The SDHC card-chomping HF200 high-definition camcorder wowed us along with the rest of Canon's 2009 HD lineup. Read the full Canon Vixia HF200 review to find out why.
Review summary of the Canon Vixia HF200:
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 The Canon Vixia HF200 is a tricky little number that will make you second-guess the capability of a consumer HD camcorder. With stellar image quality that paralleled its bigger sibling, the Canon Vixia HF20, the Vixia HF200 catapulted some of the best video clips at our full screen monitor. Features, design, interface and hardware was all identical to the Vixia HF20’s, which was a very good thing. The only difference between both models has to do with a flashy paint scheme and storage. The Vixia HF20 can record to 32GB of internal flash memory and SDHC cards while the Vixia HF200 can only record to SDHC cards and lacks the internal memory. $150 buys that 32GB, but if you happen to have a bunch of large SDHC cards lying around, $750 for a camcorder of this caliber is a steal on wheels. A good 32GB SDHC card costs roughly $150, so the Vixia HF20 would be the best bet in that case. Either way, Canon is unstoppable this year and the Vixia HF200 is yet another Hallmark Channel success story. Release: April 2009. Price: $750.
Pros: Great overall video quality. Awesome features for its class. Best menus from here to Timbuktu.
Cons: Limited external controls. No viewfinder. Noisy in certain low light environments.
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Full Canon Vixia HF200 Review:
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Design - Good
The Canon Vixia HF200 looks like Megatron from Transformers in super ray gun form. The gunmetal grey lens barrel is the most prominent architectural feature of this high-definition camcorder, followed by its unconventional tri-tone color scheme, complete with a lustrous sparkle paint coat. The Vixia HF200's right hand grip side is a study in Futurism due to its bold edges and lines and the flush battery pack is exceptionally sleek. We really dig Canon's style this year, but what's also worth mentioning is the Vixia HF200's petit size, consuming less mass than the previous generation Canon Vixia HF100. Consumers who want the tricked out "Pimp My Ride" Canon will want to spring for the big bad Canon Vixia HF 10 or Vixia HF S100, which offer massive lens filter diameters and Cam Control dials.
Handling the Canon Vixia HF200 was tantamount to a lazy canoe ride down a slumbering river. Our hand melded with the pronounced grip side and plush hand strap combination and our fingers seemed to align seamlessly with the oversized zoom toggle and oval Record button. The Vixia HF200's zoom toggle shifted from side to side like Crisco down a Slip and Slide, so there was no jerky movement to hinder operation. The only tight spot was the Mode dial, which required our other hand to access, but since the Mode dial was one of the least frequently used controls, this was not a major issue. The Vixia HF200's LCD Joystick functioned adequately, but we miss the good old Canons with their omnipotent rear-mounted joysticks.
Most ports and terminals were shrouded with rugged plastic or rubber shields, though the Vixia HF200 lacks Sony's superior spring-loaded hinged doors configuration. The AV port is naked when the LCD screen is opened and the Mini Advanced Shoe cover is anchored to the body via a thin strip of plastic that fails to resonate with durability. We thought the Power button was placed in an inopportune location, buried in the left hand trench, but at least it prevented us from accidentally powering the camcorder on or off. The good news is Canon mounted the built-in microphone below the lens rather than up top where it could be muffled by fingers. All in all, the Vixia HF200 rocks one of the soundest designs in its class.
Interface and Menus – Very Good
Since the Canon Vixia HF200 is devoid of a viewfinder, as most consumer camcorders are these days, the 2.7-inch 211,000-pixel LCD is the sole monitor on Megatron. The screen flips out 90 degrees and rotates just like nearly every other LCD on the market, but Canon made sure to include a handy strip of Camera and Playback controls along the bottom pane. In addition to Play/Pause, Stop and Playlist, we could Record and Zoom In and Out. We were impressed with the sharpness and picture clarity of the Vixia HF200's LCD, and it even resisted solarization at steep angles. The lack of the viewfinder was a real encumbrance when the sun was tracing its fiery fingers along the backs of our necks and engulfing the LCD with extreme glare, but the Vixia HF200's screen did a valiant job deflecting most of it. Buttons and controls on the whole were minimal and the LCD Joystick was in charge of most of the action. The Canon Vixia HF S10 and Vixia HF S100 both offer more external controls and advanced options for the shooter who needs additional features on the control panel to fiddle with.
You can't beat Canon when it comes to menus, and the Vixia HF200 was equipped with the same menu system as all of its Vixia family members. We loved the swanky, sexy graphics and rapid menu response, in addition to the fact that Canon has retained the x-axis/y-axis Function menu. The Function menu was one of the easiest layouts we've tinkered with in the camcorder world, and it made manual adjustment fly by. We do have a few suggestions, however. We want the Frame Rates options to be welded into the Function menu as a permanent fixture since we spent a lot of time with that particular control. In addition, we want Image Stabilization tacked onto the Function or Joystick menu, so hopefully these changes will take place for the next batch of Vixias. Nevertheless, the Main menu was highly intuitive and grouped options in a logical, accessible configuration. The Joystick menu was a nice little add-on as well, containing useful options like Video Light, Exposure Compensation, Focus control and Flash settings. When it comes to interface, you can't beat the Canon Vixia HF200.
