Canon HF R21 Camcorder Review

Introduction

The HF R21 carries an MSRP of $499, but it has two cheaper sibling models. The HF R20 (8GB internal flash memory) is available for $399 and the HF R200 (no internal memory) has a $379 price tag.

Front

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Back

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Left

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Right

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Top

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Bottom

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Size & Weight Comparison

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In the Box

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The Canon Vixia HF R21 comes with the following accessories:

• BP-110 rechargeable battery pack
• power adapter
• stylus pen
• USB cable
• AV cable
• mini HDMI cable
• software CDs
• instruction manual

Color (11.18)

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Canon must have made some changes to the color rendering on the HF R21, as the new camcorder impressed us with strong color accuracy in our bright light test. The R21 measured a color error of 3.13—that's nearly a point lower than last year's R11—and a decent, but not overly-vivid, saturation level of 81.28%. The colors are accurate, but if you're looking for incredibly vivid tones you may want to look at other camcorders. More on how we test color.

The map above is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video.

The one downside of the R21's color performance is that the camcorder doesn't have any color modes. Nada. This stands in stark contrast to the HF R11, which had a full set of color presets including options for vivid, soft skin detail, neutral tones, and low sharpening. We were hoping Canon wouldn't get rid of these options on the new R21, but, alas, the decision was made for the color modes to be cut. They are still available (in the form of a new Cinema mode) on Canon's higher-end Vixia models.

Overall, the color performance of the R21 was very good in our testing. Colors were vivid enough for our taste, although there are camcorders out there that capture colors with higher saturation levels (like the Samsung HMX-H300). In the end, though, we'll take the R21's solid balance of accuracy and decent saturation over the competition. That's why it scored the best overall amongst the competition in this test.

Low Light Color (8.38)

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The HF R21 continued its good color accuracy performance in our low light test. The camcorder managed a color error of 4.14, which is better than the competition (and much better than the HF R11), but the saturation level of its low light videos was a lowly 69%. The lack of saturation didn't bother us much, however, as it is normal to lose some color depth when shooting under low light conditions. But you can judge for yourself and look at the sample images on this page to see if the R21's low light color performance is adequate for your needs. More on how we test low light color.

The map above is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video.

Using the R21's alternate frame rates (PF24 and PF30) in low light produced dramatically better results in terms of color accuracy and saturation levels in low light. The PF30 mode lowered color error to 3.55 and brought saturation up to 80.61%. The PF24 mode took things even farther, bringing the color error just below 3.0 and boosting saturation to 85.7%. This bodes well for those users who want to shoot with these alternate frame rates—basically, they boost low light performance significantly in both color accuracy and sensitivity.

Noise (7.48)

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Noise results for the HF R21, while still satisfactory, were not as fantastic as the camcorder's color performance. The R21 averaged 0.79% noise in our bright light test, which is more noise than we saw on each of its three comparison models. This isn't a huge amount of noise, and the presence of noise wasn't overly distracting or noticeable in our test footage, but we'd still like this number to be a bit lower. More on how we test noise.

On the bright side, the HF R21 managed to capture very sharp images in our performance testing. Notice how the crops above compare to the competition, particularly the blurry image produced by the JVC GZ-HM450. Keep in mind that these video grabs were taking from perfectly still recordings (with the camcorder on a tripod). Video images captured by the R21 aren't quite as sharp when the camcorder is in motion, which you'll see in our motion and sharpness tests on the next page of this review.

Low Light Sensitivity (6.66)

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Low light sensitivity results for the HF R21 weren't great, but the camcorder was the best of its class in this test, so its performance is still commendable. The camcorder needed 12 lux of light to record a passable video image when we shot using a bit of optical zoom and the camcorder's 60i frame rate. Compare this to the JVC GZ-HM450's need for 19 lux of light to obtain the same results with the same settings (or the Samsung HMX-H300's need for 23 lux). The Canon HF R11 needed just a tiny bit more light than its successor—13 lux—to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

Because the HF R21 has multiple frame rate options for recording Full HD video, we tested the low light sensitivity of the camcorder using each rate. The PF30 mode required just 5 lux of light to reach the same levels that the camcorder's 60i mode needed 12 lux for. The PF30 mode did even better, needing just 4 lux of light.

Without using any optical zoom, which allows the HF R21 to take full advantage of its widest aperture setting, the camcorder needed 9 lux of light to hit 50 IRE on our waveform monitor using the 60i frame rate. This is a slight improvement over the 12 lux performance that the camcorder registered with zoom, but it isn't as dramatic as the increases we've seen from Sony camcorders that have very wide angle lenses. Overall, the Canon HF R21 did very well in this test for an entry-level camcorder, and the fact that its results were extremely good using its PF24 and PF30 frame rates should please users who are planning on shooting with these alternate frame rate options.

