As most would know I like to film windsurfing but I like everyone can only view so much GoPro footage. I've been using my DSLR for wider shots but they are a little cumbersome to use and not quick to setup. With that said I've decided to upgrade my old HD handycam to something with a little punch. HD camcorders are a dime a dozen these days but for the most they still lack the quality and super crisp image that I'm after. In the end I settled on the Canon XA10, It's Canon's entry level pro camera and retails for around $1500 depending where you look.
Here's the bad boy...
You may says it looks over the top and your right...It's the biggest cam I've owned in years but it's very easy to use. The big handle on top can be removed so that it can be used as a more traditional handycam but to be honest the handle make for easy and steady hand held shooting. This handle also has XLR inputs for professional sound recording and heaps other buttons for sound control. It also has controls for the zoom rocker, A start and stop button, A hot shoe mount for accessories and a dedicated MIC holder. The camera itself is very light, The battery provided is a little on the small side (1hr) so I got the bigger hi capacity one that give you 3 hours record time. It has a traditional style view finder (why) and a flip out LCD touch screen that is used to access the menu and the manual controls. The camera had a built in 64GB memory and an additional 2 SD card slots so the storage is almost endless. You can relay record from the in-built memory to card A then to card B, Maybe you'd like to record a backup on card B while recording to card A....There are countless options.
Here's a quick test vid from yesterday....
Good review. Will you use it with a tripod?
The main issue I'd have with the XA10 is the lack of a decent optical zoom. However you are getting a lot of camera for not that much money.
^^^I agree Moby about the zoom but it suits the purpose I bought it for, Wide angle and life style. I have a DSLR with a 400 image stabilized lens so I've got the gap covered. The next camera up was $2K+ and still only had the 10X zoom, so I took the cheap option. I do plan to use a tripod, Mostly the SoloShot and I also have a shoulder rig. I just need a descent mic now and I'm good.
Cheers....Time to go this southerly is wild
They should be a bit getting a bit cheaper still since Canon just launched the follow up model(s): XA20 / XA25.
Main difference is a new image processor, increased dynamic range, in camera slow motion (not sure how they implemented that one) and 1080p at 50 fps.
All that said where did you get the XA10 for $1500? Every shop I looked they are between $1900 and $2100. Remember if you buy DSLRs or pro level Canon video cameras from overseas sources Canon Australia doesn't usually honour the warranty.
^^^I just puched it google and sellected one of the adds that come up for an Aussie camera store, They had it listed at $1799 but were willing to bargin as it was being "cleared out"...The new modles are due for Australian release soon. It's crazy how much the camera varied in price from store to store, Even day to day...But that must have something to do with the forth comming release of the XA20 & XA25....Looks to be far more expensive though? There were plenty of grey imports available for similar costs but I wasn't to keen on them....Even though they state that they are covered by Australian warranty?...I've done it with a GoPro but that's a few hundred bucks not $1500, Too big of a gamble for me...
What I got was a great camera at a good price that is capable of doing everything and more then I'll ever want it for.....But the 20X optical zoom on the new ones is tempting
...That said, "There will be no ongoing support from Canon for this camera"....What ever that means, I assume it means firmware updates...Maybe?
The viewfinder is super useful in the snow on sunny days. I wish my handycam had one. Might have to upgrade to one of these