Canon HF10 captured all titles when it was launched last month. But Canon has highlighted other flash memory-based camcorders as part of its “freecording strategy and the beginning of the new range of standard definition is the FS11. It is small, lightweight, portable and reassuring, with a weight of about 300 g including battery. But the Panasonic SDR-S7EB-K is even lower, and quite a bit cheaper. Canon-FS11 have additional features to justify its higher price?

Unlike the HF10, FS11 is based around a traditional CCD rather than a CMOS sensor. However, it is a small 1/6in model with 1.07Mpixels. This offer 1152 x 864 stops and, as standard definition camcorder shoots at 720 x 576, video requires less than full resolution. An electronic image stabilization system is used, which is not as effective as the high-end optical versions. Canon also cites an incredible advances 45x zoom, which is not quite the same as a digital zoom. The goal itself is only capable of 37x.

Canon reached 8x additional factor using a smaller area of the CCD. However, a digital zoom crops in the sensor to achieve its additional magnification, below the threshold of a native resolution video. But Canon zoom uses advanced 710000 pixels for wide-angle (16:9 mode), from 480000 pixels for extreme telephoto 45x. It is even more pixels than necessary for 720 x 576 video. Thus, while sensitivity to light will be reduced, there should be no loss of detail. If you have your video blocks, FS11 as ridiculous a 2000x digital zoom. But we could not do what we were shooting at anyone when we used.

As part of Canon ‘freecording revolution “, the FS11 is based Flash memory, and proposes a dual system similar to the Flash HF10. It also includes 16 GB of memory, which is sufficient for three hours and 40 minutes of video at the top 9Mbits/sec XP release, and more than 10 hours in the lowest 3Mbits/sec LP mode.

It also has a slot for SDHC cards. You can record either, and copy images of the construction of the SDHC memory, but not vice versa. Canon other new models range FS are variations on this theme, with the integration of FS10 only 8 GB of memory and FS100 not at all, leaving you alone with the SDHC card slot for storage. Other than that, all three have the same characteristics.

A small camera like FS11 will be almost exclusively for the point-and-shoot recording. But it still includes some features for those who want to take a little more difficult for them to video. The FS11 a mini-microphone jack and A / V OUT. However, this does not double as a headphone socket, and although you can call one metre audio, there are no controls on levels, that lets you know your external microphone works.

Similarly, when Canon HF10 compensates its small size by moving to a smaller, owner accessory shoe, the lack FS11 about this feature entirely. The micro mini-jack is also below the screen to wiring could interfere with the operation of its controls.

The FS11 incorporates a small subset of Canon usual manual controls. The joystick on the LCD edge allows access to an exposure control with increases of -11 to +11, manual focus, and turning on the LED video light. There is a button to backlight compensation.

Regarding the function menu, you can choose between the program AE mode, priority speed, and eight scene modes, including Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight and fireworks. Priority speed allows speeds of 1/6th to 1/2000th in movie mode, even if the opening priority in many camcorders Canon is absent.

The menu function also provides access to settings white balance, and it is good to see the image of Canon effects are still available. However, the FS11 provides strong, neutral and Soft Skin Detail options, non-Bas sharpening or custom settings available on high-end Canon models. The menu function also gives access to digital effects and three quality settings shooting.

All other controls require a trip to complete menu, but you rarely need to change anything here. Alternatively, you can choose the Easy mode, which disables all user settings. The FS11 also sports Canon’s new system of smart battery, so you get a detailed reading exactly how many minutes you can rest - something Sony has been in his favour for years.

With FS11 of 1/6in CCD, we have not been particularly high expectations of video performance, despite the DIGIC DV II image processor. Clearly external conditions, the color has been reproduced fairly faithfully, although the detail was a little soft. Despite claims Canon Focus on Advanced, the softness was slightly more susceptible to extreme telephoto.

However, the lighting is low, it was a good amount of grain visible, and that this increased lighting decreased. In a room lit by a single bulb tungsten, a large number of multi-color noise was evident. Unfortunately, the lighting is poor performance is a problem with small 1/6in CCD, and Panasonic SDR-K-S7EB has similar problems. However, the FS11 maintains more colour in low light, at the expense of cereals, where the video Panasonic seems washed, but a little less noisy. The FS11 video light helped a lot, but its scope is short.

When it comes time to edit images, you can either upload images to be inserted SDHC and that in your editing system card reader or connect via a USB port 2. The regular FS11 records MPEG-2 files MOD, so that most video editing applications will have no trouble handling the images, including Windows Vista version of Movie Maker. A / V mini-jack comes with a cable sports composite analog video and stereo RCA audio, for connection to a TV.

Canon has adopted the flash memory with gusto in the last two months. However, when the HF10 is an innovative, FS11 is simply far in its category. Performance video is slightly better than the Panasonic SDR-S7EB-K, and it has more features. But when it actually fit into a jacket pocket, Canon FS11 is a little too portly. With a 16GB SDHC card costs around £ 50, and the FS100 over £ 100 less than the FS11, you are also paying a premium for the model with on-board memory.