Canon XL2 3-CCD MiniDV Camcorder (Body Only)

by Canon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 16.7 x 11.4 inches ; 7.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 14 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006A9BIG
• Item model number: 9819A001
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,454 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 21, 2005

Product Description

Style: BODY ONLY

With three, 680,000 (each) progressive scan CCDs (changecoupled device) and full manual control over all image settings, the XL2 represents the last word in flexible, broadcast quality miniDV. Features: 1/3 , 680,000 pixel progressive scan CCD X3 50i & 25p frame rate Total manual image control Pro Quality 16:9 and 4:3 recording XL interchangeable lens system Professional audio and video connectivity - four audio channels with two built-in XLR connectors, phantom power and BNC video output SMPTE time code with Rec Run, Free Run and preset settings IEEE1394 for remote camera control and direct recording to PC Fully adjustable EVF and shared 2 LCD Input / Output Terminals: S-Video Terminal: 1 Vp-p/ 75 ohms (Y-Signal), 0.286 Vp-p/75 ohms (C Signal) Video Terminal: RCA jack / BNC jack, 1 Vp-p/75 ohms Unbalanced Audio Out: RCA jack (L , R) 2 sets Audio In / Front Mic: 3.5 stereo mini jack Audio In / Audio 1, 2: RCA jack (unbalanced) Audio In /Rear: XLR jack , pin 1(sheild), pin 2 (hot), pin 3 (cold) DV Terminal: Special 4-pin connector ( IEEE1394 compliant) Headphone Terminal: 3.5mm stereo mini-jack LANC Terminal: 2.5mm stereo mini-jack With 6800k progressive scan CCD X3, the broadcast quality XL2 is the flagship of the Canon range, setting the standard in versatile, light-weight professional digital video. The XL2 provides full manual control over a myriad of variables, allowing all the fine adjustments necessary to satisfy you.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

315 of 316 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The real story from someone who uses the camera, March 7, 2005

By 

Douglas H. Hunter "dhhunter" (Pasadena CA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

O.K. I have been taking a beating from camera rental houses this past year, so when I needed to finish a project that was dragging on and forcing me too shoot on many different days, I said "what the heck", and put down the money for the XL2. I was a reluctant buyer not excited at all about buying a DV camera. I was ready to be disappointed by another crappy and expensive DV camera.

Two months later, I'm glad I bought it, and I'd say that it is the best prosumer DV camera out there, period.

Here are some of the positives and negatives about the camera based on experience.

Positives:

1) Clean signal: While not as good as something like the Sony DSR 500 its a cleaner signal than the VX2000, PD150, and the Panasonic DVX100a. Of all the DV cameras I've shot on I like the XL2's signal the best.

2) Interlacing: I've shot a great deal on Sony cameras. Especially the DSR 500, and The Sony image is always funky, the interlacing is always visible specifically in details like hair and what not. Even with all the menus set properly by a great DP the Sony cameras always have a very hard and interlaced look. Even When shooting in 60i mode The XL2 does not have this and it handles fine details better than the Sony cameras I am used to.

3) Buttons and menus: The design of the button lay out and menus is very good. If you have shot on the Panasonic DVX100a you will really enjoy how the canon is laid out, you don't have to go deep into the menus for every shot on the XL2. The one really bad decision was putting the film grain and color bars on the same button. THAT was a mistake. Why they hell does this camera have a film grain button anyway?

4) BNC output: A small but really helpful addition to the XL2 is that it has a BNC out. For anyone who knows how those BNC to RCA adopters tend to fall off or get lost its about time that a pro-sumer camera included this simple thing for people who use an external monitor.

5) The custom menus:
For professionals: If you have shot on pro cameras you will naturally look at the custom menus as a joke, a pro-sumer "toy". I won't try to tell you that they aren't a "toy" But they do actually work! Which is a great surprise. I have used the camera on sets and on outdoor documentary sports shoots. I find than things like the black stretch and the knee work and are helpful, they are not like what you find on a Beta camera for example but they are a lot better than what else you can find for the money.

For Consumers: This camera comes with a lot of features that you won't use if you are a point and shoot, "Let the camera do it for me" kind of person. However, if you are willing to learn or interested in videography, you will find these features interesting and with a little practice down right useful.

6) Color features:
To the professionals: These work too, you don't get very deep control of the color gain and the RGB settings but you get some and they work pretty well, which is saying a lot for a camera under $5,000! I am developing a preference for shooting with the color gain and RGB settings set pretty high and then pulling them down in color correction, if necessary. Desaturating in post using after effects gives great results, but it has not been necessary all that often, and I'd rather take the color out rather than trying to put it back in.

For the consumers: The color controls are better than on any other camera you are thinking about, most of which will have none. The XL2 gives you noticable control over the saturation of the colors as well as how much red, green and blue you see in the image.


7) Sound: I don't know what it is, if its the mic or the signal processing but the XL2 has better quality sound than you would expect from a DV camera out of the box. Use a real mic and the results are great.

