Performance

For nearly all purposes, the Canon HF11 is identical to the Canon HF10 and the Canon HF100. It has the same 1/3.2-inch CMOS sensor with a gross pixel count of the 3,310,000 (and an effective pixel count of 2,070,000). By comparison, the Sony HDR-CX12 has approximately the same size sensor with a much higher pixel count of 5.66MP. As we saw in the results between the Canon HF10 and the Sony HDR-SR12 (which uses the same sensor as the CX12), the Sony's higher pixel density seemed to hurt its low light performance.

Canon HF11 - 3000 lux in Auto mode

First, let's look at our lab testing. We shot a DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde chart at an even 3000 lux. Under this light, Canon once again proves that it can dominate the performance category. The picture is just amazingly crisp and vivid. It's better than any AVCHD camcorder to date, and is more or less indiscernible from the tape-based Canon HV20 and Canon HV30.

Comparatively, the Sony HDR-SR12 produced a similar color performance, but the sharpness of the fine details was not as good as the Canon HF11. The SR12 just looked fuzzier. Because the Sony HDR-CX12 is using the same imaging system as the SR12, we expect it to perform the same. The Panasonic HDC-HS100 produced very bright, bold colors. Unfortunately, the resolution can't match that of either the Canon HF11 or the Sony HDR-SR12.

JVC GZ-HD40 looked very good indeed at this light, with strong even colors. However, it too lacked the resolution in the fine details. The Samsung SC-HMX20 actually topped the Canon HF10 in straight-up resolution testing, but the Canon image looked better overall, which we believe is due to a superior compression.

It's important to note that the performance from all of these camcorders was quite good. For the casual user, the Canon, Sony, Samsung, or JVC would produce extremely good results. The Panasonic has the great color, but is a little deficient in sharpness compared to the rest of the group.

Canon HF11 - 3000 lux in Cine mode

We also shot in the Cine Mode, which is an alternate gamma curve that is meant to emulate the colors produced in film. The end result is a picture that expands the range of the mid-tones, while decreasing detail in highlights and shadows. It can make your video look great, as long as your shot is properly lit.

Canon HF11 - 3000 lux in 30P mode

Canon HF11 - 3000 lux in 24P mode

The alternate frame rates, 30P and 24P, didn't look too different under this more or less perfect light. In both frame rates, there was a slight decrease in noise, but color and sharpness looked the same. As with the HF10, the HF11 video in alternate frame rates looked very good. For whatever reason, Canon is the only manufacturer that has managed to produce a smooth, decent looking progressive frame rate. The Samsung SC-HMX20 was the closest, but moving objects looked a lot more stuttery. The Panasonic high definition camcorders cannot record in 24P without also recording in xvYCC color mode, which blows out the saturation.

Out of the lab, we put the HF11 and HF10 side-by-side in some difficult shooting situations and examined the playback footage with an extremely critical eye. After much deliberation, we came to the conclusion that most people can't tell the difference between the two. You'd have to spend an insane amount of time and energy—as we did—to see a variance.

The difference is in the compression artifacting, as far as we could tell. The resolution isn't any better, but if you look very closely, you'll notice that the edges of moving objects looks cleaner. In any video or still image compression, every object in a shot creates an unpleasant 'aura' of blocky or noisy compression artifacts. What we saw as the primary difference between these two camcorders was that the HF11's aura didn't spread out as far as the HF10. That's because the HF11's faster bitrate allows the compression engine to adjust more quickly to changes.

 

Here are some examples above of shots that ask a lot of the compression engine. Click to open the full resolution bitmap frame grab. Look closely at the edges of the object. You should see a tiny improvement in the HF11. All shots were recorded at 1080/60i.

Overall, the Canon HF11 continues to offer some of the best video quality in all of consumer camcorders.

Video Resolution* (21.94)*

The video resolution of the Canon HF11 was tested by shooting a DSC Labs video resolution chart. The recorded footage is then played back on an HD monitor. Resolution is measured in line widths per picture height (lw/ph). Ultimately, the HF11 (shooting in 1080/60i) produced an approximate horizontal resolution of 675 lw/ph. The vertical resolution measured approximately 600 lw/ph.

Shooting in 1080/30P mode, the camcorder produced a horizontal resolution of 650 lw/ph and a vertical resolution of 650 lw/ph.

In 1080/24P, the HF11 produced a horizontal resolution of 650 lw/ph and a vertical resolution of 650 lw/ph.

These scores were identical to the Canon HF10, and very, very good against the competition. Only the Samsung SC-HMX20 produced a higher resolution.

Low Light Performance* (14.13)*

In order to make the low light performance evaluation as comprehensive as possible, we test in three stages. First, we shoot the trusty DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde color chart at an even 60 lux and 15 lux.

Canon HF11 - 60 lux in Auto mode

Under the 60 lux conditions, recording in 1080/60i, the Canon HF11 produced an image with strong colors. Strangely, the image appeared noisier than the previous generation HF10 did under the same conditions. As we'll see in a moment, these variances disappeared in 30P and 24P modes.

