Memory. This technology, the same used in advanced laptop computers, MP3 players, PDAs and cell phones, allows the VIXIA HF S100 to record up to 6 hours of crisp, high definition video to a removable SDHC card. You have extended available recording space and more flexibility in file transfer and playback.
What's more, the VIXIA HF S100 allows you to record at up to 24Mbps, the highest bit rate in AVCHD format, for the highest quality image. The VIXIA HF S100's Canon Exclusive features - such as the Genuine Canon 10x HD video lens, sophisticated Genuine Canon Face Detection capability, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and a host of new control and creative options - makes our Flash Memory camcorder unmistakably Canon.
Average Customer Rating:
out of
5
13 out of 14(93%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for VIXIA HF S100
Review 1 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
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Features
5
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Performance
5
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Price/Value
4
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Quality
5
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Satisfaction
5
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Nickname: Moose
Location: Whitewater, WI
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: Yes
Best Camcorder Ever
Date: January 15, 2010
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Good Software Compatibility, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
I used this camcorder to interview some people for a class and this camcorder was the best one that I have used in a very long time! It was easy to use, set up, and has a great quality picture and sound and audio quality.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
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5
Performance
5
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5
Price/Value
4
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Quality
5
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Satisfaction
5
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Nickname: MovieMom
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Great Quality!
Date: January 8, 2010
Pros: Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, Good Software Compatibility, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use
I've had this camera for a couple of weeks and have made some quick movies on my MAC. The quality is great, it's easy to use and so far I have nothing bad to say about it.
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Review 3 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
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5
Performance
5
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5
Price/Value
4
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5
Quality
5
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Satisfaction
5
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5
Nickname: Anonymous
Location: Chicago
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Great Product
Date: December 6, 2009
Pros: good battery life, Good Low-Light Performance, Easy Computer Connectivity, Great sound/audio, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Compact Design, excellent image quality, durable, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, Easy TV Connectivity, easy to use, video and snap pics at same time
Cons: Limited Software Compatibility
I really, really love this camcorder. I bought a camcorder and was not happy with it and returned it for a refund. Did not have the quality I was looking for. I then did some research on the different types of camcorders Cannon had and found this one to be fit for me and what I wanted to do. I wanted an upgrade from the old film camcorder I had as I wanted to be able to put our home movies on DVD. Having the capability to transfer my vids to the computer allows me to do so. I have used it to record the kids sports as well as in low light school plays and it captures the scene really well. One of the features I really like is the ability to capture stills while you are recording a video without interrupting the video. The stills come out great as well. Having both still and video in one is really great so you don't have to carry around two different types of equipment. This is exactly what I was looking for, amazing quality, easy to use, stills pics, video, multiple fade options, Full HD, flash memory capability through SDHC, stabilization, great sound quality, multiple connection options, I could keep going on and on about how much I love this camcorder. Much better than that other camcorder I took back anad I am glad I did and glad I bought this one. Well worth the extra money. AWESOME !!! LOVE IT !!!
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
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5
Price/Value
5
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Quality
5
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Satisfaction
5
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Nickname: Tam
Location: Lorton, VA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Casual User
Product replacement: Yes
Best Purchase Ever
Date: November 18, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use, Good Software Compatibility, Good Low-Light Performance
I love using my VIXIA HF S100. It is easy to use. I was able to video tape birds flying and other nature scenes. I recommend this camcorder to anyone who wants to take videos.
7 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
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5
Price/Value
5
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Quality
5
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Satisfaction
4
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5
Nickname: Ashley the Photog
Location: Shreveport, LA
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
Great Camcorder
Date: November 9, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use, Good Low-Light Performance, lerge featureset of controls
Cons: Difficult Computer Connectivity, Limited Software Compatibility
Excellent video quality and ease of use. Great out-of-the-box usability. Mic input and mini hotshoe extend the function of the camcorder greatly. Great sound quality when using a mic. Only disadvantage is that AVCHD video format is not compatible with all versions of iMovie. You must have an Intel-based Mac to import this video. Older Macs will not even recognize the camcorder is connected. Video size increases by a factor of 10 when imported (32G of raw video is 320G when imported).
