Canon Vixia HF11 Digital Camcorder: Small, Handheld Flash Memory Camcorder

Brand name is important to most consumers when it comes to buying a new digital camcorder. Thanks to quality products and world-class service, Canon camcorders are among some of the best-selling every year. They offer a nice product range from the budget level to the high end. I have had the opportunity to spend some time with the moderately priced Canon Vixia HF11 digital camcorder, and I'll let you know how it performs.

Durability: 5/5

Features: 3/5

Image Quality: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Product Overview:

This canon has a fantastic look and feel. It weighs less than 16 ounces and is very small. I found it quite easy to just throw it in a bag and take it on the road. It feels durable but not indestructible. Canon has included 32GB of internal storage space with the option for expandability available through an SD card slot.

For such a small camera the controls are surprisingly easy to manipulate even if you have large fingers like I do. The only problem is that accessing the menus while recording is not fluid and will cause disruptions in your recording (like bouncing etc.) as you concentrate on the adjustment of the camera. This basically renders the camcorder's manual focus ineffective. On the bright side the automatic focus is adequate even at the maximum 12 times optical zoom. The image stability works well even at maximum zoom. Recording options allow for various qualities of video capture which allows for longer videos the lower the quality. The lowest frame rate allows for a whopping 12 hours of video capture. Of course you'll never be able to come close to that before the batteries are in need of a charge. On the typical charge I wasn't able to get longer than an hour of recording time in.

The Canon Vixia HF11 digital camcorder has a great high definition picture during well lit situations. Under low light conditions there is a little bit of noticeable noise. You can connect it directly to your television with component cords or via high quality HDMI. If you want to take your video to the computer for editing or sharing there is also a USB port available.

Product Value:

The large amount of internal space and the longer zoom size (12x versus the more standard 10x) makes this camcorder attractive. Coming in at under $1000 this camcorder really could be considered a good deal. Only the most discerning home video enthusiast will be disappointed in the Vixia HF11. This camcorder was released in August so I don't expect any drastic price reductions in the near future. If you're interested there is no need to fear missing a sale, go ahead and pick this one up.