Canon FS100 Camcorder - More Features
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Further control is available through the three zoom modes that are on offer. Optical zoom up to 37x is fine. There is also a digital zoom, which is rated up to a ridiculous 2000x but will probably - and rightly - be ignored by most users. In between these two standard modes is something which Canon describes as "Advanced Mode" zoom, which uses digital processing to step the optical zoom factor up to 45x. It does a reasonable job of this, however Canon's claim that it manages it "without any further deterioration in image quality" is a little far- fetched.
Nonetheless, such a high degree of zoom allows for some interesting experiments. Things inevitably get a little shaky at high zoom settings, however. For regular high-magnification use a tripod would be a useful accessory.
The 2.7" LCD screen is as good as can be expected on a camcorder at this price. It remains usable in bright sunlight, which is an advantage that helps to mitigate the slight coarseness of the display. Color reproduction is reasonable, with smooth motion and fairly good responsiveness to the controls. Like the rest of the hardware, the screen seems to be of acceptable quality.
Beneath the screen is a series of recessed, membrane-covered control buttons for menu access, playback, recording and back light compensation, while to the left is the mini-joystick that is used to navigate through menu items and makes operation straightforward. These controls are logically laid out, and the positioning feels natural in use.
One other welcome hardware feature worth mentioning is the external microphone input. This allows higher quality audio to be captured with far greater directional control, using a plug-in microphone, than is possible with the built-in condenser unit. Theoretically it would even be possible to record properly mixed and equalized sound from a desk via a direct feed, eliminating noise and unwanted extraneous sound, although few people using a camcorder of this class are likely to be so serious about their movie making. However, this capability demonstrates Canon's desire to pitch the FS range slightly above its direct competitors.
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