Canon XH A1 1.67MP 3CCD High-Definition Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom

I give this baby Canon my thumbs-up! This is a superb HD camera with just the right feature/size/price/performance balance set.

For my 1st ever indie-documentary shoot, I took this camera to the back roads, dirt and grime included, in a hot and humid Philippines countryside. It survived blood splatters from the event. Then, I went to film two weddings and a rock band show back to back in the US.

The weight and size was perfect for travel without compromising the video quality and feature set.

So, Until I get my hand on the new RED HD camera, this will be my side-kick for any HD video assignments in the near future.

The extended battery pack fits well and I did not experience any of the ejection problems others reported.

If there is an improvement I'd like to suggest for the next version: get rid of the mini-DV video cassette for pure digital hard drive storage.

Also, for loud sounds (such as concerts), use manual setting and perform sound checks with a good headset.

I already owned a Sony Z1U, paid about $6000.00 several months ago, Paid for this Canon a lot less and the quality is a lot better, great for low light, the Sony have to much noise on the same circunstances.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3TJA00PRTLXJL I use this camcorder now for all my filming (capturing with Final Cut Pro) and I highly recommend it.

In short, I love it.
The XH A1 is a professional looking camera and has all the features you need.
It is a bit complex for those who are not true prosumers or pros, and the manual is not consumer oriented.

The picture qualitity is, so far, the best I've seen in non-pro cameras. The 3 CCDs at 1/3 inch each are truely spectacular.


The 2 external XLR connections are the reason I looked at this camera. If you want to mic someone via wireless or wired lav mic, this is the camer to do that. Just make sure you read over the XLR connection settings in the manual a few times and change the buttons (unfortunately located in 4 different locations on the camera) to the right settings. A set of good headphones is a must-have when not using the wonderful built-in mic. By the way, this built-in mic eliminated one of the situations where I always needed a mic, a close up interview situation--the built-in is very sensitive and accurate for this type of thing.

The downside to this camera is really only that it does NOT contain an HDMI adapter. Sadly CANON did not provide one; instead they opted for a custom (HDMI-looking) adpater that if you loose the cable you can't run down to Fry's or Radio Shack to get another one. :(

The other thing is that it is 1440x1080 instead of 1920x1080. Their new CANON HV20 ( a 1CCD camera due in April 2007) is 1920x1080 resolution--just seems odd to me. But then I'm the guy that will get a 10 Megapixel camera simply because its better resolution. :)

The bottom line, don't get the Sony FX7, get this one. The Sony seems and is easier to use, but it doesn't have an external XLR jack, it uses 1/4 inch CCDs, and in a side-by-side test doesn't offer as good performance in low light situations as this one.

The camera is a bit complicated, but if you're willing to learn, it is a wonderful tool.
If you need true point and shoot, I'd wait and get the CANON HV20.

After careful review and hands-on comparisons of Canon's XHA1, the Sony V1U, Panasonic's vastly overrated HVX200, and JVC's HD110, I opted for Canon's XHA1.

Surprisingly, the V1U was quite "noisy" in all settings, appearing no better in quality than my obsolete TRV900. Apparently, 24P on the V1 is at this moment un-editable in most NLE's except Sony's mediocre "Vegas" software. And until a 16GB or 32GB P2 card is introduced at a drastically reduced price (unlikely) the HVX vs film camera comparisons seem justified only in that the cost of each precious minute is as astronomical as the cost of celluloid. JVC lacks an auto focus feature, which is fine as long as you've got a camera crew in tow complete with a professional focus puller.

Bottom line, Canon's optics are second to none. The XHA1 is the low price answer to Canon's flagship XLH1, and from the same camp, the far superior camera in this bunch.

A standing ovation to Amazon for overnight delivery of the XHA1, which arrived in pristine condition on time as promised.