Shooting Features – Very Good
Although the Canon Vixia HF200 is slated as the "Tourist" version of the Vixia HF S100, this little warrior packs in plenty of features for the average shooter and is certainly a camcorder to grow into if you're a beginner. The Vixia HF200 has excellent Auto controls, including Focus and Exposure, so we didn't feel the need to leave Program AE mode most of the time. However, the Vixia HF200 offered Shutter Priority for fast action and Aperture Priority for advanced depth of field. Tack on Exposure Compensation and a White Balance fleet containing several presets and the Vixia HF200 is one of the top manual machines in its class. Of course, if you feel like coasting in autopilot, the Vixia HF200 has an Auto mode, which is really called Dual Shot mode, allowing shooters to capture video and still images without the need to shift modes.
The Canon Vixia HF200's multiple frame rates were one of its primary highlights. However, these were not native frame rates. The Vixia HF200 shoots 60i, and simulates the 30fps and 24fps modes. The HV40, Canon's latest HDV addition, is the only Vixia capable of recording true 24p video. However, the Vixia HF200's frame rates looked awesome, and our favorite setup was 24F with Cine Mode. Canon is the only manufacturer to offer such an extensive toolbelt when it comes to enhancing or altering footage. The Vixia HF200's numerous Digital Filters were fairly standard, but Art mode was and will continue to be our favorite until Canon can top it. In addition to a Shutter Speed with a 1/6-second minimum and an Aperture with an f/1.8 – f/8.0 range, the Vixia HF200 had an excellent Manual Focus system that utilized a Focus Assist function that magnified the image, though there was no distance meter.
The Canon Vixia HF200 captured 3.3-megapixel still images, but have no fear. The image quality was right in line with the Canon Vixia HF S10 and Vixia HFS100's, so you'll just have to deal with the fact that the images are puny for today's standards. Canon's color options were bountiful, including presets like Vivid and Soft Skin Detail, as well as a custom color slider bar that dictated Sharpness, Brightness, Color Depth and Contrast. The Vixia HF200's Pre-Record performed just as admirably as the other Vixias we've looked at this year, though the Video Snapshot feature transported us into Lameville with its tacky soundtrack and overdramatic transitions—perfect for Grandma. The Vixia HF200's Playback mode was easy to navigate via the Joystick and LCD controls, and the Vixia HF200 featured a few basic in-camera editing functions for those who don't ride the Final Cut train. In this market, the Canon Vixia HF200 offers a hell of a lot of features compared to its competition.
Hardware and Connectivity – Very Good
We're not entirely sure what magic spells Canon possessed the Vixia HF200 with, for the camcorder featured a smaller 3.89-megapixel 1/4-inch CMOS this time around, yet image quality was even better than the previous generation Vixia HF10. It could be the latest Digic III processing or the 24Mbs max bitrate, but the Vixia HG21 could reach that date transfer plateau as well. Whatever the case, the Canon Vixia HF200 kicked some digital imaging behind and we were left with minimal complaints. We're seeing manufactures cut down on sensor size in favor of enhanced processing and boosted bitrates, but the beastly Canon Vixia HF S100 features a whopping 8.59-megapixel 1/2.6-inch CMOS chip. It's all about the equation, but either route you choose to go, Canon will pave the road with killer image quality whether it's with the advanced Vixia HF S100 or portable Vixia HF200.
The primary difference between the Canon Vixia HF200 comes down to storage. The Vixia HF200 records 1920 x 1080 Full HD video to SDHC cards while the Vixia HF20 had the added 32GB of internal flash memory. So, if you happen to have a few large SDHC cards lying around, the Vixia HF200 is the obvious bang for the buck. Recorded video is interlaced, meaning a different set of horizontal lines is recorded every other frame and then blended together to make a total of 60. We noticed the stringy effects of interlacing while editing with the Vixia HF200's footage, but nearly every camcorder exhibits this characteristic. The JVC Everio GZ-HD320 is the only Full HD consumer camcorder capable of recording 60p, but it can only be played back on a monitor.
The Vixia HF200's 15x optical zoom was fairly impressive, given its size, though the tiny JVC Everio GZ-HD320 is capable of a substantial 20x optical zoom. However, comparing the GZ-HD320's and Vixia HF200's video qualities would be like comparing a 50cc scooter to a 1200cc Kawasaki ZRX sportbike. The Canon has the ponies. But the holeshot goes to the Sony HDR-XR520V when it comes to the low light circuit, as no camcorder has even touched its killer performance all year. The Vixia HF200's Optical Image Stabilization was highly impressive, combating our twitchy macchiato-fueled hands.
Connectivity on the Vixia HF200 consisted of Mini HDMI, Component, USB, AV/Headphones and Mic jacks and a proprietary Mini Advanced hot shoe. No consumer camcorder's built-in mic is anywhere near the boundaries of acceptable for semi-professional applications, so we recommend slapping an external boom mic on top of the Vixia HF200 and taking advantage of its generous inputs. Just make sure the AV/Headphones jack is set to Headphones or a malicious chorus of rabid queen bees will greet your ears with vengeance. The Vixia HF200 featured mic level control with a single bar sound level meter, a Wind Screen and Mic Attenuator, which was a fairly useful set of controls. Panasonic still leads the pack with its 5-channel independently controlled mic configuration. Overall, the Vixia HF200 rocks the goods under the hood when it comes to hardware.
