Xm1 Or Xl1 For Stills As Well

im interested in getting either the XM1 or the XL1 but my wife thinks we should have a stills camera to capture memories to hard copy or send them via email (not exceptional quality)

- can anyone tell me what sort of quality i could expect from one of these cameras or even mail me an average example of a still as cannon could not

thanks
jim

jim_anning@hotmail.com

[Vic Owen]

The best you'll get from stills captured from video will not equal the normal shots from even the cheapo digital cameras. I'd recommend you have both -- one camera will not do it all.

[Chris Hurd]

I agree with Vic, you really need a dedicated digital video camera and a dedicated digital still camera. The video camera will take stills, but only at 640x480 which is the smallest size on the still camera. The digital still camera will take short video clips, but nowhere near as nice as the video camera.

Spend your money wisely and you can afford one of each. You can go with the Canon XM1 and one of the mid-level Canon digital still cameras. I don't know the UK or Euro model number equivalents but if you go to www.powershot.com you can see the American versions. The new S200 and S330 are excellent choices and deliver images up to 1600x1200, suitable for prints at 8" x 10" or better. Whereas a 640x480 still image from a video camera is good only for a 3" x 5" print and not that geat at all.

Or you could go with the new hybrid from Canon, the Optura 100MC digital video camcorder at www.canondv.com -- it has a 1.3 megapixel chip and will produce a 1280x960 image, good for prints of 5" x 7" and great looking DV on the video side of things.

Hope this helps,

[Ed Smith]

They both have the same still resolution - 640x480, this is very low ress and should only be used for part of a video production, or for the Internet. If you plan to print them, I would forget about it - it would only give you good pictures the size of a credit card, plan to go any bigger and you would have to stand a few metres away in order to view the picture.

Between the two cameras, if you want something small and portable go for the XM1, easier to take on holiday. The XL1 is a large camera so you would be less inclined to take it on day trips/ holidays.

If you go for the XM1 you would have enough money to buy a decent digi cam and still have money to spare compared to the XL1.

Hope this helps,

Ed Smith

thanks everyone for you help i think i'll have a look at the Optura 100MC digital video camcorder as surgested by Chris Hurd

thank you

jim