Converting to XL2?
 

Hello all, currently I have a XL1. I understand its pretty old and many elements come together to produce quality work. I currently do media for my church and want to start doing weddings and eventualy get paid. In my 7 months of working on my XL1 I have come to a decision in upgrading because the quality just doesnt impress me! the quality of video doesnt look as good as the camera itself. Now before I put down big money, is there a possibility of a newer one coming out? "XL3" cuz I would be mad as heck if in a couple of years something that blows the xl2 out the water comes along. Bare with me guys, I'm a newbie and dont fully grasp every aspect of the Video biz. Any and all "good" and "bad" experience you have had would be great!

Well, the good news is that all your XL1 accessories (like batteries and lenses) will fit the XL2. As for an XL3 in the works, I doubt it. Most manufacturers seem to be abandoning SD in favor of HD.

Depending on what lenses you've got, you might be able to get the XL2 body alone and use what glass you already own.

Regards;
Martin

that is true, I guess I''ll look for the body alone to save some cash

Victor:
Before plunking down your cash for an XL2, you might want to download the XL2 manual and see if there's enough of a difference between the XL1 and XL2 to justify the cost. You can get the manual here:

Professional Camcorders - High Definition Camcorders and Lenses - Standard Definition Camcorders - Software - Digital Camcorder - XL2 - Canon USA Consumer Products

Scroll down to the Guides and Manuals section. The XL2 manual PDF is at the bottom of that section. I've seen a lot of beautiful work done with the XL1. It may just be that you need to accessorize your XL1 properly to do what you want.

Yes, the XL2 manual is scary at first. Like any other complicated gadget, you learn the features one at a time.

Martin

very good recourse tip, thanks

Keep in mind that it's already been more than a couple of years. The XL2 has been around since 2004. Canon USA said back then that the XL2 would be their last three-chip standard definition camcorder. If it wasn't, it would have been replaced by now.

I think you should consider the Canon XH A1S instead of the XL2. It's the same amount of money, but the XH A1S is in many ways a better camera than the XL2.

As Chris says, technology has moved right along since the XL2 came out. When we made the decision to buy an XL2 it was because of the form factor. We shoot documentaries, and as far I'm concerned you have to be shoulder mounted for that. There is simply no way to mount a camera light, battery for said light, and dual channel wireless receiver on a handheld camera and be able to hold it steady for a reasonable amount of time, let alone do walking shots which are just impossible with a handheld. Also, having all the major functions of the camera available as actual dials and knobs so you can shift back and forth according to conditions is a major advantage of the XL2. It's really good for run and gun stuff.

If what you do is essentially tripod mounted, Chris is probably right. The world of HD is upon us. I figure our XL2 is good for another couple of years, as showing your footage on HD and delivering it in HD to people is still problematic. I also think you really need to have the 20x and 3x lenses for the XL2 to make it worth owning. In fact, the 3x lens is by far the most useful of the two. We use it about 70 percent of the time. The FU-1000 eyepiece is necessary (for me anyway) as well.

I notice that you are interested in doing weddings. I think that's one area where the form factor of the XL2 is very useful. You might consider getting one and start investing in the accessories like the hi-rez eyepiece, camera light and rechargeable battery system (a surprisingly big investment), wireless, lenses (including wide angle and manual lenses), etc. That way in a couple of years you can upgrade to the H1 series and take all of your accessories with you. That's our plan.

good points Marco, as why im looking at the XH a1. is this a reasonable price?

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it seems to low on price! all their equipment looks fairly cheap, please let me know as I dont mind pAYIng 2000 for a HDV camera. thanks

See the box at the bottom of this page, where it says "DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers..."

oh my bad, didnt see that

Hi Victor

Like you I come from the XL1 (since 2001) and "upgraded" to the XL H1 a few years ago. The learning curve in moving to the XL H* family from the XL1 is very smooth since almost all the controls that were on the XL1 is also similarly placed on the XL H* cameras. In terms of "reuse", I can use the XL1 batteries (I have loads of them), the XL extender, etc on the XL H1 camera. I also do weddings and the XL H1 is great for that.

It does both SD and HDV. I understand that the SD quality is even better than that of the XL2.

Plus the black color of the camera body adds a "cool" factor in there.

Good luck in your purchase.

thanks norman, I will be researching very closely the xl h series. Your right, the black color gives it that proffesional look