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  • Introduction

  • Product Tour

  • Color & Noise Performance

  • Motion & Sharpness Performance

  • Low Light Performance

  • Compression & Media

  • Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling & Use

  • Playback & Connectivity

  • Audio & Other Features

  • Sony HDR-XR520V Comparison

  • Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison

  • JVC GZ-HD300 Comparison

  • Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Specs and Ratings

  • Introduction
  • Product Tour
  • Color & Noise Performance
  • Motion & Sharpness Performance
  • Low Light Performance
  • Compression & Media
  • Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling & Use
  • Playback & Connectivity
  • Audio & Other Features
  • Sony HDR-XR520V Comparison
  • Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison
  • JVC GZ-HD300 Comparison
  • Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery
  • Specs and Ratings

Introduction

Update: The Vixia HF S11 (a slightly updated sister model to the HF S100) was ultimately selected as our 2009 runner-up for Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.

Product Tour

 

**Lens & Imaging System**


 

For a consumer camcorder, the Canon HF S100 features a very large lens. In fact, the lens has the same filter diameter as the GL2, which is a professional camcorder from Canon that records standard definition video. The lens takes up the entire front side of the Canon HF S100, and its diameter is nearly the width and height of the camcorder itself. The lens features a 10x optical zoom and has a maximum aperture of f/1.8. In addition to the large lens, the HF S100 features a substantial 1/2.6-inch CMOS image sensor.

 

**Front**


 

**Right**


 

**Back**


 

**Left**


 

**Top**


 

**Bottom**


 

**In The Box**


Color & Noise Performance

 

**Color***(10.03)*


Being a high-end HD camcorder, it should come as no surprise that the Canon HF S100 delivers a sharp, pristine image in bright light. Its captured colors are also very accurate, measuring a color error of just 3.49 in our testing. This isn't as good as the JVC GZ-HD300, which had some of the most accurate colors we've seen this year, but it's still a very good performance for the HF S100. The camcorder also had a saturation level of 88.13% in our bright light testing. (More on how we test color.)

Looking at the color error map above, you can see the Canon HF S100 was particularly off on some reds and purples in our color tests. Blues, greens, yellows, and skin tones were rendered quite well by the camcorder, and its overall color accuracy was strong. The HF S100 offers a number of color modes, or image effects as Canon calls them, that allow you to enhance certain aspects of your video image. The color modes on the HF S100 are identical to the options on the HF20, HF11 and the rest of Canon's HD lineup. Below are test images of each preset color mode on the HF S100—vivid, neutral, low sharpening, and soft skin detail.

The color modes don't alter the image dramatically, but you should be able to see a difference in the saturation levels between the vivid (boosted saturation) and neutral mode (decreased saturation. Low sharpening does exactly what it sounds like, it lowers the sharpness of the image. Soft Skin Detail enhances skin tones by smoothing-out certain colors.

As we said before, the four camcorders in this set all look very good under bright light. Each had above-average color accuracy, although the JVC GZ-HD300 is the runaway winner in this category. Looking at the color chip chart below, you can see the Canon HF S100 has a slightly brighter image in auto mode than the Sony HDR-XR520V. The Canon also shows a bit more artifacting and noise in the color patches compared to the Sony and Panasonic.

 

 

**Noise***(6.27)*


Various Canon camcorders, including the HF20 this year, have had trouble with high levels of noise. The HF S100 average 0.88% noise in our bright light tests, which isn't bad, but it certainly isn't terrific. All the other camcorders we tested in the set below measured lower levels of noise in bright light, with the Sony HDR-XR520V leading the way with only 0.37% noise. (More on how we test noise.)

The crops above should also give you a good look at each camcorder's sharpness, which is something we'll go into further detail in the video sharpness section of this review. While the HF S100 has a very crisp, sharp image, it is definitely rivaled by the Sony HDR-XR520V and the Panasonic HDC-TM300. The JVC GZ-HD300 is clearly a notch below the other three camcorders in terms of sharpness, but keep in mind that it also retails for $699, which is hundreds of dollars less than the other camcorders in this set.

 

Motion & Sharpness Performance

Low Light Performance

 

**Low Light Sensitivity***(3.24)*


The Canon HF S100 required 16 lux of light to register 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This is roughly an average score for a camcorder, although we expected a bit better from a camcorder with such a large CMOS sensor. The Sony HDR-XR520V also required 16 lux of light to produce the same results, but the Panasonic HDC-TM300 needed much less—only 9 lux. The HDC-TM300's performance is among the best low light sensitivity scores we've measured this year, right up there with the Sanyo VPC-HD2000. Again, the JVC GZ-HD300 is far behind the pack here, earning a low light sensitivity of 29 lux in our test. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

The above low light sensitivity scores are all based on 1080/60i video from each camcorder. No special low light modes were engaged and slow shutters were turned off, as to not allow shutter speeds lower than 1/60th of a second. We tested the Canon HF S100's low light sensitivity using its alternate frame rates (see below), but our final score is based on its 1080/60i performance.