Low Light Noise (7.52)

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The Canon HF R21 did not rule the day in our low light noise test, but this was the only low light test where it didn't get the best of the competition (it still had less noise than the Samsung HMX-H300, though). The camcorder averaged 1.7% noise in this test, a number that is a tad higher than last year's Canon HF R11. This isn't a terrible performance by any means, but it is the camcorders worst showing—compared to the competition—in our three low light tests. More on how we test low light noise.

Low light noise was also the only category where the R21 didn't show significant improvement in low light when we shot using the camcorder's PF24 or PF30 frame rate options. The PF30 mode had the same amount of noise as regular 60i recording (1.7%), while the PF24 mode produced a bit more noise than the other two modes (1.8%).

From the crops above you can see the HF R21 did a decent job, just like the HF R11, at keeping the sharpness levels good in low light. Yes, some noise is visible, and the image is certainly blurry, but it is far clearer and more pleasant than the crummy images produced by the Samsung HMX-H300 and the fuzzy clip from the JVC GZ-HM450. The crops speak for themselves, although they also show that Canon didn't improve much (if anything) since last year's HF R11.

Low Light Color (8.38)

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The HF R21 continued its good color accuracy performance in our low light test. The camcorder managed a color error of 4.14, which is better than the competition (and much better than the HF R11), but the saturation level of its low light videos was a lowly 69%. The lack of saturation didn't bother us much, however, as it is normal to lose some color depth when shooting under low light conditions. But you can judge for yourself and look at the sample images on this page to see if the R21's low light color performance is adequate for your needs. More on how we test low light color.

The map above is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camera processed each particular color while capturing video.

Using the R21's alternate frame rates (PF24 and PF30) in low light produced dramatically better results in terms of color accuracy and saturation levels in low light. The PF30 mode lowered color error to 3.55 and brought saturation up to 80.61%. The PF24 mode took things even farther, bringing the color error just below 3.0 and boosting saturation to 85.7%. This bodes well for those users who want to shoot with these alternate frame rates—basically, they boost low light performance significantly in both color accuracy and sensitivity.

Motion

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The best thing about the HF R21's motion performance is the fact that the camcorder has multiple frame rate options—something that is normally unheard of on entry-level models. The R21, like its predecessor (the R11), can record using Canon's PF24 and PF30 frame rate options, both of which produce a different aesthetic than regular 60i recordings. We judged our motion test by looking mostly at the 60i footage, however, and the HF R21 did a good job. Sure, there was some artifacting and the video didn't look quite as crisp as the kind of image you'd get from a higher-end model, but it was very good for an entry-level cam. One downside: the HF R21 didn't show much improvement over last year's HF R11 in this test. More on how we test motion.

Resolution & Frame Rates

Video Sharpness (10.19)

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For an entry-level HD camcorder, the HF R21 put up good numbers in our sharpness test. Unfortunately, its results weren't any better than last year's HF R11, but since Canon didn't make any huge changes to the lens or sensor system, this was somewhat expected. The R21 managed a horizontal sharpness of 700 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 600 lw/ph in this test, both of which are identical to the measurements we got from the HF R11. The Samsung HMX-H300 had the same overall score, albeit with slightly different sharpness values (750 lw/ph horizontal, 550 lw/ph vertical). But we found the Samsung lost a lot of sharpness in low light, while the two Canon models held up quite well even when lighting conditions were dim. More on how we test video sharpness.

Stabilization (2.31)

Unlike Canon’s higher-end Vixia camcorders, the HF R21 uses a digital image stabilization system instead of an optical one. What does this mean for the videographer? Digital (or electronic) image stabilization blurs pixels in an attempt to stabilize the video image, so, in a sense, it degrades the quality of the recorded image. This shouldn’t happen with optical image stabilization. The fact that the R21 has a digital system rather than an optical one isn’t a surprise—it’s the norm for an entry-level model. More on how we test stabilization.

In our testing, the image stabilization on the R21, which has two settings, didn’t perform very well. In fact, we found the regular stabilization mode didn’t reduce the shakiness of our test footage one iota. The more intense “dynamic” stabilization mode did have an impact, however. In our low shake test, the dynamic stabilization reduced shakiness by 17%. The stabilization mode was a bit worse in our high shake test, reducing just 10% of the shake. Neither of these scores are particularly impressive, but we’ve seen camcorders that were a lot worse. Sometimes, with very cheap models, the digital image stabilization system doesn’t do anything at all, and occasionally the IS modes increase the shakiness of the image.