As we stated in the HF10 review, the larger CMOS chip on the Canon HR10, Canon HV20, and Canon HV30 produced a brighter image with better color quality. Comparatively, in 60i the Sony HDR-SR12 was also brighter, though the Sony does not offer alternate frame rates. The JVC GZ-HD40 held up very well under the same test, retaining a lot of color. We did, however, notice that the noise produced by the JVC was of a yellowish tint that was more distracting than the greyish noise from the Canon and Sony.

The Panasonic HDC-HS100 appeared as brightly exposed but with very dull colors under this 60 lux light. It looked as if the auto gain has been pushed way up, and the noised masked or supressed. The Samsung SC-HMX20 was the big surprise when we tested it, producing an amazing color and light retention that rivaled any of the camcorders in this group.

Canon HF11 - 60 lux in 30P mode

However, Canon keeps an ace up its sleeve with the ability to record in both 30P and 24P. Each of these settings slow down the refresh rate of the sensor, letting in more light. At 30P, the HF11's brightness picked up a little, and so did the saturation.

Canon HF11 - 60 lux in 24P mode

When the HF11 was put into 24P mode, the low light performance was (naturally) the best of all. The noise went down considerably from the 60i shooting, and the saturation picked up quite strongly. In this mode, under these conditions, you would have no problem capturing all the light and fine detail you needed. The only potential issue is the inevitable trailing that occurs with 24P shooting. Of all the camcorders on the market recording in some kind of 24P mode—Canon, Panasonic, and Samsung—the Canon camcorders are the only ones that seem to pull it off without heavy trailing or overly-stuttering motion.

Canon HF11 - 15 lux in Auto mode

When we lowered the lights to 15 lux, the Canon HF11 produced a ton of noise. Yes, the color performance was good, but the overall image was hard to look at. Fortunately, the camcorder manages to produce a high enough resolution that no matter what the light, it can salvage a lot of fine detail.

Canon HF11 - 15 lux in 30P mode

At 30P in 15 lux, the Canon HF11 reduced a lot of that noise.

Canon HF11 - 15 lux in 24P mode

At 24P in 15 lux, the HF11 started to look salvageable. Sadly, the camcorder had a little trouble white balancing under these conditions, and appeared somewhat reddish.

The second stage of the testing examines color accuracy, noise, and saturation. We shoot an X-Rite Color Checker chart at an even 60 lux, then export the stills to Imatest imaging software. According to Imatest, the Canon HF11 (in 1080/60i mode) produced an approximate color error of 12.2, which is not a great score. This is worse than the JVC GZ-HD40, Sony HDR-SR12, and Samsung SC-HMX20. It's statistically identical to the Canon HF10. The noise measured 1.9225%, which confirms what our eyes saw in a separate test under the same conditions—the Canon HF11 is noisier than the HF10, at least at 60i. Finally, the saturation measured 1.9225.

In 1080/30P, Canon HF11 produced a color error of 10.2, according to Imatest. The noise dropped to 1.3175%, and the saturation increased to 89.97%.

In 1080/24P, the color error measured 9.7%. The noise dropped further, to 1.225%, and the saturation increased to 94.74%.

The third and final test examines sensitivity. We lower the light in a slow and steady manner while the camcorder is connected to a waveform monitor. We see how much light is required for the camcorder to produce 50 IRE (a measurement of exposure). In 1080/60, the Canon HF11 required 10 lux.

In 1080/30P, the sensitivity increased and the HF11 needed only 5 lux of light to produce the same exposure.

In 1080/24P, sensitivity increased further to 4 lux.

Overall, the low light performance on the Canon HF11 is still very, very good. But in order to take full advantage, you'll want to use the alternate frame rates: 30P and 24P. If you only plan on shooting in 60i, there are camcorders that produce a brighter image and better color (but not the sharpness, unfortunately). Check out the Sony HDR-SR12 and Samsung SC-HMX20.

*

*Disclaimer – We received some unexpected test results during our evaluation of the Canon HF11, particularly a higher noise percentage in low light. We contacted Canon, and they agreed with our assessment that the results were counter to what should have been expected. In order to deliver to you, the reader, the most up-to-the-minute information, we have published our original results here. Canon plans to send us a second review model so that we can have the opportunity to retest for the sake of accuracy. The review will be edited to reflect any new test results, with a note explaining what was changed and why.
*

*

 

Stabilization* (6.88)*

Like the HF10, the HF11 is equipped with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), the leading form of shake reduction in the camcorder circuit. OIS operates by separating the lens element from the body of the camcorder, so as not to sacrifice pixels around the border of the frame. Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is less effective, operating by creating a digital buffer of pixels around the sensor, sacrificing resolution.

We tested the efficiency of the HF11’s OIS using our custom-built shake emulator at two speeds—Speed One and Speed Two. Speed One emulates typical stationary handheld shake, while Speed Two’s shake pattern is more intense, producing a frequency that is more akin to a light jog with the camcorder in hand. At Speed One, the HF11 displayed a 75-percent shake reduction, while Speed Two showed an unimpressive 50-percent reduction. This is an identical performance compared to the HF10. JVC's GZ-HD6 still holds the title for having the best OIS so far this year.

Wide Angle* (9.6)*

We tested the HF11’s maximum wide angle capability using a vertical laser. During testing, OIS was disengaged and the zoom was pulled back to the full wide setting. Video was then later interpreted on an external monitor to obtain an accurate reading. The HF11 displayed a maximum wide angle measurement of 48 degrees, which is identical to the HF10.

