Highlights include a 15x optical zoom lens, a 3.31-megapixel 1/4in CMOS sensor, Full HD 1080p recording, a maximum AVCHD bit rate of 24 megabits per second (24Mbps) and the afore-mentioned 3.1mm microphone jack. Otherwise, the Canon HF200 is virtually identical to its big brother - even the dimensions are the same. It lacks the HF20’s 32GB inbuilt memory, which means you’re forced to use the SD card slot at all times (an 8GB SD card is included in the sales package). The Canon Legria HF200 can be viewed as a more affordable alternative to the Canon HF20. (Canon currently offers 12 flash memory camcorders, compared to precisely zero HDD models - the writing’s on the wall.) It’s no coincidence that most vendors are phasing out their hard disk–based models in favour of flash memory. So why removable flash memory? We’ve reeled off the benefits of flash memory–based camcorders many times in the past, but in a nutshell: they’re quieter, smaller and more energy efficient than all other video formats - including HDD. Otherwise, there is nothing particularly noteworthy about the Canon Legria HF200 - it does its job well and keeps the gimmicks to a minimum. Serious users will be especially impressed by the inclusion of an external microphone jack something that most midrange units lack. While it’s not the best HD video camera we’ve seen, the Canon Legria HF200 provides good image quality and a decent set of features for the asking price. It records AVCHD video to SD/SDHC memory cards, which is swiftly becoming the dominant video format in the consumer market. The Canon Legria HF200 is a midrange high-definition camcorder for videographers on a budget.