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
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5
Satisfaction
5
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5
Nickname: AAAWIFI
Location: California
Used this product for: 3 to 6 months
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
Best Support! But Need Waterproof case for HF S100
Date: October 7, 2009
Pros: excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Great sound/audio, easy to use, Good Software Compatibility, Good Low-Light Performance
Cons: Uncomfortable to hold, expensive
This is a great video camera and Canon has excellent customer support. I had the VIXIA HF100 before getting the VIXIA HF S100. Both cameras shoot incredible video. But the larger sensor, face detection technology, and other new features on the VIXIA HF S100 make the upgrade worth every cent.
I thought it would be cool to take my new Canon VIXIA HF S100 video camera and put it in a waterproof case so I could shoot some video of my family while snorkeling in Hawaii. The first place I looked was Canon's web site and I was excited when I saw the “WP-V1 Waterproof Case” but was disappointed to see it only works with the Canon VIXIA HF20 and VIXIA HF200 (not the VIXIA HF S100 that I have).
After doing some research on the web I found the “Aquapac Model 465 100% Waterproof Camcorder Case” and then did further research on this case and most of the reviews were positive so ordered it online. After we got to Hawaii I did the leak test as indicated in the instruction book from Aquapac and there were no leaks. The first day I used the Model 465 case with my Canon VIXIA HF S100 while snorkeling all went well and I captured some incredible underwater video!
After the first day I carefully removed the camera from the case, washed the case with fresh water, and did another leak test and all was well. I followed all the instructions and set everything up exactly as I did the first day, but the second day I used the Aquapac it almost cost me my life.
On that second day of our Hawaiian vacation, Saturday August 8th 2009 to be exact, my family and I headed to Hookena Beach Park to swim with dolphins. I had gained confidence in the Aquapac case as it had worked perfectly the day before. After cleaning the case, setting up the camcorder inside the case exactly like I did the day before, we took our precious Canon VIXIA HF S100 inside the Aquapac 465 Waterproof Case and started swimming out.
Unfortunately, we swam out pretty far (about 150 yards) before I noticed a problem with the case, it was leaking! I told my wife and daughter that the case was leaking and that they should keep swimming while I take the camera/case to shore. I started swimming as fast as I could while holding the camera/case out of the water. This made swimming harder than usual and I started getting tired fast. About half way in I’d had it. Too bad I’ve been exercising like crazy the last several months and got rid of most of my excess body fat, combined with the fact that I did not have any flotation device with me, I was non buoyant, exhausted and could barely keep my head above water.
Thank god another snorkeler came swimming by. Instead of saying Help! I’m drowning! I said, “I’m in trouble, this case I bought for my $1,000 Canon video camera is leaking, and I’m exhausted!” He said “stay calm, you’re alright, you’re only about 50 yards from shore”.
He helped calm me down and towed me to where I could stand up. I was still completely exhausted and handed the camera/case to a kid on a boogey board and asked him to take it to shore as I was washed up onto the beach by the pounding waves. I didn’t feel so well, and the color didn’t return to my face until after lunch several hours later!
Of course, the camera stopped working. What's really cool is Canon fixed it for a reasonable flat rate ($232), and I got it back in like new condition! Canon has the best support!
Aquapac was also very kind after they heard my story. They refunded me the cost of the case, and also reimbursed me the $232 for the repair cost. I can't complain about that.
All is well that ends well. But I’m hoping before I go snorkeling with my Canon Vixia HF S100 again I’ll be able to buy a waterproof case for it that’s made by Canon!
Also, I've learned it's a good idea to wear a PFD (Personal Flotation Device) while snorkeling...
