Canon XL2

Optics and DV Rock, But HDV is Missed

By Will Holloway

January 1, 2005    Source: Studio Monthly

Canon takes a great leap forward in DV cameras with its new XL2, offering redesigned features and the promise of a new shooting experience. As a DP, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot with cameras of all kinds and prices, but I’ve never had much use for, or desire to use a smaller, "prosumer" piece of acquisition gear. The XL2, however, has swayed me in a whole new direction I never thought I’d go. For a nicely equipped unit, street priced at under $5,000, you get a very big bang for the buck.

Additionally, the almost cult-like following of the older XL1s alone should help to ensure the sales success of the XL2. The fact that this new unit is probably better and more capable than many other offerings out there should guarantee a big hit for Canon.

What’s This Thing Made Of?

Three 680k, progressive scan CCDs pump out an impressive resolution of 525 lines, with a rich and almost touchable color saturation. The picture elements are native 16 x 9, something I was ecstatic about because there was no fake squeeze, or distorted look to the picture, and it was sharp all the way to the edges of the frame. Independent "film" shooters will love this. (Speaking of film, they will probably be thrilled with the variable frame rates, with 2:3 and 2:3:3:2 pull-down for transfers to film and editing systems, interlaced or progressive scan options, and the 12-bit DSP that offers a wide array of customizable picture enhancements including a film grain effect that adds just the right amount of "texture".)

The CCD block is, of course, still only 1 / 3 -inch chips, a feature that limits the available lenses one could stick on the camera. Surprisingly, though, it did not limit the picture as much as I expected.

To test this out, I brought the camera down to a local beach where a rail line runs along the water. Since I happen to enjoy shooting trains and other large machines, I thought this would be a great way to see what the camera could do with the headlights of a locomotive, most of which pump out about 2 million candle powers of intensity. That’s a lot of scented candles from Linens-n-Things, you hear me?

I shot telephoto close-ups of the headlights on a few trains. I zoomed and panned but no matter how hard I tried, I could not add any defects to the image. I finally turned the camera on the sun for a moment to see if that would do it—no smear, no distortion, no nothing! The only thing I did get was a perfect picture. (Please note: Shooting the sun for more than a few moments aside from sunrise or sunset can damage the sensitive electronics in a camera head, so this is not recommended by most camera manufacturers!)

Most CCD blocks don’t handle this very well so it’s a good camera test. Until recently, unless you paid the premium price for FIT (Frame Interline Transfer) type chips, which are not available on small mid-range cameras, bright light sources would warp the frame and usually have ugly greenish "vertical smear" defects in the picture. Most of you have probably seen this problem. Current Pro CCD blocks are handling this fairly well or even perfectly, but until the XL2, I had never seen a camera with 1 / 3 -inch chips pull it off.

So It Makes Good Pictures—What About The Features?

Canon has, for the most part, redesigned the chassis of the camera. It still has the funky, tilted-up recorder section, but it also reminds me of a film camera with a reel cartridge saddled on its back. It has a great handle that, when properly cradled, balances the camera perfectly. The unit also still has the ability to interchange lenses. With the available EF adapter, one can attach glass from the line of good-quality Canon 35 mm EOS lenses. The advantages of this are not for everyone, but if you need long telephoto reach and clarity, this is awesome! An EOS 300 mm would be killer for wildlife shots. (Heavy lenses that have their own tripod mounts are better, because the smaller bayonet mount on the XL2 could be stressed if the long lens hangs forward.)

The camera comes standard with a 20x, image stabilized, automatic zoom. The lens has built-in ND filters and other controls nicely placed on the barrel. The glass is very sharp, and not likely to produce chromatic aberration, due to its fluorite coating and the fact that Canon is one of the best element manufacturers in the world. Devout XL users will probably like this lens. I did not. And it’s not because the images didn’t look good, but because I like a direct focus ring and an aperture ring, which is the norm on broadcast zooms. It’s what I know. I just could not get used to the motorized focus and zoom rings that continue to spin, even when you’re past the infinity point in focus or zoom. That said, Canon was kind enough to send me the camera’s primary alternate lens, a 16x ENG type zoom that worked very well and also had the ND filters built right in.

The function buttons are all well placed too, so a shooter could work the camera without looking away from the viewfinder. Oh yeah, function buttons, not menu-driven functions. Hooray! In a world of menu driven electronics, actual switches and buttons are a very nice change.

On The Downside

As a professional shooter, however, I’m disappointed in a few areas.

For one, there’s still no direct IRIS (aperture) ring on the lens. Instead, there’s a small electronic, stepped roller-type controller on the camera.

Also, there’s been tons of buzz about HDV and it’s surprising that there isn’t an option for the new format here.

Another feature I wasn’t thrilled with was the replacement of the out-shoulder pad with a permanent, under-chassis pad. I’m used to big cameras that put the center of balance directly on the shoulder. The XL2 sits out in front and your hands bear the weight. I found this stressful, as it tends to encourage muscle support instead of skeletal. When using the camera with my tripod or Steadicam, though, the camera was great and very light.

As this issue goes to print, I’m mid-way through my first shooting project using the XL2. My reactions so far are causing a paradigm shift in my approach to my future in production. I could see using this camcorder for a lot of the work I do instead of a bigger and heavier unit. I wish it had a few of the features I mentioned earlier, but overall, it completely blows away my expectations of a small, budget camera system. Canon added SMPTE time code, 12-bit digital signal processing, XLR balanced audio inputs and a host of other pro-level features to attract shooters to this new workhorse.

At this point, let’s consider this article a midterm exam. Canon gets an A- grade or, according to our grading system here, a Sweet to Hot. We’ll see how the grade point averages by finals. After I finish a few projects I’m working on with the XL2, I’ll be sure to follow-up with you and report back on the gobs of features this unit packs, like variable frame rates and pull-downs. I’ll also detail the XL2’s audio features. More to come, folks, so stay tuned!

SMART ADVICE

• If you need long telephoto reach and clarity, use the EF
• Adaptor to attach one of Canon’s awesome 35 mm EOS lenses.
• No menu-driven functions here: The function buttons are well placed, so
• a shooter could work the camera without looking away from the
• viewfinder.