The Canon HF S100 showed significant improvement with low light using its alternate 24p and 30p frame rates. At 24p the camcorder needed only 6 lux of light to peak at 50 IRE, and in 30p mode 7 lux was reqired. This is a dramatic improvement over 60i, so, if you like the aesthetic of 24p and 30p footage, the HF S100 shouldn't disappoint you in low light. The Panasonic HDC-TM300, the only other camcorder in this set to offer an alternate frame rate, didn't see as much of a low light improvement in its 24p mode. Then again, the Panasonic already had the strongest low light sensitivity of the set at 60i.

**Low Light Color***(6.75)*


The Canon HF S100 didn't have the most accurate colors in low light, but its numbers were comparable to the competition. The HF S100 measured a color error of 5.43 in our 60 lux low light test. The Sony HDR-XR520V and Panasonic HDC-TM300 both scored a 4.9 and the JVC GZ-HD300 earned a 5.15. This isn't much disparity, which means all four camcorders are roughly equal when it comes to low light color accuracy. The Canon HF S100 did have a significantly lower saturation level, however, measuring in at 58.01% in our test. The Sony and Panasonic measured saturation levels of 77.11% and 65.09% respectively. (More on how we test low light color.)

We liked the Canon HF S100's low light image, but it definitely appeared a bit darker than both the Sony HDR-XR520V and Panasonic HDC-TM300. The low saturation on the Canon also resulted in colors with slightly less pop than the Sony or Panasonic. In the images of our test chart below you can see how much darker the Canon image is compared to the other camcorders.

Of course, as we saw in our low light sensitivity testing, the Canon HF S100 works better in low light when using its alternate frame rates. In 30p mode, the HF S100 measured a color error of 4.69 with 69.6% saturation. 24p mode was even better—4.28 color error with a saturation level of 75.19%.

Below, we have the Canon HF S100 at 60i and 24p side-by-side with the Panasonic HDC-TM300 using the same settings. Since neither the Sony nor JVC have alternate frame rates, we didn't include their test images in this comparison.

Notice how much brighter the Canon is at 24p compared to its 60i image. This gives you a good visual example of why the camcorder's low light sensitivity goes up so much when using its alternate frame rates. The Panasonic HDC-TM300, however, didn't show much improvement in 24p mode. Its color error measured 4.76 with 67.77% saturation in 24p mode.

Keep in mind, our final scores for this section are based on test results from 1080/60i recording. We score based on 60i footage because that is the default frame rate for these camcorders. The 24p and 30p modes, while they are excellent features for a camcorder to include, offer a completely different aesthetic than 60i. Motion is slower, more film-like, and can appear choppy or sluggish to some viewers.

 

 

**Low Light Noise***(8.91)*


The noise levels in our low light test footage for the Canon HF S100 averaged 1.3525%. This is a decent score, but compared to the Sony HDR-XR520V (0.8725% noise) and Panasonic HDC-TM300 (0.7825% noise) it looks a bit high. There is definitely more noticeable noise in the Canon's low light image than its Sony and Panasonic counterparts. The JVC GZ-HD300 displayed a horrible low light image, but its noise levels measured only 1.315%—very similar to the HF S100's numbers. (More on how we test low light noise.)

Before you dismiss the JVC GZ-HD300 when looking at the crops above, remember that it is much cheaper than the other three camcorders we tested in this bunch. The GZ-HD300 is JVC's top-of-the-line camcorder for 2009, however, which is why we included it in these comparisons. The other three camcorders (Sony, Canon, and Panasonic) are rather difficult to analyze. Each has a good image at low light, although each isn't perfect. The Canon HF S100 is noisier than the rest, but it captures a lot of detail. The Panasonic is slightly less sharp and there is quite a bit of artifacting and glow around the numbers and vertical trumpets, but its image is bright and strong. From the crops above, the Sony HDR-XR520V looks very good and it appears to maintain the best sharpness in low light.

The HF S100 continued to produce excellent results in 30p and 24p mode. The crops above show a much sharper, crisper image than its 60i footage. Looking at the bottom of the vertical trumpets in the three crops shows how much cleaner the Canon's 24p and 30p footage really is. There is also a significant boost in brightness with the slower frame rates. As with our low light color and sensitivity tests, the final scores for this section are based on footage recorded at 1080/60i.

 

 

Compression & Media

 

**Compression***(7.0)*


The Canon HF S100 records high definition video in the AVCHD codec. A couple years ago, AVCHD was still getting its feet wet as a compression standard for high definition video. Now it's the primary codec; the four major camcorder manufacturers use AVCHD and most video editing software is now compatible with AVCHD. Although the codec is compatible with more programs, it can still result in large and unwieldy files. Make sure you have a robust computer before taking the dive into AVCDH.

