Customer Reviews
The best camcorder purchase to date 
2008-07-19
I've been looking to update my old Sony Digital8 camcorder and have been looking primarily at Mini-DV. But, this flash camcorder caught my eye since the price of SD cards has become amazingly inexpensive. To transfer video from a DV recorder takes a lot of patience, gigabytes of storage, and hours of work. By contrast, a 4gig SDHC card in this camera can store an hour and 20 minutes at 6 mb/s. The camera will do 9 mb/s, but I don't recommend it if your final format is DVD since some players will have problems keeping up.
My suggestion is to ignore most of the instructions which Canon provides and keep the software CD's in the box. There's a cute warning attached to the USB cable which warns NOT to connect it without first installing the drivers. I connected it to my MAC running OS-X 10.4 and a warning came on the screen to plug in the AC adapter. Once I did that the camera came right up as a disk drive. The manual warns not to access the folders directly. I did that, too and simply copied them to the local hard drive (more on that in a minute). Then, the camera warned NOT to change modes, or disconnect the USB cable, or disconnect the power. Ok... then, after I dismount the USB drive, how do I unplug the camera :) The manual gives a clue to disconnect the USB first, then power off.
By the way, it's just much, much less hassle to purchase an SDHC/MMC card reader and copy the folders off.
If you wish to mess with iMovie and other specialized software, then I suppose you'll have to keep your file structure proper and follow the manual more closely. I use Final Cut on the Mac, not iMovie, so my first concern was, What is a MOD file and an MOI file? That is what you're left with after you copy your card. The short answer is, toss the MOI files - assuming you are not using the on-camera editing features. I just record and dump to the hard drive and edit with Final Cut.
A MOD file (not to be confused with the music format file) is just an mpeg2 file with audio included. This will confuse some Windows programs which expect the audio in a separate file, so use Media Player Classic. Quicktime on the Mac had no problem playing the file, although you may need to download the MPEG-2 Playback Component. Finally, the aspect ratio setting in a MOD file may not be correct for WideScreen format. You may need Mpeg tools to correct the header if you shoot WideScreen.
Next, Mpeg2 is not an "editable" format like DV. It's about 1/5 the size on my system and a single 4gig card backs up nicely onto a single layer DVD-R. You'll need to do something with the MOD files. My program of choice on the Mac is Visual Hub which is quite reasonably priced shareware. I simply dragged my Canon MOD files to it, selected "DV" and "Ready for Final Cut" and "Start." I was left with DV files ready to edit, although 5x larger. There's even a setting to force 16:9 aspect ratio. The catch is that you'll need to re-encode back to Mpeg2 if you're burning for DVD.
The nice thing is there aren't any tapes to get dirty and wear out. Flash cards may be used hundreds or thousands of times, unlike DV tapes which are used once or twice. The size of files are very small and easily archived, over an hour of video on a single DVD-R of raw footage. But, re-encoding to DV and back to Mpeg2 will sacrifice some quality. I think it's a good trade-off to using a DV recorder since you can do in minutes what it would usually take hours or days.
As for the features of the camcorder, it has an external mic jack. Thank-you Canon. Finally, someone is listening. If you've ever had to record a conversation in a noisy room you will appreciate the ability to use a directional mic. No headphones, but it has an audio meter level display. White balance! Numerous white balance settings as well as manual. Auto and manual shutter speed, exposure, focus, and audio gain at your finger tips. And, an "Easy Mode" for full automatic for those who hate buttons or just need to grab a quick action shot - press "on", press "easy", press "record" and you're recording in seconds. No moving parts except for the lens cap, which is automatic and built-in. No more lost lens cap or one which is smacking into the microphone in the wind while you're recording. And, size - I can hide the camera in the palm of my hand. It's tiny, lightweight, and easy to shoot without getting tired.
As for the not so hot stuff, the recording light is an LED. My old Sony Digital 8 camcorder used a tiny light bulb which appeared as natural light. The LED light is certainly better on the battery but makes everything blue-ish. Battery is internal, nice design but you're stuck with whatever capacity will fit into that size battery bay. Batteries and charging accessories cost a fortune, although SDHC cards are cheap. The built-in microphone will need some acoustic foam glued over it or check around for a strap-on wind sock. No viewfinder, not that I use one very much - you will need to shoot with the LCD open.
