Canon Vixia HFS10 Review: Worth the Extra Money?

The very advanced, high definition HFS11 camcorder was preceded by the Canon Vixia HFS10 and others in its line. This model had an 8.59 megapixels CMOS image sensor, just like the most recent one. The difference is that the HFS11 camcorder can hold 24.5 hours of video recording with its 64 GB internal memory, while the Canon Vixia HFS10 camcorder could only store 12 hours with the LP recording mode with its 32 GB. Therefore, it's a less expensive option for those who don't need so much space.

The dimensions of the Canon Vixia HFS10 are 2.8 by 2.7 by 5.4, which means that its weight of a bit more than one pound is actually acceptable. The Canon Vixia HFS10 is pretty straightforward to operate and the overall design works well. Since it's a little bigger than some other Canon camcorders, it's more of a comfortable fit to hold and operate. On top of the pop up flash module, there is a video light, and then the stereo microphones are located on the two sides of the lens barrel. With this design, the microphones are better separated and there's more space, so they're larger.

All the functional operators are placed within easy reach. Both the photo and zoom buttons are right under the fingertips and you can change the mode of the Canon Vixia HFS10 in the area of an eye-level viewfinder. Take note of the fact that there is no viewfinder on the Canon Vixia HFS10, though. Right around the area of the LCD screen are most of the shooting controls and the most commonly used settings are found on a function button, plus there is a full menu system right underneath that.

For some comparisons, you might match the Canon Vixia HFS10 up against the Panasonic HDC-TM300. The Panasonic would actually come out on top, even if touch screen controls aren't your first choice. It has better optical zoom than the Canon Vixia HFS10 (12x versus 10x), and there's an even greater difference in their digital zooms- 700x for the Panasonic, compared to the Canon Vixia HFS10's 200x.

Most casual users would find the Canon Vixia HFS10 to be an excellent choice, but I personally think that leaving off the eye-level viewfinder really ruined this deal. Therefore, I say that, while the Canon Vixia HFS10 is less expensive but almost as productive as the HFS11, the even cheaper HFS100 is the best bet, although it doesn't have internal memory and it uses touch screen controls.