I'd just like to start by saying what a great forum you guys have here. So as you can guess I'm a new boy, and I feel i've missed a lot of term already. The reason is, I've spent the last three weeks following threads and links that convince me on an hourly basis to purchase an XL2 and then a DVX100. Maybe for me this is like a group therapy session and I need to say:"My name is Stephen Pipe and I want to buy an XL2" hopefully this is my first step. The story is I'm looking to sell my 16mm equipment and buy a DV cam to shoot a couple of test commercials here in London. The eternal question is which camera can achieve that near film look best? I'm not stupid enough to think it's all down to the camera, but even the most skilled of crfatsmen need the right tools. Can anyone direct me to some great footage shot on an XL2? The DVX sites bombard you with footage, I feel like a kid in front of a slot machine being drawn by their shiny lights. Well I feel a lot better getting this of my chest.
Regards Stephen

It may come down to which tool feels best in your hand, so to speak. Try get some time with each machine (beg, borrow, rent, etc.) and see which fits you best, then follow your heart. Otherwise you may always have that "I should have..." feeling in the pit of your tummy.

Welcome aboard DVInfo.net Stephen!

Stephen, I second what Don said. Nothing can replace actual interaction with the camera. I've worked with a DVX-100p over the past year and a half and am anxiously moving up to the XL2 in the near future. Native 16:9 and lack of harsh low-light noise are 2 features that I can't pass up. It also seems as if the XL2 has more image control than the DVX does, which I'm a big fan of. I'm also partial to having a lot of the camera functions toggled via buttons and dials on the body rather than through a complex menu system like the DVX. It sure is a pain to navigate through that in a pinch. Aside from that, many people have claimed that the camera demands respect due to its sheer size. As superficial as it sounds, people will assume you're more professional because your rig is larger/looks more like a film rig. While this means peanuts to us involved in the video field, it means a lot to clients.

As far as footage goes:
http://www.dvxuser.com posted a side by side comparison of the DVX and XL2, and is highly informative. aside from that I think there's some PAL footage from the camera in vienna still around DVXuser's site somewhere that shows the camera's low-light capabilities
Dennis Hingsberg posted some nice XL2 footage here http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35212&highlight=xl2+footage although the camera was by no means stock, he was using a mini-35 system.
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35168&highlight=xl2+footage this thread also has some nice stock XL2 footage. Lastly, do a search in the XL2 forum and I'm sure you won't come up empty handed!

Devin
Thanks very much for the links. The two commercials for the room mate thing were fantastic. I'll carry on trawling the internet.
Stephen