Description

Canon's VIXIA HF S20 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder, with a 32GB internal flash drive and two SD memory card slots, offers Canon's most sophisticated feature set to date - blurring the line between consumer and professional. Canon's superlative proprietary imaging technologies help deliver video and 8.0 megapixel photos with incredible detail and lifelike color. Touch & Track allows you to achieve sharp focus and precise exposure for any subject, simply by touching the generous 3.5" High Resolution (922,000 dot) Touch Panel LCD. Native 24p Mode perfectly matches the frame rate of film. And 5.1-Channel Surround Sound* ensures your audio complements the stunning realism of your video.

Customer Reviews

 Canon HF S20 is generally excellent!! - Aug 25, 2010

I owned a Canon HF S100 prior to this camera and only bought this upgrade due to being able to sell my HFS100 for a good price.

First, the positives:

Powered IS: This little button is incredible. It makes getting still images at high zoom possible. It has to be tested to be believed. I was blown away. I hadn't seen this feature marketed very highly in other reviews I had read, but it really is good.

The Screen: Wow! Compared to the previous generation this screen is incredible. It is MASSIVE and looks amazing! Very well done Canon! The only gripe is that because it is a touch screen it gets covered in fingerprints, but the touch UI is also fantastic.

Video Quality: Excellent! I only ever use MXP 24mbit recording since you can always render at a lower res, but you can never get those pixels back if you didn't record them! The quality of the video at this setting is awesome!

The negatives:

Battery: Seriously, they might as well not even include a battery with the camera. If it makes it through 20 minutes I'd be surprised. I purchased a high capacity battery for my previous model as it had the same battery life issues (although this camera is worse now that it has that great screen and powered IS) so this extended battery gives my about 2 hours of life, which is far more acceptable (but it did cost an additional $90)

USB: My previous model was the HFS100, so I only used memory cards and would put them in a card reader to get the video into my PC. The HFS20 has 32Gb built in storage, but niether my PC nor my laptop seem to recognise the camera as a USB device, despite playing around with the settings. I am running Windows 7 on both, and neither work. In order to get video off the camera I have to put an SD Card in the slot and move the video from internal storage to the card. What a pain! I have set the camera to record only to card now to save this step, and will use the internal storage only if I need it, so it is kind of a waste. I haven't looked much online yet to see if this is a common problem or not, but it's a real pain!

Overall though, I would highly recommend this camera. Save money and get the HFS200 without the internal storage though since it's kind of useless if it isn't accessable.

 Very nice camcorder - Aug 24, 2010

I bought this to replace my Canon HV20 (HDV) camcorder. I was getting tired of tape-based technology & finally decided to make the plunge into tapeless.

I am very pleased with my new HF S20. Image quality is spectacular - noticably better in HD on my widescreen TV than the HV20. The image does get noisy/grainy in low-light shots, but this is characteristic of most cams at this level. There are several image stabilization modes to choose from. These seem to work very well.

I really like the touch screen menu-based interface. I find this a LOT more intuitive and easy to use over a button/scroll menu type interface. The best touch screen feature is the track focus/auto face detect mode. The screen shows a square around the face/object it is currently holding focus on. If you want something else to be focused, just touch the screen on the object - focus & tracking will shift to that. Very intuitive/easy to use!

I find the cam a lot easier to hold than my old one, since there is no "tape bulge" in the housing.


The USB and HDMI out ports are in an awkward place (under the hand strap), and the flip-up port cover seems rather flimsy (it would've been better if it was a slide-open door like the ones for the other interfaces). I fear I will break it one of these days.

Battery life seems rather short with the supplied battery (maybe only an hour or less at best). Make sure you pick up a high-capacity battery if you tend to do long shoots. And if you do, I recommend you also get the separate charger so you can charge one battery while using the other. (you can charge the battery using the AC cable in the camcorder, but the battery will NOT charge if the camcorder is in use while plugged in - big design flaw IMO)

While tapeless technology is very convenient, there is one big drawback -- storing and archiving your videos. You will eventually have to delete the videos stored on the camcorder in order to make room for new videos. This means storing it on a hard drive or other media as your master copy. This procedure is not as convenient as just taking out a tape and popping in a new one.

