Canon XL2 vs XL H1

Joe Taylor · December 8, 2007

A Canon XL2 side by side with a Canon XL H1, shooting the same exact subject with all of the elements the same. Playing back the footage from these two cameras on identical High Def monitors, how are they going to compare?

Those in the know who have seen such results and can offer no B.S. answers, I'd appreciate hearing what you have to say.

December 14, 2007

They will basically the same, except the H1 will have 3x the resolution and more picture adjustments.

- In 1080 60i the H1 basically slaughters the XL2 (especially when monitoring HDSDI out)

- the H1 has a real wide angle option in the 6x. Makes the 3x wide on the XL2 look banana pudding soft

We had two XL2s which we put hundreds of hours on...great little cameras. We have two H1s and a A1

now and we are even more pleased. THe H1s are worth it just for effects shots if nothing else.

Edited December 14, 2007 by will griffith

Kevin Harrington · December 17, 2007

They will basically the same, except the H1 will have 3x the resolution and more picture adjustments.

- In 1080 60i the H1 basically slaughters the XL2 (especially when monitoring HDSDI out)

- the H1 has a real wide angle option in the 6x. Makes the 3x wide on the XL2 look banana pudding soft

We had two XL2s which we put hundreds of hours on...great little cameras. We have two H1s and a A1

now and we are even more pleased. THe H1s are worth it just for effects shots if nothing else.

I own both and would never go back to the XL2. Something about the XL2's look is extremely telling that that was the camera used, which is an aesthetic you may want to go for. For me, the H1 is far more versatile, and if I have to shoot SD, I pick up the H1.

As far as comparing the two, the H1 is absolutely worth the extra dough for many reasons, least of all the image. No contest.

dullataj · December 19, 2007

XL2 use SD CCD, Hi use HD CCD......even you choose to compare in SD Mode....but the picture from H1 always better more than XL2

dullataj@hotmail.com

Yoi Camera Corner Thailand

Chris Burke · January 31, 2008

- the H1 has a real wide angle option in the 6x. Makes the 3x wide on the XL2 look banana pudding soft

That wide angle lens can also be attached to the XL2, no?

Zac Halberd · February 6, 2008

I've shot many a short film and a feature on both models. You can't even begin to compare SD to HD. The colours, contrast, tones, movement, and tweakability is far more advanced with HD. The H1 is a fantastic camera. There are so many options for a cinematographer to play with and customise. The XL2 is a great SD DV camera, but SD is a dying technology, and would never use it again if I had a choice. It's all down to post. Do you have a system that can handle HD? Oh, and do you have the dosh to fork out to buy an XLH1? It is a bit pricey.

But, there's always to Sony EX1 to play with!

Nicholas Jenkins · February 10, 2008

I'm glad someone started this thread. I'm revving up to possibly shoot a feature over the summer and am considering the H1 as the low end possibility. I need to test it first. I'm seeing them on sale online at a couple places for around $3,000.00 which doesn't seem right at all. Is there a new model out or something?

My experience with the XL-2 was interesting. I liked about 50% of what we got but it seemed no matter how diligent we were with white balance, the XL-2 was always slightly warm. Even when we just said the hell with it and switched to tungsten balance, it was still warm in the mid tones.

I'm also not a really big fan of the zoom lens the camera comes with.

Walter Graff · February 11, 2008

I'm glad someone started this thread. I'm revving up to possibly shoot a feature over the summer and am considering the H1 as the low end possibility.

Please look at the HD200 by JVC. It's picture is second to none. With the JVC JVC HZ-CA13U pl mount adapter, I'd dare anyone to tell me what camera I used. It makes an unbelievable picture with the adapter (and a great picture without it too). I did extensive test recently with the adapter and just about every film lens made from snorkle to zoom to prime to swing and tilt and was blown away. Pictures at bottom of page http://www.bluesky-web.com/hdv.htm

Joe Taylor · February 11, 2008

Hello Walter,

Those are some sweet looking pics you took. I'll take a look at the JVC.

