Yesterday @hallapunk asked via Twitter about the Canon FS200. I love it when people ask me about camcorders. I love doing some of the research when I’m not familiar with a particular make/model. So today, we’re going to take a closer look at the Canon FS200 Flash Memory Camcorder.

Canon is a great brand, and everyone knows this. This camera is compact, has great zoom capabilities (37x optical zoom), and records direct to Flash Memory which is very nice. The camcorder normally lists at $329.99, but is currently on sale for $267.18 which includes FREE super saver shipping.

The camcorder has image stabilization capabilities, but only shoots in standard definition (this is not a HD camcorder). Like many camcorders it can take digital stills. The view screen appears to be quite large while the overall camera size is small and looks very easy to use. I would personally prefer a HD model, so if you wanted to take it to the next level, the Canon VIXIA HF200 which I talked about last week might be a better fit.

To see some image quality tests, please scroll down to the bottom and view the video there.

User Reviews Send this to a friend
Canon FS200 Flash Memory Camcorder with 37x Optical Zoom (Misty Silver)
	Manufacturer: Canon Customer Rating:   List Price: $299.00 Sale Price: $319.99 Availibility: View Product Availability Buy Now
Product Description
The Canon FS200 Flash Memory camcorder lets you capture stunning video directly to SDHC memory cards, and share memories quickly and easily. Plus, the Canon FS200 features Canon's 41x Advanced Zoom to get you closer to the action and DIGIC DV II Image Processor which reproduces images with vivid color and stunning clarity. For life's bumps and jumps, there's an Image Stabilizer to make your shots rock-steady. Pre-Record lets you capture video 3 seconds before you press the record button, so you will never miss a precious moment. And Video Snapshot Mode allows you to create a series of 4-second video clips with music that are perfect for sharing. Ultra-sleek and lightweight, the Canon FS200 is lightning fast and stylishly designed. So exercise your options. Go for the camcorder that gives you real choice--the Canon FS200. Canon USA 1-year limited warranty included.
Product Details
Record video directly to a removable SDHC memory card Genuine Canon lens with 41x Advanced Zoom, 37x optical zoom and 2000x digital zoom Digic DV II image processor Widescreen HR recording, Dual Shot Mode and Image Stabilizer Ultra-sleek, lightweight design allows you to take your camcorder with you anywhere
Video Reviews
Canon FS200 Video Camera quality TEST
Customer Reviews
Good camera for the price   Review Date: May 19, 2009 Reviewer: Johnny, Connecticut I bought this camera a couple of weeks ago and it is small. Smaller than I expected, but that is not a bad thing, it is easy to carry around in a vest pocket or coat pocket. I didn't download or use any of the software provided with the camera, I have Sony Vegas on my computer. One thing that I do recommend is downloading the free SDCOPY software you can find on the net. Check the widescreen box and it will convert your .MOD files to mpg files lightning quick. Now you should be able to work with them in just about any editing software. Use a card reader for the SD card instead of connecting the camera to the computer, makes life easier. I use a cheap one that came with my SD cards. Zoom is good, and a steady hand or tripod is highly recommended for longer shots. Quick to start up, the auto lens cover is great, battery life also great. I really see no problems with this great little camera, other than low light filming could be better, but not many of these cameras are great in low light. Exactly what I wanted   Review Date: June 9, 2009 Reviewer: Mika R. Hutchison, Wherever the military sends us! I ordered this so I can record our vacation to the beach on my husband's leave from Iraq. I'm not terribly familiar with various camcorders but after much research I decided on the Canon FS200 and I'm quite pleased. I LOVE that it has flash memory as I can easily carry extra cards and swap them out as needed. It didn't take too long to charge and has a great battery life. The picture quality is great, mic picks up sounds well and the zoom is fantastic. I love how small and lightweight it is. The price is good too. I'm very happy with this camcorder. Best Camcorder so far   Review Date: May 24, 2009 Reviewer: Kenny Su, San Diego, CA This camcorder has significant improvement over the previous version (FS10/11/100) which I also own. I am very happy after two weeks of use. I had also tried the Samsung camcorder. FS200 is much more superior in all areas: easy of use, comfort, auto lens cover, software, basic & advance shooting modes, zoom control(better, smoother by a very large margin). If want to take standard definition videos and burn them easily to DVD at will, this the one to buy. I don't believe there is a better camcorder with better value on the market today that serves the needs of average user like me. Best Of Breed. Excellent Value. Video Tour   Review Date: December 3, 2009 Reviewer: Jack Olmsted, Port Townsend, WA Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RUJRILMJIXTFP 10-year-old TIME For Kids Reporter, Brennan LaBrie, and I purchased Canon FS200 camcorders on sale a couple of days before Thanksgiving. As a budding journalist that is planning to cover the Vancouver 2010 Olympics Games, Brennan's basic requirements in his second flash based camcorder were: - external mic for interviews - headphone jack to monitor audio levels (handheld mic to close, not close enough, background noise to loud, etc.) - optical zoom to capture action that far away - battery monitor in real time - fast battery charge (20 minutes charging a depleted FS200 battery yields 60 minutes of recording time) This video tour around the FS200 was recorded with my FS200 and edited with Microsoft's Windows Movie Maker (the free program imports .MOD files). It was recorded at the Port Townsend Library (no special lighting was required). We were very happy with the picture and audio (internal mic) quality in this video. Part two of this tour will be published on YouTube soon. Search: Canon FS200 For price/performance, the FS200 is the "best of breed" on the market today. It is the perfect portable pocket camcorder for a KidReporter that has to get their reports online ASAP. Brennan LaBrie's Winter Olympic coverage using the FS200 can be accessed through a Google Search on his name. NOTE: The background music is one of the tunes that is on the FS200 CD. A great camcorder for a great price   Review Date: October 28, 2009 Reviewer: Andrea M. Hamilton, Virginia Beach, VA My husband and I recently purchased this camcorder because we are expecting our first baby, and we wanted to be able to capture the first moments on video. We did not have a lot to spend. After a lot of research, we settled on the Canon FS200 (we purchased it in a kit with extra accessories). We knew that this was not an HD camera, and we didn't expect HD picture quality. For the class of camcorder, and the price we paid, we are VERY pleased with the value and quality that we received. The camcorder is easy to use and set up. We are beginners, therefore we have not delved into the advanced features available. We just wanted to be able to shoot video with ease. We did not purchase this for the ability to take pictures, as we have a very good camera for that. However, the pictures are easy to take and the quality seems good. The auto focus works well, the battery life is excellent, and I was surprised at how much video can fit on an 8gb card. The battery has about 2 and a half hours (and the remaining battery life is displayed on the screen in minutes remaining, not just an icon) and the card holds just over 2 hours of video (also displayed as remaining minutes available on the screen). The only thing I would change is to add a viewfinder - the only way to see what you are recording is via the LCD screen. However, we knew we were not getting a viewfinder when we made the purchase. My biggest complaint is the software. It took a while to figure out the software and how to transfer files to the computer. I read other reviews that complained about the .MOD file format, and the necessity of converting it. I installed my software on XP (I have the service pack 3) and my files downloaded automatically in .mpeg format, so I did not have to convert. However, I use a laptop, so it is easier to me to use the card slot than to hook the whole camcorder up via USB cord. To use the card slot, I took another reviewers advice and downloaded the SDcopy program to convert my files (when I used the card slot they came up as .MOD file format). I liked this transfer even better, because I could select the widescreen format before transfering my files, and the videos looked much better. When compared, the regular screen seemed a little squished or compacted, but the widescreen was much more natural. Overall we would highly recommend this camcorder. You can't beat the options for the price.

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