Overall I am very pleased with the HF S20. Definitely a keeper!

PROS:

- great image/video quality
- built-in video light/flash (automatically pops up when needed)
- easy to use touch screen interface
- good image stabilization modes
- tapeless. The camcorder is ready to use almost immediately - no tape spool-up or mechanism delay

CONS:

- awkward USB and HDMI port locations (I use these most often)
- rather short battery life with the supplied pack
- camera does not charge the battery while plugged in AND you are using it. Gotta turn it off to charge

 Love the Camera - I finally got the files - Aug 18, 2010

I loved this camcorder, although it's a bit over-engineered from a menu/settings perspective. Fabulous video. Clear sound. I even purchased the 5.1 dolby microphone.

Thanks to those that responded to my eariler review I figured out how to get the files off of the camera. However,the other critiques stand.

Second, the battery drains very quickly. Best case is 60 minutes of life. I have a 32Gb memory that can hold 4 hours of video...but have the recharge the battery 4 times to fill it. And to charge it there isn't a provided plug in charger, so you have to connect the camera to the outlet with the provided AC cord.

Third, the dolby 5.1 microphone is not plug and play. They provide a memory card with a firmware update on it. The problem is that you need to find the firmware menu using the not sensitive enough touch screen. After 30 minutes of looking and manual references I gave up. I did find the menu later when I was failing to connect the camcorder to the iMac but I don't think I could find it again.

Great pictue...hardly plug and play...needs a better battery.

 MAC users please read! - Aug 06, 2010

If you are a MAC user then you need to buy the Canon HFS 200, not the HFS 20 (note: 200, not 20). The HFS 20 has 32 gb of internal storage that will NOT WORK on the MAC. In order for the internal storage to work, the user must install Canon's software. The software will only work on the PC, not the MAC. Connecting the camera to the computer will not work as the computer will not read the camcorder as another external/disk drive. You can only read the camcorder's 32 gb of internal memory by installing the "Window's" software (the software is not Mac OS compatible). The same goes for the HFS 21 which has 64 gb of internal memory that will only work on a Windows operating system.

The only differene between the three camcorders is as follows:
HFS 21 has 64 gb of internal storage plus a small eye view finder
HFS 20 has 32 gb of internal storage
HFS 200 has 0 gb of internal storage

Other than the above, the camcorders are all the same. I received my HFS 20 yet have to return it because it will not work so I ordered the HFS 200. Once the camcorder arrivies I will give a review on how well the camcorder works. Sorry about giving the negative review on this device but I do not want others paying extra money for something that will not work.

I originally wanted the Sony HDR-CX550 but its internal memory also does not work on the pc so I decided on the Canon not realizing I was running into the same issue. The bottom line is that you are paying more money for a camcorder because of the preinstalled flash memorty that you cannot use.

 Note to Non-Techies: editing video may be more than you bargained for - Aug 04, 2010

I am writing this review under the vixia 20 because vixia 10 (which I purchased from Amazon a few months ago) is no longer available.

Canon video cams take great quality video, but non-tech users like myself, who don't love solving technical puzzles, should know that when it comes to hd video, software development lags FAR behind hardware development. Unfortunately, so far behind that the hardware model becomes obsolete before adequate software is even widely available.

In other words, Canon may take great video, but plan to become a semi-pro in video editing if you want to edit and burn dvds of the video.

the vixia hf 10 came out in 2008; I purchased it in 2010 but am still having a hard time finding decent video editing software to deal w/ canon's m2ts files. According to CNET editors, converting m2ts can be a challenge (and of course, the whole high-def bit is lost in the process, thus defeating the entire purpose of owning a camera that takes high-def video).

For those who want good quality home videos and are neither techies nor want to be forced to become pro-videographers, I do NOT recommend this camera, or any other hd video camera.

