| Product: |
Canon XL1 |
| Date: |
21/03/01 (1023 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Quality, Flexible, Professional, Takes advantage of EOS lens technology, Hotshoe option
Disadvantages: Price
We have been using the Canon XL-1 for around two years and the unit has certainly exceeded all expectations. Anyone looking for a flexible DV camera should certainly take a good look at the XL-1 as it is the most capable Digital Video camera that I have used so far.
I have used the XL-1 for a variety of tasks including equipment testing, macro video, media coverage (speeches etc.), leisure footage and action events. As you can configure almost every setting on the unit, the one system provides for excellent results in each area:
Equipment Testing: Allowing for full manual focus is key when shooting vibration and environmental testing of electrical equipment
Macro Video: The XL-1 has an interchangeable lens which permits a standard Canon EOS to be attached with a small adaptor. When used with a tripod, this enables digital video to be shot of various macro subjects. We have primarily used this to shoot corrosion on printed circuit boards however it would suit a variety of nature shots as well. Combined with the ease of time-lapse editing using a Non-Linear Editing tool such as Adobe Premiere, this provides a great wildlife system.
Media Coverage: Unlike a lot of the MiniDV competitors in this arena, the XL-1 looks professional. This is very handy if you are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with TV crews and other members of the media. In addition, although the XL-1 is not light-weight as far as MiniDV systems go, it is significantly less bulky than a traditional ProBeta camera and can be shoulder-mounted for long periods. The four-channel audio is handy for this purpose as well; since you can take a wireless microphone feed into the second stereo channel while leaving the built-in microphone to pick up questions/crowd reactions etc.
Leisure footage: Unless you have an extreme taste for high-end gadgets, the XL-1 is not a home camera. If, however, you happen to have access to one of these units for the weekend, it is suitable
for weddings and family events. The hot-shoe flash connection (an option) is very useful for this purpose and another option is the video light however I have not actually used this myself.
Action shots: The variable shutter speed that is an option when in full-manual mode is a useful addition for action shots. I have used this for high speed footage at airshows and motor sport venues. A useful companion to the shutter speed is the totally variable iris and white balance settings which can compensate for less light into the lens.
Canon have some major plans for the XL-1, despite the age of the unit, including a recently announced 3D lens - stay tuned!
In conclusion, the XL-1 is a capable and professional unit which should be the first choice for corporate or semi-pro video use.
Summary:
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Last comment:
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- 05/03/03 The XL1 is fine with a proper lens attached and a decent b/w viewfinder but as for the standard XL1... well it's really not what it's cracked up to be.
I worked for a cable news channel for some time and they decided, instead of investing in the excellent Sony DSR300, to go for a fleet of XL1's. I have never worked with such a useless piece of equipment in my entire life. Firstly, the camera is very delicate and brittle. There are loads of bits that can easily snap off. The layout is confusing, theres no true manual focus, only a ring that controls a motor, the iris is so hyper sensitive that its sometimes impossible to expose correctly in a certain type of sunlight. Its either a stop too high or low, or just fades to black altogether!
The viewfinder is horrendous, not only does it make for impossible focusing and exposing its quite hard on the eye after too long. The zoom is overly sensitive and very hard to control smoothly, also no manual zoom for fast reframing. Pictures are soft, whites are too white, and white balance is often totally off. I always used the manual settings, which in fairness can give good pictures in indoor artificial light.
A pysically too light camera, it's an embarrasment to be seen with. It looks totally out of place alongside broadcast cameras. I used to run and hide with it if another news camera-op tried to get a cutaway of me with the xl1. The XL1 is like a really bad hair cut!
Sorry speedboy to totally disagree but I have to say id like nothing better than to take a match to an XL1 and watch it melt, which would happen very easily cos its mainly plastic!
Other problems include difficult manual audio controls/connections, impossible audio meters, very obvious speckles if lens in dirty, distortion on steadishot, tape jams, dropout, the list goes on... my advice? Buy sony if you can afford it. Canon... stick to stills cameras! |
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