Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 20, 2005. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
At IBC, Canon exhibited the prototype of an HDV camera in a small glass case, but provided no further details about the product. Only a few days after the trade fair did the Japanese manufacturer reveal the secret and officially present the XL-H1, its first HDV camcorder.
The device records in 1080i and 16:9 with three 1/3-inch CCD chips, each with 1.67 megapixels, and is equipped with a newly developed 20x zoom lens with optical image stabilizer. Frame rates of 50i, 25p and 24p are available. The signals can also be recorded and output in the SD-DV standard. The XL-H1 is the first to use Canon’s proprietary “Digic DV II” image processor, which is intended to ensure particular color fidelity. Thanks to a switchable HD-SDI/SD-SDI signal output and integrated genlock synchronization connection, the camera can be integrated into existing studio environments without a converter. The numerous adjustment options also meet professional requirements: The camera operator can fine-tune Color Matrix, Gamma, Auto Knee, noise-reduction functions and edge enhancement. The settings can be conveniently saved on SD cards. Images are monitored via a 2.4-inch LCD in 16:9 format.
The XL-H1 is to be available in the USA from November at a price of just under 9,000 dollars.
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