Format

**

Compression*** (8.0)*

The compression is the big news for the HF11, and what Canon hopes will set it apart from the crowded field of consumer HD camcorders. Here's the deal:

The AVCHD compression was introduced in 2006 as a joint project between Sony and Panasonic. Up until that time, the only option for high definition video for the consumer was the HDV format, which was only recorded to tape. But people were tiring of tape. For quite a while, the public had done away with VCRs in favor of DVDs. As for standard definition camcorders, the tide was clearly moving away from tape as well, in favor of DVD, hard drive, and card media—all random access media. AVCHD was a method to record HD video on those new media.

Eventually, a ceiling of 24Mbps was agreed upon as the fastest possible bit rate for the AVCHD codec. The first generation camcorders to use the codec were, sadly, much slower than that. But that's only natural, as engineers need time to perfect processes, and board rooms need to plan product lines that will be profitable across several years. After two years (and one month), it's finally here.

Now, you shouldn't put too much stock in bit rate alone. The lens, the sensor, and the processing are all equally if not more important factors that make up image quality. It is big news from a technological standpoint, but it didn't seem to make a huge difference in image quality over the previous generation. You can get the full rundown on video performance earlier in the review.

There are four quality settings on the Canon HF11. The MXP+ setting is the highest, recording at 24Mbps. The FXP setting records at 17Mbps (this was the previous highest bitrate on the HF10 and HF100). The XP+ records at 12Mbps. The SP setting records at 7Mbps. The LP setting records at 5Mbps.

Media* (8.75)*

The Canon HF11 received a big upgrade in the media department, increasing its internal flash memory from 16GB in the previous generation to 32GB on the new model. This makes the HF11 the highest capacity flash memory to date, rivaling even the highest quality memory card. Of course, if you need more room than that, your best bet is a hard drive camcorder. The JVC GZ-HD40, for instance, offers 120GB of hard drive memory.

The HF11 also records to removable SD/SDHC cards, if you need to expand beyond the 32GB. Below is a table of approximate record times.

** the full specs on record times were not available at time of publication.***
**

Editing* (4.0)*

The post-production process for home movies has become a complicated business as the industry moves towards high definition. No more can you count on the one or two formats of standard definition video. No, in today's world there are as many formats as manufacturers, if not more. What's worse, you're hard-pressed to find affordable editing software that works with them all. If you plan on buying a camcorder, we highly recommend that you do a little online research for compatible software.

The AVCHD videos from the Canon HF11 work with Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus, Apple iMovie, Final Cut Express, and others—though they don't all work with equal efficiency, and a lot depends on your computer's hardware.

The Canon HF11 ships with Digital Solutions Disc ver.31.0. This disc includes a number of small programs that help you manage your video and still photos. It allows for the creation of importing video clips, stringing together a little movie, and exporting the final project.

 

Auto / Manual Controls

**

****Picture & Manual Control**
* Automatic Control (6.75)*

The Canon Vixia HF11 makes automatic control a snap yanking a popular feature straight from Sony: an 'Easy' button right in the LCD cavity. When you hit this button and the blue light turns on, you'd be hard pressed to screw up a shot, short of cupping your hand over the lens. In Easy mode, the menus are completely inaccessible. You can only point and zoom.

The automatic responses are quite good, and no different than we saw in the Canon HF10 and HF100. The auto focus is probably the most critical area for a camcorder to perform well in, especially when the manual focus controls are so limited on the camcorder. There are actually two types of auto focus to choose from. The default setting is called Instant AF. It works by using a sensor placed on the front of the camcorder to perform the gross focus operations, leaving the processor inside to only deal with the fine focusing. As a whole, the system works to speed up focus time. It does not, however, necessarily improve focus accuracy. When activated, the Instant AF creates a snapping effect as it shifts focus, which may not be to everyone's liking. If you prefer, you can deactivate the feature, which causes a more gradual shift.

All of the other automatic controls once again proved adequate in most shooting environments. Exposure and white balance shifts took approximately 2-3 seconds. Mixed indoor and outdoor lighting proved challenging for the white balance unless there was a clearly dominant light source in the majority of the frame.

Of course, you'll find the standard array of Scene modes that allow for one-touch adjustments in tricky shooting environments. They include: Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, and Fireworks.

Overall Manual Control (6.5)

Very little has changed on the Canon HF11 in terms of manual controls. Most interface is done through the joystick, located on the outer edge of the LCD panel. It's well-placed, but we long for something more powerful. Particularly for adjusting focus, a joystick just can't compare with the Cam Control dial on the Sony HDR-CX12, or the ring on the Panasonic HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100.

Canon does step up with the sheer amount of manual control. You'll find focus, an exposure tool, white balance, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, as well as some limited control of saturation, brightness, contrast, and sharpness. This is nearly everything the enthusiast could ask for. Panasonics offer independent aperture and shutter, which gives you a tighter control over exposure, and some users may prefer that. However, we find the extra control over color more useful most of the time, considering how much consumer camcorders oversaturate. 

Zoom (6.0)

The zoom toggle is located on the top of the camcorder, towards the back. The toggle on the HF10 was cheap and loose, and Canon did not take the opportunity to fix it on the HF11. However it feels, the toggle still allows you to create a smooth, crawling zoom all the way across the zoom range. When you're zooming, a small scale appears on screen to give you sense of where in the range you, but no precise numerical value is given.