Ease of Use (6.75)

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The HF R21 can be a very easy camcorder to use, as long as you keep it in its dedicated auto mode at all times. Turning the mode off, things get a lot more confusing. You must now navigate the menu system, which is spread out amongst a number of different pages, and there are a lot of controls you need to learn about. The touchscreen interface is intuitive, and we like its responsiveness compared to the touchscreens on the competition (particularly the very slow response on the JVC GZ-HM450's touchscreen). Still, if you hate touchscreens, which many people do, you're not going to have fun dealing with the HF R21.

The hardest thing about using the HF R21, and HD camcorders in general, is what you need to do with the footage after you've recorded it. You can only store so much content on the internal memory or memory cards, so copying footage to a computer will eventually be necessary. This is a difficult process for any novice user, and problems are compounded if you have a computer that isn't all that powerful. Shooting video with the HF R21 is a cinch compared to dealing with the HD clips in post production. Canon does include an SD conversion feature on the R21, but it too is difficult (and time-intensive) to use. It does make your clips easier to work with in the end, however.

The playback interface is simple to use.

The main menu can look confusing with its long list of options and controls.

Auto Mode (9.42)

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The Canon HF R21 is catered to the novice or beginner videographer, as the camcorder is at its best when using its auto controls. We wish the dedicated auto mode button was labeled clearer, or in a more prominent spot on the camcorder instead of tucked away inside the LCD cavity. If you can find it, though, the dedicated auto mode simply called "Auto") works quite well. It locks you out of most menu controls, leaving you with only the decoration and zoom options. Meanwhile, it turns the stabilization on, sets all controls to manual, and will automatically pick a scene mode for the camcorder to use. We didn't find the auto scene selection feature to be all that impressive, as the only "scene" we saw the camcorder switch to was the tele macro setting for close-up shots. Even when we shot fast moving subjects the camcorder didn't switch to a sports or action mode, nor did the camcorder automatically switch to a low light setting when we moved into a dark area.

The HF R21 has a variety of controls and features in its menu system.

Auto Controls

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Thankfully, the camcorders autofocus and auto exposure controls worked quite well. You don't have to be in the dedicated auto mode to use these features—they will be set to auto in regular shooting mode as well. The difference is, when the dedicated auto mode is off, you have the choice of using autofocus or manual focus (same goes with exposure). We found the camcorder focused very quickly with autofocus, although there was some focus popping every now and then. Auto exposure was also quick and smooth.

The R21 didn't always have the best white balance in auto mode, but usually it would set things right after 10 - 15 seconds in a new lighting environment. The manual white balance is easy to set as well, but we doubt most users will have time for that kind of thing.

If you want to pick your own scene modes, the HF R21 has the following options: Portrait, Sports, Night Scene, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Low Light, Spotlight, Fireworks. Each of these are found in the menu system when you set the Recording Programs option to SCN. The camcorder is also equipped with face detection, an autofocus tracking feature, backlight correction, and an auto slow shutter feature that allows the camcorder to use a 1/30 of a second shutter speed in low light situations (this may produce motion blur due to the slow shutter).

The camcorder's lens has a 20x optical zoom capability, but this can be increased to 28x by activating the advanced zoom feature. Advanced zoom, which is also called intelligent zoom by some manufacturers, uses extra pixels to increase zoom without any loss of image quality (according to the manufacturers). We don't use advanced zoom in our testing, though, just in case there is a slight downgrade in quality. The 400x digital zoom option on the HF R21 will degrade your image quality rather severely when used, however, so we recommend avoiding it if you can. In addition to the variable zoom speed control that allows you to adjust zoom speed by applying more or less pressure on the camcorder's zoom toggle, you can also set the R21 to use one of three constant zoom speeds.

Handling (7.75)

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Based solely on how the camcorder felt in our hand, we loved the Canon HF R21. It has a decent hand strap (with a soft lining on the inside), a compact yet balanced design, and a shape that offered good grip. Buttons lined up well with our fingertips and the 3-inch screen on the LCD panel was large enough to make framing our videos a breeze. There aren't too many buttons on the camcorder, and the four located on the inside of the LCD cavity are used rarely (which is good, because they aren't great buttons).

The Canon HF R21 fits well in the hand and has a comfortable hand strap.

We rarely enjoy touchscreen interfaces on camcorders, but the one on the HF R21 was decent. Canon has done a pretty good job with touchscreens since the company decided to integrate them on its Vixia line a few years ago. This is the first year, however, that Canon included a touchscreen on its entry-level line (last year's R11 had a joystick and a regular LCD instead). If the HF R21 was equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD rather than a 3-inch one, we'd probably be complaining more about the touchscreen interface. 3-inches is just enough space to navigate menus and select options using the touch system.

