Aimed at video enthusiasts who want more manual control over their recordings, the Legria HF S21 takes the virtues of its more compact M32 sibling and adds a host of features to it, including a manual control dial under the lens, a larger 1/2.6 8-megapixel CMOS image sensor and dual SDHC flash memory card slots in addition to its 64GB of internal storage.

Other differences include a larger 8.8cm touch-screen display, electronic viewfinder and an f1.8-f3.0 aperture lens with a focal length of 43.5-435mm (35mm equivalent) when shooting movies.

Having three possible places (two SD cards and internal storage) to store your movies and photos could be a nightmare in other, less-capable hands, but the Legria HF S21 has the ability to switch from one to another seamlessly without requiring you to intervene. That’s great news for longer video shoots, but battery life is on a par with the M32, as this model also has the 890 mAh cell.

As you’d expect, this Canon camcorder also includes the same touch-screen user interface as its M32 sibling, although it’s more usable this time round, thanks to the larger, more touch-sensitive display. Making your way around the various options certainly seems snappier.

The display also performs better when shooting stills or videos, simply because it’s much easier to see what you’re doing, even if you do have to switch to the viewfinder on occasion.

The HF S21’s larger image sensor also makes it a better performer when it comes to shooting HD video, with realistic colours and lashings of detail. Enthusiasts will also love the 6-blade hexagonal diaphragm lens, which makes it easier to throw the background out of focus.

Because it’s chunkier, the HF S21 is also easier to grip, with the major controls falling readily under your fingers and thumb. Like the M32, it includes a good smattering of ports around the camcorder body, including a microphone input – something you’ll need, given the wind noise picked up by side-mounted stereo microphones. The bigger body also enables the mini accessory hot shoe to be more sensibly placed to the front of the camera.