Canon XL H1 Camcorder Review
Camcorder-battery-shop.com 2006-11-14
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The Canon XL H1 – you’ve seen it, you’ve studied it, and you’ve put it on your wish list. Now we have the complete review. This HDV camcorder with a $8999 (MSRP) price tag has just about everything you want in a professional camcorder: 30F and 24F frame rates (no, it does not have true 24P, but Canon claims you can’t see the difference), a huge array of manual controls, great handling, a removable lens, and every input and output you could need, whether you’re an ENG, an indie filmmaker, or a corporate videographer. There’s certainly more details than we can fit in an introduction, so please read on.
Video Performance (12.0) The Canon XL H1 features three 1/3” CCDs. Each CCD has a gross pixel count of 1.67MP. The effective pixel count during HDV recording is 1.56MP. In standard definition (DV) recording in 16:9 the effective pixel count in the same, 1.56MP per CCD. In DV in 4:3, the effective pixel count is 1.17MP. HDV is recorded at 1080i (60 interlaced frames per second). The XL H1 does not offer a 720p (30 progressive frames per second) or 1080p mode, the other scan rates in the HDV standard. The camcorder does have frame rates of 30F and 24F, both of which are interlaced (see Scan Rates/24p towards the end of this review).
The Canon XL H1 is among the biggest investment in the under-$10K market, but it’s money well-spent, in our opinion. To stay true to our natural skepticism, let us consider the downsides first.
The first and possibly most substantial negative is the lack of 24P. People want the film look, you can’t deny that. Canon claims that their 24F shooting mode looks indistinguishable from 24P, but we’re sure that objections will made by an angry public. So much of the argument to the contrary is on a very technical scale, involving pull-down methods and so on. On a strictly aesthetic level, we did not see much difference. 24F video looks just as blurry as 24P, and neither of them actually look like film – not without serious processing.
The second potential downside is size. If interchangeable lenses are not necessary, the forthcoming Canon XH G1 and XH A1 are much smaller. Of course, they offer less stability, so you have to know your shooting needs ahead of time.
Thirdly, the EVF is on the small side – only 2.4”. The Panasonic AG-HVX200 has a 3.5” EVF, as does the Sony HVR-Z1 and JVC GY-HD110. Seeing what you’re shooting, especially with HD, is crucial. Maybe Canon assumes that the real pros will have a monitor on hand, but not everyone has the budget or the people-power to haul a monitor around.
The plus side is… well, everything else. Video quality was excellent, and the resolution was superior to other camcorders in its class. Auto focus issues were a problem at times, particularly in 24F, but the variety of manual controls, as well as their accessibility, provided solutions to most problems, actual or potential. The Canon XL H1 was clearly in development for a long time, and was not released until Canon was good and ready. We’re glad they waited, because the final product is outstanding.
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