Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

After years of waiting for the right camera to officially take my business to tapeless HD, I finally pulled the trigger on the XF300. This camera replaces my overused and outdated XL2. (I've been playing with tapeless HD workflow with a Canon Vixia and a Sony A33, but the XF300 marks a complete shift in this direction).

Switching from my XL2 to the XF300 wasn't all that difficult. I shot my first paid project with it not 5-days after unpacking it. It's definitely going to take a little more time to get fluid with all the settings and being able to make manual adjustments on the fly, but Canon's layout has always made sense to me, so I'm not worried about it.

The picture quality is to be expected... really nice, even with the shipped settings. The lens is beautiful, although i do wish it were interchangeable like the XL cams were. Manual controls are easy to figure out and seem well designed. I do wish, however, that AE shift was NOT a menu setting, but a dial as on the XL cams.

The camera is not small, but neither is it uncomfortably large. Its close enough to the XL2 for me to feel right at home carrying it around. I even felt comfortable enough to take it over the ocean on a raft on its first shoot.

Ergonomics are nice. A little front heavy and not made for long interval handheld shooting. Placement of LCD, XLR ins, zooms, and various buttons all work for me. Manual audio level control dials are a little small and sometimes difficult to make small adjustments. I'm getting faster at navigating menu settings and think that the menu structure is pretty well laid out.

32GB Sandisk Extreme cards have worked well so far. In-camera playback is nice and easy to navigate. AMA linking in Avid MC is pretty easy and very quick in terms of accessing/editing MXF files. I'm still playing with the ideal workflow for my setup, but MXF files are much nicer to work with than AVCHD files.

The camera makes a pretty loud internal sound on start up. It had me worried, so I called Canon and they pulled one off the shelf while I was on the phone and fired it up and I could hear it make the same loud motor sound, so don't freak out when you first hear it.

Is it worth the price? If it lasts as long and produces as much content for me as my XL2 did, then it should pay for itself many, many times over the next few years. To me, that's a good investment!

Time will tell.

I'd give it 4.5 stars if that were an option. Can't give it 5, simply because it's not quite perfect by my book (but it comes pretty close for what my needs are).

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

Absolutely love this camera. I have been a video producer for over 30 years, and this is the first tape less camera iv'e owned. If you love cannon and are new to the digital era BUY IT!.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I got this camera for filming hunts. Someone had told me that DSLR's were the way to go. I'm so glad I got this instead. Autofocus, quick zoom,18x zoom, and great ergonomics make this camera the way to go. Not too big in my opnion to carry around all day.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

Great lens and large LCD is the thing that makes this camera stand above others . I had EX1 that is a very good one but already 5 year old and playback and menu much slower than on Xf300. You have 3 Image Stabilizations! and above all great picture quality. Only problem that I see is that this camera is not the best in low light, you have some noise but looking at all goodies I can live with that (99% I am using it using with natural light).

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I have been using Canon for many years and have been very happy with the products and service. The XF300 is no exception. I use the camera mainly for stage shows. The picture is sharp and the colors are accurate. One problem is that in low light the tape cameras seemed to have a less grainy image. Another, more troublesome problem, is that the camera has an internal rechargeable battery to keep the memory. The battery in the camera was bad and the camera is at Canon repair to replace it. The tape cameras used a replaceable button battery - much better. Also, the charge only lasts 3 months by design. The sound is a little weak but there is an adjustment for that in the audio menu. The camera can use a stronger zoom or it would be nice if Canon made a multiplier. They do make a wide angle attachment. The battery that comes with the camera lasts over 3 hours. Great battery life. The camera shows all essential info on the screen including remaining battery time, remaining recording time on the cards, color temp and many other functions. The screen can be used on either side of the camera. There are many programable buttons that make it easy to change settings without going through the menus. If you prefer to do things manually you can shut off the automatic functions individually. The switch from one CF card to the next is seamless and if you need extra recording time you can switch the full card while the camera is running. The one annoying feature is the power switch. While very easy to turn on getting it to the off position is difficult. All in all this camera is a winner. Fix the minor problems and it's a 5 star camera.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

This camera is simply amazing! My first reaction was that it's pretty big, but I'm upgrading from a Canon GL2, which is in a completely different class. The numerous on-camera buttons and switches make configuring the device on the fly much easier than always having to access a series of menus.

