HD For Indies

Canon XH Series Watchdog

My buddy Chris Hurd is ever vigilant while I'm out of town - Canon has announced two new 1080i HDV camcorders (with 24F & 30F modes also). Think of them as the very similar little brothers of the XL H1. Key differences:

-two new models, the XH A1 and XH G1
-those two are the same, except the G1 has timecode and HD-SDI outs
-$4000 and $7000 for the two (HD-SDI model, the XH G1, costs more)
-otherwise the two new cameras are the same
-FIXED lenses not interchangeable like the XL H1
-new feature - Instant AF, very fast auto-focus using infrared
-the HD-SDI on the G1 embeds audio and timecode, the XL H1 does not
-some control range differences between these and the XL H1
-no four channel audio recording
-uses same 1/3" chip and optical block as the XL H1 for both of these
-XH A1 $4000, due late October, XH G1, due mid November, $7000

See Chris' page on the skinny on the XH cameras and the FAQ he put together (from which all of this article is drawn).

I'd read this as there will be an XL H1s coming out at some point with these improved features (Instant AF, embedded audio and timecode). As for image quality, they will be similar to the XL H1, but I'd imagine the lenses won't be as nice (look at the price difference!).

Yesterday was just getting into LA, getting the rental car, hooking up with my friend Frank Reynolds and hanging out for the night - walked over to the Grove in Culver City and ate at what may be the original Johnny Rockets before it chained out, then hung out and talked movie geekery (movies we liked, what's up with DI's, future of HD, what to make of Disney scaling back productin, etc.).

Today I'm catching up on mail then hooking up with some more friends and then I don't know what.

-mike