Canon upgrades - XH A1s and XH G1s

[Bryce Comer]

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 This latest offering is looking outdated before it even hits the streets, there's simply nothing new on offer.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

[Bill Pryor]

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.

[Tripp Woelfel]

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.

[Evan C. King]

Originally Posted by Pete Bauer

I suspect this is the equivalent of the XL H1a/s second EVF port. With a normal component out, you won't get all your little display icons and peaking, etc. The XL cameras have a second round, multi-pin EVF jack and come with a short cable with the EVF connector on one end and component connectors on the other end; this allows you to attach to ANY component capable monitor and see the same display as with the camera's EVF.

In the case of the XH cameras, the main EVF and LCD are integral to the camera, so I guess they just decided to output the second EVF signal through component jacks so you can use any component cable to use, say, your new 52" HDTV as if it were your EVF. Very nice.

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.

[Ryan Valle]

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.

[Colin McDonald]

What's in the Box
....
(8th item) Tripod adapter base
...
(2nd last) Eyecup
(last) External microphone holder adjustment band

Tese are new to the supplied kit I believe.

[Bill Busby]

Originally Posted by Evan C. King

Interesting upgrades:

- Ability to speed ramp and smooth starts and stops in zooms
- New "shockless" white balance smoothes out change from one color temp to another
- Simultaneous use of the EVF and LCD

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

[Chuck Fadely]

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.

[Jean-Philippe Archibald]

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.

[Ian Wright]

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

[Bill Pryor]

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

[Jeff Kellam]

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.

[Bill Pryor]

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.

[Ivan Mosny]

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.

[Dave Stern]

Originally Posted by Chuck Fadely

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.

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?