Canon XL H1 review

The XL H1 preserves the large rotary selector on the camera's left side, which you use to turn the camera on and place it in one of its many exposure modes

 
The Professional Jack Pack consists of Timecode In, Timecode Out, Gen-lock In and HD/SD SDI out. Previously unavailable at this price point, these connections enable the Canon XL H1 to interface with high-end pro gear and will be particularly useful for multicamera studio work.

Like its predecessors, the Canon XL H1 is unique among its competition in offering a removable plate at the back on which to mount wireless microphone receivers, extra batteries, and other items -- a very practical nod to the serious user.

Features
Clearly, the most exciting new feature of the Canon XL H1 is its HD-recording capability, made possible by its three 1.67-megapixel, 16:9-native, 1/3-inch CCDs. Like Sony's prosumer HD offerings, this Canon conforms to the 1080i HDV standard, recording interlaced 1,440x1,080, 16:9 HD video to DV tape through an aggressive form of MPEG compression. The XL H1 can also record standard-definition DV with a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio and downconvert HD to standard definition over both FireWire and analogue ports. This downconversion feature is a godsend for those who want to shoot HD now but aren't yet prepared to completely abandon standard-definition viewing, editing and distribution.

Oddly, given the XL2's progressive capabilities, the Canon XL H1 cannot record true progressive video in either HD or SD. That's a real disadvantage for those going for a cinematic look. The XL H1 does offer a pseudo-progressive shooting option, which Canon calls Frame Mode, in 30- and 24-frame-per-second varieties. Unfortunately, while Frame Mode provides identical motion quality to that of progressive video, it results in a significant loss of vertical resolution. There are also real questions about whether or when decks and editing software will support this proprietary format.

With its Digic DV II HD Image Processor, the Canon XL H1 offers even more menu-based image controls than the XL2 before it. You can determine such variables as colour matrices, gamma curves, knee, black stretch, setup, master pedestal, horizontal and vertical detail, sharpness, coring, noise reduction, colour gain, hue and master RGB colour. The XL H1 has replaced the XL2's imprecise bar-graph displays for these functions with numeric readouts, making settings much easier to remember and exchange. The number of Custom Presets -- user-defined and stored looks -- has increased from three to six. You can now store and share these presets via the SD memory card.