Canon is one of the handful of manufacturers that has reached the 24Mbps bitrate ceiling of AVCHD. Tech savvy videophiles are lamenting the fact that Panasonic and Sony have yet to make the jump to 24Mbps, while Canon introduced its first 24Mbps camcorder last year. The Canon HF S100 has five quality options: MXP (24Mbps), FXP (17Mbps), XP+ (12Mbps), SP (7Mbps), and LP (5Mbps).

 

**Media***(5.0)*


Canon released two new flagship camcorders this year: the Canon HF S10 and Canon HF S100. The only real difference between the two camcorders is their primary recording media. Both models have SD/SDHC memory card slots, but the Canon HF S10 has an additional 32GB of internal memory. With the HF S100, you'll have to rely entirely on removable memory cards. Internal flash memory is certainly a convenient option to have available—you'll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth $200.

 

Below is a chart of approximate recording times, depending on the quality setting you select and the size of your memory card. According to the user manual, neither the HF S10 nor the HF S100 can record maximum quality video to 1GB or 2GB memory cards. You'll need at least a 4GB card in order to record in MXP or FXP mode. Since we always recommend you record at the highest setting, you should invest in a good size card if you purchase the HF S100.

 

**Editing***(7.0)*


The Canon HF S100 comes with Pixela ImageMixer 3SE Video Editing Software, which is the same program that ships with all new Canons. The software isn't anything fancy, but it allows you to do some basic editing, as well as organize your clips and images in a manner that suits you. The Pixela software is compatible with both Mac and PC computers.The camcorder also comes with a Digital Video Solution disk that includes drivers, help files, and a few small programs.

The HF S100 records video using the AVCHD codec, which is essentially the standard for HD camcorders that record to flash memory or an internal hard drive. Only Samsung and Sanyo have flash-based camcorders that record video using other codecs. AVCHD is a complicated codec and it carries a lot of information with its footage. This makes the files very large, and, as a result, they can be very difficult to work with on weak computers. If you plan on doing lots of editing with the HF S100, make sure you have a powerful computer that is up to the challenge. On a positive note, however, AVCHD is now compatible with most consumer and professional-level editing programs. We were able to transfer footage from the HF S100 to Final Cut Express and iMovie with ease.

The Canon HF S100 also comes with a music CD for adding background tracks to your video footage. We didn't get a copy of this disc, so we don't know how much or what kind of music comes on it, but we're guessing it isn't very exciting. Music from the CD can be loaded onto a memory card so you can add background tracks to your footage using an entirely in-camera system.

Manual Controls

 

**Auto Mode***(9.13)*


Auto mode is the bread and butter for most camcorder users, and even though the Canon HF S100 is a high-end product, it is still likely most people will end up shooting a majority of their footage with automatic controls. Dual Shot mode, which is the camcorder's dedicated auto mode, is represented on the mode dial with a green icon of a camcorder and camera. We don't particularly like the naming convention of 'Dual Shot' mode, as it could easily confuse first-time videographers. On last year's models, Canon called this same setting 'Easy' mode, which is a lot simpler for a new user to comprehend and find. In Dual Shot mode, the camcorder locks you out from all menus and manual settings. The only thing you can do with the camcorder is zoom, record, and press the shutter button to take photos. Switching over to regular video mode allows you to manipulate some of the camcorder's settings, while still keeping most controls automated.

Let's begin with the most basic of auto controls—focus. The HF S100, like many Canons, has two autofocus modes. The first is called Instant AF, and it utilizes a secondary autofocus sensor (located beneath the lens) to provide an immediate, snap-like focus. We found the instant AF to work well in most cases, but it can be problematic if  you're dealing with lots of motion. If you prefer a more traditional autofocus style, the normal AF system on the HF S100 provides a gradual focus adjustment. The autofocus still works quickly when moving between multiple subjects, but it doesn't have the immediate, locked-in focus shift that occurs with instant AF. The normal AF mode looks more like someone is performing a manual focus with a lens ring—only the camcorder is doing it automatically.

The HF S100 also has face detection, which is a new feature this year for Canon. With the setting activated, the camcorder will automatically detect faces within the video frame and adjust focus and exposure accordingly. During playback, any clips shot using face detection can also be organized and sorted based on whose face is in the clip. Canon claims the HF S100 can detect up to 9 faces at once and 35 faces in all, but we couldn't get the camcorder to pick up more than a few faces at any given time.

The auto exposure worked great on the HF S100, adjusting to various light sources with gradual ease. The camcorder offers alternate metering methods in still mode, but only one auto exposure setting is present for videos. There are a number of white balance presents on the camcorder, which we discuss in more detail in the white balance portion of the review. Auto white balance was quite effective, although not perfect, and we saw consistently better results when using a manual white balance.

