Just a quick question for that knowledgeable bunch out there. I have a XL1s which I have great pride in owning and would like to keep it working for me for as long as it takes for the XL2 to come down in price, (probably a couple of years). My quick question for you all is, if I was to buy a cheaper mini-dv camera just for playback purposes would this give inferior quality playback. Maybe I`m just being a bit too over cautious here, what do you guys do, do you playback on your XL1s or do use something else.

Thanks Muchly

Andy

You will get the exact same digital video playback from a cheap 1CCD as you xl1s.

Cheap camcorder will do fine. The only thing I am not sure will work is 4-track audio which the Canon has but other camcorders do not.

The 4 channel @ 32 kHz, 12 bits audio is a DV standard... as long as your NLE can capture the four channels any cheap camcorder should send them.

Few camcorders let you capture 4 channels at once, but they should all play them back.

That all sounds good. So, do you all use a separate camcorder to play back on or do you just use your XL1s.

I am using a cheap ZR60 to capture. Works great, can capture the 4 channels with Scenalyzer Live, have digital to analog pass-through, and more, I was able to get it for 379$ CDN! It make a really good deck.

And as a bonus, you can record video with it! :)

Yes I use a cheap camcorder to capture... an older Sharp and also a ZR60 too. The tape transport also responds quicker than the XL1s I find (when pressing rewind or FF, there isn't as long a delay as when using the XL1).

i use an optura 10 to playback footage i capture with xl1s.