Rick,
I would have to agree with you. I was hoping to see more changes. This is a fantastic camera, but this latest effort seems like more of a facelift than anything else, i certainly wouldn't be buying one. SS recording would have gone a long way here, but it looks like they are simply offering the firestore HDD to try to keep people interested. Don't get me wrong, i like the idea of tape, but a more integrated SS device like the Sony one would have been the goods & kept the camera competitive for another couple of years. This latest offering is looking outdated before it even hits the streets, there's simply nothing new on offer.
I was hoping to update my camera in the next 12 months, but it's now looking like that camera wont' be a Canon.

Bryce

Calling it a new camera is misleading; it's just the standard 2-3 year minor upgrade. Looks like a few tweaks in operator ease with the lens and now you can record with an external mic at the same time as the built-in one. These product improvements are nice; Sony used to always do it too on their bigger cameras. Usually minor improvements, and it gives the company some free press and allows them to get the price back up to list for a few months. I'm glad they do upgrades--shows their commitment to the product. But if you needed a new camera, the original is down to $3150 at B&H, and I'm sure the upgrade will sell for list price for a couple of months anyway. So you could save 750 bucks if you get one before they're all gone. I'm not slamming the upgrade, it's cool, but it's nothing to get excited about. It does appear they've gone to the 6-pin firewire connector, and that's nice.

New camera? No. But I'm going to take a glass half full approach to this.

Without going through all the sturm und drang with the new features, it's a nice upgrade and addresses more than a few of the deficiencies most of us have stumbled across. I particularly like the focus whilst zooming capability.

Having been in the high tech marketing for two decades, I know it's all about the splash and getting market share. To me, what Canon are doing makes sense.

I'll be curious where the street price settles out.

Thanks Pete, that's very cool I hadn't thought of it that way, it would be useful to see peaking on an external screen.

One thing they should've upgraded is the size of the flip out LCD. That is a major draw back for some, especially since this is HD video we need to deal with. Its a pain to focus with that small screen.

I do love the fact that its now independent focus/zoom, but I wish they would release a true servo type lens.

I would say this new release/upgrade goes in direct competition with the sony z5. Since the z5 has a price point so close to the z7, but has features so close to the xh a1s, I am sure that people's choices would be between the xh a1s or the z7 when it comes to an HDV camera.

Little things
 

Tese are new to the supplied kit I believe.

Not that it matters much... but these are already available with the A1/G1

I think this is a wonderful upgrade. My XHA1 has been great. The XHA1s is even better in the details that make a camera work in the field.

Thank heavens it's still tape so archiving is painless. But the new six-pin firewire jack and the Canon Firestore V sound like tapeless will now be reliable if you want both.

Split audio is a huge improvement - I desperately hope it includes the ability to put line-in on one channel and mic level on the other.

And perhaps the biggest thing for pros is the new CPS video support, though that's not just for this camera.

Here is the press release:

About Canon: Press Room > Press Release

No big improvents, but they included the new features presents in the XLH1a and s that were not present in the first generation of XH camcorders... customizable operational feel for the lens, better audio block and some other.

Canon seem to be a bit shy about the side of the camera where the XLR inputs are. There are no photos of that side in their press release pictures: Press Room: Photo Kits

Ian
Festival Video and Audio Previews - Festival Previews Ltd

It's their normal 2-3 year minor upgrade, makes a good camera a little better.

My understanding is there are no intrinsic changes to the camera. It still has the same lens and sensor block, right?

Just a few nice control changes. This seems to insure that the A1 remains the king of Prosumer HDV.

I guess this update may mean we won't see a tapeless/A2 for a while.

Yes, just the normal upgrade, no new lens or sensor or anything major. It must makes minor model improvements. Sony does it, Canon does it. Shows a commitment to the product line, I think. If you need a new camera, it would be a good time to buy an XH A1, in my opinion, because the upgrade will sell for list price for a few months and you can get an XH A1 for $3150 from B&H today. Or if these improvements are significant, wait till December and get the S model. The only thing I see that would be a big deal is the 6 pin firewire connection, and that would be nice if you plan to use a Firestore drive instead of tape, because the bigger connection is more secure when moving around.

If the new model stays at list price for a few months, I would get the earlier model while it's still available and put the $750 savings toward lights or something else. But if I wanted to use a Firestore, it would probably be worth more to me to have the 6 pin firewire. Or wait a few months till the street price drops.

Audiolimiter, smooth movements when start or ending zooming, separate viewfinder component out, ability to simultaneously record sound from the supplied internal microphone and an external microphone.... yes - these are minor updates - but very helpfull.
Still missing the ability to mirror the output for use with DOF adapter.

is it just me or does anyone else question buying a firestore right now from a company in chapter 11? the new sony CF video recorder that is/ is soon to be available on its own sounds better to me than a hard-drive based recorder from a company with an unclear future .. anyone else?