XH-A1 OR XL-H1 Replacement?

[GeorgeMaier]

Does anyone know any rumours of the replacements for either of these two lines?

Additionally, do you think they will continue to use MiniDV or switch to SD?

[chico_stang]

I believe the replacement is the XF300/305. And those use compact flash cards if I am not mistaken. The last HDV prosumer model from Canon that uses tape is the XH A1s. I don't think they will release any miniDV model again.

[Daniel Rutter]

...and you could have found this out with a few keywords in google.

[dop16mm]

Alas hdv seems to be fully and completely dead on the new camera front. Although I don't really think the xf-300 can really be viewed as a replacement for the xh-a1 as it is nearly double the price. Very steep premium for going solid state, but adds a broadcast codec. Nothing seems to match the features and lens of the a1 in a solid state product for anything close to the price.

[chico_stang]

Well, the camera closely resembles the appearance and form-factor of the XH-A1. The other cameras Canon have below that one are the XF100/105 and those don't have the same appearance nor features. For example, they have only one lens ring. So I guess there is no direct replacement for the XH A1 other than the XH-A1s. And yes, I believe the end of tape based cameras has come. Having said that, I still use tape based cameras and have no problem with them. As long as they serve well for my purposes, there is no need to replace them.

[cgbier]

I'm rather looking for a replacement of the H1, as our XL1's are getting close to their service lives. The only other "compact" pseudo shoulder mount is the Sony EX-3 with a rather costly infrastructure.

[mgalvan]

I too am awaiting whats up next in the XL line.

I currently use a Canon XLH1S/Nanoflash system and it is fantastic. Great ergonomics, usability, and image quality, especially with the high-bitrate 4:2:2 from the HD-SDI to the Nano.

Yes, new tape cameras may no longer be manufactured, but these latest tape cams still have very long life to them.

[drapeama]

I currently use a Canon XLH1S/Nanoflash system and it is fantastic.

Cooool! That's a nice setup. The nano flash is a great tool, but it's pricey, but worth it at the same time. Makes every camcorder with a good picture quality even better with the high-bitrate encoding.
An HVxx can be just as good as high-end professional camcorder with that.

[mgalvan]

I love the setup... the overall picture quality is top notch.

The HVxx series provides an outstanding picture for what it is, and using a Nanoflash with it increases it dramatically, especially in resolution. It's amazing the difference between HDV and the Master MPEG formats from the Nano.

But the thing to realize is the Canon XLH1S is just flat out a better camera, in a different league altogether. The lens, 3CCDs, etc., just make a picture that easily outclasses the HVxx. The HVxx colorimetry, while great, looks more muted in comparison tot he rich colors that come from the 3CCD system in the XL. Plus, the level of control over gamma, knee, RGB matrices, etc. etc. allow for far greater picture enhancement that is just not possible with the HVxx. And once you record from the HD-SDI from the Canon XL to the Nano, well then its no more comparison...

The HVxx is a great camera (I still consider it among the best consumer cams out there), but the Canon XLH1S is with no question the better camera. But I consider myself blessed to have them both :)