22 of 45 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
5
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5
Performance
5
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5
Price/Value
5
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Quality
5
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Satisfaction
5
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Nickname: Sir Ted
Location: Boca Raton Florida
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Hobbyist/Enthusiast
Product replacement: Yes
At Last a Friendly Video Camcorder
Date: September 22, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use, Good Software Compatibility, Good Low-Light Performance, user friendly
I bought a Canon Hotshot G9 and have used it in my travels to India and China. This was the best unit ever and I have bought many. So when it came time to upgrade to a Camcorder I bought the Canon VIXIA HF S100. Wow! when it arrived I was rushing to fly over to the Bahamas. In minutes I was up and running and just loved the ease of use and all the features built into a light compact design. I am not a technical guy like some of the reviews. Thats why it was so easy to figure out and use right away. I am going to shoot some great crowd events in INDIA this December at a Missions Rally I am speaking at. Well Done Canon. I have already sung your praises to a technical guy in the Bahamas. Sir Ted
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
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5
Satisfaction
4
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5
Nickname: CinePete
Location: New York City
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: No
HFS-100 Great HD For The Price...BUT
Date: September 18, 2009
Pros: excellent image quality, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Great sound/audio, durable, Good Low-Light Performance
Cons: Short battery life
The HFS-100 camcorder is a miniature marvel in terms of its image quality and features. But the built-in microphone is not that good, just good enough to "get the job done" - so if you need higher quality you'll need external mics and the HFS-100 can handle it with its mini-stereo jack. I used two very expensive mics with the HFS-100 and it records wonderful audio- but you'll need to kill the auto-gain (easily done from the menu) and set the level mid-way depending on the particular mics you use. The biggest problems I found with the HFS-100 was the small door that opens for access to insert the SDHC memory card, and the battery location: If you mount the HFS-100 on a tripod, and you should if you want to shoot without jerkiness, especially noticable with HD, you will not be able to open the door to get to the SDHD card, nor will you be able to remove the battery. The location of the SDHC slot was poorly placed and should have been positioned elsewhere. Unfortunately, Canon does not provide a tripod adapter to get around this issue. But aside from that the image quality it quite outstanding for an HD camcorder in this price range. Although this is a "consumer" camcorder it shoots with pro quality and has pro features. If you have a HiDef TV you can connect it to view your footage but you'll need a miniature HDMI cable (not supplied). You will not be dissapointed.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
5
out of
5
Quality
5
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5
Satisfaction
5
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5
Nickname: Cody
Location: California
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Wonderful for Short Films
Date: August 18, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, easy to use
Cons: Short battery life
I spent several months researching possible camera to use in my short films. This camera was hands down the best for quality and price. Some brands were over priced. Others could not match the quality.This camera is perfect for my needs. The colors are wonderful. The cinema mode and 24pf are amazing. This camera integrates perfectly with both final cut and imovie and import times are very reasonable on my iMac. The sharpness on this camera is like nothing I have seen in a consumer level video camera. The price is incredible considering that to find another camera with this image quality would require spending several hundred dollars more. Amazing Camcorder!
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
4
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5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
4
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5
Satisfaction
4
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5
Nickname: DD
Good Camcorder
Date: August 7, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Great sound/audio, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use, Good Software Compatibility
Cons: Short battery life, Poor Low-Light Performance
Camcorder is good for taking videos in Day Light. Excellent performance in day light but not very good for low light situations. Overall it is worth buying this camcorder. Problem playing videos in the software provided with this. But videos can be seen in the TV HD/Standard perfectly fine. Battery goes for around an hour.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
5
out of
5
Price/Value
4
out of
5
Quality
5
out of
5
Satisfaction
5
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5
Nickname: IAM4UK
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Phenomenal Consumer-Level Camcorder
Date: July 20, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, easy to use, excellent optics
Cons: Short battery life, Poor Low-Light Performance, interlaced capture only, marginal sound quality
This camcorder is a replacement for an old Hi-8 camcorder, so the leap in quality and features is almost overwhelming. However, I researched for quite awhile before deciding the HF S100 would be the best compromise for price, features, and quality. I am convinced this is the best consumer-level camcorder for its price range as of this time (mid-2009).
One look at the Canon HF S100 will reveal the principle focus of this design: the optics. This camcorder looks like a high-quality Canon lens, with a little tubular case attached containing the processor and electronics.
The features are sensibly presented in the joystick-accessible menu structure. There are many options, and studying their purpose is valuable. More valuable is experimenting with them; for example, one might shoot the same images while varying one setting at a time (such as 60i, 30p, 24p, Program Mode, Cine Mode, etc.)
Image quality is very good in bright natural light, and acceptably good in moderate indoor light. However, the included video light/flash is pretty worthless as a video light, while it is just fine for a still-image flash.
Canon advertises "24p" capture with this camcorder, but notes that all modes (60i, 30p, and 24p) are actually captured as 60i. This is a source of great confusion thus far, and I am interested to learn how best to edit footage captured in one of these "pseudo-progressive" modes. Editing programs like Premiere and Vegas depend on recognizing whether source material is interlaced or progressive, and it is unclear how best to handle the modes Canon is employing with this camcorder. But even on the low-res built-in screen on the HF S100, one can notice the effect of combining 24p with "Cine Mode" -- it does look more like film than video with those settings.
