Canon VIXIA HF S21 8.59-Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor captures video at 1920 x 1080 resolution and Sony HDR-XR350V 3.5-Megapixel back-illuminated "Exmor R" CMOS sensor.
| Specification | Canon VIXIA HF S21 | Sony HDR-XR350V |
| Image Processor | DIGIC DV III | BIONZ |
| Sensor size | 1/2.6 inch | 1/4 inch |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | Exmor R CMOS |
| Optical Zoom | 10x | 12x |
| Digital Zoom | 200x | 160x |
| Lens | 6.4 - 64mm | 2.9 - 34.8mm |
| Aperture | F1.8-3.0 | F1.8-3.4 |
| Image Stabilization | Optical (Dynamic SuperRange) | Optical (Steady Shot with Active Mode) |
| Analog Video Format | NTSC | NTSC |
| Digital Video Format | AVCHD | AVCHD, MPEG-2 |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Manual | Auto, Outdoor, Indoor, One Push |
| LCD | 3.5-inch High Resolution Touch Panel Widescreen Color LCD (922,000 dots) | 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD (230,000 dots) |
| Min Shutter Speed | 1/2 sec | 1/8 sec |
| Max Shutter Speed | 1/2,000 sec | 1/1,000 sec |
| Audio | Dolby Digital 2 channel (AC-3) | Dolby Digital 2 channel (AC-3) |
| Recording Media | SD, SDHC, SDXC Memory Card, 64GB Internal Flash Drive | SD, SDHC, SDXC Memory Card, Memory Stick PRO Duo, 160GB Internal Hard Disk Drive |
| Connections | 1 HDMI 1 USB 1 Component video output 1 Composite video/audio output 1 Control-L (LANC) 1 Headphones 1 Microphone |
1 HDMI output 1 USB 1 Component video output 1 Composite video/audio output 1 S-Video output 1 Remote control 1 Headphones 1 Microphone |
| Battery | Canon BP-808 | Sony NP-FV50 |
| Dimensions | 3 x 2.9 x 5.8 inches | 2.6 x 2.3 x 4.4 inches |
| Weight | 16.6 ounces | 13.5 ounces |