Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

We are a parent education non-profit. We purchased the camera to create online teaching and promotional collateral for our programs. Our staff is non-technical, but we were able to easily set-up and record video the first day. We don't have enough expertise to comment on the technical merits, but it has been a pain-free experience for amateur filmmakers to operate.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I do a lot of documentaries, behind the scenes and wedding videos, this camera can perform whats needed to finish the task. Lets break it down.

1. Great in Low light
2. XLR Inputs are great (Got superior audio quality using the Rode NTG2)
3. People complain about controls burried inside the menu, well all of you should read the Manual because there is a custom button which ive been using lately and its super easy.
4. Image quality is great. Wide dynamic range which you can throw any color grading plug ins out there.
5. Dual slot for SD cards is so useful. Invest in an SDXC.
6. Focus Ring is excellent, if you use IAF, theres even face tracking which i find it useful.
7. Got all plugs/ports needed like Mic line in, Remote, A/V for earphones. (Tried it using the Rode Video Mic Pro)
8. Its light compared to my 60D (I still love my 60D)
9. Got CINEMA filters which ive been using lately to shoot some videos such as commercials and short films.
10. Rocker Zoom and record is perfect. People complain how its designed but i find this very useful.

Theres only one thing thats missing. Need 1080 with 60P and 720 60P. NOW THAT WOULD BE AWESOME IF ITS GOT THIS!

Im very please with this camcorder and its versitile for its size. Invest in extra batteries and 2 SDXC cards. I have 2 64 Gig SDXC cards and its easy as plug and play when extracting footages.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

Bought this to replace an older Sony unit for underwater video. It surpasses my expoectaions in operation.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

The picture quality is nice @ full hd. 64GB internal memory is sweet and being small is very cool. I kind like the touch screen features but i wish their is an external iris control.

The zoom control is very very bad, it's left to right what's going on here, did canon get lazy. This zoom control feature is a joke, left to right lol crazy. Maybe it's just me but i think the audio is bit noisy.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I will use this with all of my XLR audio equipment.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

BETTER COLOR UNDER HARSH LIGHTING CONDITIONS.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I use the product for professional event video. I like the flexibility, light weight and 1080p picture quality, sound XLR inputs. I do find the touch screen scrolling hard to use, it will take practice.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I bought this camera in the early part of june and shot my first short with it right out of the box. We've been shooting with camera going on five months now, and its still showing what a great and versatile tool it can be. So far the only downside has been in battery life - I bought an eight hour battery, and would recommend you get one when you purchase the camera. It fits nicely into our workflow - we pride ourselves on the speed of our shoots and the XA10 helps us to get to that goal.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

This thing takes amazing video, it is small, light, compact & ultra portable. I love all the features, and I really like the touch screen. I like the ability to assign functions to the custom buttons. I do wish there were a few more custom buttons.

The only major complaint I have is the hand strap that holds your hand on the camera doesn't fit my hand. The velcro adjustment only grabs about 1/8" of the other velcro so it really scares me that it is going to let go at some point. I called Canon and they said that they don't offer a larger strap for the camera. They acted like I was crazy, that the strap will fit anyone with any size hand. I am a big guy, 6'6 - 250 lb. I have big hands, but alot of the guys that I know have big hands too, so I really can't understand why Canon doesn't put another 1" of adjustment on the hand strap. It's easy to trim it with a pair of scissors, but it's going to be difficult to have someone sew on extra material. So I guess this is something to keep in mind if your hands are large.

The rattling switches on the removable handle problem that others have complained about are still there, and are still a problem. The switches do rattle, not loud, in fact it's really faint, and if there is any background noise or voices you can't hear it on your video at all, but if there is silence and you are moving while filming, you will hear the rattle on your video.

Please don't let these issues steer you away from this camera, it's truly amazing, the picture is astounding, and there are so many options in the menus. I love the ability to film at 24p, I also love the infrared light on the handle, this is usually a option that isn't included on pro cameras and is a super handy feature. Everything about this camera is perfect with the few exceptions listed above.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I sold my canon xh a1 for the canon xa10.

I chose this camera because:
It is typeless.
Has full manual control.
The picture quality is good.
It has XLR inputs.
The large LCD.
Comes with a 2 year warranty.
Camera has very little moving parts.

I miss the 3 ring 20x optical zoom F1.6 of my old XH A1. I also miss the external focus/ zoom presets and the easy to find buttons on the XH A1.