Image Quality – Very Good
Since the Canon Vixia HF200 shares identical imaging guts with the HF20, we were reminded of the stellar performance exhibited by the latter when we reviewed our test footage this time around. Image quality was excellent for a consumer camcorder, and we did not detect even the slightest differentiation between the Vixia HF200 and the dual-memory Vixia HF20 when it came time to review our video clips. Sharpness, detail, depth and color were the primary attributes, and the Vixia HF200 even produced an impressive low light performance. Of course we encountered giant clouds of noise in certain low light conditions, just like the massive Canon Vixia HF S10 and Vixia HF S100. However, there were times when the Vixia HF200 randomly jumped out of the nearest bush with an excellent showing at night. If you want the pinnacle, Sony has you covered with the Sony HDR-XR520V, which kicked digital butt this year with the best low light performance we've seen all year.
We shot all of our clips at various frame rates and different filters, including Cine Mode and Vivid. All video clips were interpreted in Sony Vegas and exported as best quality JPEGS.
Scene Test - Drugs
Scene Test - Drugs in Cine Mode
We'll kick out the jams with drugs and a lovely view on the corner of East 6th and 2nd, the perfect litmus test for depth, contrast and overall detail. As we'll discover in the next batch of frame grabs, the Canon Vixia HF200 exhibited a very impressive depth of field in Program AE mode. We rarely needed to jump over to Aperture Priority mode as a result. Colors in the first frame look very natural and resist oversaturation. We see the magic of Cine Mode in full effect in the second frame grab, as the gamma shift lays a blanket of naturalistic colors and tones to the overall canvas. With the gamma shift comes a minor sheet of haze, so environments that were already overcast did not fare well with the filter. However, when Cine Mode worked, it damnwell worked, and certain video clips rivaled b-roll taken from HD documentaries and other semi-professional independent projects. For a typical scene, the Vixia HF200 produced a level of clarity most camcorders in its class were incapable of churning.
Depth Test – And It's All For You
Close-up Test – Checkered Headgear
Here's another example of the Canon Vixia HF200's awesome depth of field, brought straight to you by Program AE mode. We're focused from the lettering on the brand spanking new Michelins in the foreground to the last metal gate in the background, which is great. Furthermore, look at that crisp sharpness and vibrant color palette! Watching this clip on our HD monitor was flabbergasting because we thought we were watching a show on an HD TV channel. Up close, the Vixia HF200 wanted to push back a bit when we buried the lens in our subject matter, as we can see in the second image. We reach a proper focus by the green hat, but the detail is killer. We could discern each little strand of fuzzy fabric on our HD monitor. The Vixia HF200 is on a roll. You can't stop it—you can only hope to contain it.
Color Test - SKEME
Detail Test - Mosaic
Motion Test – Subway Map
Color was, of course, excellent. It's a freaking Canon, for crying out loud. The Vixia HF200 rendered lively hues riddled with punctuation, all the while without bleeding or breaching the cusp of oversaturation. When we needed a little kick in the rear, we used Vivid mode to enhance dull environments, but the Vixia HF200 let us set custom color values as well. The second frame is another close-up, though this time we shot with a shallower aperture in order to soak up all the detail we could. The results were, well, check out this frame! And this is a JPEG grab from the timeline, mind you. Exceptional detail was small work for the Vixia HF200. The shot the third clip on a rickety 6 train with a hangover and a tweaking hand, and we were still able to achieve a crisp image, thanks to the Vixia HF200's Optical Image Stabilization. Shall we call it an ultimate party cam as well?
Indoor Low Light Test – Boombox Paradise
Outdoor Low Light Test – A Misty Italian Eve
Super Low Light Test – A Peculiar Gathering
We're seeing three entirely different low light performances from the Canon Vixia HF200 in this trio of frames, so let's start with the bad. The first video clip was captured indoors with very minimal light, so we can see that the exposure is on point. In fact, most camcorders do not exhibit this level of sensitivity at such a low lux level. However, the other side of the coin reveals an encroaching cold front of speckled noise drifting across the horizon. It's a study in Pointillism, and this is one of the Vixia HF200's few weaknesses. The Sony HDR-XR520V would have exhibited at least half the noise levels in this environment, and we wish Canon possessed the ability to take out the street sweeper and clean up the pollution. However, look at the second image, captured on a dimly lit, foggy evening. Noise is present, but not nearly as harsh as the firs image. With a little light, the Vixia HF200 will produce whimsical clips like this one. We can hear the Godfather theme trailing in. Lastly, we tested the Vixia HF200's sensitivity via candlelight and the noise was not as harsh as we expected. We lose a bit of exposure, but the Vixia HF200 resists significant peaking and the image looks natural.
Price and availability
The Canon Vixia HF20 is available now for $750.
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