Canon Legria HF S21

Playback (7.25)

The playback button switches between record and playback mode.

Playback mode got a few enhancements on the HF S21, some of which were due to the implementation of a touchscreen interface. On the HF S21, you can view your clips as thumbnails in the traditional arrangement, or you can work with a '3D view' that is reminiscent of Apple's coverflow system that can be used on iTunes and some iPods. Examples of each viewing mode are shown below.
 

Playback screen with thumbnail arrangement.		Playback screen in '3D view' mode.

Since the HF S21 uses a touchscreen, all of the camcorder's VCR controls are located as touch buttons on the LCD. We don't really like this setup, as it means your video is obstructed by numerous buttons (not to mention your fingers when you press them). Still, this system is on par with last year's setup for Canon, which forced you to use the navigation joystick for all VCR controls.
 

Onscreen VCR controls

We found playback mode on the HF S21 a bit overwhelming when we tried to do internal editing, create playlists, or use the camcorder's HD to SD conversion options. There are numerous menus scattered about in playback mode and each has different features and options. Some controls—like the HD to SD Web conversion—aren't located in the menus at all (it is a dedicated button on the LCD panel instead). If you're just playing back your videos, the interface is perfectly fine, but for doing anything else the system can feel very convoluted.
 

Connectivity (7.88)

Canon added a LANC (wired remote) terminal on the HF S21 this year, which makes last year's RA-V1 LANC adaptor effectively obsolete. We like the inclusion of a LANC terminal on the HF S21, as it helps establish the camcorder as a strong choice for prosumers. Along with the new LANC port, the HF S21 also features two SD/SDHC memory card slots inside the LCD cavity. Canon also claims these card slots will be compatible with new, high-capacity SDXC cards (which have a maximum capacity of 2 terabytes, although cards of that size are not yet available).
 

The camcorder has two memory card slots.		Component-out, AV-out, and LANC terminals

We don't like the placement of the HDMI and USB ports on the HF S21. Both are located on the right side of the camcorder, which puts them directly in the way of the hand strap. This makes it difficult to connect cables to these ports and it also makes it very uncomfortable to use the camcorder while cables are connected to either of these ports. The external microphone jack is also on the right side, but it is left completely uncovered. We don't understand why Canon doesn't offer some sort of protection for this valuable port.
 

USB and HDMI output		3.5mm external microphone jack

The small DC-input is on the back of the HF S21 and it's port cover camouflages it very well (it can be easily missed if you don't know to look for it). The rest of the ports are located inside the LCD cavity on the HF S21—Component-out, AV-out, and the aforementioned LANC terminal. Each are protected well by a flip-down door.
 

DC-input		Hot accessory shoe (only fits Canon mini-shoe accessories)

The table below lists all of the connectivity features on the HF S21, including the camcorders hot accessory shoe. The shoe only works with Canon's mini-fit accessories, however.
 

Canon HF S21 Comparisons
Panasonic HDC-TM700	JVC GZ-HM1	Canon HF S100