Negatives:

too many rip off artists trying to sell this camera. Purchase the camera only from a trusted and well known retailer, no exceptions, you will get ripped off.

1) The lens:
For Pros: You don't want this lens since it has no witness marks etc. Buy the body without the lens and put on the 16X manual servo zoom. It will cost a bit more but it will be worth it if you need any percision in your shooting.

For consumers: The standard lens is better than any other lens out there, I think you'll find shooting with it a good experience .

2) The eyepiece:
For consumers: If you are a consumer don't worry about it, its fine. Its only an issue in specific cases that pros encounter because of they way they shoot.

For pros: Its REALLY hard to make focusing decisions with the eyepiece that comes in the box. Its not so bad for run and gun doc work but if you are doing dramatic work or pulling focus you'll want to Upgrade or always use a monitor.

3) Its still DV: This is a really great camera for what it is, but you are still shooting DV, and you can run but you can't hide from all the inherent problems of the format.

4) Using the FIRE WIRE: WARNING!!!!! if you use Lacie external firewire drives, among others, the XL2 does not place nice with other devices in the fire wire chain. To log footage from the camera onto your computer you may have to turn off your external drives to do it. This is a for sure with Lacie drives. For many users this will mean either buying larger internal drives or capturing footage to an internal drive with the externals turned off and then transferring the footage later.

The professional should keep in mind:
1) The 24 and 30p frame rates: Naturally the XL2 does not output a true 24 or 30 frame rate. The camera gives you the choice of pull-down you want and then you can remove it in post. If you are going to true 24p output you have the option of 2:3:3:2 pull down, which seems to work without problems with Cinema Tools.

2) All the weight of the camera is at the front so its having a shoulder pad is not that helpful, since most of the weight is on your hand anyway.

3) It may be user error but on the last shoot I directed that used the XL2 there were some strange time code things happening. The DP (who I trust completely) was pre-setting the TC as is usually done but on some tapes the TC changed from the pre-set hour back to hour 0 at some point in the tape. Was this due to battery changes or something else? Who knows? The TC should never do this so I have no Idea why it happened but it obviously effects postproduction and makes generating an EDL impossible.

4) Assuming that you don't have the cash for an Anton Bauer upgrade, The BP-945 batteries are good, they last a long time. So with two of them, the battery that comes with the camera, and the 910 charge you are in great shape and will be able to shoot continuously no problem. If you are shooting in the field you will get 10+ hours of camera time out of these three batteries before you need to recharge.

5) The Pelican 1600 case is a little small if you want to break the camera down all the way. A bigger case is not a bad idea.

195 of 210 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, If you can afford it..., September 5, 2004

By 

Timothy J. Kozloski (san mateo ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Let me just say straight up that this would be a five star camera if the price was $1,000 less.

I do not claim to be an expert on high quality digital camcorders. I've just dome some reasearch and thought some whould be interested in my opinion.

This is the best picture quality semi-pro (between $6000 and $1500) camcorder availiable. Many think that this also will be the last of the semi-pro cameras to come out before the whole format switches to High Definition. The reason why the XL2 has been getting bad reviews on some websites is not because of the camera's quality but because just about all of the press and many professional videographers were expecting the XL2 to have high definition instead of progressive scan.

The progressive scan quality of the XL22 is more than many will ever need, including myself. Unless one can afford a top quality TV that plays high definition you'll never see the difference between XL2's picture and a HD picture. Not to mention that all of the a computer editing programs whith a reasonable price do not support high definition yet.

Currently the only camera that can compete with the XL2 is the PanasonicDVX100A it has slightly poorer picture quality (almost unnoticable) and it shares the nearly magical 24f and 30f progressive scan modes. It make what you shoot look like a movie. When you watch these modes for the firt time you won't be able to decribe the difference it makes but you will see it and fall in love.

The reason why I chose the CanonXL2 over the DVX100a is because no camera currently on the market comes close to having the XL2's number of manual features and selection of lenses. This camera is for people wanting to experiment with the visual style of filmmaking, trying to acheive art on the screen.

For those who are looking for a high quality camera that is less hands on and more automatic (something you can pull out and instantly get great picture) and are not intrested in digital film as an artform but one of those who just wants to get the best picture for family events and weddings the PanasonicDVX100A would be a better choice as it is an easier camcorder to learn and has picture quality that nearly matches the XL2, not to mention it is $1500 cheaper depending on where you look.

I'll stick with my CanonXL2, though, as I hope to join the film buisness one day and I need the freedom of manual features this camera offers.

I welcome an oposing opinion.

121 of 132 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beware of amazon sellers, November 6, 2004

By 

Brett Dahlenburg (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

This is an excellent camera definately worth the $5000. However, if you see a seller selling it brand new for less than $3000 beware. Watch out for anyone asking to be emailed before hand or anyone wanting western union or any kind of Escrow service. Be absoultely positive before sending any payment.

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