The Canon HF S20 high definition camcorder offers a superb image quality even when recording in low light thanks to it’s a combination of the Canon HD Video Lens, DIGIC DV III processor and 8MP Full HD CMOS sensor.
The HFS20 is a dual memory camcorder with 32GB of internal memory and 2 SDHC card slots of additional storage space if required.
One of the best features of the Canon S20 is the large 3.5 inch touch screen display which at the time of writing is the largest LCD screen available on a camcorder. This screen is touch operated which can be used to access the most common functions during recording and playback. You can also use the touch screen to touch a face or object you are filming to se auto-focus. With auto-focus enabled the focus will remain locked on your selection automatically adjusting and compensating the exposure even if the object or camera moves.
There is silent 10x optical zoom complete with Powered O.I.S (optical image stabilisation) which can compensate for most forms of camera shake giving you professional smooth looking footage with no shake or blurring. The is also a further enhanced Dynamic Range mode which can stabilise camera shake on the move, for example when you are walking and filming or filming from a moving vehicle.
For the more creative amongst you the Canon HFS20 features a manual control dial just below the lens which can be assigned a number of settings to adjust including exposure, focus, assist functions, auto gain control (AGC) and microphone level. The clever AGC function allows you to control how sensitive the HFS20 will be when shooting dark scenes. A low setting allows you to film dark scenes with natural darkness and no noise. Raising this this setting will add more light to the scene but with the side effect of more noise.
Other features making the HF S20 a great choice for a HD camcorder include high speed, precision focusing, a maximum 24Mbps bit rate, face detection, a wide range of connection options and a mini advanced accessory shoe.
