Stabilization vs. Standard...
 

If I were to be completely honest I would say that I religously use stabilization now. I shot standard cameras for years without a thought of it.

+'s
- Makes run and gun work enjoyable
- Allows me to hand cameras to unlikely people in a pinch

-'s
- Hard to go back to not having it.
- Sometimes has a slow drift motion when trying to settle.

As with everything in the business, depends on your situation and needs.

Thanks Mike. That's exactly what I wanted to know. That's been my main problem with the standard 16x lens....hunting for the "sweet spot". It's like there are little gremlins in the lens with a mind of their own between you and your subject! Also, it's good to hear you seem to be able to snap into focus easily with the standard color viewfinder. While I've gotten some wonderful (after tweaking in Final Cut Pro even stunning) video with my XL1 using the standard 16x lens, I'm coming to the conclusion that more demanding projects with strict deadlines might require the 16x manual servo zoom lens. The lens gremlins in the standard 16x (and mine doesn't have that many of them) simply can't be trusted.

I wouldn't say I snap focus as quickly as a manual lens. I usually go in and out and "settle" into a focal point. And the color viewfinder isn't bad, but I still prefer B&W for better critical focus.

I found that setting the sharpness up in the menu selection helped with better edge definition in the picture ( not as much correction in DVStorm), and in focusing. Not too much, a couple clicks if I recall correctly. Too mcuh looked grainy.

I always shoot the standard 16X lens in manual focus. Taeks a bit of practice, but I can get good results. Had sent my XL-1S back to Canon for service and after some lens adjustments it feels much better.

Sounds like the manual lens might be best for you. Again, if I were completely honest I would say if you haven't already shot the standard lens for at least a week to rent a camera and give it a try.

Best of luck Don.