Action!
Sure, you use your video camera for recording things like school programs, sporting events, and birthday parties. But capturing priceless memories isn't the only use of your video camera. It's also a great way for you to flex the creative side of your brain by making amateur films for sharing on YouTube. But when it comes to high-quality shooting, many camcorders are a little lacking. Sure, many can shoot HD, or even Full HD, and some can even artificially create a 24p framerate for a Hollywood-esque feel. But "-esque" isn't what you really want on your video project. Wouldn't it be great if you could shoot natively at 24 frames per second in Full HD 1920 x 1080? That wish can be a reality with the Canon HF S20. This camcorder blurs the line between professional and consumer video cameras by allowing Full HD recording at a native 24p frame rate. And to ice the cake, with an additional microphone, you can easily record 5.1-channel audio for your production. Roll tape.
Steady, now
You might want a little blur in your shots if your film project leans towards the experimental side. Otherwise, though, blur is the enemy of a great shot. But, human beings are not capable of perfect steadiness while holding a video camera, even in the best of circumstances. However, there is a remedy. Some camcorders, like this VIXIA HF S20, have optical image stabilization. This convenient system detects the slight movements that are unavoidable when holding a video camera, and actually shifts the lens to counter your shakiness. This ensures your shots will come out stable for great-looking replays. While you might not even notice the O.I.S. unless you didn't have it, this amazing system can take your production to the next level.
Double or nothing?
The VIXIA HF S20 has a dual memory card slot. This might seem a little superfluous at first, but it's actually a pretty great idea. When you're trying to finish up a project, you're likely to end up with some pretty long days of filming. And when you're crunched for time, you can't afford to go through the footage in the camera and cull the bad shots. No, you do a take until you get it right and then move to the next shot. Cutting shots doesn't happen until you're editing the film. Likewise, you can't afford to sit around idle while transferring the contents of your SD card to your computer. With the HF S20, you can pop in your memory cards and film for hours on end without worrying about running out of space. Depending on the size of the memory cards and the quality you're filming at, there's a very high likelihood you'll need to plug the camcorder in long before you have to stop shooting and clear up card space. Of, course, this is also really handy for your home memory projects, since you can put dual 32GB SD cards and record years' worth of events without needing to swap out the cards. Plus, if you forget to put the card back in the video camera after you do transfer your footage to the computer, you're still covered. The idea of dual memory card slots doesn't seem quite so ridiculous now, does it?
The power's in your hands
There's a flaw with the controls of most camcorders. Most camcorders have tiny, inconveniently-placed controls that have to be pushed into the camcorder. Those buttons practically require a stylus to use. But the Canon VIXIA HF S20 puts the power at your fingertips. It's got a massive 3.5" (diagonal) touch screen, so many of the camcorder's controls can be accessed simply by touching the full-color LCD. And with an estimated 922,000 dots, this widescreen sacrifices no detail as you view your footage. It's a welcome improvement over manual-button only camcorders.
The looking glass
One of the best features on this camera will likely go unnoticed by you for years. Why you ask? Well, because it's something that only shows up with time. The lens on this digital camcorder is glass. Why does that matter? Well, on many consumer camcorders, a plastic lens is used to lower the cost. For the most part, the plastic lenses work just fine, and while they might not be quite as great, there's usually not a significant difference between the camera with the glass lens and the plastic one. But that changes with time. After you've owned a camera with a plastic lens for a while, you'll begin to notice a slight yellowing of your footage. That's great if you're shooting a movie with a sepia effect, but for the more vivid movies, soccer games, school programs, and birthday parties you want to capture, not so much. Plus, a plastic lens is easier to scratch. Considering the quality and value of this VIXIA, it's a pretty safe bet that you'll have it for a while. Invest in a camera that will last with the HF S20.
What wonderful contradictions!
The VIXIA HF S20 can take video snapshots. If that sounds like a contradiction, you're right. Usually you either have a single snapshot or a video clip. But in this case, you'll love the contradictory combination of the two. Basically, you can take two-, four-, or six-second video clips, and add music for a great moving slideshow. This is the sort of effect that would have taken hours of video editing to build a slideshow with before. But now, it's super easy, and simply amazing to see your pictures come to life right before your eyes. But the contradictions continue. Let's say you're watching a video, and you see something that would make the perfect snapshot. With most camcorders, that means uploading the footage to your computer, finding the spot, and using the software to get a snapshot. But with the VIXIA HF S20, it's a lot simpler than that. As you're playing back your footage, simply press the snapshot button, and a frame will be saved to the camera. Aren't contradictions fun?
Forget you memory?
So you went to the play almost an hour early to get a good shot for filming. You set up the tripod to ensure that you capture every line with an inhumanly-steady hand. You charged the battery to ensure you'd capture everything from the moment the curtain lifts to the final bows. You're really excited to show your friends and family the footage once the play is over. The auditorium quiets, the lights dim, and a single spotlight shines on the curtain. You press record, and . . . no tape inserted. Well, there goes your whole plan. Luckily with the VIXIA HF S20, that's not a problem. It uses dual SD memory cards, so you could just get a couple 32GB cards and record show after game after event without running out of space. But if you forget your cards at home while transferring video to the computer, or just don't feel like using them, no worries. You're still covered by the camera's 32GB of internal memory. That's enough space to hold about four hours of Full HD video, or up to twelve hours of standard-definition content. So if you forget the card, rest assured, you're covered. And since it's flash memory, it's much less likely your internal hard drive will be damaged by the jostle of everyday life. And if you're thinking that transferring video or photos to your computer would be a pain, consider this: you can easily transfer content from the internal hard drive to memory cards. Two words: Disaster. Averted.
What's in the box?
Your purchase of the Canon VIXIA HF S20 from Vanns.com includes all of the following: A remote control, composite A/V cables, a USB cable, a power adapter, a battery, a component video cable, Pixela ImageMixer 3SE video editing software, a music CD, a Digital Video Solution disc, and of course, the camcorder itself.
