The Canon Vixia HF11 is a reworking of the impressive HF10, a high definition camcorder released by Canon earlier this year that records in full 1920 x 1080 in the AVCHD format. In most respects the latest in the Vixia line is identical to its predecessor, but with two important upgrades: the HF11 has twice the internal memory (now 32GB) and a new maximum bitrate for recording. In the geekdom of video technology, this is exciting news—the HF11 is the first consumer camcorder to record at the AVCHD spec's ceiling of 24Mbps. But for the average consumer, we found the increase in video quality to be barely detectable, making the HF11 a minor sequel to an already excellent camcorder.

Like the HF10 before it, the HF11 is reaching out to a variety of users. For beginners, Canon gives you an easy mode that lets the camcorder's automatic adjustments do the heavy lifting. The menus can be a little intimidating, but the clean layout helps users to navigate smoothly after a little exploration. For more experienced users, Canon offers a good amount of manual controls, although using the joystick to adjust focus or exposure is less optimal than what you might see on the competitors. The Sony HDR-CX12, for example, features a dial for fine-tuning focus and other controls. Some competing Panasonics include a full lens ring for the same purpose. So while the Canon maintains an impressive array of manual controls, the interaction with those features could have been better.

For vacationers and amateur videographers alike, the increase in memory comes as a welcome upgrade. The HF11 is a solid state camcorder that can record onto 32GB of internal flash memory, expandable with optional SD/SDHC memory cards. The HF10 had just 16GB of internal memory. The 32GB is still not as large as most of the hard drive camcorders out there, but solid state memory has no moving parts, which means it's less likely to break and more resistant to getting bumped around.

Performance (read in-depth lab performance data at CamcorderInfo.com)
With the same lens and sensor as the HF10, it's no surprise that the HF11 produced similarly excellent results in our lab tests. The 12x optical zoom lens has a focal length of 4.8mm - 57mm; the 1/3.2-inch CMOS sensor has a gross pixel count of 3,310,000. In lab testing, the HF11 produced crisp and vivid video—better than any AVCHD camcorder to date and nearly indiscernible from the tape-based Canon HV20.

The real question was whether this new maximum bitrate produced the improved video quality we've all been expecting. According to the test results, there is very little difference indeed. A highly trained eye may notice that the edges of moving objects look cleaner—the blocky chunks of data, called compression artifacts, are slightly reduced. In most situations and for most users, the improvement will be hardly noticeable. With so little difference in video performance it seems, for the time being, that the importance of bitrate has been slightly overstated.

Comparisons (read in-depth comparisons at CamcorderInfo.com)
The HF11 is an upgrade of what is already one of the year's best camcorders. If you're trying to decide between the HF10 and the HF11, it should really come down to the 32GB internal memory. Lab tests showed that the improved 24Mbps bitrate didn't make for a marked difference in video quality. If you already own some SDHC cards, you can save money by going with the HF10. If you're starting from scratch, the HF11 will definitely give you more recording space without the hassle of additional memory cards.

As far as the competition is concerned, the HF10 and HF11 are difficult to top in the video performance department. The Sony HDR-CX12, the Panasonic HDC-SD100, and the Samsung SC-HMX20 are all comparable models, but are all slightly edged out by the performance of the HF11. For more experienced users who like the HF11's breadth of manual controls, you might consider the Panasonic HDC-SD100, which has better overall handling, including a great control ring around the lens for adjusting zoom, focus, and several other options. Be prepared, however, for a sacrifice in image quality. For beginners who want to start using some manual options, the Samsung SC-HMX20 is our surprise performer so far this year; it is easier to use than the Canon models and has excellent video quality to rival even the HF11.

The Canon Vixia HF11 did not offer any surprises, even when we were expecting it to. It's still an excellent camcorder, firmly planted in the roots of its predecessor, the Canon HF10. The shiny new feature—a 24Mbps bitrate—did not seem to add much to the already great performance. But giving consumers 32GB of internal memory and even the smallest improvement to an already stellar performance, the HF11 is a very strong contender.