Canon finally arrived at the HDV party last month, when it announced
that the newest camcorder in its XL series would record high-definition
images to tape-or, uncompressed, via HD-SDI output. The XL H1 HD uses
three 1/3-inch interlaced CCDs with a resolution of 1440×1080 each and
sports a new 20x HD video lens with optical image stabilization. (
Canon offered no details about any additional lenses that may be
offered specifically for the H1.) Available in early November, the H1
and lens together list for $8999.
Canon won’t provide many details of the camera’s "24 frame" acquisition
scheme, except that it was developed for the XL1 and has been refined
over the years. Officials confirmed that the camera’s interlaced CCDs
actually run at a 24-frame cadence in that mode, but Canon won’t call
the footage "24p." It’s unclear how good 24p footage originated on the
H1 will really look, but a superior 24-frame option could be a
competitive advantage. (JVC’s GY-HD100U shoots true progressive, but
at only 720p.)
Also notable is HD-SDI 4:2:2 output, along with gen-lock and SMPTE
timecode. The camera records still images at 1920×1080 to an SD card,
and will even adjust them to reflect the camera’s current image-control
settings. Custom presets can also be stored on SD cards and used to
calibrate multiple cameras. The camera has four-channel audio with 2
XLR inputs with phantom power.
An option ($500) lets the camera record both NTSC and PAL, and Console
($599), a new Windows app (a Mac version is coming early next year),
allows remote control of camera functions.