I highly recommend the Canon HF S100 to anyone looking for a high-end consumer-level camcorder. Buy Class 6 SDHC chips (and a backup battery, if you can find one), set the HF S100 to 24 Mbps (MXP) mode, and capture some great footage!
46 of 48 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
3
out of
5
Performance
4
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5
Price/Value
3
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5
Quality
4
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Satisfaction
4
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Nickname: Killuminatus
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
Vixia HF S100 Prosumer
Date: July 17, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity
Cons: Short battery life, Poor sound/audio, Limited Software Compatibility, Poor Low-Light Performance
I have had this bad boy for about three days now and I just can't put it down. Awesome piece of technology. I am a full time interdisciplinary film and digital media student and I definitely have a powerful need for this type of weaponry. Beautiful high-definition imagery, colors, and enough options to satisfy almost any environment. Low-light yields poor performance - but the right lighting source well alleviate most concerns which is true of any given situation. Image stabilization (BTW the "noise" you hear when the unit is powered off is the internal mechanism of the Optical Image Stabilzer OIS!) is a must for this device. Tripod, Steadicam Merlin, Hague MMC, Manfrotto 585, Poor Man's Steadicam, etc., whatever, is almost a must for this camera! The shake is so visible when you are shooting at 24fps at the MX setting that it is quite maddening. But it is directly because this camera is so lightweight and compact that this problem occurs. The built-in image stabilizer is somewhat effective - as long as you are not moving. If you can circumnavigate with the appropriate countermeasure - then you will have a crisp, clear, accurate, true high definition experience. I use Final Cut Studio 2 post-production in conjunction with the HF S100 and the results are magnificent. And used perhaps outside of Canon's operative vision with 35mm converters (opening up ALL of the current EOS lense catalog) and non-flip hack solutions - it is an amateur film makers dream.
Watching the works that come out of the HF S100 on a High Definition screen is very satisfying to say the least - I currently use a Mitsubishi 73" DLP - and the colors, crispness, and 1080p feedback is extraordinary.
I love this camera because of it's capabilities: aesthetic and technical, ease of use and transferability, (why pay a couple hundred dollars for the the S10 internal memory when mem card switch-outs are so cost effective? and 2 TB versions will soon be in thy grasp?) the 8 mp camera is nice to have of course - my camera needs require a more powerful alternative but its a convenient resource. I don't like the software it comes bundled with because they suck (where is the mac compatibility?), the instruction manual I find very lacking, no real night vision, and the audio could have been beefed up. Oh, and where is the mini-HDMI cable? A little cheap not to throw that in after paying a 1,000+ for something that obviously should go with the entire package.
But anyhoo...
Awesome camera that meets my needs as a student, amateur filmmaker, and family man. Good looking out Canon.
1
22 of 23 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Nickname: cmay
Used this product for: Less than 1 month
Expertise Level: Professional or Expert
Product replacement: No
Pretty good so far
Date: July 2, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, excellent image quality, easy to use
Cons: Uncomfortable to hold
Had it about a day now, its a very nice piece of equipment. The sharpness is impressive and the function is intuitive. Great job Canon!
My questions are: why does it rattle when it is turned off, why are the Canon batteries so hard to find right now. Is there a battery recall?
This is a tiny camera If you have big hands, like me, get ready for a challenge. Ladies you will love it.Haven't cracked into the software yet. This weekend I will put it to the test and post back.
I did not realize how much I would miss a view finder.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for VIXIA HF S100
Overall Rating
out of
5
Features
4
out of
5
Performance
3
out of
5
Price/Value
3
out of
5
Quality
4
out of
5
Satisfaction
2
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5
Nickname: 1080
Location: San Jose, CA
Used this product for: 1 to 3 months
Expertise Level: Advanced Amateur
Product replacement: Yes
OK overall but missing 1080P
Date: June 2, 2009
Pros: Compact Design, Easy TV Connectivity, Easy Computer Connectivity, Accurate, Vivid Colors, good battery life, Ergonomic/comfortable to hold, durable, easy to use
Cons: Poor image quality, Poor sound/audio, Limited Software Compatibility, no support for 3d
In general a great camera, but with some critical limitations.
VIXIA HF S100 records in interlaced, not progressive mode. If you want true 1080p, you will have to find a different camera. Canon does not have any camera that will record 1080p natively.
It will record at 720p
It is also limited to 2 channel recording
67 of 139 people found this review helpful.
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