The ability to switch from Auto Focus to Manual Focus (electronic) to Full Manual Focus (physical focus ring) makes this camera extremely versatile. The Auto Focus is called "Instant AF" because it truly is instant in most situations.

With a large (4") LCD view screen that swivels to either side and flips to face forward, you can be just about anywhere around the camera and still see what it sees. This is very useful for the setups where space is limited - you won't always be able to stay directly behind the camera.

The expected long term savings by using a tapeless camera are a great (both time and money). I've been looking forward to not buying tapes ever again. Using the included Canon XF Utility software is not difficult, and Final Cut Pro 7 can directly ingest the media clips through the Log and Transfer window. This is a great boost to the media ingest workflow, which now literally takes only minutes - a far cry faster than the 1:1 play/capture workflow from DV tapes.

Some have commented on the apparent flimsiness of the microphone bracket. At first, it does seem a bit cheap, but it's actually a very well-designed bracket. It has a custom-fit rubber gasket between the microphone bracket and the camera body to help isolate the mic. I don't normally use an external mic, so I took a few minutes to remove the bracket. This was a simple task using a standard phillips screwdriver. It's not a quick-release bracket, but it's not difficult to remove it or put it back on.

Loaded with the lens hood, two CF cards, a 955 battery, and a quick-release tripod plate, the camera weighs in at about 7 to 7.5 lbs, which really isn't unbearably heavy. It feels well balanced when handheld, as the center of gravity is just a bit forward of the middle of the primary grip. The grip on the top feels very sturdy and includes a 1/4" thread for mounting accessories to the top of the camera.

Unlike some earlier Canon models, this one has a DC power plug that is separate from the battery attachment, and you can change out the battery without turning off the camera as long as it's plugged in. I'm not sure that any shooting setups that I've encountered would take advantage of this, but I suppose if you're shooting a wedding, you might find yourself plugged in on a tripod and then need to become mobile quickly. It's definitely nice to have separate DC and battery power sources.

Another feature that I've always wanted to have that is included in the XF300 is on-screen guides and markers. The camera shoots in HD (16:9), but I usually like to provide a finished product at 2.35:1 or some other "extreme" widescreen aspect ratio. The XF300 supports displaying guide lines at various aspect ratios that help you keep the subject within the final output area. I believe this is known as "overshooting" in the film industry, and I find it very useful to have the guides built into the camera. It also includes support for showing grids, center crosshairs, and safe-zone boxes at various settings.

One concern that I have is the compatibility of the Control L ("LANC" or "REMOTE") port. I have a 10-year-old VariZoom Pro-L controller that has been indispensable over the years. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work with the XF300. I like the VariZoom because it's made from solid aluminum instead of plastic (like the ZR2000). For my shooting style, I really only need rec/stop and zooming on an external controller, but I need the controller to be sturdy and stable. I'm disappointed with the loss of compatibility with the Pro-L controller, and it's been difficult to find a good replacement that's not been discontinued (still haven't yet).

In summary, this is an amazing camera that provides tons of options and features that I would expect on a pro-level camera but in a more portable form factor and at a more affordable price. So far, I have no regrets with the purchase. I look forward to capturing many good hours of footage and using the camera for many long years into the future.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

This is the very best camcorder I have ever owned. I have been in the video production business for 28 years and have never seen anything like this FX format. I run a local access TV station and use this unit alot to say the least. It holds up to everything it is put into service for.
John DeBolt
The Video Professionals

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

This was a big step up for me as my choice for a serious HD camera - from an HV30 and GL1 prior to that. I mostly shoot special event performances, musical performances, and weddings.

First thing I noticed was the excellent viewfinder and how quickly I could get a good focus. The auto focus and face detection works great and is nice to have in a pinch. The zoom is great with excellent rocker switches. I'm glad there's a dedicated switch to choose between ring or rocker.