The camcorder is fairly portable, but it won't fit in your pocket easily.

We aren't too happy to see the R21 has an enclosed battery compartment because that means you can't upgrade to a larger, longer-lasting battery pack on the camcorder. This definitely reduces the versatility of the camcorder, especially when you consider its 32GB of internal memory and dual memory card slots. Essentially, you'll have to recharge the R21's battery a lot more often than you'll have to clear out space on your memory cards or internal media.

The LCD on the R21 uses touchscreen technology, hence the lack of buttons on the camcorder.

Despite the fact that the HF R21 felt good to hold, we weren't sold on the camcorder's durability. The plastic body design felt cheap to the touch, and we're not convinced the R21 would be able to survive a drop even from the smallest of heights. The same could be said about most entry-level camcorders, though, and the fact that the HF R21 has a good strap, good grip, and a few well-protected ports are all positives for the camcorder.

Portability (10.08)

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With a weight of 310g (11 ounces) including the provided battery pack, the HF R21 is certainly not the lightest camcorder on the block. But it is still very compact for a traditional camcorder, and the shape and dimensions of the model—60 x 64 x 124mm (2.4 x 2.5 x 4.9 inches)—aren't too shabby. No, you can't slip the R21 in and out of your pocket (unless it's a big coat pocket), so if you want a camcorder with that ability you should look at an ultracompact camcorder instead. But with the slightly larger size of the R21 you also get 32GB of internal flash memory and two memory card slots—all of which do wonders in improving a camcorders overall portability. You don't have to worry about running out of recording space like you do on a smaller camcorder that may have one card slot and no internal memory (or just a small amount of internal memory and no card slot).

Battery Life (4.15)

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The Canon HF R21 didn't do a great job in our battery life test. The camcorder was able to continually record for 83 minutes (just under an hour and a half), which is much worse than the competition from JVC and Sony. Surprisingly, this 83-minute performance is actually better than what the Canon showed us last year with the HF R11 (a very disappointing 71-minute battery life). More on how we test battery life.

Making matters worse, the Canon HF R21 has an enclosed battery compartment. So, if you want to load the camcorder up with a larger battery pack for longer-lasting performance, that's not even a possibility. Most other entry-level models, other than pocket-cams, have open-ended battery compartments that can accommodate larger battery packs.

The battery compartment is fully enclosed, so you can't use a larger battery pack with the R21.

LCD (8.58)

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The little flip-out door on the left side of the HF R21 is the camcorder's LCD panel, which is what you use to frame all your video recordings (and watch them for a small-version playback). The screen on the R21 is 3-inches in size, which is a bit larger than the 2.7-inch screen that was offered on the HF R11. We like the extra screen real estate, particularly when you have to use the touchscreen interface on the screen to access menu options and controls. The screen has a 230,000-pixel resolution, which is also a big increase over last year's HF R11. Of course, a few high-end camcorders feature even larger screens—often around 3.5-inches in size—but a 3-inch screen is still very impressive for an entry-level camcorder.

The LCD is 3-inches diagonally, which is slightly larger than the screen on last year's R11.

Stabilization (2.31)

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Unlike Canon's higher-end Vixia camcorders, the HF R21 uses a digital image stabilization system instead of an optical one. What does this mean for the videographer? Digital (or electronic) image stabilization blurs pixels in an attempt to stabilize the video image, so, in a sense, it degrades the quality of the recorded image. This shouldn't happen with optical image stabilization. The fact that the R21 has a digital system rather than an optical one isn't a surprise—it's the norm for an entry-level model. More on how we test stabilization.

In our testing, the image stabilization on the R21, which has two settings, didn't perform very well. In fact, we found the regular stabilization mode didn't reduce the shakiness of our test footage one iota. The more intense "dynamic" stabilization mode did have an impact, however. In our low shake test, the dynamic stabilization reduced shakiness by 17%. The stabilization mode was a bit worse in our high shake test, reducing just 10% of the shake. Neither of these scores are particularly impressive, but we've seen camcorders that were a lot worse. Sometimes, with very cheap models, the digital image stabilization system doesn't do anything at all, and occasionally the IS modes increase the shakiness of the image.

Miscellaneous Controls (5.00)

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Cine Mode

Cine Mode can be used in conjunction with any frame rate on the HF R21 (not just PF24). It gives your footage a more cinematic look by reducing gain, which, in turn, should reduce noise as well. The mode works best if you have a good lighting setup, ideally with professional lights, but it can work well in many different shooting situations.

Flicker Reduction

Reduces flicker when recording monitors or television screens with the camcorder. You can choose between 50Hz or 60Hz depending on the refresh rate of the monitor that is giving you the troubling flicker.

