Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

Alright, so I've been reading some of the reviews that people have put in here about this camera, and I just want to offer up the nice statement that "If you gave this camera 3 stars or less, you're a retard." I'm pretty sure amazon won't allow me to say it, but it's true! This camera is so freakin' great! I own this one and the xl1s, and this is my "toy" camera. I'm just a 24 year old kid, so maybe my opinion means nothing to you. If so, then stop reading this. No one asked you to, anyway.

This camera sells itself. Compare it to some others in the same category (make sure you're checking out the GL2 and not the predecessor GL1). The $2999 asking price here is way too high, though. Shop around, and you should be able to find a new one for about $1750 or so. That and the extended warranty that covers cleanings once a year. SO worth the money. I take her (my camera ... her name is "Mandy") everywhere, and I've already made enough short movies for people to have her pay for herself. And she can take a beating, too. I took her from 75 degrees at 8,000ft above sea level to 23 degrees at 12,000ft in less than 6 minutes time and she didn't complain at all. She was a definite plus for our snowboarding trip!

Tired of reading all of those specs that may not make sense to you right now? This camera is usable by someone who has never used a camera (which was me before I made my purchase), and adjustable to have everything completely manual.

My only qualm is the "noise" in LOW LOW light. That should be expected, though. For that I use the xl1s ("Jessica"), but don't let that stop you from your purchase of this.

This camera is incredible! I seriously love it.

Pros:
The video quality for the GL2 is excellent in good lighting and still good in low light but has noticeable noise. The image stabilizer works great even if you don't have a steady hand, even full telephoto won't make you nauseous. The analog to digital feature is nice being able to convert just about anything to digital. The full manual controls are great for anyone who wants to control how their video comes out. The automatic modes are pretty good but that's not why you would buy this camera. Even the automatic focus and aperture work good but are kind of slow. This can work to your advantage if someone walks in front of the camera or you pan past a window, but if it loses focus or changes the aperture it doesn't bounce right back.

Cons:
This camera is notorious for faulty tape decks. If it doesn't give the EJECT TAPE message it still requires constant cleaning with a head cleaning tape, about every 5 hours horizontal lines appear on the LCD. The photo feature is kind of pointless, only 1.7 Megapixels, anyone who could afford this camera would already have camera that would take better pictures. And it can't be used while recording, requires a seperate shooting mode.

Summary: All around great camera but gets dirty easily. Video quality and manual controls are top notch.

I had a GL2 for about one and half years, shot about 20 hours of tapes. In addition to some playback and transfer usage, it has been used no more than 60-70 hours total. I had been very happy with the video and audio quality. Then the infamous "Remove Cassette" error hit me: the rewind function no longer works and prompts "Remove Cassette" or "Eject" messages.
I had a Canon ZR25MC, it failed exactly the same way a couple years ago: it refused to rewind tape and even chewed up a few tapes. Instead of paying a few hundred dollars to repair a relative cheap camcorder, I decided to upgrade to a GL2, thinking that Canon must be aware of this problem and had fixed it. Silly me.
This problem is apparently not limited to GL2 and ZR models. A simple goole search will reveal that it happened to many Canon camcorders, including GL2, XM2, and ZR, Elura, MV models for the last few years.
I will stay away from Canon for my next camcorder.

In a two-year span I have done three important projects that went to DVD and maybe five family home videos. I'm getting pretty good at using manual settings to get rich colors and high quality shots. But lately, as I watch the video from the last two projects I am noticing a couple of dead pixels, tiny white spots that are always there. They are especially noticeable when you zoom in on someone's face. So on the next project I borrowed a GL2 from my friend to avoid having this flaw in my shots, but his camera is about the same age and it also has this problem. I called Canon to see what it might be, and it turns out that it is something wrong with the CCD and prism system. The Part is $500.00 and the labor starts at $400.00. In other words, its is not worth fixing. So I consider the GL2 a throw away piece of junk after about a year and a half.

The GL2 has proved to be a great friend.

Pros:

My documentary work involves a diverse set of environments, from deep caves to back country wilderness to the barrios of seeder stretches in Mexico, and the light weight, compactness and ruggedness of this camera has amazed me. A fine machine in the field, 300 hours later I have had zero malfunctions and continue to be pleased by the diverse range of features. It has weathered tough environments and significant impacts without a hitch.

Excellent fluorite optics. Fine zoom control. Beautiful images. Useful if semi-low rez digital camera mode. Great image stabilization.

Cons: Many of the control features are controlled through a menu access system. This has taken some time to adapt to, but has now become second nature. At this point it no loger bothers.

The low light capability is limited compared to the XL1, which I also use, and must be compensated for by generous lighting and judicious use of low db, low f-stop settings and slower shutter speeds, typically 1/60 or 1/30. The GL2 is rated at .37 lux, but this is at the trippy but relatively useless 1/8 shutter speed. Get some lights if you mean to film in dark environments.

A wide angle lens can be added for approximately 160.00 and significantly improves close up work and fast action shots. A must.

Ironically, one must sometimes weight the camera to improve smooth motion.

UPDATE ON CONS: Ah, the infamous EJECT CASSETTE warning? Yes, Canon has had occasional problems with its Tape Transport Mechanism, and these finally caught up with me about a year after the rest of this review was written (8/2005). Result? New mechanism installed ($400 price) for Free. Total cost for me: A $60.00 submission and cleaning fee. Repair and return time: 7 days. Camera fully cleaned, little things like a missing tiny screw on the mounting socket replaced. Not bad. Canon has admitted there is an occasional problem here, and they are now treating it with honesty and fairness. We are now well over 1000 hours of GL2 use and 400 hours of footage in very challenging environments. Hey, I'm happy.

Upshot: Canon quality isn't cheap, but is well worth it. A fine investment when you want one of the best in its class. HD is coming, but it hasn't arrived in a truly afordable format yet.