Product ReviewsDigital cameras
The canon xl1s is without doubt one of the most stunning-looking digicams ever made. Fortunately, it's beauty isn't just skin deep. With every conceivable manual control and the ability to attach alternative lenses, it's a very flexible camcorder for semi-professional work. The XL1S is an update of the DM-XL1, which was released in mid-1998. The changes are mostly under the bonnet, apart from a few enhancements to the AV input options. Nevertheless, DV technology hasn't changed much in the last three years, and the XL1S remains state of the art. It avoids gimmicks, such as megapixel still-image acquisition, in favour of professional features. However, it's sorely lacking a LCD panel. Seasoned professionals might prefer an ultra high-resolution monochrome viewfinder, but an LCD panel is useful for off-shoulder handheld and tripod work. At least the 180,000 pixel colour viewfinder has a resolution equal to most consumer camcorder LCD panels, so it's capable of precision focusing. Enhanced input options build on the bi-directional FireWire capabilities of the DM-XL1, with analogue S-Video and composite video. This enables you to record from analogue video sources straight to DV. The line-level RCA audio of the DM-XL1 also remains. The latter is particularly impressive, as few other camcorders below broadcast quality have this feature, which is useful for feeding in audio from a mixing desk. Added input You use a simple switch to choose between mic and line input. A built-in balanced XLR connection would be even more useful and is available through the MA200 optional extra for an added £300. Mini-jacks for headphones and microphone input are also present, as is a standard 2.5mm DC jack for powered mics. Under the bonnet, welcome enhancements include visual 16:9 guidelines in the viewfinder, EBU colour bars and numerous other useful additions - not
The best feature is still its high level of customisability. The XL1 was the first DV camcorder in its price range to offer a removable lens. Options include a 16x manual zoom lens, 3x wide-angle lens and a 3D lens. There's also an adaptor for Canon EF lenses. The viewfinder can be slid and angled for comfort, and even removed and replaced by a monochrome CRT viewfinder. The microphone is clamped in place by a mechanism that makes replacement or upgrade easy. However, none of this would be worth much if the optics didn't live up to the potential. But, considering the price tag, the XL1S's image quality is one of the best around. Footage shot in daylight has a beautiful cinematic vibrancy, and superb detail fidelity. Indoors, there's a slight tendency to overexpose bright red, but this is the only real fault with its optical abilities. Otherwise, there are few camcorders costing less than £5000 that can compete. For even better results, there's a progressive scan operation, called Frame Movie Mode, which records in frames for an authentic cinematic look. Balancing act The only real problem with the XL1S is its balance. The fold-out shoulder rest sits well behind the body of the camera, so your arm must bear most of the weight. This makes prolonged handheld use very tiring, which is a shame considering the XL1S's massive professional potential. You can still use a tripod and this is where an LCD panel would have been a bonus, although the viewfinder is large and easy to use. The XL1S is a fantastic piece of camcorder kit, but it's very expensive. For many situations a three-chip model half the price (for example, Sony's TRV-900, Canon's XM-1 or Panasonic's MX300) could well suffice if you don't need the XL1S's extensive feature set. Sony's slightly cheaper DCR-VX2000 has a marginally better image quality, but it's so close that many still prefer the Canon's colour vibrancy over the Sony's fidelity. But in terms of flexibility and customisation, the XL1S really is without equal in this price range. By James Morris
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