If you do purchase Vixia 20, and your current home computer is more than 2 yrs old, be prepared to replace (or add) a new computer to the cost of your camera--a computer that is largely devoted to the resource-hungry software that is required to work w/ hi def files. If you want to burn dvds of hd video, you will also need to purchase a blu ray disc burner.

either that or try your luck at converting the hi def files to a lesser format that can be used w/ regular dvds. I wish I had known this before I purchased the vixia hf 10.

great camera--lousy software options, and most will require hardware purchases (that cost more than the camera!) to use.

 Pleased with this Camcorder - Jul 31, 2010

I have been using this Camcorder for a month now and am quite satisfied with it.
I chose this product because I wanted a small, rugged camcorder with lots of features and very good video quality.
I mainly use it outdoors on my hiking expeditions (and I try to protect it from moisture and shock with a case that was not designed for it but fits perfectly).
About the only negative thing I can say is that the battery life of the included battery is very short and the recharge time (on the camera) rather long... so BE PREPARED, if you buy it you should also get the CG-800 charger and a BP-819 battery to avoid disappointment.
The included PIXELA software seems only useful for getting scenes out of the camera and onto the computer... it is rather limited.... I chose Cyberlink Power Director for editing (it is inexpensive but powerful software and I can live with its "flaws" for now).
One thing I would have liked for this Camcorder is a frame advance... when capturing frames to photos in the camera one can slow the video down to 1/8th speed and pause it but one cannot advance frame-by-frame... the camera can, however, capture a sequence of frames (so you could afterwards look through the photos and discard the ones you dont want). You can see some still-capture from video at [...].
Finally you should know that Class 4 flash memory is fast enough for this camera, even in the best-quality (MXP) recording mode (I use FXP because it is compatible with AVCHD discs, but I could not detect any "visual" improvement with MXP though it is "technically better").

 Excellent Camcorder! - Jul 22, 2010

The camcorder takes great 1080p movies and excellent handshake technology. The camcorder is small and lightweight even with adding a larger battery, the clarity of the end product is what I expect from a camcorder at this price range. I expecially like the dual memory card functionality and that you can use the second one as backup or overflow of first media card. I also bought the macthing carry case from Canon and it is excellent quality as well, very lightweight material and enough room to store all your accessories. I would definately recommend this camera to other people, my only small gripe is the touch screen is not that accurate and you seem to have to press a little hard to make selections but again this is minor gripe in comparison of all the things they did well on this camcorder from Canon.

 Vixia HFS 20 - Jun 25, 2010

Great product, delivered in a timely manner. It is much better than my previious HiDef camcorder (another make.) Easier to use and has many more features at about the same price. as the other.

 Can't download pics to PC when on the road!! - Jun 05, 2010

Defect number 1: To download pictures from the camera to the computer, a utility is required. The built in 32Gig storage does not simply show up as a USB drive when you connect the camera to a PC with a USB cable. This is a serious inconvenience and a puzzling avoidance of a basic ease of use, portability and flexibility mechanism.

Defect number two: Adding insult to injury, the utility to download pictures to the computer is *not* freely available and downloadable from their drivers and download page. The updates to the ZoomBrowser EX 6.5 utility, a bunch of documentation, etc. are all available but not the actual utility itself (Zoom Browser EX). When I called up tech support they offered to *sell* me the utility!!! ....and MAIL (as in physical) it to me on a CD!!!! Yes this in the year 2010.

So you can buy a $1,000 plus camera and be stuck unable to download pictures to a computer if you do not happen to have the CD with utilities that was included in the box. The utility can't be emailed to you (which would be bad enough) it has to be physically mailed on a CD to you.

This is the moral equivalent of a capital crime or criminal insanity in consumer electronics in this day and age.

I intend to avoid the company's products in future and advise all to look carefully into this matter and do the same.

Canon:
You can fix this simply by putting the utilities necessary on the download site. Not just the upgrade to it. We'll understand. Everyone makes dumb mistakes from time to time. The better among us recover, acknowledge, correct and move on.

 Sexy Machine - Jun 01, 2010

Just wait until you get your hands on this hot, sexy machine. It shoots brilliant HD quality video and has a touch screen that will make you want to touch it all night long--just like in that stupid Lionel Richie song. Most important of all, chicks dig this camcorder. Showing it off in public has already paid "dividends" for me, if you know what I mean.