I'm content with all the manual options and readily accessible buttons/switches. I especially like the customizable buttons so I can get to frequently used options that I actually use. I do wish I had the ability to switch framerates and slow/fast options without using the menus. Audio controls are excellent.

I really like the tapeless workflow and the relatively inexpensive CF cards. I bought some cheap transcend 32gb 400x cards for practice footage and haven't had any problems yet. I'll buy the San Disk expensive cards later, but for now, no problems thus far. The learning curve is great in that I could start shooting great footage right away, yet the advanced potential of the camera far exceeds my current boundaries.

As for the quality of the footage, I was amazed at how much clearer and vibrant it was in comparison to my HV30. I haven't taken advantage of the customizable profiles yet.

I do wish the camera would have a shoulder mount as it can get a bit heavy over time with a wireless mic + shotgun, + battery, and a camera light during wedding receptions. I don't like the shotgun mount. Seems very weak and my current shotgun mic is too thin for it (AT-835b). I can get it to fit by playing with the windscreen, I just don't trust it to hold up over time. As for the power switch, I miss the off position too like everyone else. You get used to making sure you hit it, or you just swap out for a new battery.

I was stuck between the EX1r and the XF300. I went with canon because I believe that at their best, XF300 would perhaps have better quality because of the 4:2:2 at 50mbs. I almost went with the sony because of the 2/3 for low-light. However, for scenes that are dark, I have a light with a dimmer and will use it as needed to get the shot.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I bought this not because I loved the camera, but because it's a broadcaster-certified 422 camcorder. It's got the right codec to keep the engineering department from vetoing your final cut. But, there is no way that you will get an image that looks significantly better from a HDV camera. .

On the positive side. In 2011 it's the go-to camera. It's been used on the Emmy broadcast, in reality tv, in newsrooms and (of course) on documentaries. There's an astounding amount of buttons to fiddle with and an impressively useful set of display options.

Deep breath... HOWEVER... the technical tweaks are impressive. But this is a bunch of great software and features lumped on what is now a minuscule chip camera. And that's a huge problem. People are now used to DSLR, Alexa and EPIC footage. The image quality here feels a decade old, and without significant tweaks is easily confused with -say- a Go Pro camera.

So, more often than not I find myself shooting with 2 5D's and the XF. And I almost always want to use the DSLR footage, whatever the long list problems associated with them. For me it's become a security camera - something to cut to if broadcasters complain and a fairly useful way to record sync audio.

I doubt, however, that the point of having a camera like this is to carry two other ones. So I can't in good faith recommend it to someone considering this as a primary option. It'll be completely overlooked for any real production within 12 months.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I purchased this based on the excellent reviews it has received, and I have not been disappointed at all. This camera takes stunning video, and has plenty of great features. I use it primarily to produce promotional videos for our business.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I have been a portrait photographer for 18 years. Demand called for Hi Def video recently. Did alot of research. XF300 for the money was best choice. More than I would need. Image quality is second to none. I shot alot of video with 5D markII but could never get smooth zoom or focus. Unless I spent another $5000.00 for the rigs they got out there. XF300 delivers in any situation. There are a few cons the ON OFF MEDIA switch. I keep placing a bet that I will hit the mark but am losing so far. camera is front heavy. The big battery 975 will give you approx. 6 hours. 32GB cards will give you 80mins each. Get the training video. I didn't even have to read the manual. If you don't have pro software you will need one to read XMF files. So add another couple thousand to the purchase.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I use this for documentaries around the globe and it is light years beyond the Panasonic HPX-170 that I was using. The CF cards are much cheaper and are the same that I use with my still camera. The LCD monitor is AMAZING! It is VERY clear and allows you to do critical focusing without zooming in.

The picture quality is second to none.

The only downside is that if you use Premiere Pro you will need CS5. But if you use Final Cut Pro or Avid, you will be good to go. Luckily, I have both, but if you only had CS4 you would be pretty disappointed (at least for now).

