Is xf300 discontinued? at DVinfo.net

Peter Wu · January 28th, 2020, 03:18 PM

I no longer see XF300 in official canon store and only B&H is selling it.

Is it discontinued? Any idea if there is a replacement model? Or is canon phasing away camcorders with 3 sensors?

Pete Cofrancesco · January 28th, 2020, 06:58 PM

Yeah when B&H offers manufacture discount it means it's they're phasing it out and getting rid of existing stock. If you're looking to buy I'd move on it before they're gone. Nothing wrong with 1/3" HD, I still use it for some of my work. The image quality is fine as long as you have proper amount of light and the large dof is still useful for live event work.

The entire industry is moving to 4k 1" sensors so the XF705 would be the logical replacement. If you don't need 4k the XF300 is $4.5k less which is a bargain.

Peter Wu · January 31st, 2020, 01:06 AM

The industry moving to 1" sensor is what I'm afraid of. I do shoot live events and I like large dof and high optical zoom.

When this unit is gone, would anyone make anything similar? What would people who need large dof and long zoom turn to?

The xf300 was $500 cheaper during christmas.I hesitated because I heard it doesn't have good low light capability and I do need/want that.

The closet alternative I see is jvc gy-hm620.

Pete Cofrancesco · January 31st, 2020, 07:23 AM

I do stage events. I have two sets of cameras, the jvc hm620 (1/3”) and panasonic ux90 (1”). They both have their strengths and weaknesses. The hm620 has larger dof and zoom range and ux90 performs better in low light but a shallower dof and smaller zoom range.

Most of the events I film are not properly lit so I prefer the larger sensor. I also need to keep all subjects on stage in frame so the wider angle helps with the dof.

In general I find Canon to be significantly more expensive than similar cameras. They set themselves apart by offering more pleasing color science and more robust codecs with more color depth. But I don’t think these features are valuable for lower end stage performance videos.

January 28th, 2020, 03:18 PM	#1
Peter Wu Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 43	Is xf300 discontinued? I no longer see XF300 in official canon store and only B&H is selling it. Is it discontinued? Any idea if there is a replacement model? Or is canon phasing away camcorders with 3 sensors?

January 28th, 2020, 06:58 PM	#2
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 2,995	Re: Is xf300 discontinued? Yeah when B&H offers manufacture discount it means it's they're phasing it out and getting rid of existing stock. If you're looking to buy I'd move on it before they're gone. Nothing wrong with 1/3" HD, I still use it for some of my work. The image quality is fine as long as you have proper amount of light and the large dof is still useful for live event work. The entire industry is moving to 4k 1" sensors so the XF705 would be the logical replacement. If you don't need 4k the XF300 is $4.5k less which is a bargain.

January 31st, 2020, 01:06 AM	#3
Peter Wu Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 43	Re: Is xf300 discontinued? The industry moving to 1" sensor is what I'm afraid of. I do shoot live events and I like large dof and high optical zoom. When this unit is gone, would anyone make anything similar? What would people who need large dof and long zoom turn to? The xf300 was $500 cheaper during christmas.I hesitated because I heard it doesn't have good low light capability and I do need/want that. The closet alternative I see is jvc gy-hm620.

January 31st, 2020, 07:23 AM	#4
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 2,995	Re: Is xf300 discontinued? I do stage events. I have two sets of cameras, the jvc hm620 (1/3”) and panasonic ux90 (1”). They both have their strengths and weaknesses. The hm620 has larger dof and zoom range and ux90 performs better in low light but a shallower dof and smaller zoom range. Most of the events I film are not properly lit so I prefer the larger sensor. I also need to keep all subjects on stage in frame so the wider angle helps with the dof. In general I find Canon to be significantly more expensive than similar cameras. They set themselves apart by offering more pleasing color science and more robust codecs with more color depth. But I don’t think these features are valuable for lower end stage performance videos.