 Beautiful video quality. - May 26, 2010

Lightweight and functional design. Beautiful HD video. Excellent face tracking. Terrific image stabilization. I loved this camcorder! That is, until I tried to install the additional SD cards. Once in place the cards would not eject! I was finally able to force them out but thought I might destroy them in the process. Tried the same cards in my wife's point and shoot camera and they ejected just fine. This is purely a mechanical problem with the SD card slots but on a $1,000.00 camcorder this is unacceptable! I was so pleased with the performance of the camcorder that I am sending this one back and replacing it with the same model. However, if the second is defective I will find another camcorder. Canon you need better quality control!

UPDATE: Replacement unit has arrived and is working as promised - SD cards eject perfectly so rating has been upgraded.

 Quick review from a professional still photographer - Apr 30, 2010

I am a professional photographer that needed a camcorder for our first baby on the way. I wanted a camcorder that produced outstanding full 1080P HD video, good optical stabilizer and ease of use. Canon delivers. I was blown away by the quality of the video shot in full auto mode. The colors, vibrance and razor sharp focus completely convinced me that my hard earned cash was well spent. The dynamic stabilizer is amazing. At wide angle, I shot a video one handed while walking my dog. Usually this results in severe motion sickness. Reviewing the video was incredible- very smooth, no jarring. At full telephoto (10x) some movement was noticeable....until you press the Powered IS button located on the bottom left of the LCD. I call it my virtual tri-pod. The Powered IS locks down the image. Completely acceptable, but more, amazing how well it works.

The LCD panel is gorgeous. It's a mini HD monitor. It's a touch panel that works. You can control everything from exposure, focus, aperature, shutter speed, video gain, and more. What's really cool is the Touch and Track feature. Say you have someone or something (works on objects too) that you want to keep in focus and property expose- just touch the person or thing on the LCD and a box forms around it. It's so sensitive you can touch someone's eye and the camera puts focus priority on the eye, vs the nose. This even works with my dog. Really impressed by that.

As for ease of use, the Auto mode is exactly that. Turn it on, point it and record. The camera is very intelligent and almost always selects the best settings for your subject. This is perfect for someone that doesnt really know a ton about photography/videography but wants to be able to capture life's precious moments. For more advanced users, there are various settings that will give you hours of fun playing with.

It has a pop-up video light which works well in a pinch. The hot shoe allows for more sophisticated lights and mics.

One gripe I do have is the battery performance. True, the LCD eats power, but come on, the standard battery only lasts 40-50 mins tops. Canon should include a larger capacity battery. Canon should also include a wall charger so when you shell out more money for a bigger battery, you can charge that while still using your beautiful camcorder.

So, to sum up, you will not be disapointed with the quality and ease of use of this camera. Make sure you get a bigger battery and getting a Hoya filter to protect your HD lens is a great idea.

 Amazing HD Picture and Sound - Apr 19, 2010

Cannon HF S20 - amazes in many ways. Crisp HD Quality and amazing sound clarity as well. Awsome in daylight shoots. Definitely improved LOW light shoots - from older 2009 models. Powered IS does a great Job in reducing handycam shakes. The Cannons AUTO Settings sShoot works like a charm. And great TOUCH Screen-at last- from Cannon. The 8 MP Photo's were OK, but I guess thats an acceptable quality. Has lot of Manual Controls to play and experiment with. After lot of research on Sonys and Cannon's 2010 Models I was pretty plseased with this one. I had an Sony earlier and was a bit scptical as well as SONY is known for G-Lens Wide shoot and LOW Quality results but I think Cannons CMOS does a great uplift here. Cannon's had been iffy on Low Light shoots and this Model shows a great facelift.
Some flaws - Battery guzzler, eats up battery a lot. The Lens cover makes a rattle noise on a gentle shake, other wise its pretty comfortable for my big hands. The black look gives a rich look. This one DOES NOT comes with Viewfinder ,but I never used it even in my existing Sony. The 32 GB and Dual SDHC Slot is amazing, wireless tranfer of vieos would require you to buy eye-fi cards.