Zoom Power Ratio (12.0)

The optical zoom on the Canon HF11 extends to 12x, which is the same as the Canon HF10 and Sony HDR-CX12. This should be enough of a zoom power to get the shot you need. If it's not, well... move yourself closer.

The digital zoom can further extend the shot to either 40x or all the way out to 200x. We recommend turning the digital zoom off altogether, because it causes image degradation.

Focus (5.0)

The manual focus is adjusted via the joystick, which is certainly not the ideal way to do it. The full-sized ring on the Panasonic HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100, and the Cam Control dial on the Sony HDR-CX12 are much better for making smooth focal transitions without bumping and jarring the camcorder.

Canon lends a hand with focusing by including a Focus Assist tool. When activated, anytime you touch manual focus, the image onscreen appears at a 2x zoom. This gets you into the action close enough that you'll have little problem seeing the subject. The zoom does not appear on your final footage—just on the LCD. JVC offers the best assist tool in the biz, creating a brightly colored noise along areas of the shot that are in focus.

Exposure & Aperture (7.6)

The Canon HF11 includes both a simple exposure tool and an Aperture Priority. The inclusion of an easy-to-understand exposure tool is key to helping the beginning user. To activate, push in on the joystick. A small menu pops up onscreen. Select 'EXP' and a scale appears in the upper left corner. The scale runs from -11 to +11. Well, okay... it doesn't sound simple when we explain it, but the process is easy and doesn't require any special camera knowledge. Panasonic omits anything this easy, offering only aperture control.

The Aperture Priority is activated on the top line of the Function menu. In this setting, you select the aperture and the camcorder automatically adjusts the shutter speed. Settings include: f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.7, and f/8.0. Unfortunately, there's no way to close the aperture all the way.

Shutter Speed (6.95)

The Canon HF11 has a Shutter Priority mode. It allows you to set the shutter speed while the camcorder automatically adjusts the aperture. In 60i and 30P modes, the shutter speeds include: 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, and 1/2000.

In 24P mode, the slower shutter options change: 1/6, 1/12, 1/24, and 1/48. From 1/60 and faster, the settings are the same.

These settings offer good control in low light, especially when you don't want to rely on the auto slow shutter modes that can make your video look terrible and blurry.

White Balance (7.5)

The white balance options on the Canon HF11 include Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, and Set (Manual). This is a good collection of preset options—certainly more expansive than the indoor/outdoor presets on Sonys. Making a manual white balance is very easy. Just select the 'Set' option and push in on the joystick. The icon onscreen will blink for a moment, and when it stops the image is adjusted.

Gain (0.0)

There is no manual gain control on the Canon HF11. Only Panasonic offers this option in consumer camcorders.

Other Manual Controls (2.0)
Cine Mode - When in this mode, the color is processed in an alternate gamma curve. It's meant to match the Cine 1 setting on the Canon XH A1 and XH G1, both professional camcorders (see chart). When recording in this setting, the mid-tones are expanded, while the highlights and shadows are 'crushed.' This means that you'll get a great range of color, as long as your scene is well lit. If your shot is too dark or too bright, you'll lose more detail than you would recording in the standard gamma curve.

*Markers -  *There are four options for creating screen markers to help you line up your shot. Would you like a single horizontal line or a nine-sector grid? Now would you like that in white or gray?

*Image Effects - *The Image Effects settings are but the smallest fraction of what you'd find on a pro camcorder, but still more than what any consumer camcorder seems to offer. First, there are four simple one-touch preset options. Choose between Vivid (boosts saturation), Neutral (decreases saturation), Low-Sharpening (lowers sharpening), and Soft Skin (better skin tones).

The more powerful setting is a fifth setting, called Custom, that allows you to create a single customized setting. There are four parameters—Color Depth, Brightness, Contrast, and Sharpness—each that can be set to -1, 0, or +1.

The frame grabs below should give you a rough idea of the effect of each setting.

 

Still Features

**

****Still Features*** (9.25)*

Canon stocks its camcorders with ample still features, and the HF11 received the same set found on the HF10. While the Panasonic HDC-SD9 only offers 1920 x 1080 still image capturing, the HF11 can capture stills in the following sizes: (Photo Mode) 2048 x 1536, 1920 x 1080, 1440 x 1080, and 640 x 480; (Video Mode) 1920 x 1080 and 848 x 480. Images can be captured in Super Fine, Fine, or Normal quality and saved to either the 32GB of internal flash memory or an SDHC card.

We experienced a significant bug with the HF10—when capturing images to the internal flash memory, it would take an exceedingly long time to actually save each file. Up to 20 seconds per image could be spent waiting for the darn thing to save. Well, the HF11 has solved this glitch—to an extent. Now, there is minimal wait time after capturing an image, let's say roughly three seconds. However, we still experienced a random occurrences of huge lag times—up to 45 seconds to process. This is a finicky system, and Canon needs to fix it.

All Manual Controls that are available in Video mode are also available in Photo mode—Exposure, Focus, White Balance, etc. You can also set Scene Priority modes, though Cine color is not available in Photo mode. Image Effects can be applied in Photo mode, but they are limited to Black & White and Sepia Tone. A Self Timer can be set to 10 seconds and images can be played back in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10-second intervals. The HF11's flash has three settings: Auto, Manual, and On.

