-
Introduction
-
01.Product Tour
-
02.Colour & Noise Performance
-
03.Motion & Sharpness Performance
-
04.Low Light Performance
-
05.Compression & Media
-
06.Manual Controls
-
07.Still Features
-
08.Handling & Use
-
09.Playback & Connectivity
-
10.Audio & Other Features
-
11.Panasonic HDC-TM700 Comparison
-
12.JVC GZ-HM1 Comparison
-
13.Canon HF S100 Comparison
-
14.Conclusion
-
15.Photo Gallery
-
16.Specs and Ratings
-
17.Comments
Canon Legria HF S21
Previous: Part 9
Playback & ConnectivityNext: Part 11
Panasonic HDC-TM700 Comparison
Audio & Other Features
• The external microphone jack is completely unprotected near the front of the camcorder.
• Camcorder records Dolby Digital 2-channel audio, but a separate 5.1-channel adaptor can be purchased
• The AV-out port can double as a headphone jack.
• Video Snap feature has been improved, but it still isn't very impressive.
Audio Features (5.75)
The built-in mic on the HF S21 is located on both sides of the camcorder's lens. The mic can record Dolby Digital 2-channel audio, and you can even adjust the audio levels for this mic manually if you want to (using the control dial or the touchscreen). If you want 5.1-channel surround sound recording, you can purchase Canon's SM-V1 mic adaptor that connects to the accessory shoe on the HF S21. The Panasonic HDC-TM300's built-in mic can record Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio without any add-ons.
 |
 |
|
| Built-in mic and external mic jack | Audio levels can be adjusted manually. |
| Canon HF S21 | Panasonic HDC-TM700 | JVC GZ-HM1 | Canon HF S100 | |
| External Mic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone | Yes (shares with AV) | Yes |
Yes | Yes (shares with AV) |
| Built-in Mic | 2-channel stereo | 5.1-channel Dolby Digital | 2-channel stereo | Yes |
| Accessory Shoe | Yes (Canon mini-proprietary) | Yes (cold, with slide-in attachment) | Yes (cold, with screw-in attachment) | Yes (Canon proprietary) |
| Audio Level Display | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audio Level Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Test Tone | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Zoom Mic | No | Yes | No | No |
| Wind Cut | Yes | Yes (Wind Noise Canceler) | Yes | Yes |
| Other Audio Feature(s) | Microphone Attenuator | Bass Controls |
None | None |
Other Features (4.5)
Video Light
At first, you might not be able to find the video light on the HF S21. It is embedded into the top of the camcorder on a panel that pops up when you turn on the light from the menu. The flash is also located on this pop-up panel. The light is okay, but Canon didn't appear to improve its intensity over last year's model. The light has an illumination range of about ten feet.
Pre-Record
Pre-record, which is becoming more and more common on consumer camcorders, allows the HF S21 to continually store three seconds of footage in a memory buffer. So, when you actually end up pressing the record button, the camcorder has already captured three seconds of footage (this only works, of course, if pre-record is turned on). This can be a useful feature, but it does use up battery power rather quickly.
Video Snap
Canon improved the video snap feature on the HF S21, as the camcorder now allows you to capture 2, 4, or 8-second clips (previously, it was just 4-second clips). The feature still doesn't blow us away, but it can be a useful tool if you're trying to record multiple even-length clips.
Digital Effects
What consumer camcorder could be complete without a limited set of digital effects? The HF S21 includes Black & White and Sepia colour modes, as well as fader and wipe transitions.
| Canon HF S21 Comparisons | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Panasonic HDC-TM700 | JVC GZ-HM1 | Canon HF S100 |
Latest News & Reviews
-
29-Apr-2011
Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D Camcorder Review
With the HDC-SDT750, Panasonic is bringing 3D videography to the masses. It is definetly not cheap, but it is still comparable in cost to other flagship models. Read More...
-
10-Mar-2011
Kodak Playsport Zx3 Camcorder Review
The Playsport Zx3 is an exciting ultracompact camcorder from Kodak that combines a Full HD recording capability with a body that is waterproof up to 3 meters. The camcorder’s durable construction, and did surprisingly well in our video testing. Read More...
Top Rated Camcorders
-
1Panasonic HDC-SDT750
With the HDC-SDT750, Panasonic is bringing 3D videography to the masses. It is definetly not cheap, but it is still comparable in cost to other flagship models. Read full 17-part review
TypeConsumer -
£764.952Panasonic HDC-TM700
As the update to Panasonic's 300-series, the expectations for the Panasonic HDC-TM700 are high.. Read full 16-part review
£764.95TypeConsumer -
3Canon Legria HF G10
With the Legria HF G10, Canon's latest flagship camcorder, the company decided to use a completely different image sensor with a smaller amount of pixels. If you check out the results from our performance testing, you'll quickly see the change paid off—particularly in low light situations. Read full 16-part review
TypeConsumer -
4JVC Everio GZ-HM1
Other than a new silver paint job, JVC's newest flagship model, the Everio GZ-HM1, looks exactly like its predecessor, the GZ-HM400. JVC's biggest alteration comes in the form of a back-illuminated CMOS sensor that did wonders in improving the low light performance of this new model. Read full 16-part review
TypeConsumer -
£966.505Canon Legria HF S21
Canon's new flagship model, the HF S21, has a lot of exciting new features and controls. Its 64GB of internal flash memory, two SD/SDHC memory card slots, and the touchscreen LCD make the HF S21 one of the most appealing camcorders of 2010. Read full 17-part review
£966.50TypeConsumer
Features
-
Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder
We take an in-depth look at the most common video editing software packages, including the basic programs that come packaged with your camcorder. Read More...
-
Camcorderinfo.co.uk Select Awards 2009
It’s time once again for our annual CamcorderInfo select awards. Each year, we honor the camcorders that really rise above the rest during our review process. The camcorders you’ll read about below have all survived a battery of tests—tests that are designed to give every camcorder fair and equal treatment. These models have also been carefully compared to the competition. Read More...
