I'm getting an XL2
 

Yeah, I'm planning on purchasing one by Christmas... so I'm pretty excited. I did have one concern, however.

(In your own personal opinion), do you think it's too late to buy an SD camera? Or should I just buy an HD camera instead? I've been debating purchasing an XH A1 instead, but I love how professionally the XL2 is built. I also love the fact that it has a shoulder mount, unlike the A1. I don't think the XH A1 looks as professional since it's a "hand-held" camcorder. The shoulder mounted, larger XL2 really grabs people's attention and says, "Hey! I'm a professional."

Well, that's my own opinion, and that's not necessarily the most important thing...

Anyways, I'd like to hear some other people's opinions.

Thanks,
Colin Worley

Personally if I were making my choice now I would not get an SD camera and would probably get the XH-A1. I bought mine in early 2005 and I do love the camera don't get me wrong, but a lot has changed since then. There still aren't a lot of ways to play back HD content yet but I buy my cameras hoping they will last more than 3-5 years.

Colin,

I think this thread discusses everything you are interested in.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ht=SD+outdated

HD or SD?
 

Coling--

My guess is that everyone here has gone through the same deliberations as you are going through.

Just to clarify a couple of things I believe the XL-H1 would be more comparable to the Xl2 as they both use removable lenses one of the big advantages to the camera.

The XH is more comparable to the Gl2 which uses a fixed lens.

That being said if you do have the need for interchangeable lenses in the future then really you should be looking at the XL-H1.

If money is a concern -- as many have said maybe stick with the SD format with the XL2 for now--for the price of the XL-H1 you could buy the Xl2- ef adapter--100-440 L lens and a 3x wide angle lens.

Just some other thoughts to ponder.

Ron

Alright, thanks for your opinions!

I might look into the XL-H1 more especially since the XL-H2 is coming soon, so the price will surely drop. Seeing that it's only 4 thousand dollars more than the XL2 (and most likely dropping), I may be able to pull it off. I definitely think a 1080i camera would be worth the money...

Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,
Colin Worley

Colin, I agree the XL2 look more pro. But I what I hate about the cam is the weight distribution. The front is simply too heavy and even though it is shoulder mount, you are using your arm to carry the weight instead of your shoulder. The low light is also lousy. You need lots of light for the image to look good. I used it once for a wedding and shun it forever since.

I'm using XH-A1 at the moment and I find it great, even though the lux still lose to PD170 (which is a champion in low light). If you have the $ to get XL-H1, you may wanna consider the new Sony EX1 with 1/2 inch sensor and full HD capabilities and captured into flash card with tapes. The low light and DOF is a sweet thing for this cam. :)

I had all my XL2 equipment stolen earlier this year, extra lenses, sound equipment etc, so when it came to finally replace the mountain of equipment I had a good chance to upgrade to HDV...and finally bought another complete XL2 system.

Did I make the wrong decision? Certainly not! The XL2 produces outstanding SD 16:9 wide screen footage of broadcast quality...and certainly the only camera I need to produce a very saleable end product for the next few years.

Blue-Ray DVD and HD TV may be making inroads, but SD-TV and SD-DVD are still the mainstream. The lower costs and ease of work-flow during the editing stages also are a big positive factor for me remaining with SD and the XL2 for most of my movie work.

So I would say, yes Colin, go for the XL2.

World's thinnest book - "People who bought an XL2 and are dissapointed about its performance"...
:)

Agreed.

I've never worked with HD but I have to assume that all the renders in an NLE or FX program must take significantly longer since you're dealing with more than 4x the number of pixels.

Also agree that the XL2 can produce very pleasing footage, I've been very happy with mine.

That said, if I was buying a prosumer camera now I'd probably go HD, probably XH-A1.

The problem is that practically no body has the ability to watch your HD yet. Blu Ray and HD DVD are the future, but they are not mainstream yet. There is still no widespread distribution format for HD. -But EVERYONE has a DVD player. And it will probably be this way for the next 2 to 3 years if not longer. (Worst case senerio, HD players in every home wont happen for half a decade, due to the format war between Blu Ray and HD DVD slowing down adoption.)

Ofcourse you could just shoot in DV mode with the XHA1 to save time in post not having to Downconvert HD to SD.

As far as what camera you should get it Depends on what your doing.
If your making indi-films, get the XHA1 definitely. But If your shooting event videography, then it might suit you to have an XL2. Consider that your 95% of your clients will probably not ask for HD unless its a special situation.

I'm not a tremendous fan of the director's work but Larry Clark's Wassup Rockers was shot on the XL-2 and is a shining example of what the camera can do in the right hands. Doesn't hurt that Steve Gainer ASC photographed it. Its worth checking out just to see what they were able to do with this camera.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413466/technical

Colin it's agony I agree buying a camera in the present climate. HD or SD?

If it's any help.

I nearly bought a A1 today but at the last moment swung back to an XL2. Almost all I know are going the HD way. Some into their second HD camera without ever shooting any HD footage.

However, all my work is required in SD still. When HD kicks in big time I'll have to make the switch. When that happens the market will be more stable, there will be more options and I wont be competing with an entry level 1st generation HD camera.

For it's price the XL2 is a jolly good SD camera. The Canon XL cameras are good workhorses and can take a hammering.

Just had a look through the stills from Wassup Rocker and they are awsome!

Thanx a million for the tip Mike :)