Onscreen Markers

Produces markers or grids to assist with framing. You can choose from two colors (white or gray) and two types of markers (a centered line or a large grid).

x.v. Color

Enables the camcorder to record using the xvYCC expanded color gamut. If you don't see a difference it may be due to the fact that you need an television capable of displaying the xvYCC colors during playback.

Auto Controls (9.42)

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Thankfully, the camcorders autofocus and auto exposure controls worked quite well. You don't have to be in the dedicated auto mode to use these features—they will be set to auto in regular shooting mode as well. The difference is, when the dedicated auto mode is off, you have the choice of using autofocus or manual focus (same goes with exposure). We found the camcorder focused very quickly with autofocus, although there was some focus popping every now and then. Auto exposure was also quick and smooth.

The R21 didn't always have the best white balance in auto mode, but usually it would set things right after 10 - 15 seconds in a new lighting environment. The manual white balance is easy to set as well, but we doubt most users will have time for that kind of thing.

If you want to pick your own scene modes, the HF R21 has the following options: Portrait, Sports, Night Scene, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Low Light, Spotlight, Fireworks. Each of these are found in the menu system when you set the Recording Programs option to SCN. The camcorder is also equipped with face detection, an autofocus tracking feature, backlight correction, and an auto slow shutter feature that allows the camcorder to use a 1/30 of a second shutter speed in low light situations (this may produce motion blur due to the slow shutter).

The camcorder's lens has a 20x optical zoom capability, but this can be increased to 28x by activating the advanced zoom feature. Advanced zoom, which is also called intelligent zoom by some manufacturers, uses extra pixels to increase zoom without any loss of image quality (according to the manufacturers). We don't use advanced zoom in our testing, though, just in case there is a slight downgrade in quality. The 400x digital zoom option on the HF R21 will degrade your image quality rather severely when used, however, so we recommend avoiding it if you can. In addition to the variable zoom speed control that allows you to adjust zoom speed by applying more or less pressure on the camcorder's zoom toggle, you can also set the R21 to use one of three constant zoom speeds.

Audio Controls (5.25)

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The most important audio features on the HF R21 are the camcorder's inclusions of mic and headphone jacks, which is something you don't commonly find on an entry-level model. The mic jack is located inside the LCD cavity (unfortunately it doesn't have the tell-tale red ring that commonly accompanies mic jacks), while the headphone jack is in the port clusters on the right side of the camcorder (it doubles as an AV-output).

Additional audio controls are available in the camcorder's menu system, but the most important is a full-fledged audio level control option. You can adjust the levels as well as look at a level display to help you adjust accordingly. There's also a wind screen option, a microphone attenuator, and an audio mix setting on the R21.

Editing (7.00)

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Canon ships Pixela Video Browser with the HF R21—the same software the company has been including with its consumer camcorders for quite some time. The software can assist you with importing your clips, uploading them to video-sharing websites (like YouTube), and burning footage to DVD. It also has some minor editing features. For an overview of the software that ships with this and other camcorders, see our article: Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder{{product.brand.name}}-Included-Software.htm.

Internal editing features on the camcorder include the ability to copy clips from the internal memory to a memory card, divide individual clips, and convert HD footage to standard definition. This HD to SD conversion feature can only be performed if you have a memory card inserted in the camcorder because the R21 makes a copy of your HD footage (from a clip stored on the internal memory) and copies it as an SD clip to a memory card.

Compression (7.50)

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The Canon HF R21 uses the MPEG-4 codec to compress HD content recorded with the camcorder. All of the camcorder's record modes are AVCHD compliant as well, which is the norm for consumer HD camcorders this day and age. The only notable detail about the R21's compression options is the addition of a maximum recording bitrate of 24Mbps, which is highest bitrate available for 1080/60i AVCHD recording. Last year's HF R11 topped out with a 17Mbps recording rate, so the addition of the 24Mbps setting (called MXP) is new for this year's model. This 24Mbps setting is available (and has been for a few years) on Canon's mid-range and high-end HD camcorders as well.

In addition to the 24Mbps record mode, the HF R21 has one other Full HD record setting (FXP) and three lower quality modes that record 1440 x 1080 videos (that are stretched to 1920 x 1080 for playback). The table below has all the details. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

Media (9.77)

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The R21 is loaded with 32GB of internal flash memory, which is a lot for an entry-level camcorder. As an added bonus, the camcorder comes with not one, but two memory card slots—both of which work with SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards. Both slots are located inside the LCD cavity behind a flip down door, which is another change over last year's HF R11. The R11 had one card slot located on the bottom of the camcorder.