Rounding out the auto controls is an auto slow shutter feature that can be turned on and off in the camcorder's menu. Turning the feature on allows the camcorder to use shutter speeds down to 1/30 of a second, which will produce a blurry, trailing effect in low light. With auto slow shutter off, the HF S100 won't drop below 1/60 of a second shutter speed.

Low Light Modes

There aren't any dedicated low light modes on the Canon HF S100, although there is a night scene mode that drops the shutter speed to as low as 1/2 of a second. The camcorder does have a built-in video light, however, that will help if you need to film in the dark.

Scene Modes

The HF S100 has the same set of scene modes as the Canon HF20: Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, and Fireworks. This is a decent amount of scene modes, and both the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Sony HDR-XR520V have a similar amount as well.

 

**Zoom***(7.5)*


Zoom on the HF S100 is controlled via a flat slider switch that rests naturally under the right index finger while recording. The switch is the same basic style of the Canon HF20 and last year's models, but it's larger and more robust. It also has a raised lip on either end of the toggle, which gives an additional level of control while zooming. Now, it's even easier to use variable finger pressure to get a smooth, quick zoom or a slow crawl. It's still not quite as good as a more traditional toggle, but it's about as responsive as most consumer camcorder zoom controls. As on previous Canon models, there is a secondary zoom control on the LCD panel, but these buttons do not allow you to alter zoom speed.

In addition to the variable zoom speed that can be achieved by changing finger pressure on the zoom switch, Canon offers three set zoom speeds that can be selected from within the administrative menu. Using the slowest zoom speed setting, it takes roughly 22 seconds to go from wide angle to a full 10x zoom. With the fastest speed setting, the same zoom takes roughly 6 seconds. The variable speed control allows for a wide range of speeds, but the zoom speed settings make it easier to zoom at one smooth, consistent speed.

Unfortunately, the HF S100 does have one considerable deficiency in zoom control: the scale is not numbered to give you a precise measure of your current zoom ratio.

**Zoom Ratio***(3.77)*


The Canon HF S100 has a 10x optical zoom, which is about average for a high-end consumer camcorder. Last year's Canon HF11 and the new Sony HDR-XR520V and Panasonic HDC-TM300 have 12x optical zoom. The top-of-the-line models from JVC this year sport a 20x optical zoom lens, but the sensor and imaging is not as impressive as those found on these more expensive models.

As on most camcorders, the HF S100 also has a digital zoom option, which can be capped off at 0x, 40x, or 200x. Using digital zoom will severely decrease image quality, so we recommend leaving that cap at 0x.

New this year to the HF S100 is a tele-converter option, which magnifies your image an additional 1.7x—an effect similar to that of a tele-converter lens. This feature, however, is a digital image effect, which lowers the effective pixel count from 6.01 megapixels to 2.07 megapixels. That means it is not like the Advanced Zoom on Canon's 2009 standard definition camcorders, which digitally expand the zoom range without image degradation. On the HF S100, the tele-converter option does not expand zoom range, but merely shifts it. The minimum zoom with tele-converter on is 1.7x, while the maximum is 17x.

 

**Focus***(7.5)*


If you're comparing the Canon HF S100 to its step-down model, the Canon HF20, manual focus control is one of the more significant upgrades. The basic concept is still the same: you can use the joystick to select one of several focal increments on a vague scale from 'man to mountain.' However, the HF S100 offers several tools to improve the manual focus experience that are not available on the less expensive Canon models.

First and foremost, there's the fantastic new custom control dial, which lets you assign one of five different operations to the smooth, easy action of the front-mounted control dial. Sure, Canon may have copied this straight out of the design books from Sony, but why not copy something that works so well? Controlling focus with this dial is far superior to using the small and imprecise joystick; the user is no longer constrained by hard increments, instead tweaking focus with exact control.

 

The HF S100 also has a rudimentary focus assist, which automatically zooms in on the image in order to aid with a manual focus. However, pair that with the camcorder's optional peaking feature, and you have a recipe for excellent image adjustment. Peaking is available in three different colors (red, blue, and yellow) and can be displayed with a color image or in black and white. If you've never experimented with this feature before, we highly recommend it. Peaking simply highlights sharp edges in a bold color, helping you determine when your image is most in focus. This is a great tool for manual control aficionados and these top-of-the-line Canons are the only consumer camcorders from any manufacturer to include a peaking option.

If you want to turn peaking on and off quickly, you can assign it to the custom control dial, but this will mean removing manual focus from the control dial. It's probably best to just pick the kind of peaking you like the best and leave the dial for making accurate and precise focus adjustments.