I looked at the canon xf300 and xf100, the xf 300 is not in my price class and the xf100 does not come with internal memory and is much more expensive.

The 50mbps of the xf series cameras does not work with Adobe CS5.

The AVSHD format works for me and if you ask me it is also sharper and has more color depth than the 50mbps MXF format of the xf 100. You need a powerful computer to edit AVCHD.

The Standard image stabilizer is AWESOME! the dynamic and powered IS distorts the sides of the image.

The single 1/3 inch sensor works for me, I have seen comparisons between the xf100 and the xf300 and they looks the same. A single censor uses a Red Blue Green filter to see a specific colors, a 3x cmos divides each color into Red Blue and green with a crystal which also removes light and color form the image.

There is no optical ND filter, it is a digital ND filter, this has its pros and cons. The pros: it can be adjusted in increments, if you record in Manual mode and you have the ND filter set to on (auto) the ND filter works with the F stop to give a smooth exposure. This is not possible with a optical ND filter. The cons: You can't manipulate the depth of field as easily, you are forced to use a external screw on ND filter or to use the shutter-speed to expose.

I don't pollute my shots with gain, but I have to say, the gain is much less noisy than on my xh a1. You can't select negative gain, it is nice to have -3db gain to reduce image noise.

The plastic XLR switches on the handle are loose and you can hear them rattle, they are very close to the microphone. I am still trying to find a way around the problem, tape is not a option.

When it comes to the internal memory, I am not sure if it is solid state or if it is a Hard drive. The manual does not specify, I think that even Canon is confused about this. But on the other hand, the SD card is Solid state.

The 3 sec Pre Record function is very useful and is a big + point.

This camera also comes with very UNprofessional picture decorations and even a story creator for lazy video editors.

If you are new to Manual control cameras, it is not easy to use.

It is a better camera than my old XH A1.

Some people will not take you seriously if you use this camera because it is so small. They still believe that the Standard definition, DV-tape based, 20 y.o Sony PD 170 with its tiny LCD is a good professional camera compared to the Canon xa10 because it "LOOKS" more professional.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

My school recently bought this camera and lucky me got to keep it for a whole month and a half! IT is such an amazing camera in sucha small form factor with soooo many upsides to it and only 4 downsides if you are REALLY looking for them. everything is soo amazing and iespecially like the xlr inputs, 3.5 inch touch screen, and infared mode. the only four downsides are pretty minor and one could be fixed with a software update.

-when focusing manually using the touch screen the camera does a weird "focus assistance" which zooms in digitally on only the lcd screen and personally didnt help at all for me because it was more confuing than anything

-the viewfinder is small and inconvinientand barely any pressure from your eye will push it back in.

- there are little physical buttons that dont have to do with playback. to change iris, whitebalance, etc you must goto the touch creen menu which can become a hassle.

-and lastly the screws that hold the microphone mount onto the camera are not connected to the physical mount and they are EXTREMELY easy to lose and for replacement screws it costs $3 for the screws and $6 shipping!!! screws need to be attached to the mount

other than these minor inconviniences it is an amazing camera in an even more amazing form factor! it is way better than even more expensive cameras out there. for anyone looking to upgrade more than this camera i suggest to skip over other cameras and go with either this one or the sony hdr ax2000. this camera will knock out all other cameras from its price range to almost double its price! GREAT camera!

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I have been thrashing the XA10 for a couple weeks now and it is a joy to use. It is deceptively small but the video is shoots is anything but small. In most cases I can click it on "Auto" and it does a fine job in a variety of light conditions. Got to Manual and you can compensate for just about everything.
If I would change anything it would be to have the option to shoot one long video segment rather than the scenes the XA10 creates every time you hit the record/don't record button. That is a small hindrance though. Battery life is much longer than I anticipated and that is with a shotgun microphone on board and using phantom power! For my in-shop video work the standard battery is more than adequate.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

This camera records excellent to superior video. Sharpness and color saturation are excellent. I previously owned two Sony "Flagship" camcorders and have discovered that the image stabilization features on the Canon XA 10 are not quite up to the quality of Sony's image stabilization under "specific" conditions. Other than that, the camera has a number of filming options that allows you to produce some really great looking video. The menu is easy to use once you become knowledgeable of how to navigate. Still photographs are very good, however, not quite up to par with those camcorders with a higher pixel count (as advertised). I bought and use the Canon ZR-2000 Remote Controller and it is wonderful for tripod filming. I film nearly daily and have only used the 60fps film mode thus far. I use several different external microphones and get excellent audio. I have yet to experience the "handle rattle" that other reviewers have refered to, but I dont use XLR microphone(s). Overall, I have given this camera a five star rating in spite of my (specific) image stabilization issue as a result of all the video and audio options available on this camera. Low light capabilities are superior to any camera I have previously used.