Like all high-end Canons, the HF11 can meter an image in three different modes: Evaluative, Center Weight Average, and Spot. In Evaluative mode, the screen is divided into multiple sections to obtain an average exposure for the entire image, which is applicable for most shooting environments. The Center Weight Average mode hones in on the subject in the middle of the frame and adjusts the exposure according to the subject's information. In Spot Meter mode, a certain portion of the screen is matched to the subject in the center of the frame.

There are also four speed modes that images can be captured in: Single, Continuous Shooting, Hi-speed Continuous Shooting, and Auto Exposure Bracketing. In Single mode, only one image is snapped per press of the Photo button. About five images are captured per Photo button press in Continuous mode. In Hi-speed Continuous Shooting mode, five images are recorded at once but at twice the speed of Continuous Shooting. Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) will capture three images—one at Auto exposure, one at an EV notch up (+0.25EV), and one at an EV notch down (-0.25EV) for a selection of different Exposure levels. 

The Photo menu can be accessed by pressing the Function button located on the LCD panel. All options are arranged vertically like the Video Function menu. The Photo menu contains the following items:

The Photo Administrative menu contains the following options:

The HF11 is close to a low grade digital camera in terms of features, so you will get a lot out of still image capture on this camcorder.

Still Performance* (5.5)*

The still performance of the Canon HF11 was tested shooting an X-Rite Color Checker chart, then running the stills through Imatest imaging software to determine color accuracy, noise, and saturation. At best, the Canon HF11 produced a color error of 10.9.

This color error was identical to the Canon HF10 (no surprise there). The HF11 scored more poorly than everything else in its class, sadly—the Panasonic HDC-HS100 (and HDC-SD100, presumably), the JVC GZ-HD40, Sony HDR-SR12 (and Sony HDR-CX12, presumably), and Samsung SC-HMX20 all offer more accurate color in their still photos.

The noise measures 1.4825%. This score, fortunately, is closer to the average. Only the Samsung SC-HMX20 and Panasonic HDC-HS100 were better—though both were better by far. Finally, the saturation measured 114.6%.

Out of the lab, the Canon HF11's stills produce a very noticeable amount of noise. The manual control set, described in the previous section, is quite good, but this is no replacement for your still camera.

Still Resolution* (23.98)*

The still resolution of the Canon HF11 was tested by shooting an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart at an even, bright light. The photos are then run through Imatest imaging software to determine the resolution, measured in line widths per picture height (lw/ph). At best, the HF11 produced a horizontal resolution of 1341 lw/ph —with a 0.97% clipping and a 3.02% oversharpening. The vertical resolution measured 1312 lw/ph—with a 2.07% clipping and a 7.55% oversharpening. These scores were a little lower than the Canon HF10, inexplicably so, but was otherwise average for a camcorder in this class. We're planning on re-running these tests immediately, so stay tuned for an updated set of results soon.

Handling and Use

**

****Ease of Use*** (7.5)*

For years, Sony camcorders had been the beginner's choice, thanks to their unprecedented Easy mode and killer auto adjustment—novices were given a giant set of training wheels and crash bars with Sony's help. Now Canon has caught up and placed an Easy mode on the HF11, just like they did with the HF10. When Easy mode is selected, access to the Function, Administrative, and Joystick menus is denied. This is extreme autopilot here. All beginners have to worry about is the Record Start/Stop button and zoom toggle.

Those who wish to graduate to the next level of camcorder operation will find that Manual mode is only mildly intimidating. (Yes, it seems that most camcorders are condemned to a life sentence in the coat closet because manufacturers have a hard time designing for simplicity.) The menu system is easy to navigate through once you get the hang of it, and is a blessing compared to the JVC GZ-HD40's hapless mess of options arranged in no particular order or structure. Exposure and Focus are readily available in the Joystick menu, which can be accessed instantly. You don't have to continuously return to a series of pages to adjust Exposure or Focus while shooting—it's just a press away. The Function menu will require some training in order to get a grip on what Shutter Priority is and how to set custom colors, amongst many other options. Manual reading and trial and error are required outside of Easy mode.

One of the few advantages the HF11 has over the HF10 is an extra 16GB of internal flash memory. 32GB is a lot of video, even if you record at the highest quality setting. So, the need to buy SDHC cards is not necessary as soon as you buy the camcorder, unless you plan on shooting a lot of video. AVCHD is coming along, and more video editing programs are able to support the codec now. It's still not the cakewalk that standard definition is, but at least you don't have to capture to the computer in real time.

The Canon HF11 in hand

Handling* (6.5)*

The Canon HF11 design is absolutely identical to the Canon HF10 and HF100, so if you didn't like those camcorders, or if you felt something vital was missing, you'll have to wait until at least January 2009 for new models to appear. The appearance is almost identical to the Sony HDR-CX12, but when both are in hand, it's clear that the CX12 is the superior design. You don't like a Sony touch screen? Fine, neither do we a lot of the time. But for manual control enthusiasts, the front-mounted Cam Control dial is a welcome addition, offering smooth control over focus, white balance, and exposure. The Sony CX12 also feels sturdier, while Canon draws the reprise of a common criticism this year: all the Canon camcorders feel cheap. When you shake it, there's a loud rattling. The zoom toggle feels like a toy (thought it does work well), and plastic feels easily breakable.

