Though the XH A1 might seem enormous to someone used to carting around a pocketsize MiniDV camcorder, it's actually one of the most compact semi-pro models (and at $3,500, with an additional $250 rebate until June 30th, it's also the most affordable). The camera uses three 0.33-inch CCDs to record 1080i HDV or 480i DV video to regular MiniDV tapes. In addition to automatic controls, The XH A1 has three servo rings located on its lens that let you reach out and manually adjust focus, zoom (20x), and iris. This in itself is a big leap, convenience-wise, from consumer HD cams, virtually all of which make you step through some combination of menus, button pushing, and wheel scrolling to make these crucial adjustments.
Other physical features include a 0.57-inch wide viewfinder; a 2.8-inch, 16:9 LCD screen that sits flat on the camera's top surface and then swivels out for shooting; a top-mounted carrying handle with controls for zoom and recording start/stop to accommodate low-angle handheld shooting; and a built-in microphone and accessory shoe. Canon's rechargeable battery pack, which is rated for a maximum 5.5 hours shooting time, plugs into a compartment located on the back surface. Also, a slot located within the compartment accepts SD/MMC cards for storing digital pix shot in the camera's photo mode.
Another giveaway that the XH A1 is a serious piece of gear is its numerous audio/video connections. A set of balanced XLR audio inputs are located on one side, along with switches for line- or microphone-level input, channel selection, and mic-level attenuation. On the cam's other side are individual dials for adjusting channel 1 and 2 audio levels. A flip-up flap on the back beside the battery compartment contains additional jacks, including a FireWire (i.Link) port, high-def component-video, minijack composite-video/stereo audio, and headphone outputs, and a LANC control jack. In addition, a nearby lid pops up to reveal a BNC composite-video output.
|
The Short Form
|
| Price $4,000 / usa.canon.com / 800-652-2666 |
|
Snapshot
|
| Canon's high-end high-def camcorder provides great performance and pro-level features at an affordable price. |
|
Plus
|
|
•Crisp high-def pictures with natural color •Impressive low-light performance •Clean, full sound from built-in microphone •Wide range of manual features and audio/video connections |
|
Minus
|
|
•Large and heavy compared to consumer models •Slight chromatic aberration sometimes visible |
|
Key Features
|
|
•Automatic shooting mode with manual overrides •60i, 30F, and 24F high-def recording modes •20x zoom lens with variable speed controls •Inputs: 2 XLR (line/mic level), mic terminal •Outputs: Component- and composite-video, BNC composite-video; LANC terminal •6.5 x 7.5 x 13.8 in / 4.5 lbs |
I wasn't exaggerating in the slightest when I suggested that the XH A1 is packed with high-level features. It has a staggering number of manual controls, many of which can be operated via toggle switches and buttons located on the camera's body. Along with optical image stabilization and Instant AF (autofocus), a Canon feature that quickly and accurately optimizes focus with none of the "pumping" effects normally associated with that process, it has 24 frame-per-second recording for achieving a "film" look (the other options are 30-frame progressive and 60-frame interlaced), image peaking and magnification functions to aid in setting manual focus (important for high-def shooting), and a video gain switch with settings from -3 to +36 dB that's useful for low-light shooting. Combinations of the cam's other manual settings — they're so numerous that I'm barely scratching the surface here — can also be selected and assigned to one of two Custom keys for quick recall during shooting.
Despite its far-reaching manual controls, the XH A1's Auto modes also enable stress-free shooting. A large dial on the side switchs between various programmed AE (auto exposure) modes. These include: Easy Recording (the cam makes adjustments for you), Auto (similar to Easy, but you can manually override multiple settings during shooting), Shutter or Aperture Priority, Spotlight, and Night. I did much of my shooting with the XH A1 using the various Auto modes, and I was really excited by how consistently good the footage looked. I imagine that even pro camera operators who pick up an XH A1 will find themselves using these frequently.
HANDLING
At 4.5 pounds and with a 14-inch span from viewfinder to lens hood, shooting with the XH A1 is mostly a two-handed operation — don't forget to bring along a tripod for extended shoots. My hand fit comfortably into the cam's side-mounted grip, and both the recording start/stop button and wide/telephoto zoom rocker were easily reachable from that position. The Canon was also easy to lug around by its top-mounted carrying handle. A second set of recording start, stop, and zoom controls located here also let me conveniently shoot from a range of different angles when using the flip-out viewfinder, which pivots and also rotates as much as 270 degrees.
Footage captured by the Canon's three 1,440 x 1,080-pixel CCDs proved strikingly crisp, with minimal noise and picture grain, even in dim shots that would be challenging to most camcorders. Watching some video I shot of my daughter playing in the backyard, I was impressed by how solid and lifelike the picture looked and how clear fine textures such as individual blades of grass and the grain of a wooden fence came across. Colors were natural as opposed to pumped-up or cartoonish, although I did notice a slight amount of chromatic aberration — an artifact that shows up as a soft halo of color on object edges — in a few shots. Lens barrel distortion also wasn't a problem, with the Canon's 16:9 image for the most part looking perfectly uniform right out to the edges of the frame.
Another aspect of the Canon's performance that struck me as a huge leap over regular consumer camcorders was its sound recording capabilities. Voices sounded full and clear in the tapes that I made, and a good amount of ambient background sound came through as well. Best of all, the handle-mounting of the microphone ensured that no extraneous whirring or hum from the tape-transport or lens mechanism got mixed in with recordings.
With a maximum still-image resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, this camcorder doesn't make an ideal substitute for a standard digital still camera. But one feature I found very appealing was its ability to grab video frames recorded on tape and transfer them as still images to SD memory card. The pictures that I captured in this manner looked great, and they had enough resolution for 4 x 6-inch prints.
BOTTOM LINE
The Canon XH A1 HDV camcorder sells for more than twice the price of high-end consumer HD camcorders, and its comparatively big body and 4.5-pound weight make it a hassle to whip out for birthday parties or backyard vignettes. But its wide array of sophisticated manual features and pro-level inputs make it an incredible value for anyone looking to move beyond basic shooting. The cam's exceptional Auto modes also enable you to quickly and easily grab great-looking high-def video without fiddling with menus, buttons, and dials. If you've ever pondered a transition from the consumer to the prosumer camcorder world, Canon's affordable, feature-packed HX A1 is an excellent platform for making that leap.
Photo Gallery
Test Reports RSS Feed
More Test Reports
Back to Homepage
What's New on S&V