Very nice little camcorder 
2008-07-13
This nicely compact little camcorder captures video with sharp images and excellent color. I use it mostly outdoors and the long zoom capability is great for wildlife viewing. I was able to see images on the LCD viewfinder in bright sunlight with sunglasses on. Battery life is very good and my 4 meg SD card had loads of space left after a long day on the trail. The supplied software unfortunately can best be described as POOR. The documentation for the software is even worse and I had to call tech support to get it installed. Fortunately there are several very good software editing packages available.
I don't know about the camcorder, but Amazon is incredible 2008-07-10
I haven't even used the camera yet, but I need to share something extraordinary. I ordered an FS100 yesterday morning at 7:30am before leaving for work. Somehow, the package from Amazon was sitting on my doorstep when I came home from work in the evening. I have no idea how on Earth they managed to get me my order on the SAME DAY but I was blown away. I do have Amazon Prime, which made 2-day shipping free, but this was so far above and beyond...
I'm due to have a baby any day now, so maybe someone at Amazon knows something I don't, and thought I should have the camera sooner than later???
In any case, thank you Amazon!!
Great little camera 2008-07-08
Have had the camera for a week, got the blue model.
Purchased this camera to take quick videos of the kids and the places we visit while on vacation and at school events. In the two weeks we have taken about 4 videos and all of them came out just great. The snapshot feature is ok, if you have nothing else, but I prefer a digital camera for my shots.
This model is very small. I bought a case for it that fits on my belt and I can carry it right next to my digital camera if I want. My wife likes the camera because it has an EASY mode and she feels very comfortable with that feature.
If you are looking for an inexpensive camcorder that gives great SD quality and does not use tapes then this model should be on your short list. For awhile I thought that my digital camera movie mode was pretty good until I tried to zoom in on a play at school and it just could not get the shot. Camcorders are made for movies and it shows.
I also bought a 16GB sdhc card from Amazon and it has worked perfectly. The entire setup is $100 less than the fs10 with 16gb of built in flash memory.
Great Camcorder, But Something Missing 2008-07-07
I purchased this camcorder from a 3rd party seller on Amazon and was amazed at the lightening fast shipping! This was my first camcorder as up until now I hadn't seen a need for them.
Wow, great camcorder! Color is absolutely beautiful (wine) and size is smaller than a can of Pepsi and really made to fold into your hands (I have small hands). I loved the flash drive and recording was pretty simple, although I did read the manual pretty thoroughly.
I was a bit unimpressed by the lens cover--when the unit powered on, I didn't get that nice "powered" movement I'm used to with my digital cameras. I'm not sure if it's a camcorder thing or just due to the low price of the FS100, Canon cut corners to save a few $$$. That was only a small thing.
The features on the camera was cool. I used another reviewer's advice on recording in low light by setting the TV differently. It slowed down movement, but I did get a higher light. Not sure if this would have been irritating in the future. I like the cartoon image recording and also the fact that I could record in black and white. I would have liked to see more recording features like I see in my digital camera. For instance, I love recording in "my colors" on my Canon. Though gimmicky, it's a cool feature when you have a camera in someone's face! :-) Then again, I may have missed it. I noticed the manual kept harping over things that seemed pretty easy, but I had to keep flipping pages to find the features that weren't easily accessible. Again, maybe a user error.
Downloading files was also simplistic. As soon as I plugged the Transcend reader in my Macbook, iMovie started and asked if I wanted to import the files. I was impressed by the ease of it all.
In the end: I did send the camera back. Not due to the camcorder's setbacks, but just the fact that I'm not ready to lug around a video camera all the time. I absolutely love taking pictures and can't see myself jugging both a good camera and good video cam trying to see how to capture the right moment.
Small, Handy, Quick - Needs better Stabilization and Low Light 
2008-06-29
The FS100 is one of Canon's first Flash Memory camcorders. In addition to the advantage of added recording time, Flash Memory offers quick response time, because it doesn't have to wait for moving parts. The FS100's lower power consumption rate allows your battery to last longer. Measuring only 2.3" wide, 2.4" high and 4.9" deep, it combines big video storage capacity in a small, easy to carry body. The 2.7" Widescreen LCD on the FS100 lets you see more of what your camcorder is recording. With the FS100 you get a powerful 1.07 Megapixel CCD image sensor. The video you shoot will be sharp, clear and more true to life, as will your still photos. The Genuine Canon 48x Advanced Zoom on the FS100 extends the power of your zoom. In both wide angle and telephoto positions, there is virtually no loss in image quality throughout the range. The Canon DIGIC DV II Image Processor is the next generation of Canon's exclusive DIGIC DV signal processing technology to ensure optimal image quality for still images, even though video and still images have different color requirements. Focal Length - f=2.6-96.2mm Minimum Focusing Distance - 10mm (wide)/1m (tele) White Balance - Daylight, Tungsten, Auto, and Manual Programmed AE - Auto, Program, TV, Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, and Fireworks 2-channel Dolby Digital Audio (AC-3) 3.5mm Stereo Mini-jack Microphone Terminal Dimensions - Width 2.3 x Height 2.4 x Depth 4.9 (58x60x124mm) Weight - 9.2 ounces (260 grams)
FS 100 is a bang for the buck camcorder 2008-06-26
I bought this from amazon recently. It's simply as good as the other folks have said it is.