The Canon HF11 and Sony HDR-CX12 also have identical hand straps, which are both quite good. The webbing seems strong and the part that touches your hand is very well padded, with a cushy mesh material to ease a long day of shooting.

In hand, the HF11 is well balanced. It's short, wide design prevents the body from leaning away from your hand, which can cause fatigue over time. The accessory shoe is located on top, all the way towards the back. While we hate the fact that Canon switched to a new, proprietary-fit shoe, the placement makes more sense than on Sony's CX12, which locates the shoe in the middle of the top. If an accessory is sitting in the shoe, you can scoot your hands up on the Canon and still grip it. On the Sony, there's no good place to put your hands anymore.

Since Panasonic stepped up its game with a full ring control on the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100, and Sony added the Cam Control dial to the HDR-CX12, Canon is falling behind in handling, even in this compact, flash memory category.

Menu* (6.5)*

As we've seen on most Canon camcorders, the Vixia HF11 employs three distinct menus: the Joystick menu, Function menu, and Administrative menu. The menu design is clean and uncluttered, but could be better organized. Nesting one menu inside another now seems a little archaic, as other manufacturers have moved towards 'tabbed browsing,' common to web design. And since options on the Joystick menu aren't duplicated anywhere else, one of your first tasks will be learning which features are located in which menu. (Hint: exposure and white balance are adjusted in two different menus.)

Compared to the competition, Canon could learn a lesson in user interface. The Sony HDR-CX12 has included a Home menu to help smooth out navigation, while the Panasonic HDC-HS100 has those handy tool tips that explain each of the menu options. The excellent Samsung SC-HMX20 features an intuitive, user-friendly menu design. The HF11's menus are comparatively inaccessible for beginners, who might be intimidated by having to decipher complex icons and wade through layered menus. These menus are geared more for the advanced user. The layout is certainly convenient, just not obvious.

The Joystick menu is a selection of the features Canon thinks you'll want right at your fingertips. (The latest from Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung all have something similar, though controlled differently on each.) The Joystick menu can be accessed while recording, which means you can adjust focus, exposure, and microphone volume on the fly. You can also assign one of five art effects to the Digital Effects button, giving your Joystick menu a small amount of customization. Strangely, down on the joystick takes you to the next page, but up does not return you to the previous page—scrolling through the pages only works in one direction. In order to access the Joystick menu, press the center of the joystick. A small square pane will appear in the bottom right corner, consisting of four pages:

For more advanced options, the Function menu can be accessed by pressing the Function button. Icons representing each feature line the left side of the screen, while the specific settings available for each appear across the bottom. These settings are also represented by icons (highlighting the icon brings up the name of the setting). The Function menu contains the following options:

 

The Administrative menu, as mentioned above, is nested within the Function menu. Press the Function button, then select the Menu option. Within the Administrative menu, you will find:

 

Portability* (8.5)*

Since the body design is nearly identical to that of the HF10, there are no surprises in the arena of portability. The Vixia HF11 is not the smallest of its kind, but it is smaller than many comparable camcorders. Measuring 73 x 64 x 129mm (2.9 x 2.5 x 5.1 inches) and weighing 380 grams (13.4 ounces), it is slightly smaller and lighter than the Sony HDR-CX12, the Panasonic HDC-SD100, and the Samsung VM-HMX20. You can't fit the HF11 in a pocket, but it will fit nicely inside a small camcorder bag.

Like other internal memory camcorders, The HF11 lets you escape from the burden of carrying around DVDs and tapes. And while the HF11 has twice the internal flash memory capacity as last year's HF10, we recommend carrying an SDHC card to avoid the inevitable bad luck that comes with putting all your eggs in one basket. Also, be sure to back up to a computer's hard drive or DVDs routinely. With just the camcorder, a couple spare batteries, and a memory card, the HF11 is still a good, portable camcorder.

LCD and Viewfinder* (5.75)*

While we continue to lament the lack of a viewfinder on the HF11 and its competition, Canon has provided us with the same excellent LCD for viewing shots. The HF11 is equipped with a 2.7-inch Multi-Angle Vivid Widescreen LCD with a 211,000-pixel display. The LCD screen flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. Without a viewfinder, it's a relief to be provided with a sharp, colorful image, even in a variety of lighting conditions. (The LCD screen resists solarization at steep angles.) In addition to the Joystick, Canon has placed several controls along the bottom of the LCD panel. The layout continues to be logical—your fingers don't have to block the screen to operate controls or navigate menus.

**

Battery Life*** (9.6)*

We tested the life of the HF11’s BP-809 battery pack by recording continuously in Manual mode with the LCD open at 1080/60i. The HF11 lasted 106 minutes (1 hour and 36 minutes). This is not the greatest performance, but it's better than the HF10's 83 minute performance. With a small battery, the HF11 is already given a handicap, but no moving parts should translate to more efficiency. The higher capacity BP-819 will last longer throughout the day and can be found on Canon's website.