Nicholas Jenkins · February 12, 2008

Walter,

Thanks a bunch. I'll also check it out. That looks like a good idea. :)

Walter Graff · February 12, 2008

The sad part is that another manufacture came out of the gate with their camera a while back and pretty much made anything that was HDV sound like you couldn't even make a picture with it. Those that used HDV found the lies were just that. I did a month of testing with the four mid priced cams, HD200, HVX, Canon HD1, and Sonys entry. I found that the two best pictures in terms of HD where the Canon and JVC. Sony was a close third. The HVX paled in comparison. Next for me was ergonomics. The HD200 was ergonomically the best camera by far. I hate Canons lens and how the camera is weighted, and the controls. I don't like what I call toasters, cameras you can't shoulder mount and must hold in front of you so that eliminated Panasonic and Sony. P2 is too annoying to deal with for me as I want ot shoot and nothing else so that was another reason not to go there. The HD200 was exactly like the pro cameras I've been using for 20 years. The controls are in the same place, the lens is a real lens and has the same real lens controls as more expensive pro cameras. I did many tests of outputs both in DVDs, tape, film outs, and HD DVD and the JVC simply blew all the others away. So I purchased one. Today I use it with the Firestore which is great as I can record seven hours of HD while also syncro recording to tape so I have my archive right there. I plug the deck into my computer and am editing in one second. No transcoding. I have shot many hours with it on everything from spots to infomercials to corporate and it has performed perfectly. It lasts a long time on a battery and is an absolute pleasure to use handheld. Currently I am shooting a project for NASA with the camera. And if you get a chance you must try the pl mount lens adapter. Forget those spinning screen things. You loose no light with the adapter, can put real 16 and 35mm cine lenses on it in a second and without even making any adjustments the lenses make the camera look like a different beast. Its a truly great adaptation of another optical lens adapter. The pictrures are simply incredible and you get true 16mm depth of field which is more than enough to make great shallow dof shots without loosing two stops, picture quality and walking around with a rube Goldberg contraption in those consumerish dof adapters that to me make a pictures dof far too shallow than reality, almost cartoonish. If you have any questions or want any demos that I can do for you, let me know?

I am about to embark on an amazing series of videos where me and a well known engineer take each of the HD cameras available and we show you what every control in the menu does both on a bench with a chart and scope and then in the field with real world set ups showing the limits and ranges of controls so that everyone can get the most out of their cameras and really understand what everything does. These might be two hours in length. I don't know yet as I am just writing the script, but I expect these will become a must have for every camera owner of every HD camera out there. We hope to show how to make every camera look the best it can. Here's a secret: cameras don't come out of the box perfectly adjusted and when you see the difference in a well tuned camera it is pretty noticeable.

The HD 100/200/250 will be the first video. Anyone have requests for the second?

Thomas James · February 14, 2008

2 years ago there was a Texas shootout which pitted the JVC HD100 against the Panasonic HVX200 the Canon XL-H1 and the Sony Z-1. Adam Wilt administered the test. All I heard from the Canon cameraman was his criticism of JVC and the lowly 720p format that palled in comparison to Canons full high definition 1080. Now you are saying that the only thing that held JVC back during the Texas shootout was a lack of decent glass?

Recently Sony introduced the XDCAM EX with half inch chips that record full high definition 1920x1080. This Sony camera is supposed to be the JVC killer the Canon killer and the Panasonic HVX200 killer. Yet I suppose you would say that the JVC HD200 if equipped with high end glass will blow the Sony XDCAM EX away?

Walter Graff · February 14, 2008

2 years ago there was a Texas shootout which pitted the JVC HD100 against the Panasonic HVX200 the Canon XL-H1 and the Sony Z-1. Adam Wilt administered the test. All I heard from the Canon cameraman was his criticism of JVC and the lowly 720p format that palled in comparison to Canons full high definition 1080. Now you are saying that the only thing that held JVC back during the Texas shootout was a lack of decent glass?

Did you read the shootout?

Here are the comments so I don't know where you are getting your infomration:

http://www.adamwilt.com/HD/4cams-part2.html

All the cameras had there good and bads as my month long test also showed. But in the end if you read the article you'll find that both Canon and JVC excelled in many areas over the other two. I could care less about what camera you like or dislike. Both terms are subjective. I am just suggesting that before anyone simply decide on the Canon, they look into JVC. I did and found it the best camera of them all. It's what I bought and use extensively now after a very extensive real world testing process.

As for glass, we used to say that a film camera was a box with glass on it. That meant that it was always the glass that made the camera. In video the most importnat part of the MTF equation is the glass. Any camera that has the ability at putting high quality lenses on will outshine any other. So be it Sony, Canon JVC or any other camera that has the ability at taking off the cheap stock lens and adding high quality glass, yes the difference is like using a much more expensive camera.

As for Sony XDCAM, its a different price point camera and not directly comparable.