I'm torn in writing this review. This is a 5-star camera that I must give a three-star rating to. Here's why. The following is pulled DIRECTLY from Amazon's product description here: "To add to its versatile capabilities, the VIXIA HF S20 also features a viewfinder for use in extreme bright light situations." Well, as it turns out, this is FALSE. Totally false. Only the S21 has a viewfinder, I'm sad to say. Now, this is MY OWN FAULT for relying on Amazon's description, which is still there as of today 12/15/2010. But the sources I read all did generic HFS20/21/200 comparisons so it was hard to tease out differences. In my haste to snag a camcorder before we head off for the holidays, I mistakenly read that the ONLY difference b/w the S21 and S20 was the on-board memory, and that the HFS200 was the camcorder that lacked the viewfinder and on-board memory. This made intuitive sense and was "confirmed" by the Amazon description. This is wrong. Now, for those of you who will chastise me for relying on Amazon's description (something I normally do not do), your point is taken, so no need to ding me. However, this product STILL gets only 3 stars for value.

In terms of quality, this picture is stunning! I mean absolutely brilliant! The build of the camera is outstanding. The controls are slightly non-ergonomic (scrollbar on touchscreen should be on other side for one), but manageable. The audio is perfect, for a prosumer. I purchased the 5.1 Dolby surround external mike and so far, with my limited use, the sound is great. The built in mike is great too, but as far as I know, only this Canon line (HFS200/20/21) offers 5.1 surround. If you want HD video in 1080p/24p then you should want 5.1. So all this gets kudos. The breakdown comes in the "value" department.

This camcorder is simply overpriced for what it offers. For one, the HFS200 is CLEARLY the best value of all 3. The EVF is really only marginally helpful (honestly the image stabilizer here, another plus, limits the need for the viewfinder to real bright situations). And the on-board memory is unnecessary. If you need more than 6 hours or so of HD video at a time, this isn't your camera anyway. For the home movie enthusiast, two 32gb cards (and 64gb with a firmware upgrade) is plenty. So the $100 hike from the 200 to S20 is not warranted, IMHO. One can debate the $350 hike from the 200 to the s21, especially if you need the EVF, but as the proverbial "middle" child, this has the least value. Add to the fact that there is no battery charger (must be charged on camera), the included "battery" is a complete joke (about 30 min life so you will HAVE TO buy another one), and there is no case, lens cover, etc. and I think this camera is overpriced for what it offers. I decided on this over the Panny mostly b/c of the sound/fan issue. And b/c it's actually a great camcorder, I will keep it and eat my wasted $100. But for those of you who are on the fence, do yourself a favor and buy the HFS200 - take the extra $100 and buy two SDHC or SDXC cards and a hoya filter. If you feel like "splurging" for EVF then buy the HFS21. But DO NOT buy this particular model. There is really no justification that I can see.