This is my first real video camera, aside from the waist of time consumer video cameras. This camera seems to be a little heavy in the front but, it is managable but, I recommend using a high quality Tri Pod. Video quality is great and, the buttons on the camera seem a little confusing at first. The camera came with a 16x lens which seems to be good enough for reasonable distance. I have several EOS lens's and plan on buying the EOS Lens adaptor so, I can try this camera with wildlife. Battery life seems to be decent, it ran for approximately two hours (with an old battery). Canon has never let me down before and, I did not expect any less with this camera. Total Score I give the Canon XL1 an A.
Nice cam for 13 years old. Wish it had all the original accessories (IE. DC coupler). Other than that its been a great camera. My first pro camera and is serving its purpose well. Only other cons so far is the balance left to right not good for one handed use and is also very front heavy with the lens, makes setting tripod "drag" a little difficult to hold up lens and still be able to tilt freely. Being so old, its a drag trying to find the DC coupler compatible with the original power adapter. Way too much hassle trying to use the adapter to power from AC. Should have simply put a standard DC plug right on camera, but they have to make money on selling you an elaborate set up to accomplish a very simple task: TO GET 6VDC FROM CHARGER/ADAPTER TO CAMERA!! Without having to spend a $150.00, just because canon decided to change the little plug at power source end of coupler unit to some proprietary DC jack not sold in stores. I was forced to cut off canon jack and solder my own class B jack on it to fit my current power adapter.Read full review
The XL1s is a decent camera as far as the color chips go. But I have a Sony handy cam that has nearly the same quality except the XL1s has a better image stabalizer along with better color transfer in lower lighting. If it's too dark the camera is not good-like most brands. The features are great,none like the limited fetures of a handy cam. Of course you dont have the professional look or sound on a handy cams either. Overall a pretty good camera, especially if it is your first video camera. For independant film and recreational use it's good, If you want professional look elsewhere.
I wanted to get started creating education pieces for classes and online education. To make a quality production I wanted to be able to control the sound as well as video quality. The problem was that I didn't have a lot of money (less than $350). While I found lots of inexpensive entry-level camcorders, none of them had the ability to use an auxiliary microphone. I knew that I needed to use at minimum a good shotgun mic but also wanted the ability to use a lavelier or boom mic as well. Of equal importance, I knew I would conduct some interviews and the ability to record two voices, ostensibly in stereo, was a great feature than of the new small camcorders had. By turning to a used Canon XL1 I not only found a camera that was right in my price range but also had more than enough features to help me make good quality video. I won't go into all the detail on the camera -- there are LOTS of videos and reviews online -- but I will say that this particular camera is working just fine. Long and short of it, I now have a camera that records in sufficiently high definition to allow me to produce decent quality videos. If I make money from this project then I can always upgrade later, but for now my primary mission is to get quality production with the most options available.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I have 3 XL1s, and 1 GL1. If I had to do it all over again I would have bought 4 XL1s. What can I say.... I shoot weddings and events, the camera is excellent in low light settings and the picture quality is out of this world. I used to wonder why spend this kind of money for a camcorder but one shoot with it and review of the footage... there is no comparison. You can set this thing on automatic if you dont know a lot and walk in and cammand the respect of a pro just by carring your self right. The camera does all the work. Dont get me wrong... nothing is absolutely correct but tell you what... I got 3 used camcorders.... the only problem I had was one of the headphones jacks need serviced but I have still used it with just the indicator, no sound to judge... and it came out great. Light, sharp and ready to go just about anywhere.Read full review
It takes miniDV tapes. On extended play you get no more than 120 minutes, and those tapes are fragile. I use my XL1 for professional use, and find you have to change tapes for long productions. You HAVE to make sure the inner bay door is closed first, or the tape does not engage. Manual focus is a tricky art with this camera. Lots to master on it. It is sturdy and heavy. It seems to drain battery life quickly. I really feel it is overpriced.
I have used the XL1 for weddings and special events and love it. The lens is most awesome. We can set the camera up in a balcony and get head and shoulder shots of bride and groom and is great for catching the exchanging of rings from a distance. It is well balanced and we usually use an off camera levelour mike for sound pickup. The color balancing and exposure capabilities are great for hard to get situations like kids christmas ballet in a darkened theater. We can avoid the "firefly" effect most cameras have while depending on the theater lights. The sensitivity and controls are good. The camera can be hooked up to a TV for preview even before we leave an event if desired. All in all it is a great camera and a valued part of my work.
Great Bargain Came with (4) Batteries, Remote, AC/DC charger adapter, front and rear Lens Cap, Camera body cap, Battery Protectors, Carry Bag, Owners manual and DVD. Works like new, no problems as of yet. Have recorded video on stand alone recording deck and quality is great. Still waiting on my Mini DV cassettes to come so I can record locally. All features work great. Overall appearance is about a 95 from 1-100
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I bought the Canon XL1 Camcorder a month ago and was immediately impressed with the number of features available on this camera. It takes great videos. The size is perfect for carrying in a professional case and the battery has a pretty good lifespan of roughly 3 hours. My only complaint is that I can not seem to sync it with my Mac G5 or any of my film editing programs.
I'm in college for film so i figured i should get a camera. And i used one of these in high school and LOVED it so i figured i would stick with what i know is good. And now that I'm in school I'm loving it more and more as i use it. Great picture quality. Good easy controls. Good depth of field shots and a fast custom white balance. Easy audio controls and excellent quality when using a MA-200 for boom. The weight distribution with the shoulder piece really helps for handheld tracking shots. Over all a great camera and I recommend it for anyone who is serious about making good videos. Cannon is the way to go. Oh and it shoots 16:9, looks professional, I love it.
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