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Canon XA and VIXIA Series AVCHD Camcorders
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Old January 8th, 2011, 09:22 PM   #1
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Canon XA10 and HFG10 pics and impressions - CES 2011

So I was able to go to the Canon booth today and take some pics. Here they are... my impressions to follow.

Here
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Old January 8th, 2011, 09:28 PM   #2
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Menu System

Here are pics of the menu system, showing what kind of options you have with this camera.
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Old January 8th, 2011, 09:42 PM   #3
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And final menu pics

Here are the rest.

These cameras are very nice... they are quite small, and seem to offer quite a lot for their size. Hopefully the pics give you a better idea of what they offer.

The focus ring on these cams make them feel much much better operationally. Really a nice step up compared to previous Vixias. And the handle on the XA10 is great... very small, but very functional.

But of note... for those thinking about this camera as a replacement for the XHA1, I would note that operationally, they are very different. The XHA1 is much much better with all its physical control rings and buttons. Moving to the XA10 may feel like quite a step back... it really is just the top of the line VIXIA consumer model with a handle attached to it. Its touch screen interface won't lend itself well to a lot of types of shooting that would be much easier for something like an XHA1 (imagine trying to change lens parameters manually on the fly for an event shoot for example). And the level of control you have over image parameters on the XL/XH/XF cameras are not found on the XA10/HFG10... not anywhere nearly as close. No control over gammas, knee, RGB matrix, etc.

This is REALLY something to consider if contemplating moving to these cams...
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Old January 8th, 2011, 09:51 PM   #4
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But something cool that wasn't in previous VIXIA's before is the Cinema mode is now part of its on mode on the menu switch. And not only is there 9 different cinema filter modes, but for the first time, you have full control of aperture, shutter speed, and gain in all the cinema modes!
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Old January 8th, 2011, 10:06 PM   #5
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Many thanks, Michael -- sure appreciate all the photos! Well done,
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Old January 9th, 2011, 03:16 AM   #6
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Can you tell of the Touch Focus/AE work in the manual modes? On my Panasonic TM-700, those features only work in the iAuto mode and not in the manual mode. I hope Canon doesn't limit their use.
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Old January 9th, 2011, 10:24 AM   #7
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I haven't tried it, but it should work just fine.

The camera has a full manual mode... a first for any VIXIA!

Other things I noticed: ND filter can be turned on/off. There is an image orientation option where you can flip it for 35mm adapters. White balance Kelvin adjustment the same as XL/XH/XF cams (just done in touch screen menu though). You can change the direction of the control ring. And there are 2 assignable buttons.

I gotta go into the show now... last day! Need to shoot this NBC video now so dunno if I can go back and look at the camera further, but I'll try.
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Old January 10th, 2011, 12:09 PM   #8
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This camera will be big. I actually REALLY want one to replace my HF S200. Its like they read my mind and fixed EVERYTHING that was wrong with it.

I can see this being a Go-To camera for "Run and Gun" or extremely remote location Documentary filmmaking. Its as small as a handicam, but has all the crucial pro features (XLR's, Full Manual Control etc.)

That it has an Imageflip for 35mm adapters just makes it even more enticing. This camera REALLY bridges the gap between consumer and pro/prosumer cameras.
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Old January 10th, 2011, 07:23 PM   #9
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Thanks Michael!
I'm getting this one no matter what :)
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Old January 16th, 2011, 05:22 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Galvan View Post
I haven't tried it, but it should work just fine.

The camera has a full manual mode... a first for any VIXIA!

Other things I noticed: ND filter can be turned on/off. There is an image orientation option where you can flip it for 35mm adapters. White balance Kelvin adjustment the same as XL/XH/XF cams (just done in touch screen menu though). You can change the direction of the control ring. And there are 2 assignable buttons.

I gotta go into the show now... last day! Need to shoot this NBC video now so dunno if I can go back and look at the camera further, but I'll try.
I sold my HF-S200 mostly for the same reasons you outline above. And I'm not a fan of the touch-sensitive menu found on the Vixia line of cameras. It's hard to work with on the fly, and seems best suited to situations where you select a given setting, and then forget about it. The XA-10 seems to rely fairly heavily on that same menu system, so I don't know if I would spring for an XA-10 right away.

I now have a Canon T2i DSLR, but I didn't buy it for its video capabilities. It might be interesting to run a comparison to see how the XA-10 stacks up against the T2i, which has a substantially larger image sensor.

The XA-10 strikes me as fairly intriguing though, and appears to be directly aimed at Panasonic's AG-HMC40, albeit almost two years late.
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Old January 16th, 2011, 08:23 PM   #11
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For me the XA10 is the replacement for the good old GL2. But I'm still wondering when Canon will retire that camera.
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Old January 17th, 2011, 10:36 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Steve Struthers View Post
I sold my HF-S200 mostly for the same reasons you outline above. And I'm not a fan of the touch-sensitive menu found on the Vixia line of cameras. It's hard to work with on the fly, and seems best suited to situations where you select a given setting, and then forget about it. The XA-10 seems to rely fairly heavily on that same menu system, so I don't know if I would spring for an XA-10 right away.

I now have a Canon T2i DSLR, but I didn't buy it for its video capabilities. It might be interesting to run a comparison to see how the XA-10 stacks up against the T2i, which has a substantially larger image sensor.

The XA-10 strikes me as fairly intriguing though, and appears to be directly aimed at Panasonic's AG-HMC40, albeit almost two years late.
If you are not a fan of touch screen cameras, this is not the camera to get. Most of the functions are in the touch screen menu.

It'll provide a very different shooting experience from something like an XL/XH/XF cam.
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Old January 24th, 2011, 12:31 AM   #13
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But in terms of picture quality, is the new sensor a major improvement over say, my HFS-10? I am looking for a more pro-featured small cam that has the ability to use a LANC-type control, for use on a small crane at concerts, events, etc. Would you expect the XA10 to have better low light performance than the HFS-10?
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Old January 24th, 2011, 02:28 AM   #14
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Damn. i really wish Canon had a 1080p50/60 in these models. I was really hanging out for it to upgrade my HV20. Looks like my only options are P or S! I really liked the more pro look of these two canon's. *sigh* Always something stopping me from having the (my) perfect camera! ggrrr
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Old January 24th, 2011, 11:00 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by Steve Wolla View Post
But in terms of picture quality, is the new sensor a major improvement over say, my HFS-10? I am looking for a more pro-featured small cam that has the ability to use a LANC-type control, for use on a small crane at concerts, events, etc. Would you expect the XA10 to have better low light performance than the HFS-10?
I expect this new sensor should have a noticeable improvement in low-light conditions.
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