i know Chris will have a full report on the GL2...but here is a glimpse...

http://www.emptyloft.com/public/dvexpo/index.htm

Excellent report! Hey man, it was great to meet you at DV Expo.

hey Chris good meeting you too,

i have some problems with the new gl2, maybe you can let me in on what canon was thinking...

- xlr cables in the top front, very messy, couldn't the the xlr inputs be built into the cam?

- no place for a wireless reciever, no that audio levels are available i figured that was a main driving force of this cam

- the new lcd panel not that easy to open, it has a pop switch that doesn't pop, then it very hard grab it and open it...i could open the gl1 panel with two fingers while shooting with no shake...

- audio meter on the side, almost useless, unlike the the eye piece and lcd ones are priceless

other then those, all enhancements are great, my favorite the 4:3 to 16:9 crops...

Howdy from Texas,

<< -- xlr cables in the top front, very messy, couldn't the the xlr inputs be built into the cam? >>

The majority of GL2 buyers will never use XLR mics (just like the majority of XL1/XL1S buyers), and adding XLR inputs would have required a slightly larger body. Canon had a higher priority in keeping the overall body size and shape more in line with the previous GL1. Canon sells their own XLR adapters to maybe only 10% of the total XL1/XL1S market and they anticipate the same with the GL2.

<< -- no place for a wireless reciever, now that audio levels are available i figured that was a main driving force of this cam >>

No other camcorder in its class has a place for mounting wireless receivers either. Only the large shoulder-mount cams have this feature. For everything else, including the GL2, there will be third-party bracket manufacturers, like the VideoSmith Rover and the VariZoom VZ-LSP. Samson makes a compact wireless receiver that mounts to the accessory shoe, perfect for the GL1 and GL2.

<< -- the new lcd panel not that easy to open, it has a pop switch that doesn't pop, then it very hard grab it and open it...i could open the gl1 panel with two fingers while shooting with no shake... >>

What you saw at DV EXpo are called "MT samples" which are a bit quirky and not machined to the same tolerances as shipping units. We had nine pre-production GL2 samples at DV Expo, all of them built sometime in previous months, that's the total number currently in the USA right now. There were some definite quirks with some of the moving parts which are always ironed out prior to the manufacturing runs. For example we had a couple of MA300's which were screwed onto the shoes only finger tight, but almost refused to come off, like they were glued on. This is always common on MT samples. At least Canon brought working units to the floor, and not wooden models of something coming out in September.

<< -- audio meter on the side, almost useless, unlike the the eye piece and lcd ones are priceless >>

Don't complain about features which are there... save it for what's missing! My only gripe about the side-mount meter is that it isn't back-lit, like the XL1/XL1S. Hope this helps,

thanks,

that makes sense...