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When buying a camcorder, make sure it has an orginal manufacturer label on it. If not, it might be considered stolen. This camcorder is a best buy for individuals who want be professionals in the field. It is recommended to buy a shoulder mount to stabilize the camcorder. Over all, this camcorder is easy to use. For people who know photography you'll love this camcorde. Buy a Canon XH A1 model.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The lens is quite good (20x optical), the electric zoom is very smooth, the menu controls and detail of control are quite good. The viewfinder is a bit small and not as sharp as new cameras, but adequate for church use. This model (A1) does not have SDI outputs, but a cheap external converter takes care of that. (The G1 version has SDI outs). The frame rate choices are not exact for broadcast specs (30, not 29.97, etc), so some HD switchers will not sync to it. There are lots of adjustable options that allow a semi-professional crew to get what they need in extreme environments, which is exactly what we needed.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This camera is a classic, and the fact that it uses tape makes it available at bargain prices. It has every bell and whistle the pro or semi pro could want, many of which are left off of today's comparable camcorders or DSLR equivalents. Dual XLRs, a real viewfinder, many manual operations and overrides, and a 360 degree monitor. All of the operations are found on dials and buttons, so fooling around with a touch screen monitor does not fit into the equation. And it LOOKs the part... part of the problem with today's highly capable but miniaturized camcorders. I have had many camcorders from this period, and this one outshines them all. I recommend a purchase at $500 or less.
I am a wedding videographer and love the Canon XH-A1. I now own three of them. They are reliable, portable and yet serious enough to get the job done. The color reproduction is great in good lighting and better than most in low-light. Although the results are acceptable using the camera in auto mode, you can get some fabulous footage in manual mode if you know what you're doing. The optical stabilizer does a good job and the 20x zoom lens allows me to get in tight from a considerable distance. The onboard mic is not the greatest, but if you set it properly it will yield acceptable results. It can yield terrible results if you set the input gain too high, though, so use caution. The optional XLR input with phantom power is a great option. I use it for a shotgun mic on one of my A1's and have also used it to tap directly into the sound system at the event. Although HDV tape is more expensive I highly recommend using it because it does yield better results. Overall a great camcorder for the money.Read full review
I have been shooting on this camera, or similar, for years, and it is a workhorse. It has all the features I need to truly control the image I get from it...the highlights being dual XLR inputs (used on 95% of my shoots), customizable buttons, flexible auto/ manual selections (you tell it what you'd like to control, and what you'd like it to do for your), and manual controls galore. I wish these professional features were the standard now, but any camera giving you this much control just costs too much...and any less puts you back in the low-end range with less control. I've shot weddings, documentaries, shorts, events (where this thing shines!), and family footage with this, and it is the best camera I've owned.
Verified purchase: No
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