Rating: List Price: $899.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping

Bottom line: I want as close to perfection as I can get and I want it all simple enough that I can do it myself. A big reason for my interest in the Canon Vixia HF 200 is that I’m a long-standing Canon fan. My favorite still camera was a Canon, and so was my old camcorder. But when it came time to upgrade, I decided to drop my preconceptions about Canon, and do some research. The Canon Vixia HF series seemed to have some great features.

With thousands of products out there, I quickly discovered there’s a  lot more to great HD than meets the eye. After checking out the   details  from manufacturers, examining reviews, and asking friends in   the industry, I decided to go with the Canon Vixia HF S200 Camcorder. Here’s why… What You Need to Know When Buying a Camcorder More than anything else, you have to know yourself. You need to know what you want to do with the camera, and you need to be realistic about what’s going to make you happy with your investment.

Another thing you need to know: If you buy a camcorder based on low price alone, trust me: you will be disappointed  with everything but the cost. So you’ve got to know what you want to shoot, and how you want to shoot it. For instance, I’m not into long, intense zooms on a hand held camera, so the HF S200’s 10x optical zoom is plenty for me.

When you invest in a Canon, you’re paying for the same thing film and television companies demand: reliability and the kind of image quality made possible by cutting edge technology. Canon’s compact line –- Vixia –offers the best deals on privately affordable High Definition capture.

The Canon Vixia HF 200 is the least expensive of this line, and it’s your natural choice if you can appreciate a compact camcorder that will deliver:

• Crisp, clear images

• Excellent sound quality, silent camera operation

• Up to 5 hours of recording time on 2 internal memory cards

• Ease of computer connectivity

• Great stills

• Durable, ergonomic, comfortable good-looks.

So, if you’re ready to step into the world of professional quality film making, then this camera is the best buy on the market – for me. And possibly for you. Let’s look at some of the features so you can consider what they mean to you. “Shoot. Capture. See. Be HD.” Sharp, steady, true-toned images is what it’s all about. You get 1920 x 1080 high definition (HD) recording to SDHC memory cards.

You probably know that the Canon HF-S200 is one of the best-selling consumer flash memory HD camcorders. What you might not know is that — new for 2010 – the camcorder now has an additional SDHC card slot (2 total) and will automatically record to the 2nd SDHC card when the first is full. That means double recording time – up to a full 5 hours at mid-range.

Another big plus: some of the other Vixia cameras do not recognize class 10 SDHC memory cards but the HF200 does. Choice of Frame Rates Having the option of recording at either 24p or 30p is another great feature. 24p gives you video that can have more of a film-like quality because you’re recording twenty four frames per second – the standard format of film production.

That means you don’t need any extra video effects or post-production non-linear editing functions to make your footage conform to other 24p media, software, or storage devices. 30p is a frame rate that’s more natural to post online. Touch and Track… All you have to do is touch the screen to adjust focus and exposure instantly, easily. Or, if you prefer, you can use the Smart Auto feature to let the camera do the work. The camcorder’s newly enlarged, 3.5″ LCD offers a generous 100% viewing area for 16:9 playback with 4x more pixels than last year’s model.

Surround Sound is the heart of movie making. Just watch your favorite film with the volume turned low, and you’ll see what I mean. The HF200 has a built-in microphone terminal with manual audio level control giving you the means to start capturing great audio.

Because sound is picked up from all directions through five separate sensors, the camcorder’s 5.1-Channel Surround Sound allows you to achieve audio quality that matches the stunning quality of your video images.

8 Megapixel Still Camera Dual ShotCapture allow video and photos without switching modes – one of my favorite features – in fact, you’re getting two great cameras for the price of one.  You get optical image stabilization and a built-in flash for snapshot mode.

The Canon Vixia HF 200 is also very Eye Catching! I’m not saying I’d buy a camera because it looks good, but why shouldn’t it be aesthetic? The HF S200’s elegant, unique design, and smooth, no-nonsense lines are, well… inviting.

How Much Should You Pay? The Canon Vixia HF S200 Camcorder is listed on the Canon website for $899.99 but you definitely shouldn’t pay that much for it.

Your best buy is at Amazon where it is currently available for $200 LESS and comes with free shipping!

Canon VIXIA HF S200 Flash Memory Camcorder – 2010 MODEL

Rating: List Price: $899.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping

What Others Are Saying: This camcorder is receiving rave reviews from most consumers on the net with an average of 4.5 out of 5 from most reviewers on Amazon and the Canon website itself. Here’s what owners are saying about their Canon HF200 Camcorders:

• “Terrific combination of stunning image, great sound & easy to use…”

• “Great camcorder – highly recommended and worth the price…”

• The extended life battery lasts longer than I do. The auto crossover between memory cards is awesome!

• “I’m really impressed. The colors are vibrant and true, the images are razor sharp.”

• “One of the most advanced consumer camcorders I have ever used. ”

• “Any time I use this camcorder I get comments on its sleek looks.”

• “Excellent value for cable access use.”

Any complaints? A few consumers think that this camcorder is not compatible with a Mac…but it is. You just can’t use a memory card reader, you have to use the USB cable that comes with the camcorder. The only other issue that we’ve come across is about a “short battery life” which is nonsense.

A television station in Massachusetts which uses their Canon Vixia HF S200 regularly to cover sports events shared this professional tip: If you want more power than a standard battery provides, you can simply use a 3000 mah HD battery instead.

Where Can You Buy the Canon HF S200 Camcorder? You can buy this camcorder from Amazon. Their price includes free shipping and if you compare prices with other online sources, you’ll quickly discover, as I did, that Amazon definitely has the best deal especially with their free shipping option.

Where Can You Read More Reviews for the Canon Vixia HF S200 Flash Memory Camcorder ? I’ve found that the best reviews are written by people who have actually purchased and are using the product.
Click here to see more about the HF S200 as featured at Amazon.

Canon VIXIA HF S200 Flash Memory Camcorder – 2010 MODEL

Rating: List Price: $899.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping