Canon FS400 Flash Memory Camcorder with 41x Advanced Zoom and Dual SDXC Card Slots (Silver)

First of all, the Canon FS400 is not a High Definition camcorder but a Standard Definition one. It is basically designed for non professional projects such as vacations and kids events.

I must admit I am impressed by its size and design. It is small, lightweight, compact, and sleek. It easily fits in ones palm and its control panel is easily accessible.

The Canon FS400 ranges between $240 and $350 to buy. Which I believe is a fair deal compared to what it comes along with.

Take a look at these features.

v  Sleek, Ultra-Compact and Lightweight:   The camera weighs only 7.8 oz, 2.1” wide, 2.3” high and 4.8” deep. This makes it easy to carry the camcorder anywhere you go without worrying about the weight. In my world that is indeed compact.

v  Grid Marker:     This is a feature that lets you make more accurate shots. Using grids markers you are able to correctly position your camcorder so that you are able to record exactly what you want. The grid markers come in two different colors to choose from, ensuring that you are able to see them no matter what the background color of your shot is.

v  Connectivity:    The Canon FS400 can easily be connected to either your TV or computer quite easily. It has an A/V mini-terminal which you can easily hook up to your television to directly view your recorded videos. It is also equipped with a USB port which makes direct transfer of your videos and photos to your computer for editing or online sharing so easy.

It is also compatible with Eye-Fi SD memory card. With the card inserted in the SD card slot on the camcorder, it is possible to wirelessly transfer your videos and photos to your computer, or even further, with a correctly configured computer you are able to upload them directly to target online sharing sites (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Shutterfly ).

v  Level Marker Feature:   The feature makes it easy to keep your camcorder in a level position. You just line up any horizontal lines in your shot- such as the horizon- to the marker and you can be sure that your camcorder is level.

v  Spotlight Mode:     The spotlight mode is just what it is! For those spotlight moment shots you would want to capture. This feature gets the best of those moments.

v  Flicker Reduction:    Artificial light sources usually come with one disadvantage of flickering; especially when shooting in the night or in other low light situations. The Canon FS400 has this Flicker Reduction feature which, with a setting available, is able to minimize the effect of pulsing of light sources which is more common in fluorescent lit environments.

v  Built-In Electronic Lens Cover:  There is nothing more annoying as having to constantly open and close the lens cover of your camera when recording. The Canon FS400 comes equipped with a Built-In Electronic Lens Cover. What is simply means is that turn your camcorder on, the lens cover automatically opens. Turn it off, and the cover closes. A great feature I think.

v  Built-In Video Light:      Through a built-In video light mechanism, the camera is able to internally provide just the right amount of light to your video thus improving the quality of videos shot in low light conditions.

v  Program AE:      This is what makes the Canon FS400 what it is. It gives you the best exposure settings for different conditions and subjects automatically. The portrait mode ensures shallow depth of field for a pleasing background to your shots of friends and family. The sports mode stops the action with faster shutter speeds. A new night scene mode is designed to give you more accurate and natural shots in very low light conditions by reducing noise and preventing the overexposure of building and street lighting. The snow and beach modes compensate for bright surroundings and give you the proper exposure on your subjects. The sunset mode results in vibrant, well-exposed colors for one of the toughest subjects to capture.

v  Fireworks Mode:      As the name can tell, the fireworks mode is basically made for brilliant color subjects. More especially on such occasions as fireworks displays.

v  Low Light Mode:       This feature allows you to record your videos even in low lit environments. In this mode you can shoot your videos in situations where you have as little as 1.3 lux of available illumination when you do not want to add additional light.

v  Advanced Video Snapshot:        This feature lets you shoot short movie clips the same way you would shoot snapshots with your digital camera. You are able to create 2, 4, or 8-second video clips which can be played back in the camcorder with background music. You will also be able to capture clips in playback, making it more convenient than ever to use this feature. This can be a perfect way to document your vacation in a quick, easy, entertaining series of clips which are perfect for internet sharing. This feature is complemented by a music CD containing royalty-free soundtracks that comes with the camcorder.