Battery life :awesome, above 2 hours of charge (have not charged it again in a week). Taken 1 hr or so of XP, SP quality videos. Windows vista simply rocks....plug the SD card in my HP entertainment PC and it takes care of everything. No file modification/renaming etc required.
Size/Ergonomics: Perfect, just like holding a 200ml can of red bull. sideways,that's all :)
Very easy1 handed operation, I am not worried about arthritis since the thing is soooo light even with the batery included. just handhold one of them sony dvd camcorders and you shall appreciate the small footprint of this thing.
NOW, the ONLY reason I am giving a review here is cos of reading the other folks consistently talk about the "night" "indoor" quality of the camcorder. Ok, I do agree to a certain extent that the indoors/lowlight videos are grainy. But I ask you folks, in what MODE ? P, Night,Sunset ? I am prettysure that that would be your answer.
Being an avid photographer, I never use any of the preset "Scene" modes ever even on my slr or this camcorder. So,my solution to *reduce* the grainy quality for you would be to try the "Shutter priority mode" , Tv, turn the shutter down to 1/30, 1/15(indoors), or even 1/8(handholding will be tough at the slowest shutter speed). BUT, if you use this mode and increase the exposure to say +2 or 3 , I am very certain that your low light videos will turn out pretty pretty usable and less grainy. Please try it out guys and let me know.
Anyway, I just wanted to rescue the camcorder from the night video quality complaints.
What else....it's a bang for the buck camcorder. Amazon is awesome. They have refunded me all the price differences within 30 days of shipping. I have saved $15 already. Buy it folks, this should be a great camcorder. I am a hardcore canon user (cameras, camcorder). Battery life of canons is one big draw for me. Let me know how the "Tv" mode works out for you guys.
Okay starter camcorder 2008-06-25
This is a pretty neat product. Easy to use , easy to upload very cheap for a flash based product. In good light the videos are excellent. The trouble is when shooting indoors in tungsten or fluorescent light, there are many artifacts and that is a real problem. It seem to be well documented by other reviewers. Overall buy if you are a first time camcorder user with little time for learning the ropes on HD ortherwise go HF100.
Outstanding Camera 2008-06-23
This camera is amazing. You can simply move the card to your computer and voila, instant movies. The light weight is awesome. It can be held in one hand and operated te same. The controls are well placed at your fingertips. It has a quick on time and an easy mode. With the two 16 gig cards I bought, I can film all day. The battery gives you a long record time as well. I love my new camera. Now I'm planning a vacation.
ATTENTION: INFO ABOUT .MOD FILES 2008-06-15
First things first, I do not currently own this camcorder. However, I have been researching all the issues with the .MOD file extension and have come across a potential method for the Windows Movie Maker crowd. Although I have no way of trying this myself, I felt compelled to throw it out there so that others may benefit from it (if it works).
Windows PCs - Windows Movie Maker
a) Launch Windows Movie Maker
b) Go inside Tools -> Options menu
c) Make sure that the encoding setting is set appropriately. If you are in tjhe US or Japan it should be NTSC, but everywhere else it should be set to PAL.
d) Set the aspect ratio to 16:9 if that is the format you have been recording in (for 4:3 select "4:3")
e) Click OK and you are set.
f) Select "Import..." and bring in your original Canon video file (renamed in .mpg) and the video file will look great.
If missing you may want also to download and install an updated AC3 Codec.
Note: these are not my original instructions, to view them directly along with more information about .MOD files, platform specific instructions (including Mac iMovie instructions!) please visit
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2008/06/12/how_to_convert_mod_video.htm
and give credit to the guy for helping us all out!
I gave it a 4 star review to keep it at its current rating, when I actually buy the camera, I will update the rating with what I feel it deserves along with more info about .MOD files and how to convert!