According to Canon, the HF R21 can fit just under 3 hours of footage recorded at the highest quality setting to the camcorder's 32GB of internal memory. Obviously, lower quality modes allow for much longer record times (the lowest quality setting can record for over 12 hours). Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

The camcorder has two memory card slots in addition to 32GB of built-in flash memory.

Still Features (7.15)

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The Canon HF R21 does not have a dedicated still image mode, but you can easily snap photos in the camcorder's regular dual shot record mode that lets you record video or take photos. There are only two photo size options: a 1920 x 1080 widescreen setting and a 2016 x 1512 mode that takes photos with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The 2016 x 1512 photo mode captures an image that exceeds the pixel count of the HF R21's image sensor. When a photo does this it is called interpolation, and it is essentially making the photo larger without actually incorporating extra pixels (the effective pixel count for the R21's still images is 2.41 megapixels). So, the 1920 x 1080 mode is the only option that doesn't use interpolation on the camcorder.

You cannot take still photos during recording with the HF R21. The camcorder does, however, have a self-timer, and most of the controls in video mode will be active when you take photos as well. Pushing the shutter button down halfway will begin the photo capture process and you'll notice the LCD display switch to a 4:3 aspect ratio if that's the photo size you have selected.

Lens & Imaging System

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The lens has a 20x optical zoom.

The HF R21 is equipped with a 20x optical zoom lens (that can be bumped up to 28x using advanced zoom) that has an automatic lens cover. The lens is also fairly fast with a maximum aperture of f/1.8. The sensor in the R21 is a 1/4.85-inch CMOS chip with a total pixel count of 3.28 megapixels. This is a significantly smaller sensor than you will often find on higher-end camcorders, but many entry-level models have sensors of around this size.

LCD (8.58)

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The little flip-out door on the left side of the HF R21 is the camcorder's LCD panel, which is what you use to frame all your video recordings (and watch them for a small-version playback). The screen on the R21 is 3-inches in size, which is a bit larger than the 2.7-inch screen that was offered on the HF R11. We like the extra screen real estate, particularly when you have to use the touchscreen interface on the screen to access menu options and controls. The screen has a 230,000-pixel resolution, which is also a big increase over last year's HF R11. Of course, a few high-end camcorders feature even larger screens—often around 3.5-inches in size—but a 3-inch screen is still very impressive for an entry-level camcorder.

The LCD is 3-inches diagonally, which is slightly larger than the screen on last year's R11.

Connectivity (5.38)

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Conveniently, Canon chose to group the ports and terminals on the HF R21 in two easy-to-find locations. On the right side of the camcorder is a large tab that pops out and hangs to the side of the R21, remaining attached to the camcorder by a rubberized tether. Behind this tab you'll find the DC-input, Component-out port, and the AV-out terminal that doubles as a headphone jack as well. Our only complaint about these ports is that they are positioned in the area your palm will rest when you grip the R21 normally. This isn't great if you want to, say, hold the camcorder while the DC-input is connected.

The USB, HDMI, and external mic jack are located inside the LCD cavity.

The rest of the ports are located inside the HF R21's LCD cavity, which is our name for the area covered by the LCD panel when it is closed (it's the left side of the camcorder if you're still confused). In here you'll find three ports that are not covered by any tabs or doors, but they are covered by the LCD panel when it is closed. Near the bottom of the camcorder are the USB and HCMI terminals, and at the upper right is the 3.5mm external mic jack. Below the mic jack is a flip-down door that houses the dual SD memory card slots that also fit SDHC and SDXC cards as well.

That's it for connectivity features on the RF 21. It isn't missing much, except for an accessory shoe and certain advanced connectivity options that aren't necessary for the average consumer.

The DC-input, Component-out, and AV-out are clumped together on the right of the camcorder.

Battery (4.15)

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Making matters worse, the Canon HF R21 has an enclosed battery compartment. So, if you want to load the camcorder up with a larger battery pack for longer-lasting performance, that's not even a possibility. Most other entry-level models, other than pocket-cams, have open-ended battery compartments that can accommodate larger battery packs. Find out how the product:model/product:model performed in our battery life test.

The battery compartment is fully enclosed, so you can't use a larger battery pack with the R21.

Media (9.77)

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The R21 is loaded with 32GB of internal flash memory, which is a lot for an entry-level camcorder. As an added bonus, the camcorder comes with not one, but two memory card slots—both of which work with SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards. Both slots are located inside the LCD cavity behind a flip down door, which is another change over last year's HF R11. The R11 had one card slot located on the bottom of the camcorder.

According to Canon, the HF R21 can fit just under 3 hours of footage recorded at the highest quality setting to the camcorder's 32GB of internal memory. Obviously, lower quality modes allow for much longer record times (the lowest quality setting can record for over 12 hours). Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

The camcorder has two memory card slots in addition to 32GB of built-in flash memory.

