Electronics

Canon HD Camcorders

A model-by-model overview of Canon's HD camcorder lineup

From Greg Scoblete, former About.com Guide

Canon's Vixia line of HD camcorders includes a total of eight models, ranging in price from $1,399 to $999. Find out which Canon HD camcorders made our list of Best HD Camcorders and Best Flash Camcorders. Here's an overview of their current line, from highest price point to lowest, with our review where applicable.

1. Vixia HF S11

Canon's Vixia HF S11 is a flash memory-based camcorder with 64GB of internal memory. It features:

1920 x 1080 high definition recording in the AVCHD format. It records video at a bit rate of 24Mbps, which is the highest quality possible in the AVCHD format
A 10x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization.
A 2.7-inch LCD screen
8-megapixel still photo capture
Face detection

Full specifications can be found here.

2. Canon Vixia HF S10

Identical in every respect to the HF S11, the big difference between the S10 and S11 is internal flash memory. The S10 has 32GB worth. This model was ranked as one of our Best HD Camcorders and Best Flash Camcorders on the market. For a full list of the S10's specifications, click here.

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3. Canon Vixia HF S100

The Vixia HF S100 has the same feature set at the S10 and S11 except it has no internal memory. Instead, you'll need to use an SDHC card to store your video. Because it has no built-in memory, it's less expensive than the S11 and S10. Full specifications for the S100 can be found here.

4. Canon Vixia HF20

The Vixia HF20 features:

1920 x 1080p Full HD video recording in the AVCHD format
32GB of internal flash memory, SDHC card slot
24Mbps recording
15x optical zoom lens
Face detection

The primary difference between the HF20 and the HF S11 is the image sensor. The S11 has a larger sensor with 8-megapixel resolution while the HF20 has a smaller sensor with 3-megapixel resolution. You can view a comparison of the HF20 and the HF S11 here. Full specifications for the HF20 can be found here.

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5. Canon Vixia HF200

The Vixia HF200 is basically the HF20 without the 32GB of internal memory. Instead, it records to an optional SDHC card (up to 32GB). As such, it's less expensive. See full specs here. See a comparison with the HF20 here.

6. Canon Vixia HG21

The HG21 is one of the few hard disk drive-based camcorders in Canon's line-up. It features:

1920 x 1080p Full HD video recording in the AVCHD format
120GB hard disk drive
24Mbps recording
12x optical zoom lens
3.3-megapixel CMOS sensor

Full specs here. c

7. Canon Vixia HG20

Canon's HG20 is identical to the HG21 except it features a 60GB hard disk drive and thus can store less video. But, it's also cheaper than the HG21.

8. Canon Vixia HV40

The Vixia HV40 is Canon's only camcorder that records to digital tape. It made our list of the Best HD Camcorders.

1920 x 1080p Full HD video recording in the HDV format
Native 24p video recording
2.7-inch LCD display
10x optical zoom lens
2.9-megapixel CMOS sensor

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