**Exposure***(8.3)*


The HF S100 offers the same exposure tool as the Canon HF20, reviewed earlier this year. There are twenty-three increments available, from -11 to +11. You can control exposure through the joystick guide or assign this as your option of choice for the custom control dial.

 

The exposure tool is actually more accessible than shutter speed and aperture adjustments. And since you don't have independent control over shutter and aperture, exposure may be a good way to keep both your shutter speed and image brightness high.

**Aperture***(6.5)*


Aperture adjustment is only possible in Canon's Aperture Priority mode. This means that as you change aperture, the shutter speed will be automatically adjusted to accommodate your selected aperture. Fortunately, the HF S100 does include a wide range of possible apertures and an excellent display mechanism for selecting an aperture (see animation below). If you're disheartened by the lack of independent aperture and shutter speed, remember that you can independently adjust exposure and auto gain limit.

 

Our only complaint about the aperture control is that it isn't as accessible as the independent aperture control we find on camcorders from other manufacturers. Changing aperture means switching into Aperture Priority mode. So, you can't change aperture from within Cine Mode or any of the scene modes.

**Shutter Speed***(6.6)*


Just as aperture is adjusted in Aperture Priority mode, shutter speed is adjusted in Shutter Priority mode. Again, this means that you don't have independent control over aperture and shutter speed. The wide range of shutter speeds extends down to 1/8 (or 1/6 in 24p mode). When adjusting shutter speed, remember that slow shutter speeds can really change the way motion looks, adding a lot of trailing and blurring. If you're shooting in low light, you may want to keep it in Shutter Priority mode to keep the camcorder from automatically selecting a very low speed. If the automatic aperture adjustment doesn't get you enough brightness, you can always use exposure and gain to accommodate.

Many camcorders don't allow you to select a shutter speed below 1/30 of a second, but the Canon HF S100 offers two very slow shutter options (1/8 and 1/15 of a second). The shutter on the HF S100 can actually go all the way down to 1/2 of a second, but this option only exists on the Night scene mode and it cannot be selected manually. In 24p mode, a different set of manual shutter speeds become available, to match the different frame rate. For a complete list of shutter speeds available on the Canon HF S100, see the table above.

 

 

**White Balance***(9.5)*


The white balance settings are exactly the same as what we reported on the Canon HF20 earlier this year. You can select from one of the presets or perform a manual white balance. Canon always offers a good range of presets: auto, daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, and fluorescent H. This is a decent number, especially compared to camcorders from Sony or Sanyo. The manual white balance is easy to perform and usually does a good job of compensating for different color temperatures.

 

**Gain***(3.5)*


The Canon HF S10 and HF S100 are the only camcorders from Canon to offer some degree of gain control, which they label as AGC Limit (auto gain control limit). This feature essentially allows you to alter the maximum amount of gain that the camcorder will automatically engage for a given scene. If you aren't worried about brightness and want to decrease the amount of noise, you can set the gain limit to 0dB, which will turn off gain entirely. If you don't mind the added noise, but want to increase the amount of light in your scene, you can set the gain limit as high as 18dB.

 

The AGC Limit control is buried fairly deep in the administrative menu, but it is also one of the five options you can assign to the custom control dial. If you anticipate changing the AGC Limit often, this may be a good idea. Most of the other manual controls can be accessed more easily in the Function and Joystick menus.

**Color & Image Controls***(9.0)*


The Image Effects feature in the Function menu allows you to select from one of four preset options that slightly shift the color of your image: vivid, neutral, low sharpening, and soft skin detail. (See color performance section for side-by-side comparisons of the four presets.)

A fifth image effect option is Custom, which gives you manual control over color depth, sharpness, contrast, and brightness. This lets the user fine-tune the recorded image, but it's actually a very limited tool. The range for each option is only +/- 1, despite the appearance of a scale with many increments. With Canon already providing such a robust manual control experience in the HF S100, this seems like a disappointing deficiency. Why not increase the scales so that we can have more control over these features?

The x.v. Color feature lets the camcorder record in the expanded xvYCC color gamut. Video recorded in this setting will only look different when played back on a television that supports xvYCC—otherwise the colors will look exactly the same.

 

 

**Other Manual Controls***(3.5)*


The HF S100 includes a number of professional-level controls that are rarely found on consumer camcorders. It can display color bars and an audio reference tone, has a couple of overexposure warnings (zebra settings), and contains numerous onscreen markers for assisting with framing.