Still Features (7.15)

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The Canon HF R21 does not have a dedicated still image mode, but you can easily snap photos in the camcorder's regular dual shot record mode that lets you record video or take photos. There are only two photo size options: a 1920 x 1080 widescreen setting and a 2016 x 1512 mode that takes photos with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The 2016 x 1512 photo mode captures an image that exceeds the pixel count of the HF R21's image sensor. When a photo does this it is called interpolation, and it is essentially making the photo larger without actually incorporating extra pixels (the effective pixel count for the R21's still images is 2.41 megapixels). So, the 1920 x 1080 mode is the only option that doesn't use interpolation on the camcorder.

You cannot take still photos during recording with the HF R21. The camcorder does, however, have a self-timer, and most of the controls in video mode will be active when you take photos as well. Pushing the shutter button down halfway will begin the photo capture process and you'll notice the LCD display switch to a 4:3 aspect ratio if that's the photo size you have selected.

Other Features (4.00)

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Pre Record

Do you always seem to hit the record button too late, thereby failing to capture crucial moments with your camcorder? If so, the Pre Record feature may be a solution for you. With Pre Record engaged, the HF R21 will continually store three seconds of footage in the camcorder's memory buffer. So, when you do end up pressing record, the camcorder has already captured three seconds of footage (footage it recorded before you hit the record button!). This can be great for recording action sequences or sports where things happen faster than your reaction time is used to.

Digital Effects and Faders

Faders can be added to your footage during recording at either the beginning or end of your clips (or at both spots). The faders can be in black or white, and they are also available as wipes instead. You can also change the colors of your recordings (these are the digital effects) to black & white or sepia modes.

Decoration

A wild new feature that Canon introduced on its Vixia line is the decoration mode. This allows you to draw on your clips, add little animations, overlay text, etc. Basically, it lets you do all the cheesy things that a very basic editing program offers in post production—except you can do it during recording (or in playback mode). The decoration system is very confusing, as everything is controlled on the 3-inch touchscreen, so don't expect to produce anything that looks amazing with this feature.

Video Snapshot

Canon offers Video Snapshot on all of its 2011 models and the feature is often abbreviated as Video Snap. You turn the feature on by pressing the Video Snap button inside the LCD cavity and it allows you to record clips of a specific length. This length can be 2, 4, or 8 seconds (you choose in the menu) and a blue progress bar makes its way around the perimeter of the LCD to show you how much time you have left with the clip. Overall, this feature is less fun than Canon makes it out to be, but it can be useful as a feature that forces you to record short clips of equal lengths.

Video Rating

You can rate your videos after you record them with this feature turned on. Rating options range from 0 - 3 stars, or you have the choice of not rating a video. We think this is a rather meaningless feature, but some may find it useful for organizational purposes.

JVC GZ-HM450 Comparison

Judging solely on video performance, the Canon HF R21 holds a slight edge over the JVC GZ-HM450. The Canon produced a sharper image in our testing and needed less light to capture a usable image. You can see what we're talking about with your own eyes by looking at our Color & Noise and Low Light Performance sections earlier in this review.

But performance was only one of the areas where the HF R21 whooped the GZ-HM450. The R21 is also a whole lot easier to use, has a larger LCD touchscreen, and is loaded with more useful features than the competition from JVC. The main thing that drove us crazy about the HM450 was the camcorder's extremely slow response time. The touchscreen was often sluggish to respond to input from our fingertips—particularly when we were in the process of recording or playing back video clips. Our guess is that JVC cut costs by putting a very slow processor in the entry-level HM450. In comparison, the Canon HF R21 works at lightning-fast speeds.

The HF R21 also has multiple frame rate options (PF24 and PF30 in addition to 60i), a host of audio controls (including a mic input), and a decent grip and body design. The JVC GZ-HM450 is just as compact, but it's only huge advantage in terms of useful features is its insane 40x optical zoom lens (that's twice the zoom than the HF R21 is capable of). The GZ-HM450 does come with some internal memory, but only 8GB worth (compared to 32GB on the R21).

Don't let the GZ-HM450's cheap price tag dissuade you. Yes, the camcorder can be found for around $300, but with that price comes terrible handling and a frustrating user experience—something we expect would only be worse for novice videographers. Even though the Canon HF R21 costs around $100 - $200 more, the extra money is certainly worth it. And, remember, you could always go with the Canon HF R20 (8GB of internal memory) to save some cash instead.

Samsung HMX-H300 Comparison

The Samsung HMX-H300 is a simple camcorder, and, at times, we liked the way it handled and recorded video. Unfortunately, the camcorder has some serious issues with recording video in low light, and for that reason it is hard to recommend it to anyone. Compared to the HF R21, the HMX-H300 looks like a camcorder that is well past its prime. Its images in low light were blurred, murky, and discolored to an extent that they were almost useless.