The other con is that the power switch is a bit annoying. The off position is in between the Camera and Media positions and I don't think I have ever been able to turn it off without first putting it in Media. This is a small issue though.

This has been an absolutely perfect investment.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I upgraded from a Canon GL2. I am an advanced amateur and I shoot primarily out doors (railroads).

My experiences with this camera so far is incredible. The picture and color is exactly what has been reported before - and that is very very good.

There are a couple of items that I believe Canon could improve upon, however nothing that would persuade me to drop the rating at my skill set. I would like to see more flexibility with the programmable buttons on the camera. Canon allows only predetermined functions to be mapped to these programable buttons. There are certain functions that I wish I could map. Again, to me this does not take away from the stunning picture that this camera produces.

It is nice to have an industry standard memory card used within this device. The CF cards are easy to come by and economical.

In addition, be sure to download the latest version of the Canon XF Utility (v1.1.0) as this contains very useful updates over the original version.

Though I had the XF300 out in the field for only 3 days of shooting, the camera is remarkable. I cannot report, as of now, on importing the media into a post NLE program.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I sold my Sony Ex1 to get this Canon XF-300. I was'nt certain that it was a good move, but I don't regret at all. This camera is very simple to use, practical. And the data storage is only a fraction of what a use to pay with my Ex1. With the 50mbps codec and a 2 year guarantee, it's a camera that you will love for a long time and that you won't have to change. Whatever is the project your working on (TV, Corpo, docu), the camera has the power of deliver it in a broadcast quality, approved by the BBC

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

I love this camera. The image quality is fantastic. Having used the Canon XL1 and Xl2 in the past, the learning curve was easy. Compared to the EX1, which I have used extensively in my job, this camera so much better. I recently installed the CP scene file for the BBC standard and I really was impressed by the new look. I use this camera to shoot broadcast documentaries and micro-documentaries. The XF300 is very flexible. I edit in FCP - on a Macbook no less - and have no problem. Maybe this speaks more to FCP than Canon but Canon does have a great utility to transfer/transcode footage to ProRez. Also, I love Canon's support. They are very responsive. So if you have one camera you want to buy, this is the one!

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

This is simply an amazing video camera. Excellent color rendering; MPEG-2 so it's easier on the CPU when editing; fantastic, clear pictures; good low-light performance. Love the compact flash media and relay recording -- could shoot all day without stopping if you had to. Great zoom capability. Nice, large LCD display. Easy to manually focus. Long battery lifetime.

Only complaint would be the on/off switch -- it's easy to turn on the camera accidentally, or think you're turning it off and actual put it in playback mode.

You can't go wrong with this camera!

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

Documentaries, commercials, web videos

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

Documentaries, corporate, broadcast, web videos

There just isn't much that separates this camera from $25k cameras. Programmable buttons, built-in ND filters, custom picture settings, and so many setup options for both video and audio. CF media beats them all.

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

Its a nice upgrade from my H1

Comments about Canon XF300 Professional Camcorder:

PROS: extremely sharp picture; LED is HUGE and detailed and allows focus adjustments; screen controls make selection easy; image stabilization makes handholding while leaning against a wall doable in HD; customizable buttons are EASY to set up; battery life is excellent; zoom is smooth enough.
CONS: case feels like cheap plastic and panels attached with tiny screws make me wonder about weather resistance; hand grip is too square and camera is too front-heavy for true comfort; at night, the buttons on the camera are too small and feel too much alike to use without a light.
GENERAL: Everyone is blown away by the picture quality. I was shocked by the fine audio quality. Sandisk Extreme Pro compact flash keeps up even at 50 mb/s. Downloading on a firewire 800 is a breeze. Premiere Pro CS5 handles MTX (about 25 GB per hour of video on 1920 x 1080 30P)with no glitches and Encore CS5 does the chaptered menu and perfectly renders to Blue-Ray at up to 40 mb/s. I use the Manfrotto 561 BHDV-1 monopod (includes a fluid head)for sport and wedding and theater events.