 

Still Features

 

**Still Features***(12.21)*


The Canon HF S100 has an abundance of photographic features, and, as you'll see in our image tests below, it can function rather decently as a still camera. The camcorder can take photos in any mode—dual shot, photo mode, movie mode, and even during video playback. Full photo options, however, are only available in dedicated photo mode. Here, you can adjust image size with options ranging from 3264 x 2456 to 640 x 480, choose an image quality setting, or select a metering mode from evaluative, center-weighted average, or spot. There's a continuous shooting mode that will keep taking photos for as long as you keep the shutter button pressed (a hi-speed continuous feature does the same thing, only with a faster shutter), and an auto exposure bracketing option that takes three sequential photos, each with varying adjustments to exposure. There's also shutter-priority and aperture-priority modes for still images and most manual controls that work in video mode are also applicable with photos.

In movie mode, you can turn on an option for simultaneous recording. With this option activated, photos can be captured while you record video (with size options of 3264 x 1840 or 1920 x 1080 for the photos). In dual shot mode, simultaneous recording is automatically engaged, with the photo size always set to 1920 x 1080. In playback mode, the HF S100 has an option for capturing a still image from a recorded video. All you need to do is pause the video and hold down the shutter button to take the photo. In the camcorder's playback menu, you can set the quality of these captured images (from super fine, fine, or normal), but the image size must be set to 1920 x 1080.

Even though you may not be able to spot it at first, the camcorder does have a built-in flash. It's embedded inside the body of the camcorder, in the portion just above the lens. When you activate the flash, it automatically pops-up out of its compartment ready to go. We found the flash worked well, and it can be set to auto, red-eye reduction auto, always on, and always off. Behind the flash is a hot accessory shoe that can be used to attach an external flash or video light. The shoe, unfortunately, uses a proprietary mini design, so it only works with special accessories designed by Canon. Rounding out the HF S100's still features are a self-timer and an auto rotate feature, which will display correctly any images that were captured with the camcorder on its side.

 

The still playback screen looks just like the video playback screen. Photos are arranged as thumbnails and selecting an image brings up a full-screen view of the photo. Also displayed on the LCD screen is a large, blue histogram and an information box that gives details about the photograph (things like shutter speed, aperture setting, image size, etc.). Using the zoom toggle during still image playback allows you to digitally magnify a 3264 x 2456 still image up to five times.

 

**Still Color***(8.84)*


The Canon HF S100 measured a color error of 3.96 in its still photos, which is very similar to the 3.49 it scored in our regular video color testing. The Canon HF S100 measured a saturation level of 98.95% in our still image testing. For still images, this is a good score, although it is a bit worse than the Panasonic HDC-TM300 (2.65 color error) and the Sony HDR-XR520V (3.2 color error). The JVC GZ-HD300 also faired quite well in this test, with a 4.11 color error. (More on how we test still color.)

The Canon HF S100 had difficulty with dark blues and some yellows and oranges in our still color test. This is interesting because the camcorder did very well with blues in our video testing and struggled with reds—something the HF S100 captured very accurately in its still photographs. Since the camcorder uses different processing for still and video mode, these discrepancies make sense, and it may be something to look out for if you're overly concerned about the colors matching-up on your video and photo images.

**Still Noise***(1.65)*


The Canon HF S100 measured high noise levels in its still photos, averaging 1.15% noise in our tests. This is much too high for a still image, although it isn't terrible. The Sony HDR-XR520V had roughly the same numbers (1.07% noise), while the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and JVC GZ-HD300 averaged 0.79% and 0.7% noise respectively. (More on how we test still noise.)

**Still Sharpness***(11.5)*


The Canon HF S100 has a huge CMOS sensor, and it really comes in handy for taking large, sharp photos. The camcorder recorded an excellent horizontal sharpness of 2821 lw/ph with 0.5% oversharpening. Things didn't fare as well with vertical resolution, which measured 1380 lw/ph with -9.9% undersharpening from the same image in our test. This discrepancy between horizontal and vertical matches the results we got in our video sharpness test, which also showed the camcorder performing better on its horizontal measurement. Still, these are both very good scores overall, and the Canon HF S100 has one of the strongest still sharpness measurements we've seen. The Sony HDR-XR520V also put up good numbers here, with 1961 lw/ph horizontal and 1680 lw/ph vertical. (More on how we test still sharpness.)

Handling & Use

Playback & Connectivity

 

**Playback***(6.4)*


The HF S100 has the same playback system as the HF20 and the rest of Canon's 2009 HD camcorders. Accessing the dedicated playback mode on the HF S100 is done by pressing the playback button on the LCD panel. This brings up thumbnail views of your recorded videos (or still images if you're in photo mode). Using the zoom toggle allows you to control how many thumbnails are displayed at once—either 15 or 6 at a time. Selecting an image with the joystick button allows you to play it back as a full-screen video.

 

On the LCD panel are a few VCR playback controls: play/pause, stop, and playlist. These buttons are large and easy to use, but Canon unfortunately relegated some of the more advanced VCR controls to the joystick button. If you want to fastforward, use slow-motion, or adjust the playback volume of your video, you must awkwardly select these controls by pushing down on the joystick button and then moving it to the left or right. Simply put, this is not a good system.

