Canon's FS200 is a flash memory-based standard definition camcorder with a 37x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch LCD. At $329, it's a lower-cost option for those looking for a highly portable camcorder.
For a full list of the FS200 specifications, click here. Video samples recorded with the FS200 are posted on my YouTube page here. Please note that in the process of uploading and storing videos, YouTube may alter or degrade video quality.FS200 Pros: Good video quality for the price; an ultra-portable package; long zoom; easy-to-use.
FS200 Cons: Poor still photo quality, no optical image stabilization.
Design
If you're not holding it in front of your face, it's hard to know the FS200 is even around. It weighs just a tad over 10 ounces when packed with battery and SDHC card. I dropped it in my shorts' pocket and, obvious jokes aside, it was no heavier than a standard point-and-shoot digital camera and only slightly larger.
The FS200 owes its slender design and portability to its use of flash memory as its recording format - not bulkier hard drives or DVDs. (For more on the various camcorder memory formats, see Guide to Camcorder Memory Formats.) While many flash memory camcorders offer built-in memory, the FS200 does not, so you won't be recording videos straight out of the box. Instead, you'll need to buy an SD/SDHC memory card to store your footage. With a 32GB SDHC card, the largest available, the FS200 will record up to seven hours and 20 minutes of video in the highest quality setting.
One of the benefits of flash memory, which Canon puts to good use in the FS200, is its rapid start-up time. You can set the FS200 in "quick start mode" and simply close the LCD display (rather than fully power down) when you're done recording. Opening the display will instantly restart the camcorder. You can manually program how long you want the FS200 to stay powered on during quick start mode (a choice of 10, 20 or 30 minutes) which is a nice touch.
One other nice design touch: Canon offers the FS200 in a quasi-patriotic assortment of red, silver and blue.
Video Quality
For a standard definition camcorder in its price range, the FS200 offers excellent video quality. Video is recorded in the MPEG-2 format at 720 x 480 resolution with three settings: a high quality mode with a bit rate of 9Mbps, medium quality at 6Mbps and a low quality 3Mbps. (For more on camcorder bit rates, what they are and why they matter, see this Guide to Camcorder Bit Rates.)
Outdoors in full sun, the FS200 captured colors accurately and video sharply. Indoors, in lower light, it held up well too. Given that it's a lower cost model, you can expect to see some graininess as you dim the lights, and the included video light isn't much of a help, but overall low light performance was more than satisfactory.
Zoom Lens
The FS200 packs a powerful 37x optical zoom lens. It helps you get quite close to even distant subjects. Unfortunately, it does not offer optical image stabilization, only digital stabilization, which is less effective. When the zoom is fully extended, the video will shake quite a bit as our sample video here shows. If you're intent on using the zoom to its fullest, bring a tripod.
Menus & Controls
The FS200 has a fairly intuitive menu system that's easy to operate. Most of the menu navigation is done via a tiny joystick on the LCD screen. There are also dedicated buttons for recording and zooming on the perimeter of the 2.7-inch display.
For a product aimed at beginners, there is a nice selection of pre-set scene modes (portrait, sports, night, snow, beach, sunset, spotlight and fireworks) and image effects (such as sepia tone, vivid and neutral) that let you easily adjust the look of your video depending on your shooting environment.
You'll also find some more advanced controls to help refine the look of your video, such as the ability to set shutter speed, exposure, as well as the ability to focus manually. Manual focusing is accomplished by toggling the joystick, so it's a little clumsier than other camcorders which use a ring around the lens to help you fine tune focusing. Another thing you won't find on the FS200 is an electronic viewfinder. Personally, I don't miss it, but others might want the option.
Photo Quality
Other than the lack of optical image stabilization, probably the biggest knock on the FS200 is its photo capabilities. With a resolution of 1,024 x 768, the photos captured by the FS200 aren't very usable for anything other than email. There's no flash, so you can forget about snapping photos indoors unless there's plenty of light.
While the model does offer a dual-shot mode for taking photos while simultaneously shooting video, it's best to consider this a video-only device.
Family Friendly
The FS200 is solid choice for consumers looking for a standard definition camcorder that's very light weight and portable. Its nice long zoom lens is diminished somewhat by the lack of optical image stabilization, but the overall video performance and feature set make the FS200 a good value for the price.