The HMX-H300 does have some interesting manual controls—including a basic shutter speed and aperture control option—but the method for adjusting these controls isn't solidly designed. The 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD is too small and cramped to handle all these controls, which is less of a problem on the Canon HF R21 thanks to its larger, 3-inch screen. We do like the compact design of the H300, however, as well as the camcorder's ability to record standard definition in addition to HD.

The H300 has no internal memory, so you must add the cost of a memory card onto the camcorder's total price. This makes the HMX-H300's $399 price sound far less appealing, particularly when you consider the Canon HF R21 and its 32GB of internal memory cost only $100 more. This puts Samsung in a difficult place because the HMX-H300 isn't even the best option for budget consumers. So, instead of going with the H300 because it looks like a good deal, you should check out the entry-level options from Canon (including the R21, R20, and R200), Panasonic, or Sony instead.

Canon HF R11 Comparison

If you didn't know already, the HF R11 is the predecessor to the Canon HF R21. Because of this, the two camcorders have many of the same features, design implementations, and performance results. The main improvements made by Canon include an overhaul of the user interface by including a touchscreen LCD on the R21 in place of the joystick navigation system on the R11. To accommodate the touchscreen, Canon also boosted the size of the LCD to 3 inches (up from 2.7 inches). Whether or not this change is a good thing depends on your own feelings about the quality of touchscreen interfaces. Either way, we do like the larger screen size.

In our testing, the two camcorder performed almost identically in bright light, but there was some improvement by the HF R21 in low light, particularly in the low light sensitivity and color accuracy tests. The two camcorders have very similar feature sets and manual control options as well. Canon did improve the button design on the R21, which both makes the camcorder handle better and look more stylish, but this design alteration isn't hugely significant.

Other than the new LCD, the updates made to the R21 aren't that noteworthy. We like the HF R21 more than the HF R11 because of its improved low light performance, but if you detest touchscreens you may actually prefer the HF R11 instead. It only came out slightly worse in our performance testing, and it was one of the best entry-level camcorders we reviewed last year. Since it is an older model, you may also get lucky and find one at a very low cost. If not, you can rest assured the Canon HF R21 is at least just as good, if not a bit better than its predecessor.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a low-cost HD camcorder, you essentially have two options: the ultracompact “pocket” cams that are about the size of a smartphone, or a more traditional budget camcorder like the Canon Vixia HF R21. The HF R21 certainly isn’t as portable as its tiny competitors, but it has a more features and its video performance is far superior. This makes the HF R21 the ideal camcorder for someone who has used a camcorder before and isn’t afraid of new technology, but carries no illusions of being a professional videographer.

The quality of the video captured by the Canon HF R21 is very good for a sub-$500 camcorder. It isn’t on the same level as $1000 camcorders, but the HD images are crisp and the low light performance is solid for an entry-level model. Unless you’re a video enthusiast or a serious student filmmaker, the HF R21 should be adequate for all your shooting needs. The camcorder is also loaded with 32GB of internal flash memory and two SD-type memory card slots; you're not likely to run out of recording space if you come prepared.

Ease of use is paramount with the HF R21, but the camcorder also has a few advanced controls that are worth checking out. There are a couple cinematic settings (including an alternate frame rate) to help you achieve a film-like aesthetic, plus fantastic audio controls for an entry-level camcorder. (The R21 offers full-fledged audio level adjustment in addition to an external mic and headphone jack.) If you’re looking for extensive manual controls—like the ability to adjust shutter speed or aperture—the Canon HF R21 is not the camcorder for you. Some entry-level models, like the Samsung HMX-H300, do have the ability to adjust these controls, but Canon left the option off the R21.

There are, of course, downsides to buying the HF R21. It felt comfortable in our hand, but it doesn't seem to be particularly durable: the body is coated in a light plastic shell that feels cheap and easily crackable. Meanwhile, the battery life is mediocre at best and the camcorder is designed in such a way as to prevent upgrading to a larger, longer-lasting battery.

Despite its weaknesses, the Canon HF R21 is a good camcorder for someone with a little bit of video experience that wants quality footage. It’s simple to use, but requires more tinkering than those basic pocket cams that are marketed to beginners. Its basic controls and options offer more versatility, but it lacks the variety and depth required by advanced amateurs and professionals. All this adds up to a camcorder that's great for simple home movies, vacations, or YouTube. With a $499 price tag, the HF R21 is a bit more expensive than other entry-level camcorders, but the extra cash is definitely worth it.

Photo Gallery

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