The playback menu offers a few organization and simple editing features. Clips can be divided, organized by date, or grouped according to people's faces that are located in the videos themselves (if footage was recorded using the face detection feature). You can also capture still photos from your recorded video by pressing the shutter button when your video is paused. The still image playback menu offers options for rotating, printing, organizing, and deleting your photos.

 

The playlist function on the HF S100 lets you group a selection of videos or images to be played back in a particular order. It is similar to making a mix CD or slideshow—clips can be arranged and organized without regard to the date they were captured or the order in which they were filmed. You can even add background music to your playlists, but you have to load songs onto an inserted memory card for this option to be available. Canon includes a Music CD with the HF S100, which contains some sample tracks that can be used for spicing up your video playlists.

 

**Connectivity***(5.88)*


The Canon HF S100 has all the important connectivity options, but the placement of certain ports and inputs is downright lousy. Let's begin with the completely unprotected 3.5mm microphone jack on the right side of the camcorder. The port is tiny and out of the way, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't have some sort of covering for adequate protection. Moisture or foreign objects could harm the microphone jack in an instant.

 

Also on the right side of the HF S100 is a compartment that houses the component-out, USB, and HDMI port. These jacks are all protected by a flip-up door that seems fairly strong and sturdy. The problem with these ports, however, lies entirely with their poor placement. The camcorder's large hand strap gets in the way of the flip-up door and plugging in large cables can be a cluttered hassle. The component-out port also has a proprietary-fit design, so it won't work with a normal component AV cable.

 

Moving over to the left side of the camcorder you will find a few more quirky design issues inside the LCD cavity. Firstly, the camcorder's battery release switch is located here, rather than anywhere near the actual battery itself. Secondly, the SD/SDHC card slot is protected by a flip down door that cannot be opened when the camcorder is attached to a tripod or if the LCD screen is closed. This is a minor nuisance, however, and at least Canon provided a good cover to the SD/SDHC card slot.

 

On the back of the HF S100, just above the battery pack, are two more ports: the DC input is on the left and the AV-output on the right. Both are protected by their own flexible plastic coverings that remained tethered to the camcorder when you pull them out. These ports are well located and the covers provide decent protection, although we noticed they stopped making tight seals around the ports as the covers got more wear and tear. The AV-output also doubles as a headphone jack, with the option of switching between the two being contained in the camcorder's administrative menu.

Rounding out the connectivity options is a hot accessory shoe that is covered by a sliding shield of plastic on the top of the camcorder. While the shoe is powered, it is only compatible with Canon's mini-shoe accessories and it won't work with traditional shoe-fit devices. Adapters are available through third party vendors, but we can't attest as to how well they work with the Canon HF S100.

 

Audio & Other Features

 

**Audio Features***(5.75)*


The Canon HF S100 has more audio controls than your average consumer camcorder. Unfortunately, the most basic audio feature, the on-board microphone, is placed poorly. The Dolby Digital 2-channel mic flanks the camcorder's lens on both the left and right side. The mic on the right side is easily scuffed by the hand gripping the camcorder; the mic on the left side is just asking to be hit every time you operate the custom control dial. Putting the mic on the sides of the camcorder also means you won't get the best directional audio from things happening right in front of you.

 

Near the very front of the HF S100 is a 1/8-inch external microphone jack. This jack is decently placed, but it has no covering or protection. We're surprised Canon would leave this important port completely exposed, particularly when the Canon HF20 offers much better port protection. The audio levels can be manually adjusted for both the built-in and external microphone, which is a good feature to have if you're planning on using the HF S100 to shoot concerts, plays, or any event where good sound recording is vital.

 

When adjusting audio, the camcorder doesn't display any hard numbers or actual decibel gain levels. Instead, you are provided with a long bar that can be raised or lowered, almost like you're adjusting a volume knob on a radio. While this is still a useful feature, it can be a hassle if you're trying to adjust audio to a specific gain level. The HF S100 does have an audio level display, however, with markers set at -40dB, -12dB, and 0dB—so you can still get an idea of where your audio levels are peaking. If you plan to spend a lot of time adjusting audio levels, you can assign audio levels to the custom control dial and use the dial for finer control. (Just beware that your finger isn't scuffing the microphone in the process.)

If you want to connect headphones to the Canon HF S100, the camcorder's AV-output doubles as a headphone jack. (You have to go into the menus to select whether the port will output to AV or to headphones.) In comparison, the Sony HDR-XR520V and Panasonic HDC-TM300 both have dedicated headphone ports. If you're using headphones to monitor sound, you can also go into the menus to activate a test tone for audio calibration.

