Canon XL1S

An easy to use digital camera that's difficult to beat for professional video capture.

There's very little to visually distinguish this new model from its predecessor, the XL1. The camera shares the same modular design, with a magnesium alloy chassis and red plastic housing.

As before, the lens is interchangeable with other video lenses, or you can fit Canon's EOS-type lenses with an optional ring mount (£279.99 ex. VAT).

The lens that came with the XL1S reviewed here is Canon's 16X (5.5 to 88mm) fluorite zoom. It's an autofocus lens with an integrated neutral density filter that helps to reduce glare or overexposure in awkward lighting conditions. Other available lenses include a manual zoom lens (£1,154 ex. VAT) for those who prefer tighter control.

One key improvement is the CCD array. It's still a three-chip model, with separate CCDs for red, green and blue, but a new signal processor provides an improved signal/noise ratio and better low-light performance.

The CCD resolution of 270,000 pixels might not be as high as most single-chip camcorders, but pixel-shift is employed to increase this, which results in slightly smoother looking video than can be found on other products.

If you work with cinematography as well as broadcast video, the XL1S's progressive scan mode lets you capture complete frames. For filming without a tripod, the standard lens has an optical image stabilisation system to smooth out shake and the XL1S adds a digital stabiliser circuit for further compensation.

The camera's form factor and size suits a shoulder mount, but free or hip mounting is also possible, as thumb controls for record and zoom are replicated on the carrying handle. However, unlike Canon's XM1, or Sony's VX2000, there's no external LCD viewfinder.

Where the XL1S excels is in manual control, with accessible buttons and rollers for shutter speed, manual focus and iris, allowing adjustment without having to take your eyes off the subject.

New additions to this control set are colour balance, sharpness and gain controls. If you have specific configurations you use repeatedly, the XL1S can store them.

Canon has also listened to criticisms levelled at the XL1's menu access and the iris roller beneath the lens doubles as a control interface.

Audio capture is clean, with support for two external sources as standard and separate controls for balance and gain. Other new features include time lapse recording and external device control via IEEE 1394.

It might appear expensive compared to consumer digital video cameras, but Canon's XL1S is an easy choice for the video professional.

Price: £2,553 (ex. VAT)

Specifications:

Imaging device: 3X CCD
Optical zoom: 16X
Tape format: MiniDV
I/O: DV-in/out, Video-in/out, S-Video-in/out Audio-in/out, 3.5mm headphone, 2.5mm microphone.

Contact: Canon 0800 616 417
www.canon.co.uk