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

**

****Audio*** (9.0)*

The audio options on the Canon Vixia HF11 are identical to those offered on the HF10. As part of the Joystick menu, you can manually adjust the microphone levels. Just press down on the center of the Joystick, scroll down to Mic, and use left and right to adjust your levels. This will also display an audio monitor in the bottom left corner of the screen. Though the monitor scale is incredibly small, it offers more increments than some of the competition—24 bars, as opposed to the 8 bars on the Panasonic HDC-SD9.

The HF11 also has a Wind screen and a Mic Attenuator, which is designed to reduce the amplification of sound, or increase loss. While the Wind screen may help dampen the sound of a slight breeze, don't expect it to cancel the effects of a good blustering—as we've said before, relying on a wind screen function is like wearing a helmet in a tornado.

 

The audio levels control seen in lower left

Like its predecessor, the HF11 has a Mic jack, Headphone jack, and Mini Advanced Shoe that is compatible with numerous attachments, including the Canon DM-100 boom microphone. When we reviewed the HF10, we recommended a microphone like the DM-100 for cutting down white noise and headphones for monitoring your audio. On the HF10, the story is no different; headphones and a mini-shotgun mic are a great way to achieve crisp, clean recording on the HF11—a goal that can be hard to attain in consumer camcorders.

*Canon's proprietary-fit accessory shoe

will not take your old accessories.*

We're going to take an angry stab at Canon once again for switching from a universal shoe-fit to a proprietary-fit. Anyone who is already happily in the Canon family and owns compatible mics or lights will have to upgrade.

Playback* (6.0)*

The Canon Vixia HF11 offers two ways of playing back clips that are identical to what was offered on the HF10: the Instant Playback option located within the Joystick menu and a separate, full-fledged playback mode accessed via the Mode dial. Though the Instant Playback is extremely limited, it's a customary and handy option to have. While in video recording mode, you can watch the most recently recorded video and delete it if the video didn't turn out right.

For a larger breadth of options during playback, use the Mode dial to switch to either Video Playback or Photo Playback mode. In Video Playback mode, a gray screen appears containing four tabs at the top: flash memory Playback, SDHC Card Memory Playback, flash Memory Playlist, and SDHC Card Playlist. Within each tab are individual icons representing recorded clips. In order to select a clip, highlight it with the joystick and press the center of the Joystick to play it.

Playback controls are located on the bottom of the LCD panel: Play/Pause, Rewind/Zoom Out, Fast Forward/Zoom In, Stop. You can control the volume and shift between clips using the Joystick. Stop brings you back to the icon screen. The visibility and convenient location of playback controls is a great feature on the Canon. By comparison, other camcorders require you to struggle with a cryptic joystick or bother with touch screen controls that block the image you're trying to view. During playback, you can also press the Display button within the LCD cavity to view the video alone, the date and time of the video, or the date/time plus some info about length of clip and image quality.

As in Video mode, there is a Function menu (accessed by the Function button on the LCD panel) and an Administrative menu nested within the Function menu. The Function menu is more abbreviated in Playback mode, containing just five options: Copy, Add to Playlist, Delete, Select Date, and Menu. The Video Playback Administrative Menu consists of the following options:

 

In Photo Playback mode, there is no icon screen at first—your most recent still photo is automatically displayed. By pressing the Display button inside the LCD cavity, you can view just the image, the image plus some basic information, or the image accompanied by a highly detailed profile including a histogram chart, image size, exposure level, and white balance setting. While viewing the image, you can use the Joystick to shift between images, rotate 90 degrees, or delete the image. Pressing play starts and pauses a slide show of all your stills. Pressing the zoom toggle zooms in and allows you to use the Joystick to pan around different parts of the image. To access the icon screen, press the stop button. Here is the familiar gray screen from Video Playback mode, but with just two tabs: Flash Memory Playback and SDHC Card Playback. (The Playlist feature is available only for videos.)

Unfortunately, no improvement has been made to the speed at which the camcorder reads stills from the internal flash memory. Images take between 5 and 10 seconds to load—much longer than the nearly instantaneous time it takes to load video during Video Playback mode.

The Photo Playback Function menu is characterized by six items: Copy, Protect, Print Order, Transfer Order, and Menu. Nested within the Function menu, again, is an Administrative Menu:

 

Connectivity* (10.0)*

In the back you'll notice an accessory shoe that's on the shrimpy side—is this a new standard terminal? No, it's Canon's own proprietary hot shoe. Canon's really playing copycat with Sony. First Easy mode, and now this. Now Canon-only accessories will fit in the shoe, which is totally bogus for those who want to use third party attachments. Of course, Canon is only offering a microphone and a video light, so the pickins are slim.  A hard plastic tab shrouds the new hot shoe, and is connected to the body of the camcorder with two thin plastic strips that will yank out with ease.

Ports are located all over the HF11 in no particular organizational structure. The Mic, AV/Headphone, and DC jacks are all found in the back, housed by thick plastic tabs that are anchored to the body of the camcorder by slightly thicker plastic strips. Still, we'd opt for the Sony HDR-SR12's port design over Canon's any day. It is nice to have the Mic and Headphone jacks in back to keep cables out of the way. Just be sure to switch from AV to Headphone or you'll get a scratchy blast of sound in your ears.

Within the LCD cavity you'll find the SDHC card slot and Component terminals. To open the SDHC card slot, you have to slide the Card Open door and the hatch will pop right up. The hatch must be manually shifted back down in order to close it. This is the nicest port design on the HF11. A thin plastic square covers the Component terminal, and that sums up the uneventful LCD cavity port offerings.

