I purchased this camera two weeks ago, after extensive research. As a video editor, I believe this gadget is the right one for me.
As a rough idea, Canon FS100 is easy to use. The basic features are quite straightforward for beginners, and also the most advanced functions are not that hard to figure out once you know what you are looking for.
Canon FS100 is light and compact, even smaller than you would believe from pictures in the catalogues. It can fit easily in my notebook bag without stretching its leather skin too much.
With these being said, let’s get to the pros and cons:
- It allows an external microphone, which is great for professional-level productions. I believe it is actually one of the few camcorders that allow mic-in.
- I haven’t used the DV memory much, SD cards are too cheap nowadays to even bother using anything else. So, I have yet to test the difference in quality between the two storage media. Nevertheless, the fact that it allows both DV and SD can only be positive.
- The camcorder interface allows you to place the clips onto a playlist, fast forward and rewind them. It’s like having a miniaturized Windows Media Player inside your camera!
- The image stabilization on zoom is simply great, it works much better than with other camcorders.
- The battery life span is huge, if you don’t use the Quick Start option (leave the camera on standby and have it start up when you open the screen). I used it for 10 straight hours and it didn’t use even half of the battery power. Another nifty feature is that you can view how much battery power you have left with the push of a button without switching the camera on.
The cons aren’t that many…
- The software package it comes with is pretty useless. So if you’re serious about video editing you will just have to buy something else. Keep this in mind when drawing your budget!
- Still photos are awful. I mean it! Use the 2MP camera on your cell phone to take pictures!
- Transferring files over USB is very slow. You’ll be definitely better off buying a SD card reader.
Despite its few disadvantages, Canon FS100 is a great camera with lovely features. A 4.5/5 would be an appropriate grade, not a whole 5 due to the file transfer issues.
Getting the perfect camcorder, is never an easy thing, especially with the way digital technology is constantly changing. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful websites online, that can narrow down your search and help you find the camcorder with all the features important to you.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campbell
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Canon-FS100-Camcorder-Revealing-Review&id=2045947