In the HF S100 menu you'll find a number of other audio features including a wind screen for blocking out the rustle of heavy winds, and a microphone attenuator for limiting audio levels to a specific peak. The camcorder also has a hot accessory shoe that works with Canon's proprietary 'mini-fit' accessories.

 

**Other Features***(4.5)*


 *Digital Effects*

The HF S100 has a few digital effects: black & white, sepia, and art. The camcorder also has a regular fade feature and a wipe fade. All these effects are found in the function menu and can be activated using the joystick menu once they are selected.

Video Light

The video light is a bit hidden on the HF S100. It is located on the top of the camcorder, in front of the accessory shoe. When you turn on the light from the joystick menu (or activate the flash, which is located in the same spot), it pops up from its underground lair to provide you with lovely illumination. The light isn't fantastic and it will eat up your battery life, but its good to have if you do lots of filming in the dark.

Pre-Record

Pre-record is a useful new feature on the HF S100. When the setting is turned on, the camcorder will constantly record footage in a 3-second memory buffer. This means, whenever you press record you've already captured three seconds of video. Pre-record can be very useful if you're recording a sporting event or trying to capture an unpredictable event. Like the video light, pre-record does use up a lot of battery power, so don't turn it on if you're going to be away from a power source for a long time.

Video Snapshot

Video Snapshot is a new feature on the HF S100, but it doesn't do all that much. When you press the Video Snap button, a blue border appears around the LCD screen that will begin to illuminate when you press the record button. After roughly 4 seconds, the blue border will have made its way around the entirety of the LCD screen and recording will automatically cease. Essentially, the video snapshot feature is useful for making short 4-second clips one at a time. These clips can then be organized in a playlist, have music added to them, and viewed as a short little film on the camcorder.

Sony HDR-XR520V Comparison

The HDR-XR520V is Sony's top-of-the-line HD camcorder for 2009. It is a bulky product, but most of that size comes from its huge 240GB built-in hard drive. While this is an impressive amount of storage space, it also helps push the camcorder's price tag close to $1500. As far as performance goes, the HDR-XR520V is roughly on par with the HF S100. It has less noise than the Canon, slightly worse color accuracy in bright light, and very comparable motion, sharpness, and low light sensitivity scores. Both camcorders have a control dial for making smooth adjustments, but the HF S100 offers many more manual controls—including AGC limit, shutter-priority, and aperture-priority modes. It is a tough call between these two camcorders, but we think the HF S100 is better overall for manual control lovers, while the Sony is a good choice for beginners and people who are willing to pay $1500 for a camcorder with a huge storage capacity.

 

 

 

 

 

Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison

The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is another high-end HD camcorder with great video performance. The camcorder comes with 32GB of built-in flash memory, which is a step-up from the memory-card-only HF S100. Going by price, the HDC-TM300 is a better comparison with the Canon HF S10, the sister model to the HF S100, as it also comes with 32GB of flash memory. Both the HF S10 and Pansonic HDC-TM300 retail for around $1299. The HDC-TM300 is equipped with Panasonic's standard lens ring, making it one of the few consumer camcorders to still sport this classy feature. The camcorder combines a simple ease of use (it has lots of help and info features for beginners), with strong manual controls to create one of the better all-around camcorders we've seen this year. In video performance, the HDC-TM300 had better low light scores than the HF S100—specifically with low light sensitivity. The Canon HF S100 has a slight edge in video sharpness, still image quality, and motion, but the Panasonic HDC-TM300 isn't far behind. We think the HDC-TM300 is the best choice for beginners as far as top-of-the-line HD camcorders go, and its plethora of instant auto features, combined with lots of manual controls, make it a strong contender in 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

JVC GZ-HD300 Comparison

The JVC GZ-HD300 doesn't have nearly the same video performance capabilities as the rest of the camcorders in this set. Its video sharpness is far worse, it has a terrible low light sensitivity, and it doesn't capture motion like a high-end camcorder should. It also only costs $699, which is more than half as much as the Sony HDR-XR520V, $600 less than the Panasonic HDC-TM300, and $400 less than the Canon HF S100. We included the JVC GZ-HD300 here because, along with the GZ-HD320, it is JVC's top-line HD camcorder for 2009. If you want truly excellent performance out of your camcorder, the HD300 is definitley not for you, but if you're looking to save some money, it may be a good alternative. On the bright side, it did put up excellent color accuracy in bright light... but everything was downhill from there.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Specs and Ratings

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Meet the testers

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews
Kaitlyn Chantry

Kaitlyn Chantry

Vice President, Editorial Management

@WhyKaitlyn

Vice President of Editorial Management, Kaitlyn oversees the editorial departments of Reviewed.com’s various sites. She has been writing about technology since the turn of the century. Outside of her Reviewed.com home, Kaitlyn is also a theatre director and avid gamer.

See all of Kaitlyn Chantry's reviews

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