Another frustrating issue with the HF11 is the mini-HDMI output, rather than a full-sized HDMI. This will likely require an adapter or a special mini-to-standard HDMI cable. The HDMI and USB terminals are located under the hand strap, guarded by a rubberized shield that is prone to damage.

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

The Canon HF11 ships with the following items:

• BP-809 Battery Pack (with Terminal Cover)

• CA-570 Compact Power Adapter

• STV-250 N Stereo Video Cable

• WL-D88 Wireless Controller

• IFC-400PCU USB Cable

• CTC-100/S Component Cable

• Digital Video Solution Disc for Windows and Macintosh

• Pixela ImageMixer 3SE Disc

You might need an SDHC card if you shoot as much video as a feature director. A mini HDMI cable is a must have, in addition to a backup battery or larger BP-819 battery pack.

Other Features* (5.0)**

Digital Effects - *Digital Effects will allow you to throw that post-production flare into your video without even using a video editing program. Canon gives you a choice of Fade-T and Wipe transitions, and Black & White, Sepia, and Art filters.

*Battery Info - *There's a shiny Battery/Display button in the LCD cavity. Hold it down for about 5 seconds and the remaining battery life appears in the top right corner of the LCD screen. For a more comprehensive reading, select Battery Info in Administrative menu. A screen appears consisting of the remaining battery and recording times.

*Quick Start - T*he HF11 will hibernate when the power is left on and the LCD is closed, falling into standby until the LCD screen is reopened. The HF11 then pops back into the game in less than a second. When the LCD screen is shut, the HF11 stays in standby mode, which eats up a little battery life.

*Video Light- *The HF11’s LED video light is just like the HF10's—it's bright enough, but casts a glowing blue orb on everything.

Conclusion & Comparisons

**

Conclusion**

The Canon Vixia HF11 did not offer any surprises, even when we were expecting it to. It's still a rock solid camcorder, firmly planted in the roots of its predecessor, the Canon HF10, which was released only eight months ago. The shiny new feature—a 24Mbps bitrate—did not seem to add much to the already great performance. It's the cherry on top of the sundae—not really necessary, but a nice touch.

On behalf of the nerd community, we have to express both excitement and disappointment regarding this. The fact that Canon is the first manufacturer to hit the maximum bit rate for the AVCHD spec on a consumer camcorder is great news. In doing so, it forces the rest of the industry to stop dragging its feet and catch up. A rising tide lifts all ships, so to speak. On the downside, the increased bitrate didn't really do much. If you look... we mean *really *look... you can see some decrease in the compression artifacting, but it takes an eagle eye. 

The less sexy but nonetheless valuable upgrade is the doubling of the internal memory from 16GB on the previous generation to 32GB on the HF11. With this much solid state memory, you could safely rely on it for an entire vacation before needing to dump the footage. Expanding the memory is simply a matter of throwing in an SD/SDHC card.

As much as we loved the HF10 at its inception, the competition has caught up, making it less easy for the HF11 to sail through on an easy pass. Panasonic has stepped up its game with the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100, both of which offer far better manual control and handling. The Sony HDR-CX12 was significantly upgraded since its the previous generation, now sporting a better sensor and more powerful handling. The Samsung SC-HMX10, not new but only recently come to our testing labs, proved that the Korean giant is no longer content to sit on the sidelines when it comes to performance. Its sleek style, dead simple operation, and amazing low light performance make it a strong competitor against Canon.

*Disclaimer – We received some unexpected test results during our evaluation of the Canon HF11, particularly a higher noise percentage in low light. We contacted Canon, and they agreed with our assessment that the results were counter to what should have been expected. In order to deliver to you, the reader, the most up-to-the-minute information, we have published our original results here. Canon plans to send us a second review model to that we can have the opportunity to retest for the sake of accuracy. The review will be edited to reflect any new test results, with a note explaining what was changed and why. *

Comparisons

**Who It’s For **
Point-and-Shooters

Easy mode is where it's at with the HF11. Beginners no longer have to rely solely on Sony for their camcorder training wheels.

Budget Consumers

No HD camcorder worth its salt is going to be budget friendly, in the strictest sense of the phrase. The fact that the HF11 is $200 more than the HF10 due to 16GB of additional storage will not help the matter one bit.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

The HF11 has a killer still photo mode, rife with numerous shooting modes, full Manual Controls, and in-depth image info.

Gadget Freaks

The first consumer camcorder to hit the 24Mbps bitrate ceiling is big news from a technology standpoint, but we just didn't see it adding that much to image quality. *
*

Manual Control Freaks

Most of what you could ask for Canon offers—Exposure, Focus, White Balance, Shutter Speed, numerous image effects and an Instant Auto Focus mode. However, Canon will have to retaliate against Sony's Cam Control Dial and Panasonic's Cam Function ring with the next HF model.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

Ooh, this one is on the line. The image quality is great, and the manual control set it powerful. 30P and 24P bitrates are damn useful in the pro's tool bag, too. However, a joystick-only access to those controls is limiting, particularly in the face of better handling from Panasonic and Sony.

Photo Gallery

Specs and Ratings

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