Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | E | EventDV

Canon's XH A1 and next-generation HDV: Canon's new XH A1 and G1 camcorders have a chance to push the boundaries of what a compact HDV/DV camcorder can do. They go head to head with features in the existing HDV mainstay, the Sony HDR-FX1/Z1U. But Sony is not resting on its laurels and has introduced the paradigm-shifting CMOS-based V1U camcorder. How does the new Canon A1 compare to the handheld HDV camcorders by Sony?

Article Excerpt
As an event videographer for over 17 years, I've used most everything from a two-piece camcorder and 3/4" tape system with 20-minute tape loads, to a Sony DSR 250 that shot more than 270 continuous minutes and ran a camera-top light and wireless receiver all from one camera battery.

I have found numerous excellent features and many annoying problems in the various systems, not to mention the "I wish ..." issues that arise with just about any camera you use. With this in mind, I looked forward to getting my hands on the new Canon XH A1. By coming a little later to the prosumer HDV party with a compact all-in-one, Canon was able to take what people liked about the GL series and the technical prowess of the XL series and meld those features into one camcorder.

RAISING THE BAR

JVC was the first out of the gate in 2003 with their JY-HD10U, a single-chip", 720p30 camcorder that produced decent HD in good light, but really lacked sensitivity on par with SD camcorders of its day. It failed to develop any strong following for two years.

Sony picked up the ball and put it in a different stadium two years later with the virtually identical HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U models. These three-chip 1440i60 prosumer camcorders were vastly superior in low light to the original JVC, but were clearly less sensitive than Sony's SD camcorders, the PD 150 and 170.

JVC's 720p30 GY-HD100 moved beyond the limitations of an internal lens with removable Fujinon glass. Canon introduced their XL H1 20x optical lens 1080i60 HDV camcorder that tests showed approached the image quality of camcorders several times its price. But these camcorders tend to cost several times what a compact, all-in-one camcorder can cost.

Meanwhile, Canon took their optic know-how and put a 20x optical lens into three-chip compact HDV camcorders. The XH A1 and G1 appeared in late 2006, with price points in line with HDV models from other manufacturers.

The A1 and G1 are essentially the same camcorder through and through, except the G1 offers a "Professional Jackpack" with HD-SDI, genlock, and time code. HD-SDI provides uncompressed 1.485Gbps output to a compatible deck, 4:2:2 color sampling, and embedded time code and audio. Genlock is essential for multi-camera synchronization in live-switched environments. An SMPTE time code terminal allows multiple cameras to be synched to a master clock.

As these features essentially double the cost of the camcorder, and are not as useful as HDV for event video recording, I'll be looking at the A1. At a street price of $3,700, it is almost half the cost of the G1, a little less expensive than Sony's new HVR-V1U, and about $1,000 less than Sony's HVR-Z1U.

An interesting accessory that Canon offers with its HDV models is the Console Image Control & Storage Software that lets you control key functions of the camcorder remotely through a PC, delivering camera setup and image adjustment capabilities over a single FireWire cable.

Some of Console's features can be found on third-party FireWire monitoring software packages, like image preview, hard drive recording, and scopes. But Console also offers complete setup and tweaking of the image control parameters inside the camcorder. No third-party package does this.

Compared to the former HDV benchmark, the Z1U, the A1's most immediate advantage is the 20x optical lens. Secondly, the A1 uses the same imaging chips as Canon's venerable XL H1 with more image tweaking control than the H1. The A1 offers more traditional LCD screen placement, unprecedented still-image capability, and three true control rings on the lens. Then Canon added Instant AutoFocus as icing on the cake.

It would then seem a no-brainer to go with the Canon. But before you whip out your credit card, lets take a look at these features in depth, and also uncover some things you might not expect to find.

BATTERY DOOR

The first thing you do to test gear is power it up. With that in mind, I was a little stunned to see Canon implement an internal battery--a system Sony ditched after their first DV camcorder, 11 years ago. Canon puts the battery and the SD Flash media behind a door that covers the back of the camcorder. Though the cavity is large enough to hold the current "large-size" batteries, the door adds considerable time and effort to battery changes.

Almost every other camcorder has an external battery slot that requires only a finger and a thumb to push the release button and pop the battery out--often a time-critical task during events. In several one-handed time trials, I changed the battery in the Sony Z1U in three seconds or less. My times on the Canon A1 varied between 5 and 10 seconds, depending on how far the battery popped out of the camcorder. It may not seem like much, but when the battery fails at the most critical moment, as they often seem to do, faster is better.

Aside from time and clumsiness, putting the battery behind a door also prevents the user from using alternate power rigs like the BeBob Coco. There is, however, an opening in the door for the cable from the AC adapter to come out--good news, since there's no external...