v  Pre Record:        I think this feature gives you a head start on your recordings every time. The feature places the camera in a stand-by “pre-roll” mode. What happens is that the camera is continuously recording 3 seconds of video to memory before you even press the record button. As it starts to record, the three seconds of video is recorded too. So that gives you a 3 seconds head start to every action you want to record.

v  Widescreen HR:     This camera uses the Canons’ sophisticated image processing system which uses the entire width of the image sensor which makes it possible to capture and record true 16:9 High Resolution Widescreen. The additional pixels captured deliver better image quality.

v  Quick Charge:   One time or another anyone with a camcorder will find themselves in a situation where they have to quickly charge the camera or miss the action. The quick charge feature has been designed for such situations. This feature is able to give the camera some extra life to make you see the occasion through.  With this feature, put the camera on charge for 10 minutes and you will get approximately 30 minutes of life in it. 20 minutes will give you approximately an hour of power. I feel this is a great feature.

v  Quick Start:   It can be quite frustrating to be manually switching between record and standby modes when recording. With the Canon FS400 this hustle is eliminated by the quick start feature. When the LCD panel is closed the camera automatically goes into the standby mode, and when the actions starts just flip open the panel and off you start recording instantly. No hustle of fidgeting with buttons to start recording the action. You just don’t lose time with this feature.

v  Superb Image Quality:   The picture quality is great for a standard definition camera. The high quality picture is attributed to the 680,000 pixel CCD Image Sensor and the Canon DIGIC DV II Image Processor it uses to process  all that you are capturing to give out a perfect lifelike picture.  It is worth mentioning that the Canon DIGIC DV II Image Processor is among the most advanced in video technologies.

v  The Shock Resistant feature:   This feature, which I would not want to prove anyway, is another advantage to this camera. Minor accidents and knocks do happen and very much likely your camera may slip or knock against something. Should that happen that is where the shock resistant feature may prove helpful. Firstly its compact design will greatly reduce breakage risk. Secondly, the Flash Memory Storage system it uses minimizes captured data lose and makes data recovery easy.

v  The Wide Screen LCD:  This is also another feature that fits the camera perfectly. The 2.7” and 112,000 dot screen gives a satisfactorily bright and clear picture detail which is big and wide enough that you can do your video editing right on the camcorder. The location of the control buttons on the screen is equally convenient.

v  The Pixela Video Browser Software:    This is another thumb up feature on this camera.  First of all this software allows you to edit your videos right from the camcorder if you want to. You can combine, reorder, trim, and combine scenes. This powerful software can also make it possible for you to add transitions, music and titles to your videos. Directly uploading your videos to the internet should not be a problem with this software.

v  Dynamic IS:   The Dynamic Image Stabilizer makes your video recordings smooth, stable and steady even you are moving. This feature provides continuous adjustment throughout the entire zoom range to correct a broader range of motion that may be caused by the movement of the cameraman. In comparison to conventional electronic image stabilization systems, extra compensation is applied at wide-angle focal lengths to eliminate those unwanted vibrations that are common when walking.

v  Intelligent Lithium-Ion Battery:   This power system accurately tracks remaining battery life as well as giving you a display in minutes remaining before the battery goes dead. You are then able to plan your shooting better so that you are not caught out with a battery that suddenly goes from half to empty. A great feature I think.

In brief that is what the Canon FS400  all in all a good camera compared to other brands in its category. I usually do not compare different brands because honestly speaking we are all “predisposed” to certain brands regardless.

So if you are “predisposed” to Canon cameras, and looking for a budget friendly sophisticated, yet simple camcorder that can perform just as good, then the Canon FS400 is your best buy! My friend bought his at $350, but you can get it at much less here Canon FS400 Flash Memory Camcorder with 41x Advanced Zoom and Dual SDXC Card Slots (Silver)