Unveiled: Canon XA30 and XA35 Compact Professional Camcorders

Canon has announced the latest additions to its compact “XA” line of professional camcorders: the XA30 and XA35. They retain the same portable body design and all key features as their predecessors, the XA20 and XA25, but offer a few significant updates, including a brand-new 1/2.84" HD CMOS Pro image sensor with a +3dB boost in its signal-to-noise ratio to deliver cleaner-looking images and improved low-light performance. Other notable additions include Wide DR (600%) and Highlight Priority gamma modes and an interval recording function. With their compact size and imaging capabilities, the camcorders are ideal for a wide range of applications, from ENG work and event coverage to corporate videos and independent filmmaking.

Both the XA30 and XA35 are equipped with an integrated 20x Canon zoom with a 35mm equivalent focal range of 26.8 to 576mm. Like the previous models, they record AVCHD or MPEG4 format video at resolutions up to 1080p and at frame rates of 24, 30, or 60 (23.98, 29.97, 59.94) fps. The camcorders also offer slow and fast video recording, including a new interval mode that adds selective speeds from 2x all the way up to 1200x for producing time-lapse video effects.

The main difference between the two camcorders is that the XA35 adds an HD/SD-SDI output for direct connection to a news truck, an SDI switcher, or other professional video equipment. It also enables external recording of uncompressed video signals. Both camcorders provide an HDMI output for external monitoring, with onboard monitoring supported by a 1.56 million-dot electronic viewfinder and a 3.5" OLED touch panel with a 1.23 million-dot resolution and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio.

In addition to the standard gamma option, you can now select Wide DR and Highlight Priority gamma modes. Wide DR, an option found on Canon’s professional CINEMA EOS cameras, compresses high-brightness areas to achieve a wider dynamic range of 600%. This not only helps suppress overexposure, but also produces smooth gradations in highlights and shadows, all while maintaining a finalized look that eliminates the need for post-production processing.

The Highlight Priority Mode, on the other hand, gives an HDR-like quality to your video by reducing the amount of highlight and mid-tone compression on the gamma curve, which helps to maintain highlight exposure. The mode also enhances brightness and saturation for more faithful color reproduction. To support this mode, both camcorders have a new View Assist that enables you to more accurately monitor what the final images will look like.

Video is recorded to dual SD card slots, which can be set up for either relay recording for longer record times, or simultaneous recording for instant data backup and redundancy. You can record the same high bit-rate AVCHD files to the second card, or a lower resolution and bit-rate MP4 files for Web-friendly proxy files. Built-in dual-band Wi-Fi enables FTP video transfer directly from the camcorder to your computer, while also letting you remotely monitor and control select camera functions from your smartphone or tablet using the dedicated app.

A detachable top handle provides dual XLR audio inputs with phantom power and manual audio level controls. Also found on the handle is a built-in IR emitter to support infrared recording. Thanks to the enhanced sensitivity of the new sensor, IR recordings are approximately 1.4x brighter than with the previous models. When XLR audio connectivity or the IR emitter isn’t required, you can remove the top handle to make the already compact camcorder even smaller and more portable. Additional features include full manual controls for precise adjustment of focus, exposure, shutter speed, and white balance, and assignable function buttons for quick access to your most-used features, including more advanced options such as zebra, color bars, and test tone.