Christmas is coming and the geese may getting fat but a lot of shoppers' pockets are exceedingly lean in the current financial climate. Those looking for bargains in the electronics and gadgetry arena are fortunate that there are still plenty of affordable options.

For instance, if you're determined to buy your partner or parent a relatively inexpensive digital camcorder that doesn't come with a thick manual and will give you the choice of shooting both still and moving images, then you could do a lot worse than inspecting Canon's LEGRIA FS200.

For a start it has an attractive price tag (we've seen it online for considerably less than the RRP), although against that you have to be aware that you're buying a non-HD camcorder, so video clarity is going to be less than pin-sharp. It does feel comfortable in your palm, though, because it's a slimline 55 x 59 x 121mm with the LCD in the closed position and weighs a minuscule 225g, so it can easily be slipped into a shoulder bag.

It's smart, too, in chic shades of blue, silver and red, and it's designed to make the whole filming experience as pain-free as possible. Having said that, there are some irksome issues with both the controls and the menu system.

For instance, at the back of the camcorder there's a mode dial that allows you to choose between video only, photo only and dual mode, but the switching button that organises this is on the right of the dial where it's difficult to operate without brushing against the record button. In addition, the power button is too narrow, thin, recessed and awkward to access easily.

Another instance is the dual function terminal on the left side that alternates between AV out and headphone input. It's great that you can use headphones while you're shooting, yet not so great that you have to go through a couple of menu searches to change the function first.

On the other hand there's a number of handy and fun facilities including a Pre REC mode, where the camera starts recording three seconds before you press the record button: this isn't time-travel but a result of the camera recording constantly when in this mode and simply keeping the prior three seconds of footage. There's also a Video Snapshot mode where you record 4-second bursts at a time which are made into a playlist, and you can even add a soundtrack to produce an ‘instant edited' movie.

There are also three zoom settings: 37x optical zoom for still photos, 41x advanced zoom as the video standard and a ridiculous 2000x digital zoom which you'll never max out because it's unviewable.

Keeping the picture steady on the end of the zoom is only marginally helped by an electronic image stabilizer but you do have a minimum hour and a half (extending to over three hours) of battery life depending on which of the three video modes you shoot in, and there's a useful Quick Charge feature which gives you a further hour's shooting for a twenty minute charge.

Storage is via SD or SDHC memory cards and even though you don't have the joys of HD technology, the video image quality is still impressively sharp and the colours authentic. There are noise issues in low light conditions but at least there's a mini video light you can engage when conditions get too murky.

Verdict
If you're on a tight budget and want an easy-to-use camcorder that looks smart, takes above average quality images (though not HD standard) and has good zoom reach, then despite control difficulties and lack of optical image stabilisation, the LEGRIA FS200 might be the answer to your needs.

Company: Canon

Contact: 01737 220000

Tags: secure digital liquid crystal display camcorder digital zoom zoom lens mode dial image stabilization canon (company)