1 or 2? at DVinfo.net

Sam Rosado · April 5th, 2012, 10:33 AM

1 Canon XF100 or 2 Canon XA10's? I shoot hs sports, web commercials green screen etc. I use 2 canon xha1's now but i am looking to go tapeless to speed up my work flow. Im just a lil undecided and need opinions. thats all....

David Chilson · April 5th, 2012, 12:45 PM

Sam,

The XF100 gets my vote. I have them both and for me the XF100 is much easier to use. I really dislike the XA-10 on-screen menu and for a guy who pays particular attention to NOT touching the screen, it just seems wrong. That with the codec more than offset the price difference.

If you need two cameras get this one, you will still save some money and give you a great camera for when the XF100 may be a little much. Just my two cents...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/749193-REG/Canon_5117B001_VIXIA_HF_M40_Flash.html

Les Wilson · April 6th, 2012, 03:30 AM

@Sam... if you want a solid state camera with 3-rings in that $$$ ballpark, you won't get it from Canon. Sony has the AX2000 or NX5u and Panasonic has the AC130 and 170.

Sam Rosado · April 6th, 2012, 06:51 AM

@ Dave...thanks I checked that cam out. I still like the xa10 over it tho...
@ les....???? I have 2800 to spend and have seen them(xf100) on ebay foa much....I would like 2 cams as I use 2 now

Jon Fairhurst · April 6th, 2012, 12:16 PM

FWIW,

I shot an event recently with the XA10 and a 5D2 with VAF filter. I used the XA10 locked down with a medium wide for the master shot and the 5D2 for the close stuff.

My feeling with the operation of the XA10 was frustration. I'm not used to doing everything with a touchscreen. The remote control is helpful, but it's still menu city. I'm sure that I'll feel more comfortable once I have more familiarity.

No complaints about the images though. Of course, the focus was super deep. I had enough light to shoot f/2.8 @ 320 ISO on the 5D2, so this wasn't a low light test. I used Cinema mode on the XA10 with minimum sharpness and contrast and set the 5D2 and XA10 to the same color temp. The 5D2 picture style was neutral with minimum sharpness and contrast.

In the end, the two cameras cut together nicely, aside from DOF differences. I was mainly impressed with the dynamic range of the XA10. We had side lights on the presenters with the center of the face fairly dark and the projector screen was in view. We were able to shoot this without clipping while retaining detail in the blacks.

I don't know if it's the right camera for you, but it makes a nice master camera for DSLR events - it can keep recording when stopping/starting DSLRs. The XLR inputs and phantom power make it viable for recording the master audio track as well.

Les Wilson · April 6th, 2012, 01:56 PM

For sports, I would find the 10x lens insufficient. For theatrical events, I would want a ring for iris and focus.

David Chilson · April 6th, 2012, 07:17 PM

Sam,

I thought you said in your original post 1 XF100 OR 2 XA10's. What I suggested was less money than the XA10's. (2 @ $1999.00.)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/749467-REG/Canon_4922B002_XA10_HD_Professional_Camcorder.html
As a side note the XF100 has a great 1.5X crop and makes it 15X of very nice footage. It goes higher 3X, 6X but those would only be good for bigfoot footage.

April 5th, 2012, 10:33 AM	#1
Sam Rosado Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: bridgeport ct Posts: 161	1 or 2? 1 Canon XF100 or 2 Canon XA10's? I shoot hs sports, web commercials green screen etc. I use 2 canon xha1's now but i am looking to go tapeless to speed up my work flow. Im just a lil undecided and need opinions. thats all.... __________________ "Catering to all of your needs, from A to V."

April 5th, 2012, 12:45 PM	#2
David Chilson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Walworth, NY Posts: 292	Re: 1 or 2? Sam, The XF100 gets my vote. I have them both and for me the XF100 is much easier to use. I really dislike the XA-10 on-screen menu and for a guy who pays particular attention to NOT touching the screen, it just seems wrong. That with the codec more than offset the price difference. If you need two cameras get this one, you will still save some money and give you a great camera for when the XF100 may be a little much. Just my two cents... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/749193-REG/Canon_5117B001_VIXIA_HF_M40_Flash.html __________________ Dave Chilson www.loc.org

April 6th, 2012, 03:30 AM	#3
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: 1 or 2? @Sam... if you want a solid state camera with 3-rings in that $$$ ballpark, you won't get it from Canon. Sony has the AX2000 or NX5u and Panasonic has the AC130 and 170.

April 6th, 2012, 06:51 AM	#4
Sam Rosado Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: bridgeport ct Posts: 161	Re: 1 or 2? @ Dave...thanks I checked that cam out. I still like the xa10 over it tho... @ les....???? I have 2800 to spend and have seen them(xf100) on ebay foa much....I would like 2 cams as I use 2 now __________________ "Catering to all of your needs, from A to V."

April 6th, 2012, 12:16 PM	#5
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	Re: 1 or 2? FWIW, I shot an event recently with the XA10 and a 5D2 with VAF filter. I used the XA10 locked down with a medium wide for the master shot and the 5D2 for the close stuff. My feeling with the operation of the XA10 was frustration. I'm not used to doing everything with a touchscreen. The remote control is helpful, but it's still menu city. I'm sure that I'll feel more comfortable once I have more familiarity. No complaints about the images though. Of course, the focus was super deep. I had enough light to shoot f/2.8 @ 320 ISO on the 5D2, so this wasn't a low light test. I used Cinema mode on the XA10 with minimum sharpness and contrast and set the 5D2 and XA10 to the same color temp. The 5D2 picture style was neutral with minimum sharpness and contrast. In the end, the two cameras cut together nicely, aside from DOF differences. I was mainly impressed with the dynamic range of the XA10. We had side lights on the presenters with the center of the face fairly dark and the projector screen was in view. We were able to shoot this without clipping while retaining detail in the blacks. I don't know if it's the right camera for you, but it makes a nice master camera for DSLR events - it can keep recording when stopping/starting DSLRs. The XLR inputs and phantom power make it viable for recording the master audio track as well. __________________ Jon Fairhurst

April 6th, 2012, 01:56 PM	#6
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: 1 or 2? For sports, I would find the 10x lens insufficient. For theatrical events, I would want a ring for iris and focus.

April 6th, 2012, 07:17 PM	#7
David Chilson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Walworth, NY Posts: 292	Re: 1 or 2? Sam, I thought you said in your original post 1 XF100 OR 2 XA10's. What I suggested was less money than the XA10's. (2 @ $1999.00.) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/749467-REG/Canon_4922B002_XA10_HD_Professional_Camcorder.html As a side note the XF100 has a great 1.5X crop and makes it 15X of very nice footage. It goes higher 3X, 6X but those would only be good for bigfoot footage. __________________ Dave Chilson www.loc.org