If you are strictly a "full auto point and shoot" videographer, you might be better served with a less expensive camera. If, on the other hand, you want total control over the quality of your images, this is the camera for you.

P.S. - As other reviewers have noted, you should purchase one (or more) larger batteries as this camera uses a goodly amount of energy.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I'm using my new XA10 to shoot original footage and also as part of a 16mm telecine set-up. The picture is amazingly sharp. Many users have noted that the switches on the top handle are noisy. (They are right above the in-camera mics.) A simple fix is a bit of grip tape, or a 1x1 Scotch "removable mounting square" (available at places like Staples)
The squares conveniently cover all five switches and leave no residue.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I use my XA10 to video a hunting show and it's great. The small size is perfect for carrying in and out of the woods. Also for concealing while video the hunt. Although it's small it has a more than large enough view finder to see what your shooting.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

This is by and far the best camcorder I've ever used. It's compact and easy to handle, steady and stable. The low light shots are incredible. The mic jacks make this the perfect camcorder for documentaries and interviews.

We're considering buying another one for our company.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I just got this camera for filming some parties and school projects. It feels firm and has a great video quality.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

I ordered the XA10 as a supplement to my 5DII and 60D DSLR video setup mainly because the 12 minute clip limit on those cameras is difficult to work around for event situations. I've owned Canon camcorders since the XL1. My last Canon camcorder was the XH-A1. While I am confident that the image quality of the video recorded by the XA10 is superb, hence the 4 stars, I returned the XA10 after ordering for a few reasons.

• The camera is tiny. Too small to work with on a daily basis and difficult to hold and balance with a pro short shotgun mic. Also difficult to operate the consumer style zoom switch.

• Audio switches rattle on the handle. Of course this could easily be fixed with tape or something, but I'd rather not deal with it.

• Internal lens reflections when recording bright, single point light sources in dark rooms. The internal flares vary with the zoom ration.

• I'm not a fan of the touch screen. The XH-A1 had such great manual controls I'm probably spoiled. The 60D is more intuitive and easier to operate in most ways.

• Viewfinder not adjustable at all and lower quality which matters when outdoors in sun. I even prefer the view screen on the 60D for sharpness.

All in all even with the audio work arounds required I'm spoiled by the optics and value of my DSLRs and was unimpressed by the XA10. You may love it and it is a great value. Just my experience as a dedicated DSLR guy.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

This is my first pro camera and I love it. It has great features for a beginner and is not difficult to learn how to use at all. The interface is fairly self explanatory since I dont like to read the manual, it took me only about an hour to really learn the basics of this new interface, which is almost completely via touch screen. The new touch screen takes a bit of getting used to but once you have it down its quite simple. The camera has great image stabilization for its size, I was expecting a lot more jerks and movement, but its is surprisingly smooth. The size of the camera is insane, I can get harder shots easier than with my old camera (sony vx2000) which was twice the size. The only downside to the camera (thus far) is the internal mic for sound, you should definitely not depend on it if doing work where the sound matters. Overall, this camera is perfect for the beginning film maker due to its size, optional modes, price and overall bang for buck.

Comments about Canon XA10 HD Professional Camcorder:

This camera came easy to use right out of the box and the video quality is superb. It's a camera for those that want great quality without having to set complicated menu items. But for the professional it has all of the features and settings you'd want from a pro setup. I bought mine with an optional external mic because this camera features an option to add professional audio accessories to add to the quality of the picture. Nothing worse than having a great camera without great audio playing in the background.

The menus are easy to navigate after you get used to them and even with my fumbly fingers I discovered that the touch screen features on this camera are actually easier to use than I thought they would be. I thought the touch screen for someone with fumbly big fingers would be difficult but was very surprised at how easy it turned out.

Only thing about this camera is the size. If you are used to large professional cameras this one will surprise you. It's tiny, it's very light, and can be used all day without fatigue. A great camera to take on a trip or on a situation where you need excellent pro quality but have to travel light. You won't find quality like this in many cameras this tiny and light.

I loved the LCD screen. Very good quality outside. And the zoom is very smooth. Not jerky like a lot of cameras.